Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies

Have you ever felt imposter syndrome, that you weren’t sure if you had enough expertise or experience or knowledge or credentials [or fill in the blank] to speak up, share your perspective, and use your voice? If so, you’re not alone - and there are ways to move past this. My guest is Kelly Schermerhorn, who describes herself as a recovering people-pleaser and accolade-collector (I can relate!). Kelly recently graduated from our Thought Leader Academy. Kelly and I talk about: Her story of feeling worthy enough to have a voice Her message around mental health Why she wanted to create a signature talk and speak to audiences Why she decided to enroll in the Thought Leader Academy The doubts that came up while she was creating her talk and our conversation about it The process of creating and refining her talk and framework This episode is part of our new series called “Use Your Voice.”   About My Guest: Kelly Schermerhorn is a recovering people-pleaser and accolade-collector. She’s ditching her long-time history of collecting accolades in return for being her authentic self. Kelly’s traversed skyscrapers, tiptoed through galas at the Smithsonian and traveled from the United States’ East Coast to West Coast, all to say she’s worked in ‘Corporate America’ for the last 15 years. She’s taken her years of climbing skyscraper stairs and corporate ladders to provide women a framework to shed their shields, their suit coats, and instead become authentically who they are – beautiful, unique women, who will change the world, just as they are.    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/328    Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/   Join our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/    Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Kelly Schermerhorn (guest) = https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/KellySchermerhorn Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 301: Why We Get Imposter Syndrome and What to Do About It with Melody Wilding Episode 321: What It Means to be Visible to Yourself and Others with Bibigi Haile   JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

If I take a look at your slide deck or presentation outline and I can’t tell that the content is yours (vs. another speaker on your topic), you’re in danger of being a commodity speaker. Commodity speakers are undifferentiated and interchangeable. It will be harder for you to attract higher-profile speaking engagements, raise your speaking fees, and generate quality leads at your presentations. What you want instead is for your content to position you as a thought leader. You will have a much bigger impact on your audiences and your speaking will be an effective marketing channel and revenue stream in your business. Now more than ever it's time to escape the expert trap that will keep you undifferentiated and interchangeable with other experts and with the A.I. and instead step into thought leadership. This is how you’ll stay relevant in the age of A.I. were rapidly entering. In this episode, you’ll learn: What the expert trap is, why we stay in it, and how it holds us back What being a thought leader truly means 3 key strategies you can use now to step into thought leadership and set yourself apart Examples to inspire you How we work with our clients in our Thought Leader Academy This is the audio from a live training I did on Crowdcast. You can watch the video and see the slides at https://crowdcast.io/c/syb-speaking-ai. 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/327  Watch the video replay: https://crowdcast.io/c/syb-speaking-ai Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Join our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 313: How to Thrive in the Age of A.I. with Carol Cox Episode 323: Marketing Is Changing: Why We're Ditching the Hero's Journey with Carol Cox   JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

Register for our new free online training at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/training/ If you’re like many of us, you like being seen as an expert. After all, expertise is celebrated because it generally takes some combination of degrees, credentials, and experience to be seen - and to see yourself - as an expert. You’ve put in the hard work, you’ve mastered a subject, and you can help others in your area of expertise. You speak to audiences and you share your expert tips and insights in your presentations. All of that is changing - and changing fast. If you’ve used ChatGPT, you’ve probably marveled at how quickly and seamlessly (and pleasantly) it comes back with a well-written response to your query. Sure, it’s not perfect, but remember it’s still in its infancy (and GPT-4 is significantly better than what most people have been using with GPT-3.5). A.I. (artificial intelligence) tools like ChatGPT have more expertise than we as humans can possibly acquire, remember, or synthesize. A.I. is now the expert. It has the answers at its fingertips (bits?) and can put them together faster than we can think of them. Where does that leave us? We used to think that our intelligence, cognitive abilities, even art and creativity were what made us human. That’s no longer the case.  It’s incredibly important now more than ever to escape the expert trap that will keep you undifferentiated and interchangeable with other experts and with the A.I. and instead step into thought leadership. This is how you’ll stay relevant in the age of A.I. were rapidly entering. In this new free live online training I’m hosting on May 2nd, you’ll learn: What the expert trap is, why we stay in it, and how it holds us back What being a thought leader truly means 3 key strategies you can use now to step into thought leadership and set yourself apart Examples to inspire you How we work with our clients in our Thought Leader Academy   When = Tuesday, May 2 from 1-2 pm Eastern / 10-11 am Pacific Where = Crowdcast   Register for free at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/training/   There will be a recording if you can’t attend live. But if you are there live, you’ll get our special bonus action guide on supercharging your speaking.   JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

