Inside the house
Meet the crew that brings your story to life
Jill Davis
Host
For the past 25 years, I have been helping people identify their dreams, tell their stories and share their ideas with the world. I’m a coach, speaker, author, entrepreneur and mother of four (and grandmother of two), living a life of authenticity and joy in Colorado.
I’m a lifelong lover of stories and have spent my life observing people and listening to their stories. I’ve learned the importance of stories and how they shape our world and I carry that passion into everything I do.
As a TEDx speaker coach, I realized the importance of story to connect ideas and people. Their ‘ideas worth sharing’ sparked my inspiration of ‘stories worth sharing’ and led to the creation of The Storytellers Porch: a place where stories can be shared, as an amalgamation of fables and fiction, for the pure joy of listening and telling.
I believe every story is worth sharing—in this time of global change, stories connect us and give us hope. I love hosting The Storytellers Porch and learning from every story told.
I continue to accept a few private coaching clients, and work with all speakers on The Storytellers’ Porch to help showcase their personal story for collective impact. If you’re interested in coaching, scheduling a consult or connecting directly with me, get in touch and let’s talk!
Gracie Packard
Content Manager
Gracie has been a lover of words since a young age, publishing her first book and giving her first TEDx talk on suicide prevention at a young age. Currently completing her senior year of college with a degree in psychology, she is also an expert people person. As the content manager for The Storytellers Porch, she enjoys the ability to join together her passion for people and stories alongside some of her favorite people. If she’s not working or studying, chances are you can find her working on her next book with her literary cats, Scout and Atticus.
Mark Packard
Production Manager
Mark’s love of music started as a child and continues to this very day. He has released three independent albums and continues working on his passion with The Storytellers Porch Podcast. Mark has a BS in Mathematics and a BA in Economics with a Minor in Dance. Fusing the symmetry of classical mathematics with the creativity and creation of audio and music is one of the main driving forces behind his work. He believes that rhythm is the intrinsic voice behind all of his creations and that the melodies are what brings the rhythm to life. Everyone has their own voice and rhythm and Mark will help you find yours. Mental health, wellness, and awareness are among the biggest motivations in the work he does with The Storytellers Porch. Occasionally, he will put his ballet shoes on to do some Barre work with his son.
Meet Our Porch Pets
Our four-legged friends are more than just mascots—they remind us how to love, bring us joy and keep us on our toes. Get to know the team behind the team at The Storytellers Porch!
Elphie
Scout
Cody
Stormy
Elphie is our youngest porch pet. Her favorite activities are sleeping, stretching and chasing her favorite mouse. Her Porch Pet job is keeping the fun in life. She know that things can be hard – she was a rescue cat, of course. She also knows life has a lot of fun and play in it as well. Elphie is her nickname but her proper name is Elphaba. She is named after the witch in Wicked. She is a bit of a witchy girl. Magic follows her as she plays on the porch.
Jenni Anydots is our Gumbie Cat – Jenni for short. She is the Gumbie Cat who takes care of us and the household, makes sure that everything and everyone is in order, organizes our days and our podcast. Without Jenni, we would be lost. She is our oldest cat and is grandmotherly in the way she cares for us. But don’t be fooled, although she has many lessons to teach she does it with a twinkle in her eye and love and forgiveness in her fur.
“So for Old Gumbie Cats let us now give three cheers- On whom well-ordered households depend, it appears.” – ts elliott.
Scout is our “gen Z” porch pet.
She is intelligent, compassion and courageous She is always pushing the limits and encouraging us to change the way we see the world. Although she may seem naive and a bit lazy as she snoozes on the porch, she is very curious and observes life as it unfolds.
She protects the porch from harm and invites any and everyone who visits “to come and sit a bit with a drink of milk”. She is inclusive and non-judgmental. She encourages you to come as you are.
Scout’s namesake is Scout from “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Cody is a yellow lab with a smile for everyone. He’s never met a person that he didn’t like. Whether chasing Pheasants in Kansas or Blue Grouse in the Rockies, he is happiest when out in nature. He loves to wander and believes that being outside is the closest thing to heaven on earth. Even though he wanders far and wide he always comes home to the porch, with stories to share and memories to make.
Cody gets his name from the Wild, Wild West Adventurer – Buffalo Bill Cody.
Stormy is our eldest Porch Pet and owns the title of Elder with much grace. He has weathered many troubled times throughout his life and he knows that life has ebbs and flows AND that joy is ever present, even in the roughest situations. Stormy is the mascot of Stormy Weather Productions who created and hosts the Storytellers Porch Podcast.
Stormy may not tell all of the stories that he has heard and lived but he holds them in his heart to remind us there is hope. Love Always Wins.