Instructor Highlight!

HONE Narrative Workshop: 8 weeks of brand storytelling

Journalism and media are very tough markets to navigate successfully—as a media brand, Whetstone’s never been immune to those rough waters. This year saw many media professionals lose hard-won and well-deserved jobs at legacy institutions. But there’s good news out there, too.

Some of our favorite media personalities made the pivot from classic affiliations to better leverage their personal brand, building and maintaining enormous followings as they continued to work from the frontlines. We’re here for that.

Forbes called 2024 the year of the personal brand. If you’re a media professional considering new market entry points or a more entrepreneurial strategy, let’s talk! Our Narrative Workshop series kicks off June 18, and we’d love to help you prepare for the next stage in your professional storytelling journey.

Learn from Industry Leaders

The Power of Storytelling taught by Stephen Satterfield. Stephen Satterfield is one of the most respected and preeminent food storytellers in the United States: ​​founder of Whetstone Media and HONE Talent, Peabody Award winner and 2x NAACP Image Award recipient. 

Publishing Distribution taught by Alicia Kennedy. A food and culture writer from New York, Alicia’s work has recently appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, Vox, and Bon Appétit. Her weekly newsletter, From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy, has been mentioned by the New York Times; Vogue; T: The New York Times Style Magazine; and New York Magazine.

Your Narrative Net Worth: Building your Personal Brand Framework taught by Shanika Hillocks of HONE Talent. Shanika has nearly 20 years of hospitality experience, with successful collaborations including Resy, Target, Walmart’s Black & Unlimited, Blue Note Entertainment Group and The Basquiat Family Estate. Her workshop, “Personalizing Your Story,” is designed to help you construct your personal brand framework rooted in mission. 

Adapting your Story to the Marketplace taught by Marisa Dobson of HONE Talent. Marisa comes from the worlds of digital media, publishing, lifestyle and culinary arts. With 15 years of noteworthy matchmaking expertise, Marisa connects brands with creatives and inventors to investors. Her workshop, “Adapting your Story to the Marketplace,” will help you identify and connect with businesses that align with your audience. Sticky stories, conversion, and trend analysis—your brand will be more marketplace-ready after this one.

Archetypes: Types of Stories taught by Emily Vizzo. Emily Vizzo is a writer and educator who has taught at the University of California, San Diego; University of Denver; Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, and other institutions. Author of two books, Emily is a former print journalist who began her career covering Congress for Scripps Howard News Service. She now consults with brands on how to communicate more usefully and memorably with their current and prospective audiences. 

Digital Distribution co-taught by Gabrielle Lenart and Celine Glasier of Whetstone Media. Celine is a food anthropologist, creative director, and producer. She has spearheaded productions for Google, Netflix and Target and worked on season 2 of Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street TV, an Emmy Award-winning culinary show. Celine has worked with Whetstone Media as an executive producer for the past seven years, building the highly rated and award-winning Whetstone Radio Collective, a network of 10 podcasts about food anthropology.

Gabrielle is a content strategist and digital marketing expert with over 7 years of experience working with food, beverage and hospitality brands. Raised with a deep appreciation for food equity, she is tenacious in her pursuit to change the food system one day at a time, shown through her commitment as co-founder of Queer Food Foundation and Pantry Magazine.

Owning your Narrative. This capstone class is taught by Stephen Satterfield in week 8 with themes including inspiration, application, and embodying your story beyond the course. 

Curious to learn more about Narrative Workshop? Reach out and let us know what’s cooking. Book a call with our team to learn how Narrative Workshop can help your career ambitions.