Story and Horse

Telling Your Stories on Stage with Sean Tyler Foley

August 06, 2022 Hilary Adams
Story and Horse
Telling Your Stories on Stage with Sean Tyler Foley
Show Notes Transcript

Telling Your Stories on Stage with Sean Tyler Foley

Ever felt panic when you stepped out on a stage to talk? Sean Tyler Foley is here to help! A master storyteller, Tyler is all about supporting people in finding the power in their own stories through teaching the art and craft of public speaking. Stages feel like home to Tyler because of a very personal connection to the theatre from when he was a child. Tyler also offers an immediately actionable technique to help you uncover key stories in your life if you are having trouble locating them. Everyone has stories to share, just like everyone is creative!

Sean Tyler Foley's Bio:
Sean Tyler Foley is an accomplished film and stage performer and has been acting in film and television since he was 6 years old. He has appeared in productions including Freddy Vs Jason, Door to Door, Carrie, and the musical Ragtime. Tyler is passionate about helping others confidently take the stage and impact an audience with their stories. He is currently the Managing Director of Total Buy In and author of the #1 best-selling book The Power to Speak Naked.

Connect with Sean Tyler Foley:
Website: https://seantylerfoley.com/
Website: https://www.endlessstages.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seantylerfoley/

Host Hilary Adams is an award-winning theatre director, coach, equine-partnered facilitator, and founder of Story and Horse. She is all about supporting creative expression and sharing stories with the world.

Connect with Story and Horse
www.storyandhorse.com
Facebook: @storyandhorse
Instagram: @storyandhorse

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Intro:

Welcome to Story and Horse, a podcast where we hear stories from creative lives. Meet new people, hear about their challenges and triumphs, and get inspired to move forward with your creativity. Now, here's your host, Hilary Adams.

Hilary Adams:

Hello, thanks for joining us here on Story and Horse Podcast. Glad to have you listening. I'm your host, Hilary Adams. I'm a coach, theater director and founder of Story and Horse where I work with people to help get their creativity out into the world. Here on the podcast. We meet people living creative lives, hear their stories and gather inspiration for our own creativeness. Today, we're joined by Tyler Foley. Tyler is a father, husband, son, performer, author secret of warm beaches and a lover of fine chocolate. Hey, Tyler, thanks so much for joining me here today.

Sean Tyler Foley:

Well, it's my joy, Hilary, and thank you so much for asking me to be on the show. This is one that I've had circled on my calendar for a bit

Hilary Adams:

Start us off by introducing yourself and telling us who you are and what you're up to.

Sean Tyler Foley:

Oh, sure. So very simply, Tyler Foley, I am a father, a husband, a son, performer, Best Selling Author, seeker of warm beaches and love refined chocolate. And what I'm up to these days is excited to be able to travel again. And as my business is traveling and speaking, I can always speak but the traveling part has been hindered. So I am so happy to be back in front of live audiences. And speaking and helping real people it's been it's been too long. And everybody's like, what you had zoom? And I'm like, You can't touch zoom people. No, it doesn't work. And, yeah, there's something about the energy of a live crowd. And particularly with the work that I do, helping people be better public speakers. They nothing replicates a live audience and people actually looking at you and getting up on stage and then showing people how that feels and how it translates to zoom just that it was it was a poor substitute at best

Hilary Adams:

for you and you're up on stage, what does it feel like?

Sean Tyler Foley:

Home, actually, I grew up on stage, I started in theater when I was six years old. And so to be, you know, on a on a proscenium with with lights, and a crowd, is is home. For me, it's one of the most comfortable places that I can be I it just it feels like the greatest thing to be doing at at any given time. You know, my wife is an absolute, I'm an introvert too. But my wife is a complete introvert and does not like the public eye at all. And so she thinks it's weird that she ended up marrying a dude whose entire life is about putting himself up on stage. And my my daughter, interestingly enough, is now a hybrid between the two. She absolutely loves being on stage, but doesn't like the attention afterwards. It's it's pretty interesting, actually.

Hilary Adams:

So for when you're when you're working with your audiences, and if you have people who do not want to get up on that stage who are really scared about it. How do you support them?

