Author Your Life
Author Your Life
Share Your Story to Shape the World | Alex Street
After 15 years as a youth pastor, actor, and public speaker, Alex has always been a gifted “professional storyteller.” Today, Alex has transferred his rich history in telling great stories into a career as a storytelling coach. He helps you stand out with your story.
We each have an important story that can change the world. This episode is an enlightening look into the lost art of storytelling, what makes a good story, what stops us from sharing, and why we play quiet and small.
We chat about what happens when you’re shifting into a new identity, especially giving up a position or role that you previously embraced. Trusting and having confidence in what’s right for you, making choices even if you can’t see the path ahead. We discuss how our loved ones shape and influence our story, and Alex shares the words from his mother that changed his life.
Stories have the power to change lives and impact the world. Your story matters! Take this opportunity to reflect on how you’ve been showing up through all your life chapters, uncover your values, and discover the inherent power behind your story.
You have a choice to show up, claim your place, and own your story. Listen to this conversation with Alex to see why and how your story can – and will – shape the world.
In this episode you will learn:
- What keeps us from sharing our story
- Why we’re afraid to declare something isn’t for us anymore
- The difference between mistakes and lessons learned
- How to figure out your values
- The lost art of storytelling; the difference between sharing and “broadcasting” vs telling a story
- What makes a good story?
Connect with Alex:
IG: @streetsays
FB: Alex Street
Website: Alexstreet.ca
Podcast: No Boring Stories
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@itsjulieb_
Music: Jason Kay
Cover Art: Angela Spellman
Hi, Alex.
Alex Street:Hi, Julie. How are you?
Julie B:Welcome, welcome.
Alex Street:Thank you. It's such a pleasure to be here.
Julie B:So thrilled to have you.
Alex Street:This is gonna be great. I'm excited for this. Let's get into it.
Julie B:Perfect marriage because we're talking about authoring your own life, and you are the storytelling master.
Alex Street:I like that a lot. I though I am not a published author at this point yet, of course, it's in the future. And it's it's in the works. But yeah, I think this idea of authoring your life of writing your own story, essentially yet all works together at all is in the same family. No doubt.
Julie B:Before we get into things, Alex, can you give us a very high level rundown of who you are, where you are, and how you contribute to the world?
Unknown:Absolutely. So I Yeah, I'm a story coach, I'm your story coach helping you stand out with your story to speak your story with confidence so you can shape the world. I am doing this through one on one coaching through some group programs launching a membership soon to help people really hone in on their speaking skills. So they're, they're fearless behind the microphone. And I've been doing this all my life. I've been a storyteller all my life and really leaned into this a couple years ago, when somebody helped me realize that my story is where my power comes from. And I was hiding from sharing that story a lot of time. But as I've started to share it, now I've seen the power so I'm helping other people do the same thing.
Julie B:I love it so much. Such a unique gift. And you own it. So well. Whether you realize that or not.
Unknown:I you know what i Thank you I will receive that I am. The simple truth is I've chosen to I mean, you've we've been in a mastermind together over the last six months together and and you've seen me choose to do that. That's the difference is is choose to call myself your story coach, like there's a choice in that. That isn't arbitrary. It comes from a story of my own life. It comes from the facts that the experiences I live live through. But it's still a choice for me to show up today. And as you say, to own it, to say, Yeah, this is who I am, this is what I have, and this is what I do. That's brilliant. And I think that's the invitation for all of us.
Julie B:Yeah, I was gonna send it anyway to give you permission to do that.
Unknown:Well, yeah, I think that's the story for a lot of us when she say, Julie, like, at some point, somebody gave us permission to to lean in. Somebody gave us permission to try something new. You know, I can think of a few. As I mentioned, it was two years ago that I was in a mastermind, my first business entrepreneur, mastermind, and I was scared out of my mind to talk about where I'd come from thinking they wouldn't respect it. But as soon as I did, that's when people leaned over to me and said, Whoa, you need to teach us what you do. You need to teach us how to speak like you do. And your story where you came from, that's your superpower. Now, where I came from, was as a youth pastor for 15 years, and speaking every week to audiences of all ages, and trying new things and, and exploring and telling an ancient story and pulling people's stories out of them. But I was ashamed to share that in this setting. Because these entrepreneurs, these business people, they're not going to respect that I was a youth, career youth pastor, what does that have to do with anything? Right? And that's where a lot of us are, is we're ashamed of that story. were ashamed of where we were. So we don't talk about it, not realizing that owning where you were is exactly how you get to where you want to be. And, and that, you know, that permission, all along the way to continue to explore to try to see but specifically to say like, Hey, own this, take this. This is your power. Yeah, of course. That's the permission that you know, at this point, I can confidently say changed everything.
