Storytelling Lessons From Tommy Boy

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a great scene from the movie Tommy Boy that displays the power of storytelling in a silly but meaningful way. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tommy, played by Chris Farley, is in a restaurant with his friend and business partner Richard, who was played by David Spade. Tommy is the son of “Big Tom’ Callahan, the owner of Callahan Auto, a successful auto parts business in Sandusky, Ohio. And even though “Big Tom'' is a master at sales, Tommy, or Tommy Boy as he is known, is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It took him seven years to graduate from Marquette University, and even then, he barely made it out. Tommy Boy is</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">gifted</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">given an executive position within the company. This annoys Richard, who has been a loyal, hardworking employee and understands the nuances of the company and the business. Tommy Boy is set to cruise through life in his cozy office with the mini fridge and the Star Wars fan.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But during his fathers wedding, ‘Big Tom’ collapsed while dancing and, to the shock of the guests, died of a massive heart attack on the spot. The company is sent into disarray, as the heart and leader of the company was suddenly gone. All of the hopes, to keep the company going and save the jobs of all of the employees, rested on the giant shoulders of Tommy Boy. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The problem is, he sucks at sales. And without the trust that his dad had, the bank backed out of a promised loan for their new brake pad division. On top of that, they wanted immediate payment of all of the debt that the company owed. So it is up to Tommy Boy to go cross country, to try to sell a certain amount of brake pads to get the money to keep the business alive. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hilarity ensues as Tommy