In this episode, Trent sits down with longtime collaborator Eric Ratinoff of Story First to explore the power of storytelling — in film-making, business, and everyday life.
Eric shares how his work helping organizations tell meaningful stories goes far beyond simply “making a video.” Instead, it’s about uncovering the deeper narrative: the problem, the stakes, and the transformation that makes a story resonate with an audience.
Together they discuss the curse of knowledge, why experts often struggle to communicate what they know, and how curiosity and asking the right questions can unlock powerful stories hidden inside organizations and individuals. The conversation moves from filmmaking and editing workflows to the psychology and evolution of storytelling — and why humans are wired to understand the world through narrative.
More From Eric:
Eric Ratinoff is the founder and Chief Storyteller of Story First, a strategic storytelling firm that helps companies and organizations get clear about their story and tell it more effectively.
Story First works with a wide range of non-profit, corporate, educational, and political clients from across the United States, and Eric brings deep experience as a writer, editor, director, strategist, speaker, teacher, and coach. He’s been invited to speak and teach about storytelling in a variety of corporate and college settings, including presenting multiple times at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)/National Public Health Information Coalition National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media.
Two recent Story First projects, Still Separate, Still Unequal, which examines education inequity in St. Louis, and Transforming 911, which tells the story of what happens after you call 911 in St. Louis, received Gold Telly Awards.
Additionally, Eric has taught Technical Writing in the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis; served as the Executive Editor for the Ferguson Commission report, Forward Through Ferguson; co-authored A Seat at the Table, an award-winning column on diversity and inclusion in the New Hampshire Business Review; served as the lead organizer and a speaker coach for TEDxAmoskeagMillyard in Southern New Hampshire; and delivered a talk on storytelling and organizational culture, titled “Once Upon a Time At The Office: How Stories Shape Culture At Work,” at TEDxCapeMay in New Jersey. He’s also the head boys’ track and field coach at Manchester West High School in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Website: https://www.storyfir.st
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ratinoff/
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