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Reframe to Create

Reframe to Create

Written by: Joy Spencer
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 The dream job is dead. So is the endless pursuit of productivity. Now it's time to work in a completely new way that leaves you feeling purposeful, powerful and satisfied in all that you do. Learn how to set yourself apart by creating with your gifts, making a unique contribution, and finally getting paid to be you. To help you with this Joy Spencer, an experienced and certified Executive Leadership and Storytelling coach uses her C.R.E.A.T.E. framework to take you on your transformative work journey with reframes, tips, stories and guest interviews. You'll never work the same way again after you develop your Signature Creation and StoryBrand.Copyright 2021-2025 Reframe to Create Careers Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Personal Success
Episodes
  • 122: It All Starts With and Goes Back to Who You Are

    122: It All Starts With and Goes Back to Who You Are
    Jan 7 2026

    It all starts with and goes back to who you are.
    Not just who you are as an individual, but who you are together.

    Your team.
    Your organization.
    Your movement.

    If you're stuck.
    If progress feels slow or painfully circular.
    If you're working hard but not moving forward sustainably…

    Chances are, it's not a strategy problem.
    It's not a talent problem.
    It's not a goal-setting or execution problem.

    It's an identity problem.

    In this episode, I unpack why so many teams end up in what I call Spinsville—endless conversations, competing perspectives, and lots of motion with very little momentum—and why the root cause is almost always a foggy, fractured, or misaligned narrative identity.

    Because who you believe you are determines what you can create.

    In this episode, I explore:

    • Why teams spin in circles even when the data, strategy, and intentions are good

    • How misalignment around "who we are" quietly drains energy, trust, and momentum

    • Why identity—not strategy—is the true source of organizational function or dysfunction

    • A simple story that reveals how narrative identity shapes behavior (even when no one's watching)

    • Why you can't skip straight to creating a new narrative without understanding the one already operating

    • The three essential steps for narrative identity transformation:

      • Reveal what's hidden and invisible

      • Reclaim shared meaning from your stories

      • Reframe a narrative identity that fuels forward momentum

    I also connect this work to conversations I've had with David Hutchens and Hans Hansen, and share why sense-making—not just storytelling—is where real alignment is forged.

    When a team shares a clear, connected narrative identity, everything else gets easier:
    strategy, decisions, priorities, execution, innovation.

    When that identity is fractured, no amount of planning will save you.

    If your team has been spinning its wheels, this episode will help you understand why—and show you where to start if you're ready to get your creating power back.

    Want to go deeper?

    To continue exploring narrative identity and transformation, check out:

    • Episode 31 - You Can Only Go As Far As You Are

    • Episode 60 - A New Approach to Your Transformation | Hans Hansen Part 2

    • Episode 59 - The Missing Key to Your Transformation | Hans Hansen Part 1

    • Episode 120 - From Storytelling to Sense-Making: How Teams Build Meaning Together | David Hutchens

    And if you're ready to do this work now, email me at joy@reframetocreate.com with the subject line Narrative Identity.

    It's time to reveal, reclaim, and reframe—so you can create the legacy you'll be proud of.
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    22 mins
  • 121: You Don't Have Imposter Syndrome: The Lie, the Trap, and the Reframe to Claim Instead

    121: You Don't Have Imposter Syndrome: The Lie, the Trap, and the Reframe to Claim Instead
    Dec 24 2025

    I'm done, y'all. It's time to drop the idea that you have imposter syndrome for good.

    In this episode, I'm not helping you "fix" imposter syndrome. I'm helping you challenge and discard the entire idea. You'll learn where this concept came from, why it doesn't serve you, and how to understand your feelings without pathologizing your humanity.

    We explore:

    • The real definition of "imposter" (and why it's NOT you)

    • How your environment might actually be the culprit

    • The history behind the "imposter syndrome" label

    • Inner Blocks (GAILs) and how to reframe your emotional experience

    • Five powerful reframes to replace this limiting narrative

    You're not an imposter. You don't have a syndrome.

    You're a human with gifts meant for service and this episode will show you how to come back to that truth.