We’re wrapping up our series on how marketing is changing and new approaches you can take to more effectively connect with your audiences and prospective clients.  This episode is all about getting PR and media, which can be an important element of your visibility. Have you ever seen someone you know featured in a television news story and wondered how they made it happen?   It’s no secret that public relations efforts like being interviewed on television can ramp up your visibility and grow your reach.  But it might feel like a mystery as to how to get those opportunities.  Our guest is Cheryl Tan, who is a former TV news anchor & host and the creator of the Media Authority Plan, a program designed to help experts increase their visibility through video. Cheryl talks with our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz about:  How media and PR has changed and how it’s impacted getting your story in front of your audience  What media people are looking for in pitches and strategies you can use to pitch your story to them What makes a story compelling and interesting to the media How to identify and engage with reporters to pitch your story  Common mistakes in pitching stories to the media and how to avoid them  We know once you listen to this episode you’ll want to put these tips to work immediately. About Our Guest: Cheryl Tan believes everyone has a story to tell. Her mission is to help entrepreneurs, nonprofit organizations, and corporations tell those stories better on video and become known as experts in their space. A former TV news anchor & host, Cheryl shares the skills she learned in the newsroom to help businesses around the country become media authorities. She is the creator of the Media Authority Plan, a program designed to help experts increase their visibility through video. Cheryl and her husband have three sons and live in Virginia Beach, Virginia.   About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. This episode is hosted by our lead speaking coach, Diane Diaz. 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/326  Cheryl’s website: cheryltanmedia.com Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Join 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/  Cheryl Tan (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryltanmedia/ Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 253: TV Can Make You Famous - But Don't Read the Comments with Dr. Christina Madison Episode 209: The Differences in Doing Interviews for Podcasts, TV, & Publications with Marie Fiebach   JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

We’re continuing our series on how marketing is changing and new approaches you can take to more effectively connect with your audiences and prospective clients.  Two weeks ago, I kicked off this series on how we’re ditching the traditional hero’s journey framework for marketing and how here at SYB we’re approaching marketing. Last week, I talked to Cara Steinmann about relationship marketing and strategic collaborations. Today, I’m excited to have on the podcast Wendy Kendall, who is a Chartered Psychologist and a co-founder of The Self Led Practice, the health virtual workplace for independent mental health practitioners.  I invited Wendy to come on the podcast because a few months ago she shared a post on LinkedIn about what she calls “regenerative marketing”, a framework she developed to better serve her clients. (You know we love frameworks!) I was intrigued because it aligned so well with how I was thinking about a better approach to marketing. I have a huge light bulb moment towards the end of our conversation, so be sure to listen to the end. Wendy and I talk about: Why traditional marketing approaches didn’t sit well with her or her clients Pain points and problems = why so many of us don’t like to lead with this in our marketing and what to do instead What “regenerative marketing” is How Wendy approaches her marketing, including on LinkedIn The huge light bulb moment I have when Wendy mentions “survivor bias” in the context of social media marketing About My Guest: Wendy Kendall, Chartered Psychologist, and co-founder of The Self Led Practice, the health virtual workplace for independent mental health practitioners. Wendy has over twenty five years of experience in working as a psychologist, having started her career as a military psychologist for the British Army before building her own practice. She is dedicated to creating innovative and empowering opportunities in mental healthcare, where practitioners, clients and businesses all flourish. Wendy is recognised as an industry leader in entrepreneur coaching and is a sought-after speaker and trainer whose passion is helping independent therapists and coaches to become successful entrepreneurs.   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/325  Wendy’s website: http://www.inspiringpsych.com  Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/   Join our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/  Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Wendy Kendall (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyakendall/ Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 323: Marketing Is Changing: Why We're Ditching the Hero's Journey Episode 300: How to Create Your Own Framework to Set You Apart as a Speaker & Thought Leader   JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

