[00:00:00] Colette Brown: Our next guest comes from North of the border in Canada. His rich story of weaving into where he is today was woven in part by his mother, who was a performer and taught him what it meant to tell a story. Today, he inspires others to reach deep, explore their depths and extract the essence of their personal messenger brand development.
[00:00:30] He is an expert storyteller, but I think of him as a clarity coach as he helped me personally craft the message that I share today. Father, husband, entrepreneur, extraordinary human podcast hosts. Helping others to show up their best in the world. Welcome Alex street. Welcome Alex.
[00:00:54] Alex Street: Jeez, that is an intro for the ages, Colette.
[00:00:58] I am so grateful for that. That is truly being seen and that's a great way to be welcomed onto this podcast. So thank you for having me and thanks for narrating my journey so well already right there. Great job.
[00:01:12] Colette Brown: Yeah. We met in a mastermind and you won the, I can't remember the title of it, but you were like the chosen one of the mastermind.
[00:01:21] I like that
[00:01:22] Alex Street: actually. It was like MVP, but I like chosen one. That's good.
[00:01:25] Colette Brown: And there's no, there was no question in my mind because when you show up, the clarity, the competence. The just the message that you deliver, whatever it is so precise, concise, and it touches your soul and it touched mine.
[00:01:43] And there was a moment in my journey of trying to share so many things that were inside of me that I really needed to get out, but I didn't want it to make, I didn't want it to sound confusing to others. You came in within, within an hour and you're like this, and this, by the way, Colette, this is your story.
[00:02:04] And I just said, yes. That's it. And so you've really been a light in my life, but we're going to talk about you and I would love to start back and just look back into Alex when he was younger. What did that look like? I know a little bit of your journey and what has shaped you into the man that you are today.
[00:02:25] So take us back.
[00:02:27] Alex Street: Oh boy. I think of a little Alex and I actually talk, in doing some inner child work having to go back and he's Alexander. That's like little kid Alex, because my parents, both British and a little bit Maybe stubborn would not dare call me a nickname like Alex.
[00:02:48] Are you kidding me? It was always Alexander in my house. And so that was a big, that's a big representation of just even that. And, you want to know a lot about who I am and my humor and all of that. I think I've already said it with yeah, I grew up with British parents.
[00:03:04] We watched a lot of Monty Python. We watched a lot of when I was way too young to watch a lot of these things. I grew up with a British humor influence. So there was that my mom was an actress, as you said, she was a performer. My dad was a professional photographer for 40 years, his entire career.
[00:03:22] And so our house is me and my brother. He's a little older than me. Our house here, just North of Toronto was filled with photography equipment. And then the house kind of got split. My parents got divorced. And so then it was either, I was either in this house, which was like basically a photo studio with a dark room in the basement, or I would go and spend the weekends with my mom and then be in the theater, spend the evenings in the theater while she's performing.
[00:03:50] So it's the split between those two lives. And obviously brought me into the storyteller that I am today, as she told stories from the stage and he told stories from. Through film. We just absorbed
[00:04:03] Colette Brown: that's a very playful
[00:04:04] Alex Street: home. Lots of that. But yeah,
[00:04:06] Colette Brown: I love that. And I think that there's a lot of people who barely gone to theater.
[00:04:12] And so the fact that you were in theater all the time gave you a very different vantage point of not only going, but knowing your mother on and off stage. So you could see. How she would transform on stage. And what was that like?
[00:04:28] Alex Street: Oh, geez, that was it's magic is the word. It really is magic. She, there it is.
[00:04:37] She just felt the emotion come up. I love this woman. She passed away 11 years ago. I'm coming up this weekend and magic describes her and thinking about that transformation that you just said about. On stage and off stage something I remember I was like nine, 10 years old and I got to sit backstage and if I wanted to, sometimes me and my brother would just hang out in the rehearsal room and make too much noise and be yelled at by the owners or whatever.
[00:05:08] But sometimes I would go and sit backstage, but I had to be dead quiet, obviously. And so I'm sitting backstage, I'm watching the actors do quick changes and get ready and do their makeup and. And all the stuff and all the cues and wait for their cue to go on stage. And I remember, I don't even think it was one of the first ones.
