118: Reframing Strategy Through the Power of Collective Story | Brett Davidson
Release Date: 11/12/2025
122: It All Starts With and Goes Back to Who You Are
Reframe to Create
It all starts with and goes back to who you are. Not just who you are as an individual, but who you are together. Your team. Your organization. Your movement. If you’re stuck. If progress feels slow or painfully circular. If you’re working hard but not moving forward sustainably… Chances are, it’s not a strategy problem. It’s not a talent problem. It’s not a goal-setting or execution problem. It’s an identity problem. In this episode, I unpack why so many teams end up in what I call Spinsville—endless conversations, competing perspectives, and lots of motion with very...
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121: You Don’t Have Imposter Syndrome: The Lie, the Trap, and the Reframe to Claim Instead
Reframe to Create
I’m done, y’all. It’s time to drop the idea that you have imposter syndrome for good. In this episode, I’m not helping you “fix” imposter syndrome. I’m helping you challenge and discard the entire idea. You’ll learn where this concept came from, why it doesn’t serve you, and how to understand your feelings without pathologizing your humanity. We explore: The real definition of “imposter” (and why it’s NOT you) How your environment might actually be the culprit The history behind the “imposter syndrome” label Inner Blocks (GAILs) and how to reframe your...
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120: From Storytelling to Sense-Making: How Teams Build Meaning Together | David Hutchens
Reframe to Create
If you’ve ever walked into a team meeting or strategy session and felt like the stories being shared weren’t shifting anything…this episode is your reframe. Today I’m talking with David Hutchens, storyteller, author, organizational consultant, and creator of some of my absolute favorite tools for leaders who want to use narrative to build alignment in their teams. David has worked with global organizations to help them move from merely telling stories to making meaning together, and that’s exactly what we dive into today. David breaks down why: Storytelling is...
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119: The Secret to Storytelling and Data: One. Many. Stat.
Reframe to Create
Are you ready to unlock the secret of storytelling and data? If you are, I’m ready to share it with you so you can finally learn how to use data to tell a powerful story and how to tell a story that leverages the right data. In this episode, I’m sharing with you the two reframes that have absolutely transformed the way I think about data and storytelling. These are reframes I now share with leaders because they change everything about how you show up in front of a room. You’ll hear why you are the storyteller (yes, you, not your slides, not your deck, not your one-pager), and...
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118: Reframing Strategy Through the Power of Collective Story | Brett Davidson
Reframe to Create
Picture it. You’re about to dive into yet another strategy planning session with your team. You’ve got the flip charts, the markers, the frameworks, the best intentions… and a sinking feeling that this is going to end up just like last time—disconnected, circular, and unclear. Somewhere along the way, you’ve probably heard that storytelling can help. But not so fast. My guest today, Brett Davidson, is here to turn that idea on its head. He’s the founder and principal of Wingseed, where he helps foundations and nonprofits around the world use narrative, storytelling, listening,...
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117: From "Me" to "We": The Beginning of Reframe to Create 2.0
Reframe to Create
Have you ever been part of creating something beautiful with others? Maybe it was a class project, a community event, or a team effort at work where everyone came together to bring one vision to life. When that happens, when everyone is aligned and moving toward a shared purpose, something extraordinary is created. But when that shared story breaks down, so does the ability to create together. Misaligned stories create competing identities and chaos, even among the most talented people. That’s why it’s time for a new conversation. For over four years, Reframe to Create has been about...
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116: How to Own What You Create (Even When You Work for Someone Else)
Reframe to Create
I bet I know one of the biggest mistakes you’re making right now. And I’m not even trying to shame you. You mean well. But it’s a mistake nonetheless. You’re creating — on your job, in your side hustle, or in your collaborations — but not even thinking about owning what you create. Most people don’t. We’ve been trained to think that being a “team player” means being invisible. That being helpful means erasing ourselves. That collaboration means disappearing. But that’s not teamwork. That’s self-erasure. In this episode, I’m reframing ownership — not as...
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115: From Gift to Impact with the Mindful Business Paradigm (R) | Travis Lee Howard
Reframe to Create
What if your business, team, or even your personal work rhythm could actually grow because of friction — not in spite of it? That’s the question we dig into with today’s guest, Travis Lee Howard, as he shares his powerful framework called the Mindful Business Paradigm (MVP). This isn’t just another business model — it’s a way to diagnose where things are off, whether you're a leader, creator, or changemaker trying to do mission-minded work that actually matters. Travis breaks down the four-part paradigm — Self → Customer → Machine → Team — and helps us...
