Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies

If you already have a framework that you use in your business and presentations, you will get some new ideas in this conversation on ways to use your framework. If you don’t already have your own framework, you’ll be inspired to create one! My guest is Amber De La Garza, the Productivity Specialist. Amber has a unique framework she developed about 4 years ago that has been paying dividends ever since. Frameworks usually reflect the work you do with your clients to get them from results. Frameworks can also be representative of your overall approach to problem solving or innovation.  Frameworks can oftentimes be represented as an acronym (such as our V.O.I.C.E. thought leadership model), an alliteration (the 3 C’s of…), a metaphor, or a visual shape (think Maslow’s hierarchy of needs or our Signature Talk Canvas®).  In this episode, Amber and I talk about: What her framework is and why she developed it in the first place How her framework evolved The many ways Amber uses her framework in her business, including in some ways that may surprise you and that you’ll want to use too! How her framework has helped her land clients from her presentations and keynotes   You’ll get so much out of our conversation!   About My Guest: Amber De La Garza is The Productivity Specialist! Amber is a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast, and creator of Leverage Lab®. She helps business owners improve their time management and elevate their productivity to maximize profits, reduce stress, and make time for what matters most! 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/299  Get Amber’s free training “Take Back Your Time”: http://www.amberdelagarza.com/takebackyourtime/ Listen to Amber’s podcast “Productivity Straight Talk”: https://amberdelagarza.com/podcast/  Apply for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/  Connect on social: Carol on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Amber (guest) on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberdelagarza/ Amber (guest) on Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/amber_delagarza/ 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 Episode 222: Communicating Your Vision and Values to Your Team with Amber De La Garza 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/.

You won't want to miss this powerhouse panel of women in STEM sharing how they use their voices to advocate for change and build their thought leadership. Whether you're a woman in a STEM field or not, does it sometimes feel like you struggle to stand out, get your ideas heard, and have a bigger impact with the work you do? You have all the credentials and plenty of ideas, but perhaps you struggle with imposter syndrome and how to be seen in a crowded space? This can be common for women in male-dominated industries. But it’s so important to find a way to use your voice and build your thought leadership to create the impact you want and that the world needs. Join our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz for a live conversation with these 4 incredible women: Michelle Taylor, a recent graduate of our Thought Leader Academy, is a global supply chain executive with 28 years experience & achievements with large OEM manufacturing companies and an independent board director and public speaker. Dianna Deeney, also a graduate of our Thought Leader Academy, is president of Deeney Enterprises, LLC, an engineer, senior quality professional and speaker who hosts the Quality during Design podcast, co hosts episodes of Speaking of Reliability, publishes blogs, and is a contributing author of the book Quality Disrupted. Shannon Bumgarner, a graduate of our Master Your Speaking program (now the Thought Leader Academy), is a bold manufacturing professional and degreed engineer who challenges women in STEM and technical careers to transform themselves, industries, and communities. Dr. Nicole Rochester is a pediatrician, health equity consultant, professional health advocate, TEDx speaker, and the Founder/CEO of Your GPS Doc, LLC.   You can watch the video at https://www.linkedin.com/video/event/urn:li:ugcPost:6972921857003917312/.    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/298/  Find out your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Apply for 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    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/.

Hi, I’m popping into your podcast feed to invite you to a brand new free live training I’m hosting on Wednesday, October 12 all about frameworks. I’m going to share with you How to Create Your Own Framework to Set Yourself Apart as a Speaker & Thought Leader. Go to https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/training and register today. Having a framework is a tremendous asset for your business - you can use it for sales conversations, on your website and marketing materials, and of course for your presentations. Having your own framework differentiates you from others - you’re building your thought leadership and intellectual property. A framework helps your audience to remember you and your content - it also helps you to remember your own content! This applies to lead generation presentations, thought leadership talks, and keynotes. You'll learn: What a framework is The process I use when I create new frameworks in SYB How I use frameworks in my presentations and webinars The steps you can take to start creating your own framework Tips on what *not* to do when creating your framework Lots of examples to guide and inspire you     Join your host Carol Cox of Speaking Your Brand for this webinar. Be sure to ATTEND LIVE so you can ask questions and get our special bonus. Register at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/training/. 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/.