[00:05:27] It was just the first time that I paid attention to my mom in that scenario. And I saw her wait for her cues side stage and then walk through the door and she delivered a line that she had this Confident voice and she delivered a line and the audience cracked up just burst into laughter It's 150 seat theater and everyone is laughing and like my eyes widened the world narrowed down in that moment where I could only hear her, I couldn't see her, but I heard that her voice said a thing, and then the audience responded, and I thought, that is, that's magic.
[00:06:06] That's like casting a spell on someone. She did a thing that made this room of people change their emotional state. And I didn't remember what the line was, I'm just curious. No, not a clue. Like I just, it's, it, I don't know what play it was. Again, they did a lot of British farce kind of stuff.
[00:06:24] That was the moment that you saw magic and
[00:06:28] I wanted to do the same thing.
[00:06:30] Colette Brown: I
[00:06:30] Alex Street: thought if she, As human, we can do that. We can affect a group of people in that way. And so I would say that was the most wholesome I knew I wanted to be an actor for a lot of my life, but most recently I've really gone back and reflected on that story, that moment has shown up and realizing, oh, that's what's at the core of it.
[00:06:49] Is this clarity that we can impact the world. We can impact people. And so that was like, yeah, again, nine, 10. And I was like, this is what I'm going to do. I got to go this way. And so I just put that towards, I'm going to be an actor. I'm going to win an Oscar. I'm going to do these things. That was the path that I saw before me.
[00:07:09] So that just became clear of, this is what I want to do when I want to follow in her footsteps.
[00:07:14] Colette Brown: That's beautiful. I want to stay on your mom for a moment and we had a conversation and I was sharing with you. I'm not a loud person. I'm more subtle. And I was sharing with you getting into the public speaking space that I know a lot of people get really loud and I was saying, Alex, I just.
[00:07:32] I can't get loud. I'm more quiet. And you said, my mother taught me something. And I want you to share that with the audience. Cause I, I thought it was very brilliant.
[00:07:43] Alex Street: Yeah, she, she taught me how to project my voice. Like she taught me, again, mostly seeing her in this theater and that stage that she would have taught me that your voice is.
[00:07:54] The power of your voice is not dependent on the volume of your voice. And she could stand on that stage and speak in a whisper, a stage whisper, but a whisper and force the audience not to lean in. And again, not to lean in to I can't hear her because she's speaking loud enough for the back of the theater here, but it's to lean in to think.
[00:08:20] I need to pay attention here. So she was by no means standing up and shouting her lines like some less skilled actors would do. But it's this understanding that the power in your voice does not come from, again, the volume of it, but it comes from something deeper within. And when you can control that, When you show up with confidence in that, then you actually demand attention rather than, yearning for it and fighting for it.
[00:08:52] Like we need to speak louder, be brighter, whatever marketing you can think of out there is I need to get above whatever might be distracting my audience. My mom taught me that you show up, you speak with clarity, you speak with confidence. And you will demand attention. And so sometimes I speak louder.
[00:09:15] I just do, but sometimes most often, and this is, I think why you, how you would know me as well as it's mostly talking like this, and this is what I would do from the stage as well is mostly I'm a conversational feel of a speaker, but I've noticed also when I'm not, I've definitely noticed that I go into I raise my voice, I get speak, I get faster in my speaking.
[00:09:39] And that's when I feel like I've lost my audience and I'm trying to make up for that and it doesn't work. If anything, it makes them tune out even more.
[00:09:48] Colette Brown: Wow. Okay. So you were, you had this really unusual, amazing upbringing and what did it look like for you when you left home? Were you really clear on what you were doing or [00:10:00] did you take different paths?
[00:10:01] Yes. Okay.
[00:10:03] Alex Street: Yeah, that's fun because so my brother left, so it was me and my dad and my brother and he left a little bit earlier as soon as he could write out of high school and move downtown Toronto and he started working on film sets, he's done every role in the end credits of a movie. That is possible.
[00:10:20] He's played every role, done everything there. And then over his years, he got more into screenwriting. And that was his, that's his true love. But so he left and did that. And I was like on this path towards acting this is what I'm going to do. Of course, I'm just going to get out of high school.
[00:10:33] I'm not going to go to school. I'm just going to get an agent and make it famous. This is the path. Yeah. And so right out of high school. Yeah. I was absolutely clear. That's what I'm going to do. And I moved downtown, shared an apartment with my brother and I was a starving artist, served tables at a restaurant.
