Skills LabPast eventThe Art of Storytelling Under Pressure
This Skills Lab has already taken place. We run these sessions regularly — more like it are on the way. Get notified about the next one.
Storytelling is the #1 most underrated skill in business. Learn to turn your ideas into meaning, trust, and action-in 60 seconds or less.
In an age of AI-generated content, having information isn't enough. What sets you apart is the ability to turn that information into meaning, trust, and action. This free 90-minute masterclass teaches you a proven narrative framework-the same one behind KouLi-so you can structure and deliver compelling stories for pitches, presentations, interviews, founder conversations, and any high-stakes communication moment where clarity wins.
Participants leave with a framework they can practice immediately — and keep practising with KouLi, the AI communication coach built on the exact method.
Event details
Past event- Date
- Thursday 4 June 2026
- Time
- 16:00–17:30
- Location
- CodeBase Edinburgh, 37A Castle Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2EL
- Cost
- Free to attend
- Capacity
- Limited to around 20 participants
Want to hear about the next Skills Lab, or have a question about future sessions? Contact Adam at adam@kouli.io.
Delivered by Adam Chalmers
The session will be delivered by Adam Chalmers, Professor at the University of Edinburgh and Founder of KouLi. Adam has 20 years' experience teaching communication, presentation, argumentation, and professional skills to students, professionals, founders, and executives.
You can read more about Adam here.
What You'll Learn
A practical 90-minute masterclass to help you structure, sharpen, and deliver stories that land.
Build a clear story
Turn an idea, experience, or insight into a simple narrative people can follow.
Cut through the noise
Learn how to avoid rambling and get straight to the message that matters.
Speak under pressure
Practice answering in a way that feels structured, calm, and convincing.
Make it stick
Use tension, contrast, and a clear ending so your story gets remembered.
Adapt it everywhere
Shape the same experience for a pitch, interview, presentation, or founder conversation.
Sound more confident
See how structure supports confidence, conviction, and presence.
Who This Is For
This masterclass is for anyone who communicates under pressure: anyone who needs to turn complex thoughts into a 60-second story that lands.
Founders & Business Leaders
Pitching investors, explaining products, earning trust quickly, or leading with clarity.
Professionals Presenting
Explaining ideas in meetings, presenting to leadership, or standing out in high-stakes moments.
Career Changers & Jobseekers
Interviewing, explaining your transition story, or answering "Tell me about yourself" with structure and impact.
Students & Graduates
Preparing for interviews, internships, presentations, or stepping into your first professional role.
Anyone facing a high-stakes moment
You have something valuable to say. This session helps you say it with more structure, clarity, and impact.
How It Works
This is not a lecture. You'll build, practice, refine, and pressure-test a real story you'll use immediately.
- 1
Frame the problem
Why storytelling, structure, and presence matter more in an AI-saturated workplace.
- 2
Learn the KouLi Story Framework
A simple structure for turning experience into meaning: context, challenge, choice, change, and impact.
- 3
Build your story
Choose a real experience and shape it into a short, clear narrative.
- 4
Practice in pairs
Deliver your story out loud and get simple, useful peer feedback.
- 5
Pressure-test it
Retell the same story as an interview answer, pitch, or presentation moment.
- 6
Leave with a reusable framework
Walk away with a clearer story and a structure you can use again and again.
Session Resources
Resources we'll use in the room — and that you can start practicing with right now.
Story Flashcards
Two interactive decks — Business and General — built around the KouLi five-beat framework. Read the opening moment, finish the story in your head, then flip the card to compare your beats with ours. We'll use these in pairs during the in-person session.
InterviewThe moment
Two days before the deadline, the client changed the entire brief.
One Hour Isn't Enough. That's Why We Built KouLi.
The masterclass teaches you the framework. But becoming fluent at storytelling under pressure requires practice-lots of it. KouLi is the AI communication coach built on the exact method you'll learn in this session. After the masterclass, you'll use KouLi to practice high-stakes moments on your own time: pitches to investors, interview answers, difficult questions, presentations to leadership. Every session makes the feedback more personalized and the practice more targeted.
Practice Anytime
Don't wait for opportunities. Practice whenever you want.
Get Personalized Feedback
KouLi learns your background and tailors every question.
Track Real Progress
See your delivery improve with every session.
Want to keep practising between sessions? Explore KouLi — the AI communication coach built on the exact method taught in these Skills Labs.
Why This Matters Now
AI can generate content, but it can't build trust, hold attention, or respond under pressure the way a human can.
The scarce skill isn't information anymore-it's the ability to turn information into meaning. Whether you're interviewing, pitching, leading, or representing your team, you need to say the right thing clearly when it matters. This masterclass gives you the structure and practice to do exactly that.
Prefer to explore first? Back to KouLi homepage.
All Skills Labs
We run free, practical Skills Labs on the communication skills that matter most under pressure. Here's where past and upcoming sessions appear — more are on the way.
The Art of Storytelling Under Pressure
Want to join the next one?
We're planning more Skills Labs like this. Drop us a note and we'll let you know as soon as the next session opens for registration.
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