I’m a storytelling coach, writer, and inclusion activist. I help women, BIPOC and non-binary entrepreneurs and leaders turn their brilliance into a movement-worthy message that grows their visibility and impact.
Storytelling is the most powerful way to influence change.
As the founder of StephanieZhong.com, I’ve helped do-good companies activate their tribes through brand storytelling and content marketing.
I’ve used the power of storytelling to:
💎 Write speeches for a client’s fundraiser that brought in 4x the donations from the previous year plus 3 major gifts from first-time donors.
💎 Create an online course that taught thousands of Planned Parenthood communications staff how to find and pitch newsworthy stories to the media.
💎 Pivot my own career three times – by translating previous experience into unrivaled value.
💎 Start the first blog to cover eco-modern style and the blog gained 100,000 readers a month before the days of Twitter – without marketing or ads.
💎 Get my work featured in Reuters, Washington Post Express, Apartment Therapy and Design*Sponge and nominated as one of the Top 10 Most Influential Design Bloggers by Design Files – without hiring a PR firm.
Let’s turn your message into a movement.
I Believe…
You make a bigger difference by owning your difference.
Marketing is a powerful medium for inspiring change.
Your Mindset + Message = A Movement.
The world doesn’t get served when you play small, so shine unapologetically.
There’s no such thing as rejection. Only alignment.
You are the authority of your experience.
#ownyourmessage
Want to work with me? Excellent!
Let’s meet and explore your options.
Fun Facts About Me
1. As a kid I was too shy to sell Girl Scout cookies.
Even to my neighbors. When someone said “no”, I’d run home and burst into tears. My mom would end up selling them for me at her work.
2. Strangers tend to pour out their life stories to me.
On buses, subways, in stores, the gas station, at work. I’ve been fascinated with people’s stories ever since.
3. I named my company after Anne Frank, who’s my s/hero.
Her diary was the first book I ever bought with my own money. She taught me that anyone – even an ordinary young girl – can change the world with her story.
4. I’m “Ma” to two sons.
My boys were 8 and 9 years old when we became a blended family. They’re full grown, but still hug and call me “Ma” after Mrs. Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie.
5. I landed a corporate finance job at GE as an English and African American studies major.
I knew I didn’t fit the mold, so I doubled down on my difference instead. I showed how my Humanities background added unique value. It was my first storytelling win.
6. I hiked an active volcano and lived to write about it.
I was young and stupid, but hey – the adventure made a tantalizing pitch for a travel piece and led to my first published piece as a writer.
7. At 40, I fell in love with the color pink and Hello Kitty.
My inner tomboy got in touch with my feminine side. And is there any brand more beloved in the world by folx of all ages and genders than Hello Kitty?
8. I overcame writing phobia by posting one haiku a day.
I wrote over 300 haiku – because I posted them online to keep myselt honest (believe me, I would have quit).
9. On a limb I asked a former Neo-Nazi-turned-peace activist if I could interview her for an article. She’s the most empathetic person I’ve ever met.
Meet Angela King. She’s another one of my s/heroes.
10. Getting older makes me bolder.
On my 45th birthday I woke up crying and couldn’t stop. A picture of a graveyard of broken dreams flashed before my eyes and from that day forward, I vowed to do the things that matter – even if they scare me.
“Stephanie ‘got’ my organization right away. She envisioned surprising potential within our brand even we couldn’t see. I love how she was able to help us bring those insights to life!”
— Grace Kim, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Dragon Kim Foundation
“Stephanie’s Own Your Message program has helped me distill the words into a more compelling message. If you’re looking to crystallize your mission for the world, I’d say sign up!”
— Jen Mayer, CEO Becoming Better Together
“Stephanie is a magician with words...and helps you pull out threads and weave them into a really beautiful fabric in which to tell the story of your business.”
— Lydia Randolph, Transformation Coach, You Are True North
The why behind it all
I’m on a mission to empower one million difference makers to claim their full worth, and use their story to create a better world – one story at a time.