Sean Tyler Foley:

Oh, there's a lot of different tricks that I have up in my toolbox. Some of them a lot of people are. Usually if they're like that, that point, incredibly terrified. Because most people aren't terrified to be on stage. What they're terrified of is when they get on stage, that the thing that they're going to say, people are going to perceive negatively. But I did, I worked with this one woman who was legitimately terrified to be on stage like it didn't matter. And what I think one of the greatest things any human can receive is a standing ovation. And one of the neat things about a standing ovation is you don't need to see it to be able to feel it. So I asked her if she would be comfortable coming backstage. So because there's nobody backstage, just you and me, said absolutely. And so we got backstage, and I'm like, Okay, here's what I want you to do. I'm going to turn up the stage lights really bright. And I'm going to turn off every light in the house so you won't be able to see the people. And I want you to just peek behind the curtain and see if I'm lying to you. So she kept behind the curtain. She peeked out just kind of looked and you couldn't see anybody and anybody who's been on stage knows exactly what I'm talking about. When those lights come down. It's just this weird blank void in front of you and you're like, I don't even know. I'm like, and I'm like key you think you can step out on stage? She's like, Absolutely not. People will see me. I said, How do you know people will see you there? They're like, what are you afraid of? them, are they free to view like, what how does this work? Right? Like what? Why can't you can't see them. So why is that an issue? She's like, I know they're there. And I'm like, Okay, well, I know they're there. You know they're there. But what if you what if you don't look that way? What if we look back towards the curtain? She says, Okay, that'll work. So we literally stepped out from the curtain backwards. And so she she came backwards. And so she couldn't see anybody. She's staring at the curtain. So she's like, inches away from from the backdrop. And I was like, Okay, I want you to just stay here and I want you to feel something. Let me know how you feel. So I turned to the crowd. I can't see them either. And I'm like, Okay, everybody. I can't see you. So I need you to this is this is some trust thing here. I need I need you to be Integra with your word. Give us a standing ovation. In fact, don't give me a standing give her a standing ovation. Because look at the bravery that she's done. She said she would never be on stage standing on stage right now. I want you to give her a standing ovation. And everybody stood up. There was probably eight to 900 people in the crowd. And they just they hooted and hollered It was It was exhilarating. Like it just flooded over the stage. And I asked her still stand starts to cry shake, and she's crying. I'm like, How does that feel? She says it's amazing. I said, Yeah, it's amazing. I said, Do you think I said you have no idea you're getting it to the back, it feels even better to the front, I promise you can you just turn around you won't be able to see them. You won't be able to see them. You've already looked you peek through the curtain, you can't see them. But I just want you to know what it feels like to be able to have it wash over you as a post you write I said think about it, like going into the ocean. Right? If you if you were to step back like this, it's not the same as when those waves crash over you this way. I just want you to feel what it feels like to do this. She's okay. So hold your hand. So I held her hand and turned around and said, everybody do it again. Ah, and Judy, She's really crying. But they're happy tears like she stopped. She stopped shaking at this point. And you can see that this is a good thing. I said, Now listen, like dim the lights just a little bit, just a little bit, you'll only be able to see the people in like the first three or four rows. Do you think you'd be comfortable with that? It's not the whole thing. You'll just be able to see these guys just up front since Jack said okay, so I had the technicians at the back and they they just just dimmed us just a little bit. And they brought up the lights right on the front. You can see probably, I lied. It was probably like the first five or six rows, but you know. And so then I'm like, now everybody do this. And they all stood up again. And I was like, how does that feel? She's like, and I said, What do you see, I pick out a friendly face who's who's the first face that you see that's really friendly. And she pointed to one face and I'm like, pick out another friendly face one that really responds to you one that you really feel good about. She pointed out another person I said, Okay, find somebody a little bit further back. And she pointed to another person. I'm like, now imagine if we could find a few more people do you think we could turn up the lights a little bit. And at this point, she's stopped remembering that she's terrified to be on stage. Now it's a fun game, because she's looking for friendly faces. I'm like, I just want to see a little bit more. And so the guys, they brought up the house lights, and we brought down the stage lights just a little bit. And I'm like, Okay, everybody cheer. And they cheered. And I'm like, pick out some more faces. And slowly I'm doing this to the guys and they're bringing it up bringing up bring it up. Next thing you know, the entire theater is open. And I'm like, you're on stage and they're all looking at you. And and then she had this moment. She's like, Oh, and I'm like, Ah, but you weren't afraid until I said, so. She says, Oh, good point. And so I said, we turned around, I'm like, Okay, let's not look at them anymore. Their lights up, turn around. I said why? What was the difference? And we talked about it not that we ended up having to work a lot over a course of a few weeks and months. But it was that first experience like we all think we're we're terrified at this stage. And we're terrified of the people and we're not we're terrified of the judgment. And when you remove the judgment. There's nothing to be afraid of. And it's one of the most exhilarating experiences and I love I love love love it doesn't happen often. But every once in a while probably every two or three years I get to do that. All that brings me joy. It's amazing to see the transformation on the people that are standing beside me how they can just like because it's all just story. It's just a mental thing. And I can I can get you out of it in you know 40 To 45 minutes of reprogramming. It's amazing.

