Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies

I talk quite a bit on this podcast about signature talks - why you should have one and what goes into one. Your signature talk is your foundation for your brand message and story. It showcases who you are, what you do, who you do it for, and why it matters. We’ve worked with our clients for the past 5 years to help them create their signature talk, which they’ve used for presentations (in-person and virtually) for brand awareness, lead generation, keynotes, and TEDx talks.   In this episode, Diane Diaz and I talk about: 4 types of talks you should have as an entrepreneur, speaker, and thought leader When you should use each type Examples of each My favorite type of talk What the women in our Thought Leader Academy are currently working on This episode is part of our series on Goals & Planning.   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 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/205 Get instant access to our Webinar Idea to Launch on-demand training: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/webinar-course  Schedule a consult call to talk about creating your signature talk and thought leadership platform: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/contact.  Get on the interest list for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/.  Maureen Taylor’s webinar results on Nikki Rausch’s Sales Maven podcast: https://yoursalesmaven.com/how-to-make-your-free-webinar-profitable-a-client-success-story/ Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Diane Diaz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianediaz  Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 116: 16 Ways You Can Use Your Signature Talk Episode 145: You Need to Create a Framework [Frameworks Series] Episode 165: How to Repurpose Your In-Person Presentation into an Engaging Webinar with Carol Cox and Diane Diaz

How can we create a decision-making filter to determine which opportunities to say ‘yes’ to and which to say ‘no’ to? If you are newer in your business and/or with speaking, it can be very beneficial to say ‘yes’ to a lot of opportunities because it provides you with experience and with data for future decision making. Then, as we get further along in our businesses and in our speaking careers, we inevitably get more and more invitations and opportunities. My guest today is Danielle Hayden, who is the founder of Kickstart Accounting, Inc. where she and her team help business owners with bookkeeping, financial analysis, and education.   Danielle and I talk about: Decision-making filters to help you decide what opportunities to say ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to Identifying the goal you have for a speaking engagement Determining if that particular audience is the best one for you Tracking metrics beyond dollars (so important) When an entrepreneur should hire a bookkeeper and CPA The framework Danielle uses with her clients This episode is part of our Goals & Planning series.   About My Guest: Danielle Hayden is a reformed corporate CFO (chief financial officer) who is on a mission to help rule-breaking female entrepreneurs understand their numbers so they can gain the confidence needed to create sustainable profits. After spending 10+ years in the boardroom as a corporate finance officer, Danielle is now in her sweet spot as the co-owner of Kickstart Accounting, Inc. where she helps business owners with bookkeeping, financial analysis, and education and as the author of the Profit Planner book series. When Danielle isn’t crunching numbers on her clients’ behalf or crafting the next iteration of the Profit Planner, you can find her hanging with her two kids as she inspires them to lead their fullest lives or doing any and almost every fitness-related activity ranging from Spartan races to pilates.   About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals create their signature talks and gain more visibility to achieve their goals. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power: on stages, in businesses, on boards, in the media, in politics, and in our communities. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.  Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/204 Connect with Danielle at www.profitplannerbooks.com and www.kickstartaccountinginc.com. Download Danielle’s free financial goal setting worksheet: profitplannerbookkeeping.com/speaking  Danielle’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniellehayden__oh    Be sure to get on our email list so you don’t miss the details of our next Brave. Bold. Beyond. live online event that will be on April 1st. Call for speakers is coming in early January. Go to https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join.    Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Danielle Hayden (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-hayden-kickstartaccounting/  

This episode is 2 conversations in one.  I invited my guest and client Lesley Batson, founder of Rebel Rock Wealth, on to the podcast to help us with our financial review and planning as we end one year and start the next. Lesley shares with us the areas we need to review as individuals and as business owners. This ends up being the 2nd half of our conversation.  The 1st half of the conversation is about an incident that happened to Lesley when she was co-hosting an online event in November. You won’t want to miss either parts of this episode.   About My Guest: Lesley Batson launched Rebel Rock Wealth, a strategic financial consulting firm that teaches independent thinking professionals and small business owners, the WHOLE truth about money and helps them implement strategies to control and build the wealth style they desire. Lesley is licensed in several states and meets with clients from Florida to California virtually. She loves Hamilton the Musical, playing golf, and taking up space on a sandy beach.   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/203 Lesley’s website: https://www.rebelrockwealth.com/  Free checklist: https://www.rebelrockwealth.com/syb Lesley’s video about what happened at the event she was facilitating: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lbatson_tedxcentennialparksalon-antiracism-diversityandinclusion-activity-6733081975789293568-pw2x  Lesley’s group No More Ignorance: https://no-more-ignorance.mn.co/  Schedule a consult call to talk about creating your signature talk and thought leadership platform: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/contact.  Get our LinkedIn for Speakers online masterclass at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/linkedin.  Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Lesley Batson (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/lbatson/ 

