Anne V Mühlethaler
Live Masterclass

Story is the Strategy

Because story doesn't explain your point. It shows people why it matters.

Saturday 19 September 2026120 minutesLive on Zoom

8.30am LA · 11.30am NY · 4.30pm London · 5.30pm Paris

    Free to join live, with a seven-day replay. Or jump in today for $27 →
    Anne V Mühlethaler’s Geneva office
    Anne V Mühlethaler

    For years the role did the talking for you. And now you trip on your words as if you were speaking a brand new language to talk about yourself.

    Or maybe it isn’t yourself you’re trying to explain.

    It’s an idea. A business. A project. Something you care about and can see so clearly that you can’t quite understand why other people don’t see it too.

    You know what you’re trying to say. And still, sometimes, language seems to fail you.

    We reach for words like impact, purpose, innovation, community, transformation. They mean something to us because we know everything that sits behind them. The person listening doesn’t.

    I think of these words a little like hollow shells. They’re useful. They give us a sense of what we’re talking about. But they can’t carry all that meaning on their own.

    The job isn’t to erase them. It’s to fill them with meaning.

    And story is one of the most powerful ways we do that.

    Because story gives another person something to see. Something to remember. Something that helps them understand why the thing you’re talking about matters.

    That’s what Story is the Strategy is about.

    In just two hours,
    we’ll explore…

    • 01Why story creates meaning before it creates memorability - and how reconnecting with your own stories helps you communicate in a way that feels more natural, grounded, and unmistakably you.
    • 02Five unexpected lenses that will change how you think about story, identity, and the way people come to understand one another.
    • 03How resonant communication isn’t something you manufacture. It’s what becomes possible when your words are rooted in genuine experience and meaning.

    Along the way, we’ll borrow ideas from mindfulness, neuroscience, writing, and even dog training to explore why story is one of the oldest and most powerful ways humans create meaning together.

    Hey, welcome.

    I’m glad you found your way to me.

    If you are curious about story, and serious about being understood, I think you’re going to enjoy what’s ahead.

    Story is the Strategy isn’t a class about becoming a better storyteller. It’s an invitation to think differently about story itself, who tells it, and where it comes from.

    Most of us think of stories as something we add after we’ve made our point. I believe the opposite. Story is often the thing that makes the point. It’s how human beings create meaning, remember what’s important, and understand one another.

    Over the course of two hours, I’ll introduce you to five different ways of thinking about story. Some will feel familiar. Others may surprise you. Together, they’ll give you a new lens through which to understand your work, your experiences, and the conversations you have every day.

    What becomes possible

    • You’ll stop thinking of story as an anecdote and start seeing it as one of the most powerful ways humans create meaning.
    • You’ll leave with a fresh lens for talking about yourself, whether you’re introducing yourself at a dinner party, writing a LinkedIn post, giving a presentation, or having an important client conversation.
    • You’ll begin to recognise the stories already woven through your work and your life, and understand why they’re often far more powerful than a list of achievements or credentials.
    • You’ll understand why some stories stay with us long after the facts have faded, and how that insight can transform the way you communicate.
    • You’ll never hear a story in quite the same way again.
    • You’ll understand how story fills the words you use with meaning, so other people can see what you see.
    Reserve my free seat →

    “Story is the Strategy contradicts the adage ‘you get what you pay for’. Anne delivers value in every moment of this masterclass.”

    Cindy R. · Masterclass participant

    Featured & trusted

    WWD Soho House Berlin The Marketing Meetup The Career Women’s Forum

    From the live session chat

    “Stories are how we learn without shame.”

    “Realizing my experiences matter more than I thought with this framing.”

    “I often assume facts are all I need, but now I’m thinking more about meaning.”

    Anne V Mühlethaler
    Your host

    I’m Anne V Mühlethaler.

    Former singer · 17 years at Christian Louboutin (GM, UK · later SVP, Global Communications) · MMTCP-certified mindfulness teacher · Certified WLTC coach · Founder of Le Trente

    I used to think that I was bad at telling stories. Yet I’ve spent years spinning stories for that fantastical French designer, that one with the red soles. For years, at first I had to defend my choice, working for an unknown brand in a little boutique, in a hidden corner of Knightsbridge. People asked “what do you do?” And I’d say “I’m a singer and I sell shoes” and they’d cock their head to the side and go “aww” and generally went and talked to someone else.

    But then things got good. Sex and the City good. Suddenly I didn’t need to explain my choices. I had no need for story myself, because I was “Anne from Louboutin.” (Which in many circles said it all.)

    And then I left. And it was like starting all over again. But I became fascinated with storytelling. Probably because I used to think I was bad at it, I barely saw the contradiction with my CV.

    Over time, through a strange blend of strategy, mindfulness, storytelling, memoir writing, a lot of coaching and working with dozens of people navigating reinvention, I came to know this:

    People rarely connect through information alone. They connect through meaning. And meaning lives inside stories.

    I still find it a challenge, probably because my mind loves philosophy and the conceptual. Story doesn’t come naturally to everyone.

