The power of your story may not lie in its drama, but in its absolutely perfect relationship to your cause.

Advocating well with a personal story is not a call to simply “Insert Story Here.

Be an advocate for the people and causes important to you, using the most powerful tool only you have—your personal stories.

It’s not by story alone that successful advocates urge others to take action. Advocating with our personal stories takes a specific kind of preparation. It requires practice with elements of persuasion, public speaking, media interview skills and storytelling—not to mention healthy does of fortitude and commitment.

You may have come to advocacy on your own, it may be part of your job or you may have been asked to “put a face” on a campaign by serving as its spokesperson. You may be acting as a lone crusader or as part of a larger advocacy effort. Either way, you share an objective with all other advocates: to have your story move audiences from apathy to empathy to action.