Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies

As a high-achieving woman and a left-brained/logical/analytical person, I've been perfectly comfortable living and working from my head. However, I’ve begun to realize over the past couple of years that leadership and coaching and, really, being human is about your heart. My guest is Emily Rogers, a high-achieving woman who has learned to tap into her somatic wisdom and helps her executive coaching clients with that as well. Emily had a very successful career as an executive in a high-profile role in a very male-dominated industry. And then one day her coach asked her, “What if you led with your heart?” Emily resisted that for a while, until she recognized what a benefit that would be for her team and for herself. Emily and I talk about: Her career and the burnout it caused Her passion for women in the workplace The importance of somatic wisdom How to get started listening to your body Finding spaciousness Why she decided to join our Thought Leader Academy and what she learned  About My Guest: Emily Rogers is passionate about purposeful living, being in wide open spaces in nature, and mindful leading. As a business consultant, executive coach and retreat facilitator, Emily strategically advises and supports businesses, teams and individuals in growing and realizing their full potential in purposeful and balanced ways. Described by The Ledger as bringing a “fresh face to leadership”, Emily authors a monthly column intended to inspire leadership excellence. Prior to starting her business in 2013, as President & Chief Growth officer of IEG (a WPP company), she advised Fortune 100 brands, professional sports teams, entertainment properties and global nonprofits on how to form mutually beneficial strategic alliances. Emily is a member of the Forbes Coaches Council, International Coach Federation, Institute of Coaching, Lakeland Economic Development Council, Lakeland Chamber of Commerce, and the Central Florida Development Council. She and her husband live on their family ranch in Lakeland, Florida where they raise beef cattle and grow citrus. About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.  Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/239 Emily’s website: https://emilyrogers.com   Books mentioned: The Extended Mind by Annie Murphy Paul Your Body Is Your Brain by Amanda Blake Finding the Space to Lead by Janice Marturano Join our Thought Leader Academy at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/.    Download our FREE workbook on how to position yourself as a thought leader: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/guide/.    Schedule a consult call with us to talk about creating your signature talk and thought leadership platform: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/contact.    Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Emily Rogers = https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyhowellrogers/ Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 193: Five Kinds of Stories to Share in Your Thought Leadership Content Episode 214: Top Takeaways from Our Speaking Coaches  

This is an incredibly powerful conversation about owning and telling our story and what it looks like to develop into a thought leader. My guest is Besty Jordyn, who is truly a brand whisperer. She has a magical ability to understand who her clients are at a deep level and help them position their business and marketing. Betsy went through our Thought Leader Academy earlier this year and on our final graduation call, Betsy shared her journey through the program. This part of her speech stopped me in my tracks: “What I thought was *in my way* to my thought leadership was *the way* to my thought leadership. What I felt crippled me actually qualifies me for the message that I want to deliver to others,” Betsy said. Betsy and I have had many conversations since then about what it means to be a thought leader, so I asked Betsy to come on the podcast to talk more about her own experiences and the insightful model she’s developed.  As you listen to this episode, think for yourself if there’s something you have within yourself that could be the way to your thought leadership message, especially if it feels like right now it is what’s holding you back. Betsy and I talk about: What it means to find the right business for you What Betsy realized about her thought leadership message The surprising question Betsy asks her clients to discover what their natural passion is Normalizing our experiences and flaws and releasing shame around our story The feminist power of owning and telling our story The differences between the hero’s journey and the heroine’s journey Betsy’s 4 stages of adulthood maturity, including going through the dark night of the soul to let go of the false ego to reach stage 4 to be of authentic service to the world Examples of people who have reached stage 4, including Oprah, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Monica Lewinsky Thought leadership is about your lived experience, not just about what you know intellectually The role of loss, grief, and suffering in developing into an authentic thought leader (I share my own realization around this) Recognizing the narratives we tell ourselves and when they no longer serve us About My Guest: Betsy Jordyn is a business positioning strategist, keynote speaker, podcaster and prolific content creator. Her business development firm builds strong and powerful brands for remarkable consultants and coaches and their unique strengths. Simply put, her team designs credible online stores that position consultants and coaches as thought leaders and sought-after experts. She personally helps her clients find the words to describe the value of what they do and use them on their website and in their marketing. You can learn more about her mentoring and marketing agency services at https://www.betsyjordyn.com.   About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.    Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/238 Betsy’s website = https://www.betsyjordyn.com  Betsy’s podcast “Enough Already” = https://www.betsyjordyn.com/podcasts/enough-already  Download our FREE workbook on how to position yourself as a thought leader: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/guide/.    Get on the interest list for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/.   Schedule a consult call to talk about creating your signature talk and thought leadership platform: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/contact.    Connect on LinkedIn: Carol on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Carol on Instagram= https://www.instagram.com/carolmorgancox  Betsy on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/betsy-jordyn/  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