We’re continuing our series on how marketing is changing and new approaches you can take to more effectively connect with your audiences and prospective clients.  Last week, I kicked off this series on how we’re ditching the traditional hero’s journey framework for marketing and how here at SYB we’re approaching marketing. I knew I had to have on as my guest today, Cara Steinmann, for this series. I met Cara last fall and when we had a consult call and I learned about the work she does around relationship building and strategic collaborations, I was instantly intrigued. I got to know Cara over the past couple of months as she went through our Thought Leader Academy. In this episode, Cara and I talk about: What strategic relationships and collaborations look like Why who you see as a competitor may be the perfect person for a collaboration Why you don’t need to be an extrovert to be good at networking How to go about building strategic relationships Why Cara decided to join our Thought Leader Academy and what her experience was About My Guest: Cara Steinmann is a business development strategist who helps purpose-driven women service entrepreneurs build strategic networks that lead to rapid referrals and more ideal clients. She believes the collective power of women is the key to dismantling systems of oppression and has made it her mission to connect as many women as she can so they can build more wealth and amplify their impact together.   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/324  Cara’s website: https://carasteinmann.com  Ravel Collective: https://www.ravelcollective.com/  Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Join our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/    Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Cara Steinmann (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carasteinmann Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 323: Marketing Is Changing: Why We're Ditching the Hero's Journey   JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

We’re kicking off a new podcast series on how marketing is changing and what to do now. The rise of AI tools means that endless quantities of decent content can be generated at virtually no cost. This is going to impact social media marketing, SEO, and online advertising. As speakers, content creators, marketers, and entrepreneurs, doing the same things we’ve always been doing isn’t going to work for much longer. Along with content saturation making it harder for our content to be discovered and seen, pretty soon we’re not going to be able to tell who online is real and who is not. This is why I believe that as a public speaker, you have a unique opportunity to cut through the noise, authentically garner people’s attention, build relationships, and attract leads and clients. In this episode, I talk about: The big shifts in online marketing that are only going to accelerate Why we’re ditching the hero’s journey as a marketing framework The problems with the hero’s journey that is making it less compelling The shift from the individual to the collective What we’re focusing on instead in our marketing and sales Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/. 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/323  Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Join our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox   Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 310: Trends in Public Speaking and Thought Leadership for 2023 with Carol Cox Episode 313: How to Thrive in the Age of A.I. with Carol Cox Episode 314: Using ChatGPT and Image Generators to Enhance Your Content with Carol Cox   JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

As women, we are all too familiar with the societal expectations imposed on us from a young age. Both implicitly and explicitly, we are told how we should look and act and what roles we should embody. This pressure often leads to a struggle for many women, as we try to conform to these external demands while grappling with our own unique identities. But there comes a transformative moment when we decide to break free from these constraints and embrace our authentic selves. This moment of self-acceptance and empowerment is not only liberating, but it also paves the way for us to lead more fulfilling and successful lives. To conclude our podcast series for Women’s History Month, we're delving into the topic of self-perception and its impact on our personal and professional lives. I'm thrilled to have Heike Martin, a talented photographer and Thought Leader Academy graduate, as our guest on this week's episode of the Speaking Your Brand podcast. Heike's powerful work captures the essence of authenticity, allowing her subjects to truly shine as they are. Together, we discuss how our self-perceptions as women shape our experiences and how we can cultivate a stronger sense of self-acceptance and self-love.   About My Guest: "Owning Your Visibility" is at the core of Heike Martin's vision and mission as owner and lead photographer at Heike Martin Photography. She is the author of "Owning Our Game: Female athlete stories of strength, beauty and athleticism". Combining curiosity, creativity and expert photography skills Heike helps busy, focused and soulful female professionals grow their impact and profits with intentional visual storytelling. Drawing on 17 years of fair trade marketing experience, Heike's photography centers joy and a celebration of self. To help women shift their perspective, Heike regularly speaks about visibility and branding—in her trademark German accent—for networking groups, panels, and podcasts. Heike Martin Photography offers both headshot and lifestyle branding photography at her studio in Manheim, PA and on location. 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/322  Heike’s website: http://www.heikemartinphotography.com  Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Join our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/  Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Heike Martin (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/heikemartinphotography  Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 321: What It Means to be Visible to Yourself and Others with Bibigi Haile   JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

