Or maybe you know you want to TRY telling a story, but you’re not sure you’ve got one to tell. (Guess what: you do.)
Maybe you're wondering:
- Is anyone actually going to care about my story?
- How do I turn my rambling thoughts into something engaging?
- What if I'm just not a "natural storyteller?"
- Where would I even share a story? Do I just corner people at parties?
- What if I overshare and make everyone uncomfortable... or undershare and sound like a robot?
The Storytelling Struggle Is Real.
A Fresh Approach to Storytelling
Most storytelling advice gets it backwards. Coaches focus on performance techniques or rigid formulas that make stories feel forced. Some even push you to share your most traumatic experiences without creating the right conditions for authentic expression.
The truth? You don't need extraordinary experiences or natural performance skills to tell compelling stories. What you need is:
Expert guidance
Progressive confidence-building
Flexible frameworks
A supportive community
to listen to your drafts, celebrate your wins, and have fun with
that make structuring your story manageable but still feel like you
that takes you from private exploration to sharing your work with pride
to help you find meaning in your experiences and level up your storytelling
to experiment in before taking bigger stages
to choose stories that feel right for YOU to tell right now
A brave space
Permission
That's what my storytelling work is all about.
Introducing Story Coaching Pods
Let’s work together
Welcome to Story Coaching Pods! If you're one of the many people who've been asking me for years to create a group program for developing personal stories: your wait is over.
My approach to storytelling isn't just about teaching you to perform. It's about helping you discover the natural storyteller you already are. And these skills will serve you everywhere: from memoir writing to workplace presentations, from Moth stages to family celebrations.
Think of pods as part writing workshop, part story circle, and part performance prep - all in a cozy, encouraging space.
Yes! Put me on the waitlist
Introducing Story Coaching Pods
Let’s work together
Welcome to Story Coaching Pods! If you're one of the many people who've been asking me for years to create a supportive group program for developing personal stories - your wait is over.
My approach to storytelling isn't just about teaching you to perform. It's about helping you discover the natural storyteller you already are. These skills serve you everywhere: from memoir writing to workplace presentations, from Moth stages to family celebrations.
Think of it as part writing workshop, part story circle, and part performance prep - all in a cozy, encouraging space.
Yes! Put me on the waitlist
"Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with us and leading us through this empowering, bonding, transformative experience. I've learned so much about storytelling, but even more about myself; the past few weeks have been incredibly special for so many reasons. Thank you for making space in which we could be both safe and courageous. I will truly never forget this experience."
"The most transformative experience I've had as a storyteller"
— Sarah Dalgleish, Salt Institute
In our fifth week, you'll have the chance to share your story in a special online gathering. Invite friends and family, or just share your story with strangers! Your call.
Celebratory final story sharing event (optional)
Our live Zoom sessions are where the magic happens. You'll learn storytelling techniques, get guided feedback, and develop your story with the group.
Weekly 90-minute group workshops (4 total)
I'll give you written and voice memo guidance on your story, depending on what feedback you want. Your story will be its best self, while staying absolutely yours.
Personalized feedback on your story
If you decide to share at our celebration event, you'll get a recording of your story to keep, share, or use as a foundation for future work.
Recording of your final story (optional)
I’ve developed my methods over the last 14 years of story coaching and curriculum design. I'll help you organize your thoughts without stifling your perspective. I want to make sure you feel great, even if you've never told a story before.
Expert storytelling frameworks and technique guides
I’m keeping the Story Coaching Pods deliberately small to make sure everyone gets individual attention while still learning from the group. No one understands you like your storytelling friends.
Small, intimate group of 5-8 storytellers
What's in a Story Coaching Pod?
In our fifth week, you'll have the chance to share your story in a special online gathering. Invite friends and family, or just share your story with strangers! Your call.
Celebratory final story sharing event (optional)
Our live Zoom sessions are where the magic happens. You'll learn storytelling techniques, receive guided feedback, and develop your story with the group.
Weekly 90-minute group workshops (4 total)
I'll give you written and voice memo guidance on your story, depending on what feedback you want. Your story will be its best self, while staying absolutely yours.
Personalized feedback on your story
Recording of your final story (optional)
I’ve developed my methods over the last 14 years of story coaching and curriculum design. I'll help you organize your thoughts without stifling your perspective. I want to make sure you feel great, even if you've never told a story before.
Expert storytelling frameworks and technique guides
I’m keeping the Story Coaching Pods deliberately small to make sure everyone gets individual attention while still learning from the group. No one understands you like your storytelling friends.
Small, intimate group of 5-8 storytellers
What's in a Story Coaching Pod?
If you decide to share at our celebration event, you'll get a recording of your story to keep, share, or use as a foundation for future work.
