Egoless Storytelling with Ivana De Maria

Actor, writer, producer, entrepreneur, and storyteller Ivana De Maria is here to talk about the importance of communication through story. She believes that we learn from telling our stories and listening to stories, even ones that we may not agree with or that are different than ours. She feels so passionately about this process that she has created an app called StoryPlace that enables ordinary people to tell extraordinary stories. Ivana grew up in the entertainment world and began acting, but she soon discovered that writing and producing would enable her to tell the stories that she wanted to tell. Ivana studied finance and law at Boston University and has attended several acting schools. She has starred in a number of independent films and TV shows. She is also a series regular on the TV series "Beauty and the Beasts" (La Bella y las Bestias) which airs on  Primetime Univison. Show Notes [03:21] Ivana grew up in the entertainment world her brothers are producers. She has always been in media and has always loved interpreting people. [05:18] Ivana started as an actress, but she soon realize that she had stories that she wanted to tell. She then began developing her own content, and she also realized that we are living in a time when that is possible. [06:02] She writes, produces, and then acts in with her own content. She then started producing content based on true stories. [06:51] She now wants to find the stories that are worth telling. All around the world. Her app gives people the voice to tell their stories. [08:26] Truth was lacking in social media. The real story is the egoless story. [10:30] Being an entrepreneur can be overwhelming. Breaking things down into smaller steps definitely makes large projects more attainable. [11:07] Even though the unknown is scary and a bit exciting, Ivana started taking chances on herself. [11:57] Being an entrepreneur requires a lot of discipline and can be very difficult. [12:34] people want to be a part of something that they care about, and this has given Ivana a strength to believe in what she cares about. [13:07] Discipline, perseverance, and passion are three characteristics of entrepreneurs. [13:47] She is the youngest of seven children. her mother led them by example, because it's not what you give your children it's what you teach your children. [15:49] Ivana learned to be independent at a young age similar to how a stray dog can take care of itself. [16:25] She is a lifelong learner and has a tattoo that says eternal learning. [18:07] You can do a lot of different things as long as you are organized and true to yourself. [19:47] She studied business and law in college. She knew the business side of things, but an app is different. [21:25] StoryPlace is a free app. Ivana wants to solve the empathy deficit. [29:01] A big part of StoryPlace will be teaching people the culture of storytelling and why their story matters. [30:46] A person's opinion is only their opinion. Rejection shouldn't be taken to heart. [33:15] 95% of everything that Ivana does is based on her instincts. It took her years to develop the skills to trust her own instincts. [35:39] Each role she acted in gave her new perspectives. Light a flashlight on a wall, she wants her light and perspectives to fill the whole wall. [37:09] Every story is a new perspective and makes us better people. Be able to acknowledge that there is a story different than years. [38:43] Woman often commit to give 100%, but make a conscious choice of where those percentages will go. This is the definition of being empowered. Be intentional and realistic about where you will give your energy.   Links and Resources: ivana@mariasfilms.com @ivanadmaria on Twitter @ivanamaria on Instagram Ivana De Maria on LinkedIn Ivana De Maria StoryPlace