“Steve showed me how to completely reframe the way I had originally pitched the promotional video for a new University of Sussex “super-elective” module. Drawing on simple but powerful storytelling techniques, he helped me move away from abstract questions and instead place the student at the centre of a broken world they are inheriting. Crucially, he didn’t just make the message more engaging — he made it more concrete and purposeful. The rescript gave students a taste of the kinds of new thinking they could gain from studying at Sussex, and how this might enable them to play a role in transforming the real world rather than just reflecting on it. Importantly, it reframed the whole piece as a call to identity: an invitation to students who want to come to Sussex not just to study these issues, but to see themselves as change-makers working on some of the biggest challenges of our time.”

Professor David Ockwell, Professor of Sustainability and International Development, Department of Geography, University of Sussex

“I came to Steve at a pivotal moment — I had a presentation to give about my creative practice and, while I knew the work deeply, I couldn't quite find the thread that would bring it all together for an audience. What Steve did was remarkable. He didn't just help me organise my ideas — he helped me understand the story I was already telling, and then helped me tell it with real clarity and confidence. He has a rare ability to listen carefully, ask the right questions, and gently draw out something that feels both true and compelling. By the end of our work together, my presentation was transformed. The narrative had shape and momentum, I knew how to open and close with impact, and — perhaps most importantly — I felt genuinely confident standing behind it. If you're a creative person who struggles to articulate the value or meaning of what you do, Steve is exactly who you need. I couldn't recommend him more highly.”

Caroline Oleron, Artist, Brighton

“Using CRAFT helped me to reframe my approach and lessen my anxiety ahead of a job interview and presentation I needed to prepare for. I was able to creatively change the narrative to capture the audience attention, whilst meaningfully retaining the aims and scope of the project.

The value of what Story of Business had to offer has been exceptional! I was successfully offered a job following an interview I had prepared for with support from Steve using CRAFT, and I am very grateful to have been introduced to such a creative and useful approach.”

Dr Elizabeth Dudeney, Research Fellow, School of Health and Medical Sciences, City St George’s, University of London

“Steve worked with me to understand key elements of storytelling and engagement, which enabled me to completely reframe the approach I was taking to developing a new University of Sussex “super-elective” module aligned with the Sussex 2035 strategy. In particular, it helped me see how to frame not just the module as a whole, but each individual session, in a way that moves beyond abstract content and instead places the student at the centre of a broken world they are inheriting. The framework gave me a way of structuring the module so that students get a clear sense of the kinds of new thinking they need from different disciplinary perspectives and how this might enable them to play a role in transforming the real world rather than just reflecting on it. Most importantly, it reframed the module as a call to identity — an invitation to students not just to engage with these issues intellectually, but to see themselves as change-makers working on some of the biggest challenges of our time. In that sense, it offers a powerful way of translating the ambitions of the 2035 strategy into a lived student experience.”

David Ockwell, Professor of Sustainability and International Development, Department of Geography, University of Sussex