[00:10:51] And during my days I would visit agencies and drop off headshots, hoping to get noticed. And I did a couple of indie films. I actually got to I was, I performed on stage that year with my mom. That's one of the crowning moments of my life. The only show that I've been in with her and that was as clear as it could possibly be.
[00:11:14] And then it wasn't. And then I was like, this is what I'm supposed to do, but it's not clicking. It's not working. And there's this sinking feeling of confusion, which now I label as confusion. Then I just thought, I'm 19 years old. I don't know what I'm split. All right. I don't like this. This doesn't feel good, but I don't know how to label it.
[00:11:37] I don't know what it is. But then I started to think, okay, so then what do I do now? Do I leave this? Do I quit this? Do I keep going? Do I stay in misery? What do I do? And that place of confusion is a torturous place to be.
[00:11:53] So then it was a quick shift. It was a left turn, let's say, and that's where I got into. I had a friend who was at school across the country is in Saskatchewan at Bible college. And I was volunteering at my local church youth group at that point. And and he was like, Hey, why don't you come out and hang out with me and do youth ministry degree?
[00:12:11] I was like, It was over two nights. I said, yes, I applied to the school. Two days later, they accepted me and I was getting ready to move out a couple months later.
[00:12:21] Colette Brown: Wow.
[00:12:23] Alex Street: That was it.
[00:12:24] Colette Brown: All right.
[00:12:24] Alex Street: So then I was like, okay, I guess that's it for that. And here we go. Let's see what this path has for me.
[00:12:30] Colette Brown: And off you went.
[00:12:31] Alex Street: And off I went. And,
[00:12:32] Colette Brown: Is that where you met your wife was in college or was that after?
[00:12:35] Alex Street: No, actually. Okay. I met my wife in grade seven.
[00:12:38] Colette Brown: Wow. I didn't know that. Okay.
[00:12:40] Alex Street: Yeah. So we went to the same grade school together and then didn't really talk. We weren't really friends. But then in 11th grade that's when I sent her, I wrote a little handwritten letter and said, Hey, I think I have feelings for you and slid it across the table in history class.
[00:12:55] And she wrote back, I think I do too, and sent it back. And that was it. We started dating that year. We broke up after a few months, started dating a year later, and we've been dating ever since. So
[00:13:07] Colette Brown: I love it. And you share three children. Is that right?
[00:13:10] Alex Street: We do. Yes. Yes. 16, 13 and 10 right now. Beautiful. It's wild.
[00:13:15] Colette Brown: That's a fun journey. I love that. My parents are also high school sweethearts. They met at the magical choir together. And they, I can't even, they're over 50 years. I can't remember the number, but yeah, it's great. It's wonderful. So that's a beautiful story. So you go to Bible college and you become a youth minister you get married and and then where does life shift you to next?
[00:13:40] Alex Street: Yeah, it's so good because this is where, again, now it's oh, this is clearly what I'm supposed to do. So I think all through my life, there's been like a, okay, I do this, but then it's not working. Okay. I'll try this. Oh this is it. Okay. What about when that doesn't feel like it's clicking?
[00:13:53] But in that role, there is all the opportunity to. Shape the world to do, to have impact and play and use my skills, right? I could be on stage every week talking to a group of teenagers. And then later that week, talk to a whole room of adults and practice my skills of speaking mixed with performing, creating, and coaching.
[00:14:19] Cause then during the day, now I'm in an office talking to that teenager, coaching them through life, talking to their parents, coaching them as a family. There is. All of it within that role. And so it's no wonder that I stayed in that for 11 years and thrived, loved it. It was incredible. We were making massive impact and making big change and then it very clearly wasn't.
[00:14:45] It was just, this isn't doing it. Something's missing right here. There was this call, this like yearning. That this message is supposed to spread out further than just this little place. And with blessing of people who are like yeah, go do it. Absolutely. Be a speaker. Go do that. Use your, you are gifted in that go spread that out.
[00:15:08] But there was then the restriction within that environment that if I'm going to be a speaker, it has to be within this framework as it were of belief. And that didn't feel good for me. And so then there was this whole journey around like letting go of not only that role, but also letting go of a lot of that faith a lot of what we were, attaching ourselves to and learning what that was, what is that for me?