Julie B:Totally. So I just want to point out what you said, you're like, you had a past that you were almost ashamed of, to some degree or ashamed to share with others in a new crowd. And then as soon as you did, it took someone else, someone outside of you looking at you to say, this is your superpower. This is the gift you bring to the world. And then that just set you want a whole new trajectory.
Unknown:Yeah, and it's interesting because because even to say that there's a bit of a hesitation like I wasn't ashamed of that. Those were great years. Those were incredible years that there was a day decade and a half, almost two decades of of helping families of inspiring young people of helping them see their path and passion in this life, like there's nothing to, to you know, there's nothing to scoff at in that. And it was incredibly noble and wonderful. And taught me it's so much about what I know about who I am and how to show up in this world. So I'm not it wasn't a barrel being ashamed of that thing, which again, I think is just a key detail for some people where they're like, I'm not ashamed of the thing. But it's hard to talk about the change that I'm making. And I think that's what it is. It's in this context. I was afraid that if they really knew me, they won't like me. And so I stepped into a room and I made up how these people already feel about me. And because of that, I went quiet, I went small. And I held back until I didn't and you right, and somebody said, Hey, give us a shot?
Julie B:Did I put a shamed in your mouth? Did I put that into your space?
Unknown:I said shame. No, no. So I said, I felt shame. in it. It just struck me when you said that I was ashamed of where I came from. Yeah, there's a subtle difference in that. And I think being this is where I just live in the in the word game. And I noticed words that and I want to just make sure that that's not that is not my story. Right. So so just to be clear, but but I know that that is some people's stories. And actually, that's one of the biggest questions that I get is How do you talk about your story when you are ashamed of it? And that's not mine. But I recognize that that is part of it. Got it. Some people?
Julie B:Well, it is brilliant, because what I see in your story, not so much being ashamed, but more like, I'm afraid to step up and say who I am and where I came from an own that.
Unknown:Yeah. Yeah, I mean that because because here's what it was, it was it was a fear that if I, if I say I was, I felt like I was caught in the middle. So I spent 15 years investing in a community, and really leaning in and helping these people building relationships. So that's the key. That's the same for anybody that's been in a career for 15 years is sat behind a desk has worked with these people, you build up, this is who you are, right? There's a story that that you have created that other people have created about you. And and as soon as you then feel this, isn't it for me anymore? There's this hesitation that if I show up and I say this isn't right for me, I think we create this weird situation where we think that other people will hear it shouldn't be right for you either. Do you know what I mean? So if I'm moving out of this business, that I'm like, Look, the church isn't for me anymore. That's not right for me, I'm afraid to say that out loud, publicly, whatever. Because I'm afraid that people who I've now who I'm leaving whatever that community will translate that as, and I don't think that it's right for you either. Which is not what I'm saying, I'm just going on my journey and saying, Look, that's not the path for me anymore. I'm going to try something in an entrepreneur space in the business world, I'm going to go for that. But the fear for me was to say that I will lose respect, I'll lose influence, I lose all kinds of stuff in this in my old community. But then if I talked about being a youth pastor in this new space, that I won't ever gain respect or gain credibility, because what good is it that I was you know, that I hosted an event where I came down from the rafters and a chicken suit for 500 teenagers? Like, what relevance does it have for business owners today in becoming better speakers. And that's what was in my brain was feeling caught in the middle of losing respect and never getting it.
Julie B:I got that. It's literally shifting into a new identity. You're taking one story that you created, you had this story about your life as youth pastor in the community that you were so deeply entrenched in, and now it's time to move on and create a new story. And how do you link that to? How do you build a bridge?
