How about this for an intro to a press release? The release is promoting Crucibles of leadership - how to learn from experience to become a great leader by Robert Thomas.
"In medieval times, a crucible was the vessel in which alchemists attempted to turn base metals into gold. In a leadership context, we think of a crucible as a transformative experience in which a person extracts his or her “gold” in a new or altered sense of identity and purpose."