Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies

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

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

One of the best reasons to be a speaker is to increase brand awareness for your business and to generate leads and clients. Especially as social media gets noisier and the algorithms make it harder for our content to be seen, being a speaker standing in front of an audience (whether in person or virtually), with the built-in credibility and authority and attention that comes from that, is an incredible opportunity to connect with potential clients and take them to the next step on their buying journey with you. However, what I see happen a lot is that speakers provide too much content, especially too much training, in their lead generation presentations, which makes it less likely that they will get the leads they want. This episode is an on-air coaching call with one of our Thought Leader Academy clients, Monica Young, as she pivots from training content to thought leadership in her presentations. You’ll hear us talk through: Pinpointing her offer and ideal client Using our Signature Talk Canvas® framework to lay out her content in the 3 acts The types of questions to ask her audience Integrating her personal story as the bridge from Act 1 to Act 2 Focusing more on changing the audience’s understanding of productivity rather than giving them more things to do Using the feedback form for lead generation Monica’s experience in the Thought Leader Academy About My Guest: Monica Young, Productivity Consultant and CEO of MY Productive Biz, is passionate about helping small business owners and high-performing professionals Do L.E.S.S and Accomplish More - even when they feel like there is too much to do and not enough time. Sharing her extensive experience in business ownership and operations - and her freaky fascination with all things productivity - Monica has helped hundreds of professionals get organized and streamline their day-to-day operations so they can accomplish their work, enjoy their lives, and increase their 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/290 Take our free quiz to discover your Speaker Archetype: 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 Monica Young (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicajyoung/ Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 288: A Framework for Creating a Signature Talk for Income and Impact with Carol Cox Episode 275: Public Speaking Has Changed: The 3 Skills You Need Now to Get Selected, Stand Out, and Make Money as a Speaker Episode 169: Leveraging Free Speaking Engagements Into Bigger Opportunities with Angela Hosking  

We have a new free LIVE training happening on Tuesday, August 16! Register today for free at  https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/training/. 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.  How do you know if you’re in the commodity speaker category? What can you do to position yourself as a thought leader? Attend our free live training on "Speaking for Income & Impact: The 3 Key Elements You Need (and What’s Getting In Your Way) to Go from Commodity Speaker to Thought Leader." Register at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/training/. 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 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/.

If you’ve been getting speaking requests, but they’re free or low paid, or you’ve been charging the same amount for a while and aren’t sure if (and how) to raise your speaker fees, tune in to this episode. I share 3 reasons you *should* increase your speaking fee and how to confidently do so. I also go through specific dollar amounts of what you could be charging based on where you’re at in your speaking journey. Finally, I talk about reasons why you may decide to speak for free and specific things you can do to make sure you’re getting maximum value from those speaking engagements. 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/289/ 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 = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox   Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 169: Leveraging Free Speaking Engagements Into Bigger Opportu Episode 241: The Expert Trap: What Holds Women Back from Thought Leadership with Carol Cox Episode 271: Providing Transformation vs. Information with Carol Cox Episode 274: The Key to Booking More Speaking Engagements with Sarah Lynn Wallace

Do you sometimes sit down to create a new presentation and stare at a blank document or slide deck, not sure where to start or you feel like you have so many ideas you don’t know which to include? Or perhaps you’ve been delivering your presentations for a while and they’re not quite as effective as they could be for lead generation? Or perhaps you want to put more of your thought leadership and personal stories in your presentations but aren’t sure how to do that? This is why I created the Signature Talk Canvas® framework. I use it for my own presentations and we use it with our clients in VIP Days and in our Thought Leader Academy. It works for any topic in any industry. Our framework is a proven, repeatable process that works - so much so that it’s led to tens of thousands of dollars (at least) in clients from lead generation talks I’ve given plus all the leads and sales our clients have received from their presentations. It’s also led to highly successful TEDx and keynote talks. In this episode, I describe the Signature Talk Canvas® framework and how you can use it for income and impact. You can see what our Signature Talk Canvas® framework looks like by downloading our free thought leadership workbook at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/guide/.  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/288/ Download our free thought leadership workbook: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/guide/.  Apply for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/  Connect on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox   Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 145: You Need to Create a Framework Episode 236: Using One Story with Different Angles for Different Audiences with Chanta Wilkinson Episode 243: How We Create a Signature Talk in a VIP Day Episode 284: Connecting Your Ideas into One Message with Cindy Rowe

