Stories Over Surveys: Unlocking Human Truths About Work and Life | James Warren

Sep 30, 2025

James Warren, founder and CEO of Share More Stories, builds tools that blend storytelling, research, and AI to surface emotional drivers. He explains why personal stories reveal nuance surveys miss. Conversations cover prompt design that unlocks vulnerability, turning narratives into organizational change, the power of being heard, and how story-based insights guide better decisions.

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ADVICE

Prompt For Senses And Reflection

Use sensory recall prompts to surface emotional details in stories.
Ask "how did it make you feel?" and "why did you share this memory?" to reach the moral of the story.

INSIGHT

Memory And Feeling Drive Behavior

People report not just what happened but what they remember and how it felt, which drives behavior and brand impact.
Feelings often explain why similar customers act differently over time.

ANECDOTE

Silent Writing Moment That Changes People

Workshops produced quiet, focused writing moments that proved powerful and transformative.
Moving the process online increased vulnerability and completion rates unexpectedly.

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Surveys and numbers can capture averages, but they can’t reveal the raw humanity of lived experience. Stories can. Stories connect us, capture nuance and emotion, and uncover the “why” behind our choices in ways numbers never will. In this episode, Dart and James Warren talk about why stories reveal truths surveys miss, how personal narratives can be transformed into meaningful change, and how organizations can flip the script to see their people more fully.

James Warren founded Share More Stories in 2014 on the belief that everyone’s stories matter — that by listening to them, organizations can do better and be better. Today, the company combines human expression with digital tools like its SEEQ Platform to help leaders uncover deep human insights and turn them into better decisions, stronger relationships, and sustainable growth.

In this episode, Dart and James discuss:
- Why stories reveal truths surveys miss
- How prompts unlock surprising vulnerability
- Turning personal narratives into organizational change
- The role of vulnerability in leadership
- Why being heard is often the most powerful outcome
- What it means to flip the script
- Why your company is inside your people
- And other topics…

James Warren is the Founder and CEO of Share More Stories, a human experience insights company powered by the SEEQ Platform. He leads work that blends storytelling, AI, and research to uncover emotional drivers in both employee and customer experiences. Over the last decade, he’s built SEEQ into a platform that goes beyond surveys to surface the “why” behind experience. A researcher, strategist, writer, and facilitator, he helps companies listen, reflect, and act on human truths.

Resources Mentioned:
Share More Stories: https://sharemorestories.com/
SEEQ Platform: sharemorestories.com/seeq
Register to attend the UWEBC Conference, where Dart keynotes the HR track alongside Ethan Mollick and Nancy Giordano – September 30, University of Wisconsin: https://uwebc.wisc.edu/conference/registration/

Connect with James:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-warren-seeq/

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.