    But once you see the vast array of stories that live inside of you, like heart-shaped, bopping and bouncing proof points helping people understand who you are, you can’t unsee them. I imagine them at this moment as living, heart-thumping little blobs that ask for one thing only: to be noticed, to be used, to be molded, and to be told.

    Which is why I ended up developing my own methodology. And why today I’m sharing Story Is the Strategy with you.

    How it works

    1

    Choose your way in

    Reserve a free seat for the live session, or jump in today with the recording and workbook.

    2

    Carve out the time

    Two hours is a time investment. Whether you join me live or watch the recording, put it in the diary and give yourself the time to really be there.

    3

    Let’s jump in

    Join me live on September 19th, or press play whenever you’re ready.

    Start on September 19th or jump in today

    Join me live for free on September 19th, with seven days to catch the replay afterwards. Or give yourself more time: get the recording today, sixty days to watch and return to it, and a workbook that’s yours to keep.

    Join live

    Free

    Saturday 19 September 2026 · 120 minutes · Live on Zoom
    8.30am LA · 11.30am NY · 4.30pm London · 5.30pm Paris

    • The full two-hour masterclass
    • Reflection and real conversation
    • Your questions, answered in the room
    • Seven days to watch or revisit the replay
    Reserve my free seat →

    A few thoughts from previous live sessions

    Can we create that effect on ourselves? Like when we find our own story appealing?
    I am reminded to ENTER the story I’m telling.
    This has been so interesting with my change lens on!
    Using words like ‘alignment’ and ‘transformation’ doesn’t necessarily bring someone into my story, as the meaning behind these words can be different for the receiver.
    Holy 🤯 your comparison with recall now makes so much sense with where I struggle.
    You’ve touched upon such a raw nerve for me. My constant struggle in telling my story is always: which version of myself do I talk about?
    I learned that a writer doesn’t just deliver a story (facts), she delivers herself dressed in a story.
    FYI: I teach public speaking! This was extremely helpful!

    Frequently asked questions

    Tap a question to open it

    Is the live masterclass really free?

    Yes, completely. If you join me live you get the whole thing at no cost. And because two hours is a long time, and in case something comes in the way of you attending live, you will also have the replay for seven days afterwards.

    What if I can’t make the live session?

    Register for the free live session and you’ll have access to the replay for seven days afterwards.

    If you already know seven days won’t give you enough time, you can choose the $27 version instead. You’ll get the recording straight away, sixty days to watch and return to it, and the workbook to keep.

    Can I buy the recording after the live session?

    Yes. The paid option stays open, so if you join live and want to keep it beyond the seven days, you can.

    Why does the paid recording expire after 60 days?

    Because access and doing are two different things.

    I’ve paid for plenty of workshops myself and learned that having something available forever doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll ever make the time for it.

    Sixty days gives you plenty of room to put the masterclass in the diary, watch it, come back to it and do the work. And if two months have gone by and the moment still hasn’t come, we let it go rather than leaving it sitting on a server forever.

    The workbook is yours to keep in any case.

    What’s in the workbook?

    The workbook holds the frames, not the stories.

    It’s designed to sit alongside the masterclass and help you remember the different ways we explore story, with space to reflect on how you might apply them to your own communication.

    The recording is available for sixty days. The workbook is yours to keep.

    Is this about telling my personal story?

    Not necessarily.

    The stories we explore can help you communicate a business, an idea, a project, something you care about, or yourself.

    We will inevitably touch on personal story, because our experiences shape what we notice and how we communicate. But Story is the Strategy isn’t a masterclass in finding one perfect story about who you are.

    It’s about understanding what story makes possible, and learning to recognise where it can help what you’re trying to say connect.

    Is this only for people who use story professionally?

    No.

    You might be thinking about how you communicate your work, business, ideas or mission. You might be preparing for a presentation, interview or important conversation. Or you may simply be curious about why some things stay with us while others disappear.

    If you communicate with other humans, there will be something here for you.

    Is this a storytelling workshop?

    Not in the traditional sense.

    I’m not going to teach you a formula for constructing the perfect story.

    We’ll look at story through five different frames, drawing on mindfulness, neuroscience, communication and memoir writing, so you can understand more deeply what story does and begin noticing where it belongs in your own communication.

    English isn’t my first language. Is this for me?

    Yes. You don’t need perfect English to tell a story that connects.

    One of the things we’ll explore is how easily all of us, native speakers included, reach for abstract words that make perfect sense to us but give the person listening very little to see or hold onto.

    If you can follow the masterclass in English, you can take the ideas and apply them in whatever language you communicate in.

    The replay also comes with timed captions, which can be helpful if English isn’t your first language, or if you’re deaf or hard of hearing. The live session also has automatic captions, with translation available in a range of languages.

    Do I need to prepare anything?

    No. Bring something to write with if you like taking notes. That is all.

    Will there be another live edition?

    Yes, though not before the autumn, and dates are not always set far in advance.

    If there’s something you want other people to see, understand or care about, come and explore what story can do. Live on the 25th, or start today.

    Reserve my free seat → Jump in today · $27
    Anne V Mühlethaler — Story is the Strategy