Unknown:Right, and that's the thing. I think that's recognizing that it's simply a title. It's merely a title. I yeah, I had a lot of, you know, there's I could look back at my journal and find the pages of dealing with Who am I if not a youth pastor, who am I if not a youth speaker? Can I do this outside of this space? And I mean, I was already speaking to adults in all kinds of contexts. And then coaching people and just calling it pastoring. Like it was, I was already doing these things. But that title was something that I had really embraced. And so how do you bridge from one thing to another, this is where the value of my story comes in. And for all of us, it's the same thing. Because it's, I'm simply talking about how I showed up, I showed up as a youth pastor for many years, I also showed up as an actor. For many years, I also showed up as a public speaker at conferences, like I showed up in these certain ways. So what's the through line? Between all are through all of that? That's the key. That's what we're all that's what you need to be paying attention to is not how do I shift from this to this? It's who am I? What's the thing that I've always what's the why behind all of that? And I bet it's going to be closer and more, more clear, than then you think it is. And for me, it came down to storytelling and speaking.
Julie B:You just answered my next question before I got to
Unknown:go ahead and ask ask it.
Julie B:An Alex, what is your common thread?
Unknown:Well, yeah, and this is it, right? So it's growing up in a storytelling household. My mom was an actress. My dad was a photographer. So they told stories, constantly. My dad's the best actual, like physical storyteller I think I've ever met. But my mom would show up on stage and tell a story that leaves you thinking about it for weeks, the way that she would captivate you. And so I grew up in that and thought I was going to be an actor. Because of course I am. I love my mama and I, she put me on stage in second grade, and I caught the bug and, and I was in every show, and every German class I could be in in high school like this is just my brother and I made movies all summer long. Like this is just what we did. I think for me, what it was was this as much as it was an escape the story, the story at that point was that who I get to put something on I get to do something, I get to create something with a story, create a moment, and Oh, what fun that is. But as I kept going, then I became then I took a left turn out of acting because acting, believe it or not, is really hard to succeed. It was a messy year. And so I, I took a left turn. And when it was like, oh, maybe I'll try youth ministry was just something that was volunteering. And anyways, so I went that way, and then continue telling stories. But again, it was all about the moment. What can I create in this in this moment that I have this audience? What kind of a thing can I create? And then it was my mom, it was actually a conversation with my mom. A few years or nine years ago, a few days before she she took her last breath. You know, she was she had cancer she was it was went fast. But by the time I realize this is it, you started having those conversations. And so I had the conversation and said, like, what did you love actually about being an actress your whole life, and she said it was as this like gift of entertainment. It was being able to give something to the audience, because it was never actually just about what happened in the theater. It's that I could make them laugh here. And then they would take that joy with them back to their family. What a gift. And something struck with me, you know, like something clicked there. When I heard that I saw her big brown eyes, I saw her look at me and realize herself that these are my words that I'm passing on to my son. This is what's important. Took me a few years to actually lean into it. But that changed everything for me to realize that it's not just about creating a moment, but it's creating a moment that forms a story in the audience that they take to shape their world. So when I share my story, it shapes the world. That's my through line.
Julie B:You got me, you just got me speechless right now. It's beautiful. And what I'm hearing and what you're sharing is how also our loved ones impact and influence our story or who we become. You actually made me reflect on when my dad passed last year. And one of the last things he said to me was if you never stop challenging yourself, you'll be surprised what you can accomplish. Wow. And then there's permission then I look at how I've chosen to live and the obstacles I've chosen to take on and you know the things I've chosen to undertake because someone who was just such a pivotal character in my story, had that influence had that impact and,
Unknown:and the joy in that is, as you recognize that somebody just did that for you. I mean, isn't the great plan that you get to now go and do that for someone else, you get to have that kind of impact on someone else, whether it's a family member, you just get to step into someone else's life now and have that sort of, you know, maybe you can pass on that exact challenge verbatim. And see how it shifts somebody else's life. Now, it's actually not just stuck with you. But it's your dad created a moment that formed a story in your life that you're now shaping the world with, like how that's, that's the great mission, I think, like that's, that's what we're here for is to pass on the things that we've learned and share the good stuff. So kudos to your dad,
Julie B:thank you. It's the same thing to you and your mom, like you said something that strongly spoke to her that was a pivotal part of her life, she passed on to you, and you're now taking that and reshaped it, and you're passing it on to the world. So when you say share your story shaped the world. It's beautiful. And I find that storytelling as in and of itself is a lost art. Like before the days of technology, people would sit around campfires and verbalize, vocalize share stories. And they would get passed down from generation to generation. And then eventually they got written down. So then we would have the stories saved. And now I don't even know what kind of form they're in, I guess video and audio and the art of actual storytelling I find is maybe lost art. Because we live in a world of like shooting off 140 characters and a quick test message here. And when do we sit around and tell the stories anymore?
Unknown:That's a powerful question. And I think that's it because I would say we're spending so much time broadcasting and consuming the story. And less time telling the story, or sharing. Yeah, sharing. So we think right now that sharing a story is I shared someone's post on Instagram. I'm very well, sure. That's the thing we think that sharing a story is I wrote a nice post on Instagram, or I showed up on live or whatever, right? You can do these things, or, Hey, look, everybody like holding your phone out. And you're like, This is what I'm up to today. As if that's your story. But there's an element to that where you are you're inviting people into the the current biography, right. It's like, look, this is what's currently happening in my life. And there's an invitation into that. But I think what you're getting at is, yeah, but how do I? How do I translate what I've learned? How do I translate what I just went through as fun or wild or happy or sad or thrilling or exciting or transformative as it was? Whatever it was? How do I translate that to the people in front of me? So that maybe just maybe it
Julie B:shifts them? Totally? That's what I'm getting at? That's the lost art. How do you share what happened in a way that is captivating and interesting, it has a beginning, middle and end didn't have some kind of purpose and lesson, not just sharing, just for the sake of broadcasting whatever is happening in real time.
Unknown:And this is, and it's just so interesting that you just have beginning, middle and end like that's what it comes down to is it's so much more simple than than we actually give it credit for it. And we actually think storytelling is so much more simple and it has been for for ever. It's from the beginning of humanity. It's how we survived. We shared our experiences. We said, you know, first guy went down to the watering hole hunting and he saw a saber toothed Tiger he came back and he told his family don't go down there. That's a story. And that story saved lives. So they went and hunted somewhere else. That's the power that we have right now to say, Hey, I did this, this is what happened. Now here I am. This is what this is the transformation. Take that and run with it. And for us to grab onto that to hold on to that power of that arc that beginning middle and end that who I was what happened, who I am and the transformation when you can grasp onto that. You're right, Julie, you now you're tapping into. I'm going to share a story. I'm going to share my experience with you. I'm going to share what happened and maybe it'll stick with you.
Julie B:It's a story that will make a difference.
Unknown:Yeah, and that's what What's the point in telling one if it doesn't?
Julie B:Entertainment?
Alex Street:Right, there you go. Now you're watching The Bachelor. Like it's,
Julie B:I'm actually the kind of person who goes to Broadway shows and comes out so inspired and I just learned like five life lessons. I never go to just merely observe the scenery and listen to the songs. It's it really is a commentary about life.
Alex Street:What's one of your favorite shows that you've seen? Oh, boy.
Julie B:I haven't been to a Broadway show in two years.
Alex Street:Okay, well, nobody has Right, exactly.
Julie B:Yeah, that's true.
Unknown:I actually saw Hamilton. We saw Hamilton like two days before everything shut down here in Toronto. And
Julie B:so me too. I went a month before. Yeah, not even a week. I went a week before.
Unknown:That's amazing. It feels like you dodged a bullet. You said wicked.
Julie B:No, I saw Hamilton the week before New York City shut down.
Alex Street:That's wild. But before that, you said something about
Julie B:that? I said wicked. Yeah. That's so good. And I love Jersey Boys.
Unknown:Oh, that's fun. Yeah, totally different kind of music. But Exactly. Right. So you see this and you see you're captivated in the moment, no doubt.
Julie B:Oh, my gosh. But with Hamilton, I could tell you there's a story there. I decided to splurge on a ticket for myself for my birthday. Because I was tired of waiting around for someone else who wanted to go with me. You know, Hamilton tickets are not cheap. I think I spent like $300 on one Broadway ticket. And that was like, I'm not going to do that. Unless I have someone else to come with me. I want to share the experience if I'm going to spend$300 on a ticket to something. And then finally, I was like, I really want to do this. I'm no longer going to wait around for the perfect time. And the perfect person. I'm going to treat myself, you know, do what you want. And then I did. And a week later, bro was shut down. Yeah. So the lesson there?
