Storytelling in Business Changing What Happens Next
Nigel Ridpath is a keynote speaker, workshop facilitator and author who helps leaders, teams and event audiences use storytelling to make ideas land, build trust and change behaviour.
Practical, straight-talking and grounded in real commercial experience, Nigel’s sessions give people tools they can use immediately.
Why This Matters
Most business communication is a lullaby with a logo on it
People nod. Slides advance. Nothing changes.
The problem usually is not effort. It is that the message is too abstract, too forgettable or too detached from what real people care about.
Storytelling in business is not theatre. It is a practical way to make messages clearer, more memorable and more likely to change what happens next.
The Framework - The Sheherazade Effect
In business, attention is often the first battle. If you do not win it, you do not get considered.
Nigel’s approach - he calls it The Sheherazade Effect - is built around a simple idea: stories help people hold on to meaning, stakes and change.
A practical tool sits underneath the framework:
· Human: who is this about?
· Tension: what is at stake?
· Change: what changed, or what needs to change next?
Simple enough to use in a meeting, pitch, presentation or change conversation. Strong enough to shape how people communicate and lead.
Why Nigel?
Practical credibility, not theory
Nigel brings over 35 years of commercial experience across consultancy, leadership and business growth roles, from start-ups to multinational organisations.
He is also the author of The Time Traveller’s Guide to Management, a novel that teaches management lessons through historical fiction. It is proof of the same belief that sits behind his speaking: people remember stories far better than bullet points.
Expect practical insight, straight-talking delivery and ideas that audiences can actually use.
Training Programmes
If you want more than a keynote or workshop, Nigel also delivers practical training programmes designed to make learning stick.
Each programme combines an intensive bootcamp with follow-on reinforcement sessions, helping delegates turn good intentions into habits and habits into performance.
Programmes include:
01
Leadership & Management
Aimed at any current or potential manager who has not previously had formal management training.
02
Sales & Marketing Strategy
Aimed at any business or sales leaders who need to introduce some rigour into their sales strategies and planning.
03
Sales Execution
Aimed at any current or potential salesperson who has not previously had formal sales training.
04
Account Management
Aimed at any current or potential account manager who has not previously had formal training.
The book behind the thinking
The Time Traveller’s Guide to Management is a story-led guide to becoming a better manager without wading through a textbook.
Seven time periods. Seven management lessons. One practical aim: help people lead better in the real world.
If you want to see Nigel’s approach in action, start here.
Get in Touch
Planning a conference, leadership event or team development day?
If you’re looking for a practical keynote, workshop or training programme, send over a few details and Nigel will come back to you personally.
Helpful details include your audience, dates, location and the kind of session you have in mind.