About us
### The best way to meet new people.
### And the best way to get to know someone better.
Welcome to The Fish and Bear Network, a movement that's bringing back the oldest form of human connection: storytelling in its purest, most spontaneous form.
## Listen And Feel Heard
It's time to truly connect again in the way that only sitting in real life, with real people, telling real-life stories can.
Stories are how we share the knowledge we have learned from our experiences, and sharing them connects us as humans. The opposite of a story is an opinion, as they are what separate us - you'll see enough of them all over your social media feed.
## Why do we call ourselves Fish & Bear?
There are basically two types of story component:
- There are 'fish' stories; I went to that lake, caught fish, and ate well.
- There are 'bear' stories; I thought it would be fun to explore those caves, but I was nearly eaten by a bear.
Our events are simple, timed, unprepared story prompts that connect to our unique and yet relatable experiences. Often, the stories told are intensely funny, sometimes emotional, but always interesting.
I call them games rather than exercises because they are fun and often frivolous, but there's no competition and no one loses - except those who don't attend! 😀
Upcoming events
3
- $20.00
Fish & Bear: The Most Interesting Conversations Every Week - Burbank/Glendale
No Stress Hydro-Gardens, 1801 South Victory Blvd, Glendale, CA, USIt looks like storytelling, but Fish & Bear is actually about creating the conditions for people to really listen to one another.
Whether you’ve known each other for ten seconds or ten years, Fish & Bear changes the way you hear one another.
Helping us stop preparing what we’re going to say and start hearing what is being said.
And in so doing, it builds strong human connection and trust.
Most of our attendees arrive solo, but we all leave with a group of friends.
The most enjoyable way to meet new people. Mostly listening, you'll hear our similarities and our uniqueness. Both peaceful & invigorating.
Great for anyone looking to connect with others, especially people new to the area, singles, or anyone seeking to expand their circle of friends and acquaintances.
[We post our events on multiple platforms. Please RSVP at fishandbear.net if you'd prefer to pay on the night.](https://fishandbear.net)
A Truly Invigorating Social Event,
Where people - often strangers - meet and tell stories.
Nobody knows what story they are going to tell.It's time to truly connect again in the way that only sitting in real life, with real people, telling real-life stories can.
Storytelling is the capability we have used to connect with one another and create the modern world. And yet, especially on social media, we have reduced storytelling to story-selling and mostly share opinions rather than real-life experiences.
Our events are simple, timed, unprepared story prompts that help everyone who listens connect to our unique and yet relatable experiences. Often, the stories told are intensely funny, sometimes emotional, but always interesting.
I call them games rather than exercises because they are fun and often frivolous, but there's no competition and no one loses - except those who don't attend! 😀
Arrive before the start.
No Stress Hydro-Gardens
We have a lovely room at the back of this hydroponics and exotic plant store for our use. Please arrive on time so that we can start promptly at 6 pm.Let the Games begin.
We will start with a couple of simple story rounds for the storytellers. The first is almost always 'The Story of your name' because everyone is the world's expert in living their life with their name.Break!
We host these events to encourage connection and community, so this break is there to keep it light and cheerful. So stretch your legs, or stand in line 🚽!Part Two.
Now that we all know this evening's storytellers, it is time to play a couple more story games to complete the structured part of the event.The End!
There's a little time to chat with your new friends while we clear up and reset the room.1 attendee - $20.00
Fish & Bear: The Most Interesting Conversations Every Week - Van Nuys
Church Of The Valley, 6565 Vesper Ave., Van Nuys 91411, CA, USIt looks like storytelling, but Fish & Bear is actually about creating the conditions for people to really listen to one another.
Whether you’ve known each other for ten seconds or ten years, Fish & Bear changes the way you hear one another.
Helping us stop preparing what we’re going to say and start hearing what is being said.
And in so doing, it builds strong human connection and trust.
The most enjoyable way to meet new people. Mostly listening, you'll hear our similarities and our uniqueness. Both peaceful & invigorating.
Most people arrive at our events solo, but we all leave as a group of friends.
[We post our events on multiple platforms. Please RSVP at fishandbear.net if you'd prefer to pay on the night.](https://fishandbear.net)
A Truly Invigorating Social Event,
Where people - often strangers - meet and tell stories.
Nobody knows what story they are going to tell.We’re bringing back real human connection through spontaneous, unscripted storytelling. No performances, no opinions, no story-selling — just real people sharing real experiences.
Storytelling is the capability we have used to connect with one another and create the modern world. And yet, especially on social media, we have reduced storytelling to story-selling and mostly share opinions rather than real-life experiences.
