Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies

When you step on stage, I know you want to feel comfortable and confident, to project authenticity and energy. Developing your confidence and stage presence happens both externally and internally. When your content and your delivery are aligned, you can have a bigger impact on your audience with your message. This is what I talk about with my guest, Dr. Christina Madison. Christina has delivered a TEDx talk and has been on TV over 250 times, including two appearances on Good Morning America. I’ve known Christina for nearly two years: we worked together on her TEDX talk and she attended our in-person client retreat. In this episode, we talk about: Why Christina said ‘yes’ to her first TV appearance How what you’re wearing can make a big difference in how you feel on stage Embodying the qualities you want to feel and portray Taking care of yourself so you are at your best for your speaking engagements What it looks like to feel authentically you This is the final episode in our new podcast series to help you up level your in-person speaking skills.   Want to work with us and practice on our stage? Registration is now open for our 3-day in-person client retreat speaking accelerator coming up in February 2024 in Orlando, Florida. Get all the details and apply at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/retreat/.    About My Guest: Christina Madison, PharmD, FCCP, AAHIVP is an award-winning clinical pharmacist. She is a clinical pharmacist specializing in public health with a focus on communicable disease, gender-based health, and professional development. She founded The Public Health Pharmacist®, PLLC, a public health consulting firm, in 2019. Dr. Madison has been featured in over 250+ on-air TV appearances related to public health including being featured on Good Morning America (GMA3 – What You Need to Know) and a panelist for the COVID-19 What Works Summit at The White House. Dr. Madison is currently an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice with Roseman University of Health Sciences (RU), College of Pharmacy and the Public Information Officer and Chief Pharmacist for Wellness Equity Alliance.   About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories, voices, and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.  Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/348/  Christina’s website (you can see her TEDx talk and GMA appearances): https://www.thepublichealthpharmacist.com/  Solita Roberts’ image stylist: https://styletoimpact.com/  Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Register for our in-person client retreat = https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/retreat/    Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Dr. Christina Madison (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/drchristinamadisonthepublichealthpharmacist  Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 253: TV Can Make You Famous - But Don't Read the Comments with Dr. Christina Madison  

Registration is open for our in-person client retreat speaking intensive coming up February 26-28, 2024, in Orlando, Florida. We are already half-full (it's limited to 12 women). Get all the details and apply at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/retreat/.   Our speaking workshop is for you if ANY of these apply: You want to speak at conferences and events and increase lead generation at your presentations You want to attract paid speaking engagements and raise your speaker fees You'd like to do a TEDx or keynote talk one day You know how important your message is and you want to truly connect with your audience You want to feel more comfortable and confident as a speaker You imagine walking onto a stage with calm and joy, delivering your talk while having fun engaging the audience, and then leaving the stage knowing you nailed it   During the 3 days we'll be together, we'll guide you through exercises and activities designed to help you build the skills and confidence you need to become an impactful public speaker. You'll learn how to: Develop a strong, authentic speaking voice and style Tell compelling stories and engage your audience from your opening to your closing Use body language and vocal variation to enhance your message Incorporate props and multimedia to add depth and dimension to your talk Connect with your audience and build rapport Handle nerves and feel much more comfortable and confident in your body   Here's what you get: Identifying and writing/outlining your best speaking segments (opening, closing, key stories, audience engagement) Instruction on body movement, vocal variation, and use of the stage, props and multimedia Lots of time to practice on our stage and get our coaching and feedback (we are very kind and encouraging!) Understanding your natural speaking style and amplifying it to build your confidence Professional filming so you have an edited video and clips of you speaking for your speaker reel, website, LinkedIn profile, etc.   What's included: Personalized, hands-on coaching and feedback to 10x your speaking skills Fun and intentional exercises and practice sessions on our stage Professional filming of your speaking segments (you'll get the raw video files plus an edited video about 10 minutes long) Printed workbook + speaker kit Healthy food! Lunches and dinners on all 3 days (plus snacks, coffee and tea) Quality time with an incredible group of supportive women (there's nothing like being in person to form long-lasting bonds)   If you would like to join us, please complete the application at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/retreat/ so we can schedule a Zoom call to talk and answer your questions.   You can hear from some of the women who've attended our past retreats in these episodes: Episode 347: The Power of REAL Practice to Transform Yourself as a Speaker with Dr. Nicole Rochester, Debby Kerr-Henry, and Terese Bottner Episode 345: Elevate Your Audience Engagement Skills with These Proven Strategies with Katie Anderson Episode 311: 10x Your Speaking Skills with Joy Spencer and Betsy Jordyn

