Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies

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  

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    

We’re kicking off Women’s History Month here in the U.S. in the month of March.  Of course, we champion and advocate for women every month and every week :-), but I do have some special episodes for you this month, starting with today’s. Last fall, I delivered a keynote address and as I was working on that talk, I was really thinking about what happens as women when we use our voices and the transformative power it can have.  That’s what I’m going to share with you in today’s episode, including: What I hear from women about public speaking The 3 stages we go through when we use our voice Why many women stop at stage 1 How I got stuck in stage 2 What happens at stage 3 3 things we can do at the individual, collective, and structural level for ourselves and others 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/319  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 267: The Way to Gender Equality is through Public Speaking Episode 263: Finding the Emotional Heart of Your Message Episode 162: Why We're #ChoosingWomensVoices - and You Should Too  

We are celebrating 6 years of the Speaking Your Brand podcast! To mark this milestone, I invited Diane Diaz, our lead speaking coach, to interview me. I know you’re going to enjoy our conversation! Diane and I talk about: Why I decided to start a podcast The benefits I’ve experienced (both for the business and personally) How my thought leadership has evolved How podcasting has increased my confidence Vulnerability hangovers And more! About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox, joined in this episode 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/318  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   Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 92: Deconstructing My TEDx Talk: Why We’re Uncomfortable with Women in Power Episode 97: Thinking Bigger: I Get Coached On-Air by Geraldine Carter Episode 185: My Journey as a Thought Leader & How We're Evolving at Speaking Your Brand  

We’re going behind the scenes so you can hear how and why to integrate case studies into your presentations. My guest is Cherie Mylordis, who is currently in our Thought Leader Academy. Cherie and I have been working on her signature talk using our Signature Talk Canvas® framework (based on 3 acts). In this episode, Cherie and I talk about: Her thought leadership message and framework around a new way of working Why we decided to use case studies as the main content in Act 2 of her talk The benefit of using case studies for thought leadership talks Cherie’s experience as a leader helping to organize the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Why Cherie decided to enroll in our Thought Leader Academy And more! About My Guest: Cherie Mylordis is a business transformation expert, leadership coach and speaker. As the founder of nextgenify, Cherie helps future-focused leaders innovate, transform and thrive with a unique, contemporary approach. She inspires her clients to think differently and achieve extraordinary outcomes beyond what they could have imagined. Cherie understands why many transformation programs fail and how to avoid it. She also recognises that uncertain times create enormous opportunities for innovation, new directions and courageous leadership. With a passion for leadership and organisational culture, Cherie follows inspiring case studies around the world and shares her insights with clients. Cherie is based in Sydney, Australia, and she works with clients around the world. Her track record spans top-tier consulting, large corporates, government departments and non-profits. She credits the five years spent organising the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games for shaping her approach to purpose-driven leadership and collaboration on a massive scale. 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/317  Cherie’s website: www.nextgenify.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 Cherie Mylordis = https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherie-mylordis Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 290: [Coaching] Get More Leads from Your Presentations with Monica Young Episode 288: A Framework for Creating a Signature Talk for Income and Impact with Carol Cox  

When ChatGPT came out at the end of 2022, one of the first industries to be instantly impacted was education. There were a lot of articles written bemoaning ChatGPT and schools announced they were banning the tool because students could use it to very easily and quickly write papers. Sure, there will always be students who want to find a way to do less work.  But, what if there’s a way that A.I. tools like ChatGPT can be used to improve education and to allow students to learn in a new way? I knew that I had to have on the podcast Dr. Bibi Pirayesh to talk about this important topic. Bibi is an educational therapist and one of the smartest people I know. Get ready for a deep conversation!   Bibi and I talk about: What the purpose of education is  The current paradigm of education vs. what a new paradigm could look like How A.I. tools like ChatGPT can benefit students and their learning, including issues around social justice How I’m using ChatGPT in the university classes I teach and what students think about it What it means to be human This is the final episode in the current series on A.I. we’ve been doing for the past few weeks. (We’ll have more on A.I. in future episodes.) 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/316  Bibi’s website: https://www.laeducationaltherapy.com/ Bibi’s talk at our Brave. Bold. Beyond. Live Virtual Summit: https://youtu.be/A66uawV4CeY  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 social: 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 314: Using ChatGPT and Image Generators to Enhance Your Content Episode 313: How to Thrive in the Age of A.I. Episode 173: Going Virtual with Your Business and Speaking for the First Time with Dr. Bibi Pirayesh  