What should you be measuring in your business and in your speaking and visibility efforts? There are the obvious metrics: revenue, leads, sales, number of events you speak at. But what else? We can’t forget to measure what we’re doing (or *not* doing and *should* be doing) that will get us to the goals we want. My guest is Casey Gromer, who owns SHE-Suite Boutique, a business consultancy that works for female founders who are ready to step away from being boss while still achieving growth and success as a business owner.  I invited Casey on the podcast to share with us her 4-part planning process, which you can use now as you plan for next year and you can use throughout the year as you evaluate your results and set new goals. This episode is part of our Goals & Planning series. About My Guest: Casey Gromer is the founder and head Integrator of SHE-Suite Boutique – a business consultancy that works for female founders who are ready to stop away from being boss while still achieving growth and success as a business owner. As a mom and founder of my own company, I recognize that traditional, male-dominated business strategies are not resonating for many women business owners. Now, as an author, consultant, and Fractional Integrator, our team helps purpose-driven women business owners find the balance in business – avoiding burnout and decision-fatigue while maintaining sustainable and profitable growth.   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/202  Casey’s website: https://www.she-suiteboutique.com  Schedule a consult call to talk about creating your signature talk and thought leadership platform: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/contact.  Get our LinkedIn for Speakers online masterclass at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/linkedin.  Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Casey Gromer (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseygromer/  Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 160: Shifting Your Sales Mindset and Strategies for Greater Success with Reena Philpot [Mindset Series]

Although 2020 didn’t end up going quite as planned (understatement of the year), there are lessons I’ve taken from it that have made me and Speaking Your Brand as a business stronger and more resilient. In this episode, Diane Diaz and I talk about: The impact COVID had on the business and our plans for the year The value of constraints What worked and what didn’t work this year 5 big lessons from 2020 (these are not the obvious ones) My commitments and strategic priorities What’s coming in 2021   This episode is the first in our new Goals & Planning series.   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 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/201 Schedule a consult call to talk about creating your signature talk and thought leadership platform: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/contact.  Get our LinkedIn for Speakers online masterclass at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/linkedin.  Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Diane Diaz = https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianediaz    Want to improve your podcast or need an editor? I highly recommend our editor, Tim Wohlberg. Check him out at https://podcastperformancecoach.com/.    Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 166: Reimagining Our Businesses, Industries, and Public Speaking with Carol Cox and Diane Diaz

200th episode celebration!  After creating 200 podcast episodes over nearly 4 years, I’ve learned a lot.  In this episode, I share: The impact podcasting has had on my business How my guest selection process has evolved Things I wished I had done earlier The most popular episodes and why I think they are My favorite episodes The surprising lessons I’ve learned about finding and using my voice What’s coming next for the podcast Takeaways you can use if you have a podcast or are thinking of starting one   Thank you so much for being a listener! I wouldn’t be 200 episodes in if it wasn’t for you. Want to help me celebrate? There are 3 things you can do: Leave a review on Apple Podcasts Share about the podcast on your social media Tell a friend or colleague about one of your favorite episodes (text them the link!)   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/200  Get our LinkedIn for Speakers online masterclass at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/linkedin.  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolmorgancox   Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 100: Best of the Podcast: 100 Episodes Episode 162: Why We’re #ChoosingWomensVoices – and You Should Too with Carol Cox and Diane Diaz Episode 184: Why Some Speakers Become Thought Leaders with Carol Cox [Thought Leadership Series] Episode 185: My Journey as a Thought Leader and How We’re Evolving at Speaking Your Brand with Carol Cox [Thought Leadership Series] Episode 197: What We Can Learn as Speakers from ‘Hamilton’ with Carol Cox [Storytelling Series]

We’ve heard so much about the importance of storytelling over the past few years that using data, statistics, and research in our presentations seems to have been sidelined. However, data can play a very important role in helping people understand what’s going on and what’s possible. Data can be used to tell stories and to affect change. This is a fantastic conversation with my guest Monique Ositelu, PhD, who runs a data-consulting firm that helps educational institutions, non-profits, and companies leverage their data into useful strategic insights to curate actionable solutions.  In this episode, Monique and I talk about: The stories she heard growing up and how they impacted her Why and how to use data in your presentations How to tell stories using data How Monique humanizes the data she analyzes Specific strategies you can use when presenting data, charts, and graphics The research Monique did for her dissertation on collegiate athletics, education and race, using data How Monique is sharing her thought leadership message Register for Monique’s professional development webinar “Telling Compelling Stories with Your Data”: https://hopin.to/events/telling-compelling-stories-with-your-data   About My Guest: Dr. Monique Ositelu is the Founder & CEO of Data Driven Consulting & Solutions, a data-consulting firm that helps educational institutions, non-profits, and corporate companies leverage their data into useful strategic insights to curate actionable solutions. As someone who enjoys using data to tell stories and making systematic change in both practice and policy, Dr. Ositelu launched her business to pursue her passion and currently serves as the Chief Data Consultant. Dr. Ositelu also serves as a Senior Policy Analyst for Higher Education with the Education Policy Program at New America. New America is a bipartisan public policy research institute located in Washington, D.C. In her role, Dr. Ositelu conducts policy research and data analysis to promote college access and degree completion for historically underserved students. Dr. Ositelu earned her PhD in higher education, with a specialization in public policy, from Florida State University. Prior to that, she earned her master’s degree in public administration, with a concentration in public policy, from the University of Texas at El Paso and her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Furman 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/199  Monique’s website: http://www.ddcands.com/  Register for Monique’s professional development webinar “Telling Compelling Stories with Your Data”: https://hopin.to/events/telling-compelling-stories-with-your-data Get our LinkedIn for Speakers online masterclass at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/linkedin.    Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Monique Ositelu (guest) = http://linkedin.com/in/moniqueositelu-phd    This episode is part of our podcast series on Storytelling.   Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 138: Scientists Need to Tell Stories Too with Karen Corbin, PhD, RD [Storytelling Series]

