Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies

Serving on a corporate or non-profit board is an excellent opportunity for you to gain skills and visibility and broaden your network. Plus, representation matters: not only to the performance of the companies and organizations who have more women on their boards, but to women who see other women on boards and can then imagine it for themselves (“If you can see it, you can be it”). I’ve served on several boards over the years and the relationships I’ve made have been such an important part of building Speaking Your Brand. My guest is Shireen Motara, who consults with companies and agencies like the United Nations on gender equality and women’s rights, including board diversity. This is a deep conversation about: How Shireen became interested in gender equality at a young age Why companies benefit from having more women on their boards Why there are so few women on boards What it looks like to serve on a board How to let organizations know you’re interested The skills you gain by serving on a board Download the free PDF guide “What You Need to Know to be Board Ready”: https://www.dropbox.com/s/dfq02mxqoeq8fnl/Woman%20Board%20Leader_Shireen%20Motara_eBook_2019.pdf?dl=0 About My Guest: Shireen Motara is deeply passionate about the potential of Women, Entrepreneurs and Africa, and has a lifelong commitment to social change. For over two decades, Shireen has been working and volunteering for social justice. She’s held roles in management, coaching, executive leadership and consulting in South Africa, SADC and the United Kingdom. She volunteers her time to serve as a non-executive director on various boards and as a mentor to entrepreneurs. Her background qualifications include coaching, law, HR and business administration. 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 and workshops at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com. Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/126 Shireen’s website: https://taratransform.com/ Download the free PDF guide “What You Need to Know to be Board Ready”: https://www.dropbox.com/s/dfq02mxqoeq8fnl/Woman%20Board%20Leader_Shireen%20Motara_eBook_2019.pdf?dl=0 Connect with Shireen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shireenmotara/ Connect with Carol on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox/ Authors/books mentioned: bell hooks Toni Morrison Maya Angelou Dr. Tererai Trent Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men Catalyst research on women on boards: https://www.catalyst.org/research/women-on-corporate-boards/ Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Create your signature talk or TEDx talk. Get all the details and apply online at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/coaching. Say hi to me on Instagram and Twitter: @CarolMorganCox. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts and leave a review! Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 45: Your Visibility Roadmap: Build Your Business, Brand, and Influence Episode 92: Deconstructing My TEDx Talk: Why We’re Uncomfortable with Women in Power Episode 94: Speaking and Showing Up Powerfully as Women with Molly Baker McPherson Episode 97: Thinking Bigger – I Get Coached On-Air by Geraldine Carter

You may not be talking about politics at your speaking engagements, but you may be discussing issues that are controversial or where people have a distinct point of view. Or, you may get a question from an audience member that throws you off. How can you handle hard conversations, whether it’s at events, panels, media interviews, or even with your family and friends? Joining me in this episode are Sarah Stewart (from the left) and Beth Silvers (from the right) of the Pantsuit Politics podcast. Along with their strategies for handling hard conversations, we get into why companies don’t seem to value training on these “soft skills” as much as they should, why they tend to bucket it as a “women’s issue”, and how we can position these topics differently. About My Guests: On the Pantsuit Politics podcast, two friends on opposite sides of the aisle have real conversations about politics and policy. Sarah Stewart Holland (from the left) has always loved politics, although her political opinions have changed drastically over the years. As the creator and cohost of Pantsuit Politics, she has turned that passion into a career. When she's not opining about policy or the latest political firestorm from behind the mic, Sarah is raising her three young song with her husband in her hometown of Paducah, KY, where she served on the Paducah City Commission. Before turning to the mic, Sarah wrote about parenting and politics on her blog bluegrass redhead. Her writing has also been published on the Atlantic, Huffington Post, Scary Mommy, and BlogHer. Beth Silvers (from the right) owns and operates Checking In with Beth Silvers, a life and business coaching practice. Drawing on her eleven years of experience with a large midwestern law firm as an attorney and human resources executive, Beth helps individuals clarify and realize their goals. She has been recognized as one of Ohio’s Most Powerful and Influential Women by the Ohio Diversity Council, a Human Resources GameChanger by Workforce Magazine, and one of Cincinnati’s Forty Under 40 business leaders. A graduate of Leadership Northern Kentucky, Beth lives in Union with her husband, two daughters, and miniature schnauzer. She loves people, politics, poetry, and watermelon. 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/125 Listen to the Pantsuit Politics podcast: http://www.pantsuitpoliticsshow.com/ Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Sign up for a Strategy Session at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/strategy. Create your signature talk or TEDx talk. Get all the details at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/coaching. Say hi to me on Instagram and Twitter: @CarolMorganCox. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts and leave a review! Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 92: Deconstructing My TEDx Talk: Why We’re Uncomfortable with Women in Power Episode 94: Speaking and Showing Up Powerfully as Women with Molly Baker McPherson Episode 97: Thinking Bigger – I Get Coached On-Air by Geraldine Carter Episode 123: The Key Elements You Need to Get Paid Speaking Engagements with Li Hayes

