Larry Smith

Background

About Larry Smith

My grandfather, Morris "Smitty" Smith, was a great storyteller, and yet he didn't like to talk about himself. One day as we were walking on his beloved Atlantic City Boardwalk, I asked him to tell me his story, and he said something that changed my life:"My story, who would be interested in that?" I prodded him to share a bit about his time coming to America. And when he did? Smitty started talking and didn't stop for three hours. That moment was revelatory. I realized that everyone has a story, but we need to remember to ask for that story. I made it my mission to encourage and empower people to tell their stories and create environments ripe for listening and receiving stories. My expertise in the creation, curation, and storytelling and communications has powered a meaningful career as a writer, editor, content strategist, and speaker. I’m best known for founding the Six-Word Memoir Project (sixwordmemoirs.com), a short, inspirational, and inviting story format that has sparked millions of people to start telling their story. My expertise in brevity for bottom-lining missions and clarifying company culture has proven to be a valuable tool for internal communications and engagement teams at companies such as Dell, Nationwide, Levi’s, Netflix, Turner Global Inclusion, JPMorgan Chase, OhioHealth, Dress for Success, and Zen Hospice Project. Whether working with the C-suite, admins, or entire companies, my communications approach delivers an accessible, positive, and genuinely enjoyable way for employees to celebrate one another and for brands to clearly express their story to the outside world. Oprah Magazine calls me “on a quest to spark self-expression in everyone.” It's a quest, and a life’s work I love. My work as an innovator in the storytelling movement has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, Washington Post, USA Today, The Guardian, Edutopia, NPR, and the BBC. I’ve spoken on storytelling at conferences including TEDx, PopTech, SXSWi, Summit Series, Promax Global Entertainment Marketing, AARP 50+, and Dell Marketing Leader Summit. See my speaker site, for more information and a short teaser reel. SPECIALTIES: Content strategy; communications; team building; live event + speech coaching; throwing spaghetti at the wall—and watching lots of it stick. PERSONALITY: Exuberant dad, yoga lover, Philly sports fan, better in real life than as portrayed on a certain hit Netflix show.