Our events feature simple, timed story prompts that help everyone who listens connect with our unique yet relatable experiences. Often, the stories told are intensely funny, sometimes emotional, but always interesting.
I call them games rather than exercises because they are fun and often frivolous, but there's no competition and no one loses - except those who don't attend! 😀
Arrive before the start.
Parlor Room (Within the Church of the Valley complex)
We have a sweet room and a lovely courtyard for our use, so please arrive on time so that we can start promptly at 7 pm. We shut the gates once we have started.Let the Games begin.
We will start with a couple of simple story rounds for the storytellers. The first is almost always 'The Story of your name' because everyone is the world's expert in living their life with their name.Break!
We host these events to encourage connection and community, so this break is there to keep it light and cheerful. So stretch, chat, and find the restroom across the courtyard. 🚽!Part Two.
Now that we all know this evening's storytellers, it is time to play a couple more story games to complete the structured part of the event.The End!
There's a little time to chat with your new friends while we clear up and reset the room.1 attendee - $15.00
Fish & Bear: All the fun of our in-person events, but quicker & online.
·OnlineOnlineBook using this link, as we need to limit attendance for this online event.
It looks like storytelling, but Fish & Bear is actually about creating the conditions for people to really listen to one another.Whether you’ve known each other for ten seconds or ten years, Fish & Bear changes the way you hear one another.
Helping us stop preparing what we’re going to say and start hearing what is being said.
And in so doing, it builds strong human connection and trust.
The most enjoyable way to meet new people. Mostly listening, you'll hear our similarities and our uniqueness. Both peaceful & invigorating.
This is the online version of our in-person events.
It's a shorter event, cause we are sat at screens enough already.
But we will still create the same strong connections.
So it's great if you are feeling a little isolated and unable to get to our in-person events. Maybe you're nowhere near our locations, or you are working from home.
A Truly Invigorating Social Event. Where people - often strangers - meet and tell stories.
Nobody knows what story they are going to tell.It's time to truly connect - in a way we can normally only achieve by sitting, in real life, with real people, telling real-life stories.
Storytelling is the capability we have used to connect with one another and create the modern world. And yet, especially on social media, we have reduced storytelling to story-selling and mostly share opinions rather than real-life experiences.
Our events are simple, timed, unprepared story prompts that help everyone who listens connect to our unique and yet relatable experiences. Often, the stories told are intensely funny, sometimes emotional, but always interesting.I call them games rather than exercises because they are fun and often frivolous, but there's no competition and no one loses - except those who don't attend! 😀
Arrive before the start.
We open the Zoom room at 11:45 and will start the event promptly at 12 pm noon PST.Let the Games begin.
We will start with a couple of simple story rounds for the storytellers.
The first is almost always 'The Story of your name' because everyone is the world's expert on the subject of "what it was like to live your life with your name."
Now that we all know this group's storytellers, it is time to play the 'Jigsaw' story game to create a collective perspective that is created by weaving together stories of our experiences.
We then have a quick closing round to reflect on what we've learned from this experience.
And that's it. We arrive separately and leave as a connected group of friends.
The End!
______________________________________________________
Meet the TeamLynn Ferguson | Co-founder
Lynn is the creative force behind Fish & Bear’s storytelling methodology and one of the most engaging storytellers you’ll ever experience.
An acclaimed writer, performer, actor, and stand-up comedian, she’s spent a lifetime exploring the stories we tell—and the ones that shape us. With warmth, wit, and remarkable insight, she creates the kind of room where strangers quickly become friends. (And yes, she’s also the voice of Mac the Scottish chicken in Chicken Run.)
🔗 Narrative coaching website***
Mark Tweddle | Co-founder
Mark brings together the strategy, systems, and curiosity that help Fish & Bear flourish.
An engineer with an MBA and an enduring fascination with how people, teams, and organizations work, he blends analytical thinking with deep humanity. He’s equally intrigued by complex systems, collaborative cultures… and his beloved honeybees.
🔗 FERDLE.com***
About Fish & Bear
Fish & Bear helps people build trust, deepen communication, and create meaningful connection through the timeless power of storytelling.
Their workshops and live experiences have helped leaders, teams, organizations, and communities discover that authentic stories don’t just entertain—they create empathy, strengthen relationships, and accelerate trust.
https://fishandbear.net/***
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Note: By attending this event, I hereby give my permission to FERDLE LLC, their Releases, and to the photographer, my free and unlimited consent and permission to publish/broadcast, republish/rebroadcast or exhibit in the furtherance of their work, with or without identification of me by name, any photographs, videos or audios of myself, that have been obtained from my participation in FERDLE LLC activities. I furthermore waive any and all claims for any compensation by reason thereof or for damages for reasons thereof.1 attendee
Past events
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