Where TED-worthy
stories are born.
An immersive storytelling experience led by TED speaking coach Cathey Armillas. A custom program for TEDx organizers, corporate event producers, and speakers preparing the talk of their career.
"The best talks do not start on a stage.
They start in the wild."
Every TED talk, every keynote, every story that moves a room - it started somewhere quieter. A walk. A conversation. A moment of reflection that cracked something open.
The Storytelling Adventure takes speakers out of the conference room and into landscapes that have been shaping stories long before humans had words for them - to do the work that stages cannot: find the story underneath the story.
This is not a retreat. It is a training ground.
Your speakers, prepared
at the highest level.
If you are producing a TEDx event, you know the hardest part is not the logistics - it is the speakers. Getting 10 to 15 people from "I have an idea" to "I am ready for the stage" is a months-long process that most organizers handle ad hoc. The Storytelling Adventure is a structured, professional speaker preparation experience led by a coach who has been doing this at the TED level for over a decade. We build it around your speakers, your event theme, and your timeline.
Ready to discuss a custom program? Book a call with Cathey or email hello@speakerskillsacademy.com
Built for speakers with something at stake
You have been accepted (or you are applying). You have your idea. Now you need the story that makes the room feel it. This is where that story gets found, shaped, and tested.
You need your speakers ready - not just rehearsed, but genuinely prepared to be vulnerable, clear, and compelling on stage. Send your cohort here before they hit the stage.
You give talks regularly. You know they are good. You want them to be unforgettable. The Storytelling Adventure strips away the formula and helps you find what is actually yours.
Come experience the methodology firsthand. See how nature-based storytelling training produces breakthroughs that classroom settings cannot.
"No slides. No microphones. No rehearsal mirrors. Just you, the story, and a coach who has heard thousands."
Explore the Storytelling Adventure
Led by one of the world's foremost TED speaking coaches
Cathey ArmillasCathey Armillas has stood on the TED stage, coached speakers onto TEDx stages worldwide, and spent 25 years helping people turn ideas into talks that change how audiences think. She created the How to Rock a TED Talk program and authored A Kids Book About Public Speaking.
She does not teach from a podium. She walks alongside you through landscapes that have been telling stories for thousands of years - and she helps you hear the one only you can tell.
Clients include speakers at TED, Nickelodeon, Nike, JP Morgan, OHSU, and Tillamook.
Two days. One landscape. Your story.
Finding
- Guided storytelling walk through dramatic natural terrain
- Sensory exercises: listening, observing, being present
- Nature-based reflection prompts
- Evening story circle with the group
Shaping
- Morning solo reflection time
- Story architecture workshop (the structure behind every great talk)
- Peer storytelling practice with coach feedback
- Closing performance: tell your story to the group
"The landscape does half the teaching. Cathey does the rest."
The landscape is part of the training.
Every location is chosen because it asks something of you. The Storytelling Adventure has been hosted in two of the most distinct landscapes in North America - each one teaches a different kind of listening.
Columbia River Gorge
Multnomah Falls. Old-growth forests. Basalt cliffs carved by ancient floods. This landscape has been shaping stories since before humans had words for them. Portland is also home to one of the most vibrant TEDx communities in the world - and this is Cathey Armillas's backyard.
New York City
The city that has heard every story - and still demands you earn the room. When the Storytelling Adventure comes to New York, the landscape is human-made, the stakes are unmistakable, and the training cuts differently. For producers, bureaus, and speakers based on the East Coast.
Custom locations available for licensed and partnered programs. Inquire about hosting in your city.
How the Adventure has run
The following reflects the structure and pricing of previous Storytelling Adventures. For upcoming dates and custom program availability, visit the Storytelling Adventure page.
- Duration
- 2 days
- Locations Hosted
- Columbia River Gorge, OR & New York City, NY
- Group Size
- 8-20 participants
- Individual Rate
- $495
- Group / Producer Rate
- Custom pricing for cohort and licensed programs
- What Was Included
- All guided experiences, coaching, and materials. Travel and lodging not included.
- Upcoming Dates
- See the Storytelling Adventure page
- Questions
- Book a call or hello@speakerskillsacademy.com
- More SSA Events
- Sessions & Programming
Ready to build a custom program
for your speakers?
Book a 20-minute call to talk through what your speakers need, your event timeline, and how the Storytelling Adventure can be built around your goals.
Book a Call