Hilary Adams:

It's a wonderful story. Speaking of stories

Sean Tyler Foley:

well and that's the thing to it it is a story and what is the story that you're telling because there's this you know for me again stages home and everybody there is my friend where other people are like no, no, they're out to get me right right and it's that it's that this mystery of the dark and why I have my camp fire to keep the keep the beast set at bay and it's amazing because I'm one of one of the things that I talk about in a lot of my seminars. We don't show up to things that we don't want to see. You know, like if I even if I'm going to a movie theater, and I When I pick a movie, it's the thing that I want to see, you know, I have choice, especially in a multiplex, I have choice, I can go anywhere, but I chose to be here at this time, I want to be entertained, I want to be informed, I want to have an experience. And if we didn't want to be there, we wouldn't. So if you have an audience, they're on your side. And if you have that platform, you are an expert, you are the REIT like, there was a reason why you were selected, and they've come to see you. So the audience is on your side, and you are the expert, you don't have anything to fear. Because if they didn't want to be there, they wouldn't. Even if it's like, you're having to give a boardroom presentation. And your boss told you, you have to give q3 sales statistics or whatever it happens to be. Right. And you're like, ah, and the people have been told it's part of their job, they have to come to this meeting, it's a we're gonna have a meeting, are we having a meeting about we're having a meeting about a meeting so that we can determine when the next meeting is? Okay, right. Like, regardless of what that scenario is, and if you've been voluntold, to do this presentation, and people have been told that that's an expectation of their job to be there. At worst. Your audience is passively indifferent to that message. They're hoping that you give them something good, because otherwise, this is a waste of their time and your time. And why are we even here? Right? That's the worst judgment that you're going to get. It's not judgment on you. It's judgment on the situation. And for most of us, if we actually didn't want to be there, we'd come up with an excuse, especially right now, you'd be like, I probably shouldn't come to this meeting. And then you just don't go, right. And everybody's like, Oh, yeah, no, you shouldn't go no, no, no, don't do that. So we don't want to be there, we find a reason not to be there. If we are there, we're on your side, we want you to succeed. So it's finding that love within ourselves, to love ourselves to be like, No, I, there's a reason I'm here, let me do this thing. And let me serve the audience. And that's the other thing. If you can focus on your audience, it takes the focus off of you. And then the those bright lights don't feel hot, they feel warm. Right here, there's isn't pressure on you. Because now it's not has nothing to do with you. I'm just here to serve my audience. I'm here to do a thing for these people. And, and then then it's okay to raise the house lights and dim the stage lights and have that conversation. And then you can see all those smiling wonderful faces and realize that they're there to support you.

Hilary Adams:

So I know you started, you're saying that you started on the stage. I know when you're about six, right? I know you have a story about that about your childhood and how you got into this. I'm curious about that. And I'm also curious about then the transition to supporting people in this form of creativity, which as you're talking is, it's sort of less about public speaking in some ways, and much more about, as you said, about self love about more about that acceptance of self, which then allows the creativity to come through you and your message shared with your audience. So can you share a little bit about how sort of your path and how you got into doing this?

