My Story

stories are nutritious

your guide

April Bell

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

April Bell

What’s your story?

Telling Personal Stories Makes a Difference

“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 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

“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

“If it wasn’t for April Bell, I would not have relived my life. Some of the most enjoyment I’ve had since my wife passed away was reliving everything [during the interviews] and reflecting on my life, through where I used to live, the newspaper articles about me from when I was young, and calling friends to remind them of those times… All of them are as enthusiastic about it as I am!” —Jim Finegold in Lafayette, CA

“I watched the Real Wealth company video with three close friends Saturday night and they were blown away! They said it totally captures us and our values. They raved about the story line that runs through the video and how the final 15 seconds about connection is “absolutely what Kathy and I have always been about.” Our friends loved it so much their eyes were full of tears by the end! It was such a cool moment to share it with them and to see their reaction to it. So THANK YOU!!!”—Rich Fettke in Walnut Creek, CA

“Tree of Life Legacies, offers an invaluable service for ALL peopleーWe all have lives filled with great stories, and by recording them we come closer to ourselves, to where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. April’s skills of compassion, empathy, and a wide-open heart and ear beautifully facilitate this gift of self-discoveryーWhat could be better than that?”—Elizabeth Daskarolis in Oakland, CA

“We loved working with April. Preparing for a story of a 90-year legacy was time consuming and not without difficulties, however April was so helpful, encouraging and patient during the process. April’s quality of work and ability to adapt to revisions and changes was outstanding.”—Kevin Bernet in Los Angeles, CA

“I lost my own parents before meeting Ms. Bell. If you’re fortunate to still have yours, don’t miss the opportunity to have them interviewed, and their stories memorialized for you and your children, and their children, to enjoy. Reach out now to Ms. Bell to start the journey. April was impeccable in every aspect of the production, and the result is nothing short of fantastic. She has my highest admiration.”—Saul Smith in Los Angeles, CA

“I hired April Bell to do a personal history video of my mother and her two sisters. Wow! They all loved April and how she captured so much of their family and individual stories! I would recommend April to anyone who wants to document on video some of their most precious family history and loved ones.” —Jay P. Renneisen, Esq. in Walnut Creek, CA

“This is just a note to let you know how well received the video which you crafted has been. From our video-taped discussions, you captured so many stories and memories which I am now able to pass on to my family and friends. Many of the stories had never been recorded. Now I am certain that others will find them of interest in the years to come. At my age, I think I have passed the “autumn years” and approaching mid-winter, so I suspect that my grandchildren, and perhaps even their children, will someday find it interesting and will appreciate that “Grand-dad” took the time to tell a few stories about the unique experiences he had way back in the 20th century. Thank you for the unique experience of recording some of the highlights of my 84 years. You did a super job!”—Cliff Dochterman in Moraga, CA

“I just watched my dad’s video. Thank you so much; it captures him perfectly! I now have a lot of follow-up questions to ask. Thank you once again for doing this project with my parents. I can’t tell you what it means to know their history has been preserved as they want it remembered. I feel it has truly brought them closer and given them a real sense of calm, too!” —Janet T. in Lafayette, CA

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