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Do you have the 3 strategic tools to THRIVE in these times?

 

Claim the power of Story, Questions & Hosting.  Here's how...

 

Download my free "Art of Powerful Questions" PDF

Here's the one thing you need to know...  

Most people believe that stories live in the pages of books, but the most important stories in the world are hidden. They live inside us. They are created through the meaning we make of our experiences. Day by day. Moment by moment.

The stories we hold are our lens on the world. They frame what we see and who we can be as a result. They determine our agency -- our ability to take action and make impact.

Whether you see possibilities or problems, competition or potential colleagues depends on your story. Most people aren't even aware their story is in the driver's seat and they are being taken for a ride, all the while wishing desperately to go down a different road.

This happens both for individuals and systemically.

Here's the thing: We live in a story and that means we can change it. 

Changing your personal story is the first step towards living the future you want. When you claim your story, you learn to trust yourself and your impact expands. You shine brighter and the world will beat a path to your door.

When we change the stories we live in collectively, at work and in the spheres we are part of -- when they are more positive and generative -- life gets better for everyone. Work becomes more fulfilling, community becomes more connected and everyone benefits.

The power of transformation lies in the stories we choose to activate. In life, at work, in society: It's time to tell a better story. 
Story is all about agency -- your ability to take action. Have a listen...
 

The elements you need to thrive

Finding ground in times of turbulence needs more than technique. It needs capacity.

Powerful questions open the door to new perspectives and new possibilities. They trigger potent stories carrying the gold of lived experience. Stories in turn lead to compelling conversations. When you then work together to make collective sense and meaning, the whole system moves to higher ground. We get wiser and more capable together. 

Together these aspects form a potent strategy. When you work with these elements on your own, you build personal and interpersonal capacity. When we work with them together -- as leaders in work and life -- we increase our capacity for collective wise action.

SOAR works with building capacity in these core aspects to bring vibrant life to individuals, groups and systems.

Whatever the change you're seeking, the questions you ask, the story you tell and how you host it into life are the secret. 
Why do stories matter?
 
 
Hosting brave & transformative spaces

Regular updates 

Be in the discovery with me about what really matters and how you can build your capacity. Subscribe to The Red Thread.

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Contribute to the work

Help me keep this work on the road and available to more people.

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November: Rediscover & reclaim the power of your AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP

 

 Too many of us have been putting on a brave face, wondering where our power disappeared to and what we can do to get it back. Does this sound like you...

  • You have so much to offer, but you stop short, even self-sabotage. 

  • You feel discouraged by the leadership you see around you and long for less focus on competition and scarcity and more collaborative models.

  • You've been tapped for leadership but you're hesitating because you wonder what else you'll have to give up.

  • You feel unrecognized, even silenced, or burned out and overwhelmed. You're  wondering what it would take to claim your powerful seat at the table.

Find out more & register!

There is a way for you to reclaim your authentic power so you step into the world with joy and meet challenges with confidence! We start on November 7.

What if you could change how the world sees you?

New online workshop starts September 7th 

There are five SIGNIFICANT STORIES you need to be able to tell to answer your call in life. 

How you tell them makes all the difference. 

That's right -- out of all the thousands of stories that make up your life, just five are so key that they are the foundation for your future.

Join Story Activist Mary Alice Arthur & online host extraordinare Amy Lenzo to shape the stories that shape your future.

More about SIGNFICANT STORIES
READY FOR THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME?

Stories & Questions are your power partners 

Discover the power of stories and questions by taking a handcrafted adventure. 
  • Changing your story is the first step to changing your world.
  • A powerful question is a doorway into a whole new perspective on life.
Your adventure comes directly into your inbox.
Ready? LET'S GO!
JOIN THE COMMUNITY

Find the spark to become your own inner changemaker

THE STORY DOJO is a vibrant online community dedicated to supporting you to find your compelling story and set it free.

This is NOT your ordinary storytelling group. Take the 365 ALIVE! journey and see your transformation unfold.

More about THE STORY DOJO

Choose from...

Story Adventures

A smorgasbord of STORY ADVENTURES will shine a light on the stories that shape you and help you shape the world. 

Question Adventures

A tempting menu of QUESTION ADVENTURES will take you around the outer and inner worlds. Meet challenges, deepen your relationships, create your future. 

