Engagement Through Storytelling and Humor

Aidan Park

mentioned above. They understand their audience’s needs, because they know to air the commercial after dinner, when most people are thinking of dessert. They know the audience can trust them, because Ben and Jerry’s is a well known and established brand with a track record of decades of delicious offerings. With colorful graphics and an amusing storyline featuring a beleaguered housewife in heavenly ecstasy after her first bite of Chunky Monkey, this commercial has successfully triggered an emotional response which could potentially lead to the action on the part of the viewer – they end up hopping in their car and driving to the nearby convenience store, or the Chunky Monkey flavor is added to the next day’s grocery shopping list.

To inspire students and colleagues effectively, we must be like this Ben and Jerry’s commercial – we must paint a clear and exciting picture of what is possible in order to trigger the desired emotional response. We must provide the “commercial” for an exciting future that is possible for our team members and students. Much like the commercial, we can use humor and the power of storytelling as tools to generate trust, motivation and inspiration through emotional engagement.

I was once hired on as a lead consultant to create a curriculum for financial wellness for an organization which is committed to helping its members achieve upward financial mobility. One of the challenges that the organization faced was that while they provided all the necessary technical tools for upward financial mobility, they had a hard time getting clients to stick to the recommended suggestions for improvement.

The reason for this was because every client had a very different and individual reason for wanting to create financial improvement. One client wanted to create generational wealth so as to provide security and safety for their children. Another client had dreams of traveling the world to have new adventures and experiences. Another client wanted to feel a sense of independence so she could have the freedom to do whatever she wanted.

The problem was that the organization leaders provided excellent tools for change such as bookkeeping tools, strategies to pay back debt, and even resources for higher paying jobs, without fully demonstrating an understanding for the emotional reasons behind each individual’s desires for better circumstances. As a result, clients largely did not feel seen or heard on what issues were important to them. This did not establish a sense of trust between the administrator and the client. In addition, they could not see the connection between taking the recommended action and the emotional end result for which they were aiming.

So in an effort to establish trust and to create a sense of being emotionally understood, I made the following speech -

“Hi guys, I am Aidan Park here to speak to you about financial mobility! I know I look like I come from a ton of affluence because I am tall and I smile a lot. People think I was born at the end of a cul-de-sac to a couple of dentists in Orange County. But I just happen to be lucky enough to be born with such straight teeth! Actually, I was raised by a single grandmother in government housing and was even at one point homeless. I have used a lot of the tools you are gonna receive today! So whatever your reason for wanting financial solvency may be… it may be that you want a sense of security for your loved ones, or maybe you want more adventures and excitement in your life, or maybe you want more freedom to do what you want, I know that what you will learn today will help you.”

The previous paragraph established understanding and trust with the audience by telling them that I have personal experience in the matter at hand. I used humor to defuse the tension of discussing the often uncomfortable topic of finances. I also directly hit upon and appealed to the emotional desires of some of the clients. Later on in the seminar, I would go on to ask each client to make a list of why they might want financial solvency and create an appeal aimed at their wishes. This led to greater client motivation and follow through.

This method of engagement through storytelling and humor can even be effective in very difficult personal matters. I have a personal story that will paint this picture! One of my passions in life is advocating for those who are living with HIV. I am not only the founder of my own organization (called The Yay Foundation) which is dedicated to empowering young people with the right mindset for success, I am also an ambassador for the organization Keep a Child Alive, a group that is committed to empowering children and young people living with HIV with resources, confidence, and opportunities for success.

When I speak to young people with HIV, I realize that my mission is to encourage them, so I like to say this to everyone in the beginning…

“I have been HIV positive now for seventeen years! For those of you who are negative, don’t worry, you can’t get it from jokes! I am a picture of good health…in fact, I am so strong and so fast that if someone were to walk in here and threaten us all with violence, I definitely could… push you all out of the way and get out the backdoor first. I’m fast and strong, and I am also smart enough not to mess with an attacker!”

This anecdote accomplishes the goals of understanding the audience and winning their trust by:

1. Establishing to the audience that I, as a speaker, am self aware,

2. Using humor to ease tension surrounding what most consider a sensitive topic,

3. Painting a picture that shows the possibility of a happy, healthy life as an HIV Positive person, with the intention of triggering the emotions of hope and optimism for a bright future for young people who were diagnosed the same way,

4. Demonstrating vulnerability up front, by sharing something about myself using humor, establishing and allowing trust for me with the crowd.

Most importantly, the speech might have inspired emotions of amusement, trust, optimism, positivity, and compassion. All of those inspirations will then, hopefully, inspire audience members to keep up with unpleasant tasks such as going in for a regular check up, studying for an exam they might otherwise not take seriously, or even establish friendships with others by demonstrating more worthiness and confidence.

Whatever the topic may be, if you understand your audience’s emotional motivations, the use of storytelling combined humor can be a powerful combination to generate inspiration and engagement for your group or organization.

AIDAN PARK THE ART OF BEING YAY!

The brand that brings you funny with a twist of empowerment. Your guide to yay-ful living.

Live or Virtual 60-minute Comedy Special

Aidan takes his stand-up comedy act to the next level in The Art of Being Yay Experience!

The show invites the audience into the juicy details of his personal life. It begins with his childhood in Korea, his HIV diagnosis at age 19 and ends with the loss of his husband Michael to cancer in 2018 Through his personal anecdotes he carefully applies empowering thought tools and principles for emotional wellness, laughter included!

"I recommend Aidan's Art of Being Yay to anyone who needs a hug, an emotional boost or a roaring good time.” Margaret

A Bestselling Book

In The Art of Being YAY! Aidan tells juicy anecdotes from his life that out drama a Lifetime Channel movie. Through his stories he applies empowering thought tools and principles for emotional wellness Aidan was born in South Korea to a single mother and a father with a secret, second family His life started out resembling a sordid soap opera It didn’t get any less dramatic When he was nine he fled to the United States with his mother He was thrust into a foreign culture with no real support You'll have to read the book for more hilarious anecdotes and tools for joy!

Foreword by Margaret Cho

8-Week Empowerment Seminars With Customizable Wellness Curriculum

Due to the book's success during Covid, the brand has empowered these communities with laughter and wellness via virtual seminars, complete with original wellness curriculum

"Honest, bold, side-splitting laughs!"

Laura Newton, American Cancer Society

Aidan lends his acting and producing talents to create content that is funny but also empowering and hopeful. His acting credits include: Over 30 theatre productions, including American Conservatory Theatre and American Musical Theatre. 30+ national commercials under his belt, and he performs stand-up comedy at the most respected comedy clubs in the country

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Michelle Neff Hernandez, Founder/Executive Director, Soaring Spirits International