Unknown:Well, this is what I would say what? Did you listen to the music beforehand? Or was that your first shot?
Julie B:I've only heard like one or two of the songs.
Unknown:So then what? What did you come out of that? How was it? What were you inspired by? Or to do? Or like, what did you feel?
Julie B:You're asking me to go back there, Alex.
Unknown:This is that's all that I do with beef. Welcome to my life. Welcome to my coaching. Welcome to everything. Let's just go back a little further. Let's tell me about that. How did you feel when you were 11 years old? Like that's, that's all of it. I
Julie B:think it was something along the lines of being like to step up and be myself. Like, you don't have to be perfectly polished. You can be scrappy, you can you know, just do what's on your heart stand for what you believe in. And don't doesn't matter what it looks like. Just go.
Unknown:Yeah. Now imagine, imagine Lin Manuel Miranda read that book that inspired it. He read, you know, the Alexander Hamilton biography, but written by someone imagining you read that close it and when was good book onto the next one. Imagine he didn't write. He didn't listen to that Muse inside him that calling inside him to write those words to create that music over the years and years that it took to create that. Imagine he didn't do that. And now, do you know that when they put it on Disney plus, in the first weekend, more people saw it than the entire Broadway run of Hamilton, just by putting it on the way. So the amount of people that have seen that have felt that exact thing that you just said, because when Manuel decided I'm going to tell this story. And this story is actually you know, if you know him that story, that's his story. What do you mean and so that's I think that's what we have? Well, it's that's his story of kind of just rising up and saying yes to an opportunity and feeling like the outside or feeling like he doesn't belong. That's why he attached to to that so much and before that, you know, he wrote in the heights and it's the same kind of thing just in a different context. And there's a lot of I think what I'm getting at here is our responsibility truly is to to see our story and share it because when you share it somebody like you leaves the theater, leaves the dinner the dinner table and remembers it and goes wow because of their story. I feel like I can be scrappy. I feel like I can I can I can take my shot. I feel like I have a purpose.
Julie B:I love you said all of that. Because it just re presences me to the point of like weight to the importance of Telling your story and the difference that it makes for someone else.
Unknown:That's everything that that right there. That's my why that story has changed the world. And that's that's exactly how, what you just said there. So yeah, that's, you know, some people have why they have a belief. I think your why is what you believe about this world. And it's based in what you've experienced. And some people have a belief like, you know, nobody should be hungry, nobody should struggle with how they look, nobody should feel like they're alone. And mine simply is, story's changed the world. And any of those beliefs will then inspire you to go and create a business, create it, create something that's going to help others believe the same thing that you do. And I think that's kind of the that's what we get to do. So fun.
Julie B:It really is, it's great. I want to rewind with you, Alex for a second. So we're going back to your say, your last year or less as a youth pastor. And you're starting to feel this sense of this is not quite for me anymore. What's going through your mind? And how are you starting to feel about making the next step?
Unknown:Yeah, that's good. It's a lot of it was confusion. So much of so much of my life has been about confusion, being confused on what I'm supposed to do where I'm supposed to be, and how people were will receive me. Like, just constantly, until I would say, really, like recently when I've leaned into this and go, you know, what doesn't matter because this is who I am, this is the best I got. So I'm as clear as anything and what I'm supposed to be doing that last year of working there was clear in that. I knew that this was winding down. Confusion in that I was waiting for the phone call. I was waiting for somebody else to pull me out. You know what I mean? Like, I'm in this thing that I'm not going to be in for much longer. I know that much. What's the next thing?
Julie B:You're waiting for some magical person to come in and say, Alex, we want you for this now?
