Michael McRay
“One of nashville’s leading story experts”
- TEDX
“ONE OF THE BEST STORYTELLING FACILITATORS IN THE BUSINESS”
— David Hutchens, internationally-regarded storytelling trainer
Michael McRay is a nationally recognized storytelling expert, experiential coach, and keynote speaker who helps people and organizations become better stories. He’s the Head of the Istoria Institute, a global hub for narrative intelligence; the founder of Becoming Restoried, a life-story coaching practice rooted in experiential healing; and the host of Tenx9 Nashville, the city’s longest-running monthly storytelling event with over 1,000 stories told across nearly 12 years. Michael is the award-winning author of I Am Not Your Enemy and the forthcoming book The Wild Way: Navigating the Space Between the Old Story and the New (October 2025). Michael has brought his work to places like NASA, TEDx, Cisco, Accenture, and beyond. He lives in Nashville with his son and a deep love for wonder, words, and the wild.
Trusted by leaders at:
Watch michael’s 2022 TEDx.
With over 120k views, this is his most personal, vulnerable talk. It’s his story of how relentless self-curiosity has helped him heal from trauma. He shares how he went from being voted “Best All Around” in high school to journaling self-hatred messages to finally attempting suicide. And he shares the realization he had in 2019 that explained it all.
“I get the privilege of curating one of the world’s premier gatherings for storytellers. After 6 years of events and 100+ speakers, Michael remains one of our top-rated and most-loved speakers. That’s why we have continued to partner with him not only as a speaker, but a go-to coach for our community.
He’s quite simply one of the best there is.”
— HARRIS III @harrisiii
FOUNDER OF ISTORIA COLLECTIVE, DIRECTOR OF STORY GATHERINGS
Work with michael
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BECOMING RESTORIED LIFE COACHING
Experiential in-person solo intensives. 12-week cohorts. Private online coaching.
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STORYTELLING COACHING
Level-up your storytelling intelligence and skill with private, personalized coaching.
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WORKSHOPS & TRAINING
Explore organizational offerings around storytelling, resolving conflict, team building, and experiential learning.
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BOOK A KEYNOTE
See Michael’s signature talk and his most requested topics.
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STORYTELLING MASTERCLASS
Enroll in Michael’s masterclass in leadership storytelling with David Hutchens.
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BUY A BOOK
Shop Michael’s books, including I Am Not Your Enemy (2020 Best Book Award in Social Change, American Book Fest)
Raise your narrative intelligence with Michael’s email series.
In this three-week email series, Michael shares crucial story learning that will level-up your narrative intelligence, cultivate a story mindset, and increase your potential for impact and influence.
On Michael’s Writing
“I encourage us all to listen.”
— Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, from the foreword to Where the River Bends
“Michael McRay gets poignantly to the heart of the matter. [I Am Not Your Enemy] is incisive, smart, and acutely necessary for our times.”
— Colum McCann, bestselling author of Apeirogon, winner of National Book Award
“[I Am Not Your Enemy is] important, timely, and needed.”
— Ishmael Beah, bestselling author of A Long Way Gone, from the foreword
“Where the River Bends … offers depth of insight and perspective that is rare yet essential if we are going to move to higher ground.”
— Michelle Alexander, bestselling author of The New Jim Crow
“[I Am Not Your Enemy] is a muscle, an ache, a practice of asking the troubling questions at the heart of peace.”
— Pádraig Ó Tuama, host of Poetry Unbound with On Being, author of In the Shelter
“Michael McRay brilliantly weaves stories … Read [I Am Not Your Enemy] and be moved to tears yet also inspired by hope.”
— Raja Shehadeh, critically-acclaimed author of We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I, National Book Award nominee
I am on a mission to accompany people looking to transform their lives and work. HOw? Story. And the good news is—it’s easier than you’ve imagined.
The conversation is just the beginning.
Location: Nashville, Tennessee.