We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Gogo Griot. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Gogo below.

Hi Gogo, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career

Both of my parents were school teachers. It wasn’t their first choices of a career. My father was a photographer and film cameraman. But he was trying to establish his career in the 1950s in California. Even though he was light-skinned and fine featured, he was a Black man who could not progress in the film business in Los Angeles. Eventually, he ended living in Chicago and teaching shop in high schools. Mama, was bright, beautiful, and college educated. But she was dark brown and even the Black people she grew up with didn’t acknowledge her attractiveness. She became a home economics teacher, got a masters degree and eventually was the head of the science department in a middle school.

I was the perfect student, doing my homework, and having the ability to pass tests well. But, much of what I learned didn’t stay in my memory. Within years of graduating high school, I began to say, “I’m glad I graduated when I did.” I saw how schools were becoming more restrictive, not supporting or encouraging creativity, and not attracting people who felt teaching was a calling.

I think the whole system of public education should be totally reconstructed. In this age of technology, children and youth are still not learning how to turn to their own inner wisdom in silence. Schools don’t teach innovation, exploration, research, ideas different from the European or American perspective. Politicians have caused textbooks to be written that actually lie. As we saw during and immediately after the pandemic, the primary role for elementary school in many working families is a free source of child care.

It is time to develop more creative approaches to education as we develop more flexible approaches to work. Children and youth don’t need to spend eight hours a day listening to others talk. Most course material in a day can be done in two to four hours. Many more families are home schooling without social detriment to their children. Rather than spending money on teachers who feel trapped or resentful, it would be good to hire fewer teachers and spend more money on alternative ways for youth to learn.

Providing all students with computers so they can engage in online learning, to providing annual learning experiences in different cities or countries are two ideas. Another idea is to allow youth who have specific interests or talents to concentrate in that area, applying other subjects to their specialties For example children talented in drawing can learn about math as they deal with proportions, distance, etc.

Of course, I recognize I’m a bit on the far edge in my thoughts on education.

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?

I am Gogo Griot. Gogo means elder, healer in South Africa and Griot (gree-oh) means storyteller, poet in West Africa. My ancestors gave me this name to describe who I am and what I do. I created the Power Story Experience to help teams, organizations, and businesses better connect, communicate, and collaborate.

Despite the benefits of advancing technology, the human component is being diminished. Oral storytelling created cultures, societies, politics, and religions. Through the act of looking directly into people’s eyes and sharing your experiences as a story triggers emotions and positive chemical reactions in our bodies.

Many of my coaching clients seek help because of lacks of understanding, recognition, or appreciation at work and in their teams. I have seen how story circles create community, compassion, and understanding. Being aware of these powers of storytelling led me to create power story and the Power Story Experience.

My storytelling experience includes performing on stages and offering workshops in Denver, Colorado, Des Moines, Iowa, Chicago, Illinois, and here where I live, Homer, Alaska. One of the performances I’m most proud of was being able to tell at the opening of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I recently made a major pivot in my business. I changed my niche and my program. I was in a coaching program and as a result of market research with women 50+ years old, my niche. I developed a program for them to PowerUp. But as I was making sales call to build the group, I had a storytelling job.

I told stories and did a storytelling game with a small group of teens. When I told my husband about what I did he said, “You can do that with adults.” Power Story immediately came into my mind and I grabbed it because no one else on the internet has. As I listened to my coaching clients, I found the niche I can serve and developed the Power Story Experience to strengthen teams with connection, communication, and collaboration

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The lesson I had to unlearn was that it’s greedy to charge premium prices for my services. Although I’ve had many money mindset courses and practices, I continued to fear charging more for my services. But one day I realized I really didn’t have the confidence in myself as I’d been thinking. That thought led me to look at myself differently. I recognized that I have decades of experience other people don’t have. Once I realized my Power Story is storytelling, my feelings changed. And one day, I could feel and see myself telling people the value of the Power Story Experience and not flinching at saying that value.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gogogriot.us
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gogogriotheals/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skywalker.payne.9/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skywalkerpayne/
• Podcast Channel: https://www.spreaker.com/user/vibrantvelvetvoice

Image Credits
All photos made by Skywalker Payne and Brian C. Payne.