My Six Word "Life Elevator Pitch"

Recently, a friend shared a short video on Instagram that captured my imagination. In the video, serial entrepreneur, public speaker, and two-time NYT best-selling author Jesse Itzler asked: “How would you introduce yourself?” He took things a step further, encouraging folks to have a six-word “elevator pitch” that captured their life’s mission.

Jesse gave a few examples:

Teacher: “I change the lives of young kids.”

Plumber: “I fix problems in people’s homes for a living.”

I sat with this topic for a few weeks, turning over and over in my head the things I do in my work that are most important to me. Typically, when asked what I “do”, I respond, “I am a writer.” But even after publishing books and writing online and in periodicals for decades, I still answer this question sheepishly. I have imposter syndrome, big time.

As my 63rd birthday approaches (it’s June 15, in case you’re keeping track), I want to better capture and share a sense of my life’s work. So I’ve been working on my pitch. Here’s what I came up with:

I could add a few extra words to clarify this, but I feel like these six words really do encompass my mission these days. In my writing, in my public speaking, in the consulting I do, and even in my own spiritual journey, I am all about hearing and sharing stories.

• My most recent book, Jesus Every Day, Jesus Every Way, is, at its core, a collection of stories: tales from the gospels, my own personal stories, and the stories of countless others, shared in quotations.

• My speaking work often focuses on sharing uplifting stories. I collect photos of my own adventures, as well as artwork and stories from current and past events, to underscore the message I’m delivering.

• My Substack often features interviews. I share these stories not to sell a product, but to introduce you to someone who has made a difference in my own life.

• My passion for writing about movies stems not from my desire to be a film critic, but from the hope I find in watching a movie and encountering the emotions it stirs within me.

• My travels take me to places where the stories of others permeate what I experience in those spaces and how I might live differently in my own corner of the world.

When I visit classrooms to speak about writing, I often share with students that two components of being an impactful writer are 1) reading lots of books and 2) being a good listener. When you love to speak in public (as I do), it can be very tempting to “hold court.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines this term as:

Over the years, I’ve discovered that listening in social situations is far more beneficial to me than being the one talking. When I really tune in and listen to others, I inevitably learn something that changes my life by altering how I see the world around me. I’ll admit that being an intentional listener is challenging for me. Often, I fail. But when I focus on being present and hearing others, I am transformed.

I sat with my six-word pitch for a few weeks before writing this because I feared that including two of the words—”change lives”—sounds overly bragadocious. It’s not a good look for a writer or speaker to toot her own horn so loudly, I told myself.

But I ended up doubling down on those two words and leaving them in because I know without a doubt that hearing and sharing stories has changed at least one life: my own. Being intentional in my mission as a storyteller has fundamentally changed the way I interact with the world around me. Most days, I am in story collection mode. I pray, learn, read, and view current events with an eye toward learning new stories. I gather the stories of the saints not for their perfection, but because they were real people who overcame obstacles to lead lives that made a difference. And it’s no wonder that my favorite scripture passages can be found in the gospels, where Jesus Christ—the master storyteller—teaches and inspires with parables.

Although I often tell stories in large crowds, my favorite forums are one-on-one conversations. I’m still learning to share stories in intimate settings in a way that honors the other party to the conversation. Respectful dialogue is a two-way street, not a monologue. “Sharing stories” means not only telling stories but also being attentive to them when others offer them.

I’d love to hear from those of you who read this. I challenge you to watch Jesse’s video and to sit with your thoughts for a while. Doing this helped me crystallize my life’s mission in a way that I believe will help me prioritize how I spend my time going forward. If you feel comfortable sharing your pitch in the comments below or by email, I’d love to hear it. I want this to be a place where I learn from your stories too!.

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