[00:15:34] So we left that role and stayed in the same town, but then I got my master's in theological studies. Cause I was like, I got to answer these questions. I don't know what it is and maybe there's another role out there as a pastor for me. I don't know. But just dove into that for two years without a job.
[00:15:49] That was, and this is about seven years ago now to catch us up. That's what that journey was for me to get us to that point at least.
[00:15:58] Colette Brown: Wow. So you do that. And then when was it that you saw that you could make a massive impact on people and what led you into where you're at today?
[00:16:10] Alex Street: Yeah, it's so good.
[00:16:11] So that's where I think from there was so much more about, okay, I can, what is my own brand and looking at okay, life coaching or speaking. And I tried to build my own business around generation Z and helping them, helping organizations understand Gen Z in the workplace, because I was like, it's speaking and it's this world that I know that's the way to do it.
[00:16:33] Again, very clear. I'm going to make it happen, but then it wasn't clicking. So what's going on here? And then the pandemic hit. How many times do you hear that in stories? And then the pandemic hit and then it was, exactly. And there's a shift that happens there.
[00:16:48] Colette Brown: Yes.
[00:16:50] Alex Street: I think, thankfully for me, there was already a setup before that.
[00:16:53] So I would say it was September, 2019. I was looking for help in that business. Gen Z matters. And a friend suggested that I jump into this mastermind. It was like, I need a coach or something. He's come into this community, jump in this mastermind. It was the first investment I made in my business. And it was in that I got up, got down there.
[00:17:12] I was terrified to be in that room with these 50 perfect entrepreneurs who were all successful. And I had zero, I was minus money. And the first thing we had to do was get on the microphone and introduce ourselves and he went alphabetically by first name. So Alex was the first one to get up and introduce himself.
[00:17:31] And I grabbed the mic. And as we know from my story, one of the most comfortable places for me is the stage is holding the microphone. So that was actually the most comforting moment of that entire first few hours of meeting all these people was being in front of them, holding a microphone. Using my voice
[00:17:51] Colette Brown: and everyone's dreading going behind you.
[00:17:54] Alex Street: Exactly. Everyone else has sweaty palms and I'm like, can I do this more? And I think that's it. So I got up and I confidently spoke and said, this is who I am. This is what I do. And yet still felt Oh, did I say really? Was that impressive enough? And I sat down. Imposter
[00:18:13] Colette Brown: syndrome oh,
[00:18:14] Alex Street: absolutely.
[00:18:15] Because actually I remember thinking about it. I was like, talk about the business. Don't mention youth pastor. Because in my mind, that's not respectable. I'm a business owner now. Don't talk about being a silly, fun, fun pastor. Like nobody's going to respect that. And what did I do?
[00:18:32] I said, Hey, so my business is Gen Z matters and it's helping, organizations understand the next generation. And I'm qualified for this because for the last 12 years, I've been a youth pastor and I kept going, but in my head, I was kicking myself, be like, you idiot.
[00:18:44] So I, and with all within 90 seconds, I do that and then sit down. And one of these perfect entrepreneurs leans over to me and was like, You need to teach us to speak like you do
[00:18:56] Colette Brown: because
[00:18:56] Alex Street: we're all nervous, but you showed up with confidence there. Your story is your superpower. Okay. We'll talk later.
[00:19:05] Colette Brown: And how many times did you hear that throughout the conference?
[00:19:09] Alex Street: Oh, yeah. Right away. Then once we were done, then somebody else came up to me, it was like, my goodness, the way that you stood up there, your
[00:19:14] Colette Brown: inbox is filling up.
[00:19:16] Alex Street: Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. In real life. Yeah, no doubt. And so by the end of those three days, I had this new idea, a new direction to that wasn't new.
[00:19:25] It was obviously something that I've been doing for a long time, but just never really embraced. To Oh yeah, I need to help people speak. And so I had a plan to, and actually organized like within two days after getting home from LA, I started filming a course called make speaking magical, a video course, and was like, this is what I'm going to do.
[00:19:45] I'm going to teach people how to speak like I do. And then that has, that was. 2019, and then that became, okay, let's work through that. And then as that shifted into pandemic mode, then it's only online. And now everyone's going online, but how do they [00:20:00] communicate? And specifically, the thing that I do really well is pull people's stories out of them and share stories.
