Storytelling at Google HQ

The Day I Choked Up at Google HQ: A Real-Time Lesson on the Power of Storytelling

Standing in the sleek, modern offices of Google Headquarters in Singapore, I expected to feel professional. I expected to feel prepared. What I didn’t expect was to be fighting back tears in the middle of my own presentation.

I had the incredible privilege of being invited by Jim Sill to present a workshop on the power of YouTube at Google HQ. I was co-presenting with my good friend and colleague, Shaun Kirkwood (with whom I host our podcast; https://www.youtube.com/@BeTheIceberg/)

For me, this wasn’t just a technical workshop about video editing or upload settings. It was deeply personal.

I used this opportunity to share my personal evolution as a creator. My journey on YouTube started functionally—creating simple EdTech tutorials to help teachers use tools. Over time, that evolved into showcasing student projects and learning outcomes. But recently, my focus has shifted entirely.

Now, my mission is to use storytelling to bring change.

I tried to communicate to the attendees that storytelling is the most powerful tool we have in education. Unlike a standard lecture or a policy document, a story provokes emotion. It paints a vivid picture of how bright the future can be. It humanizes data. But as I was speaking about the emotional impact of storytelling, I got a lesson in it that I didn’t see coming.

Midway through the presentation, I queued up a slide featuring a vlog I had created (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-1xRtJYCTE). The purpose of the video was to illustrate how technology can be empowering for young people—how it gives them a voice and a medium to share their ideas.

The "stars" of that vlog were my own two children.

As the video played on the big screen, watching my sons interact with the technology, exploring their creativity with such innocence and excitement, it hit me. A wave of emotion washed over me right there on the stage. I realized I was choking up. It was a surreal moment. I had to keep presenting, but I was actively managing my own emotional response to the images on the screen.

Reflecting on it now, that moment was the greatest validation of my message I could have asked for. When I created that vlog, my design goal was to "hit a nerve" with the viewer—to bypass their logical brain and connect with them on an emotional level. I wanted them to feel the potential of student agency. What surprised me was that the story still had the power to hit my nerve, even though I was the creator.

It was a raw, authentic reminder that storytelling isn’t just a marketing tactic or a pedagogical strategy. It is a human connector. It bridges the gap between the presenter and the audience, and sometimes, it reveals the "why" behind what we do.

If we want to be effective educators, leaders, and designers, we have to move beyond just transferring information. We have to be willing to tell stories that matter.

That moment at Google HQ taught me that if you want to move an audience, you have to be willing to be moved yourself. Storytelling is an act of vulnerability, and that is exactly what makes it so powerful.