Storytelling
Adventure
An immersive storytelling experience in the wild - from the Columbia River Gorge in Portland, Oregon to the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. Creative Lab hosts in Portland each Spring and Brooklyn each Fall - and every Adventure can be customized to your location, your team, and your story.
The best talks don't start on a stage.
They start in the wild.
Every TED talk, every keynote, every story that moves a room 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 the wild. Be it the Columbia River Gorge, the Brooklyn Bridge, or your own Main Street, Speaker Skills Academy co-founder Cathey Armillas's signature and out-of-the-box program does the work that stages and conference arenas cannot: find the story underneath the story.
This is absolutely not a retreat. It is a truly unique training ground.
You won't want to miss this opportunity to become better at speaking!
Find it. Shape it. Tell it.
Finding
Go outside. Pay attention.
- Guided storytelling walk through the chosen landscape
- Sensory exercises: listening, observing, being present
- Nature-based and environment-driven reflection prompts
- Story circle with the group
Shaping
Build the story. Own it.
- Solo reflection time
- Story architecture coaching - the structure behind every great talk
- Peer storytelling practice with live coach feedback
- Closing performance: tell your story to the group
The Adventure can be a full day, a half day, or an afternoon. The format flexes. The coaching does not. No slides. No microphones. No rehearsal mirrors. Just a group building skills and connection, the story, and a seasoned coach who has heard thousands.
Meet the coach who will walk beside you
Cathey Armillas
TED Speaking Coach & Co-Founder, Speaker Skills Academy
Cathey 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 a landscape that has been telling stories for thousands of years - and she helps you hear the one only you can tell.
Meet the Founders →Bring the Adventure to your production
If you are producing a TEDx event or a high-stakes speaker program, the hardest part is never the logistics. It is getting your speakers from "I have an idea" to genuinely ready for the stage. The Storytelling Adventure is a format you can bring into your production - as a speaker preparation intensive, a branded experience for your audience, or a licensed program you run in your region.
Option 01
Send your speaker cohort
Before rehearsals begin, bring your speakers here for 2 days of story-finding in the Gorge. They arrive at your event already transformed.
Option 02
Experience the methodology yourself
Attend as a producer. See firsthand how nature-based storytelling coaching produces breakthroughs that no conference room can replicate.
Option 03
Build a custom Adventure
Partner with SSA to design a Storytelling Adventure built around your event theme, your speakers, and your production timeline.
Option 04
License the format
Bring the Storytelling Adventure to your region or integrate it into your recurring production model. International licensing available.
A bridge. A main street. A waterfall. Anywhere.
The Storytelling Adventure can happen anywhere in the world where there is something worth paying attention to. A bridge. A main street. A forest. Cathey especially loves chasing waterfalls - and the stories that come out of standing next to one never disappoint.
Columbia River Gorge
Multnomah Falls. Old-growth forests. One of the most dramatic landscapes in North America and home to one of the world's most vibrant TEDx communities. This is where the Storytelling Adventure was born.
Brooklyn Bridge & Beyond
The Brooklyn Bridge. The High Line. A main street in any one of five boroughs. New York is a city of a million stories competing for the same stage. The best speakers learn to stand out here.
Anywhere there is a story waiting to be told
The Storytelling Adventure is not tied to one place. It belongs wherever there is a bridge, a main street, a coastline, a forest, or a waterfall. Cathey especially loves chasing waterfalls - and so does the program. If you have a location in mind for your event or cohort, book a discovery call and let's talk about bringing the Adventure to you.
Don't miss the next Adventure
Dates, locations, and new formats drop in the SSA newsletter first. Join to find out when the next Storytelling Adventure is happening - and where.
How long is the Storytelling Adventure?
It flexes. A half day, a full day, or a multi-day immersive - the format is built around your group and goals.
Where does it happen?
Portland, Oregon and Brooklyn, New York are the home bases. Creative Lab hosts in Portland each Spring and NYC each Fall. The Adventure can also be customized to your city.
What is the individual price?
$495 per person for open enrollment. Group and corporate rates are custom - book a discovery call to talk through your options.
Is this only for speakers preparing for TED?
Not at all. Anyone who wants to find and tell a more powerful story is welcome - from first-time presenters to seasoned keynote speakers.
Can our organization bring you to us?
Yes. The program is fully customizable for corporate teams, TEDx events, and conference programs. Book a discovery call to talk it through.
Does this include travel and lodging?
The program fee covers all guided experiences, coaching, and materials. Travel and lodging are not included.
"Your story is already inside you.
The landscape just helps you hear it."