[00:20:06] And so then really just over the last three years, this is zoned in should be super niche where I will help you clarify your stories so you can speak with confidence.
[00:20:18] Colette Brown: And Alex, the reason that I wanted to have you on is that, that you said how does this fit into wellness? And. My response was if someone can't tell their story, whether you're a doctor that's trying to tell people about a breakthrough or you're a a mother who's trying to help other mothers in their journey, whatever it is, a story equates to a wellbeing in a sense of you're trying to convey a message that's changing lives.
[00:20:53] You helped me so radically that I, everywhere I go, like you happen to come up in conversation. And I just, because you made such an impact on me. I, you, we've had many conversations where I'm crying because you actually put into words what I was trying to get out and share, and just didn't know how.
[00:21:13] And for you, you have this amazing gift Of pulling out a story, whether you're an organization, a nonprofit, an individual, an entrepreneur, and you're trying to get clarity. And what is it that I'm trying to share? And you can go in and you ask these questions and you stop and think, and you're like, okay, how does this sound?
[00:21:39] Blah, blah, blah, blah. And it's perfect. And it just, it evokes so much emotion. And for you, it's. It's just, it's so natural. And for a lot of people getting to that point is not natural, but you've found a method in which you can extract stories and help provide confidence and clarity to people that are really seeking that.
[00:22:02] And when you can share your message so clearly, the confidence that comes with it is. It's just magical and you can actually communicate with your audience because you know how. And so I think it's, I think it's so beautiful what you do and I love how you're, you are, you offer sessions, you do your one on ones.
[00:22:25] I don't know if you want to talk about ways in which people can. Can work with you and maybe a success story that you might want to share too with us.
[00:22:35] Alex Street: Besides me,
[00:22:36] that's where I was definitely going. You
[00:22:38] Colette Brown: can talk about me if you want. You can share. You can share my journey if you want to expand on that.
[00:22:44] Alex Street: It's good. I'm just so grateful for those words. Thank you. That's, it's incredibly kind and it's really neat to hear you put this again.
[00:22:52] Yes. It's this thing that, that in all honesty comes easily to me for you to see such value in that. And I think that actually, that's not about me. That's a discovery. Of myself and my own story that, that I want everyone to be able to experience that, the thing that comes easy to you is the thing that you can shape the world with the thing that, that you have is the thing that we need, right?
[00:23:21] So there's this, that's the discovery that I've had and that the confidence that I get to show up in the clarity. All through my story, I talked about these confused, these moments of confusion, and that is my journey from confusion to clarity. And it's what I'm here to do for you as well, is to help you go through that.
[00:23:43] So I think as far as sessions and all that stuff, we can get there because there's something around that, around the experience that brings people to that place of clarity. That is my mission every time. If we're on a 15 minute call or 90 minute call, I want to know where you're confused right now.
[00:24:02] And as I listened to that and try to piece it together in as simple a package as possible, you will leave with clarity. That's the goal. And whether it's around your message, your big complicated story, or you're like, I've got this brand. That seems to not have really emotion to it, or it's not connecting with my audience in the right way, or I'm scaling and I don't know exactly how to talk about that, or I'm pivoting.
[00:24:28] And I don't know how to represent this new brand well, or how to bring myself into this brand. All of that, all of those are confusing questions, right? I'm just, I'm confused about this. And so I get to come and bring in clarity and it all starts with the story and then turns into a message, which turns into content that you're thinking about.
[00:24:49] And so that all happens through, anywhere from a month coming together and working together and a number of sessions, as many sessions as you want to a three month package or three session package, which is the real main focus of brand story coaching and really going through a signature process there.
[00:25:06] And taking that to the stage for speaker story coaching, I call it where we craft a Your keynote message to that you can take to Ted talk. You can take to a conference. You can take to whatever stage you are going to try to get onto. And I hope you craft that from an authentic place of your story.
[00:25:24] So that's the joy of it is me going through that process now allows me to confidently show up and help so many other people go through that same process.
[00:25:32] Yeah. Amazing. Yeah. Your gift of pulling out whatever it is from whoever it a true gift, Alex. And I know that firsthand and I've seen it with myself and with some other people I know that you've worked with and it's a beautiful thing. So if you have a story to tell.