How do you integrate your story into your talk and message? Which story should you choose? This is one of the main areas we work on with our clients in our Thought Leader Academy. Your personal story is one of the essential ingredients for your thought leadership and for your talks, whether you’re delivering a lead generation presentation, a keynote, or a TEDx talk. Join me and our coaches Diane Diaz and Joy Spencer as we talk about: Frameworks you can use to integrate your story The 3 essential ingredients a great story needs Examples from our own talks and from women we’ve worked with About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox, joined in this episode by two of our coaches, Diane Diaz and Joy Spencer. 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/297 Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Join our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/    Mentioned: Public Narrative = https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/30760283/Public-Narrative-Worksheet-Fall-2013-.pdf  Tanya Golash-Boza’s TEDx talk = https://youtu.be/eakUZX-pRCQ  Connect on LinkedIn: Carol = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Diane = https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianediaz  Joy = https://www.linkedin.com/in/joy-spencer/ Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 284: Connecting Your Ideas into One Message with Cindy Rowe Episode 263: Finding the Emotional Heart of Your Message with Carol Cox Episode 194: How to Structure a Movement-Making Speech Using Your Story with Joy Spencer [Storytelling Series] 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/.

On the podcast this month, we’re exploring different ways you can channel using your voice and building your thought leadership platform. In this episode, we’re diving into the impact and legacy you can have by writing op-eds. Did you know that most op-eds are only 650-850 words in length? You can do this! My guest is Princella Talley, who is a writer and speaker. In 2020, she was selected as a Public Voices Fellow of the OpEd Project and the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Princella and I talk about: The purpose of op-eds and why you would want to write one How Princella got into writing op-eds The elements that go into a good op-ed Two impactful op-eds she has written and the power of vulnerability and truth telling Handling backlash, sexism, and racism as a woman with a public voice What The OpEd Project is About My Guest: Princella Talley dived headfirst into her craft at age six when she would clip images out of magazines and paste them into her notebook as inspiration to create new stories. She won her first writing contest at 12 years young but couldn’t claim her prize because she was under 18. Today, with over 15 years of experience, Princella has built an impressive resume as a writer, ghostwriter, and editor. Princella's writing portfolio includes an array of content from magazines, initiatives, and companies. She has been a columnist for a variety of outlets including CBS Las Vegas and Las Vegas’ Guardian Liberty Voice and was contracted as an assistant editor by publications in the United States, South America, and throughout the Caribbean islands. In addition, she has conducted numerous celebrity interviews and worked on Grammy campaigns for award-winning artists.  She has also written and published works on climate change and social entrepreneurship, ecotourism, and the role of AI in environmental conservation.  In 2020, she was selected as a Public Voices Fellow of the OpEd Project and the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. During the course of her fellowship year, her op-ed pieces and commentary were published in Grist, The Hill, Zora, World War Zero, The Urbanist, The Progressive, The Sacramento Bee, Quad City Times, Hawaii Tribune Herald, Killeen Daily Herald, The Chronicle, Herald News, Bangor Daily News, Merced Sun-Star,Times Herald-Record (Catskills Edition), Newsbug, and the Marietta Daily Journal. 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/296/ Princella’s website: https://www.princella-talley.com/ Princella’s op-ed after the overturning of Roe v. Wade: https://inthesetimes.com/article/black-women-abortion-ban-roe-louisiana-universal-healthcare  The Op-Ed Project: https://www.theopedproject.org/  Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/  Apply for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/    Connect on social: Carol on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Carol on Twitter = https://www.twitter.com/carolmorgancox  Princella (guest) on Twitter = https://twitter.com/p_talley101 Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 257: Writing a Book Gives Your Ideas Depth and Longevity with Tiffany Hawk [The Medium is the Message Series]   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/.

