# 011 - “Long Story Short” with Margot Leitman

- Show: [Let's Combinate](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate)
- Published: 2021-12-15
- Length: 1h 18m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-12-15-011-long-story-short-with-margot-leitman
- Listen: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/letscombinate/episodes/011---Long-Story-Short-with-Margot-Leitman-e1bnc47

## Summary

Margot Leitman, an award-winning storyteller and author of 'Long Story Short,' discusses the anatomy of effective storytelling, emphasizing emotional truth, vulnerability, and universal themes over rigid facts. She explains how to overcome the fear of sharing stories by focusing on personal connection and inclusive language, arguing that audiences care more about how a story feels than the specific data points. Leitman also addresses the application of these skills in business, noting that companies often struggle with a reluctance to share personal narratives, which hinders their ability to connect with clients and employees.

## Chapters

- [0:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-12-15-011-long-story-short-with-margot-leitman#t=1) Introduction: Margot Leitman and her background
- [2:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-12-15-011-long-story-short-with-margot-leitman#t=173) Leitman's journey from stand-up comedy to professional storytelling
- [8:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-12-15-011-long-story-short-with-margot-leitman#t=491) Motivation for writing 'Long Story Short' and its unexpected business use
- [13:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-12-15-011-long-story-short-with-margot-leitman#t=790) Identifying stories in 'boring' lives and the importance of emotional care
- [16:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-12-15-011-long-story-short-with-margot-leitman#t=1012) Techniques for inclusive storytelling and avoiding self-indulgence
- [25:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-12-15-011-long-story-short-with-margot-leitman#t=1522) Managing fear and vulnerability in personal and corporate storytelling
- [30:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-12-15-011-long-story-short-with-margot-leitman#t=1802) The role of truth, emotional truth, and acceptable fudging of details
- [40:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-12-15-011-long-story-short-with-margot-leitman#t=2406) The power of passion and strong opinions on trivial matters
- [45:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-12-15-011-long-story-short-with-margot-leitman#t=2740) Layering meaning and relinquishing control of the audience's takeaway
- [58:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-12-15-011-long-story-short-with-margot-leitman#t=3529) Corporate challenges: overcoming the reluctance to share personal stories

## Topics

- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Long Story Short (product)
- Sasquatch Books (company)
- The Moth (other)
- This American Life (other)
- UCB Theatre (company)
- David Sedaris (other)
- Stephen King (other)
- Spalding Gray (other)
- Nora Ephron (other)
- The Price is Right (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [166: Storytelling Tips for Hardware Product Launches](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-03-09-166-storytelling-tips-for-hardware-product-launches) (Product Startup)
- [Advice Line: Growing Beyond Your Niche](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-10-10-advice-line-growing-beyond-your-niche) (How I Built This)
- [Closing the Gender Gap in Manufacturing with Meaghan Ziemba](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2021-07-20-closing-the-gender-gap-in-manufacturing-with-meaghan-ziemba) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [Advice Line with Randy Goldberg of Bombas](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-06-13-advice-line-with-randy-goldberg-of-bombas) (How I Built This)
- [How I Built Resilience (Special Edition): Guy Raz](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-09-12-how-i-built-resilience-special-edition-guy-raz) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-12-15-011-long-story-short-with-margot-leitman. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Let's Combinate.