Unknown:Exactly. The phone call? We want to hire you come here. Wow. Like phone Behold, that never came. And it was it was, which was crazy. And some people have experienced this. I know, as I've talked to them as well is before I had made that decision before I recognize that that's the path this was gonna take the phone calls were coming then but I wasn't ready for it. I was like, Nah, not yet. We'll wait. So then when it's like, oh, okay, yeah, I know that this is out. Another we're out of here. Like crickets, nothing, nothing happened. So I had to sit there and decide I remember my wife and I just at some point said, Okay, we're doing this. And we're doing this with nothing on the other side. Okay, let's go. Three kids, Married for I don't know how many years at that point, 10 years. And we were we left the job with nothing on the other side. Like, that's a hard thing to do. Again, you talk about fear and shame and all that sort of stuff. Because the first question when you get up and say, Hey, we're not going to be here anymore. We're leaving people's and say, Where are you going? And entered? to confidently say, you know, we're not sure. We don't know, right, yet. That's a weird thing. And it's a hard thing. And it's not how typically, I think we think that we're supposed to go through life, we're supposed to have the answers for what's next. When you leap, you're supposed to know what's going to catch you. And we didn't. Yeah, so at best, I went back to school, you know, we were like, alright, well, I guess I'll do something. So I went back to school and got my masters, my master's in theological studies, because I was like, Okay, well, you know, maybe aren't done with this with ministry yet. I'll keep, I'll dive into that I'll do I'm interested to find out how this all got to how it is. And so I'll learn more about that. I'll work on my faith and my beliefs in that because I was always sort of deconstructing. And over the next two years that did, it solidified what I do or don't believe, and I was doing a bunch of speaking opportunities along the way. And again, it was just sort of this really messy dip that we chose to go through.
Julie B:How did you choose that? When you also have what are people going to think?
Unknown:There was a lot of again, coming to the confusion, I leaned into the identity that I knew and said, Okay, well, I'll at least wear this name tag and call myself you know, that youth speaker that whatever. And then I actually got another job where I got to speak for teenagers and do leadership courses. And that was amazing. But even in that, it was the same sort of setting was so ministry. And so while the whole time while I'm working through not only like what do I believe about the whole thing, how this all works, but also, what am I supposed to do? I know I've got these gifts and skills and talents, and there's some sort of bigger reach that I can have an am supposed to have? How do I work all that stuff through and so there was a lot of that was happening and quiet. A lot of that processing was happening with my very close circle. And thankfully, I had a close circle, that I could work through all that stuff with some people who were going through a very similar journey that I was on as well, and we helped each other a ton. Otherwise, I think it would have imploded. Because the fear was, if I just talk about this, then then people won't be there to support me. So that fear kept me quiet. To answer your question, and probably elongated, the the length, the amount of time that it took to get to, you know, to actually kind of step into this.
Julie B:Looking back now, is there a knowing what you know about just how things work out? Is there anything you would have done differently?
Unknown:No, that's it's a really easy answer. Because no, the page has been written, you know? What Harry Potter go back and not do something in Book Three because of who he is in book six. The right answer has to be no. Because you just don't know, everything that I did along the way. Got me to hear. I think it's if it's a different question, then what would I tell 26 year old Alex, you know,
Julie B:that question comes at the end of the interview.
Unknown:That's more of a look, if you face this, think about this. Like, that's where I would talk to that person say, hey, like, look inward instead of outward? Your answers are going to come from within? Yeah,
Julie B:that's great. I really want to point out something that you said your answer. No. Because I think a lot of people do carry around shame or regret of certain parts of their story, whatever it is a job or relationship, a living situation. A child even sometimes you think, Oh God, if I had only not done this, X, Y and Z would have worked out differently. Yeah. And when you really look at it, I just love your perspective. Because it's like, every single thing that you've done, you've chosen to do or that's come your way that you might not have expected or planned has all been such a pivotal part in who you are and who you've become.
Unknown:And that is it feels like that's a privileged position to even speak from right to say, Well, it's because I'm doing okay, now. But if I was, if I was living on the street, would that answer change? What I say? I just wish I didn't. I think that we can have those moments of man, if I didn't. And you can look at that. And you can look at that story. And you can you can see the moments that wow, maybe I should have gone left when I went right. Like, how would that be different? But what I where I don't see value in that, Julie and I think this is what you're picking up on is. The reason I can say that confidently is because I know that it's happened. It's in the past to quote Rififi, from Lion King. It's just it's happened. It doesn't matter. What matters is okay, now how do I translate that how do I see that but more importantly, how do I take the next step? To be a better version of myself and maybe not make that same mistake if it was a mistake and also help the people closest to me and those that I influenced to choose choose their path as well. I think that said it's just more of a looking forward than looking back you know.
Julie B:So are you do you concur with the statement? There are no mistakes only lessons learned?