Explore all the adventures
GET THE BOOK

Longing for a larger, more authentic life? 

Let 365 ALIVE! be your guide.

What's the most important story in the world? It's the one you tell yourself.

Click for more information on the book & free downloads.

More about 365 ALIVE!
 
JOIN THE COMMUNITY

Find the spark to become your own inner changemaker

THE STORY DOJO is a vibrant online community dedicated to supporting you to find your compelling story and set it free.

This is NOT your ordinary storytelling group. Take the 365 ALIVE! journey and see your transformation unfold.

More about THE STORY DOJO

Read the book

What's the most important story in the world? It's the one you tell yourself.

The stories  alive inside you influence whether you feel powerless or powerful, color your success and happiness, underpin every action you take. When you wake up to the stories at work in your life, you suddenly step into the position of power. Story stops being what defines you and becomes your ally.

If you're longing for a larger, more authentic life, let 365 ALIVE! be your guide.

Receive a free shot of weekly inspiration
Find out more & download a free chapter

Join the Community

THE STORY DOJO is  a community for exploring, ideating and practicing all aspects of story. Whether you are a new story enthusiast or a seasoned practitioner, we have something for you. Let us host your story to life!

We offer:

  • • Vibrant conversation
  • • Hosted exploration of how story works
  • • A safe space for your story to grow & change
  • • Digital Learning Library
  •  • Worldwide Community

 

 Everyone is welcome -- come and check us out! 

Find out more & join us!

More to explore... 

Got a question that matters

Thirsty for answers? 

Longing for more but don't know how to get there? Join a Flow Game to get joyfully & playfully unstuck for 2026 in only 2.5 hours. Personalised coaching & targeted wisdom in an intimate small group setting. 

CONSIDER THIS: Getting yourself to where you want to be in your life is not about trying harder to get the right answers. It's about playfully asking the right question and receiving the wisdom that's already waiting for you. 

Wait, what? Could it be that easy?

Have you ever thought to yourself that if you only had the right answer, then all of life would fall into place?

What if it is all about about asking the right questions and bringing a sense of playful ease to what you discover as a result?

The intimate setting of a Flow Game helps you find the wisdom to take on your life with confidence, courage and energy.

You'll get personal, focused coaching and the wisdom of a small group of up to 8 other players.

A Flow Game helps you find the wisdom to take on your life with confidence, courage and energy. 

It's the best 2.5 hours you could invest in yourself!

Check dates & register
Online, begins April 7 

At Work in the Ruins

How do we stay in relationship and what have we learned about collaboration that we need now in these times of turbulent change?

It would be easy to believe we are facing the end of the world. But as our oldest myths and stories remind us -- the end of the world as we know it is not the end of the world.

So what can we do when we are facing chaos and finding ourselves sitting in the ruins -- however you are experiencing right now?

How can we make a space within ourselves and together to turn and face the sense of loss, grief, anger and overwhelm that breakdown thrusts upon us?

How can we stay together when everything around us seems to be falling apart?

Especially as people who have worked as changemakers and who hold spaces for people to make good change together, what do we need to learn from these times?

The work of Dougald Hine, captured in his book At Work in the Ruins offers us four tasks that can help us make sense of what is taking place.

There is work to do, even in the ruins.

Join us for a collective inquiry into how we accompany each other in this time of collapse and explore the four tasks facing us in the ruins.

5 online sessions

See more & register
Denmark May 1 - 3

The Heart of Practice

Many of us feel that we are at an important inflexion point in the world. At this time of confusion and turmoil, your solid ground is inside you and between you and others. What we do now will ripple into the future. 

Toke Møller, Mary Alice Arthur, Rowan Simonsen and Maja Rottbøll been exploring individually and collectively for decades about what the heart of practice really means. What lies beneath the practice patterns we love and use? What can make the difference now? What are the mother practices that can hold us in these times?

Together we will dive deeply into what's at the very heart of practice and the practice of the heart as a host, a leader, a team mate, an activist, a thought leader and as a deeply rooted human being. We will look at what's at the core and what's at the edges, and give you spaciousness to discover the best of you.

See more & register

Listen to my podcast interview

The "Am Ende ist alles Gut" podcast with Mareike Tiede 

My host says: "for me she is the Pippi Longstockings of story: brave, strong and creative." In this podcast we talk about how stories make connection, metaphors that make the magic of story tangible and how stories can help groups to find their own wisdom.
 
Although this is a German podcast, you'll hear me speaking in English and Mareike making the connections in German.
 
Onsite & Online

Become a FLOW GAME Host

The Flow Game is a playful way to take action on what really matters.

It is a combination of stimulating questions, wise coaching and deep reflection. Questions become the the entrée into a fun and easy tool that creates wise council for burning issues. 

All over the world, Flow Game hosts are using the game in new and inspiring ways -- with individuals, with teams, in organisations and communities.

In what fresh and new ways could the Flow Game help uplift and support your work and life?

Flow Game Host trainings are regularly coming up both onsite and online. The next training I'm offering:

  • Early 2026 online

Find out more about how you can join us... 

Is now your time to become a Flow Game Host?

Learn more
Online first Tuesday each month

Origin & Evolution Stories

A thriving community of practice depends on deep understanding and application of methods and models. Knowing the lineage and history of what shapes the field of participation is one of the offerings of Beehive Productions.

Beehive is focused on serving "the central garden" -- the place which nourishes the core of all participatory practices and supports us to centre our humanity.

Join us at these upcoming online storytellings to unpack the origins of the methods and models that are core to group work: 

  • May 6: Craig Neal
  • June 2: Maria Scordialos

Register for each separate conversation for US$10 or buy an annual subscription and view all the previous Origin Stories.

First Tuesdays of the month

Find out more & register

There's so much more to learn about story!

Amazing self-paced learning experiences are waiting for you right now in the digital library! 

Learn at your own pace, when and where you want.

Ideal both for those beginning their story journey and advanced practitioners.

Our offerings include:

  • IMAGINE is the support kit you need to create your greatest year ever. Take the step-by-step journey into your new future.
  • FREEDOM invites you to recognize that freedom is not a matter of state, but of mindset. It offers potent and mind expanding steps towards creating more freedom in your life. 
  • STORY THE FUTURE & 65 ALIVE! together include 50+ hours of self-paced learning about story with interviews  from over 80 international speakers.
  • Download "The 10 Practices of Story Activism" e-book
  • More content on the way!
See all digital offerings
Online Nov 12, 19 & Dec 3, 10 

AI & Facilitation

Can participatory practice and AI come together in a way that strengthens our human connections and ability to collaborate? 

Hosting at the Edge of our Humanity

Together, we are exploring practical applications, ethical considerations, and the deeper questions about what it means to facilitate in a world increasingly shaped by technology and digital intelligence.

This offering invites you to reflect on the delicate balance between hosting human connection and collaboration by building trust and cultivating personal connections and creating collective insights while working with rapid evolving technology and AI.

Through four real-time online conversations and prerecorded interviews with practitioners and thought leaders who are well versed in using AI, we will delve into how artificial intelligence can both challenge and enhance participatory processes.

You can join at any time. More recorded interviews are being added each week.

Hosted by the Beehive Productions Team:: Amy Lenzo, Rowan Simonsen & Mary Alice Arthur

Online November 19, 26 & December 3, 10

Find out more & register
March 2

The Art of Powerful Questions

This is a free online session offered as a follow up to the first session during IAF's Facilitation Week in February

One of the fastest ways to create change, find creativity or kickstart innovation is through the Art of Powerful Questions.

A question can open new doors, let in some fresh thinking, close the gap between people, be a bridge to understanding. You can hold a serious question and still find the inquiry fresh and fun!

Finding, shaping and living a powerful question is a key leadership and life skill everyone needs in their back pocket. For facilitators and those who work in groups, questions are the key to good process

Join me for a quick 90 online session to find, craft and sharpen a question that matters to you now and then to experience taking that question into the Flow Game to receive some good wisdom from your peers.

This offering is supported by five Flow Game hosts from around the world.

We had such a great response to this session in February, I decided to do it again! Join us!

Register here
Available now

A simple way to kickstart your storytelling

It's been a tough couple of years. It would be easy to think we're living in story of despair or breakdown, but what if we want it to be different?