We’re continuing our podcast series to help you up level your in-person speaking skills. Imagine you’re standing on stage, looking out at the audience, and feeling 100% confident in your content and delivery.  You’re moving fluidly, getting into your stories, engaging with your audience, and feeling connected to them. You can absolutely do this - but it takes the *right* kind of practice. Most speakers practice the wrong way. The result is that they rely on their notes, their nerves get the best of them, and they stand like a statue and don’t move around (or even worse, they see-saw in place). Doing the right kind of practice can make all the difference, which is what we’re talking about with our retreat clients Dr. Nicole Rochester, Terese Bottner, and Debby Kerr-Henry for a roundtable discussion on how they’ve transformed as speakers. You’ll learn: Our embarrassing moments on stage Why most speakers practice the wrong way and what to do instead Developing stage presence Getting more comfortable using the stage Feeling confident *not* using notes or a script The impact of practicing on our stage and getting feedback at our in-person retreat   This is the audio from a live show we did last week. You can watch the video on LinkedIn or YouTube.   Want to work with us and practice on our stage? Registration is now open for our 3-day in-person client retreat speaking accelerator coming up in February 2024 in Orlando, Florida. Get all the details and apply at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/retreat/.    About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories, voices, and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.    Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/347/  Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Register for our in-person client retreat = https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/retreat/  Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Dr. Nicole Rochester (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-rochester-md/  Terese Bottner (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/terese-cooke-bottner-78225a10/  Debby Kerr-Henry (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/debkerrhenry/    Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 329: From Compelled to Take Action to TEDx Speaker with Dr. Nicole Rochester Episode 273: How to 10x Your Speaking Skills   

Did you know that you will get *more* speaking gigs if you focus on your delivery as well as your content? Your body movement, use of the stage, and vocal variation are all essential to become a compelling and in-demand speaker. My guest today is Victoria Moran, an incredible speaker, author and podcaster, whom I’ve known for nearly 10 years, so I’m thrilled to have her on the show. In this episode, Victoria and I talk about: Getting started as a professional speaker What she learned from acting training How she uses body movement and dance in her speaking engagements (even though she’s not a dancer, as she admits!) Why your delivery as a speaker will get you more (and better) gigs The important use of vocal variation when telling stories Her favorite speaking experience Her worst speaking experience and what she learned I know you’re going to get lots of great ideas for your own speaking engagements! This is the second episode in our new podcast series to help you up level your in-person speaking skills.   Want to work with us and practice on our stage? Registration is now open for our 3-day in-person client retreat speaking accelerator coming up in February 2024 in Orlando, Florida. Get all the details and apply at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/retreat/.    About My Guest: Victoria Moran started writing for teen magazines at 14 -- she met the Beatles! -- and for health publications after she went vegetarian at 19. Speaking for groups, plus lots of radio appearances, followed the writing. Victoria is now the author of 13 books including Creating a Charmed Life and Fit from Within. She was featured twice on Oprah, produced the 2019 documentary A Prayer for Compassion, and she's presented for audiences including Speaking of Women's Health, Toyota Women's Conferences, and the Parliament of the World's Religions.   About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories, voices, and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.    Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/346/  Victoria’s websites: https://victoriamoran.com/ and https://mainstreetvegan.com/  Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Register for our in-person client retreat = https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/retreat/  Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Victoria Moran (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriamoranauthor/  Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 345: Elevate Your Audience Engagement Skills with These Proven Strategies with Katie Anderson Episode 249: The Relationship Between Speaking and Performance with Carol Cox  

