In the 1980 & 90’s Mark’s company, Face to Face Communications, was a pioneer in the field of digital media – creating unique educational and online programs that “told a story”.
"Many years ago, my Mother told me, “Teach as though you teach them not”. Where she heard the quote from I have no idea. But it stuck with me."
In the midst of running a successful communications/multimedia company Mark always made time for coaching (in storytelling) some of the most accomplished Olympic athletes, adventurers & business leaders. While Mark was coaching Jim Elzinga, his third elite mountaineer in a row, the idea came to them to combine the two businesses, storytelling coaching and interactive multimedia.
From this TeamEverest was born, a unique program that is a hybrid form of interactive multimedia, experiential learning and keynote presentation. The result exceeded Mark’s expectations: it was a life changing and revelatory experience for participants. For many business divisions and departments it provided the vision and inspiration to rise to new levels of team performance.
Mark gave up his lucrative work in new media to purse this innovative form of storytelling and continue with the storytelling coaching he felt called to continue. John Stevens also saw the impact that TeamEverest could have on individuals and organizations. They combined their talents and resources and formed a collaboration that has lead to Storied Ground.
Never one to rest on his laurels, Mark could see the possibilities inherent in other stories of human endurance and achievement, particularly the quests to reach the poles of the earth. PolarLeader was born from the requests of many organizations that had experienced TeamEverest and wanted to “do one better”. It is based on perhaps the greatest adventure story ever told.
After creating all these experiential adventures based on goals and visions being realized, Mark felt the need to do something based on how life sometimes works: for instance when you set your sights on that object of your desire and pursue it wholeheartedly and it turns out to be something other than you expected, possibly even deeply disappointing. From this universal experience came Leaving Everest, the inspiring journey of discovery that comes about when one door closes and another opens.
The portfolio of innovative tools and programs that the Storied Ground team has developed over the last four years has its genesis in Mark’s pioneering work and insights.
If you want to realize the power and value of story within your organization there is no one more qualified, with the passion, tools & experience to make this happen, either with one-on-one coaching, or using a combination of approaches throughout the width and breadth of an organization.
"It has now been so long that I have been steeped in story that I now see the patterns and parallels, both personally and in organizations, as forming part of one great struggle; a struggle for humanity, a struggle to belong and a struggle to make a lasting difference. These are in the shape of all the stories ever told, the mythic, the epic and the universal struggles and celebrations that we’re all apart of since the very first stories. It is through seeing this that it becomes possible to raise our work to a calling.”
