There are smart, experienced, capable people who can't communicate in a way that feels real to them. Their voice gets diluted. Their expertise gets buried. What they want to say is real - it just doesn't land the way they intended.And the people they most need to reach never quite get it. It's not an intelligence problem. It's not a confidence problem, though it can look like one.It's a storytelling problem.Claire, Debbie and Graham each had a storytelling problem.Claire's Story - Claire needed to tell the story of the last three years for the charity she leads, to celebrate the success of her team. I delivered a coaching programme to help Claire develop her own core narrative.Debbie's Story - Debbie wanted a speaker who could show a collective of PhD Computer Science students that even the most technical research has a story worth telling. I created a customised storytelling workshop for Debbie's students.Graham's Story - Graham wanted to upskill his team so they could use storytelling to get the attention they deserved within a huge, global corporation. I designed a combined programme of coaching and workshops for his team.We're natural storytellers - until we're asked to do it with intent. Then we tell ourselves a lie: 'I'm not a storyteller.'I'm Kev. I help individuals, teams and organisations use storytelling to solve their biggest communication problems.
coaching
I’ve worked with a coach on and off for the last six years. Her name is Mandy. She once said to me that ‘coaching is a privilege’. I didn’t really understand that at the time. Now I do.Being a storytelling coach is a privilege. I get the opportunity to ask questions, to hear my coachees’ answers and to experience their vulnerability. My job as a storytelling coach isn’t to be the storyteller. My job is to be the guide, the supporter and the motivator.'The Storyteller'‘The Storyteller’ is my core coaching offer. It’s a three-act play. Act one is about finding your story, act two is about shaping your story and act three is about telling your story.It’s a deliberately flexible coaching approach. It can be delivered as three 90-minute coaching sessions, either in person or virtually. I’ve also delivered this as a one-day intensive - that’s how I worked with Claire MacDonald, CEO from ELCAP. You can read Claire's story hereIt can be delivered on a 1-2-1 basis or to a small cohort. (maximum 3 people)With ‘The Storyteller’ we’re looking to achieve three things together.- Develop one core narrative
- Give you confidence to tell it
- Develop lifelong storytelling skillsWant to find out if Storytelling Coaching is right for you?Book a call.
Workshops
I've been there. In a workshop where something clicked for me. Most recently it was a session on what charitable trusts look for in charity applications - I had an aha moment.I delivered my first storytelling workshop back in 2016. Since then, I've been fortunate to watch many workshop participants have that same aha moment - the one where they connect the dots between storytelling and their own world. I call it the spark, the moment of ignition.'Story Spark'Story Spark is my foundational storytelling workshop. Each delivery is customised for the group I'm working with - in my experience, generic sessions don't land, because context is what cements the learning.Typically I'll build the case for storytelling before introducing The Story Stack, the storytelling model I developed back in 2016. Each session includes interactive elements to help reinforce the learning.Story Spark sessions last between 1–2 hours and can be delivered to teams of 5 to 150, in person or online.That flexibility is what let me build a customised version for Debbie's group - a room of 49 PhD Computer Science students. You can read Debbie's thoughts on the session here.I want to leave every workshop attendee with:- A new perspective on how storytelling can work for them
- A practical storytelling model they can use repeatedly
- The confidence to explore more and create their own storiesWant to find out if Story Spark is right for your team?Book a call.
Programmes
Sometimes coaching or a workshop isn't enough. Sometimes the storytelling ambition of an organisation demands more.That's when I go into storytelling programme design mode - creating a combination of storytelling services and deliverables to get them where they want to be.Each organisation is different, so it stands to reason that each programme is built from the ground up.The Storytelling Team - an example programmeA team leader from a large global corporation reached out to me. The goal was clear: help position their team more strongly within the organisation. We designed a storytelling programme together, and by the end it had three core elements.We kicked things off with a series of four customised storytelling workshops. From there we moved into 1-2-1 storytelling coaching with five leaders within the team.The final element, which I worked on in parallel, was creating a new core narrative for the team. It's rare that I go hands-on with writing these days, but if it's required, it's exactly what I'll do.This is just one example of a real, custom programme in action. These programmes are an exercise in co-design - we start with the desired outcome and work back from there. A programme is effectively a blend of four things:- Storytelling Workshops
- Storytelling Coaching
- Story writing or editing
- Storytelling ConsultingWant to find out if a custom storytelling programme is right for you, your team or organisation?Book a call.