On the podcast this month, we’re exploring different ways you can channel using your voice. Last week, we talked about building your personal brand. Next week, we’re going to focus on the impact you can have by writing op-eds for newspapers and magazines. In this episode, we’re taking a look at creating and leading a community-based non-profit as a way to amplify your thought leadership. My guest is Arlene Blake, who’s the founder of Women on the Rise, a 501(c)3 organization based in Orlando, Florida.  Arlene has built an incredible community, so I invited her to come on the podcast to share what she’s learned. Arlene and I talk about: Why she started her non-profit organization Women on the Rise The power of vulnerability and sharing personal stories to build trust and community The biggest leadership lessons Arlene has learned What Arlene looks for in the speakers she invites for her events, including where she finds them About My Guest: Bringing over two decades of excellence in key leadership positions, Arlene Blake is a charismatic entrepreneur, sales leader, and community relations professional with expertise in conceptualizing innovative strategies that captivates audiences and boost sales.  As a strong believer in the power of teamwork, Arlene enjoys recruiting, building, and training top-performing professionals to identify opportunities and exceed targets. As a seasoned entrepreneur and the founder of Women on the Rise International, Inc., an organization with a vision to provide educational empowerment to women, Arlene prides herself on offering a platform where women can network, volunteer, and grow. During the last six years, she has dedicated her time to make this organization a pathway for women to recognize their talent and make advancement in their respective careers. In 2020, Arlene was featured in the Orlando Business Journal as a Woman Who Means Business, considered one of the highest honors in the Central Florida Business Community, and was named the runner-up of the Ms. Corporate America Mompreneur Competition. In 2021 she was listed as One of the Most Influential People in Orlando by Black Business Orlando, selected to be in the centennial class of Leadership Orlando, selected to be a part of Leadership Orange and most recently recognized as a 2022 Women of the Year by Orange Appeal Magazine. While she has only just begun, Arlene hopes to one day expand the mission of Women on the Rise International, Inc. to inspire, motivate, and empower women to break the glass ceiling and accomplish their personal goals across the globe. 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/295/ Arlene’s organization Women on the Rise: https://www.wotrinc.org/  Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/  Apply for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/    Connect on social: Carol on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Arlene (guest) on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/arleneblake/ Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 237: The Power of Being Vulnerable with Your Personal Story with Cyndi Shifrel Episode 192: The Cure for Vulnerability Hangovers 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/.

I hit the “easy” button earlier this year. I say this not as an excuse but as a wake-up call for myself. It was May of this year and we had an incredible group of women join our Thought Leader Academy - and I couldn’t help but notice that almost all of them looked like me (white). This is in no way to discount how much I’ve enjoyed having each of them in the program, seeing their progress, and being incredibly proud and excited to see how they’re going to make positive changes in their communities and industries. And yet I also recognized that something was lost by not having a diversity of races and backgrounds in our program because I know how much we learn from each other’s experiences, perspectives, and ideas. At our team meeting that month, our executive assistant Solita Roberts pointed this out. I knew without reservation that I was responsible for this. I wanted to make sure I was doing what I should be doing to provide an inclusive and welcoming environment and to show up in the places where the women don’t all look like me. This is a very important and powerful conversation Solita and I have about: Why it was easy for me to hit the “easy” button for where I showed up in the first half of this year - and the results that led to My concerns about not wanting to be seen as a “white savior” parachuting into other groups Solita’s suggestions on how to show up in communities to empower them My 3 big takeaways: self-awareness; intentionality; and collective effort About My Guest: Solita Roberts is the creator of Style To Impact, an image consulting company that advises Women of Color and entrepreneurs on how to transform their image and style to authentically reflect their individuality and confidence. Solita has worked with TEDx speakers, lawyers, and financial advisors to elevate their image and style to match their influence and impact. Solita is also Executive Assistant and Client Concierge at Speaking Your Brand.   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/294  Solita’s website: https://styletoimpact.com/ Take our free Speaker Archetype quiz: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/  Apply for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/    Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Solita Roberts (guest) =  https://www.linkedin.com/in/solitacroberts/ Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 175: The Work of Anti-Racism as White Women with Carol Cox and Diane Diaz Episode 163: A Feminist Approach to Public Speaking 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/.

