Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies

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   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 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   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 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   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/.

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   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 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 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/.

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 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/.

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 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/.

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 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 you’re a speaker who has in-person events coming up OR if you’re planning an in-person event, you won’t want to miss this conversation. We held our first in-person client retreat speaking intensive in Orlando, Florida, in April 2022 and it was incredible! We brought 12 women together to practice their speaking delivery skills (on a real stage!) and get professional videography they can use in their speaking reels. I asked two of the women who attended, Betsy Jordyn and Joy Spencer, to join me and Diane Diaz to talk about the experience. We talk about: Top takeaways from the the instruction and practice on delivering keynote speeches Favorite parts of the retreat How the retreat made them feel as speakers and thought leaders Our lessons as the hosts / planners of the retreat   We are hosting another retreat! Join us in Orlando on February 27, February 28, and March 1st, 2023, for 3 full days of coaching, training, practice, and filming. Get all the details and apply at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/retreat/.   [This episode originally aired in April 2022, which was the audio from a LinkedIn Live. You can watch the video at https://www.linkedin.com/video/event/urn:li:ugcPost:6919241904681283584/.] 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/311/ Join our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/  Attend our in-person Client Retreat Speaking Intensive: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/retreat/    Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Diane Diaz = https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianediaz  Joy Spencer = https://www.linkedin.com/in/joy-spencer/  Betsy Jordyn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/betsy-jordyn/  Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 249: The Relationship Between Speaking and Performance with Carol Cox Episode 238: What’s IN Your Way IS Your Way to Your Thought Leadership with Betsy Jordyn Episode 194: How to Structure a Movement-Making Speech Using Your Story with Joy Spencer 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/.

Happy New Year! This is the 5th year in a row I’ve done a trends episode for the start of the year. This may be the most important podcast episode I’ve done to date, as the trends I’m talking about will impact every business and every industry in profound ways, including the rise of A.I. tools; the shift from mass audiences and the attention economy to trust-based audiences and the imagination economy; and a renewed focus on local, in-person activities and business. What I mean by trends are not fads or cliches or gimmicks.  Trends are like currents or waves of energy that move through our society and affect everything from business and politics and the economy to popular culture and media. How do these trends impact our public speaking and thought leadership?  As speakers and leaders, our talks and messages have more of an impact if our audiences can see the bigger picture of what’s affecting them and the world around them. In this episode, you’ll learn 3 trends (and action steps for each) related to format, audience, and content that you can apply to your speaking and thought leadership, as well as to your visibility and marketing strategy in general.   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/310/  Try ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.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/  Attend 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 309: Year in Review: What Worked, What Didn’t, What’s Next with Carol Cox Episode 241: The Expert Trap: What Holds Women Back from Thought Leadership 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/.