Unknown:Sure. I mean, you know, it's, it's, I get it, it's good, but I think it's actually those again to that idea. Those are speaking about different tenses. A mistake is very current. In the moment a lesson learned is looking back at the mistake. So how do you learn a lesson if it wasn't a mistake? Of course, like I burned the chicken. That's not a lesson learned. That's a mistake. The lesson I learned Don't put the oven on so high from that mistake. So I think that's actually part of that. I don't know that I would really use that statement myself, if you really want to break it down. Because I just think that a lot of this is actually some of the best growth that we can get is just from actually owning that stuff. And yeah, reframing it, got it owning it first.
Julie B:Thing is a lot to say, like what you said about context and tense. Are you currently going through whatever you're going through? Or have you made it out on the other side yet?
Unknown:Yeah. Yeah. So when we were leaving that, right, or leaving the church and leaving that situation, we don't know that this is going to turn out great. We really didn't vote there was, well, there was a lot of trust that it was going to that this, all that we knew was that this was right right now.
Julie B:So when you're in this unknown place, where you don't know what's next, and you're trusting, how do you keep going?
Unknown:So there's got to be a goal, there's got to be a clarity. When I say trust, what do you think of, or when you say, you know, you're in this place of that, and of trusting what's what's, what's the trust in?
Julie B:Well, trust. For me, personally, I would say the universe, like just trusting that there's a grand plan that everything's going to work out. I had an interview with Andrea, Chris, a couple weeks ago, and she has this brilliant mantra about trusting God, Self, and others. And trusting that God or universe or source will provide for you, but also trusting yourself to make decisions and to know what's best for you when it comes along. And then also trusting others, that they have your best intentions at heart that they'll be able to support you and help you and trust you, and how all three of those work together. Like you'll find that if you don't have trust in yourself, you probably don't trust other people, either. They kind of all work in tandem. So I guess trust, it's like this global concept of trust, that anyone in anything inside or outside of yourself is going to support you and carry you to somewhere that you wouldn't be
Unknown:this brilliant. And I think that trust, you know, exchange that for the word confidence. Do you have confidence in source? Do you have confidence in self? Do you have confidence in others? trust, confidence, all of that. So when you're when I have gone through certain times of saying, I don't know what this is, I don't know where this is going. But I trust that it's right right now. That will be me moving to downtown Toronto after high school instead of going to university to become an actor. And then oh, that was hard. So then I moved what out to the middle of the country to go to Bible college to go into youth ministry? Because then what did I see a path forward? No, I didn't see I never saw the path. I never saw where it was going. I just trusted that this was right right now. And I think that, that kind of trust or confidence. You can guess at me like it's just that feeling that you feel. Now, as a coach, people say screw the feeling, look at your story, look at what's consistent. And you would see that all those choices that I made, all the best ones, all the ones that felt right, were because I was choosing a path towards influencing others towards ultimately sharing their story. Those were the things that I was doing. It was this choice that was made. And so as I look back at my life, and I see the path that I've taken the confidence for me, the greatest confidence comes if I am simply willing to say yes to make a choice. And if I did something and I made a choice, then I get to rest in that and go. Alright, let's see what's next. What's the next choice that I can make?
Julie B:I just got that huge aha moment where I'm listening to you and what you said about if you're having trouble making a decision, you choose the one that's aligned with your story. Like Once you're clear on what your story is, or what your message to the world is. And when I say your message to the world, I mean your life, like what have you done throughout the course of your life, that you can take and share with others, making the choice that's aligned with that. I've always looked at it as making decisions in line with your values. Like if I have this value, say freedom is important to me. I'm going to make the choice that creates a feeling of being free. Or another one of mine is knowledge and education. So maybe making the choice that's going to further knowledge acquisition or education or perhaps teaching and spreading that to someone else. else. But I can see how when I say values, it really is still your story. Yeah. Because the way you choose to live that's aligned with your values is the story that you're creating by all the decisions that you're making, which is the story that you pass on to others, to make a difference for them to encourage them to do the same thing. Bingo. Wow, Alex.
Unknown:Here's the encouragement going forward, right is for people that are guessing at their values? They're guessing, I don't know, I'll just pick from a list what sounds good, what sounds like me, you don't need to guess it is already written. And that's where the joy, the strength of rooting in your story of looking at your story of really embracing it and understanding it. That's what that allows you to do is then go forward say like, oh, yeah, that's why freedom. That's why education.