We’re continuing our podcast theme for this quarter on “Wealth” with this episode on the true value of your personal brand. You’ve most likely heard about the importance of understanding your personal brand and how you’re perceived by others. Your personal brand stays with you no matter if you change jobs, businesses, careers, or industries. The power of your personal brand is that you *can* shape it. My guest is Monique Bryan, who runs a successful personal brand consultancy that helps established professionals amplify their industry credibility and use their personal brand and visual online presence to become an in-demand business leader.  Even if you think you know a lot about personal branding, you will learn something new in this conversation (I know I did!). Monique and I talk about: How she got started in the fashion business and the pivot she made Her philosophy of “build it backwards” when thinking about your personal brand Cultivating relationships, assets, and legacy Cleaning up your digital house What happens when someone damages their own brand Monique shares publicly for the first time what she would love to do with her business About My Guest: Monique Bryan is an Executive Producer of Personal Brands that helps coaches, consultants and thought-leaders build their personal brand so they can position themselves to top-tier clients, land those dream opportunities and start to scale their influence in their industry. As a former fashion designer, three-time startup founder, Monique brings over 15 years of top-level industry experience in the areas of product development, entrepreneurship, branding, business development, and personal styling. With a focus on messaging, marketing and using your personal brand as a visual communication power tool Monique is known for helping established professionals amplify their industry credibility and use their personal brand and visual online presence to become an in-demand business leader. Today Monique runs a successful personal brand consultancy while being a brand herself. 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/293  Monique’s website: https://www.moniquebryan.com/ Take our free Speaker Archetype quiz: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/  Apply for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/    Connect on social: Carol on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Monique (guest) on LinkedIn = http://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquebryan Monique (guest) on Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/moniquebryan_co/   Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 263: Finding the Emotional Heart of Your Message with Carol Cox Episode 121: Designing Your Website So It Speaks Your Brand with Melanie (Mel) Richards Episode 179: The Deep Truths You and Your Brand Need to Say with Rebeca Arbona [Finding Your Voice Series] Episode 226: Build Your Brand with Consistency and Authenticity with Sydney Cummings 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 quarter on the podcast we’re focused on the theme of “Wealth.”  We’ve talked about how to go from commodity speaker to thought leader (last week’s episode 291) to generating more leads from your presentations (on-air coaching call episode 290) to increasing your speaker fees (episode 289) to using our framework to create a signature talk for both impact and income (episode 288). Today we’re focusing on the wealth of your relationships. After all, your net worth is in your net work. If I think about many of the speaking invitations I’ve received over my career, the vast majority came from my network. This episode is to help you think and plan more intentionally and proactively about building and nurturing relationships in your industry and with other speakers and event organizers. My guests are Colleen O’Mara and Jessie Nagel, who are co-founders of Hype, a PR, social, and branding agency based in Los Angeles, that they started 25 years ago (so impressive!). As you’ll hear in this episode, I invited Colleen and Jessie to talk about this topic because I’ve seen the robustness of their network in action and how much their clients and relationships matter to them. They are soon-to-be graduates of our Thought Leader Academy, so they also share their experience and why they joined to work on their projects (for Colleen, a memoir; for Jessie, a non-profit initiative). We talk about: What their agency does, who they work with, and how it's evolved over the past 25 years How Colleen and Jessie have been intentional about building their network and creating trust Specific things they do to meet new people and to nurture relationships for their business Tips you can use, including “Always take the meeting” and the power of hosting your own events (big or small) The most impactful relationship they each made that changed their life/business Their experience in the Thought Leader Academy and why they joined  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/292/  Colleen’s and Jessie’s agency: http://www.hypeworld.com/ Apply for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/  Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Colleen O’Mara (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleeno3/ Jessie Nagel (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/greenthebid/ About Our Guests:  Colleen O'Mara: Hype Co-Founder & Special Agent Colleen O'Mara-Diamond, a former magazine editor, devised the concept for Hype and opened the agency with her good friend Jessie Nagel. Because of Colleen and Jessie's diverse interests, they built a client roster for Hype, which constantly challenges them and their energetic team. Today, the international Hype roster features an eclectic group of talent in entertainment + beyond. Hype recently expanded by adding a social media division, Hype Social, as well as a branding-design division, Hype Creative. In addition to her work co-managing Hype, Colleen enjoys her collaboration with an ever-expanding group of press contacts around the world. Beyond her co-directorship of Hype, Colleen writes short stories, poetry, essays; and has embarked on writing her first book-length project, "Raw Diamond: A Memoir" (www.colleenomaradiamond.com). She is represented by Editor-Agent Nancy Hancock, formerly of Harper Collins & Harper One. Colleen also hosts & moderates her own writing group each week with Writing Partner Catherine Simone Gray (Unsilenced Woman) called The Writer's Collective, which includes Writers from around the U.S.   Jessie Nagel: Special Agent Jessie Nagel is the co-founder  of Hype -- a sassy boutique communications company that provides brand-strategic PR, Marketing, and Social Media services to creative companies. Dedicated to the entertainment industry as a community, Hype is committed to keen storytelling and promoting the creative process. Just under two years ago, Jessie, along  with four other co-founders from various disciplines with advertising, launched Green The Bid, a non-profit organization, educational resource, and community dedicated to transitioning the global advertising and production industry to sustainable and regenerative practices. Green The Bid currently has over 300 member companies (and growing) - comprising brands, agencies, production, and post - along with supporting trade organizations.     Jessie’s participation in the development and ongoing nurturing of Green The Bid came out of volunteer work on the West Board of the  AICP (the Association of Independent Producers) for which she helped develop the organization’s first sustainability guidelines. She leads the annual AICP Gives Food + Goods Drive and is a member of AICP’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.     Colleen’s Favorites: Book = Lisa Brennan Jobs’ Memoir “Small Fry,” which I modeled my own book project on. TED talk = Roxanne Gay’s “Confessions of a Bad Feminist" Quote = Dr. Maya Angelou (who I had the good fortune to collaborate with on a project about “Diversity,” before that was even a word or term, in my early 20s…): “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you.” and “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor and some style." Jessie’s Favorites: Books = “Fight Knight” by Mariam Towes is a funny, heartbreaking, wonderful story told through the perspective of a precocious girl about a family of three generations of women. “Station Eleven” by Emily St John Mendel is a beautiful and haunting work of fiction about humanity’s cruelty and hopeful perseverance. It’s the book that inspired the equally excellent TV episodic series. TED talk = Spoken word poet Sarah Kay’s “If I should have a daughter” https://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_kay_if_i_should_have_a_daughter Quote = “Don’t ever make decisions based on fear. Make decisions based on hope and possibility. Make decisions based on what should happen, not what shouldn’t.” - Michelle Obama 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 ...

