Your Storytelling Secret Weapon? (Hint: It’s Not AI)

On my morning walk, I spotted a basketball hoop bolted to the side of a house. Not in the backyard. Not in a driveway. But facing the footpath, like a secret challenge to passersby: Think you’ve still got it?

The thing is, it’s always been there. I just never noticed. And I take this route every single day.

This made me wonder—how many other invitations to play am I walking straight past?

Because let’s be real, sometimes adulthood can feel like a slow, joyless drift toward taking things too seriously. There’s so much earnestness. The kind that makes Zoom calls feel like hostage negotiations. Business meetings that feel like tax audits. Storytelling, so stiff it might as well come with a “Previously Approved by Legal” watermark.

At some point, we started confusing being playful with being childish. Being playful is being childlike and as my friend Carolyn Tate says, being childlike is about curiosity. Being childish is throwing a tantrum because your oat milk cappuccino came with regular milk. (The horror.)

And here’s the thing— Play isn’t frivolous—it’s the secret sauce of unforgettable storytelling.

While the best stories are crafted with care, they should never sound scripted. The magic dies if you deliver a story like you’re reading assembly instructions for an IKEA bookshelf.

When sharing your story, you’re playful, spontaneous, and conversational. You notice the energy in the room. You lean into the moments that land, adjust on the fly, and let the story breathe.

All great storytellers play – they riff, react and let the story come alive.

That basketball hoop was a reminder: Play isn’t extra. It’s essential. It’s what makes us listen, laugh, and lean in.

So, go ahead. Take the shot.