SPEAK UP! Tell your Story to Influence Others: A Guide to Storytelling with a Multicultural Approach

by Susana G. Baumann

Author Susana G Baumann believes there has never been a timelier moment to publish a book that speaks to the increasing assaults on our multiculturalism as a people and our diversity as a country of immigrants. As diversity expands in the United States, ethnic, cultural, gender, and ability gaps widen in the workplace and the community. The tension caused between forces that resist change and those pushing for change can be addressed with stories that teach, inspire, and bring us together.

Learning these storytelling tools will build your strengths upon your leadership values and skills, character traits, and cultural attributes to increase opportunities to hold your ground and finally overcome your fear of public speaking or “imposter syndrome.” Get ahead and achieve your personal, work, or professional purpose with these simple tools that will make you stand out from the crowd and influence those who really matter.

301 pages, Paperback

Published May 30, 2024

Reviews

[Reader Views · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Speak Up! Tell Your Story to Influence Others” by Susana G. Baumann is an empowering guide that blends practical storytelling advice with personal experiences while focusing on a multicultural perspective. Baumann’s own stories about her journey from Argentina to the U.S., surviving a car accident, and her experiences with different challenges such as ageism, serve as compelling examples of how personal narratives can be used to inspire others and build your personal brand.

Baumann’s book is rich in advice, offering unique prompts and strategies to help her readers develop their personal brands and leadership styles while honing their images. The content is well-structured, and Baumann avoids the usual rigidity of other instructional works by favoring a narrative style. By sharing her own stories to illustrate her points and advice she creates a much clearer view of what she is teaching her readers. This also keeps Baumann accessible and relatable as an author, a tool that helps make her advice resonate and showcase how personal narratives can really be a tool for professional growth. Many of these stories are quite funny and have references to popular culture that will be interesting for readers. It also makes the book just plain fun to read!

Baumann is a prime example of her own advice, as the strength of this book lies in her own narratives and the way she explores difficult topics like microaggressions and systemic challenges in the workplace. Her multicultural approach is fantastic, providing readers with tools to turn their differences into strengths. The book is also organized logically, with part one breaking up how storytelling can be influential and what it can look like and part two providing the details of how to make storytelling work for you while providing plenty of examples and scenarios. Baumann also uses recognizable narrative terms to describe the different parts of storytelling, which helps keep her writing accessible.

Overall, “Speak Up!” is a strong blend of motivational insight and actionable steps, with engaging storytelling throughout. Her multicultural approach will appeal to a wide variety of readers looking for new ways to build their personal brand and excel in their professional goals.

[George Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speak Up! Tell Your Story to Influence Others is a clear, practical, and timely guide to using storytelling as a tool for leadership, confidence, and meaningful influence.

Susana Baumann presents storytelling not as performance, but as a skill grounded in authenticity, cultural awareness, and purpose. The book’s step-by-step framework helps readers identify their own stories, understand their audience, and communicate with clarity whether in professional, community, or personal settings.

Approachable, inclusive, and grounded in real-world experience, this book is especially valuable for readers navigating public speaking anxiety, imposter syndrome, or leadership communication in diverse environments. A strong, actionable resource for anyone who wants their voice to matter.

[Nompumelelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It is an informative and educational read. The writer takes the reader step-by-step through the process of narrating their own story. Drawing from her personal experiences, the writer uses her own story to illustrate how to use one's experiences in story-telling for maximum impact. This book deserves to be on the bookshelf of every writer.

[chiara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 – attendete la mia super dettagliata review che giungerà presto

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reads as an essay on multiculturalism, helping readers to understand the importance of storytelling in both professional and personal contexts.


I received a free review copy. Thank you to OnlineBookClub and author.