Chad Illa-Petersen will be a keynote speaker at the DigiMarConSouth conference in Houston, TX on May 25-26, 2023. His talk will focus on helping companies share personal stories to connect with customers. The document includes prompts for writing short stories in 3 minutes without stopping to edit for grammar or spelling. These prompts are intended to help attendees access stories they didn't know they had to share.

1. KEYNOTE
HOUSTON, TX ~ MAY 25 - 26, 2023
DIGIMARCONSOUTH.COM | #DigiMarConSouth
Chad Illa-Petersen
LEAD STORY CATCHER
THE STORY CATCHER LLC
The Stories You
Didn't Know You Had

3. share themselves. I didn't say share their
brand, or brag about their incredible
product... I said share themselves

26. • WHO WAS YOUR FAVORITE TEACHER AND
WHY?
• A TIME YOU GOT REALLY REALLY ANGRY
• A TIME YOU SWITCHED CAREERS
• WHEN YOU DID SOMETHING YOU THOUGHT
YOU’D NEVER DO
• THE MOST UNFAIR THING THAT HAPPENED
TO ME

27. Free Downloads

28. • QUIET PLACE
• PEN AND PAPER
• 10-MINUTE TIMER
• CHOOSE A WORD
• START WRITING
• NO GRAMMAR, SPELLING, COMPLETE
STORIES
• DO NOT STOP WRITING UNTIL TIME

29. Bourbon grandma, grandpa piano connick, tosh got me into that during
music man. Jill Hayes took a chance on me. Matt is my best friend for life.
Just saw him in Dallas he's still thin. What a punk. I haven't been that thin
since I was 16. Started driving then. Had to have my eagle scout first. I
liked scouts but it wasnt super cool after 16. Had some fun times. Philmont,
going back for help after we got lost in the mountains. One guy had to be
taken by helicopter. I ended up dehydrated and taken back to Basecamp
for a day as well. Winter camp was fun. I remember my first one, we went
snipe hunting. They fooled me but I sure was all in. I thought they were all
really mean back then but looking back I realized they came back for me.
Why did they do that? That's not the norm. Felt like odd man out. Perhaps I
always have been and always will be. Is that a bad thing? Perhaps theres a
hidden power in being that guy.

32. Great friends gave me great reviews * Shot video for Jessika at SMMW 2020 Party * Spoke at SMD Denver 2019
* Attended SMWL 2019 and Created GIFs * Met Jessika after inviting her to Lucha Libre Tacos for lunch * Got
the nerve to ask Jessika to lunch because of interaction in groups together and people we knew in common
thanks to SMMW 2018 * Got introduced to several “inner-circle” folks at SMMW 2018 thanks to shooting video
with Owen Video * Got to go do that because I was on my own after agency bankruptcy * Got asked to do this by
Owen because of interaction in FB groups and knowing common people * got to know influential people in
marketing groups thanks to shoutout from Chris Kubby on SnapChat * met Kubby because I reached out to
marketers I found on Google who were big on SnapChat * Decided to learn SnapChat because of my job at the
agency * got hired at the agency because I lied on a phone call * got offered interview at agency because I
worked at TV station * worked in TV station because I was able to use my media contacts * Had media contacts
from my days years back as a radio DJ and ad rep for the newspaper * Got to be on radio because I called in and
did character voices * Got the nerve to do the character voices because friends encouraged me * friends
encouraged me because of reputation as a funny entertainer at school * got reputation from being mascot and
doing tv broadcasts for the school * became mascot because others encouraged me * they encouraged me
because I juggled fire and set off fire alarm in class, and set the main driveway on fire (lots of fire) * juggled fire
because I performed with brother at events where I initially met local celebs, juggled with my brother because for
some reason around the age of 12 I started to become fascinated with the art…

34. • QUIET PLACE
• PEN AND PAPER
• 3-MINUTE TIMER
• CHOOSE A WORD
• START WRITING
• NO GRAMMAR, SPELLING, COMPLETE
STORIES
• DO NOT STOP UNTIL TIME

35. YOU JUST HAVE
TO FIND THEM