School of Legend is an intimate leadership journey that builds trust, authenticity and purpose in Orange County
Live Your Best Story
Own your story.
Elevate your presence.
Be heard.
School of Legend is a leadership journey that will transform your presence on the large and small stage. In this year-long study, you will rediscover and reshape your most essential stories and messages—and the meaning that matter the most.
Through game-changing Legend Shows, monthly development sessions, expert teachings, and hands-on stage development with Jay Golden, you'll shape and deliver your core story on stage, while practicing the art of leading with authenticity and impact.
One-Year Journey Begins February 5th, 2026
Monthly meetings will take place on first Thursday afternoons
An Evolution in Communications
For five years, leaders in Orange County have participated in Legend groups where CEOs and next-level leaders work together to find, shape and share their most essential stories in order to elevate their organizations, their social media presence, and speak with authenticity.
Something powerful happened: trust grew from leaders getting real with their lived experiences. Stories drove impact. And real vulnerability built relationships. From this work, on stage, in board meetings, and in critical conversations. The stories that were told spread far and wide, and the process resulted in new jobs, board seats, and fundraising opportunities.
While the focus of School of Legend is on skill-building, this community impact is a gift that keeps giving.
And yet, the most important change in this work happens on the inside. Each re-calibrated story you tell—the real, purposeful application of your lived wisdom—is needed now more than ever.
Benefits:
Get on stage: Each member will develop their story, in their pod and with Jay’s guidance, to tell live onstage at a Legend Event.
A platform to develop: Tools, techniques, modeling and feedback to help you revamp your small stage and large stage communications from the inside out
Trust building builds visibility: Share, reflect and guide others through their story in a trusting environment, building relationships that become collaborations, job opportunities, board seats, and result in meaningful change
Mastery of an ancient craft in a modern world: Refine your smaller and greater stories, sharing where your wisdom is most needed
Mutual support and collaboration: A ready-made audience supporting your communications, speeches, transformations, book launches, sharing resources, and showing up at each other's events
Peer coaching and accountability: Members grow their own story coaching and story-listening capacity, and the pods become a practice ground to work on the great stories of your life.
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![Julie Hudash]()
“I believe as human beings we all need to know, embrace and be able to articulate our purpose and passion in life. If you’re a leader compelled to dig into your personal story, to find your authentic voice, I highly recommend joining one of Jay’s coaching pods. Just warning you though, be ready to lean into the transformational journey of self awareness and purpose.”
—Julie Hudash, Founder and CEO, Team Kids
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![Rebecca Hall]()
“I would recommend Jay's Storytelling Cohort to anyone! I met amazing people and worked on my own stories. I’ve been working on other people's stories for nearly 30 years and finally made the commitment to do it myself. It's so powerful! Thank you Jay Golden!”
—Rebecca Hall, CEO IdeaHall
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![Dawn Reese]()
“Because of this work, I ask better questions. I am a better listener, and I’m a better writer. Plus - he is an amazing person, and an advocate for our nonprofit sector. And I have built deep friendships with cohort members.”
—Dawn Reese, CEO, The Wooden Floor
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![Greg Hulsizer]()
“You helped me cultivate a sense of introspection. Now I’m wired to see teachable moments – what’s happening with me, around me, and to me, and translate these into valuable insights to share.”
—Greg Hulsizer, Former CEO, Leadership Coach
“Jay’s story coaching and CEO pods have not only created better storytellers, they’ve created lifelong friends and helped to build boards, raise money and change lives.”
You’ll Leave With:
A collection of your most essential retellable stories for use in many forms, including small stage or large stage, writing, social media, and podcasts.
A new daily practice of insight translation to apply in media, in writing, in leadership, and in life.
Fluency in practices and methods, including using the Journey Curve framework to create impactful fundraising pitches, management moments, messaging, writing, and keynotes.
Elevated confidence to speak your heart and mind.
A network of trusted leaders with whom you’ve shared authentic moments, growth and memorable stories.
A platform to cultivate the next phase of your career.
“Jay delivers an inner sense of knowing, alignment, personal connection to story and audience, which is the perfect recipe to create powerful impact. Thank you for all you do Jay, you are truly a gift for so many leaders!””
How School of Legend Works:
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Rise to the Stage
Putting on a Legend Show is an initiatory process that will challenge you to bring your best gifts. You will be trained by Jay Golden to find and deliver your story for one of four shows that will occur over the year. In this, many stories will come up that you will nurture and develop over the coming year.
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Deep Collaboration
Work with a core group of leaders to develop your core stories as you strengthen your own coaching and story-listening abilities. Workshop key stories, collaborate on key challenges, and shape emergent insights. This work develops content and connections that help you grow together.
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Monthly Expert Story Seminars
Monthly virtual sessions will feature four storytellers speaking to the entire community with live coaching and reflections. Every other month will feature experts in storycraft, improvisation, presence, story-based media training, story-to-book, and telling the story of your career transition.
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Essential Story Collection
While you may have 5,000 photos in your phone, where are your essential stories? Over the process of the School, you will shape, refine, and record a core collection of your most important insights and transformations, delivered in retellable stories.
What you will bring to School of Legend:
A willingness to grow, learn and share your most important stories.
An openness to help and reflect insights to those other leaders around you.
The dedication to show up twice a month for meetings - once in person, and once in virtual meeting with the whole community.
Space is limited.
Participants will be considered following application submission.