See a photo of Gregg, his bio, Part 1 of this Q&A, Part 2, and Part 3.

Q&A with Gregg Morris, Question 4:

Q: What people or entities have been most influential to you in your story work and why?

A: I had been reading Annette Simmons’ books during the last year of my time in the C-suite, and as I started to investigate and research the world of storytelling I found the pioneering work of folks like you, Doug Lipman, Steve Denning, Rolf Jensen, Thaler Pekar, Sean Buvala, Jim Loehr, Michael Margolis, Mike Bonifer, and so many other wonderful people in the field of storytelling and narrative. There was, I found, a vibrant “solar system” of story, as Michael Margolis likes to call it. I have always loved the workings of narrative and story and the emotional connections they enable. That solar system (community) has been an awesome surprise.

I hope you’ll let me toot your horn a bit because once I started to explore your site I was just blown away by the breadth of the storytelling culture and world. I know you probably chuckle at my references to you as my hero but your work and your site really helped me to see the potential of being able to work with narrative and story outside of the traditional marketing and PR landscape. Now, when someone asks me where they can go to learn more about story and storytelling I inevitably point them to your site as the place to start.

[Editor’s note: Thanks, Gregg; I’m honored and flattered.]

Other books that have influenced my thinking on story and narrative are Rolf Jensen’s The Dream Society, Doug Lipman’s Improving Your Storytelling and Storytelling Coach, Steve Denning’s The Leader’s Guide To Storytelling, Dan and Chip Heath’s Made to Stick and Switch, Francis Flaherty’s The Elements of Story, Jim Loehr’s The Power of Story, and Michael Margolis’ Believe Me. From a storytelling technique standpoint, I’m not sure there’s a better book than Robert McKee’s Story. I am currently reading Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, and it’s a wonderful book about narrative and story. A must read for anyone who has an interest in those things.