Julie B:So someone wants to find out what their values are, like, how would they start? Where would they look?
Unknown:Look at what you're doing. Now. I would say this is the really easy way to form your story to start to craft this and see get a decent picture of what it is that you care about. Is this what you're asking, like? Some kind of a Will you
Julie B:said that the values are already written? Yeah. So I'm saying where would one go to find that.
Unknown:So look at what it is that you do now. And what impact you want to make. That impact is going to be key. So if I think that I want people to shape to share their story, because sharing your story shapes the world, like I want people to be more clear in their communication. That's the impact. Like, that's what when you do that it's going to impact the world. Where does that idea of like clarity and communication? Where does that begin? For me, that's where then I go back and I look at my journey from like childhood, like, start looking there, start, start young and just look back, just honestly, look at the highs and the lows of your life. And what shows up. And you're gonna see, the things that happened in the lows are pretty consistent. The things that the way that you felt throughout your highs, they're pretty consistent. And so guess what, as I just did this exercise a couple days ago, actually, again, because I never get enough of it. And in my highs, I recognize there's choice, there's celebration, there's performance. There was there's love, there's laughter like those are the highs, my life. So now what what what am I going to do this, oh, I can just label those as my values because those have been the best times in my life. So they're clearly the things that I value. And then on the other side things that I, my lows, were when I lost respect, lost trust, felt out of control. So now I want to avoid those situations and put myself in these situations and recognize that as I do that, I'm naturally going to be living by my values and therefore telling my best story.
Julie B:I love it. We have to wrap this up, Alex. We were gonna wrap up like five minutes ago, but I was like, No, I'm too into it right now. I can't stop. Love it. I want to give you a handful of rapid fire questions. Sweet. All right. I am most proud of
Unknown:my family. I got three kids. They're absolutely incredible. They are they are world changers. They bring joy they I don't know how we did it. But my goodness.
Julie B:Amazing. Just a reminder, rapid fire is just a few words. Okay,
Alex Street:it's so hard for me
Julie B:something I wish I could tell my younger self
Alex Street:look inward. My strength, storytelling,
Julie B:my kryptonite?
Alex Street:Lack of freedom.
Julie B:biggest accomplishment?
Unknown:Can that also be my story? Or no matter? Can that always be my family?
Julie B:Yes. favorite way to spend an afternoon
Unknown:beach would be great. And Ocean Beach slash Ryan Ryan the riding the rides at Disney World. So either one of those would be fine.
Julie B:Awesome. Very different, but equally awesome. Exactly. Alex, do you have any parting words for our listeners?
Unknown:That is so hard to do. rapid fire questions. My goodness. Oh man. Those are my parting words. My parting words are like when you share your story you shape the world and if you're held back because you think that your story is boring or too big or too complicated. No this that. There is no such thing as a boring story or two complicated story. There's just boring storytellers and complicated boring stuff are storytellers. And so when you get to learn when you see your story, you'll see just how clear it can be. And then you'll share that story and start to shape the world.
Julie B:Beautiful. Thank you. And if you need any help putting your story together, go work with Alex, because he's incredible. That's right. So if anyone wants to get in touch with you, follow you learn about your coaching or how they can work with you. Where would they go? Yeah, absolutely.
Unknown:Find me on Instagram. I hang out there all the time, constantly putting out stuff there and trying to help and chat with people on there. So that's at St. says, And if you want to just peek at the website before that, or whenever it's Alex street.ca.
Julie B:Perfect. And you have a podcast coming out very soon. Yeah.
Unknown:That's right. It's called the no boring stories podcast. And it's, it's been a hoot so far, just interviewing people and getting their story out really clarifying. You know, what is their story and helping coach them through that as well along the way. So it says much, telling people stories, as it is me coaching them through finding their story, a lot of entrepreneurs, Owner, business owners, coaches, and that sort of thing. And then also, I'm just sharing all my best tips and tricks for storytelling as well. So no boring stories Podcast coming at you.
Julie B:Amazing. I have no idea when this will be released compared to when that's going to be released, but be on the lookout for it. I can't wait. Yeah. Thank you, Alex.
Alex Street:Absolutely. My pleasure. Thank you, Julius. It's great.