Have you ever been asked to give an important talk or presentation with a very short time frame? You knew that saying “yes” would be beneficial, but then you had to scramble to put it together, which meant pushing aside your other work, stressing about it, and creating a presentation that wasn’t as good as it could have been? What if, instead, you’re prepared when great speaking opportunities present themselves? My guest today is Karen Briscoe, the author of several books, highly successful in real estate, and an action taker. In this episode, Karen and I talk about: Why she decided it was time to create her signature talk Her inspiring story of being turned down for a speaking engagement - and then getting the opportunity again How she took her signature talk and turned it into a book (and found the time to do so!) Her writing routine Flipping the pyramid to achieve your goals The importance of goals and milestones in your life   This episode is sponsored by Modern Traction, a web development and content marketing company. We used Modern Traction to design our new website for https://www.speakingyourbrand.com and we are beyond thrilled with the impact and ROI we’ve already received less than a month in. Melanie Richards, the founder of Modern Traction, was on the podcast in episode 121 sharing what a powerful marketing and sales tool your website can be, especially to position yourself as a premium and paid speaker. Learn more about how they can help you with a website refresh, a complete overhaul, or done-for-you content marketing at https://www.moderntraction.com and schedule a consult call. I can’t recommend Mel and her team enough. About My Guest: Karen Briscoe has been on a heroine's journey from being too busy and overwhelmed to love the life she has, much less to make time to create and co-create the life of her dreams. In her real estate career, she experienced several major obstacles: her business partner passed away in September 2008, the same month as the financial markets crashed. That crisis was the beginning of the great recession. For the next 5 years, she set about to re-build the business with her new business partner. By my mid-50's she had achieved a high level of success in her profession, ranking in the top 250 agents WSJ list. In her personal life, she enjoys good health for her age, a happy marriage, and 2 healthy, well-established kids. She still felt as though there was something more that was hers to do. And yet there never seemed to be enough time or money. Busy had become a competitive arena, a badge of honor. What she found is the only one truly stopping her was her. How she "flipped" time to focus on meaningful activities and work. If she can do it, you can too! Karen's book, FLIP TIME: LOVE LIFE is based on this heroine's journey. Her books are available on Amazon and in bulk on the 5 Minute Success website. 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 and workshops at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com. Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/124 Karen’s website and podcast: http://www.5minutesuccess.com/ Karen’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Flip-Time-Love-Life-Heroines/dp/1936961423/ Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Apply for a Virtual VIP Day to create your signature talk: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/coaching Say hi to me on Instagram and Twitter: @CarolMorganCox. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts and leave a review! Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 91: Visibility Works: From Local Speaking to TED.com to a Book with Tammy Lally Episode 98: Expanding Your Personal Story into a Universal Message with Nicole Rochester, M.D. Episode 114: Building Your Thought Leadership Platform with Lisa Zawrotny [Coaching] Episode 116: 16 Ways You Can Use Your Signature Talk

