In this 30‑minute audio excerpt, Sally Koering Zimney introduces the free audiobook version of her book Speaking Story and walks listeners through Chapter 25, which spotlights speaker Josh Shipp. Sally explains her Moment‑Meaning‑Move (MMM) storytelling framework—rooted in persuasion theory and human connection—and demonstrates how Josh’s TEDx talk exemplifies each element. She describes the moment (Josh’s personal admission of parenting struggles that creates a relatable hook), the meaning (the story about Albert Einstein that ties the personal anecdote to a broader insight), and the move (a provocative question that invites the audience to re‑frame children’s annoyances as hidden talents). Throughout the episode Sally intersperses a brief testimonial from former Fortune‑500 executive Tony, promotes her $49 Unspeaker Simple Storytelling audio course, and directs listeners to the Be Moved Institute and the full, ad‑free audiobook on Audible. The episode ends with a call to action for listeners to explore their own stories and engage with the resources provided.
Chapters
Oh my gosh, I'm really so glad right now that we are doing this on audio. Ah, the gift of audio.
You can't smell me.
Yay!
Whoop whoop!
Oh gosh, is anybody tired of hearing me whoop whoop as we move through this? I'm a little tired of hearing myself whoop whoop, which frankly was not something I even realized that I did, but now all I can hear are the whoop whoops that just show up all over this book and this audiobook. And here we are at the audiobook of Speaking Story. So welcome, whether you are finding us on your podcast feed or over on YouTube. I'm so delighted that you're here. My name is Sally Zimney. I'm a keynote speaker and a coach, and we are in the middle of moving through chapter by chapter of my book, Speaking Story. And we've put it out into the world for free, this audiobook version of it, because I think it is so important and I want everybody to have this info. I want you to take it and love it and then turn around and do something with it. Like, you, yes you, you, yes you, can go do this. We are in part 5 of the book. So if you have been kind of following along week to week, we've been dropping episodes part by part. And here in part 5, it's a short part, but it requires a little bit of homework. Every chapter highlights a speaker and really examines how this speaker brings Moment, Meaning, Move to life. So Moment, Meaning, Move is the framework that we talk about in the book Speaking Story. The framework that I developed that is based in persuasion theory and based in really our, you know, humanness forward, us as imperfect humans, and really leveraging the magic of story to help connect with and engage our audience and get them to care about what it is that we're talking about. Because if we can't get them to feel and care about it, they're absolutely not gonna change their minds about it. And speaking our story, ultimately, from a leadership perspective, that's what we're trying to do. We're trying to move people from where they are to where we would like them to move. So stories are the tool to do that. And so the framework that I share in this book, Moment, Meaning, Move, is one thing in theory and it's another thing in practice. So each chapter here, we're highlighting a speaker, this last chapter, we talked about Hannah Brentscher, who is a delightful TED speaker, and she's a delight, both. And this chapter is about a speaker named Josh Shipp. And Josh and I have worked together for a hot minute. It was a while ago before his, one of his TED Talks. And I'm trying to remember if this was the talk that he and I worked on. I think it was. And he, because he's amazing, reached out and said, I just would like your feedback. Here's the script that I have. What do you think? Let me know. And it was really fun to work with him, and I love the talk. I love the talk. And so, what you'll hear in this chapter, it's a very short chapter, but Josh follows this idea really closely. He actually has his own framework for how to structure a talk like this, and I love it. It's beautiful. It's very similar to moment, meaning, move, but we can apply moment, meaning, move to what he's doing as well. Yeah, I'm really excited for you to hear this and to meet Josh. He's a great human, and he's doing such good work, and I'm delighted to be connected to him and delighted for you to see his moment, meaning, move come to life. All right, ready?
Here we go. Hey everybody, and welcome to This Moved Me, a podcast about creating talks that move the world. With me, your host, Sally Koering Zimney.
This complimentary listening of the Speaking Story audiobook is brought to you in part by the Be Moved Institute, what we also call B.M.I. And I want you to hear something from Tony, former Fortune 500 executive who came to me at a real turning point in his life and his message.
You can have the greatest idea in the world, but if you're not clear, if you don't come through clearly, then none of that matters. But in the end, are you connecting? Are you really moving people? And that's what Sally teaches.
Tony also said that working together brought him, his words, out of the shadows and into the light. That is the work. And here's the thing. Leadership almost always comes with a microphone, a meeting, a board presentation, a conference keynote you didn't exactly volunteer for. And most leaders have never had anyone actually help them find their story. Not just polish their slides. And that's exactly what I built the Unspeaker Simple Storytelling course for. It's audio only, so you can do it on a walk or in your car. It's $49, just enough to get you going. And it is the fastest way I know to help you find the leadership stories that are already inside you. You can get started at Sally-Koering-Zimney.
Sallykoeringzimney.com/unspeaker.
And when you're ready to go deeper, come find us at sally-zimney.com/institute.
Now let's get into the chapter. Chapter 25: Josh Shipp. In Chapter 23, we talked about Josh's me, we, you story structure, which we're gonna see come alive here, but we're going to see the moment, meaning, move structure as well. If you'd like to watch Josh's TEDx talk, you can do so by going to speakingstory.com and grabbing the Speaking Story Toolkit. All of these talks are listed in the Spark section. The moment. What I like about this example is that Josh's story is not his personal story. He's telling somebody else's story, but he found a way to tell it so that it still feels personal. The meaning: Josh shares a story about Albert Einstein. We have the meaning when he says, "We've all been there before, right? And before we go thinking badly of that principal..." For that connection moment to really be established, Josh has to admit his own shortcomings first, so Josh talks about his son as well as his own parenting struggles. Now the great thing about that part is that Josh invites people into their own failures and frustrations. Simultaneously, he's making people laugh, which is always great, as it's a sign of audience resonance. So even though he's talking about himself, the whole point of the audience connection is resonance. The audience is nodding, thinking, "Yep, I've done that. I've been there." The move. Then Josh offers up the move. What if all those annoyances are actually our kids' greatest talents in disguise? This is a powerful question that helps us understand what he's asking of us as the audience. He's showing us what he wants us to do better or what to do next. It's such a thought-provoking question, and it brings his perspective and insight to the forefront. He's not talking at people. Instead, He asks a compelling, clear question.
That's the end of this chapter of Speaking Story. You can find the full audiobook ad-free on Audible or subscribe so that the next one drops right in your feed. And if anything in this chapter stirred something in you, that feeling of "I have more to say than I'm currently saying," that is the feeling I want you to follow. The Unspeaker Simple Storytelling course is $49 and it is literally like having me in your back pocket on a walk. So start there. Go to sally-koering-zimney.com/unspeaker.
And when you wanna go further, we are here for you at sally-koering-zimney.com/institute.
