If you were going to be on Ellen, what story would you tell?
I love that Kristen Bell (Frozen, Veronica Mars, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) chooses to talk about sloths. But she doesn’t just ramble on about how much she loves sloths, she basically tells a story to draw us in. She focuses on one event (her 31st birthday) and at 0:44 says, “My entire life had been waiting for this moment.” A good story builds drama and anticipation.
Initially I thought the takeaway tip from this entry would be to choose a topic that is really unique. However, as I started reflecting on it, I realized that that wasn’t the takeaway at all, and the part that comes next in her story is the key.
If I were on Ellen, I would feel pressure to tell a story that was funny and unique, which Kristen’s sloth story is, but that’s not the main reason I like it. My favorite quality about her story is its vulnerability. She’s not trying to promote herself and tell everyone how awesome she is. Instead she shares a moment that is embarrassing, unattractive, and unguarded. That made me like her even more. So here’s the real takeaway: The secret to being likeable is not to pick a big moment and show how great you are, but to choose an honest moment and show how human you are.
Phil