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

Hi Monica, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

My most meaningful project to date is the one I’m working on now – Stories that Stir®. It’s an in-person event concept whereby six ordinary, yet extraordinary people from all walks of life share a raw and personal story linked to the theme of the event, which is always a universal topic such as TRANSFORMATION, COURAGE, CONNECTION, etc.

The events are designed to break down barriers, stir conversation, and inspire positive change. My husband, Joram, and I developed this concept off the back of running our PR agency for 22 years. Covid gave us an opportunity to reset and do something more meaningful with our lives.

The first event took place in Feb 2022, from Joram’s art gallery which he opened 3 months before COVID hit. The theme was LOVE, and it was launched as soon as Sydney’s second Covid lockdown was lifted. You could feel the human connection in the room, and the feedback was phenomenal.

Since then, we’ve run over 80 events in 10+ locations, and our goal is to go global. Our storytellers tell us that releasing their raw and personal story to the silent witness of the audience is very healing and life-changing. I coach people on owning their stories so they share them from a position of power. Each member of the audience takes away from the stories shared whatever they need to on the night.

We have just held a showcase event at The Sydney Opera House. It was a huge success.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have lost myself in stories for as long as I can remember. I was one of the first kids to learn how to read at the age of 4 and I remember my kindergarten teacher being so proud and excitedly showing my mum that I could read.

Since then I’ve been addicted to stories of all kinds. Books, movies, plays, listening to friends. From a young age I had the idea that I wanted to work in the media. I did a Bachelor of Arts specialising in English Literature and then headed off overseas. In London I got a job working as a Production Assistant for a fashion and lifestyle documentary series.

After 3 years my Visa ran out and it was time to return to Sydney Australia. I got a job working in a top rating current affairs program where I stayed for 2 years, before starting my own PR agency at the age of 25.

For 22 years I worked with entrepreneurial driven business owners, helping them amplify their message in mass media. Essentially I was scoping for their stories that would get the media and in turn the general public’s attention.

By the time Covid came round, I was ready for a change. The media landscape had changed and I felt that I had expanded as a person but my work life felt like ground hogs day. I was sick of the constant stress and yearned for something different.

Five years prior I did a stand up comedy course which led to performing on the stand up circuit for five years and had also done extensive training in personal development.

When Covid came along we lost 80% of our clients in 2 weeks. I felt like I’d jumped off a building without a parachute but shortly after the Government announced Jobkeeper grants. As we had six employees we received a fair amount of funding while they remained employed, so we were sent home due to lockdown, had decent money coming in, and a lot less work to do.

For the first time in decades I had the opportunity to reconnect with myself. I started meditating and remembered what it was like to feel present. During this time I discovered a book about the law of attraction which changed my life. I realised I had the power to create my own reality.

18 months into Covid and during Sydney’s second lockdown, we were walking our tired dog Leo for the 10th time that day and I said to my husband, “I really miss storytelling, the stage and human connection.” He replied, “Why don’t we just start our own storytelling event.” I got goosebumps and the rest is history.

We launched Stories that Stir in Feb 2022 and have since run 80+ events in over 10 locations and two countries. I am so proud of the community we have created who are wonderful people who really value human connection.

I am proud of how much traction with have received with Stories that Stir so far with very limited resources and am excited about what we can achieve now that we have momentum.

Stories that Stir is a safe platfrom where people can release their raw and personal stories. So many storytellers have told me that having the opportunity to release a story that was sitting unexpressed inside of them has profoundly changed their life.

I also run in-person and online masterclasses with people who know they have a story sitting unexpressed inside of them but they have no clue how take what they describe as the mess of their life expereinces in their head and transform it into a tight story that they can share with others. They want to share as they know they can inspire and help others by sharing their life experiences. I help them craft and release their story so that they can own their past and move forward from a position of power.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

This is a good one. I have been conditioned all my life that work isn’t meant to be fun and its primary goal is to bring in money. My parents arrived in Australia as immigrants, fleeing communist Romania with not much more than the shirt on their backs. As a result, survival was their key priority. Earning money was top of the survival list.

As a result, my father ran a very successful accounting business, and he worked himself to the core. This is a work ethic he instilled on myself and my brother. We were not allowed to stay home from school unless we were practically dying, hence I think I had one or two sick days home my entire school life.

I have taken on aspects of my dad’s energy around work. I have always been very driven and rarely prioritised my own self-care. I ran my PR agency with a very masculine energy. It was all about hustle and hitting goals.

Since starting Stories that Stir I’ve been trying to unravel from my conditioning. My work now feels more like play and because it’s so much fun, sometimes it doesn’t feel like work.

I am learning to attract rather than push and have experienced that when working in alignment with my soul’s mission, work can feel easy and fun.

I am learning that I don’t need to sit behind my computer 8 hours a day to be productive. Sometimes the best productivity comes from having fun and being fully present in life.

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

I believe we are all born to be creative. And creative can mean any way you bring your magic to the world. I think too often people live by what others expect of them, and they strive for what others definition of success, instead of to the beat of their own drum.

I know by living in full alignment and creating from my heart, I’m inspiring others to look at their own lives and have the courage to take steps to do the same.

It’s a ripple effect, a bit like dominoes, except instead of falling down, we all help eachother rise.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.storiesthatstir.com
• Instagram: @storiesthatstir
• Facebook: @storiesthatstir and @monicarosenfeldstoryteller
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-rosenfeld/
• Youtube: storiesthatstir

Image Credits

Eden Connell – Zoom in with Eden