"I had the great joy of working with Micaela on a story I was developing for a live event. She helped me to brainstorm ideas around a specific theme and narrow down my options to the one that felt just right for this particular night. Her humor, warmth and support gave me the confidence to see my story develop from the seed of an idea into a fully realized 15 minute long piece. We had check-ins along the way and that helped me to stay on track. What I found incredibly valuable was her ability to give me guided feedback and questions to consider as my story found its footing. She never imposed an idea of what the story 'should be', but helped me to find what it wanted to be, in my style and voice. I would work with Micaela again in a heartbeat and encourage everyone who wants to deliver a great story to do so too."
"Micaela helped me find exactly the story I wanted to tell."
— Melle Powers, Stage Storyteller, Family Ghosts
✔ 4 Weekly 90-minute Group Coaching Sessions on Zoom
✔ Small, Intimate Pod Community Experience
✔ Personalized Story Feedback
✔ Storytelling Frameworks & Technique Guides
✔ Final Celebration & Story Sharing Event
✔ Optional Recording of Your Final Story
The Details
New pods are starting this summer. The investment is $497.
Join the no-obligation waitlist now, and you'll be the first to get the link to sign up.
I feel so lucky that we got to have you teach us how to tell stories. You did so with such generosity and care as a teacher. I'm just wowed by how you got all of us to find the story we needed to tell.
Saying simply thank you for these last few weeks, feels so inadequate. Not only did you teach me and us to find the beauty, power, and humor in our smallest stories and to express it in a tight five, but you created such a caring, supportive, fun environment in which to do it.
Thank you for making me feel like storytelling is fun and exciting rather than extremely nerve wracking. And for being so excited for all of us and encouraging us to try something scary.
The first time I talked in front of a mic, I was six. I froze and cried on stage. Today, thanks to your workshop, I'm being a grownup and holding a hand out to my inner kid, and leading us back to the stage.
Love from previous storytelling students...
Thank you for your energy and intuition. You are so great at knowing what type of storyteller each of us is.
Thank you for sharing yourself so wholly with us. From your invaluable wisdom to your bright humor, to your depths of emotional vulnerability, it has been both an immense joy and an awakening to learn from you. You provided me with an opportunity to think differently with more love about a decision that has so meaningfully changed my life and my being.
When I put my name in a hat at my first-ever storytelling open mic (without even knowing what I was getting myself into!), I discovered an art form that lives at the intersection of honest connection and artistic expression. And that's where I wanted to live, too.
Since that night, I've been fortunate enough to win multiple Moth GrandSLAMs, share stories on This American Life and The Moth Radio Hour, and even publish a hit audio memoir on Audible. But being onstage is only the beginning of what lights me up about this work: I really love helping people find their stories.
In fact, I founded The Moth's Education Program, where I developed the storytelling curriculum now used by thousands worldwide. With a PhD in Education focused on narrative identity, I've gotten to coach hundreds of storytellers, from nervous first-timers to seasoned professionals.
And here's my not-so-secret secret: they're not that different, the beginners and the veteran storytellers. You're already a storytelling genius. You don't need me to "fix" you or make you into something you're not. You just need the right conditions, a little guidance, and a supportive community to let that brilliance shine through.
I can't wait to hear your stories.
Hi! I'm Micaela, and storytelling changed my life—literally.
If we haven't met before...
When I put my name in a hat at my first-ever storytelling open mic (without even knowing what I was getting myself into!), I discovered an art form that lives at the intersection of honest connection and artistic expression. And that's where I wanted to live, too.
Since that night, I've been fortunate enough to win multiple Moth GrandSLAMs, share stories on This American Life and The Moth Radio Hour, and even publish a hit audio memoir on Audible. But being onstage is only the beginning of what lights me up about this work: I really love helping people find their stories.
In fact, I founded The Moth's Education Program, where I developed the storytelling curriculum now used by thousands worldwide. I've gotten to coach hundreds of storytellers, from nervous first-timers to seasoned professionals.
And here's my not-so-secret secret: they're not that different, the beginners and the veterans. You're already a storytelling genius. You don't need me to "fix" you or make you into something you're not. You just need the right conditions, a little guidance, and a supportive community to let that brilliance shine through.
I can't wait to hear your stories.
Hi! I'm Micaela, and storytelling changed my life—literally.
If we haven't met before...
Seen in & Trusted by:
Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers
Absolutely! Story Pods focus on authentic communication, not jazz hands and stage tricks. Many participants have zero interest in formal storytelling venues but want to develop their narrative skills for personal or professional contexts. The skills you'll develop transfer to countless situations, from job interviews to dinner parties to professional presentations. And along the way you will become a better performer. That's kind of the magic of it.
