Category Archives: The Stories Behind the Stories

The most important conversation of Rachel’s career arrived unexpectedly. She hadn’t planned for it. But she had been ready for it her whole life.
Rachel could see what her clients were missing. She just couldn’t get the conversation there. That gap — between insight and influence — is what her story is about. And it’s one I’ve observed often. The professional whose vision outpaces their ability to share it. Until the right question opens everything up. In this episode of The Stories Behind the Stories, I go deeper into the failure, success and passion stories behind the character — and into the real pattern I was observing when I wrote her.

Sometimes the limitation is the solution. Daniel’s structural engineer understood that. So did his clients. Once he finally told them.
Daniel’s story is about a specific kind of professional distance. The kind that looks like success. Five years of impressive work. Respected clients. Projects delivered. And relationships that never quite deepened. That distance has a cost. Not always visible. But real. In this episode of The Stories Behind the Stories, I go deeper into the failure, success and passion stories behind the character — and into the real pattern I was observing when I wrote him.

She had prepared everything. Every fact. Every figure. Every talking point. And then she left it all behind. That’s where Sarah’s story begins.
Sarah’s pattern is one I’ve observed in people throughout their working lives. The leader who delivers everything that’s asked. And somehow never quite reaches the people they’re leading. Not because they don’t care. But because they’ve confused professional effectiveness with genuine connection. Those are two different things. And the gap between them is where leadership either deepens or stays stuck. In this episode of The Stories Behind the Stories, I go deeper into the failure, success and passion stories behind the character — and into the real pattern I was observing when I wrote her.

The people who saved everything weren’t in the boardroom. They were on the front line.
Closest to the customer. Seeing what everyone else had missed. That’s what unlocked Marcus’s story. And the room. I wrote Marcus’s story because I’ve always been interested in the gap between expertise and understanding. Having the knowledge isn’t enough. The knowledge has to travel. Has to land somewhere. Has to change how someone sees something. Marcus spent three years on the wrong side of that gap. Until one question opened everything up. In this episode of The Stories Behind the Stories, I go deeper into the failure, success and passion stories behind the character — and into the real pattern I was observing when I wrote him.

Sometimes the conversation that changes everything. Is the one nobody planned. No agenda. No formal setting. Just the right question. At the right moment. That’s what happened for Emma.
I wrote Emma’s story because of a pattern I’ve encountered often. The professional who is working at a level their job description doesn’t reflect. Because the frame they’ve been given for their work is too small. They describe what they do in the language of their job title. And in doing so — they make themselves smaller than they are. In this episode of The Stories Behind the Stories, I go deeper into the failure, success and passion stories behind the character — and into the real pattern I was observing when I wrote her.

Sometimes not knowing is the advantage. That’s what my manager taught me when I first began this work. And it’s why David’s story works across every role, every industry and every sector.
I wrote David’s story because it’s a challenge I’ve observed people encounter in their working life. Technical expertise that goes unrecognised. Not because the person isn’t capable. Because nobody can see the thinking behind the work. The person with the deepest understanding isn’t always the one who shapes the decision. That gap — between what someone knows and what others can see — is what David’s story is about. In this episode of The Stories Behind the Stories, I go deeper into the failure, success and passion stories behind the character — and into the real pattern I was observing when I wrote him.

The Stories Behind the Stories – May 2026 Announcement. Every Thursday a new episode of The Stories Behind the Stories continues. From May — each new episode will be free for one week. After that it goes behind the subscriber paywall. One week to read. One week to experience the learning. One week to build it into your working life. If an episode resonates — pass it to someone who would find it useful. A colleague. A client. A friend. That’s how this work finds the people it’s meant for. After one week each episode joins the back catalogue — available to subscribers only.

Sometimes someone shares a story.
And they never know what it unlocks. In someone else.
Years of feeling invisible.
Thirty seconds that changed everything. And a story that had been waiting to be told.
That’s what this episode is about.
I wrote Lisa because networking is one of the most universal pain points in professional life. And one of the most misunderstood. People assume networking favours those who are naturally outgoing. Who are comfortable with small talk. Who enjoy talking about themselves. Lisa’s story shows that’s not what networking is about at all. I wrote Lisa for everyone who has ever left a room feeling invisible.
In this episode of The Stories Behind the Stories, I go deeper into the failure, success and passion stories behind the character — and into the real pattern I was observing when I wrote her.

I always start with an idea.
But the character takes over.
Writing James taught me about James. And it taught me about the work of creating learning that truly reaches people.
James spent eight months interviewing with fifteen years of experience — and silence after every interview. In this episode, I go deeper into the failure, success and passion stories behind the character — and into the real pattern I was observing when I wrote him. The story that reveals who you are professionally is always there. James shows what happens when it finally gets told.

Before going inside anyone else’s story, I share my own. My success. My failure. My passion. And Aisling — the character whose three stories carry more of my real experiences than any other I’ve written. Writing myself as a character takes me somewhere I couldn’t reach any other way. It creates the distance that allows me to go deeper. And shapes the personal into stories others can find themselves in.