Sean Tyler Foley:

Oh, it's so circuitous. So I started, my first experience on stage was in a Christmas play, I got to play Joseph in the Nativity. And it was, you know, that the first time that I got to be on stage, and I'll never forget the feeling of the standing Applause That and the ovation that I got with it, and I was cooked. You know, it was it was a very transformative point in my life, because that was a fun thing. Like that was a thing to want to do. And two months, almost to the day, after that play, my father passed away in motor vehicle accident. And that profoundly changed the trajectory of my life too. And suddenly, you know, my mum was concerned for me because at six, it's really hard to process the finality of death. It's really hard to you know, you as as a child, you don't really understand emotions, and you don't understand the grieving process either. I didn't actually openly grieve my father's passing for over six years. You know, he passed away February 1986. And it wasn't until June of 1991 when I was commencing from elementary school that it really dawned on me that my father was never going to be there. I still remember being in that elementary assembly and winning an award as top student of the school. And it was packed right. It's an elementary gym and it's the final assembly of the year and all the parents are there and all the faculty are there and the students are there. I was the big kid because I was in grade six big kid sitting at the back of the of the gymnasium when they called my name. And I remember getting up and seeing my mom and she was full of pride. And she you know, she had that happy tear come down. And beside her there was this empty chair and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why is this chair empty? Like this is a packed house. Why is this chair empty. And as I'm walking past her, I'm like, my dad should be sitting there. And it instant that thought hit me all it was a Japanese bullet train. That just wouldn't stop and it just blew. I had every thought just flashed before me. I'm like, my dad isn't gonna see me. finished school here. He's not gonna see me get this award. He's not gonna see me graduate high school is not gonna see me graduate university, you'll never see me get married. You'll never know his grandkids. his grandkids will never know him. waterworks, and I just started bawling on my way up to receive this award. Everybody thought I was crying because I was happy to hear I'm having this existential crisis about how I'm never going to see my father again. It's just like you gratulations Tyler. And then, as I'm walking back, I'm like, Well, maybe that chair is an empty, you know, maybe he is here. Maybe he does get a chance to see all this stuff. I just can't see him. You know, because why else is that chair empty, maybe it's not empty. And it was a real interesting moment for me to go through at 12 years old. And, but because that's the first time when I'm six year old Tyler, my mom's concerned for me, she's like, you know, he, he he's not a motive, like this should be impacting him. My sister who is younger than me, two years old, was just all kinds of, whoa, you know, I'm like, you know, choose. I am. I am the actor, but my sister is the drama queen. You know, and she was it was I don't know if it was an attention thing for her or whatever. But she was definitely outwardly grieving my father's passing. And I didn't, I was having a hard time internally processing it. So my mom, hold it right. Life happens for you, not to you. The world conspire to get me on stage, my uncle worked for the city. And right across from City Hall was our fine arts complex. My uncle is a perennial bachelor, I don't think he's cooked a meal in his life. He dines out three times a day. And so he was out having his lunch. And one of the casting directors for one of the local theatre companies hear was complaining about how, how hard could it be to find a small boy to play tiny temp? Like how hard could that be? And my uncle was like, you know, well, how small a small company I really just need to be like, tiny dip. And he's like, Well, I have a tiny Tyler got the number. And next thing, you know, he's talking to my mum. My mum was concerned and talking to my teachers and my teachers, like he's adjusting just fine. And you know, he's really seems to be taking to these arts things. Like, they'd cast me in a to another play, I got to play Peter Rabbit in the Spring Festival, you know, so I'm getting to do all these things. And they're like, maybe put them in the theater, and then my uncle phones and he's like, Hey, this casting director gave me your number. She's looking for this mom's like, what's a casting director. And you