You’re going to love this episode, so much so that you may want to listen to it more than once. It’s packed with what you need in order to get paid speaking engagements. There are 5 key elements that event planners look for in speakers they hire. In this episode, you’ll learn what these key elements are and how to position yourself as a paid speaker. My guest is Li Hayes, who is a speaker manager and also facilitates speakers’ exchange groups. Li has been on both sides: helping event planners find speakers and helping speakers get paid gigs, so she knows exactly what speakers need - and what they’re lacking that’s preventing them from getting paid engagements. Li and I talk about: “Famous is relative” Finding your inner dominatrix (well, *you* don’t have to find your inner dominatrix, but this is a great example of an interesting topic) Why there are very few women keynote speakers who make more than $10,000 How to promote yourself as a premium speaker The importance of video clips The difference between a PR person, a speaker manager, an agent, and a bureau Tips for speaking for lead generation Speaker fees and how much associations tend to pay Tips for negotiating your fees   This episode is sponsored by Modern Traction, a web development and content marketing company. We used Modern Traction to design our new website for https://www.speakingyourbrand.com and we are beyond thrilled with the impact and ROI we’ve already received less than a month in. Melanie Richards, the founder of Modern Traction, was on the podcast in episode 121 sharing what a powerful marketing and sales tool your website can be, especially to position yourself as a premium and paid speaker. Learn more about how they can help you with a website refresh, a complete overhaul, or done-for-you content marketing at https://www.moderntraction.com and schedule a consult call. I can’t recommend Mel and her team enough. About My Guest: Li Hayes is a professional Speaker Liaison who facilitates the business communications and contracts between top quality business speakers and great events. Prior to founding GoLeeward, the un-agency for business speakers, she spent over 15 years in Human Resources on the other side of the speaker industry – planning conferences and business meetings first in the service and hospitality industries and then in Big Dia/Pharma. Li planned national conferences, as well as leadership retreats, and employee training events utilizing professional speakers, consultants and agencies. She has worked with speaker bureaus and directly with speakers and learned the ins and outs of hiring speakers, from the client’s point of view. She proudly supports a small stable of top business speakers and helps clients create successful, engaging events. 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/123 Li’s website: https://goleeward.com/ Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Need help identifying your topic and audience? Sign up for a Strategy Session at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/strategy. Ready to create your signature talk and framework? Email me at carol@speakingyourbrand.com or click here to schedule a call. Say hi to me on Instagram and Twitter: @CarolMorganCox. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts and leave a review! Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 59: Why You Shouldn’t Sell from the Stage – and What to Do Instead Episode 60: Finding Your Presentation’s Spine & Why It Absolutely Needs One with Joanna Sapir [Coaching] Episode 68: Getting Paid to Speak and Negotiating Speaker Fees Episode 69: What Event Organizers Look for in Speakers with Erin Smith Episode 71: Using Humor in Your Talks Will Get You More Speaking Gigs with Kathy Klotz-Guest  

Have you heard the term “call and response”? When I hear the phrase, I think of preachers, especially in black churches, who use it to engage their parishioners and uplevel the energy in the room. As speakers, we can use call and response to heighten energy and emotion with our audiences and get them to participate more in the experience. (See episode 113 on E.P.I.C. content for some examples.) But, have you thought about using this idea of “call and response” on social media? I certainly hadn’t until I saw a post by my guest, Tara McMullin, in her What Works online community that I’m a member of. Here’s what’s interesting about Tara’s idea: We assume we’re creating the “call” with our social media posts and content. However, what if our posts are the response to the question that’s already in the minds of our audience. Our goal is to seek out the call from our audience and respond to it, not the other way around. Mind-shifting, isn’t it? In this episode, Tara and I talk about: The business model of her What Works community and how it evolved from what she had before How this idea of call and response is influencing what Tara is doing on social media The impact, engagement, and results Tara has seen with this fresh approach, especially on Instagram As a marketer, we need to think of what the questions (calls) our audiences/prospective clients have What I’m currently doing on social media How Tara approaches the content she creates for speaking engagements   I was curious about where the phrase "call and response" originated, so I did some searching: “Call and response is deeply embedded into African-American musical traditions including blues, jazz, gospel, R&B, soul, and hip-hop. The phrasing is a musical conversation—a statement made by a musician or group musicians is answered by a response. Call and response comes from Sub-Saharan African cultures and developed in America through slave work songs and field hollers, spirituals, and blues.” (Source: https://stevetres.com/2016/01/5-types-of-call-and-response-phrases/)   This episode is sponsored by Modern Traction, a web development and content marketing company. We used Modern Traction to design our new website for https://www.speakingyourbrand.com and we are beyond thrilled with the impact and ROI we’ve already received less than a month in. Melanie Richards, the founder of Modern Traction, was on the podcast last week in episode 121 sharing what a powerful marketing and sales tool your website can be, especially to position yourself as a premium and paid speaker. Learn more about how they can help you with a website refresh, a complete overhaul, or done-for-you content marketing at https://www.moderntraction.com and schedule a consult call. I can’t recommend Mel and her team enough. About My Guest: Tara McMullin is a podcaster, writer, and small business community leader. With over a decade of experience helping thousands of small business owners grow their businesses, she’s on a mission to change the dialogue about what’s really working from hype to candid conversation. She’s the host of the What Works podcast, a top small business podcast that’s been recommended by Forbes and Entrepreneur, as well as the founder of The What Works Network, a community hub for small business owners. She’s also a bestselling Money & Life instructor on CreativeLive. Her work has been featured on Fast Company, Inc, Daily Worth, and The Huffington Post. 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 and workshops at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com. Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/122 Explore the What Works network and podcast: https://explorewhatworks.com/ Follow Tara on Instagram: @Tara_McMullin Carol on the What Works podcast episode 185 on networking: https://cocommercial.co/networking/ Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Ready to create your signature talk and framework? Email hello@speakingyourbrand.com or click here to schedule a call. Say hi to me on Instagram and Twitter: @CarolMorganCox. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts and leave a review! Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 89: Building a Community from Your Podcast with Debbie Gonzales [Coaching] Episode 101: Public Speaking Trends for 2019 Episode 106: Get More Speaking Opportunities with a Powerful Personal Brand with Diane Diaz Episode 113: Storytelling Isn’t Enough – Your Content Needs to be E.P.I.C. Episode 121: Designing Your Website So It Speaks Your Brand with Melanie (Mel) Richards

