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About Us


About Us


Changing the world, one story at a time 

The Million Person Project (MPP) is a global project about love, storytelling and connecting change makers. Through one-on-one coaching, workshops, and The Story Academy, MPP supports change makers to identify and own their personal story relating to their work, in order to powerfully share it and move any audience to action

Million Person project started as a project to help 1 million people globally change the world by telling their story. Since 2011 Heather + Julian have worked with over 3000 change makers from 69 countries - authors, TED speakers, activists, students, entrepreneurs and more.

 


 
 
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Meet Heather + Julian [Founders]

Hi, we're Heather and Julian. We are a couple in life, in love and work! We are two Northern Cali natives living in San Francisco. We are fascinated by how authentic personal stories can transform a room, a relationship, an organization or the world. We believe that now more than ever, we must bring our full selves to the work that we're most passionate about. Helping people find the role of their story in that process is what gets us fired up every morning.

We've had the true privilege of coaching and training all over the world and it's informed our belief that this work is for everyone. The beautiful thing about stories is that they are truly universal. With that in mind, we recently published our first book titled, How Your Story Sets You Free, so that we can reach as many people as possible!

When we aren't working we are learning how to become parents to our most important addition of 2019, our son Roman, listening to music and dancing (because Julian is an awesome DJ), having a great meal, or hanging with our friends and family.

We have witnessed first hand how much freedom comes from being all of who you are and we are so excited to help you find the same freedom and excitement.

Julian loves: 

  • riding his awesome green bike.

  • music music music.

  • Swimming in the river back in Humboldt.

Heather loves: 

  • writing exceedingly honest articles that she is now putting in a book.

  • Her alter ego named Joan who is a sommelier.


 

Meet Amy [Narrative Specialist]

Hi! I’m Amy, and I am a super nerd on all things story. I think in words, I wake up with poems in my head, I even host storytelling nights on my front porch in Missoula, MT. I have been fascinated by stories of all genres and mediums my whole life, but I really came to understand their power in healthcare and healing. Much of what I know about story today, I learned from people in pain. Stories set people free. There is no quicker way to someone’s heart, no quicker way to connection, no deeper way to understand someone, yourself, than to share story.

Working with the Million Person Project has been a dream come true – working with people to excavate their truth and claim their power has been one of the great honors of my life. I love to tell stories. But what I love the most? Is seeing people soar with their stories. This world is so thirsty for truth, for vulnerability, for story. This work is inclusive, everyone has what it takes, and everyone needs what it yields. Stories have this ripple effect on the world, and believe me when I say: we are only just starting to make waves. Story on!

 Amy loves:

  • Wine tasting with Joan the sommelier

  • Skiing, biking, running, rafting

  • Writing songs + playing guitar

  • Deep conversations at inappropriate times

 

Meet Victor [Story Coach]

Hi! I’m Victor, and I’m a poet, speaker, and writer who performs under the name V. Billione Frē (pronounced vee-bil-LEE-ahn-free). I began my storytelling journey as a child in Detroit, reading my mother’s journals when she wasn’t around. Through them, I learned how she had thoughts, experiences, and dreams aside from simply being my mother. For the first time, I considered my own thoughts, experiences, and dreams.I began to account for them in my own journals. Through journaling, I developed ways of turning trauma into trajectory, and how to use my words to inspire and liberate. I live by the wisdom offered by the legendary musician Nina Simone who said “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” As a queer, Black, writer, living during revolutionary times, I feel it is my duty to chronicle my experiences, connect with others, and effect change.

I began my journey with the Million Person Project in 2018 after seeing an ad on Facebook promoting the 5-Day Tell Your Story Boot Camp. That led to my participation in and graduation from the Million Person Project Story Academy 2018/2019. Through the support of my cohort, and the MPP team, I learned how to get crystal clear clarity on my story, and submit my writing to journals like Elephant Journal and Thrive Global, where my most popular article to date, “In Search of Unconditional Love: 5 ways loving myself shaped my love of others,” was published. As a story coach, I want to help others find their freedom through their story. I currently live in New York City, where I’m focused on writing my first book proposal. I feel more free than I’ve ever been, and am confident it’s because I liberated my voice.