How do you keep your audience engaged throughout your talk or presentation? There are basic strategies like asking questions of the audience, but there are more ways to keep your audience interested and engaged. This is what I talk about with my guest and client, Katie Anderson. Katie has been around the world, from Portugal to Poland to Brazil, speaking to audiences of all sizes. In this episode, Katie and I talk about: Strategies she has used that have worked well to keep audiences engaged Fun things she has tried The importance of storytelling, performance, and stage presence A recent challenging speaking engagement that really tested her speaking skills (no surprise to me, she aced it!) How attending our in-person client retreat speaking accelerator dramatically improved her skills and confidence   This is the first episode in our new podcast series to help you up level your in-person speaking skills. Registration is now open for our 3-day in-person client retreat speaking accelerator coming up in February 2024 in Orlando, Florida. Get all the details and apply at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/retreat/.    About My Guest: Katie Anderson is an internationally recognized leadership and learning coach, consultant, and professional speaker, best known for inspiring individuals and organizations to lead with intention and increase their personal and professional impact. Katie is passionate about helping people around the world learn to lead and lead to learn by connecting purpose, process, and practice to achieve higher levels of performance. Her book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn: Lessons from Toyota Leader Isao Yoshino on a Lifetime of Continuous Learning is an international #1 Amazon bestseller. About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories, voices, and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.  Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/345/ Katie’s website: http://kbjanderson.com/ Katie’s photos speaking at the Lean Institute Brasil Summit: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kbjanderson_how-do-you-respond-when-the-plan-you-had-activity-7077025294229909504-dZ-j  Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Register for our in-person client retreat = https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/retreat/  Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Katie Anderson (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson/ Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 280: Making the Shift from Expert Presenter to Storyteller in Your Keynotes with Katie Anderson Episode 249: The Relationship Between Speaking and Performance with Carol Cox

I know you enjoy speaking - AND you want to make sure you’re getting an ROI from it. Your ROI can come from getting paid to speak and/or from getting leads and clients from your presentations. If you don’t consistently get leads from your presentations, there are a few things you can do to make that more likely to happen. You may think your audience doesn’t want to be sold to, but that may not be the case. You also may not be sure how to go about letting event organizers know that you have a speaker fee. In this episode, I share with you: 3 ways to increase leads from your presentations What to do even when conferences say “no selling from the stage” The one thing to do that is GOLD 3 things to do to get paid to speak Why many speakers don’t charge or don’t charge enough Examples to inspire you About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories, voices, and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.    Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/344/  Download example feedback form (no opt-in needed): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7scnmn11eqpfeh863i878/Speaking-Your-Brand-Example-Worksheet-FeedbackForm.pdf?rlkey=bmqkj2pzyjewmrg8r0smml2vu&dl=0  Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Enroll in our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 290: [Coaching] Get More Leads from Your Presentations with Monica Young Episode 289: Less Free, More Paid: How to Increase Your Speaker Fees with Carol Cox Episode 288: A Framework for Creating a Signature Talk for Income and Impact with Carol Cox  

I often hear from clients that they feel like their topic isn’t unique, that what they would present on others have already been said.  And they’re right: That will always be the case - there are always going to be lots of people out there who do or say something in the same umbrella as you. What you need is an IDEA, not just a topic. Ideas look for a messenger - and it’s up to you to activate the idea. YOU are the messenger your audience needs to hear. In this episode, I share with you: Why ideas are so important The four layers of thought leadership The different ways ideas can come to you What can stop you from activating an idea Inspiration from Elizabeth Gilbert’s book “Big Magic” Why Greta Gerwig was *the* messenger the Barbie movie needed About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories, voices, and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.    Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/343/ Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Enroll in our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox   Mentioned: Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert Elizabeth Gilbert on the On Being podcast KLF: Chaos Magic Music Money by JMR Higgs “Who says big ideas are rare?” by Malcom Gladwell Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 341: Unearthing Your Unique Message: Discovering What Makes You Stand Out with Judy Carlson Episode 337: Sharing Your Story as a Catalyst for Transformation with Karen Keene Episode 262: The Four Layers of Thought Leadership with Carol Cox Episode 92: Deconstructing My TEDx Talk: Why We’re Uncomfortable with Women in Power with Carol Cox  