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. This means that, as a commodity speaker, it will be harder for you to attract higher-profile speaking engagements, raise your speaking fees, and generate quality leads at your presentations.  As more conferences, groups, and associations are returning to in-person events, they need speakers who can deliver engaging content and present ideas that get them to think differently, not speakers who share the same-old stuff their audiences have heard on countless trainings over the past few years. 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. How do you know if you’re in the commodity speaker category? What can you do to position yourself as a thought leader? Listen in! In this episode, you’ll learn: The moment I recognized I was a commodity speaker and what that had cost me The changes I made, the results I got, and what I learned that surprised me 3 key elements you need to go from commodity speaker to thought leader What’s getting in your way from making this shift, including some tough love about all the time and energy you’re spending on social media 3 things you can do now to start making this shift to thought leadership Examples of how our Thought Leader Academy clients have shifted from commodity speakers to thought leaders     Join our Thought Leader Academy to develop your speaking skills and create your signature talk: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/    This is the audio from a live training we did on Crowdcast last week. You can watch the video at https://www.crowdcast.io/e/syb-3-elements-speaking-income-impact. 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/291/  Apply for 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 285: 4 Speaker Archetypes: Learn How to Market and Sell Your Speaking with Carol Cox Episode 271: Providing Transformation vs. Information 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/.