Victor loves:

  • The sun, moon and stars

  • A hot cup of tea, and a good book

  • Movie theaters and popcorn

  • Mickey Mouse and anything Disney

 

Meet Sean [Staff Trainer]

Sean A. Watkins (he/him/they | IG: @seanieboyy) is a communications consultant, master storyteller, writer, and owner of Watkins Agency of Joy LLC. With almost a decade of experience across the nonprofit and social justice movement worlds, he is a dedicated believer in a better world and leads with wholistic instincts, matched with a keen eye and ear. As a consultant, he implements holistic strategies to help organizations and groups bring their visions to life and engage audiences online. As a facilitator and public speaker, he taps into the energy of any audience connecting story and purpose to inspire action for all involved.


After first finding his voice as a high school foreign exchange student in Brazil, he joined the workforce as a millennial content creator and social media specialist. The former Campaign Manager for The Solutions Project, a clean energy nonprofit and media campaign co-founded by actor Mark Ruffalo, he was responsible for seeking out everyday champions across the country and celebrating their leadership with surprise billboards, Hollywood shoutouts, and videos over social media. Working with groups of all sizes, he has supported dozens of organizations around the world to harness the power of social media in new and sophisticated ways to establish their digital footprints. A graduate of Michigan State University's James Madison College, he also serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the movement-building organization, Center for Story-based Strategy, and lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Sean loves:

  • Learning Beyoncé choreography

  • Seeing new places around the world

  • Laughing with friends

  • Deep conversations with people he just meets

 

Meet Lydia [Staff Trainer]

Lydia D. Avila is from a working-class suburb of Los Angeles County, a first generation Mexican-American, and an organizer first and foremost. Lydia has spent most of her career immersed in the US climate movement and most recently served as the Executive Director of the Power Shift Network. Lydia attended UCLA for her undergraduate education where she was involved with student-initiated, student-run social justice service organizations. After college, she was a community organizer for the Sierra Club in Texas where she led two major “Beyond Coal” campaigns. In 2015 Lydia earned a Master of Public Administration degree at NYU’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, specializing in nonprofit management. Lydia is currently a freelance consultant focused on training, facilitation and capacity building for mission-driven organizations. She works from her home in Los Angeles accompanied by her plump cat, King Louie.

Lydia loves:

  • Cooking for and feeding loved ones

  • A cold, spicy-rim margarita on a patio

  • Traveling to places with breathtaking beaches

  • Oldies music


What We've Done

We've spent a month on the ground in Vietnam, South Africa, Brazil, Turkey, Uganda, Sweden and across the Pacific Islands. The storytellers we have worked with have gone on to speak at United Nations conferences for the first time, shared their perspective on CNN and BBC, presented keynote addresses at global gatherings, TedX, Ted Main Stage and more. Some of our partners include: 350.org, Black Girls Code, Envision Education, Miami High Water Line Project, Catalyst Week Vegas, Kikandwa Environmental Organization and New York’s City Growers. 

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Where you can find our clients sharing their stories?

 

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Testimonials


Testimonials


Caledonia Curry, Artist who goes by Swoon"Connecting with the Million Person Project was life changing. The work we did allowed me to create a bridge between the visual art that I have spent my life creating and the formerly silent personal his…

Caledonia Curry, Artist who goes by Swoon

"Connecting with the Million Person Project was life changing. The work we did allowed me to create a bridge between the visual art that I have spent my life creating and the formerly silent personal history that I bring to my practice."

Eve Smith, Founder of Smith Co Creative"Simon Sinek talks about articulating your why -- and Heather Box helped me find mine."" 

Eve Smith, Founder of Smith Co Creative

"Simon Sinek talks about articulating your why -- and Heather Box helped me find mine.""