Fear of failure, fear of rejection, imposter syndrome, self-doubt, vulnerability hangovers, nerves. All of these can cause us to be reluctant to be visible, to put ourselves out there. I’ve certainly experienced all of these throughout my career. Yet, I’ve also experienced the power and transformation that comes from being visible not only to others but also to myself. My guest is Bibigi (Bibi) Haile who works with women to help them be visible. We talk about: What comes up for women when they think about being visible Getting curious and living with the discomfort Our examples of times when we didn’t want to be visible What happens when we see other women punished for their visibility Bibi’s recommendations I know you’re going to be inspired by our conversation! This is the third episode in our podcast series for Women’s History Month.   About My Guest: Bibigi Haile founded The Beauvoir Group to give women in middle and senior management roles the license to be Unapologetically Visible, make bold moves, and stop apologizing for what they want from their career. As a sought after keynote speaker and strategic advisor to women, Bibigi has rightfully owned spots on national stages sharing her approach to women’s visibility, imposter syndrome, and personal branding. When she isn’t on stage, she’s still speaking – her podcast Speaking with Women invites women to share their experience in the modern workplace. Bibigi is also and especially the mother of a wise 7-year-old, third culture kid, podcast and book nerd, and a running enthusiast.   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/321  Bibigi’s website: https://thebeauvoirgroup.com/ Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Join our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/  Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Bibigi Haile (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/bibigi-haile/ Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 319: The 3 Stages We Go Through as Women When We Use Our Voice with Carol Cox Episode 158: Dealing with Uncertainty and Fear When Public Speaking   JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

I’ve been wanting to do an episode since last fall on what’s been going on in Iran with the huge protests by girls and women. This is a fascinating and important conversation about the power of women using their voices and how privileged we are in the U.S. and other democratic countries to be able to use our voices without fears of arrest or death. Last September, a young woman named Mahsa Amini died while in custody of Iran’s morality police after being detained for allegedly not adhering to the strict dress code.  When news of what happened spread on social media, young women took to the streets to protest having to wear the hijab to cover their hair along with having to comply with many other strict and misogynistic rules. As the protests have grown and spread, the Iranian government has cracked down on protesters, including mass arrests, death sentences, and the execution of four young protesters. “The core and heart of this movement is really the revolutionary act of these women turning their head scarves into the most effective and most powerful weapon against religious dictatorship and deep layers of misogyny and patriarchy,” said Fatemeh Shams, a women’s rights activist and an assistant professor of Persian literature at the University of Pennsylvania, in a recent New York Times article. To help us understand what has been going on, I invited one of our Thought Leader Academy grads, Dr. Bibi Pirayesh, to share with us the history of Iran’s morality police and how revolutionary these protests by women are. Bibi was born in Iran and came to the United States with her family when she was a child. She’s been back to Iran a few times as an adult, so she also shares those experiences. This is the second episode in our podcast series for Women’s History Month. About My Guest: Dr. Bibinaz (Bibi) Pirayesh is an educational therapist based in Los Angeles. Her K-12 education was spread across 3 countries, exposing her to many different curriculums and philosophies of education. She completed her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh in Neuroscience and Education. She holds a Master’s degree from Columbia University where she studied Developmental Psychology in Education with a primary focus on children’s development of mathematical thinking. Her own scholarship is concerned with the ethical and social justice implications that arise at the intersection of brain science and education. She is also Faculty at the School of Education at Loyola Marymount University.  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/320  Bibi’s website: https://www.laeducationaltherapy.com/ Recent New York Times article: Their Hair Long and Flowing or in Ponytails, Women in Iran Flaunt Their Locks  Call to Action for Iran: https://freedomforiran.carrd.co/  Iranian women to follow on Instagram: Masih Alinejad = https://www.instagram.com/masih.alinejad/ Nazanin Boniadi = https://www.instagram.com/nazaninboniadi/  Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Join our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/  Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Dr. Bibi Pirayesh (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-bibi-pirayesh-b771331/ Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 319: The 3 Stages We Go Through as Women When We Use Our Voice with Carol Cox Episode 316: Education, A.I., and What It Means to Be Human with Dr. Bibi Pirayesh     JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.