I know from first-hand experience how hard and scary it can be to be vulnerable sharing a deeply personal story that reveals something that shows you’re not perfect. And I also know how incredibly powerful doing so can be. Not only for those who hear it, but for yourself. This is the journey that our guest Cyndi Shifrel has gone through during the past year, as COVID dramatically impacted her events businesses. As the CEO of two businesses (with nearly 40 employees) and a leader in her community, it wasn’t easy for Cyndi to decide to share what she went through, both from a business perspective and also her own personal struggles. And yet doing so has helped others and has shaped her thought leadership message. Cyndi is currently in our Thought Leader Academy and has been working one-on-one with our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz, so I asked Diane to interview Cyndi about her journey.   Diane and Cyndi talk about: How Cyndi’s thought leadership message emerged from the dramatic impact COVID had on her events businesses The fears of being vulnerable and sharing your personal story when you’re a CEO and leader in your community On the flip side, the benefits of being vulnerable and sharing your personal story The work Diane and Cyndi are doing on her keynote signature talk What Cyndi has most appreciated about being in our Thought Leader Academy Enrollment for our Thought Leader Academy is opening again in September! Get the details and join our interest list at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/. About Our Guest: With over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience, Cyndi Shifrel is the President and CEO of Orlando Wedding & Party Rentals, a full service luxury event and party rental company that specializes in upscale, tailored event rentals. She is also the President and CEO of Central Florida Luxury Restroom Trailers, a company that provides luxury restroom trailers for events. Cyndi has helped to grow her award winning company to a staff of more than 40 employees and is considered to be a leader in the event rental industry. Her company was fortunate to make it on Orlando Business Journal's Fastest 50 growing companies in Central Florida for the past several years. Most recently she started her own brand, The Gingerpreneur, a podcast that provides insight, tactics and advice on the daily challenges and success stories from women making a difference in the hospitality industry.   About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. This episode is hosted 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 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/237  Cyndi’s websites: https://thegingerpreneur.com/ and https://orlandoweddingandpartyrentals.com/   Download our FREE workbook on how to position yourself as a thought leader: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/guide/.  Get on the interest list for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/ 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: Diane on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianediaz  Cyndi on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyndishifrel/ Cyndi on FB = https://www.facebook.com/thegingerpreneur/?ref=pages_you_manage Cyndi on Instagram = http://instagram.com/the_gingerpreneur Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 185: My Journey as a Thought Leader and How We’re Evolving at Speaking Your Brand with Carol Cox [Thought Leadership Series] Episode 213: The V.O.I.C.E. of Thought Leaders with Carol Cox [Big Ideas Series]

You know that including stories, especially personal stories, in your presentations is important to connect with and engage the audience. This is true whether you’re giving a keynote, a business presentation, or a training. Along with integrating various stories and examples throughout your presentations, you can also have one core story that illustrates your topic and why it’s important. This is what my guest Chanta Wilkinson and I have been working on during our coaching sessions as part of our Thought Leader Academy. Chanta provides trainings and workshops for organizations around diversity, equity, and inclusion, so we identified a story going back to when she was a young girl that perfectly illustrates why she has gravitated to this work and why DEI is so important. Even better, we’ve identified different angles she can use from this one core story, depending on who’s in the audience and what she wants to emphasize. You are going to love Chanta’s energy and passion for what she does! Enrollment for our Thought Leader Academy is opening again in September! Get the details and join our interest list at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/.   About My Guest: Chanta Howard Wilkinson is the founder of Chanta Wilkinson Consulting, LLC, where she provides diversity, equity and inclusion consulting and assistance to organizations implementing diversity, equity and inclusion strategies and best practices. Chanta previously served as a Human Resources Consultant for small to mid-size businesses in Delaware and New York City. Prior to that, she served as the Associate Director of EEO/AA for Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn. In addition, she also served as a Deputy Attorney General and an EEO/Affirmative Action Coordinator for the New Jersey Office of Attorney General and an Associate at a large New Jersey law firm. Chanta holds a J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law, a BA from Rutgers College, and a Diversity & Inclusion for HR Certificate from Cornell University.   About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories 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/236  Chanta’s website: https://www.chantawilkinsonconsultingllc.com/ Download our FREE workbook on how to position yourself as a thought leader: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/guide/.  Get on the interest list for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/ Schedule a consult call to talk about creating your signature talk and thought leadership platform: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/contact.    Connect on LinkedIn: Carol on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Carol on Instagram= https://www.instagram.com/carolmorgancox  SYB on YouTube = https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS7AtXV0f_HL09mepAON65w  Chanta on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/chanta-howard-wilkinson-547ab8a0/ Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 137: The Missing Ingredients in Your Stories with Carol Cox Episode 193: Five Kinds of Stories to Share in Your Thought Leadership Content with Carol Cox 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

