Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies

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  

If you’re going to be speaking at an in-person conference, this episode has some excellent tips on how you can exceed expectations as a speaker to make it a win-win-win for you, the audience, and the event organizer. Our guest is Jill Janecke, who is a mental health counselor and has opened and operates 15 offices in South Dakota. Last year, Jill decided to host a conference for women around mental and brain health and recently held it for a second time. As the organizer, Jill delivered a keynote address and joined our Thought Leader Academy to develop it with our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz. In this episode, Diane and Jill talk about: What Jill does in her business and why she decided to create her own conference What it's like to speak at her own event vs. someone else's event The importance of practicing and envisioning your audience As an event organizer, suggestions Jill has for speakers Why Jill joined our Thought Leader Academy and what her experience has been Get our free thought leadership workbook that has our event preparation checklist in it: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/guide/  About Our Guest: Jill Janecke has been working in mental health since 2005 and started Rising Hope Counseling, a private practice, in 2013. Her passion to help people expanded as she created a group practice and has opened 15 offices across the state of South Dakota since March of 2020. Jill yearns to bring opportunities for people to have access to hope.  Annually, she presents a Women’s Conference and also provides motivational, educational and inspiring speaking engagements making mental health an approachable topic with easy to learn concepts to apply to anyone’s life.  Jill embraces learning to help people achieve their goals and grow from the inside out.  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/283/  Jill’s website: https://risinghope605.com/jill-janecke-ms-lpc-mh/ Get our free thought leadership workbook that has our event preparation checklist in it: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/guide/  Apply for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/    Connect on social: Diane Diaz on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianediaz  Jill Janecke (guest) on Facebook = https://www.facebook.com/risinghope605  Jill’s favorite books = “Switch on Your Brain” by Dr. Caroline Leaf: https://www.amazon.com/Switch-Your-Brain-Happiness-Thinking/dp/0801018390/ and “Happy Days: The Guided Path from Trauma to Profound Freedom and Inner Peace” by Gabrielle Bernstein: https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Days-Guided-Profound-Freedom/dp/1401965490/ Jill’s favorite TED Talk = Brene Brown: https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability?language=en   Jill’s favorite quote = “Don’t be afraid to fail.”- Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx   Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 245: How to Get Selected as a Speaker by Event Organizers with Sarah Soliman

Do you sometimes wonder how BOLD you want to be with your thought leadership message? You know you have something important and impactful to say, but you’re a bit uncertain on how it will be received and if there will be any backlash. I have definitely experienced this - and the benefits have far outweighed any negativity. My guest is Jodi Flynn, who is the founder of Women Taking the Lead, which helps corporate women advance in leadership, and the host of the Women Taking the Lead podcast. Jodi recently graduated from our Thought Leader Academy, where she worked on her thought leadership message and signature talk. Jodi and I talk about: The types of speaking engagements Jodi was comfortable doing - and why she wanted to do something different What her bold thought leadership message is The hesitancy she had around sharing her message - and how she got past it A story from her childhood that influenced the work she does Why *you* are the messenger for your message   This is the audio from a recent LinkedIn Live. You can watch the video at https://www.linkedin.com/video/event/urn:li:ugcPost:6930483939065118720/.    About My Guest: Jodi Flynn, founder of Women Taking the Lead, is an Executive Leadership Coach, Podcaster, Author, Speaker, and Workshop Facilitator. A Certified Professional Coach (PCC) through the International Coach Federation (ICF), women leaders hire Jodi to develop the skills needed to thrive in Senior Leadership. She is the host of the critically acclaimed Women Taking the Lead podcast, and an Amazon bestselling author with her book, Accomplished: How to Go from Dreaming to Doing. Jodi has spoken at the Massachusetts Conference for Women, the Maine Bankers Association Women in Banking and Emerging Leaders Conferences, and the Michigan Bankers Association Rising Leaders Conference. She is the President of the board for The Maine Women’s Conference and has been featured in Entrepreneur and Forbes Magazine.   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/282/  Jodi’s website: https://womentakingthelead.com Register for our Summit Speakers Reunion on June 21 (it’s free): https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/reunion/  Join our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/    Connect on social: Carol Cox on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Jodi Flynn (guest) on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodiflynn    Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 232: Are You an Influencer, an Expert, or a Thought Leader? with Carol Cox Episode 233: 3 Types of Thought Leadership Models with Carol Cox Episode 241: The Expert Trap: What Holds Women Back from Thought Leadership with Carol Cox

