“Hi everyone. My name is Abbie, and you are listening to Stories Lived. Stories Told. a podcast celebrating humanity and all our stories- the beautiful ones, the messy ones, and the ones that are a little bit of both.

Because here’s what I think: people have thoughts and ideas and feelings about their own lives, the people they love, and the things they are passionate about. But not everyone has been given the space to tell these stories. This is going to be that space. Together, we will learn to claim agency over our own stories.

The kind of theory or foundation for this podcast is a communication theory called Coordinated Management of Meaning or CMM for short. For many, it is easy to get lost in the big words and complex ideas of theories like CMM. But when you break it down it's not so scary and understanding the practice of it can improve our relationships and our lives. So, it’s worth taking the time to unpack. Really, storytelling and healthy communication is something that everyone deserves to know. My hope is to make this more accessible through the podcast.

So let me tell you a little about CMM… It was developed by Barnett Pearce and Vernon Cronen in the 1970s and has continued to evolve over the past 50 years.

Now, the theory is all about looking at the process of communication itself. The foundational belief of CMM is that persons-in-conversation co-construct their own social realities.

This is going to be the foundation of this podcast. What I love so much about this theory is that it focuses on our own ability to create; it encourages us to actively participate in our lives, our relationships, our stories. It is in storytelling that we get to create the kind of social world we want to live in.

In this podcast, you will hear me and some of my friends telling our own stories. I want you dear listener to be empowered to do the same. Pay attention to what it feels like to hear others give voice to their stories. Pay attention to what it feels like as you begin to give voice to your stories, too.

So lean in. Take a deep breath. Know that this will be uncomfortable at times, and vulnerable all the time. Remember you live your story, so you have the right and the privilege to tell your story. You know what is true. You are capable. You are brave. And you have intelligent things to say. I’m so glad that you are joining us for Stories Lived. Stories Told.”