Trey Pennington and I have been social-media buds for a few years now. He once chided me for not engaging with him very much on Twitter. I explained that I’m much more of a Facebook gal, and we’ve been much chummier ever since. I admit that I thought of him as a social-media expert with a passing interest in storytelling — until last summer when he launched (with Sean Buvala) a social story conference. That’s when I knew I wanted him to participate in this series. Trey Pennington is a professional speaker, storyteller, radio talk show host, as well as Twitter, blogging, and marketing expert. This Q&A will run over the next five days.
Bio: [in his own words from his LinkedIn profile]: Advertising legend David Ogilvy insisted his clients give him products to sample before he would create ad copy to sell those products. No doubt he had a blast sampling the product while he dreamed up the classic headline “Should every corporation buy its president a Rolls-Royce?”! To sell in print, he had to be sold in person himself.
A good story to illustrate a good point: If you’re in sales, you should love your own products if you expect to woo others with them.
Stories give facts or thoughts not only context, but life. We all love a good story. We’re alert for the next good one. Companies who weave the drama of story into everything they do will get the attention of their marketplace and gain the opportunity to connect.
Finding those stories (I like to think of them as hidden treasure) and putting them into print and getting them in front of people who care, is what I do for fun (and for a living, too).
Q&A with Trey Pennington, Question 1:
Q: How did you initially become involved with story/storytelling/ narrative? What attracted you to this field? What do you love about it?
A: How human beings interact with one another has been a lifelong fascination for me. Over the last 25, I’ve studied everything I could find about the nature of man, how man perceives and interprets the world around him, and how he conveys that meaning to others. That study started with business biographies and psychology then morphed to advertising copywriting and theology. Getting an MBA didn’t quench my thirst for understanding, and so I studied education. The master’s in education wasn’t enough either, so I completed yet another 30 hours of post-graduate study toward a doctorate in education. It was along the journey toward the doctorate I discovered Milton Gregory and The Seven Laws of Teaching, which in turn lead me, maybe somewhat surprisingly, to Doug Lipman and August House publishing.
What I saw in Doug’s work resonated with the longing in my own heart — I longed to be heard, to be understand, and to live a life of significance. Doug beautifully paints the storyteller as one who facilitates that journey. As I read all of Doug’s books, and then Annette Simmons’, and Ruth Sawyer’s, and everything else I could find, I concluded that storytelling captures the essence of what it means to be human.
First, let me offer full disclosure … I am Trey’s younger brother. The depth of his answer to your first question is fascinating, and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this series, not so much from a personal standpoint, but from a professional one…and human one. I’m sure many will find Trey’s insight in equal parts practical and profound, certainly valuable.
Thanks so much for stopping by Erick, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with showing a little brotherly love. If you haven’t read the full series yet, you can find it all in one place here: http://astoriedcareer.com/treypenningtonqa.html. Trey has certainly offered valuable wisdom in this Q&A.