Chris Hare

I actually love to start with the future that I'm working to create. So for me, I'm working to create a future where business leaders and just humans in general are celebrated and remembered, not just for what they've built, but for how they built it. who they took with them, and also who they became in the process of getting there. So very much anchored in the future.

I actually love to start with the future that I'm working to create. So for me, I'm working to create a future where business leaders and just humans in general are celebrated and remembered, not just for what they've built, but for how they built it. who they took with them, and also who they became in the process of getting there. So very much anchored in the future.

My background, I started a very meandering career and then went into advertising, then went to Amazon and Microsoft, started my company in 2016, focused on marketing. And ultimately, probably around 2019, 2020, started to shift into strategic narrative practice.

My background, I started a very meandering career and then went into advertising, then went to Amazon and Microsoft, started my company in 2016, focused on marketing. And ultimately, probably around 2019, 2020, started to shift into strategic narrative practice.

So essentially translating the business strategy of a company into a narrative that aligns everyone from the board to the buyer who may want very different things around shared and differentiated future. And then now I still do that work, but I'm also significantly focused on the leaders and the narratives that drive them and to help them create that future that I was talking about.

So essentially translating the business strategy of a company into a narrative that aligns everyone from the board to the buyer who may want very different things around shared and differentiated future. And then now I still do that work, but I'm also significantly focused on the leaders and the narratives that drive them and to help them create that future that I was talking about.

Correct. I still work with corporations, but yes, I would say the seasons of it where I started with marketing, which is just oftentimes can be talking at people and then started to discover the power of narrative, which is more talking and co-creating with your audience. And then now I still do that some, but most of my focus now is on marketing.

Correct. I still work with corporations, but yes, I would say the seasons of it where I started with marketing, which is just oftentimes can be talking at people and then started to discover the power of narrative, which is more talking and co-creating with your audience. And then now I still do that some, but most of my focus now is on marketing.

leaders and the narrative that they need to create to bring their audience with them, but then also the internal narrative that's gotten them here and how that potentially needs to shift to get to them to the future.

leaders and the narrative that they need to create to bring their audience with them, but then also the internal narrative that's gotten them here and how that potentially needs to shift to get to them to the future.

Yeah, so it's tricky, right? I had a meeting with the chief marketing officer of a big tech company once, and I asked her, how do you define narrative? And within a matter of minutes, she defined it at least three different ways. So there is a bit of a language challenge in that everyone uses these terms interchangeably, and oftentimes they can be the same thing.

Yeah, so it's tricky, right? I had a meeting with the chief marketing officer of a big tech company once, and I asked her, how do you define narrative? And within a matter of minutes, she defined it at least three different ways. So there is a bit of a language challenge in that everyone uses these terms interchangeably, and oftentimes they can be the same thing.

What I've found helpful is to tease them out into, we all have stories that we tell ourselves and others constantly. And I view those as time bound. This happened, it started at this time, this thing happened and then it ended. And I view narrative as ongoing, but it's more of the narrative in my mind is more of an architecture that shapes a direction that an individual or a company is heading.

What I've found helpful is to tease them out into, we all have stories that we tell ourselves and others constantly. And I view those as time bound. This happened, it started at this time, this thing happened and then it ended. And I view narrative as ongoing, but it's more of the narrative in my mind is more of an architecture that shapes a direction that an individual or a company is heading.

So the stories, in my mind, are really, as I conceive of it, are really the fuel for the narrative. And so we take those stories, we synthesize them, and then we create a narrative out of them, and then we follow that narrative, and it propels us whether we're talking about a business or an individual.

So the stories, in my mind, are really, as I conceive of it, are really the fuel for the narrative. And so we take those stories, we synthesize them, and then we create a narrative out of them, and then we follow that narrative, and it propels us whether we're talking about a business or an individual.

Yeah, absolutely. So the first thing I would say to your point about the mass media, I absolutely agree. So for years, I wouldn't even... call myself a storyteller just because it was so overplayed. And I think on the one hand, it's positive because it's sparked lots of conversations about it.

Yeah, absolutely. So the first thing I would say to your point about the mass media, I absolutely agree. So for years, I wouldn't even... call myself a storyteller just because it was so overplayed. And I think on the one hand, it's positive because it's sparked lots of conversations about it.

But I think what's also happened is it's very reductionistic where people say, okay, here's one framework, like the hero's journey. And it's a paint my numbers. We take these elements and we shove them into this framework and it's going to work for us. And I think it can be a lot more complex than that.

But I think what's also happened is it's very reductionistic where people say, okay, here's one framework, like the hero's journey. And it's a paint my numbers. We take these elements and we shove them into this framework and it's going to work for us. And I think it can be a lot more complex than that.