Miri Rodriguez - Brand Storytelling

(in alphabetical order)

• Candy Rasmijn-Reinomarketing and PR agency owner

• Cindy Colomabestselling author and Storyteller at Microsoft

• Derek E Bairdauthor of The Gen Z Frequency: How brands tune in and build credibility

• Dona Sarkarauthor, fashion designer, engineer and Principal Manager of Windows Insider Program at Microsoft

• Dux Raymond SyCMO of AvePoint

• Gregg Wittauthor of The Gen Z Frequency: How brands tune in and build credibility

• Jose CamachoSocial Media and Employee Advocacy Program Manager for Adobe

• Luz Maria Doriatwo-time Emmy winner and Executive Producer of TV show Despierta America

• Park Howelladvertising industry veteran and owner of Business of Story

Miri Rodriguez is an award-winning digital marketer and storyteller. She has dedicated the last four years of her extensive marketing career advocating for and evangelizing brand narrative across many sectors and industries around the world. Rodriguez mission for imparting storytelling techniques entrenched in vulnerability and empathy began when she worked as a creative journalist in the engineering discipline at Microsoft Corporation. There, she recognized the immediate need to help educate and inspire engineers and colleagues across functions on designing distinctive narratives that help define and drive immersive and emotional customer engagement experiences, while navigating the uncertainties of the digital age.

Basing her storytelling techniques in design thinking and user experience (UX) principles, Rodriguez has successfully bridged the contentious gaps between traditional business practices and creative communication strategies, crossing the brand storytelling boundaries from simple narrative design to a culture activation blueprint.

Rodriguez thought leadership in both the digital marketing and tech worlds, as well as her passion for leading diversity and inclusion efforts, has made her one of the top sought-after speakers and business consultants in the industries. Clients include Walmart, Adobe, McKesson and Discover. Rodriguez holds a Masters degree from Georgetown University in Integrated Marketing Communications and certification in Design Thinking. She is also a NASA Social and MySkills4Afrika Programs alumnus and has served on the board for Africa and Middle East sector social enterprise association Trade + Impact and US marketing conference Social Shake-up.

Rodriguez was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and currently resides in the state of Washington, US, with her husband, two sons and American Bulldog.

You have to meet Miri, my friend Jack stated, and it wasnt a request. Jack and I had developed a close friendship while working on his book, and have remained so in the years since its publication. He had been on a book tour and was in the Seattle area speaking at Microsoft when we met for a quick lunch that turned into a half day of catching up, and that included his Miri statement.

Jack is a former KGB spy (now US citizen and patriot), and when someone with KGB training tells you to do something, you generally listen. At least, I do.

Days later, Jack introduced Miri and me over email, and I dove into the usual social media research to find out more about her, while we tried matching schedules to meet in person.

At that time, Miris title on LinkedIn stated she was a Storyteller at Microsoft. After 25 years of writing stories, I was immediately intrigued. What a great title. And at Microsoft? I wasnt sure how those two worlds tech and art co-existed without some major marital issues.

Then, I met Miri.

We met in front of the Microsoft Visitor Center as designated. She had her Bosch headphones around her neck, a chic outfit that looked more appropriate for someone in fashion than in tech, and her tall stiletto heels impressed me to say the least. She called my name and rushed towards me with a huge smile on her face. I was immediately enveloped into a heartfelt embrace and into her energy and charisma. Shes the type of person that makes you feel better than you felt before seeing her that day.

After a whirlwind tour of Building 92, we headed to lunch in the Commons. I was impressed by everything I saw on campus and felt drawn to the world of Microsoft, though mostly I was impressed by and felt an immediate connection with Miri herself. We laughed a lot, talked about our shared faith in God, and discussed our love for stories and how she was bringing them to life in the corporate world.

Over the next two years, Miri and I spent more time together, and I was able to attend several of her Storytelling workshops and keynotes. Thats when I was able to see exactly how she was marrying art and tech in a way that could shape people, products and companies if they followed her advice. I could see why she was such a sought-after speaker in locations all around the world.

I was also excited that Miri touched on an area that Ive long felt passionate about, and thats to not follow the trend of platform building. To create a platform, you are seeking to have a product or person, or company, stand above everyone else. Instead, Miri talked about embracing people in a brand through storytelling to build trust and a loyal connection. I loved how she emphasized linking humans to products and companies through stories, and how empathy is the core of that connection.

Now, as Ive become part of the corporate world, Ive discovered how much storytelling has become a buzz word and trend. At first, I loved this. As an author and writer, stories and storytelling have been a core part of my world for nearly three decades. Im always asking how I can tell a story in the most compelling way to my particular audience (or readers), and how to best leave them with the most impactful takeaways. But in the corporate world, I discovered how often the words story and storytelling were being misused or misunderstood. People just werent getting what a story is! While these topics are being talked about and taught in workshops, theyre not often being used correctly or in an impactful way.

Meanwhile, Miri has become an amazing story evangelist, speaking around the globe and working hard to change these story abuses and perceptions. I was thrilled when she shared that she was writing a book to reach more people. After all, you can only impact so many on a stage. In book form, anyone can discover what storytelling is, its power to connect, how the craft should be used, iterated on, and how humans should be at the centre of brand development, always. She also provides innumerable tools to guide in the brand storytelling process.

I have a staple of writing and storytelling books I return to over and over again. Miris book will be added to that small stack, and it should be added to yours.

So now, hear my voice as I emulate Jacks spy tone and say to you, You have to meet Miri!

Just as I am, you will be grateful that you did.

Cindy Coloma

There are stories. Then there are great stories. A great story is one that reaches beyond the narrative, unsuspectingly grabbing you by the hand and immersing you into a newfound storyworld, never to bring you back again.

Are you a storyteller? Of course you are. We all are. At the cradle of our humanity lies the intrinsic cognitive ability to connect with other human beings through the most powerful medium that successfully influences our behaviours and decisions: story.

But, are you a good storyteller? That is the real question. We know a story is made of three basic elements: a character, plot and conclusion. In other words, you can say that if you are able to introduce these three elements to any type of content, it will inevitable become a story. However, does that make it a