In a world that celebrates big wins and visible milestones, what if the most meaningful growth is happening quietly?

In this episode of The Story Craft Podcast, Kyle explores a different way of understanding success. He unpacks how we’ve been conditioned to measure our lives through wins and losses and why that framework often misses the deeper, more transformative story unfolding within us.

Kyle shares insights from his own coaching journey, reflecting on the slow, often invisible process of growth that doesn’t always translate into immediate results. This conversation invites us to reconsider the metrics we use to define progress and to notice the quieter forms of becoming that shape who we are.

Through a Whole Story Living lens, this episode challenges the dominant narrative that success must be loud, fast, and externally validated. Instead, it offers a more grounded, human-centered perspective: growth is often subtle, nonlinear, and deeply personal.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re “behind,” stuck, or not seeing the results you expected, this conversation will help you reframe your story and recognize the growth that’s already happening.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why measuring life by wins and losses can limit your perspective
• The difference between external validation and internal transformation
• How to recognize progress when nothing “big” seems to be happening
• A Whole Story Living approach to redefining success

Learn more about Kyle's creative work as co-founder of Homeplace Creative, here.

What would happen if you decided to become the author of your own life story?

In this episode of The Story Craft Podcast, Dr. Meg Adams shares the behind-the-scenes reflection from the first month of her Whole Story Living experiment—a year-long practice of stepping out of algorithm-driven living and reclaiming agency over the stories that shape our lives.

January was designed as a reset month: slowing down, creating space to think, and building habits that help us live more intentionally in a world that constantly pulls our attention elsewhere.

Meg shares what she learned from protecting her mornings for writing, creating a dedicated space for creative work, stepping back from social media noise, and reconnecting with the deeper narrative of her life and work.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the pace of digital life—or like your story is being written by everything except you—this episode will help you begin reclaiming your role as the storyteller.

This conversation explores:

• What it means to become the author of your own story

• Why digital culture makes it easy to lose narrative agency

• The first steps of the Whole Story Living framework

• How small habits—writing, reflection, and attention—help reshape your life narrative

• What Meg learned during the first month of her year-long experiment

This episode is a reflection on agency, creativity, and intentional living—and an invitation to start paying attention to the story you’re telling with your life.

• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

• The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

• Whole Story Living Substack (follow along with the experiment)

Follow the Whole Story Living journey:

Instagram: @drmegadams
Substack: Whole Story Living

If you paused long enough to listen to your life right now…

What story is asking to be written next?

If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to The Story Craft Podcast, share it with a friend, and follow along with Meg’s Whole Story Living field notes on Substack.

What does it take to believe in yourself when others don’t? And how do you build a thriving small business rooted in relationships instead of algorithms?

In this episode of The Story Craft Podcast, Dr. Meg Adams sits down with Jenny Young, founder of SHE Did It Videography, to explore the power of self-trust, community-centered entrepreneurship, and storytelling as a force for local impact.

Jenny’s journey from Akron, Ohio to becoming an award-winning videographer serving small businesses and nonprofits across Northeast Ohio is a story of courage, resilience, and returning to your creative roots. A graduate of The University of Akron, Jenny spent years honing her craft—filming up to five videos a week across cities like Wadsworth, Medina, and Cleveland—before launching her own business in 2018.

But her success didn’t come from chasing trends. It came from investing in relationships.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• How to believe in yourself when support feels scarce

• Why community is the strongest marketing strategy for small business owners

• What it means to build a brand people talk about (“SHE did it!”)

• The courage it takes to leave stability and start your own creative business

• How serving small businesses and nonprofits can create ripple effects of kindness

Jenny shares how SHE Did It Videography was born from a desire to serve “small first” — making high-quality, accessible video production available to local entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations. Her work isn’t just about content creation; it’s about strengthening the conversation around storytelling, visibility, and generosity in Northeast Ohio.

At its core, Jenny’s story is a Whole Story Living story.

Whole Story Living is about stepping into authorship — choosing courage over comfort, connection over competition, and contribution over comparison.

Jenny embodies:

Narrative Aliveness – Returning to the creative spark she had as a child with a camera.
Relational Intelligence – Building a business around trust, community boards, and collaboration.
Human-Centered Rhythms – Designing a business that works alongside motherhood and family life.
The Sacred Ordinary – Seeing videography not just as a career, but as a way of giving back.

Her story reminds us that entrepreneurship doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful. It can be local. It can be relational. It can be rooted.

If you’re a creative entrepreneur, small business owner, nonprofit leader, or someone trying to build something meaningful while staying connected to your community — this episode will encourage you to trust your story and take the next brave step.

If this episode resonated with you:

• Subscribe to The Story Craft Podcast

• Share this episode with a small business owner or creative who needs encouragement

• Leave a review to help more community-driven entrepreneurs discover this conversation

And for more reflections on building a life and business rooted in connection, follow along with Whole Story Living on Substack and Instagram @drmegadams.

Because when you believe in your story — even when others don’t — you don’t just build a business.

You build a community!