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Tree of Life Productions Logo

Your Wisdom Lives Inside Your Stories

Personal Storytelling for business and life

Unlock the power of your stories to deepen connections

business stories

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Your Story Unleashed

Cultivate the know-how to bring your authentic self into spaces where money and reputation are on the line. Skillfully so.

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finding stories in community

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Wisdom Keepers Workshop

Discover and tell your most meaningful stories. Communicate your hard-won wisdom through personal storytelling.

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business stories

Woman standing in old growth redwood forest with light streaming through the trees

Your Story Unleashed

Cultivate the know-how to bring your authentic self into spaces where money and reputation are on the line. Skillfully so.

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legacy storytelling

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Private Documentaries

A life story video is a rich experience of self-discovery, an eternal gift that ripples through generations.

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Telling your personal stories makes a difference

“April gives you permission to play with your story in a safe environment. She invites you into an experience that feels like you can take that little bit of risk, without being judged. She has this magical way of prompting that guides you deeper and deeper and deeper into your story until you’re face-to-face with the values you hold most dear. The real gift in her process is you think you’re telling a story, and then suddenly you’re standing on the frontier of your own values set. That’s when you realize, ‘This story matters to me because these things matter to me!’” —Dan Senter, spiritual leader

“I’d spent a number of times trying to [tell my story for] my book trailer and it wasn’t working. Then April showed up. I couldn’t believe how she was able to get everything out of me the way she did. It went from impossible to beautiful! That’s the miracle in the way I see April, she makes you feel good about yourself, like you have something important to say, and you feel like you’re on top of the world. That is truly priceless.” —Christina Rasmussen, best selling author of Second Firsts

“I’ve found that by digging deep and sharing our own authentic stories, we can truly transform the loyalty and productivity of our people. Leaders looking to cultivate trust, connection, and a vibrant culture benefit from using the power of sharing stories that align with their values. April Bell’s book My Life in Paragraphs: Find and Tell Your Stories offers a solid roadmap to help you do just that. It’s a useful tool for creating a lasting impact.” —Mike Robbins, best-selling author of Bring Your Whole Self To Work

“​​April holds a strong, safe, empowering container for the hard work of separating storytelling grain from chaff. Her combination of clear, concise, actionable feedback while keeping my feet ever-so-gently to the fire has allowed me to sort and process decades of experience into a coherent narrative. Whenever I get stuck in the story-crafting weeds, April is able to tap into her phenomenal toolbox for just the right implement, from story-wrangling to guiding my structure of an impactful tale.” —Dr. Ann Blake, Environmental Scientist and Changemaker

your guide

April Bell

As a child, I spent my days listening to stories from whichever elder neighbor would have me. More recently, I’ve crafted my story-mining process into book form with My Life in Paragraphs: Find and Tell Your Stories. As my storytelling focus lends toward the spoken word, people daunted by writing love my approach. I lead engaging story-mining and wisdom-keeping workshops for professionals and elders alike.

I am the founder at Tree of Life Legacies, a storytelling and wisdom-keeping project based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since 2008 I’ve been helping people find and tell the origin stories behind their values, often on video. I am co-creator of StoryCatcher® for iPhone.

What’s your story?

Cover of April Bell's book My Life In Paragraphs: Find and Tell Your Stories
Cover image for April Bell's companion Notebook for My Life In Paragraphs
StoryCatcher for iPhone imagery and link to its informational website

April Bell

April Bell leaning against a redwood tree in a redwood forest
As a child, I spent my days listening to stories from which ever elder-neighbor would have me. More recently, I’ve crafted my story-mining process into book form with My Life in Paragraphs: Find and Tell Your Stories. As my storytelling focus lends toward the spoken word, people daunted by writing love my approach. I lead engaging story-mining workshops for professoinals and elders alike.

I am the founder at Tree of Life Legacies, a storytelling and wisdom-keeping project based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since 2008 I’ve been helping people find and tell the origin stories behind their values, often on video. I am co-creator of StoryCatcher® for iPhone.

What’s your story?

Cover of April Bell's book My Life In Paragraphs: Find and Tell Your Stories
Cover image for April Bell's companion Notebook for My Life In Paragraphs
StoryCatcher for iPhone imagery and link to its informational website

What’s your “Why” story?

I was invited to contemplate the meaning of love and tell about it at a StorySLAM. That was the day I discovered the heart of my “why” story.

Now available in the huggable and heartwarming anthology, What Is Love? 

“These everyday stories remind us to pay attention to our lives and not simply let precious days slip by unnoticed.”

—bestselling author Bernadette Jiwa

More help finding and telling stories

personalized guidance

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One-on-One Consulting

From nailing down your personal “why” story, crafting a founding story, to finally getting your memoir published, I can help.

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leadership workshop

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Storytelling for Leaders

Uncover the origin stories behind your values, making it easier to connect with others and communicate your vision.

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storytelling on the go

Hands holding an iPad with StoryCatcher for iOS logo on the screen

Capture Stories Yourself

Be the documentarian in your circles. StoryCatcher® for iPhone makes it easy and fun to capture and build video stories!

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Excerpts from the book

"Storytelling is a powerful framework for communicating what is deeply important to you. In turn, it ups the probability that your intended message will be heard and remembered."

"Purposefully eliciting stories from others and, in turn, sharing our own stories is an elegant way to open doors to new conversations, understanding, and trust."

"As we share ourselves and learn more about others, our compassion and capacity for empathy are strengthened. When we share our struggles and our triumphs, our failures and our successes, we connect with one another on a deep and meaningful level."

—excerpted from My Life in Paragraphs: Find and Tell Your Stories by April Bell

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Book cover for "My Life in Paragraphs: Find and Tell Your Stories" by April Bell; dark blue background with gold dust accents
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I shine a light and show you the way

Learn how to skillfully use personal storytelling in your leadership roles, whether the head of a large organization or the elder of a close-knit family. Communicating your unique wisdom matters.

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