In 2009, Ann marie Houghtailing launched her practice as a business development expert with only $5 in her pocket, a Macbook, and a truck-load of tenacity in the worst economic climate of her life. Just one year later, she was the Corporate Alliance Partner for the Institute for Sales and Business Development at the University of San Diego. Since then, Houghtailing has developed a reputation as one of the most sought-after business development and storytelling experts in the country and speaks regularly on Narrative Leadership and how to use storytelling as a tool of influence in business with her trademarked Narrative Imprinting® process. She has trained thousands of people in 42 states and abroad, delivered a TEDx talk, and is currently working with a California men’s state prison to bring storytelling to incarcerated men as a tool of learning, empowerment and connection to the outside. In 2018, Houghtailing will launch the Center for Corporate Storytelling with California International Business University. This groundbreaking program will offer the nation’s first academic certification in Corporate Storytelling. Her writing regularly appears in national mainstream press outlets including the Washington Post, Huffington Post, Daily Worth, XO Jane, San Diego Business Journal, Yahoo! Finance, San Diego Union Tribune, Motherwell, and Thought Catalog. Houghtailing has also written and performed two one-woman shows, Renegade Princess and Raising Humans. Over the last two years, Houghtailing’s Acts of Love program has donated all proceeds of her performances to worthy organizations and raised more than $35,000 for people in need.