Classes, Training, and Coaching
Story Lab producer Scott Whitehair offers a wide variety of public classes, training sessions, and private coaching, and has worked with individuals and organizations all over the world to help them develop their own unique voices as storytellers.
Storytelling For Everyone: A Four-Week Course in Personal Narrative
Registration is now open for January 2025!
We are finally ready to get back to our roots as an intimate class face-to-face and in person.
CURRENTLY OPEN FOR REGISTRATION – CLICK TO SIGN UP!
Registration is now open for January 2025!
We are finally ready to get back to our roots as an intimate class face-to-face and in person.
CURRENTLY OPEN FOR REGISTRATION – CLICK TO SIGN UP!
Everyone has a story (or a few dozen). This course will focus on discovering and developing your own unique voice as a storyteller, and introducing you to the many tools and techniques that are at your disposal, in a ridiculously safe and encouraging environment. The entire process, from story generation to the fine details of delivery, will be covered in an engaging work-on-your-feet manner. Each class session will also feature a lab component where participants can workshop stories, experiment with techniques, and receive detailed feedback.
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$225 Registration Fee
Four 3-Hour Sessions
Classes Held in Comfortable North Side Residence
Corporate Training
A well-told story is much more effective than bullet points or a deck of slides in engaging another human brain. Scott offers a wide variety of workshops geared towards fully developing the storytelling skills of your team or leadership. Whether it is training the entire staff of a historic Chicago hotel to effectively share the stories of the building with guests, or working one-on-one with a salesperson to sharpen a pitch, Scott brings a unique combination of stage experience, business sense, and academic research to engaging, participatory sessions tailored to your specific focus, goals, and needs. In addition to storytelling, Scott offers a series of specialized communication workshops addressing listening skills, feedback, validation, empathy, and more. For details and pricing, contact him here. |
Non-Profit Workshops
Behind every successful non-profit is a story, or more accurately, dozens of them. There is no more effective tool in fundraising than the ability to tell the story of your organization, the project, or the individuals you assist. Building empathy and understanding for the purpose of advocacy is best done through the sharing of personal stories. You can state the value your organization has, or you can tell a crafted, polished story and let us come to that same conclusion ourselves. Scott works with your volunteers, advocates, or team members to effectively develop their voices and stories, regardless of experience or comfort level. Building off of the natural storytelling abilities every human being possesses, Scott not only assists individuals, but helps you to build a vital, growing culture of storytelling. For more information, contact him here. |
Guest Instructor/Speaker/
Private Coaching Scott has been a guest instructor at almost every major educational institution in Chicago, and many abroad. He has worked with both graduating MBA students and preteens at a theater camp. Storytelling skills can be an important addition to your curriculum, and Scott is happy to bring his expertise to your classroom. He is also available in person and via Skype for private coaching sessions. His past and current clients include a Fortune 500 CEO, professional speakers, and people from all walks of life, from all over the world. Each session is focused your specific goals and needs, and will develop your skill set while expanding your story repertoire or fine tuning your existing material. Big presentation coming up? Working on a solo show? Interviewing for a new position? Just want to tell killer stories over drinks? Scott can help. If you need a presenter or keynote speaker, Scott has a compelling story for you. Contact him here. |
Instructor Info
Scott Whitehair is the creator of Story Lab Chicago, producer of This Much Is True, one of the city's longest running personal narrative series, and founder of Do Not Submit, a citywide network of pressure free open mics. He has told stories anywhere somebody will listen, including Steppenwolf Theater, Second City, The Green Mill, The Woodstock Opera House, and for NPR, The Risk Podcast, Sirius XM, and more. Scott is a 2x Moth Slam winner and has been featured at The Printer's Row Lit Festival, Fillet of Solo Festival, Chicago Improv Festival, The Fox Valley Folk Music & Storytelling Festival, The Evanston Public Library Storytelling Festival, and The Association of Writers & Writing Programs Conference. He has taught sold-out monthly classes since 2012, and has done training for such organizations as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Price Waterhouse Cooper, RW Baird, Chicago Cares, Loews Hotels, The Woodmark Summit, Chicago Athletic Association, Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, and many others. Scott has been a guest instructor at DePaul, Northwestern, Loyola, University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, IO Chicago, and The Latin School. His private coaching clients have included a Fortune 500 CEO, nationally known speakers, and grandparents. Scott recently was appointed to the Board of Directors for the National Storytelling Network, taught a week long course at All Hallows College in Dublin, Ireland, and was the featured instructor at Hong Kong Story Worthy Week, headlined by David Sedaris. In October 2017, he will perform at The National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN.
Scott Whitehair is the creator of Story Lab Chicago, producer of This Much Is True, one of the city's longest running personal narrative series, and founder of Do Not Submit, a citywide network of pressure free open mics. He has told stories anywhere somebody will listen, including Steppenwolf Theater, Second City, The Green Mill, The Woodstock Opera House, and for NPR, The Risk Podcast, Sirius XM, and more. Scott is a 2x Moth Slam winner and has been featured at The Printer's Row Lit Festival, Fillet of Solo Festival, Chicago Improv Festival, The Fox Valley Folk Music & Storytelling Festival, The Evanston Public Library Storytelling Festival, and The Association of Writers & Writing Programs Conference. He has taught sold-out monthly classes since 2012, and has done training for such organizations as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Price Waterhouse Cooper, RW Baird, Chicago Cares, Loews Hotels, The Woodmark Summit, Chicago Athletic Association, Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, and many others. Scott has been a guest instructor at DePaul, Northwestern, Loyola, University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, IO Chicago, and The Latin School. His private coaching clients have included a Fortune 500 CEO, nationally known speakers, and grandparents. Scott recently was appointed to the Board of Directors for the National Storytelling Network, taught a week long course at All Hallows College in Dublin, Ireland, and was the featured instructor at Hong Kong Story Worthy Week, headlined by David Sedaris. In October 2017, he will perform at The National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN.