We carry so many stories we don’t even realize.
The ones passed down through family.
The ones formed in moments of grit, grief, courage, or pure chance.
The ones shaped quietly—in the in-between places we never thought would define us.
These stories live in our work.
They show up in the way we lead, create, communicate.
Even if we’ve never put them into words.
This is where The Stories That Form Us was born. Not from a desire to make a creative podcast. But from a deep, years-long ache to create a space where story, in all its unpolished humanity, could be seen as sacred.
It’s not just about what we do. It’s about who we are. And who we’re becoming.
Not Just Another Creative Podcast
The Stories That Form Us isn’t meant to be perfectly produced or scripted for virality. It’s meant to feel like you’ve pulled up a chair beside someone who’s lived—and is still learning.
Someone who invites you to notice the invisible patterns shaping your own journey. This is a podcast about creative identity, yes.
But it’s also about resilience. Reinvention. The courage to see clearly. And the mystery of how we become who we are.
Episode 1: Living Without Expectations with Liz Vogel
Liz Vogel’s story is the kind that sounds almost too cinematic to be real:
- Working inside Harrods in London while being watched by the Egyptian mafia
- Building the first-ever digital sports platform for the Red Sox
- Launching businesses she was told she had no right to lead
- Saying no to power in the moments it mattered most
But what makes Liz unforgettable isn’t her résumé.
It’s the way she carries her story now—with humor, self-awareness, and a bone-deep trust in what can unfold when you release the need for control.
“I haven’t had expectations in 30 years,” she told me.
That sentence rearranged something in me. Because letting go of expectations doesn’t mean giving up.
It means making space for what actually wants to happen. And isn’t that the story of entrepreneurship, too? We start out with a plan—and then life writes something else.
We’re not just telling a story. We’re becoming it.
→ Listen to Episode One on Spotify or YouTube
Episode 2: Miles in the Saddle with Annika Bram
Some stories are carefully built. Others arrive like wild horses—unexpected, powerful, and a little bit sacred. Annika Bram, a veterinary student and lifelong horsewoman, shares a story of movement. Of changing landscapes and inner thresholds.
From surfing in California to guiding pack trips in the backcountry of Wyoming… From academic rigor to slow mornings on a Montana ranch… Annika’s life is full of motion. But through it all, she’s been coming home to herself.
“I’m still figuring it out,” she told me, “but I’ve never felt more like myself than I do right now.”
Her episode is a reminder that self-discovery doesn’t always happen in stillness. Sometimes, we find clarity in motion. Sometimes, the story takes shape as we live it.
→ Listen to Episode Two on Spotify or YouTube
Storytelling as a Mirror, a Compass, and a Bridge
This creative podcast is a reflection of the kind of work I’ve always believed in—work that honors the full spectrum of who you are.
It’s a mirror, helping you see yourself more clearly. It’s a compass, guiding you toward alignment.
And it’s a bridge, connecting you to others who are living through it, too.
Because your brand, your creative work, your business—it’s not separate from your story. It is your story. And when you tell it with truth and resonance, it becomes a foundation for everything you build.
Want to Share Your Story?
If you’re reading this and thinking, “Maybe I have a story worth sharing…” You do.
If you know someone who holds a story that the world needs to hear—you can nominate them.
→ Apply or Nominate a Guest Here
And if these conversations are awakening something inside you—if you’re realizing your brand is ready to hold the same kind of clarity, courage, and emotional depth—I’d love to walk with you.
Explore my 1:1 strategy sessions, story-rooted brand design, or website design for creatives and entrepreneurs.
P.S. If you, too, feel drawn to the moments between moments—the things that shape us, shift us, and call us forward—you might like The Reverie.
When I move things from my head and heart through my hands, it tends to make its way to The Reverie. Subscribe to my semi-monthly newsletter to gain exclusive access to storytelling tips, studio behind-the-scenes, and my deeply sacred, often untamed journal entries.
For more brand strategy, storytelling, and design resources to grow your business in 2025, click here to visit my Freebies page where you can snag the free storytelling guide for brands. This page is full of free downloads, design recommendations, the best business tools for running your business, as well as curated playlists for brands I’ve built. (Playlists are kind of my thing.)
For more support with the strategy and intention behind your business, visit the Brand Strategy & Design Shop and connect with me on Instagram for all the latest storytelling tips, brand features, and untamed studio behind the scenes.