Writing a nonfiction book and having a signature talk go hand in hand: both are a reflection of who you are, what you do, and why you do it. Both your book and your signature talk should have a “hook,” which is your particular angle that answers “why me” and “why now” for your topic. Some of our clients come to us after they’ve written a book to work on their signature talk, so we help them pull out the most important stories and key points. Other clients create their signature talk first, which becomes the foundation and outline for their book. My guest in this episode is Kelly Notaras, founder of kn literary arts, which works with authors who are writing nonfiction books.   Kelly and I talk about: Why stories about yourself are not self-indulgent and how detailed to get in your stories 3 types of nonfiction books you can write: prescriptive nonfiction, narrative memoir, and teaching memoir Examples of each type and how to choose the best one for you, especially as a speaker 5 elements you can use to find the “hook” for your book What traditional publishers look for in authors How her book coaches work with authors This episode is part of our podcast series on Storytelling.   About My Guest: Kelly Notaras is an author, speaker, book editor and entrepreneur. She started her book editing career right out of college by moving to New York, where she worked in the editorial divisions at Avon Books, HarperCollins, Penguin USA and Hyperion Books. She then relocated to Boulder, CO where she became the VP, Associate Publisher at spirituality publisher Sounds True. Kelly speaks regularly at the Hay House Writer’s Workshops, and coproduces the membership-based Hay House Writer’s Community along with Hay House CEO Reid Tracy. But her proudest accomplishment is her book studio, kn literary arts, whose mission is to amplify positive change in the world through the medium of books.    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/198  Kelly’s website: https://knliterary.com/  Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Kelly Notaras (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/company/kn-literary-arts/  Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 116: 16 Ways You Can Use Your Signature Talk Episode 145: You Need to Create a Framework [Frameworks Series] Episode 186: From Hashtag to Podcast to Book: Developing Your Thought Leadership Platform with Elayne Fluker [Thought Leadership Series] Episode 193: Five Kinds of Stories to Share in Your Thought Leadership Content with Carol Cox [Storytelling Series]

I admit, I’m a bit obsessed with the musical “Hamilton.” I watched it on Disney+ the July 4th weekend it came out and was instantly transfixed.  I knew I would like it, but didn’t realize I was going to love it.  Today I’m going to talk about “Hamilton” the play and the production and what we can learn from it as speakers. Why study the play?  After all, as speakers, we’re not acting in a play or singing in a musical. We’re speaking to grow our audiences, build our businesses, generate leads, get paid. I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen a lot of so-so and boring presentations, both in person at conferences and, especially this year, virtually. Your presentations shouldn’t be flat - they can be fun and engaging and they should be layered - and speak to universal themes. In this episode, I’m going to share what I saw as I watched “Hamilton” as well as what I learned from reading the amazing book called “Hamilton: The Revolution” that gives behind the scenes of the creation and production of the musical. You can listen to this episode whether you’ve seen Hamilton or not. If you haven’t, this episode will hopefully inspire you to watch it. This episode is part of our podcast series on Storytelling.   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/197 Book “Hamilton: The Revolution” = https://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Revolution-Lin-Manuel-Miranda/dp/1455539740/    Connect with Carol: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolmorgancox/  Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 137: The Missing Ingredients in Your Stories with Carol Cox Episode 185: My Journey as a Thought Leader & How We're Evolving at Speaking Your Brand with Carol Cox  

The live virtual summit that we hosted a couple of weeks ago was a smashing success. Attendees told us that it was the best virtual event they’ve even been to; some even said it was the best event, in person or virtual. And the stats prove it: the average watch time was nearly 3 hours. People told us they planned to pop in for an hour and ended up staying for the entire time! In this episode, we talk about why we think that was.  As a speaker, you’ll learn takeaways you can use when presenting virtually. If you’re planning an event, you’ll learn what the critical elements were that made it such a great experience for the attendees. If you’re interested in more behind the scenes about our summit, also check out episode 189.   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 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/196  This episode is part of our podcast series on Storytelling. Join our Thought Leader Academy coaching & training program for women entrepreneurs and professionals at 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 189: Behind the Scenes of Planning Our Virtual Summit with Carol Cox and Diane Diaz [Use Your Voice Series] Episode 195: Our Opening and Closing Speeches from Our Brave. Bold. Beyond. Summit with Carol Cox and Diane Diaz [Storytelling Series]