How Storytelling Can Boost Your Career, Confidence & Leader

What does it really take to walk away from everything you know and build something entirely new? In this conversation, Preethi Nair, bestselling author and founder of storytelling consultancy Kiss the Frog, shares how rejection, redundancy, and eight months of pretending to go to work led her to self-publish, reinvent herself, and build a career through story.We talk about the alter ego she created to promote her first book, the risks she took to get her work noticed, and how that journey eventually led to literary success. Preethi also shares the story behind Unravelling, why she turned down a traditional publishing deal, and how the project grew into a one-woman West End show where she performed 22 characters despite never acting before.This episode is about reinvention, courage, identity, and why storytelling matters not just in books, but in leadership, business, and the way we shape our own lives.Timestamps00:00 Eight months in a suit: pretending to go to work after redundancy01:49 Why Preethi became a management consultant instead of a writer04:22 The day her leaving came and what happened next06:17 Creating Prue: designing a fearless alter ego from scratch08:39 Pitching journalists as Prue and stacking eight months of press coverage17:28 The petrol crisis, a stranger's cottage in Yorkshire, and starting again24:49 Turning down a publisher deal to self-publish on her own terms28:24 Rehearsing 22 characters for 18 months to perform in London's West End36:18 How storytelling became a strategic tool for leaders in banking and law44:29 Why story is 22 times more memorable than data49:01 How to find your theme and structure a story that lands58:36 The one misconception about storytelling Preethi wants to correctWhat We CoverPreethi’s journey from rejection and redundancy to self-publishing successThe alter ego she created to promote her book and build confidenceWhat it looked like to keep going while pretending everything was fineHow she turned creative vision into strategy and actionWhy she chose to walk away from a traditional publishing dealWhat the Meisner technique taught her about honest communication and presenceHow storytelling became a strategic business tool for senior leaders in banking and lawWhat performing 22 characters taught her about presence and identityThe connection between storytelling, self-belief, and reinventionWhy storytelling matters in leadership, teams, and organizational cultureHow leaders can use story to make data more human and memorableKey TakeawaysThe story you tell yourself can either keep you stuck or move you forward.Reinvention often begins before you feel ready or have outside validation.Confidence can be built through action, even if it starts out borrowed.Creativity works best when it is paired with strategy and persistence.Success means more when it reflects your values, not just external approval.Sometimes the right path means walking away from what once felt like the goal.Stretching beyond your comfort zone can help you discover your real voice.Storytelling is not only for authors or performers. It is a powerful leadership skill.People connect more deeply with meaning and narrative than facts alone.Great storytelling starts with clarity about the message you want people to remember.Guest ResourcesPreethi Nair’s website: https://preethinair.com/Read Preethi's latest novel Unravelling: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unravelling-Preethi-Nair/dp/1998997294/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8Connect with Preethi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/preethi-nair-29471a4/Connect with Preethi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writerwala/Connect With Me🌍 Website: https://charlenegisele.com📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/charlenegisele💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlène-gisèle-bourliout/✉️ Subscribe to my Life Less Burnt Out Newsletter: https://charlenegisele.com/newsletter/