I was in my boss’s office for my yearly performance review and he told me something I’ll never forget:

"In this business, you’re only ever going to get 2-3 stories per year that are really great and that you have the time to tell properly.”

Once you do the math, the craziness of that statement really shines through. The “business” was local TV news, where you’re typically expected to produce 2 or more stories EVERY DAY. With the typical workweek, that’s about 500 total stories per year.

This means that less than 1% of your entire output would be the stories that you truly enjoyed telling. Less than 1% would be in that higher category of truly meaningful and impactful work, the kind that you’re proud to have created.

It became pretty clear to me that it wasn’t a situation I wanted to continue in any longer than I already had. So after having worked in both small and large markets for about 5 years, I got out of the business to pursue more storytelling on my own terms.

Frankly, it’s been freeing, gratifying, and awesome in a way I wouldn’t have dreamed of before. I’ve been able to work with local organizations to help them increase their fundraising efforts, document a series of stories humanizing the opioid crisis, and even help to document some of our local history. One family I worked with even reached out to express their gratitude after having their story told, saying that it led to healing of wounds that had persisted with them for over 30 years.

It's experiences like these that have really driven home the powerful role that stories can play in our lives. I’m convinced that EVERYONE has an impactful story to tell in which they can give back and share something meaningful with the world. My goal is to find the people and organizations that exemplify these uplifting, world-changing qualities and tell their stories properly in a way that will make a lasting impression on everyone watching.

You’ve now read part of my Why story and I’m interested to know: what’s yours?

I hope to chat soon about it.

-Rick McClelland

Founder

MY PERSONAL KEYWORDS: CONNECTION, CURIOSITY, FORTITUDE, PASSION, POSITIVITY

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