Veronica Appleton could have given up.

After receiving 70 rejections, most people probably would have.

But Veronica was confident the children’s book she wrote had a powerful story that would resonate with readers. So she took every negative response from literary agents and publishing houses in stride, and she kept moving forward. That’s just what she does.

It took eight years, but Veronica finally got “Journey to Appleville” published. The book explores what six kids can accomplish when they have a common goal in mind.

It not only serves as an inspiration for children, but the story of how it came to be embodies Veronica’s positive spirit.

“Rejection didn’t stop me,” she said. “It didn’t stop me from creating things that families would appreciate.”

On her personal website, Veronica quotes Maya Angelou and explains that once you realize “you alone are enough,” you can accomplish anything. She is a testament to that. Besides being a children’s author, Veronica is a scholar, a lecturer, a professional speaker, a curriculum designer, and a senior vice president at Publicis Media.

She’s also a storyteller.

Opening doors

Veronica’s passion is to take on challenges and open doors for people who may not be able to open them for themselves.

In her role as senior vice president for sustainability, community, and client engagement, Veronica focuses on how employees interact with their communities and support causes they care about.

“I love that I get to be excited every day about how we’re helping our people,” she said. “That may be showing commitment to an account focused on feeding the homeless, giving back to children, or helping a nonprofit that is contributing to a bigger and better impact in the community.”

As an adjunct lecturer at DePaul University, Veronica teaches in the School of Continuing Professional Studies and the College of Communication. She’s spent the past 10 years teaching about organizational communications as well as organizational theory and leadership.

She serves as head learning facilitator for a women’s leadership executive education program at Yale University. She also routinely talks about personal and professional development as a keynote speaker for Fortune 500 organizations.

As an author, Veronica continues to try and inspire readers about their own potential. She’s published three books to date. “TuTu Goes to School” was a follow-up to “Journey to Appleville,” while “Mama, Why?” was her introduction into the world of comic books.

“Mamy Why” tackles the reality of gun violence and the role parents and local leaders must play to create a safe environment for children.

“A child by the name of Malcolm sees an issue in his community and he wants to create a solution for it by bringing his community together,” Veronica said. “It’s a beautiful story of collective change.”

Growing as a storyteller

Veronica loves the diversity that comes with her varied responsibilities, but the common thread she sees among all she does is storytelling.

“I like to think of storytelling as a form of leadership, and I also think leadership also requires storytelling,” she said. “Research shows that when we make decisions, when we connect with people, or when we want them to do more, whether it’s in the workplace or our personal lives, we are creating narratives and stories along the way.”

Veronica has always considered herself a storyteller. She still remembers the middle school teacher who questioned the validity of a paper she wrote about the Gettysburg Address because it was written so well. As she’s grown, she’s learned one of the best ways to become a better storyteller is to embrace silence.

Listening is an art, she said, and it’s powerful.

“Silence is so important when you are learning to become a better storyteller,” Veronica said. “Nonverbal behavior comes into play quite a bit, not only just reviewing and seeing body language, but there’s eye contact. There’s body posture.”

When she does speak, Veronica knows the tone of her voice matters.

“People can hear excitement for sure,” Veronica said, “but they can also hear interest and an appetite to grow and learn.”

She always tries to convey that learning tone, because she knows growth — and becoming a better storyteller — is a lifelong journey.

“I believe I’m a student of many different things and of many different people, because I’m still learning,” she said. “Being a storyteller, it never stops.”

​

3 storytelling tips for you

1) Embrace the power of silence

Whether you’re giving a speech or conducting an interview, silence can feel awkward. Don’t be afraid of it. That quiet gives the person you’re talking with space to think. Many times, intentionally pausing helps your story resonate or gives audiences the space to think.

2) Recognize what your audience needs

As a teacher, Veronica knows her students sometimes need extra time for homework. She could take a hard-line stance, but instead, she talks with them. She works with them to come to a resolution. Your storytelling will only become stronger the more you help your audience.

3) Don’t give up on your story

It would have been easy for Veronica to never publish her first children’s book, but she believed in it. She thought it had value, even after 70 rejections. If your story doesn’t land with your audience, don’t bail on it. Examine what went wrong and consider other ways to share it.