Have you been getting the feeling that you’re ready to go bigger with your ideas and message? That you want to have a bigger impact and reach more people? This is what today’s guest, therapist Marisol Erlacher, started feeling last year, as she took part in conversations with other BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) women who were recognizing the role that trauma has played in their leadership development and how it has shown up in their professional lives. Marisol is currently in our Thought Leader Academy and has been working one-on-one with our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz on her thought leadership platform and signature talk. I love what Marisol says towards the end of their conversation about her evolution as a thought leader: “It’s not about how other people see me. It’s about how I see myself.”   In this episode, Diane and Marisol talk about: The conversations Marisol was having that led her to realize “There’s something more here” How listening to cues can guide you in identifying your thought leadership message Marisol’s transition from therapist and business owner to speaker and thought leader The scary and exciting aspects of shifting your identity Seeing yourself as a thought leader and owning that identity   Enrollment for our Thought Leader Academy is opening again in September! Get the details and join our interest list at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/.   About Our Guest: Marisol Solarte-Erlacher, M.A., LPC is a trauma expert, speaker and workshop facilitator specializing in post-traumatic growth and resilience. She is also the creator and host of the podcast Resilience and Resistance, which features Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color who have overcome trauma and built success. Her dedication to Latinx communities and women’s issues is evident in her research and public-speaking engagements as well as her leadership with nonprofits and public health departments. About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. This episode is hosted 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 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/235 Marisol’s website = https://www.marisolerlacher.com/  Marisol’s podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/resilience-and-resistance-podcast/id1521769475    Download our FREE workbook on how to position yourself as a thought leader: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/guide/.    Get on the interest list for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/   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: Diane on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianediaz  Marisol on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisol-solarte-erlacher-a5566513 Marisol on Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/resilience_and_resistance/  Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 210: Finding Your Big Idea By Noticing What's Missing with Jackie Roby Episode 215: Moving Past the Surface to Find Your Deeper Story and Message with Zaribel Clay

The best way to describe this episode is to share what my guest, copywriter Ashleigh Rennie, wrote when she scheduled our podcast interview: “When I was growing up in South Africa, the country was in the darkest days of the Apartheid. It was the 80s. Nelson Mandela had been in jail for twenty years. We were on the verge of a civil war. My parents were liberals who voted for democracy. And I was making speeches at school about social injustice, equality and marginalisation, and why Apartheid was wrong.   “Then I went to work for a non-profit, The Foundation for Tolerance Education, and I held workshops and made speeches about Apartheid, the Holocaust, and what it means to be a victim, a perpetrator, and a bystander.   “I'm passionate about being vocal about what you believe in. It's everything to me. It's a huge  part of my business and my work as a copywriter. For me it’s feminism, human rights, animal rights, black lives matter, issues of privilege. I want my clients to find their voice and be unapologetic about putting it out there. But I also want my own voice to resonate with people.” As soon as I read this, I couldn’t wait to interview Ashleigh!   Ashleigh and I talk about: Her background growing up in Apartheid South Africa How her early experiences influenced what she does now The importance of finding your authentic voice and weaving it into your business and your brand, in your copy and in your marketing Creating content that makes people fall in love with you because you're a little bit in love with yourself     About My Guest: Ashleigh Rennie runs The Story Team, her copywriting business. Her mission is to empower female entrepreneurs to embrace their authentic voice and weave it into their business, creating consistent branding and copy that converts. She works with female entrepreneurs from South Africa to New Zealand, from India to South Korea, from the UK to the USA, helping them with badass brand voice and copy tips. She is an unapologetic vegan who started her business from her car while working as a care worker. She swears too much, is far too loud, is working more and more on not caring too much about what other people think, and she wants to tell her story so that it may help other women to find their power.   About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.  Links: Show notes at  https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/234  Ashleigh’s website: https://www.thestoryteam.org/  7 of the Greatest Public Speakers (really, no women?!?): https://bigthink.com/stephen-johnson/7-of-the-greatest-public-speakers-in-history  A more balanced list of great speeches: https://blog.wsb.com/powerful-lessons-for-speakers-from-15-great-orators    Get on the interest list for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/.    Connect on social: Carol on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Carol on Instagram= https://www.instagram.com/carolmorgancox  SYB on YouTube = https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS7AtXV0f_HL09mepAON65w  Ashleigh on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleigh-rennie/ Ashleigh on Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/thestoryteamldn/  Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 163: A Feminist Approach to Public Speaking with Carol Cox Episode 185: My Journey as a Thought Leader and How We’re Evolving at Speaking Your Brand with Carol Cox Episode 213: The V.O.I.C.E. of Thought Leaders with Carol Cox