If our stories create our future, then let's start with the stories that will make a difference. 

Stories remind us of good times we've had, memories we've gathered, and what we've learned through the tough times.

We CAN change the world. One love story at a time…

It's simple and easy. Every day for 28 days, you'll receive a digital postcard with a short prompt.

Use it to think about a memory, a story or an appreciation. Write it down and send it to someone you care about. There's no better time then now for us to remind each other who we can be together.

P.S. This is also a quick and easy way to begin to work with your own stories and unleash your creativity!

Join the Love Stories Team
Join the journey of a lifetime 

Story & Question Adventure

Discover the power of stories and questions by taking a handcrafted adventure.

Stories and Questions are your power partners.
  • STORIES help you reassess how you see and live your life. They can help you understand what kind of life you want to lead from this moment on. 
  • QUESTIONS help you open your curiosity to find new ideas. They help find and explore new ways to be creative and successful.

A daily prompt arrives in your inbox to set the focus for the day. What you discover just might change your life!

Adventures vary from six to 28 days. You can choose the focus.

Choose from:

A smorgasbord of STORY ADVENTURES will shine a light on the stories that shape you and help you shape the world. 

An offering of QUESTION ADVENTURES will take you around the outer and inner worlds. Meet challenges, deepen your relationships, create your future.

Ready? Let's go!

See more
Innsbruck May 7 - 9

Art of Hosting

You are warmly invited to the Art of Hosting training in Innsbruck, Austria happening May 7 - 9.   

Join a circle of curious and courageous co-learners on the journey of learning how to host and harvest conversations that really matter. You'll come away with the tools, mental models, methods, action learning practice and a plan that will enable you to immediately put what you've learned into action. This training takes place in German.

Unsere Frage lautet: 

Wie bringen wir gute Veränderung in Gang?

Das dreitägige Training vermittelt den Teilnehmenden die vielfältigen Werkzeuge des Art of Hostings, die dazu befähigen handfeste Transformationsprozesse oder berufliche Herausforderungen zu begleiten. 
In einer Zeit, die uns vor vielfältige Herausforderungen stellt, braucht es neue Wege des Miteinanders. 

Wie können wir trotz unterschiedlicher Perspektiven in konstruktivem Austausch bleiben?

Wie nutzen wir die Vielfalt unserer Potenziale für positive Veränderungen unseres Umfelds?

Art of Hosting bietet erprobte Methoden für ko-kreative Prozesse und gelingende Beteiligung.

Eine Kooperation von Partizipation.Tirol und dem
Haus der Begegnung Innsbruck

Find out more & register

Fire up your future with IGNITE

Are you at the point where you know there's more, but you don't know how to get there?

A mastermind is a fast and effective way to get traction on the stories you're living in and so you can step into your most successful future. A Mastermind  group can support you put the finger on exactly how to make story your ally to ignite your dreams.

Experience:

  • Personal attention from Mary Alice
  • The weekly Hotseat where we focus on pouring wisdom and targeted practical advice into each participant in turn
  • Deep connection and community to support you in taking the next steps with confidence
  • Weekly personal inspiration to meet you where you are and lift you into the future you desire

Wise coaching. Expert advice. Group wisdom. Personal attention. 

Learn more about IGNITE
Online December 28 & 29 

THRIVE!

“I know it’s time to think bigger, to step into my power, to rise to the next level. I want 2024 to be my year, but I don’t know how!”

Something is calling for change. The old ways of being and working just aren't working anymore.

Maybe it's the job that doesn't fit. Maybe it's an outworn identity that's too small and no longer serving.

Take time for YOU & step into the new year with clarity 

 Join us online and take a time of retreat and focus for yourself. 

Using the powerful building blocks of personal story, potent questions and wisdom council, Thrive! offers you the gift of considering who you want to be, what that looks like and how you can get there. 

Come and be hosted in a time of deep reflection, breakthrough conversations and taking the next elegant step.

You will come away with a deep sense of commitment to your next significant steps into your vibrant future, as well as a network of others to support you.

THRIVE! is a workshop for people who want to live their power.

