Back then, I needed stories that could help me make sense of things I was too young to understand. So I started making them — fables I could use to approach the hard things sideways, at a safe distance, at my own pace.

That was the beginning. Then, after a long, long time of keeping the practice between me and my journals, I started The Story Stays Podcast (previously Waffle-Free Storytelling) in 2020.

I grew up in Southern Africa and now live in Scotland, where most days involve a walk, a book, and on brave days, a swim in the sea.

I help people write and share their personal and family stories, a magical part of which is creating fables that help them make sense of the hard things and find a way to say (and understand) what matters most.

You don't need to be a writer or a storyteller to do this. You just need a lesson or a message you want to share, a problem you want to dig into and solve, and a willingness to find the story that fits.