    About: The Reframe to Create podcast is hosted by Joy Spencer, an Executive Leadership and Storytelling Coach, Speaker, and Organizational Development Consultant working with professionals and leaders at all levels within organizations. Joy leverages over 17 years of experience she gained while working to champion change in social justice movements, including those related to global access to essential medicines and consumer advocacy for online privacy. This work required a dogged commitment to not merely challenging the status quo, but to reimagining and working towards creating an ideal future. It is this commitment to creating that has shaped Joy's coaching philosophy and approach today. Using her signature C.R.E.A.T.E. framework, Joy guides her clients through a process to become incomparable in work so they can get paid to be themselves.


    Follow Joy on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joy-spencer/
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    36 mins
  • 120: From Storytelling to Sense-Making: How Teams Build Meaning Together | David Hutchens

    120: From Storytelling to Sense-Making: How Teams Build Meaning Together | David Hutchens
    Dec 10 2025
    If you've ever walked into a team meeting or strategy session and felt like the stories being shared weren't shifting anything…this episode is your reframe. Today I'm talking with David Hutchens, storyteller, author, organizational consultant, and creator of some of my absolute favorite tools for leaders who want to use narrative to build alignment in their teams. David has worked with global organizations to help them move from merely telling stories to making meaning together, and that's exactly what we dive into today. David breaks down why: Storytelling is humanity's oldest sense-making technology The story itself is not the end, but the beginning of a deeper team conversation Alignment doesn't happen when one person tells a great story… it happens when the team talks about what that story means Groups who make meaning together actually become a community Story circles can transform a team's connection, coherence, and creativity "Emotional data" is just as real as any spreadsheet—and storytelling can reveal it He also introduces his beautiful "geography of meaning" framework, which helps teams explore a story from three different orientations: Behind the text – What did we notice about the storyteller, ourselves, or the room? Within the text – What images, moments, or messages stood out inside the story? In front of the text – What wisdom can we pull forward into our team's future? And the three listener roles that bring this alive: Witness. Harvester. Connector. This episode is the perfect companion to my earlier conversation with Brett Davidson, where we explored the shift from storytelling to storylistening, and how individual stories can accidentally silo us unless we build a collective narrative. If David gives you the "how" of sense-making, Brett gives you the "why" of collective storytelling for strategy. Together, these episodes are your starter kit for Reframe to Create 2.0, moving from "me" to "we," from solo creating to community sense-making, and from personal story to shared story. Because if we want to create together, we must reframe together. About my guest: David Hutchens has been exploring the intersection of narrative, leadership, and complex systems change for more than 20 years. A bestselling author, business writer and learning designer, he creates solutions for Accenture, Harvard Business Review, The Coca-Cola Company, Wal-Mart, IBM, The US Olympic Committee, and many others. His partnerships include a recurring instructor position with the globally renowned INSEAD School of Business in Fontainebleau, France. He speaks to organizations and leadership teams all around the world on the topic of storytelling as an organizational capacity. His new book is "Story Dash", was published August, 2021. It is his ninth book. He is the author of "Circle of the 9 Muses: A Storytelling Field Guide for Innovators and Meaning Makers," (Wiley & Sons 2015). He created the innovative Leadership Story Deck — an innovative, card-based resource for developing narrative driven communications. The popular resource is now available on Amazon.com. A nationally recognized developer of innovative learning products, David's work has been recognized with distinctions such as Training & Development's "Training Product of the Year" award; ASTD's prestigious "Excellence in Practice" award; Brandon Hall Gold award, and more. Contact David: Email: David@DavidHutchens.com Resources: www.StorytellingLeader.com/resources Website: www.DavidHutchens.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidhutchens/ About: The Reframe to Create podcast is hosted by Joy Spencer, an Executive Leadership and Storytelling Coach, Speaker, and Organizational Development Consultant working with professionals and leaders at all levels within organizations. Joy leverages over 17 years of experience she gained while working to champion change in social justice movements, including those related to global access to essential medicines and consumer advocacy for online privacy. This work required a dogged commitment to not merely challenging the status quo, but to reimagining and working towards creating an ideal future. It is this commitment to creating that has shaped Joy's coaching philosophy and approach today. Using her signature C.R.E.A.T.E. framework, Joy guides her clients through a process to become incomparable in work so they can get paid to be themselves. Follow Joy on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joy-spencer/ Geography of Story Download
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    41 mins
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