know, like, next thing I know, I'm on stage. And that it can doing it professionally. And I got to do that I went to a fine arts high school. You know, I didn't even end up graduating from my fine arts high school, I had medical incident that 17 that paralyzed the left side of my body for over a year. So I actually had to withdraw from the final my final year of performance arts, because I couldn't perform because I couldn't, I couldn't tap dance was a tap heavy show that we were doing. We were doing. Not 42nd street, I can't remember what it was. But it's there's a lot of tap that's involved. I could tell I couldn't dance. I could barely even get my face to work. I certainly was going to be acting that year. And because I didn't do that final performance. I actually didn't graduate from the Alberta High School of Fine Arts. I have my GED, I got a high school diploma, because I had definitely enough credits. And I was always very scholastic. But I didn't I didn't graduate from the Alberta High School of Fine Arts. I simply had like my diploma. And that really put a fire under me, you know. So performance has always been a part of my life. And now, the reason I'm doing what I'm doing is because I got tired of performance in my mid 20s. Remember, I've had a career now for 20 years. So I did what everybody does, after they've worked for a job for 20 years, I retired, I got to do it. I just had the privilege of being able to do that at 25. And I went and I got an engineering discipline started my own company, that company failed. But I had all this training that allowed me to transition into another role with a friend of mines company and I started being a safety professional. And in the course of of being in safety, I learned that I had this gift for for teaching. And one of my favorite courses to teach was called basic instructional technique which had Nothing to do with instruction and everything to do with public speaking. And people would get they feel ambushed. If you want, I have to wait, I have to talk. I'm like you just did. Like I didn't talk in public. I'm like, you just introduced yourself to a class of 20 people that was speaking in public? Well, that's different. I know my thing. I'm like, Well, then let's talk about your thing. And that's how we I started to develop this training program where I would get people to tap into their story, right, tell your story. And tell it in a compelling way, because nobody knows your story better than you. And if you tell your story, you have the ability to have impact and move people and it started with the safety focus, right? How do you get safety by him? How do you get people to buy into these safety programs, you know, you need to connect them with why you're in and why they are in and so use their stories and use your stories to connect them with safety. And then the next thing I realized was, hey, there's more to this. Like, this doesn't just pertain to safety, this applies to everyone. And so I started to show and it was great, right? How did it how did I get to there? Well, I had all this training on how to be a performer and how to tell a really compelling story from stage because I was acting and I got to do, you know, script analysis and story arcs and what goes into hero's journey and all of that stuff became training so that I could then in my later years, translate this out. And then I have this professional persona, because now I have the, you know, the background and the schooling, and he's, he's educated. So obviously, he knows what he's talking about. You know, and so all of these things conspire the universe conspired for me to be able to show people how to effectively speak from stage and I tell you, I can't go back now. Because I get to do everything that I love in my performance side, I still get to be on stage, I still get to present. But that's only a fraction of the satisfaction of my job where I really get true joy is watching somebody like that woman who is terrified to be on stage, see the transformation and see them find the power within themselves to be able to expose the raw naked truth of their story and be able to say it in a powerful way that isn't edited. That is not trying to impress somebody, right? Like what is what is there's, there's the truth. And, and then there's being honest, and you can be honest, without telling the truth. And you can tell the truth without being honest. But when you marry the two, when you're like, No, this is this is real, this is raw, this is how I was, and you can be honest and truthful. That's when you have the most impact and being able to see people transform other people's lives through the powers of their stories. And knowing that I had a small part in that.

