Contributors

Julienne Ryan Humorist, Speaker, Trainer, Facilitator, Coach

Julienne B. Ryan began her professional career at age five when she did TV commercials and learned important things like “the teamsters always eat first,” her social security number and how to endorse checks for bank deposit.

Ryan studied psychology in college because she wanted to understand humans. She conducted her “field work” in a variety of roles, hearing the phrases “merger synergies, reorganizations, downsizing and rightsizing for change” more times than she cares to mention.

Later she enrolled in an Ivy League graduate school where she paid oodles of money to validate her prior on-the-job learning experiences. However, she did learn to name drop up-to-date theories and trendy psychologists with alarming ease.

Ryan evolved into working in “Talent Management,” a fancy way of saying “try to find people and keep them moderately happy.” With inadequate budgets and staff allocations, she had to find creative ways to encourage her staff to work effectively. These ranged from begging and borrowing resources, improvising childcare, telling stories and even giving snacks as rewards. She tried to convince herself that working a bazillion hours and “multi-tasking” equaled achievement.

Her work took place in cubicles, conference rooms or, with luck, in offices with a door. Occasionally she would make the time to emerge from her allotted real estate to really talk to people. Ryan learned something transformative in the process:

Yes, she was effective. But not because she used fancy theories – or gave great snacks. Ryan’s success, her staff believed, was a result of her uncanny knack for weaving storytelling with humor to motivate and encourage them. Crucially, they encouraged Ryan to de-emphasize “that normal HR stuff” and focus on bringing her unique storytelling skills to a broader stage.

Thanks to them, Ryan continues to collect, connect and tell stories in her work helping people find their “true selves in the world of work.

She is the author of the humorous, all true "The Learned It In Queens Communications Playbook - Winning Against Distraction!".that now includes a workbook and is available at booksellers across the globe..

She is a guest contributor to The Procurement Foundry, LifeBlood, and the global storytelling community.

Certifications include
Accumatch (BI) Behavior Intelligence
Narativ Applied Storytelling Methodologies
Collective Brains – Mentorship Methodologies

Recent Content

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

It’s Internation…

It’s International Women’s Day and it’s time to celebrate our achievements, our collaborations and potential. I am sharing a group of inspiring quotes* I discovered while researching this day. These women have shown us how to use our voice to inspire and lead others. “There’s something so special about a woman who dominates in a man’s world. It takes a certain grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness and the nerve to never take no for an answer.” – Rihanna 2. “I am a woman and I get to define what that means.” – Swati Sharma 3. “A strong woman understa…

Julienne Ryan March 8, 2024

“What are you? Are you Black or White?”

“Are you Black or …

“Are you Black or are you White?” “What are you?” The year was 1969. A handful of my fourth-grade classmates had swarmed around Elizabeth L. and me as we stood chatting in a corner of St. Nicholas of Tolentine’s Elementary School’s schoolyard in Jamaica, Queens. New York. The kids jostled each other as they vied for Elizabeth’s attention asking “What are you?” “Are you Black, or are you, White?” Elizabeth was not a new student. We had all been together since the first grade. We had taken school trips, performed in holiday concerts, and made our First Holy Communion …

Julienne Ryan February 18, 2024

Connecting in the Digital World: Lessons from Elmo’s Check-In

In a surprising turn…

In a surprising turn of events, Elmo, the beloved red Sesame Street character, recently took to social media to check in on his followers. A simple yet heartfelt question was posed: “Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” Little did he know that this innocent inquiry would unleash a flood of brutally honest and sometimes cynical responses, revealing a deeper undercurrent of emotions experienced by people in the online community. People shared everything from feeling low to sharing happy moments like a sunny day in Florida with turtles. Even brands and celebrities joined in, …

Julienne Ryan February 5, 2024

Education and Leadership Lessons from Dr Martin Luther King

Today is Dr. Martin …

Today is Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday. In honor of this day, I’ve researched his earlier quotes and how from the start he was committed to showing how education, leadership and the ability to employ critical thinking go hand in hand if we are to develop and grow as individuals. As Dr. King finished his final year at Morehouse, it was evident that he had transformed into the leader he was destined to become when he wrote in the student publication, The Maroon Tiger: “We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true educati…

Julienne Ryan January 15, 2024

Exploring the Timeless Appeal of Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens, a l…

Charles Dickens, a literary giant of the 19th century, achieved a level of popularity that transcended traditional barriers, even reaching the illiterate population. In a unique cultural phenomenon, those unable to read his novels individually found an ingenious solution – communal reading. Dickens’s works became a shared experience among the illiterate, binding communities together. Individuals pooled their meager resources to hire a reader and then assembled to listen to the enchanting tales spun by the celebrated author. This communal approach not only brought the joy of storytelling…

Julienne Ryan December 27, 2023