August 2026! Patient 13, my dark comedy solo show, goes to Scotland for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. 
Story Coaching
Whether you’re a seasoned performer or a self-professed introvert, I’ll help you find, craft and share your best stories!
With over 25 years as an actor, writer, improv, standup, sketch comic and lawyer, this coaching will improve your communication skills, public speaking, and narrative writing skills — for years to come.
- Clients include Causeability, Scenic Hudson, UPenn College of Law, US State Department, USC, Mandell Trial Lawyers, Pitney Bowes, Merck, Hour Children, 100Kin10, Ashim Ashram, Measure What Matters, and Dentons.
- Younger client workshops for iEarn US, Legal Outreach, the Girl Scouts, Calhoun school, Brooklyn Boatworks and ROW NY.
- Speechwriting clients include Martin Scorsese, Sigourney Weaver, and other celebrities and politicians.
Or email gail@practicalstorytelling.com
Workshop Offerings
- Humanity is Legal: Storytelling for Attorneys
- Buy This: Stories for Marketing and Sales
- Follow me: Leadership Stories
- Hire me: Stories for Job Interviews
- Let Stories be your Guide: Fun, friendship and creativity
Classes
- TBD
Privates / One on One:
- Recent customized storytelling coaching:
- Lawyers’ opening statements
- Podcast content and performance
- Stories for personal growth
- Story flow, public speaking coaching for business presentations and interviews
- Stories for branding
- International exchange students stories for the US State Department.
Gail is both a wonderful storyteller and teacher
Gail is both a wonderful storyteller and teacher. I love how her storytelling classes help me look back on the stories of my life, extract meaning from them, and often bring clarity. It’s such a great introspective tool. Gail is the perfect guide to accompany us on this journey. She provides a safe, open, non-judgmental space to share our personal stories. Her insight and feedback is always kind and meant to help us draft our stories in a compelling and meaningful way. Gail is funny, light-hearted and real. She cares about what she teaches and she cares about her students.
Sophie Lagace
Lawyer
She helps you to seamlessly acquire the basics of storytelling.
Gail is great! She was my first storytelling instructor and I loved her so much that I continued learning with her. She has a very pedagogical approach that helps you to seamlessly acquire the basics of storytelling. Gail really creates a welcoming atmosphere that helps students to leave any shyness behind and put their story out there for the world to listen.
David Alfaro Serrano
Associate, Cornerstone Research
It was a phenomenal event that inspired everyone
The Story Studio was an outstanding partner to us in late 2019. We reached out to them to help us with a storytelling night wherein 10 founders would tell a story about failure in their lives as entrepreneurs. Gail worked with each founder to craft, hone and practice their story. It was a phenomenal event that inspired everyone who attended.
Amanda Moskowitz
CEO and Founder, Stacklist
All of the founders said such wonderful things about you
Thank you for everything, Gail!! All of the founders you worked with said such wonderful things about you :). Looking forward to staying in touch. Your work is so meaningful and inspiring!
Courtney Mario
Stacklist (Networking for Startup Founders)
She can help coax a brilliant story out of anyone.
Gail Thomas is an instinctive and practiced story genius. She can help coax a brilliant story out of anyone. She is a teacher, story coach, and story wizard. She has a brilliant understanding of story structure. But more importantly, she has the uncanny ability to help draw out stories from students or clients that are authentic, vulnerable, relevant, and relatable. I am a better teacher, storyteller, and person after studying with Gail.
Preparing for trial, her insight was invaluable.
To help prepare my opening statement for an upcoming trial, I worked with Gail as a storytelling coach. We had a lovely session. Gail listened very carefully to every word and every single suggestion was amazing. Her insight was invaluable.
Preparing for trial, her insight was invaluable.
To help prepare my opening statement for an upcoming trial, I worked with Gail as a storytelling coach. We had a lovely session. Gail listened very carefully to every word and every single suggestion was amazing. Her insight was invaluable.
My team gives GAIL a big hand of applause!
My team gives GAIL a big hand of applause – they truly appreciated her teaching skills and her ability to create a warm and inviting place to learn. It’s been a great journey and we are excited to take these new tools into our work – to better serve our communities – THANK YOU GAIL!!!!!! You and your organizations would be well served to partner with her.
Always Incredible
Gail’s stories are always incredible. She truly has mastered the ability of taking the most difficult moments and finding their beauty.
Gastor Almonte
I Meant to Give You a Hug
Dear Gail, I meant to give you a hug when we parted tonight but didn’t have a chance. Your class means SO much to me. I lack structure, details, and self-confidence and you give me all and much more. I am still distances away from where I want to be, but you are pointing me to the right path I am looking forward to going down even after the classes end and even all by myself. It feels like a healer and a second chance, and you are so kind—I can’t thank you enough.
Meng
Student
I Loved Your Class
Gail, thank you for helping us gain more confidence by tapping into our vulnerability. I loved your class and it was a great use of my weekend.
Lianne Z.
A Wonderful Teacher
I consulted with Gail to develop stories for business. She is a wonderful teacher. She is very fun, personable and able to get the best from every person. Her knowledge and expertise in storytelling, branding and strategic communication was a great value for me. I didn’t have any idea on how to create a story (because I’m very analytical and straight to the point). But, then thanks to Gail, I was able to create four new stories – starting from scratch.
An Awesome Instructor
This class was fun, educational, and entertaining! Gail brings years of experience to the class in a safe and insightful way. The storytelling tools given to us were helpful and her feedback was spot-on, up-beat and positive. You can tell that teaching and storytelling are a real passion for Gail! She is an awesome instructor!
Kathy
A Masterful Teacher
Gail Thomas is a masterful teacher. She is smart, sensitive, open-minded and inspiring. I learned more in two days with Gail than I have in entire semesters. Highly recommend it. If you want to become a better storyteller, do yourself a favor and put yourself in her able hands. She will give you the tools and the courage you need.
Jonathan Papernick
An Invaluable Sounding Board
Gail has been an invaluable sounding board for me! From generating ideas, to editing and honing my stories, she is my go-to coach.
Tara Clancy
Her Storytelling Intuitions are Incredible
Gail helps her students help themselves. Her storytelling intuitions are incredible. The environment she creates is empathetic and supportive. She helps everyone refine and amplify their own voice.
Adam Shaw