28 & 29 December Online 

Learn more & Register
Online January 1 - 7

By The Fireside

Shape the story of who you want to be in 2024 together with a community that will help you bring your vision to life

If you want to meet the world with courage and strength, the most positive thing you can give to yourself is the gift of mastering your own story. Being at home in yourself means the past can offer up wisdom, the present can be an opportunity and the future can present unexpected gifts.

Join me at the fire in the first days of the new year for a deeply personal journey into your own story.

Knowing where you are in your story is the first step to beginning to see, appreciate and change the landscape of your life. 

We will support you to turn your story from what defines you into your ally and creative companion for success.

You'll discover the support of new friends from all over the world in our circle.

Find the gold in your stories and let them help you to soar. It's time to find your voice, claim your story and start living your brilliant life!

Register NOW
Online August 27/28

"Who am I now?" 

Feel like you need a place to stop and figure out who you are now?

So many of us are facing challenges in life that seem never-ending. The pace of change feels overwhelming. It leaves us asking deep inside: "Who am I now in the face of this?"while trying to keep up on the outside.

We feel it too. That's why we're offering a open series of conversations you can join with others who are also asking "Who am I now? What is mine to do?" Together we'll look for the wisdom that comes when you have a conversation that really matters.

The "Who am I Now?" Conversations are designed as a two hour "sabbatical" from your everyday life. Give yourself the time to really sink into the conversation and be in inquiry with us. This is a time to slow down in order to go fast.

Our next conversation takes place: 

August 27: 3:00 - 5:00 pm Pacific / 6:00 - 8:00 pm Eastern /  which is also August 28 8:00 - 10:00 East Coast Australia / 10:00 - 12:00 New Zealand

These conversations are anchored by Mary Alice Arthur & Amy Lenzo, two very seasoned online group hosts, with a changing team of other talents bringing their unique contributions.

Free Online August 27/28

Learn more & Register

I'm Mary Alice & I'm a Story Activist 

I've been travelling the world and going in and out of organizations, systems, communities and cultures for decades. In working with both individuals and groups, I realized STORY is the secret superpower of humanity. The stories we tell are creating the world we're living in. Every moment. Every day. Story by story.

YOUR STORY IS YOUR FOUNDATION & YOUR KEY TO THE FUTURE -- the roadmap for enabling your purpose in the world.

Your story acts as a beacon lighting the way. What most people don't realize is that you aren't stuck with the current situation -- you can make the choice to activate a better story.

I guide people longing to live a larger and more authentic life to uncover and craft the story that compels them to live that life. And I work with groups to find the stories that will bring their vision and potential into focus and action.

 JUST FINDING YOUR STORY IS NOT ENOUGH, YOU NEED TO BRING IT TO LIFE -- especially if the story involves others.  

Taking action to live your own story -- and working with others to help a new story take root in the world -- is vital. And there are so many stories that need changing now!  I'm a great storyteller, but I'm even better at coaching people to hone the capacity to activate and empower stories to life.

How you take action, especially with others, matters. And with a story and skill, anyone can make change in themselves and in this world!

My book, my story community, the programs I offer and how I work as a Story Activist are the ways I'm making my contribution to grow our individual and collective futures.

More about me
See my TEDX

I just love working with groups! Here's Brian Tarallo's harvest of my workshop "Change Your Story, Change the World" at the Power of Visuals Week-a-thon. CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO EXPAND IT

"I turned to Mary Alice for support in a critical time in my work to successfully navigate a difficult merger and rebuild the team. I consider the coaching and support key factors in the success of this project. Her warm and wise presence by my side empowered me and impacted the entire organization with lasting results."

..........

Nora Ganescu

Consultant & coach, Slovakia

 

 

 

 

"Mary Alice has been a guide on our journey of service transformation in different ways over seven years. She brings crisp clarity, sharp focus, deep wisdom and a collection of stories that create space for potent conversations and insights." 

..........

Penny Hamilton

Former Strategic Partnerships Manager, Uniting Care, Queensland, Australia

"Mary Alice has the sort of grounded presence that can hold a group of any size. I experienced her leading one of the best conferences I've attended. Many people are competent and skilled. Mary Alice has that extra spark that makes her truly inspirational."

..........

David Sibbet

Founder, The Grove Consultants International, USA

I want to learn with you

I want to work with you

Show me where
Show me how