Storytelling our way to Deeper Connections with Rachel Saslaw of StoryTell NYC

Once upon a time... I interviewed Rachel Saslaw, founder of StoryTell NYC. Rachel started StoryTell as a way to cultivate more meaningful connections and vulnerability through personal storytelling. She shared insights on how to build community, the role of traditions, and balancing in-person and virtual events.

Our conversation explored how we can foster deeper human connections amid the isolation of modern life. Rachel offered wisdom on bringing people together through food, technology-free gatherings, and intimate in-person events centered on storytelling.

Get the full recap:
https://belongfulness.com/storytelling-our-way-to-deeper-connections-with-rachel-saslaw-of-storytell-nyc

Watch the video of this interview:
https://youtube.com/live/mEzLheTwK-s

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DEMOCRATIZING STORYTELLING

Rachel discussed how she started StoryTell NYC as a way to foster more meaningful connections in her life. She and her co-founder began hosting these monthly gatherings for people to share personal stories related to a theme, which helps create a sense of openness.

"It's such a meaningful event because it was something that I was lacking in my own life in terms of these intentional relationships, these intentional moments of connecting with people beyond the surface level of kind of reporting backwards in your life. You know, 'how's friends, how's family, how's work, let's get the check.'"

Rachel explained how the intimate event format, with storytellers sitting in a circle on the floor, encourages people to open up beyond the usual pleasantries. She strives to make StoryTell an inclusive experience where anyone can participate in storytelling, not just pre-planned performers.

"What differs it from the Moth or Risk, for example, is that we don't have any predetermined keynote speakers or having one hero storyteller... anyone in the audience can participate.

We really try to democratize storytelling. The stories of somebody that is public speaking for the first time in their entire life or sharing a story that they've never told out loud... we all get so much value out of that.

And there's this deeper level of vulnerability that comes out in these moments which you can't capture if you're really thinking about the structure of a story and the arc and the apex. "

Rachel believes there is value in embracing beginner storytellers just as much as polished ones.

THE ANNUAL BIRTHDAY PIE COMPETITION

Every year for her birthday, Rachel hosts a pie competition where friends and family bake pies and share them together:

"Everyone comes with a baked pie to a venue. There are three categories that you could submit into. Best sweet, best savory, and most unique. And people go to great lengths to advertise their pie. So some people dress up like their pie. Some people make up really cool names. Some people rap about their pie. It's pretty amazing. So all the pies are on display and then one by one the pies are introduced and everyone gets a bite of each of them and as a room we're all kind of judges of each other's pies."

She described how everyone dresses up according to their pie theme, tries each other's creations, and votes on favorites. Making this an annual birthday tradition has an extra benefit as well:

"It's now my birthday party because it's nice to just have something consistent and not have to worry about what I'm doing for my birthday every year."

She also reminisced about her dad compiling a recipe book for her birthday with all her favorite dishes he cooks, along with pictures of her enjoying the food growing up. Though Rachel doesn't come from a long lineage of family recipes, she can still carry on food traditions with her father by learning to make the meals he perfected for her childhood.

What a treasured heirloom this recipe book can become with time!

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Rachel continues to nurture StoryTell as a source of belonging in her life while making small optimizations. She's confident in her desire *not* to scale it!