I help nonprofits and small businesses use storytelling to connect with and communicate to their donors and customers.
Sean Buvala One Sheet
If your audience needs to get better at telling the stories that grow their organization, your event needs a speaker who has actually done the work. Not theory. Not hype. Real tools they use the day they get home.
Reach Sean directly at [email protected] or 623.663.6600.
About Sean
A classroom full of slightly hostile junior-high students in 1986 taught Sean Buvala more about communication than any book ever did. Watching those students transform when a story landed right sent him down a path he has been walking for 40 years.
Since then, Sean has worked with solo entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies, rural nonprofits and national associations. He has coached thousands of professionals to find, craft, and deliver the stories that grow their organizations. The National Storytelling Network recognized his work with the Oracle Award, one of the most respected honors in the field.
Sean calls himself a practitioner, not a guru. That is not false modesty. It means every session he delivers is built on what actually works, not on what sounds good at a conference.
Signature Talks
Each talk is customizable for your audience and available as a keynote, breakout, or half-day workshop.
The Elevator Speech is Dead
Your audience is not failing because they lack confidence. They are failing because they are pitching at people instead of talking with them. This session replaces the elevator speech with a listener-centered story that actually opens doors.
Nine Things Storytelling Won’t Do for Your Business
Every other speaker will tell your audience that storytelling is magic. Sean will tell them the truth, and then give them the framework that produces real results. Nonprofit and small business leaders find this one particularly useful.
Seven Stories You Need for Your Business to Grow
Most organizations only tell one or two stories. This session identifies the seven specific story types that move customers and donors to action, including the ones nobody expects.
Six More Story Types You Need as a Leader
For organizations ready to go deeper. This session is for leaders who have the basics down and want the advanced communication skills that separate good organizations from great ones.
How You, the Tech Expert, Can Speak to Mere Mortals
Technical professionals and subject-matter experts are often the worst communicators in the room. This session closes the gap between what they know and what their audience can actually hear, understand, and act on.
What People Say
“He is not only knowledgeable about the art of storytelling, but his vision advances the art.”
— Kevin Cordi, Ph.D.
“Sean helped me make my presentations more effective by incorporating stories into them. He provided detailed and actionable advice that helped potential clients connect with my business. As a result, my business has grown significantly since our sessions together.”
— Nicole Witt, The Adoption Consultancy
What Your Audience Gets
Sean does not do motivational pep talks. He does not traffic in the “power of story” hype that sounds great and changes nothing.
What he does is teach your audience specific, practical skills they can use the same week. The people in your room will leave knowing exactly what kind of story to tell, how to structure it, and how to deliver it without sounding like they are performing.
Organizations that bring Sean back do so because their attendees actually changed how they communicate. That is the only metric that matters. Book an Arizona speaker to help your business grow.
Speaking Fee
Sean’s fee ranges from $1,500 to $5,000 depending on event format, length, and travel. He works with chambers of commerce, nonprofit associations, professional conferences, and small business organizations. For local Arizona events, a half-day fee can be discussed.
Book Sean for Your Event
Reach Sean directly at [email protected] or 623.663.6600.