[00:25:53] Colette Brown: If you are launching a company, if you have a company, whatever, you're a nonprofit and you're trying to draw more attention to it and bring awareness. When you have clarity around your messaging, you can show up so radically in the world. And that's where I think you come into play. That's the gift that you give to the world.
[00:26:16] And I. I'm so happy that I met you and that you're part of my team and that you're helping others do their best in the world. So I think it's amazing.
[00:26:28] Alex Street: I thank you. I love it because I think that's it. I think what's so significant for you and for probably a lot of your listeners is and even where you came to me was.
[00:26:38] With this, I have a message, like I can change the world with this, but I don't want to just sound like I'm just beating on a drum. I'm just like the food we're eating is garbage. The food we're eating is garbage. That's not what you wanted to have. You're, it was so much bigger and deeper than that and richer than more, more real than that.
[00:26:56] And what I've loved to see is the clarity that you now absolutely are coming forward with to say it's not just that it's not just, A negative message about what's out there, but it's actually very positive to what is possible from within. And I think that's what a lot of people with something new, something kind of radical, as you say, are dealing with is I don't want to just be shouting from the rooftops.
[00:27:25] I want to make an impact here, a lasting long term impact.
[00:27:30] Colette Brown: Yes.
[00:27:31] Alex Street: And as we see through our history of society that happens best through storytelling.
[00:27:36] Colette Brown: It does. Alex, if this was the last conversation that was broadcast to the world, what would your message be?
[00:27:47] Alex Street: That is a great question. Great way to frame that.
[00:27:51] And it is very simple. It's we need what you have because when you share your story, you shape the world.
[00:27:58] Yeah. I often see it like a potluck everyone's bringing a meal to the party. Yeah. Yeah. And. And we expect you to bring your best dish, bring your grandmother's lasagna recipe. Don't bring us the frozen lasagna from Trader Joe's. Don't, why would you do that? Of course, you're going to do that in real life.
[00:28:18] You're going to do that. Cause you're late to the party or whatever, or you're actually in reality, you would do that because maybe you're nervous that people won't like your grandmother's lasagna recipe or the one that you made up yourself. What if I bring this and the people don't eat the blueberry pie that I made?
[00:28:34] There's only one slice gone. I'm going to feel terrible when everybody's eating Nancy's meatballs that she made, whatever from back, right? Like it's so real. It's so everyone's getting on edge right now. But what I'm getting at is we're not sharing the best of ourselves because we're afraid of how it's going to be received when reality, when you bring the best, it makes the party better.
[00:28:58] So without you, we're still going to eat. Everyone else is bringing their stuff. We're still going to eat. That's the reality. But with you, this party, this life, my life is better because you brought what you have. You brought your best. So share your story because that's how it's shaping the world.
[00:29:16] Colette Brown: That's beautiful, Alex.
[00:29:19] So well said.
[00:29:21] Alex Street: There we go. Now you're hungry.
[00:29:22] Colette Brown: I love it. So tell everyone how they can find you.
[00:29:26] Alex Street: Absolutely. Yeah I mostly hang out on Instagram. I'm at Street says so find me there. I'm always talking about storytelling or anything there. Drop me a dm. I love to have conversations there. Let me know that you listen to this and what stood out about this conversation.
[00:29:41] If you wanna be a little bit more passive, then you can go to my website, alex street.ca, find all the information there, or listen to my podcasts, which is called No Boring Stories where I share all the tips and tricks about storytelling and bring on some guests on there as well.
[00:29:55] Colette Brown: Beautiful. Okay. I love that Alex.
[00:29:57] And is there anything else you want to share [00:30:00] today?
[00:30:00] Alex Street: I'm just so grateful for this time and for how you guided the conversation. It's, it really is a joy to be able to be on this side and walk through my story a little bit. And just even as a reminder to me that Oh, this feels really good to be heard, to be seen.
[00:30:15] And I'm just so thankful for you doing that. So well, and so gracefully. Thank you.
[00:30:23] Colette Brown: Thank you, Alex. It's always a pleasure to be in your presence and thank you for showing up in the world. Like you are check Alex street out. He is your person. If you're looking for any kind of clarity around any confusion.
[00:30:39] So Alex, thank you for, again, for being on with us today, check them out and everyone until next time be well.