We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Debra Weller a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Debra, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

How did I learn to do what I do?
My storytelling career began when I was a child. When I was sent to my room for being naughty, I told stories to my dolls and stuffed animals. My grandfather and father were great examples of storytellers in my family. When I started teaching and became a mother, I realized stories were so important for literacy and language development I had the realization that stories could teach and entertain. To go out to tell stories to the public took on another level of skill.
I had to first have the vision and confidence to recognize my talent. Then I had to be humble enough to learn all that I could about oral tradition storytelling. It was important to understand the need to network in storytelling circles at festivals and events, so that I could observe other storytellers. I had to learn to do research and then bring a written story alive by adding gestures, eye contact, facial expressions and changes of voice for characters. Learning how to craft a 45 minute storytelling program which had a balance of story, songs and movement to acknowledge the needs of children in an audience was of great value. Since I was a teacher, this came naturally. I also had to learn to present workshops and training to adults.

What could you have done to speed up the process?
I started in 1984 without the internet! All of my work was done by culling the newspapers, magazines, phone books to make my list of contacts for marketing. Everything was done by snail mail! I spent hours in the library checking out books to read and take notes so that I could become regarded as a professional. Going to conferences helped to enhance my learning and networking.
Let’s switch to present day- My learning curve has dramatically increased in 2020 when the pandemic hit. I took social media marketing classes, created a new web site and 5 online courses. My networking world opened up as I reached out on Instagram, Youtube, LinkedIn and Facebook to meet other tellers and to perform on international virtual events. I also started teaching adults and children virtually. To be excellent at your craft you must be both a learner and a leader.

What skills are most essential?
To be an excellent public speaker or storyteller, You must first develop confidence to overcome any fears of being on stage in front of an audience. It is a step by step process of practicing, knowing your material so well that you can own the stage and engage every audience. it also requires flexibility to be able to change your program in a moment’s notice as you reflect on the needs of the audince . You must also become excellent as a solopreneur of creating marketing materials. In the beginning of my business, we did all of our artwork by hand, Now there are so many programs to assist in creating quality marketing materials.
You must learn to be a good business person. You need to keep records to tax reporting, client data base, accounting procedures, and have the ability to walk into a room of strangers and shine your light. Oral and written communication skills are essential.
I had to learn how to use my voice as an instrument. to learn to speak with cadence and clarity. To tell a story on my face with expression and gestures. Now I am doing voice over work with the storytelling app Magic Polygon.
Technology was an obstacle for me. I took classes and learned how to use my phone and IPad to make videos for my YouTube channel and social media promotions. I had to learn how to give webinars also. At the end of the day, the biggest obstacle is time management. You have to be so disciplined so you create a balance between life, family relationships and developing a creative business. Sometimes it is hard to turn my brain off at night because I plan in my sleep.
Another important skill is having chutzpah. You have to get up every morning and be your own cheerleader, block negative thoughts and go forth holding your head high.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Backstory:Forty Three years ago, I was cradling my newborn daughter. I wanted to have a career which would enable me to have flexible scheduling so that I could still be raising my children without a need for full time day care. I was finishing my art education degree at Rowan University at the time. Lynn Sloane, who cared for my daughter, was a former teacher like me. One day we chatted and almost at the same time we exclaimed, “ Let’s be storytellers so we can bring wholesome entertainment to children and families!” I said, “ I play guitar so we can teach folk songs, too.” I thought there was too much screen time for children then!

