Karis Gill: Showing Up as You Through Business Storytelling

Karis Gill: Showing Up as You Through Business Storytelling

From Be Truly Heard by Anne Leatherland

May 14, 2026 · 28 min · Episode 75

About this episode

Karis Gill discusses the power of storytelling in business and how it can create connections and trust with clients.

In this episode of Be Truly Heard, host Anne Leatherland is joined by Karis Gill, storytelling trainer and founder of a social enterprise gift hamper company - a venture that transformed her understanding of how stories win hearts, rooms and funding. Karis came to storytelling not through a course or a career choice but through seven figures worth of rejected funding applications. When she rebuilt her pitch deck using the principles of story, everything changed. Now she teaches others how to do the same. In this conversation, she and Anne explore why our brains are wired for story, what goes wrong in delivery and how the right story told in the right way can be the most powerful tool a business owner has. Key Takeaways The founder story is not about you - it is about your client seeing themselves in you. Most people avoid telling their founder story because it feels self-indulgent. But done well, it is not about showing off. It is about creating a connection, demonstrating your values and giving someone a reason to trust you. Avoiding it just leaves a gap where that trust could have been. Conversion stories only work if the listener can see themselves in them. It is not enough to…

People in this episode

Host: Anne Leatherland

Guest: Karis Gill

Topics covered

  • business storytelling
  • founder story
  • trust building
  • story delivery
  • audience connection

Keywords

  • storytelling
  • business
  • founder story
  • audience engagement
  • trust

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: social enterprise gift hamper company

More episodes of Be Truly Heard

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Be Truly Heard podcast page.