I *almost* got stuck in the expert trap when I was creating my recent presentation for MAICON called Maintain Your Brand Voice Through AI Personalization and Storytelling.​ I had lots of slides filled with examples and case studies. Useful, sure, but not impactful or memorable. I knew it was missing heart and soul. Fortunately, I took my own advice :-) and saved myself from the expert trap. Attendees loved my session - they said it was “fantastic, amazing, and valuable." In this episode, I share 3 specific things I did to escape the expert trap to create an impactful and memorable presentation, plus one more bonus thing that made a huge difference. I know you want to create and deliver outstanding presentations, get excellent feedback from attendees and the event organizers, stand out and get noticed, and get leads plus more speaking invitations. You don’t want to get stuck in what I call the expert trap.  The expert trap shows up in a few ways: as an information dump; no unique framework or methodology tying everything together; no vision or mission or thought leadership message; and no opinions or stances on your topic. Listen in to hear what you can do to make sure your presentation provides value to your audience and gets you noticed.   About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories, voices, and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.  Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/342/  Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Enroll in our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/  Get on the interest list for our in-person client retreat speaking intensive: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/retreat/  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox   Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 340: Can I Tell It's You? What a Brand Voice Is and Why You Need One with Carol Cox Episode 241: The Expert Trap: What Holds Women Back from Thought Leadership with Carol Cox  

Raise your hand if you’re used to giving presentations chock full of information, facts, and figures? You are not alone! Many of us get comfortable doing this, probably because that’s how we got started as speakers and presenters. But, your audience doesn’t need to hear tons of facts and figures; they need to understand the big picture of your topic, how it relates to them, and what they should do next. This is precisely the evolution that our guest, Judy Carlson, did while she was in our Thought Leader Academy. She worked with our lead speaking coach, Diane Diaz, to create her new signature talk and framework. In this episode, Diane sits down with Judy to chat about her goal to do more public speaking and how she developed her unique framework and signature talk.  Judy also shares about her career path, personal story, and what she learned from her time in the Thought Leader Academy.  Plus, she gives us the lowdown on her VIP Day and how her awesome WEAVE framework came to be. You’ll love this story! Here's the scoop on what you'll hear in this episode: Why Judy decided to step up her public speaking game now Judy's reasons for wanting to switch gears from training to thought leadership in her speaking How Judy's personal story influenced her unique message and framework, to help her stand out from the crowd in her industry The inside story on Judy's time in the Thought Leader Academy and her biggest takeaways The step-by-step process we followed to create Judy's WEAVE framework - hint: WEAVE wasn't our first idea What Judy thought her VIP Day would be like and what it was actually like   Our Thought Leader Academy is currently open for enrollment for our next start date of August 29, 2023.   About Our Guest: Judy Carlson is an independent lifetime wealth strategist, investment advisor representative, and life insurance professional. She has 40 years of experience as a CPA and has owned her own independent financial firm for the past 12 years. Her mission is to help individuals and families protect their assets and preserve their wealth throughout their lifetimes and legacy. Judy went from being a successful CPA in Corporate America to a stay-at-home mom to losing almost everything financially. She brings a fresh perspective to taking control of your money no matter what financial decisions you’ve made in the past. Judy loves helping her clients become aware of their financial options through her education. As their guide, Judy helps her clients decide what’s best for their money. Together they custom design and build unique lifetime wealth and legacy plans.   About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. This episode is hosted by Diane Diaz, our lead speaking coach. At Speaking Your Brand®, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories, voices, and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.  Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/341/ Judy’s website: https://judycarlson.com/  Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Enroll in our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/  Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Diane Diaz = https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianediaz/  Judy Carlson (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/judycarlsonfinancialadvisor/     

Today, we're delving into a topic that lies at the heart of powerful communication and compelling thought leadership: brand voice.  If you've ever wondered, 'How can I stand out in a crowded market?' or 'How can I make my messages resonate more deeply with my audience?', then this episode is for you. We're going to explore what a brand voice is, why it's so crucial to your business, and how you can develop and refine your own unique voice. This episode is based on the presentation I recently gave at MAICON, the Marketing AI conference. I share: What a brand voice is (more than tone and personality) Why we need to think about brand voice as we use AI writing tools like ChatGPT The problem with ‘Generic Internet Voice’ in LLMs What’s your M.E.M.E.? Defining your brand voice using our Brand Voice Canvas™  Case studies for Your ‘Brand AI’ Using regular ChatGPT & fine-tuned GPT-4 Integrating storytelling into your AI content About Us: The Speaking Your Brand® podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories, voices, and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.  Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/340/  Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Enroll in our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox   Related Podcast Episodes: Podcast Series on Personal Branding Episode 313: How to Thrive in the Age of A.I. Episode 327: From Expert to Thought Leader: 3 Key Strategies You Need Now to Set Yourself Apart in Our New AI-Driven World