Our research began in the 398.6 section of the library as we found fairy and folk tales and information about becoming oral tradition storytellers. Within six months with toddlers at our feet, we created a business logo, and started marketing The Annie Lynn Storytellers in the Cherry Hill, NJ and Philadelphia areas. It took us six months to be brave enough to tell our first stories as a tandem team. We practiced through the interruptions of our sweet toddlers. Soon we were hired at preschools, schools recreation departments, libraries and festivals. We performed at the Philadelphia Folk Festival in 1984. In 1987 our tandem telling ended when my husband and I made a choice to move to Mission Viejo, CA.
For thirty one years I performed in Mission Viejo, CA, taught kindergarten at Bathgate Elementary, performed in Los Angles, San Diego and founded the non profit South Coast Storytellers Guild. As a mentor teacher, I trained educators, docents and librarians on the value of oral tradition storytelling. I also had the opportunity to train teachers in China, Vietnam and Germany. For me storytelling is the heart of the curriculum. When I sat in the celtic,carved ,wooden storytellers chair and told stories at the Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland, I felt like I was in storytelling mecca! Throughout the school year and in the summers I trained children to perform as storytellers in after school clubs and summer camps. The program is called Voices of the Future.
In 2018, I retired from teaching and my husband and I moved to St. Augustine , Florida. There I had to start my storytelling business all over again. I became a member of the Tale Tellers of St. Augustine and serve as a Board Member of the Florida Storytelling Association and a coordinator of the statewide Youthful Voices Program for children ages 7-18. Through out COVID lockdown, I went online and gave Zoom performances in Canada. Amsterdam, India, Europe and in the United States. I am thrilled we are back to live performances once again.

Types of products and services: My Brand- Debra Weller, Storyteller
My services fall into two main categories:

Education- I train educators and professionals who work with children to use oral tradition storytelling to teach all domains of the curriculum. It is through story that we learn language, science, math and social emotional development. I help educators to implement this curriculum to create a culture of storytelling in the classroom.
Beyond storytelling- I also teach art classes for children.

For adults- I teach professionals to overcome the fear of public speaking and to gain confidence by engaging an audience through storytelling. In a Forbes article, there was a statement that resonated with me, “ 80% of our business success is based on oral communication skills.” As we go through schooling very little emphasis is put on this skill. 90% of people suffer from the fear of public speaking. It is called Glossophobia and can be a form of anxiety. I have a course on Thinkific , “ Overcome Glossophobia.” When professionals can learn to craft a presentation by using storytelling as the dynamic , connecting link, they will stand out among their colleagues. When professional learn how to tell stories in presentations, meetings and conversation, they will gain the power of engaging the listener. By using stories in a presentation , information will remain in the long term memory of the listener. It is a powerful learning tool. I developed two courses on my web site, https://story-telling courses.com to help people become expert speakers and presenters. I also offer virtual coaching session so I can help a professional develop a presentation and to practice the story in a safe environment.

For children- I teach children to overcome their fear of public speaking by training them to tell fables and folk tales in front of audiences. I can do storytelling residencies at schools, libraries and summer camps and virtually. Over five two hour sessions , I teach the children to learn a story, make a story board so that the story is not memorized and then it culminates with an informal first telling to family .

Entertainment- I provide wholesome entertainment for families, events, schools, libraries, day cares, senior programs and summer recreation programs. I usually present 45 min. To one hour programs which include folk tales, fables and fairy tales, told with animation and audience participation. I include singing and movement activities. The stories can be based on seasonal holidays and themes. I also have a YouTube channel and I make storytelling videos and education videos .

Mrs. Sunshine Santa Claus- I perform as Mrs. Sunshine Santa Claus all year round. She is my favorite character! I am available to be booked for family holiday photoshoots. Mrs. Sunshine Santa Claus enjoys pajama story parties, baking, craft parties, art projects, baby showers, wedding showers, science fun, dance parties, tea parties and bedtime story time. I can be the hostess and emcee for corporate events. I am part of the Palm Tree Santas of Florida and the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas. I am trained by Santa America to visit with children and adults with disabilities and children in hospitals and hospice. Mrs. Sunshine Santa Claus has her own Instagram account @mrssunshinesantaclaus.

What sets me apart- I have over forty years of performing experience. My training as a early childhood teacher has given me the innate ability to teach and reach children. I know the value of compassionate teaching. I play the guitar and also use puppets in my performances. I know how to design quality programs and training so that my clients get the high caliber programs.

What am I most proud of?- I am proud that I persevered through obstacles of my mother’s death from breast cancer when I was 18 and living with an alcoholic father . I could have been swept into a cesspool, but i had faith that I was worth so much more. I got a masters degree while raising two small children and teaching full time I developed my side business of storytelling, calligraphy and art to make extra income for my family. I have served in non profit organizations in my community to offer my talents to help those businesses reach their goals. I also served as President of the California Kindergarten Association for eight years. I am proud of saying yes to opportunities like training teachers in Vietnam for two summer sessions or performing on virtual stages in India.In the summer of 2022 I worked with Rancho Los Cerritos in Long Beach, CA to write a curriculum , Artful Storytelling to be used in the Long Beach Unified School District. On Feb. 12-19 I will fly to Marrakesh, Morocco to perform in the World Storytelling Festival . I will join a group of 30 international storytellers to perform in schools and events in the city . I think most of all I lost the fear of worrying if I was good enough and I embraced that I am an authority in my field. This would not be possible without my extreme faith in God and how he can bless us in our lives.
Debra Weller, Storyteller is a brand that educates, entertains and inspires multiage clients to discover the power of story in their lives. Your story is your power.!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

In March 2020, it became evident to me that I needed to become active on social media to maintain my business and presence. Most of my storytelling work had been done live prior to the pandemic lockdown. I came across Sue. B. Zimmerman on YouTube and Instagram. She offered free webinars. I paid for one of her courses to help me become more knowledgable about how to use Instagram for marketing.. I changed my Instagram account @debstoryteller from a personal account to a business account . I also took virtual classes with Jonathan Milligan and read his book, “ Your Message Matters.” Danny Iny has written an inspiring book, “Teach Your Gift”, which helped me to Iearn about marketing on social media. Melissa Rickers also offers excellent social media courses. I take any free seminars I can from these experts . Brock and Chalene Johnson are experts at social media marketing, too. So here is the scoop, we have to be willing to learn from others who have blazed the trail. We cannot get better without practice. Not all of my reels, stories and post on Facebook and Instagram are perfect, but I learn, analyze and change as I go. Growth is a process and it does not happen overnight. I have built my accounts by offering solid content and focusing on my niche. I also invested in myself by hiring a coach and taking classes from the experts. I use lInkedIn, too and have made my connections to India through LinkedIn. I also scan Facebook and Instagram to look for legitimate guru’s and glean their advice. By performing on virtual stages, it led me to broaden my networking and to make true connections. Now so many other people know about my business, even though I still feel leik a speck in the internet universe. I have been interviewed on a dozen podcasts and I do collaborations on lives on Facebook and Instagram. My best advice is – you do not have to be perfect to put yourself out on social media. I use my talents as a storyteller to make informal videos to reach and teach my clients. I do my work with a passion. It is my business so I take pride in how I present myself. Say yes to opportunities which come your way.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to introduce the world to highly engaging and interactive, oral tradition storytelling. I want adults to give themselves permission to listen to a story and be transported to another moment in time. I want children to disengage from screens and imaginatively travel with me through a story as they make their own videos in their brain.. Everyone has a story to tell. I want to help people learn how to listen and engage with a story and help them to have empathy for characters or to find a way to change their own personal narratives to set up a path of transformation. I feel I have been blessed with a talent that I have honed. If I hide in a closet, I will never impart those stories. Like the song, “ This Little Light of Mine, I’m going to let it shine…” I want to give my stories as a gift. I want others to discover how they can learn to tell stories, too so they may feel this sublime power.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://story-tellingcourses.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CktSO2AJCZJ/?igshid=YWJhMjlhZTc=
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debra.weller.18
• Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/debra-weller-904bab1b3
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/DebraWellerStoryteller8084
• Other: https://linktr.ee/debrawstoryteller

Image Credits
These photos are taken by Debra Weller