We’re continuing our new podcast series on A.I. with my conversation with startup founder Dr. Elena Mechik. Elena was inspired after spending two months in the Brazilian rainforest to use technologies like blockchain and A.I. to provide transparency and accountability to solve challenges of the past using the technologies of the future. In our conversation, Elena and I talk about: How she’s using AI in her software and why What blockchain is and why it's important Her experience in the Brazilian rainforest and the work she did for her PhD How we see AI impacting society (the good and the bad) What it's like to be a female founder of a startup About My Guest: Dr Elena Mechik spent over five months in the rainforest of Brazil writing her PhD on climate change mitigation through sustainable conservation of tropical forests. In 2009, she founded an NGO to minimize poverty and protect the environment. In 2020, she founded INHUBBER, a SaaS solution for contract management, which uses blockchain and artificial intelligence technologies to reduce paper consumption at companies on the one hand and to create a total transparency of contractual relationships on the other.    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/315 Elena’s website: https://inhubber.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 Dr. Elena Mechik = https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-elena-mechik Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 314: Using ChatGPT and Image Generators to Enhance Your Content Episode 310: Trends in Public Speaking and Thought Leadership for 2023 with Carol Cox

Get ready for a fun episode where I share how I’ve been using A.I. tools like ChatGPT and image generators like Midjourney and DALL-E. You don’t have to be a techie or tech savvy to start trying them out. The key to thriving in the age of A.I. is to be proactive and adaptable. By embracing the technology, developing relevant skills, and staying informed, you can position yourself to take advantage of the many opportunities that A.I. has to offer. This is the second episode in our new podcast series on A.I.   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/314 ChatGPT by OpenAI = https://chat.openai.com/ Ryan Reynolds’ Mint Mobile Ad using ChatGPT = https://youtu.be/_eHjifELI-k    Image Generators: DALL-E = https://openai.com/dall-e-2/  Midjourney = https://midjourney.com/  Stable Diffusion = https://huggingface.co/spaces/stabilityai/stable-diffusion  Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Join our email list: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/  Enroll in 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. Episode 310: Trends in Public Speaking and Thought Leadership for 2023

This is the first episode in a new podcast series on A.I. (artificial intelligence) and what that means for us as entrepreneurs, content creators, speakers, and thought leaders. In the next few years, it’s very likely that up to 90% of the content we see online will have been artificially or synthetically created, from text to photos and images to audio and video. How will we know what’s real and what’s not? How can we double down on what makes us human? We used to think that our intelligence, cognitive abilities, even art and creativity were what made us human. This is no longer the case. In this episode, I make the case that we’re going to see a shift into what I’m calling the embodied economy and embodied experiences. I share with you 3 things you can start doing now to thrive in this new age of A.I. and set yourself apart as a speaker and thought leader.   About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we empower women entrepreneurs and professionals to confidently and effectively communicate their unique brand message and story to a wider audience. Our expert coaching and training services help our clients develop their thought leadership platforms and create compelling signature talks that inspire and influence others. We believe that by amplifying the voices of women and increasing their visibility, we work towards disrupting the status quo and driving positive change in the world. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.  Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/313/ 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/  Attend our in-person client retreat speaking intensive in Orlando at the end of February 2023: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/retreat/  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox   Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 310: Trends in Public Speaking and Thought Leadership for 2023 Episode 263: Finding the Emotional Heart of Your Message Episode 241: The Expert Trap: What Holds Women Back from Thought Leadership

In the trends for 2023 episode I did 2 weeks ago, trend #3 was about the return and resurgence of in-person activities and events, which means more in-person speaking opportunities.  (Btw, if you haven’t listened to the trends episode 310 yet, definitely do so. I’ve received great feedback from listeners and I’m going to be talking about each of the trends more in depth in future episodes.) When new women join our Thought Leader Academy, I ask them to share what they liked to do when they were young and most of them loved performing, whether in school plays, singing, or dancing. There’s definitely a connection between speaking and performance. However, once we start speaking for our business, we don’t see the connection between speaking and performing and we miss out on bringing performance elements into our presentations and speeches. You don’t need to sing and dance - unless you want to! - but there are things you can do to create a more immersive and memorable experience for your audience. At the end, I’ll share an embarrassing moment from a high school performance I was in. In this episode, I talk about: Different types of performances Why we love attending performances The importance of synchrony and collective effervescence as humans My top tips you can do as a speaker to incorporate performance elements - and the benefits of doing so If you would like to work together to improve your in-person speaking skills, we are hosting our 3-day speaking intensive in Orlando at the end of February 2023. Get all the details 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 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/312/  New York Times article by Adam Grant: “There’s a Specific Kind of Joy We’ve Been Missing” Attend our in-person client retreat speaking intensive: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/retreat/  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 197: What We Can Learn as Speakers from ‘Hamilton’ with Carol Cox Episode 244: Behind the Scenes of My Recent Keynote with Carol Cox Episode 245: How to Get Selected as a Speaker by Event Organizers with Sarah Soliman Episode 246: Audience Engagement Strategies for In-Person Speaking with Ramona J. Smith