--- title: "The Optimism Cafe: Shawn Callahan on Telling Stories" description: "The Optimism Cafe: Anecdote's Shawn Callahan on Telling Stories" image: https://www.centreforoptimism.com/hubfs/My%20Story%20sign%20on%20a%20beautiful%20day.jpeg --- ###### [Check out Our latest insights on Optimism](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/blog) [![Centre for Optimism_Logo](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/hubfs/Centre%20for%20Optimism_Logo.svg)](https://www.centreforoptimism.com?hsLang=en) - [Home](https://www.centreforoptimism.com) - [Subscribe](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/subscribe) - [Why Optimism?](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/whyoptimism) - [What is Optimism?](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/whatisoptimism) - [The Optimism Principle](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/blog/theoptimismprinciple) - [Need Optimism?](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/services-and-workshops) - [The Optimism Workshop](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/workshop) - [Victor Perton - That Optimism Man](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/victorperton) - [Magnetic Optimism for Organisations](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/magnetic-optimism-workshops) ![Close Icon (3)](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/hubfs/Close%20Icon%20(3).svg) ![Search (2)](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/hubfs/Search%20(2).svg) ###### [Hour of Optimism](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/blog/tag/hour-of-optimism) , ###### [Video](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/blog/tag/video) , ###### [Innovation](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/blog/tag/innovation) , ###### [Optimism Cafe](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/blog/tag/optimism-cafe) , ###### [Storytelling](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/blog/tag/storytelling) # The Optimism Cafe: Shawn Callahan on Telling Stories Feb 21, 2020 Webcast from London: Shawn Callahan on Putting Optimistic Stories to Work with Robert Masters, Eloise Grace and Victor Perton.   In London for the opening of Anecdote.com's London office, Shawn Callahan joined The Centre for Optimism's Robert Masters, Eloise Grace and Victor Perton to talk about about Putting Optimistic Stories to Work. Shawn is the author of Putting Stories to Work and one of the world’s leading business storytelling consultants. He is the founder of Anecdote, the world’s largest business storytelling enterprise that operates in over 20 countries in 6 languages. He works around the world helping leaders find and tell their stories so their message is clear and memorable. He has had the privilege to assist Global 1000 companies such as IBM, Shell, Mars and KPMG. He started his working life as a geographer and archaeologist, then moved into information technology with the likes of Oracle and IBM. His story work began in 1999 while he was still with IBM, applying complexity theory to business issues. It was a time when story-based approaches to leadership development and employee engagement were definitely on the fringe, but that was soon to change. In 2004 Shawn founded Anecdote with the clear purpose of restoring humanity to the workplace, using story work as its method. This includes helping companies craft and tell their strategic story, teaching business leaders to be better storytellers, and collecting stories – a technique harking back to Shawn’s archaeology days – so that employees can work out for themselves what needs to change. It is an approach that continues to break new ground.   [Written by Victor Perton](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/blog/author/victor-perton) ##### Keep up to date with the latest from Centre for Optimism ##### We appreciate any contribution you can make to help us spread optimism with the world [![Give Today](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21889975/daed54ec-1173-4b99-9390-e69152e87436.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/21889975/daed54ec-1173-4b99-9390-e69152e87436) #### Here are some similar articles ## Connect With Us ##### We love to connect with everyone who is ready to open up and share their optimisim. - [![Facebook 2](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/hubfs/Center%20of%20Optimism%20Assets/Facebook%202.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/optimistsvoices/) - [![instagram (6)](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/hubfs/instagram%20(6).svg)](https://www.instagram.com/centreforoptimism/?hl=en) - [![linked in 2](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/hubfs/linked%20in%202.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/centreforoptimism/) - [![youtube (3)](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/hubfs/youtube%20(3).svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFd4GnToz3WLasQSfsz_z8w) - [![twitter](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/hubfs/twitter.svg)](https://twitter.com/Centre4Optimism) #### Keep up to date with the latest from The Centre for Optimism ##### Contact Us Call Us: [+61 417 217 241](tel:+61%20417%20217%20241) (Australia) PO Box 5081, Garden City, Victoria 3207, Australia ##### [The Centre for Optimism](https://www.centreforoptimism.com?hsLang=en) - [Why Optimism?](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/whyoptimism) - [What is Optimism?](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/whatisoptimism) - Why be Optimistic? - Our Advisory board ##### Our Research - What makes People Optimistic? - Transformation and Change - [The Better Normal](https://thecentreforoptimism.wildapricot.org/The-Better-Normal) - Strategy and Optimism ##### Join Us - Become a Patron - Join the Optimism Movement - Volunteer ##### [Services](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/workshop?hsLang=en) - [The Optimism Workshop](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/workshop) - The Optimism Roundtable - Beacons Of Optimism Workshop - [The Habits of an Optimist](https://www.projectoptimism.com.au/courses/optimism-can-be-learnt-the-habits-of-an-optimist/) ##### The Centre for Optimism - [Why Optimism?](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/whyoptimism) - [What is Optimism?](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/whatisoptimism) - Why be Optimistic? - Our Advisory board ##### Our Research - What makes People Optimistic? - Transformation and Change - [The Better Normal](https://thecentreforoptimism.wildapricot.org/The-Better-Normal) - Strategy and Optimism ##### Join Us - Become a Patron - Join the Optimism Movement - Volunteer ##### Services - [The Optimism Workshop](https://www.centreforoptimism.com/workshop) - The Optimism Roundtable - Beacons Of Optimism Workshop - [The Habits of an Optimist](https://www.projectoptimism.com.au/courses/optimism-can-be-learnt-the-habits-of-an-optimist/) ©2026 The Centre for Optimism - Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Victor Perton", "url" : "https://www.centreforoptimism.com/blog/author/victor-perton" }, "dateModified" : "2025-08-18T21:07:35.837Z", "datePublished" : "2022-10-06T10:05:11.000Z", "headline" : "The Optimism Cafe: Shawn Callahan on Telling Stories", "image" : [ "https://www.centreforoptimism.com/hubfs/My%20Story%20sign%20on%20a%20beautiful%20day.jpeg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.centreforoptimism.com/blog/shawn-callahan", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.centreforoptimism.com/hubfs/Centre%20for%20Optimism_Logo.svg" }, "name" : "The Centre for Optimism" } } ```