About Kev
Not My First RodeoThis isn't my first storytelling business. From 2015 to 2021, I ran The Story Edge - a mix of story writing and story teaching. Much of the work was commercial storytelling: using storytelling as a sales and marketing tactic. My last big contract was writing thirty case studies for a large software-as-a-service (SaaS) company. They eventually made me an offer I couldn't refuse, and in March 2021, I closed down The Story Edge.Storytelling Beyond Sales and MarketingFor too long, storytelling has been viewed through the lens of sales and marketing - a tactic for persuasion, carefully curated to tell a sanitised, safe version of the story. I'm proud of how I managed to humanise the case studies I worked on. I'm also frustrated that I could never quite convince my masters of the value of including the uncomfortable truth about the journey to their success.Painting a Picture of PerfectionThat's what left me jaded with commercial storytelling. When I interviewed a client, there'd often be a moment where they shared something far from perfect - a bump in the road. The story was still a success, but the journey wasn't simple. My argument was always that these moments of jeopardy, even momentary failure, were precisely what made the story real. Strip them out, and you're left with a fantasy version. All too often, these moments of truth were removed and the story was weaker for it.The Unwanted DestinationIn 2024, three years back in the world of commercial marketing, I reached my summit: Head of Marketing for a global tech firm. There was nowhere else for me to go - and I didn't have the desire or ambition to go beyond it. But the destination wasn't what I'd hoped for. It was the least satisfying part of my career, and I left in the middle of 2025.Today and TomorrowI set up The Case Study Guy in late 2025, but it never felt right. In March 2026, I returned to my storytelling roots. This business isn't about the cold, commercial side of storytelling - it's about real storytelling. Storytelling with intent, storytelling with genuine purpose, storytelling that's true rather than a manipulated facsimile. I'm working with charities who want to become more story-led, and with complex organisations who want to use storytelling to communicate more effectively across teams.Storytelling NowFor me, storytelling is the most important professional and life skill you can develop. It bridges the gap between confusion and clarity. If there's a communication challenge that has storytelling as the solution, that's the work I want to do. And that's the business I'm building.
Claire's Story
"I had the privilege of working with Kev at a time when he was just beginning his storytelling business, and I was fortunate to be one of the first people he partnered with on this journey.What immediately stood out was that Kev wasn’t simply collecting stories, he was helping us discover and articulate the heart of who we are as an organisation. Through his thoughtful approach, genuine curiosity, and ability to create trust, he helped us uncover authentic stories that reflected the lives we support, the impact we create, and the values that drive our work every day.Kev challenged us to think differently about storytelling, not as a communications exercise, but as a way of being. He helped us see ourselves as a storytelling organisation, one that celebrates the full lives of individuals, inspires others through real experiences, and connects people through shared humanity.What makes Kev exceptional is not only his wealth of knowledge and expertise but also the way he works. He leads with kindness, integrity, and a genuine desire to do the right thing. He listens deeply, asks meaningful questions, and has a remarkable ability to help people feel seen, heard, and valued. Those qualities shine through in every story he helps bring to life.If you’re looking for someone who can help uncover the authentic stories at the heart of your organisation and in doing so strengthen your culture, purpose, and impact, I couldn’t recommend Kev more highly. He brings both professional excellence and genuine care to everything he does, and the difference he makes is lasting."
Claire MacDonald
CEO, ELCAP
Contact
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