“Everything I do, I believe in expanding love and connection in people’s lives, their relationships, and their communities…

I do this by helping people tell and share their personal stories.”

~April Bell

“Everything I do, I believe in expanding love and connection in people’s lives, their relationships, and their communities…

I do this by helping people tell and share their personal stories.”

~April Bell

photo by: Bojana Korach Photography

-Meet April Bell-

EVER SINCE I CAN REMEMBER, I’ve loved listening to people’s stories. As a child, my mom called me “the visitor,” as I’d run off most days to visit which ever elder-neighbor would have me.

That’s me in the photo.

The homes on the small lane I grew up on in the San Francisco East Bay were occupied mostly by an older generation. I’ve always been interested in people, stories, and creativity.

In the early 1990s, I began my media career in the fast-paced, exciting, and deadline-intense world of major daily newspapering; I also obtained my degree in psychology. My newspaper career spanned thirteen years. I was in leadership, on the production-graphics side; Prepress.

In 2008 I had the opportunity to reinvent my path and stepped into my current passion as a wisdom-keeper. As a young person, I never could have imagined how the foundational skills of my early adulthood would intersect; I now combine my education in psychology, my experience in leadership, and the graphics and technical skills I learned in my early career.

The daughter of an artist and a mobile tech pioneer, I am enlivened by assisting folks in creatively communicating their stories through technology. Since 2008, I’ve been gently guiding people to tap into the essence of who they truly are, artfully capturing that on video.

Over the years, I’ve honed my listening skills, as I am a natural at deeply connecting with others. I help people craft the narratives which matter to them most.

My clients include families, individuals, organizations, and businesses who value the power of story.

What excites me these days is facilitating the transformative gift of personal storytelling through engaging retreats and courses. My focus lends toward spoken word stories, so people daunted by writing love my process.

I am an innovator, recognized by The New York Times, USA TODAY, and WIRED and others, for bringing the Ethical Will and legacy storytelling via an interview-style format to the masses through the co-creation of StoryCatcher for iOS, launched in 2013. For nine years and running our app has helped thousands capture and share their most cherished stories on video.

For fun I enjoy riding my mountain bike, sailing on the San Francisco Bay, trekking in the High Sierra, and exploring the mysteries of the human spirit and condition.

Ultimately, it is our stories that connect and bind us, today and into the future.

What’s your story?

April Bell

photo by: Bruce Appleberry

Running off to hear stories!

april bell

photo by: Graham King-Final Frame

Conducting a legacy interview with beautiful Lucy.

My purpose is to help and guide others in finding
and telling their most meaningful stories

I’m lit up by the experience people have participating in the processes I’ve developed to help them find and tell the origin stories behind their values.

  • They see themselves in a new light
  • They evaluate their lives on a deeper level
  • They connect in a real way with those they share their stories with, be it family, friends, their teams, customers, or complete strangers
  • Often, they tap into an ephemeral yet deep understanding of their place within our greater human family

What better place to stand than upon a foundation supported by the stories of who you are, what’s shaped you, and why you do what you do?

-Kind Words on Working with April Bell-

Saul Smith - Los Angeles, Ca

“April Bell was impeccable in every aspect of the production, and the result is nothing short of fantastic. She has my highest admiration.

I lost my own parents before meeting Ms. Bell. If you’re fortunate to still have yours, don’t miss the opportunity to have them interviewed, and their stories memorialized for you and your children, and their children, to enjoy. Reach out now to Ms. Bell to start the journey. “

~photo of Saul’s in-laws from 2016 Family Legacy Documentary

Elizabeth Daskarolis - Oakland, Ca

“Tree of Life Legacies, offers an invaluable service for ALL people ー We all have lives filled with great stories, and by recording them we come closer to ourselves, to where we have been, where we are, and where we are going ー April’s skills of compassion, empathy, and a wide-open heart and ear beautifully facilitate this gift of self-discovery ー What could be better than that?”

 

~Family Legacy Interview; 2012, ‘My Life in Paragraphs’ Workshop; 2019

Jay P. Renneisen, Esq. - Walnut Creek, Ca

“I hired April Bell to do a personal history video of my mother and her two sisters. Wow! They all loved April and how she captured so much of their family and individual stories! I would recommend April to anyone who wants to document on video some of their most precious family history and loved ones.”

~Family Legacy Interviews; 2015

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