How should you open and close your talk? When we work with our clients on their signature talks using our framework, we always make sure to have a strong opening and closing. In the beginning, you want to make a good impression and set the right tone. You may also be nervous, so feeling confident about how you’re going to open your talk can make you feel better. At the end of your talk, you want to leave the audience feeling satisfied AND wanting more. In this episode, I’m sharing with you: 6 ways you can open your talk Examples from my own talks and from our clients How to choose which way to open your talk depending on the format of the event and the size of the audience What to do when you get to the event and you realize your planned opening isn’t going to work How to close your talk, including what not to do!   Register for our Summit Speakers Reunion on June 21 (it’s free): https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/reunion/  Speakers from our past Brave. Bold. Beyond. Live Virtual Summits are joining us to talk about: What is was like to create a transformational TED-style talk Being vulnerable with their story and any concerns they had - and whether they had any vulnerability hangovers afterwards! How delivering this kind of talk (transformational vs. informational) helped them to see themselves as a different kind of speaker than they may have been used to How the coaching they received from us helped them to create their talks What they’ve been doing since the summits   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/281/  Register for our Summit Speakers Reunion on June 21 (it’s free): https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/reunion/  Join our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/  Connect on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox   Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 137: The Missing Ingredients in Your Stories [Storytelling Series] Episode 153: Threading a Story Throughout Your Signature Talk with Amber Hawley [Coaching] Episode 193: Five Kinds of Stories to Share in Your Thought Leadership Content with Carol Cox [Storytelling Series]  

Last year on this podcast, I did several episodes about the distinction between being an expert and a thought leader. As speakers, we often get stuck in what I call “the expert trap.” We get comfortable training and teaching in our area of expertise and we think that’s the only way to provide value to our audiences. The way out of this is to incorporate more of your personal journey and storytelling into your talks and to believe that providing your audiences with transformation is more important than information. My guest on the podcast is Katie Anderson, an internationally recognized leadership and learning coach, consultant, and professional speaker. Katie and I have been working together since the beginning of the year on her new keynote and helping her incorporate more storytelling and performance aspects into her delivery. Katie and I talk about: Why she wanted to get out of the expert trap and add more storytelling into her keynotes What the process has been like for her and what doubts she had The results so far from delivering two keynotes this year How she developed her own voice from the blog and book writing she’s been doing since 2015 The power of the pause and silence And much more! About My Guest: Katie Anderson is an internationally recognized leadership and learning coach, consultant, and professional speaker, best known for inspiring individuals and organizations to lead with intention and increase their personal and professional impact. Katie is passionate about helping people around the world learn to lead and lead to learn by connecting purpose, process, and practice to achieve higher levels of performance. Her book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn: Lessons from Toyota Leader Isao Yoshino on a Lifetime of Continuous Learning is an international #1 Amazon bestseller.   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/280/  Katie’s website: http://kbjanderson.com/ Katie’s book “Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn”: https://kbjanderson.com/learning-to-lead/  Register for our Summit Speakers Reunion on June 21 (it’s free): https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/reunion/  Schedule a consult call with us to talk about creating your signature talk and thought leadership platform: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/contact.  Connect on social: Carol Cox on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Katie Anderson (guest) on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson/ Katie Anderson (guest) on Twitter = https://twitter.com/kbjanderson   Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 232: Are You an Influencer, an Expert, or a Thought Leader? with Carol Cox Episode 241: The Expert Trap: What Holds Women Back from Thought Leadership with Carol Cox Episode 271: Providing Transformation vs. Information with Carol Cox

Do you have an experience that happened to you that you’re reluctant to share with your audience? What would happen if you did? So often we feel like our stories are too uncommon or unrelatable or not interesting enough to include in our talks. What I see happen is that speakers generalize their stories - and by doing so they remove what makes a great story. It may seem counterintuitive, but it’s the specificity and details of our stories, the very thing we think is uncommon, that makes them powerful. Sharing a deeply personal story, one that shaped who you are and how you understand yourself, is what can connect you to your audience and build trust. Building trust with your audience is especially important if you want to help them go deeper and think differently. You have to go first. Being vulnerable is not always easy. You may wonder if you’re sharing too much or if your audience will look at you differently. But, the rewards are well worth it - not only for the audience but for your own personal development and confidence. My guest is Dr. Katrina Skinner, a pediatrician who is also the founder of Women in Pediatrics, an organization that provides unique, practical educational content and opportunities for female pediatricians. Katrina recently hosted an in-person retreat for Women in Pediatrics and she opened the event with her keynote talk sharing a very personal and vulnerable story. I invited Katrina on the podcast to talk about that experience and what she learned from it.  About My Guest: Six weeks after residency graduation, Dr. Katrina Skinner opened the doors to her pediatric practice in her rural Alabama hometown. Twelve years later, she and her team serve thousands of their community’s children as a Patient Centered Medical Home.  Dr. Skinner serves as the President of the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, where she advocates for children and pediatricians across the state, from working with legislators to negotiating with payors to make sure Alabama’s children and the physicians who serve them are fairly represented. Dr. Skinner is also the founder of Women in Pediatrics, an organization that provides unique, practical educational content and opportunities for female pediatricians.   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/279 Katrina’s website = https://www.katrinaskinner.com/ Schedule a consult call with us to talk about creating your signature talk and thought leadership platform: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/contact.    Connect on social: Carol Cox on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Dr. Katrina Skinner (guest) on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-skinner-md-faap-0a61011b2/ Dr. Katrina Skinner (guest) on Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/katrinaskinner_md/ Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 192: The Cure for Vulnerability Hangovers with Carol Cox Episode 193: Five Kinds of Stories to Share in Your Thought Leadership Content with Carol Cox Episode 263: Finding the Emotional Heart of Your Message with Carol Cox