Hilary Adams:

It strikes me that you said that being on the stage, it feels like home to you. When you're talking, I feel like a lot of times in my work, in a way, it's sort of like helping people arrive back to a feeling of home, sort of within themselves, if you will, like sort of that feeling of really being okay with themselves and then being able to tell their story.

Sean Tyler Foley:

Well, and you know, and the other thing that I always am amazed by is the number of people who feel that they don't have a story. I'm like, What do you mean, you don't have a story? Are you breathing? Have you existed on this planet? There's a story there. Like, you may not think and I think, you know, Hollywood has ruined us. Your story doesn't need to be a Michael Bay blockbuster. It doesn't have practical explosions, and car flipping. And like, you know, damsels in distress and great repels down buildings and a skydive into the Grand Canyon. Like, none of that needs to happen. That that is that is what we call Hollywood, or fiction, you know, even Evil Knievel sat down and ate food at a kitchen table and talk to his kids. You know, and I think most of us feel that because we're existing 90% 95% 99% of the time and just the day to day ritual of our life, that we don't see the accomplishments that we've had. Or, you know, I think we're consciously aware of usually more of the adversity than the triumphs, but even the adversity, you know, we're aware that we're dealing with it, but we don't acknowledge how we've overcome some of that stuff. And there's stories there. And one of the exercises that I love to do with any one of my training sessions, mostly because the first part of it can be done very simply, like we'll be able to do it right now. To show people that they have a story is you divide your life into five even time periods. And for people simple math, like we can go simple math, take your age, rounded to the nearest five, and then divide that by five so that math is simple. Like for me, I'm 42. So I round down to 40 divided by five and I get four I've even time periods of eight. Right? So for zero to eight, what was the significant memory for me? Like if I think to that, that time period of Tyler's life, what stands out? What's the memory and it's the two that I've already shared with you, right? The first time I was on stage hearing applause. And then the first time that to me, literally, almost two months later, the sound that my mum made when police officer and my family physician came to the door to tell her that my father would never come home. And she made this just Animalist animalistic, terrifying noise, it was a whale. But that doesn't even like it was just spine tingling. And I'd never want to hear it again. And those two sounds, the sound of applause have drastically influenced my life, the sound that my mum made has drastically influenced my life and the decisions that I've made one, constantly chasing that sound, I want to hear that more than anything else. And the other one, avoiding that sound is the thing that I never want to hear again, and my that my core, my decisions are based on either the seeking or the avoidance of those two sounds, you know, and then I fast forward, we've already shared another one that the next time period 12 years old, the first time that I grieved my father's passing, and then in that same time period, I have medical incident that paralyzed me, you fast forward to the next time period. And walking away from acting, I know exactly the moment where I was why I did it, why I decided to retire at 25. Next time period, being nominated as the valedictorian of my university, and graduating from college and getting to present to 9000 people. And I've always known the power of stage. But to have that really click then the next time period, I the moment where I was first asked to give a keynote presentation. And now in my most recent time period, the evolution of Tyler in my identity as father with the birth of my daughter, who is six years old, you know, all of these things are stored, I have stories. And my stories aren't unique. The other people have stories like this. So I would encourage everybody to do that. If you're like, No, don't have a story. I say, okay, divide your life by five. And if you, you know, there's people who are exact, they're like, Okay, so I have time periods of eight years and three months, okay? Or you could just call it eight years, do whatever, you divide your life into five even time periods. And, and ask yourself, what is my most significant memory in each one of those time periods? And then here's where the story comes. It's not it, you can know that those are the memories, but why? Why are they significant to you, and as you can start to explore that, why? That's why that story will resonate with other people, the thing you're afraid to say is very likely, what your ideal audience needs to hear. And if you can find the courage to be the one to speak it. It's Riddle me this. Have you ever been, you know, think back to like, school, Hillary, and particularly like high school, right, and you started to get into the more challenging exam questions. And the teacher said, if you have any questions, raise your hand and ask and everybody was like, Okay, we'll do that. And then they're writing the question, right? And then some, you can start to feel it around the class, like, there's like, something's off. And then one person, one person goes, Excuse me, excuse me, Mrs. So and so? And they go, yes. Go, um, question 12. It says, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But I think it, I think a is the answer. But he says, this actually goes, Oh, I'm sorry, I made a mistake. It shouldn't say this. And then everybody, everybody else goes. Oh, I was wondering that, too. I was wondering that you Oh, yeah. That didn't make sense to me. I was just gonna skip it. Right. But you had one person speak up and say the thing that everybody else was afraid to say. And all of a sudden, it was just this an illumination moment and a problem was solved. That's the power of speaking up. But you never know who needs to hear what it is that you need to say until you say it. And in having the courage to be the one to speak up. All of a sudden everybody else who's experiencing that same thing comes out of the woodwork and they go oh, yeah, that happened to me to you. I'm so glad you said that. I you know, and it becomes this freeing. It's cathartic. And having the strength and the courage to do that. Because we all have stories and you don't know who needs to hear yours until you speak it out loud.

Hilary Adams:

You Thank you. That reminds me so much. And when people say I'm not creative

Sean Tyler Foley:

