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What could it do for your practice if you honed the art of listening? What if the most powerful stories aren’t the dramatic ones, but the ordinary moments we learn to see differently? Which stories do you have that could resonate with people more than you think?
In this podcast episode, Joe Sanok speaks about the art of storytelling with Kabie Stein from Here:Say.
Podcast Sponsor: Headway
I want to thank Headway for sponsoring this episode. If you run a group practice, you know that accepting insurance can be overwhelming. Between credentialing, billing, and payroll, the admin side can easily take over your week. Headway was built to help you handle this — and they’re the only platform designed specifically for in-network group practices.
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They work with therapy, psychiatric, and hybrid groups — and there are no subscription fees. Just the support you need to run your practice with ease.
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Curious how Headway can work for you?
Meet Kabie Stein
Kabie Stein is the founder and Creative Director of Here:Say Storytelling in Traverse City, Michigan. She believes everyone has a story worth telling—so she created a space where the hilarious, heartfelt, and even horrifying all get a microphone. With a childhood rooted in word games around the dinner table, Kabie now guides a community of storytellers to share their truths, listen deeply, and find connection in the everyday.
Visit Here:Say and connect on Instagram and LinkedIn.
In This Podcast
- Why storytelling is the focus
- “What do I have to say?”
- How to make a mundane story interesting
- Kabie’s advice to private practitioners
Why storytelling is the focus
You know, it was something that I wanted to exist. I was relatively new to town, I didn’t know anybody when I moved here, and I was thinking, “I want to meet more people. How am I going to meet the writers and the people who I might have things in common with?” (Kabie Stein)
Here:Say later expanded into a community project, but when Kabie first launched it, it was more about her finding a way to connect with like-minded people around her.
I was like, “Okay, I’ll do it.” I was just something that I wanted to have exist … I said, “Alright, I’ll start it, and I’ll figure it out as I go!” (Kabie Stein)
Kabie landed on storytelling as the central point within Here:Say because she knows that people want to tell their stories, and that they want to be seen and heard in a community that welcomes and affirms them.
“What do I have to say?”
If somebody says to me, “I don’t have any stories”, I say, “That’s impossible.” The thing is, we all have experiences. The key is you have to believe that it’s interesting, or that it can be, and I think all stories can be interesting. (Kabie Stein)
Everybody has a story. Even the events of their life can come together into a story. We all have experiences, and while we often have very similar stories, they are paradoxically unique, because we are different people. While the same, still different.
In a place like Here:Say, the audience is there to listen to stories. They don’t all have to be dramatic or intense. Any story will do, because people want to listen.
How to make a mundane story interesting
To make any mundane story interesting, Kabie recommends that you:
- Say who you are
- Explain what you want
You are not just telling people what happened to you. You tell your story by explaining who you are (or were) when the story begins, what the wrench was in the plans of pursuing what you want or wanted, and how everything ended up resolving.
There’s something called the story circle, where it goes through these three acts, you know, the normal that you know, the thing that flipped it, and then the new normal. (Kabie Stein)
Kabie’s third tip is not to talk about your thoughts too much in telling your story. Stick to what happens, the action and reality, and rather pepper your thoughts in instead of giving them precedence over reality.
Kabie’s advice to private practitioners
Remember the “sonder” effect: the realization and understanding that everyone has a complex and nuanced life similar to your own.
Having interacted with so many people’s stories over the years has really improved my ability to give grace to people who might disappoint me or do something that I don’t necessarily like. So, yeah, “sonder!” I think everyone should be aware of it and embrace it. (Kabie Stein)
Sponsors Mentioned in this Episode:
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Meet Joe Sanok
Joe Sanok helps counselors to create thriving practices that are the envy of other counselors. He has helped counselors to grow their businesses by 50-500% and is proud of all the private practice owners who are growing their income, influence, and impact on the world. Click here to explore consulting with Joe.
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