What can you expect when you work with a speaking coach? What are the outcomes and results you get? In last week’s episode, we talked about what a public speaking coach does and when you need one. In this episode, I talk with one of our Thought Leader Academy grads, Dianna Deeney, on why she decided to invest in a speaking coach, including: What attracted her to thought leadership for her business Why public speaking wasn’t on her radar until after she joined our program The tangible results she’s seen so far, both personally and professionally What surprised her about adding storytelling and performance aspects to her presentations About My Guest: Dianna Deeney is the host of the Quality during Design Podcast and is the founder of Quality during Design. She coaches product development engineers about awareness and use of quality and reliability methods during the design development process. She is an engineer, a senior quality professional, and an active member of ASQ holding certificates as a CQE, CRE, CQA, and CMQ/OE. Dianna believes that design engineers do not need to become quality or reliability engineers to use those methods and benefit from quality thinking. She has seen that using quality as a strategic asset during concept and design development improves the design and the design process and helps design engineers to be recognized as star performers. Her mission is to bridge product managers and designers (entry-level to seasoned) to the world's quality initiatives and quality-minded people   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/287 Dianna’s website: https://www.qualityduringdesign.com/ 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 Dianna Deeney (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/diannadeeney/ Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 285: 4 Speaker Archetypes: Learn How to Market and Sell Your Speaking with Carol Cox Episode 286: What a Speaking Coach Is and When You Need One with Carol Cox and Diane Diaz  

What exactly do we do as speaking coaches when we work with our clients? When is the right time for you to work with a speaking coach? In this episode, Diane Diaz, our lead speaking coach, and I talk about: Different types of business and speciality coaches When and why we’ve hired coaches ourselves The purpose of hiring a coach What we do as speaking coaches Some trigger points for when you could benefit from working with a speaking coach 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/286 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  Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 236: Using One Story with Different Angles for Different Audiences with Chanta Wilkinson Episode 257: ​​Writing a Book Gives Your Ideas Depth and Longevity with Tiffany Hawk [The Medium is the Message Series] Episode 283: How to Exceed Expectations as a Speaker at an Event with Jill Janecke Episode 284: Connecting Your Ideas into One Message with Cindy Rowe

What kind of speaker are you? How would you describe your style? I’ve always told our clients that we don’t want to fit you into some type of “speaker mold” that doesn’t feel natural to you. Instead, I encourage you to take your natural speaking strengths and amplify them. This also means adding to your speaking toolkit by taking some of the elements that other speaking styles have and making them your own. I’ve been thinking a lot about this since we held our in-person client retreat speaking intensive a few months ago.  It was fun to see a variety of speaking styles of our clients as they practiced on stage and to realize that each one brought something different and also what they wanted to improve. I’ve identified 4 speaker archetypes that I’m going to talk about in this episode, including what each has as their natural strengths along with areas to develop.  Find out your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/.  You’ll discover where you shine as a speaker along with recommendations on what you can add to your speeches and presentations to make them even better.   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/285  Take our NEW Speaker Archetype quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/.  Apply for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/  Connect on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox   Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 241: The Expert Trap: What Holds Women Back from Thought Leadership with Carol Cox Episode 271: Providing Transformation vs. Information with Carol Cox Episode 275: Public Speaking Has Changed: The 3 Skills You Need Now to Get Selected, Stand Out, and Make Money as a Speaker  

Have you ever felt like you have a bunch of ideas and you’re not sure how they’re connected and how to get them into one message? You are not alone! Most of us struggle with this because we’re too close to our own ideas, expertise, and stories. Our guest, Cindy Rowe, owns a marketing agency that works with small businesses. Cindy also has a passion for speaking and for spreading her message around kindness. Cindy joined our Thought Leader Academy in March and worked with our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz in a VIP Day to create her signature talk. In this episode, Diane and Cindy talk about: What led Cindy to her thought leadership message and how it connects to her story The process that Diane and Cindy went through to incorporate Cindy’s story into her keynote The types of speaking engagements Cindy most enjoys doing Why Cindy joined our Thought Leader Academy and what her experience has been About My Guest: Cindy Rowe is an Entrepreneur, Mom and Kindness Spreader. Enduring a series of challenges, she was determined to rise. Her transformation happened when she focused on practicing kindness. Not only did her personal life change, but her business grew with this pivotal shift towards kindness. Her passion is to inspire and empower others to discover how kindness can be the gamechanger; the key to success in life and in business. Cindy is the perfect example of how the power of kindness can pull you through dark and difficult situations including divorce, a brain injury and childhood traumas. She resides in Northern Illinois with new found love and soon-to-be husband, her children and blended family as well as two crazy, but sweet pups. She continues to build her marketing company that serves entrepreneurs and small business owners. About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. This episode is hosted by Diane Diaz, our lead speaking coach.  At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories, voices, and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.  Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/284/  Cindy’s website: http://thecindyrowe.com/ Apply for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/  Connect on social: Diane on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianediaz  Diane on Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/dianediaz  Cindy Rowe (guest) on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindyrowe1/ Cindy Rowe (guest) on Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/cindyarowe/ Cindy’s favorite book = “Chasing the Bright Side” by Jess Ekstrom: https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Bright-Side-Optimism-Activate/dp/0785229329/   Cindy’s favorite TED talk = Brene Brown on vulnerability: https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability?language=en   Cindy’s favorite quote = “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou   Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 259: Connecting Your Business and Your Thought Leadership with Carol Cox Episode 280: Making the Shift from Expert Presenter to Storyteller in Your Keynotes with Katie Anderson