Because the pods are intimate and cohort-based, and because there are limited spots available, I don't offer refunds once a pod begins.
However, if your circumstances change before your pod's start date, you can reach out to me at hello@micaelablei.com at least 7 days before your first session, and we'll work to find a solution, whether that's transferring to a future pod or processing a refund.
Stories range from meaningful everyday moments to significant life experiences. The key isn't having the most dramatic story, but finding meaning in the experiences that matter to you. Past participants have developed stories about childhood memories, professional challenges, travel adventures, family relationships, personal growth moments, and more. One of my favorite stories ever was about someone's relationship with their houseplants. Seriously.
Email me at hello@micaelablei.com, or contact me here. I’d love to answer your question.
Not at all! We'll work together to discover and develop your story. You just need to come with an open mind and willingness to explore. Some of the best stories come from people who walked in thinking "I don't have anything interesting to share."
Plan for our 90-minute weekly sessions plus up to an hour a week for story development and practice. The more you put in, the more you'll get out of the experience. That said, if your life is super busy right now and you just want to experience the pods without much homework, that's perfectly fine too. I designed the pods to work for real humans with real lives.
I'm not a performer - is this still for me?
Do you offer refunds?
Do I need to have my story ready before joining?
How much time should I expect to spend on this?
What kinds of stories do people typically work on?
What if I have a different question?
First off—that's completely normal! But the pod structure is designed to help you build confidence gradually, with plenty of support along the way. By the time we reach our sharing event, most students feel prepared and excited, even the self-described "I'd-rather-die-than-speak-in-public" folks. And remember, the final share is always optional: you can decide to work on a story just for our pod if you prefer.
What if I'm nervous about sharing my story?
Not at all! We'll work together to discover and develop your story. You just need to come with an open mind and willingness to explore. Some of the best stories come from people who walked in thinking "I don't have anything interesting to share."
Absolutely! Story Pods focus on authentic communication, not jazz hands and stage tricks. Many participants have zero interest in formal storytelling venues but want to develop their narrative skills for personal or professional contexts. The skills you'll develop transfer to countless situations, from job interviews to dinner parties to professional presentations. And along the way you will become a better performer. That's kind of the magic of it.
Stories range from meaningful everyday moments to significant life experiences. The key isn't having the most dramatic story, but finding meaning in the experiences that matter to you. Past participants have developed stories about childhood memories, professional challenges, travel adventures, family relationships, personal growth moments, and more. One of my favorite stories ever was about someone's relationship with their houseplants. Seriously.
Because the pods are intimate and cohort-based, and because there are limited spots available, I don't offer refunds once a pod begins.
However, if your circumstances change before your pod's start date, you can reach out to me at hello@micaelablei.com at least 7 days before your first session, and we'll work to find a solution, whether that's transferring to a future pod or processing a refund.
First off—that's completely normal! But the pod structure is designed to help you build confidence gradually, with plenty of support along the way. By the time we reach our sharing event, most students feel prepared and excited, even the self-described "I'd-rather-die-than-speak-in-public" folks. And remember, the final share is always optional—you can decide to work on a story just for our pod if you prefer.
Plan for our 90-minute weekly sessions plus up to an hour a week for story development and practice. The more you put in, the more you'll get out of the experience. That said, if your life is super busy right now and you just want to experience the pods without much homework, that's perfectly fine too. I designed the pods to work for real humans with real lives.
Do I need to have my story ready before joining?
What if I'm nervous about sharing my story?
How much time should I expect to spend on this?
What kinds of stories do people typically work on?
I'm not a performer - is this still for me?
Do you offer refunds?
What if I have a different question?
Email me at hello@micaelablei.com, or contact me here [contact page]. I’d love to answer your question.
You did it! You made it to the bottom of the page.
Come tell stories with me. You never know what you’ll discover - about storytelling, and about yourself.
New 5-week pods start this summer, with lots of scheduling options.
The investment is $497.
Join the no-obligation waitlist below to be first in line when registration opens!
Want to join a Pod?
A great intro to telling personal stories, for lots of reasons -- not just onstage.
Read my guide in Psyche magazine
A guide to telling stories
A publication for the story-obsessed. Join me as I nerd out about narrative strategies, cultural storytelling, and the fascinating mechanics behind great stories.
Subscribe to The Story Letter
A Newsletter
Brand new and coming soon! A 10-episode journey through the art of personal storytelling. Subscribe to The Story Letter and be the first to know when it drops.
Brand new and coming soon! A 10-episode journey through the art of personal storytelling. Subscribe to The Story Letter and be the first to know when it drops.