in what that's and I think that's the thing too, because we have this concept that creative It means that I paint paintings, right? Or I write novels, or I direct movie, like, whatever, they have this idea of what creative is. And it's a single medium that they don't do. Right. Right. Like, I am not a graphic artist. You know, that is not my area of genius, but I am certainly creative. And I, you know, it always amazes me like, like, to me, I am not a mechanic, people who can look at an engine of a vehicle and go yep. I don't know. It's big and shiny and makes this noise. So that's all I know. That is what an engine does to me. That is without as an engine. So the people who can see that, nevermind, fix one build one who, that's creative to me, you know, but you ask a mechanic, Are you creative? The veteran nine times out of 10, they're like, Nah, I just do this thing. Like your thing is amazing. You, you create energy. That's what an engine does. Like, you understand that, right? Like you can fix this complex piece of machinery, this this incredible feat of engineering, you are able to see that and understand that that to me is incredibly creative. You're going to look at my daughter right now, we don't limit her on anything. You know, you. I guarantee you everybody at some point was six years old. I don't know a six year old alive that isn't creative. The stories that they come up with the imaginative play that they do. I am very proud of my daughter because you can't see it. But in my studio, I have three paintings that are just up the wall. She won. She did at four years old once she did it five years old once she did just this year at six years old. And they're phenomenal. Like people come in and they're like, Oh, cool. What is that? I'm like, oh, that's Kinsey's art, like neuro home. Right? She has a space of genius. But that's not her only area of creativity. And my I'm, I hope that the world doesn't beat that out of her. Because I know how easy it happens. I know where my creativity that I used to want to be a magician. Because my favorite thing to do, you know, and do the illusions and stuff, I wouldn't do it now. Because I've convinced myself that I'm not good at it. Because I know other people who are really good at it. Don't have to be David Copperfield, I can still pull, I can still amaze my daughter at making a one dance around me magically. You know, so we all have creativity in ourselves. It's just that I find that exactly that when people say, Well, I'm not creative. I don't have a story. All of these I don't have they're, they're basing it off of the comparison to something else, as opposed to looking inside themselves for where they are.

Hilary Adams:

Exactly. Six years old, it's a wonderful age.

Sean Tyler Foley:

You know, it, that's probably the greatest blessing that I've received over the last six years is being able to re experience the world through her eyes, because I didn't realize how jaded and shut down I'd become until I got to see her find wonderment in everything. I'm like, I bet you I was that way. Why can't I be that way. And it's fun to explore. Like we went, we walked in the park the other day, she got an assignment. Unfortunately, she couldn't go to school, right? COVID Shut it down. She got an assignment from from her teacher. And I bless her teachers too, because they matter they under appreciated. Her teacher wanted her to find love life in the wilderness. And so it could be anything. So it could be a bug, it could be a bird. It could be a leaf, it could be a plant. And then she wanted you to tell a story of what it was doing at that point. And so my daughter found an ant that was crawling. And she was like, you know, the the ants is trying to get away from the bird and build its house. And then then the ant was going to go and what was the activity that was going to have lunch? What was the going to have for lunch? Maybe some seeds, maybe some grass? What's its favorite? And then she went off on this whole, like, five course meal that this ant was going to have? And then you know, maybe invite the bird down so that the ants and the bird can be friends. And then the bird wouldn't want to eat it. I was like, Yes, why not? So I do enjoy being able to experience the world again, through the eyes of a six year old. It's one of the greatest gifts I've been given.

Hilary Adams:

I would suggest that maybe you are a magician.

Sean Tyler Foley:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I just I pull words out of my hat. Yeah. So it's funny. So I'm actually the magician's assistant, which I have been on multiple occasions. Well, One of the things so again, you know, I got to play Tiny Tim because I'm a small wee man, in my fully adult form. I am five foot eight at best and 135 pounds. And so I fit into really tiny small spaces. So I have been the magician's assistant on for more than one magic act, and that I like so I like, you know, I can help with the magic and help magic. I'd like assisting with the illusion

Hilary Adams:

did you get sawed in half?

Sean Tyler Foley:

I have been sawed in half. Not only have I been sawed in half, but I've been blown up in a box. I have disappeared. I have transformed into both a dove and a tiger. No sorry, not a tiger. Panther, Black Panther, named Shiva. Shiva was awesome. Shiva was an eight year old black panther. And she was she really was a pussycat. She was so much fun to work with. You could you know you feed her and then you'd pet her behind the ears and she would like and it's funny because all the behaviors of small cats is the same behaviors as the big cats. And you'd like some small cats. They don't want to have their tummies rubbed some cats want to have their tummies rub. Shiva would love to have her tummy rub but only if she invited you seated scratch her behind the ear and then she'd like roll onto her back and you can rub her tummy and she would end and a big cats purr is amazing because it reverberates like you feel it in your chest you get Sheba Parrish and it would like shake your chest you'd be breathing with her all I love that animal. I love that animal.

Hilary Adams:

Love animal stories.

