Platte F. Clark seated in a wooden armchair in a navy shirt, looking at the camera

Don’t just move people. Move them to act.

Story is a technology. Not a talent.

I teach leaders and authors how it’s built.

“Platte didn’t just help with my ideas. He created some that fit perfectly into what I do.”

Jason StacyPerformance coach to Aryna Sabalenka

“One of the best‑kept secrets in the highest demand.”

Lisa NicholsFeatured in The Secret and on Oprah

“Platte really nailed it, which is no small feat ’cause I handed him a bit of chaos.”

Jay SchwedelsonUSA Today bestselling author

“If you’re looking to write a book, call Platte. He’ll show you how to elevate it that much more.”

Luke FalkFormer NFL quarterback

About

I failed creative writing in high school.

I went on to co-write Lionsgate's biggest U.S. release of 2024, sell more than 250,000 novels for Simon & Schuster, and write or shape more than thirty books for CEOs, founders, and champions, five of them national bestsellers.

I didn't get more talented. I learned how stories are built. Now I teach others what three careers taught me: how to build a story that not only informs and moves people, but spurs them to act.

Platte F. Clark standing, smiling, hands in his pockets, in a black shirt and brown shoes

The Conviction Engine^™

A story fails at one stage, not everywhere.

Every story that moves someone to act runs the same six stages. When a story falls flat, one of them has stalled. Find the stage and you can fix the story.

01 · Facts

The right evidence, and no more than the story needs.
02 · Flow

The order and timing that make each point land.
03 · Meaning
Where information starts to matter: character, conflict, change, and stakes.
- Character
- Conflict
- Change
- Stakes
04 · Emotion

Meaning, felt. The listener finds themselves in the story.
05 · Drive

The belief that they can act, that it will work, and that it will matter.
06 · Action

The only destination.

See the whole engine

Speaking

Speaking and Training

Most stories inform. Some even move people. Few change what anyone does next. I teach leaders and authors why, and how to fix it.

Recent stages
Skillsoft Leadercamp 2026 · 4,000+ leaders registered, worldwide
Speak & Write with Lisa Nichols · Houston, 2026

01 · Keynote

Story Is Architecture

Why some stories change what people do and most only inform. Meaning comes from four questions: character, conflict, change, stakes. They multiply, so zero one out and the story collapses. Most workplace stories miss two of the four. Leaders leave knowing which two, and how to fix them in the vision, the pitch, and the case for the promotion.

02 · Workshop

The Art of Storytelling

Starts where the keynote ends and goes deeper. The four questions of meaning first, then all six stages a story runs through on its way to action: facts, flow, meaning, emotion, drive, action. Hands-on from the first hour. Leaders bring a story the organization needs to land. Authors bring the book that will carry their name into the world. Everyone leaves with it rebuilt, stage by stage.

03 · Private coaching

One high-stakes story

One-on-one, for a book, a keynote, or a presentation that carries your name. Anyone can now generate a story at the push of a button, which makes the ordinary free and the rare worth more. We work until yours is the rare one.

Start Here

Three free tools. Pick yours.

01 · For leaders

The Engine Diagnostic

Leadership and storytelling go hand in hand: pitching a product, setting a vision, championing a team or a culture, putting meaning behind the numbers, making the case for your next promotion. Find out why your story isn't moving anyone. Four questions, five minutes, one story that matters to you.

Get the diagnostic

02 · For authors

The Thought Leader Compass

There are many paths up the book-writing mountain, and plenty of authors pick the wrong one. Twenty questions show your primary and secondary style, and the path with your name on it.

Take the Compass

03 · For authors with a chapter