Do you have a story you tell in your keynote or presentation that brings your audience along with you on a journey? Does your story evoke emotions and provoke thought? Can you tell it in under five minutes?

We want YOU in our 2025 Last Standing Story competition!

The NSA Last Story Standing Competition is the local competition where the winner competes at Regionals and has a chance to tell their story at Influence on the BIGGEST stage!

This year’s competition will take place on Tuesday, February 4 from 6-830pm at Batch, a great space that has hosted numerous Austin-area storytelling events over the years. Three of our own exceptional speakers in the NSA Austin community will serve as the competition judges – Sara Canaday, Jim Cathcart, and Jim Comer!

Registration for the competition will be open from January 7 to January 17. We will cap the number of participants at 10 (and it is required that participants be members of NSA Austin chapter), and the cost for each participant will be $25.

A Last Story Standing Chapter winner will be announced at the end of the February 4 event. The winner will then tell their story at the beginning of the Friday, February 7 NSA Austin Chapter meeting (which starts at 9am). There, they will have their story professionally recorded so that it can be submitted to NSA National for the Regional Competition.

Think this might be for you?!

Here are the Last Story Standing details as found on NSA National’s website. And here are the competition Rules, Regulations, and FAQs. Start working on your story!

If you do not plan to submit a story – you can still be involved and support your fellow storytellers by joining in as an audience member on February 4! There is no charge to attend the event, though you are welcome to purchase food and drinks at Batch.

If you have any questions about the competition, contact NSA Austin Board Member Bobby Hulme-Lippert.

Bobby Hulme-Lippert was the Last Story Standing Austin Chapter winner in 2024. This could be you in 2025!