The Power of Being Heard: How Stories Create Safe Spaces for Authentic Connection with Daniel Weinshenker

Connection From Here: Finding Community in a Changing World

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What does it mean to truly listen—both to ourselves and to others?
This week on Connection From Here, hosts Ashley Perry and Rhianna Wiggins sit down with Daniel Weinshenker, founder of EchoStory and a pioneer in digital storytelling. Together, they explore how sharing and witnessing stories creates authentic connection in a world where traditional community spaces can feel scarce or out of reach.

Daniel’s 25 years of experience helping people narrate their journeys—whether around a dinner table, in a workshop, or coping with life’s hardest moments—set the foundation for a discussion that weaves personal reflection, empathy, and the radical act of listening. From childhood memories to community myth-making, and from sitting with grief to empowering marginalized voices, this episode is an invitation to reimagine how we connect, heal, and grow together.

Daniel Weinshenker is the founder and director of EchoStory a storytelling organization based in Denver, CO. He is one of the most seasoned digital storytelling practitioners in the world, having spent 25 years with StoryCenter - the creators of the digital storytelling movement.

Over that time, Daniel has helped over 8000 people around the world find and tell their stories in the form of mini movies. He started the Nurstory program and has trained nurses and nurse educators in reflective storytelling for compassion fatigue, moral injury, burnout prevention and working through ethical dilemmas

Daniel is a TEDx speaker, has keynoted conferences around the world, and is a widely published writer.

Topics covered:

• How growing up in a caring family amidst silencing community norms fueled Daniel’s passion for agency in storytelling
• Why digital storytelling is a powerful tool for connection, allowing people to witness each other’s true experiences and break down barriers of loneliness and misunderstanding
• Why listening is an act of love and how it creates space for others and ourselves to feel seen, validated, and connected
• How safe spaces help people express and discover their truest selves across all stages of life

By holding space for your own story and listening with honesty and compassion, you build the foundation to truly witness and connect with others.

Watch the episode on YouTube here!

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Connect with Daniel:

LinkedIn | YouTube | TEDx Talk | Talking Documentary Episode | The Impact That the Stories We Tell About Ourselves Have On Identity Formation

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فصول

1. Introduction of Daniel Weinshenker (00:00:00)

2. Narrative Ownership and Perception (00:05:44)

3. Community Voices: Heard and Unheard (00:06:52)

4. The Power of Being Heard (00:12:37)

5. The Impact of Digital Story (00:13:30)

6. The Power of Listening Stories (00:18:01)

7. Life-Altering News Mid-Workshop (00:23:03)

8. Reflective Letter to Daughter (00:24:52)

9. Personal Narratives and Cancer Insights (00:27:26)

10. Creating Safe Spaces for True Stories (00:32:16)

11. Libraries as Safe Havens (00:34:27)

12. Holding Space for Self-Reflection (00:38:09)

13. New Perspectives (16:31:00)