Sean Tyler Foley:

What you don't say Story and Horse.

Hilary Adams:

Do you have any other animal stories that you'd like to share?

Sean Tyler Foley:

Um, I'm sure I have dozens and tons. I remember the first time I got to work with animals on set was here filming in Calgary. We film a lot of Westerns out here. And you know, Calgary Stampede greatest Outdoor Show on Earth and I grew up in a in a small community and everybody Ranch, everybody ranch. Half of my neighbors were Chuck Wagon racers. The other half, you know, we all knew I couple of my friends were barrel racers, and they were crazy. You know, like, whoa, barrel racer. And, I mean, it was just it was fun, but I remember the first time getting to wrangle horses on set. And, you know, getting to really work them and have them as show animals as opposed because for me, you know growing up they were they were work animals and you know, rode out and fixed fence and you came back and you fed your your horses and that was that was what happened. And so to be able to be on set and work with these animals in a different capacity was really really eye opening for me to first of all realize just how badly a rider I am because I'd never seen video of me ride and then you know movie comes out like a year later. And there I am. I'm like, oh, Tyler you have bad form in the saddle. Get those heels down, son get those fields down. I was I was eye opening for me was amazing. But yeah, to get to work around them and and especially really well trained horses on set. You know that were there. They they know what they're doing. And really, the horse allows you to go with it. As opposed to you riding the horse. That was it was it was fun. I never forget that too.

Hilary Adams:

Thank you. It's fun love horse stories.

Sean Tyler Foley:

No, yeah. No.

Hilary Adams:

Surprise, surprise. Before we wrap up, I want to I want you to if you would like to share about your books, your training course, how people can reach you, because we haven't talked about any of that?

Sean Tyler Foley:

Well, yeah, let's make that really simple for everybody, Hillary, what the best thing that they can do is go to my website, and I'll give them the address in a second. But before they do, I want them to hit pause on this because if they're coming back to Story and Horse and they're enjoying what you're doing, the best thing that they could do for you and for me is to give your show a five star review if they want to review this episode Great. But just in general, your podcast if they're coming back and they're listening to Story and Horse regularly, they're doing it for a reason. So if they haven't yet given you a five star review, I would ask them to hit pause on whatever device they're listening to this right now. Give me a five star review and let them let you know what content is resonating with them. Like what was the story that that was told that had impact who was a guest that came on that you really really liked You know, give that feedback. And if you're willing to do that, then you can unpause the device. And, as a thank you for giving Hillary a five star review, I would encourage you to come over to Sean Tyler foley.com. And Sean is spelled the proper Irish way s e a n, t y le r f o le y.com, my professional stage name and say Tyler sent ya right above, on the main landing page above the fold, there's an invitation to join endless stages and lists stages is a free Facebook group. And if you join it, not by going to Facebook and searching it but by coming to Sean Taylor fully.com As a thank you for leaving a five star review. And coming through the website, I'll give you a copy of my best selling book The Power to speak naked, free PDF download of it gives you access to my drop the mic trainer program. Its online videos very easy to digest, none of them are more than five minutes, very simple to implement strategies on being a more comfortable, more confident, storyteller and public speaker. And then in endless stages, we go live every tuesday at noon Pacific three Eastern, and I do a 20 minute training session for whatever Hot Topic happens to come out of the group that week. So if anybody wants, it's free, and it's a quick introduction to me. And then since they've already been on the website, the website has all the information too. So if they want to get hard copies of the book, or if they want to find about find out about my speaker schedule or the training programs that I offer a power to speak naked power of influence, drop the mic, any one of those programs, they can get more information directly from the website. And I would definitely encourage them to go to it. But only if they show integrity. Please hit pause on the device right now and go to and give the Story and Horse a five star review. Five Star Review. Please let Hilary know why you're doing that. And then as my thank you for doing that. You're more than welcome to come to my website and find out more about me.

Hilary Adams:

Well, Tyler, thank you. It's been a real real pleasure having you with us and you're clearly a master storyteller. I hang on every word while I also since I'm the director I get to look from above and also watch the craft that you have in the to make it look effortless.

Sean Tyler Foley:

Thank you for the opportunity to share Hillary I appreciated every moment that you've given me and I'm grateful to have been on the show.

Outro:

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