The stories that will most powerfully connect with your audiences are often the ones you’ve been glossing over for years. In this episode, you’ll learn how to find them. Mike Ulmer has written 19 books and spent his career helping business people uncover and tell the stories at the heart of their work. He explains why what you consider ordinary, others find exceptional — and how to use that insight to build a hook that stops your audience in their tracks from the very first line.
You’ll walk away with a clear three-part framework for structuring any compelling talk — a strong proposition, stories that build credibility, and action steps that move people forward. Mike also introduces the show-and-tell principle that turns passive listeners into believers. Whether you’re crafting a keynote or a five-minute talk, this episode will change the way you find, choose, and tell your stories.
Welcome to Public Speaking with Peter George. Do you want to be calm, confident, and credible every time you speak in public? Then stay tuned as Peter and his guests discuss public speaking tips, techniques, and tactics that help you increase your impact, influence, and income. Here’s your host, the author of The Captivating Public Speaker, Peter George.
Including stories in your presentations is one of the most powerful ways to convey a message and make it memorable. But what makes a great story? Well, as you might have guessed, there are particular elements that stories should feature — and my guest in this episode, Mike Ulmer, is here to discuss them with you. Mike specializes in helping business people write their books. He knows what he’s doing because he has written 19 of them, with total sales of nearly $1 million. Mike has worked as the in-house storyteller for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors, as well as senior writer at Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment. His book M is for Maple is the best-selling alphabet book in Canadian publishing history. Here’s my conversation with Mike Ulmer.
How to Find Stories You Don’t Know You Have
Peter: Let’s start with the basics. What should we do if we don’t even know how to find stories?
Mike: It almost takes somebody else asking us questions. My dad — he was a real wildcat. To walk the dog, he’d put the dog in our Datsun, drive out of town to a dirt road, gently lift the dog out, and slowly drive away. That was his idea of walking the dog. I was 10 years old before I realized that wasn’t normal. But when you’re living your life, you don’t necessarily recognize what you’re doing is exceptional until somebody else points it out.
A rule of thumb: what you consider normal, I consider exceptional — and vice versa. It almost takes a second look to find the thing. And here’s what’s key: the point of storytelling is not to tell a story. The point of storytelling is to deliver a conclusion. The story is the train that takes the conclusion through the tunnel to the other side. Any story not relevant to your conclusion shouldn’t be in your speech.
The point of storytelling is not to tell a story. The point is to deliver a conclusion. The story is the train that takes the conclusion through the tunnel to the other side.
Peter: Sometimes I’ll be filling out a speaker application and they ask a question about me and I have no idea what to write. Then I ask my wife and she rattles off things I never would have thought of.
Mike: Exactly. We tend to gloss over the painful stuff. It takes someone who really knows you — who understands the path of your life, your motivations, your experiences — to see it clearly. Because we don’t.
The Three Elements of a Great Story
Mike: A great book — and by extension a great talk — has to have three things. First, a proposition: a short, grabbing message built on an idea that advantages the reader or listener. Think of The 4-Hour Work Week or How to Win Friends and Influence People. A little counterintuitive. Catchy. Something that appeals to the reader directly.
Second, stories that flow to the conclusion. The stories you choose have to be germane to your central idea — they should provide evidence and build credibility. They create a link between you and the listener. That’s why a backstory is so powerful.
Third, lots and lots of tips. It doesn’t matter whether you convince people you’re right if you don’t tell them how to move forward. A fable is great, but without a moral and an action plan, it’s useless.
How to Create a Hook
Peter: How can listeners go about creating an effective hook for one of their talks?
Mike: Look for the thing that’s so obvious to you that it would surprise somebody at a party. Imagine someone turns to you and says, what about your business don’t I know? For example: in financial planning, so many people jump through hoops to avoid an inheritance tax — sometimes ruining family relationships in the process. But only about 3% of estates in the United States actually involve an inheritance tax. That is your hook. There is something in everyone’s business that is unique, that nobody else knows. Find that.
Why Backstory Is So Powerful
Mike: Backstory gives evidence to your conclusion and creates a link between yourself and the listener. One of the great techniques in interviewing is just to be a little vulnerable — say something personal — because it’s human nature, the law of reciprocity. People have to give you something back. When you open that emotional door in someone, you open them up for the rest of your message. It’s a very powerful tool — and it should always be used wisely and with kindness.
Peter: When people ask about my backstory and I say I grew up with a lisp and a stutter, they’re immediately fascinated. Even today, on podcasts, that’s what they want to talk about.
Mike: That’s because it speaks to resilience — one of the most attractive qualities there is. All of us have challenges. The person asking that question may have a teenager they’re struggling with, or a hard journey of their own. They want to believe that if you do the right thing, good things happen. That’s the deep message. It’s not just a hook — it speaks to something deeply held in people. It’s why they want to hear it.
Show and Tell
Mike: One of my books is called Show and Tell — about the power of knowing when to show and when to tell. When you tell someone something, they’re receiving direction. When you show someone something, they make the conclusion themselves — they earn it. And because a lot of people lie to us, we believe what we observe far more than what we’re told. When you show something and then reinforce it by telling, that’s an extremely potent combination. The trick is to use both in the right proportion.
Peter: Mike, where can listeners connect with you?
Mike: Google is pretty kind to me — just search Mike Ulmer and you’ll find quite a few things. I write regularly on Substack. And my website is getcatapulted.com.
Thank you for listening to this episode of Public Speaking with Peter George. Are you ready to be calm, confident, and credible every time you speak in public? Then visit petergeorgepublicspeaking.com and let’s make it happen. I’ll see you next time.
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