In this episode, story strategist Amanda Baker shares how leaders and creatives can shape meaningful stories using her 5 Stories method. We explore why personal stories matter, how to overcome fear, and how to build real connection through storytelling.
What makes a story powerful? Why do so many business leaders struggle to tell their own?
In this episode of the Ideas on Stage Podcast, Amanda Baker, story strategist and creator of the 5 Stories method, shares how leaders can reconnect with themselves, communicate with meaning and shape stories that create real connection.
Amanda has coached bestselling authors, TEDx speakers, and purpose-driven founders to turn their truth into powerful narratives. Her message is clear: if you want to make a difference, you need to understand and tell your story.
She explains why our own story is often the hardest to tell – and why it matters most. We often forget our story, suppress it or try to polish it to fit a certain image. But true connection starts when we show up with clarity and honesty.
Amanda breaks down her 5 Stories framework – Origin, Empathy, Purpose, Product and Vision – and explains how each story works, when to use them and why they need to function together. These stories aren’t isolated. They’re a living system. They help you speak with clarity, build trust and stay grounded in who you are.
We also talked about fear: how it gets in the way of showing up, and how understanding our relationship with fear is a key part of the process. Amanda’s TEDx talk was shaped around a letter she wrote to fear. That kind of reflection – sitting with your story and facing what holds you back – is what makes story work meaningful.
Amanda also shares personal insights from her own journey: growing up in Reading, selling Nokia phones, directing neighbourhood dance shows as a child, and now balancing the creative life of an entrepreneur and mother.
Whether you’re preparing a keynote, rewriting your website or just trying to show up more authentically, this conversation will help you understand how to shape and share the stories that matter most.
To hear the full conversation with Amanda Baker, watch this episode of the Ideas on Stage Podcast.
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