 

Hong Hoang, Director of 350 South East Asia"Public speaking is one important job my team need to do on a regular basis, and it used to be their biggest challenge. But since the MPP workshop I'm really impressed by the way they tell their life s…

Hong Hoang, Director of 350 South East Asia

"Public speaking is one important job my team need to do on a regular basis, and it used to be their biggest challenge. But since the MPP workshop I'm really impressed by the way they tell their life stories that they did not dare to share with any others before, to move people, gain their interest, and mobilize their support for our work."

 

Landry Ninteretse, Director of 350.org Burundi"Thanks to MPP, storytelling is now part of every workshop that we organize. Their curriculum is now available in French, and I look forward to holding a workshop with French-speaking organizers in West …

Landry Ninteretse, Director of 350.org Burundi

"Thanks to MPP, storytelling is now part of every workshop that we organize. Their curriculum is now available in French, and I look forward to holding a workshop with French-speaking organizers in West Africa!"

 

 
Amanda Slavin, USA, Founder of CatalystCreativ"This work rewired by brain."      

Amanda Slavin, USA, Founder of CatalystCreativ

"This work rewired by brain."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Firuzeh Mahmoudi, USA. Founder United For Iran"I walked away clearer and more grounded in my vision and work afterhaving pondered why I do this work, what my values are, what my futureallies have in common with me."

Firuzeh Mahmoudi, USA. Founder United For Iran

"I walked away clearer and more grounded in my vision and work after
having pondered why I do this work, what my values are, what my future
allies have in common with me."

Gigi McQueen, USA, Manager at Kaiser "Within eight hours, Heather and Julian provided me with a durable foundation in using my life experiences to craft and deliver a speech that I was proud of."    

Gigi McQueen, USA, Manager at Kaiser 

"Within eight hours, Heather and Julian provided me with a durable foundation in using my life experiences to craft and deliver a speech that I was proud of."

 

 

 

 

Kyle Parsons, USA, Founder of Indosole"I learned how to effectively tell my story and now I feel much moreconfidence sharing my story in front of large audiences."

Kyle Parsons, USA, Founder of Indosole

"I learned how to effectively tell my story and now I feel much more
confidence sharing my story in front of large audiences."

Muhammed Kisirisa, Uganda, Director of AFFCAD"I am speechless about who Heather is!! It would take pages and pages to talk about her ability as a leader. She has made me Informed, Empowered, Connected, and has TRANSFORMED MY LIFE by giving me b…

Muhammed Kisirisa, Uganda, Director of AFFCAD

"I am speechless about who Heather is!! It would take pages and pages to talk about her ability as a leader. She has made me Informed, Empowered, Connected, and has TRANSFORMED MY LIFE by giving me basics of STORYTELLING that I use in my daily life.

 

 

Zane Sikulu, Tonga, Volunteer, 350.org Australia."I have done many workshops in the past and I walked into this veryskeptical of the outcome. I decided however to let go and give it ago. This has been life changing for me in that I have found a voic…

Zane Sikulu, Tonga, Volunteer, 350.org Australia.

"I have done many workshops in the past and I walked into this very
skeptical of the outcome. I decided however to let go and give it a
go. This has been life changing for me in that I have found a voice
inside of me and a way to express that. I am looking forward to the
world hearing my story and am forever grateful for the lessons I have
learned from MPP!"

Cynthia Crews, USA, Board member on Local Agency Formation Commission San Francisco "If I could give one gift to all of the activists in my life, it would be this experience."    

Cynthia Crews, USA, Board member on Local Agency Formation Commission San Francisco

"If I could give one gift to all of the activists in my life, it would be this experience."

 

 

 

 

Joshua Kahn Russell, USA,  Trainer 350.org International"As a organizer I didn't used to value telling stories about myself.Heather and the Million Person Project helped me to recognize thatthe power of story is not to compel and inspire people…

Joshua Kahn Russell, USA,  Trainer 350.org International

"As a organizer I didn't used to value telling stories about myself.
Heather and the Million Person Project helped me to recognize that
the power of story is not to compel and inspire people by sharing
something exciting, but instead by sharing your core truth."