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114: Get Comfortable with Storytelling (4 Reframes that Unlock Your Voice)
Reframe to Create
You already know story matters. However, a few subtle hang-ups may still be holding you back. In this episode, I reframe four common storytelling mistakes so you can get comfortable, get practicing, and get your stories working for you. Practice over theory: Storytelling is a verb. Shift the ratio from “one more book/framework” to actual reps. You don’t have one story: You have many. Build a Story Bank and match moments to context and audience. Personal ≠ private: Tell human, lived stories (with appropriate vulnerability) without oversharing. Process >...
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113: You Get to Change Your Mind
Reframe to Create
“They get to change their mind, and you get to change yours too.” When Sawida’s mom dropped this nugget of wisdom into a moment of heartbreak in middle school, it was more than comfort. It was liberation. In this episode, I take you inside that story and unpack the stunning power of this reframe: the reminder that rejection doesn’t strip you of your agency. You still have a choice. You still get to pivot, reframe, and keep creating. We explore: How “they get to change their mind” frees you from taking rejection personally How “you get to change your mind too” reminds...
info_outlinePicture it. You’re about to dive into yet another strategy planning session with your team. You’ve got the flip charts, the markers, the frameworks, the best intentions… and a sinking feeling that this is going to end up just like last time—disconnected, circular, and unclear.
Somewhere along the way, you’ve probably heard that storytelling can help. But not so fast.
My guest today, Brett Davidson, is here to turn that idea on its head. He’s the founder and principal of Wingseed, where he helps foundations and nonprofits around the world use narrative, storytelling, listening, and creativity for social justice. He also serves as the Narrative Lead at IRIS (International Resource for Impact and Storytelling), a donor collaborative advancing narrative strategies for impact.
Brett brings a powerful reframe for how we think about storytelling in organizations—and it’s one that will completely reshape how you approach strategy, identity, and meaning-making on your team.
Before my conversation with Brett, I was an enthusiastic promoter of individual storytelling in organizations. But Brett helped me see the limits of that approach and the need to move from me stories to we stories—from storytelling to storylistening.
💡 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
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Why individual storytelling might be keeping your team stuck in silos
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How to shift from isolated hero stories to a shared collective identity
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Why storylistening—not just storytelling—is the real key to strategic clarity
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How to embed collective listening into your organization’s infrastructure
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Why story can (and should) replace your static mission statements as strategy
✨ Reframe to Create 2.0 Connection:
This conversation officially kicks off our expanded focus—from me to we.
Because as Brett shows us, storytelling alone isn’t enough.
To create anything meaningful together, we need storylistening.
We need shared story.
We need collective reframe.
🔗 Connect with Brett:
About my guest: Brett Davidson is founder and principal at Wingseed, where he works with foundations and nonprofits around the world interested in using the power of narrative, storytelling, listening and creativity for social justice. He is also the Narrative Lead at the International Resource for Impact and Storytelling (IRIS), a donor collaborative for philanthropy focused on strengthening civil society through narrative strategies and creative moving image storytelling for impact. Previously Brett was Director of Media and Narratives at the Open Society Public Health Program where he also co-led an OSF-wide community of practice on narrative change. He was a journalist, producer and anchor in radio news and current affairs at the national public broadcaster, the SABC during South Africa’s transition to democracy and later worked with community radio stations across the country, as part of the democracy institute, IDASA. Brett has an MA in Journalism and Media Studies from Rhodes University and an MA in interdisciplinary study from NYU’s Gallatin School. He writes about listening, narrative and social change.
About: The Reframe to Create podcast is hosted by Joy Spencer, an Executive Leadership and Storytelling Coach, Speaker, and Organizational Development Consultant working with professionals and leaders at all levels within organizations. Joy leverages over 17 years of experience she gained while working to champion change in social justice movements, including those related to global access to essential medicines and consumer advocacy for online privacy. This work required a dogged commitment to not merely challenging the status quo, but to reimagining and working towards creating an ideal future. It is this commitment to creating that has shaped Joy’s coaching philosophy and approach today. Using her signature C.R.E.A.T.E. framework, Joy guides her clients through a process to become incomparable in work so they can get paid to be themselves.
Follow Joy on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joy-spencer/