In this episode, I share 3 types of thought leadership models: personality-driven, research-driven, and mission-driven.  A lot of times we see someone who we would categorize as a thought leader and think that we can’t do what they do - and you don’t have to be just like them.  You can see which of these 3 types most closely aligns with who you naturally are.  Just like your business model influences your customer segments, value proposition, key activities, and channels, your thought leadership model will do the same. Once you have an understanding of which type of thought leader you are, your goals, your message, your content, and your platforms will be much clearer and easier to implement. About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.  Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/233. Download our FREE workbook on how to position yourself as a thought leader: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/guide/.  Get on the interest list for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/ Schedule a consult call to talk about creating your signature talk and thought leadership platform: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/contact.    Connect on social: Carol on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Carol on Instagram= https://www.instagram.com/carolmorgancox  SYB on YouTube = https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS7AtXV0f_HL09mepAON65w  Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 213: The V.O.I.C.E. of Thought Leaders with Carol Cox Episode 229: 3 Speaking Styles You Can Use Episode 232: Are You an Influencer, an Expert, or a Thought Leader? with Carol Cox

What’s the difference between an influencer and a thought leader? And what’s the difference between an expert and a thought leader? Which one you choose will determine the kind of content you create and where (what platforms) you should be spending your time and focus. Most likely, you’re currently in the expert category (which is great!) and perhaps you want to develop into a thought leader. There’s a lot of overlap between being an expert and a thought leader that you can leverage - AND there’s a critical difference between the two, which you’ll hear in this episode. In this episode, I talk about the differences between influencers, experts, and thought leaders, including examples, what they do, platforms, monetization streams, and what their content looks like. I also talk about WHY it can be hard to shift from expert to thought leader.   About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.  Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/232.  Download our FREE workbook on how to position yourself as a thought leader: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/guide/.  Get on the interest list for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/  Schedule a consult call to talk about creating your signature talk and thought leadership platform: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/contact.    Connect on social: Carol on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Carol on Instagram= https://www.instagram.com/carolmorgancox    Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 184: Why Some Speakers Become Thought Leaders with Carol Cox Episode 214: Top Takeaways from Our Speaking Coaches Episode 229: 3 Speaking Styles You Can Use

How can you get selected to speak at an event? What do event organizers look for in speakers? My guest is Kelly Youngs, the founder of global women’s network She Is Fierce!, which puts on in-person and virtual events. Kelly and I talk about the balance between inspirational speakers and expertise speakers, what kinds of speakers are inspiring to us, and how she curates the content and speakers for her events. I’ll be speaking (in person!) at Kelly’s She is Fierce! Summit this September 22-24, 2021, in St. Augustine, Florida. Join me there! Show notes, links, and related episodes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/231.

Have you ended up somewhere in life that you did not expect (or was not expected of you)? Do you have a life story that people have told you is inspirational? For my guest and client Tanea Smith, the answer to both of these questions is YES. In this episode, Tanea and I talk about how she’s using her life journey for her signature talk, including identifying her big idea, how we selected specific stories, and what happened to her recently that confirmed the message she wants to share.   Show notes, links, and related episodes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/230.