How does your website impact your speaking opportunities and the fees you can charge? More than you may think. If you want to be seen as an authority in your field and charge premium rates, as both a speaker and an entrepreneur, your branding needs to reflect that. This includes your website, your marketing materials, your graphics, and your content. This may be controversial, but I’m going to say it: DIY is not your BFF. When you come to a place in your speaking and business when you need to level up, you need to bring in experts to help you. As a speaker, if you want to get paid gigs and bigger stages, how you present yourself online and in your materials needs to reflect your value and build trust with event organizers. You think doing things yourself is saving you money, but it’s really not. It’s costing you money: lost time, lost productivity, and actual lost revenue from prospective clients who don’t convert. I came to this point about a year ago and I’ve been seeking out experts since then: hiring a high-level VA, a professional podcast editor, a sales coach, another speaking coach to work with our clients, most recently a website designer/developer, and soon a marketing strategist. My guest today is Melanie (Mel) Richards, the founder of Modern Traction, a web development and content marketing company. I hired Mel earlier this year to design and build the new website for https://www.speakingyourbrand.com. This was a big decision for me. My previous two businesses had been web development companies, so I had always created my own websites. But, that was no longer my identity or my business. And it was no longer a good use of my time - I needed the expert guidance and skillset that Mel and her team provided. Whether you know you need a new look for your brand and website, are happy with what you currently have, or perhaps just need a refresh, you’ll hear tips you can use to position yourself as a premium speaker. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Mel got interested in design (and what a 4-ton printing press has to do with it) What elements make a great website that works for you How your website can be your most powerful marketing and sales tool Where to start when working on your website (this may surprise you) What to look for when hiring a designer What the impact has been on my business since launching the new site How we decided on the branding for the new website (this can help you with yours too) About My Guest: Having debuted her career in web design and development in 1999, Melanie (Mel) Richards is a highly experienced and award-winning art director and digital strategist. She’s sought out for her knowledge on branding, design, UX, conversion strategies and the technologies that make it all possible. Her dedication to helping her clients get more traction with their business drives her to create solutions that meet her client’s objectives and expectations so they see a healthy ROI after working with her. In her spare time, Melanie can be found reading non-fiction, hosting a lively dinner with friends, or pushing her boundaries through adventure sports. Living in the small mountain town of Squamish, B.C., the outdoors offer her an endless playground where she enjoys kiteboarding, mountain biking and skiing with friends and family. 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/121 Visit Mel’s website: https://moderntraction.com/ Schedule a consult call with Mel: https://moderntraction.com/chat/ Download the free guide for getting great professional photos: https://www.moderntraction.com/speakingyourbrand Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Ready to create your signature talk and framework? Email carol@speakingyourbrand.com or click here to schedule a call. Say hi to me on Instagram and Twitter: @CarolMorganCox. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts and leave a review! Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 57: How to Use Simple Story Structure to Create Compelling Content Episode 61: A Game Changer for Your Business and Presentations - Developing Your Own Framework Episode 116: 16 Ways You Can Use Your Signature Talk

A question I get a lot is: What content should I include in my lead generation presentations? How much information do I share? To figure this out, start with these two questions: #1 = What are you selling (your program, service, product)? This will help you to determine what content will best align with your offer. #2: Who is your ideal client and what do they need to know to make a decision / take action? This is what my guest today, Layne Booth, and I did during our recent VIP Day to create her signature talk. Layne is brilliant at numbers and data analysis - and her clients love her for that. However, we decided to go in a slightly different direction for her signature talk. The content we ended up with may surprise you. You’ll hear us talk about the process that led us to this, as well as the different ways Layne is using her signature talk to get her message out and attract her ideal clients. About My Guest: Layne’s business, The Project Booth, focuses on the inventory and ordering mayhem that becomes a struggle for many product-based businesses. Layne grew up as a math nerd, graduated college with two engineering degrees and went straight into manufacturing. She spent over a decade in the supply chain world. But as her family started to grow, she was ready for more flexibility. She started The Project Booth to help businesses confidently plan their sales and inventory and maximize their bottom line. It results in the owner’s clarity, confidence, and of course, cash flow! Layne makes the numbers in your business “show you the money”. 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/120 Visit Layne’s website: https://www.theprojectbooth.com/ Connect in Layne’s Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1984665971752657/ Watch Layne’s masterclass for product-based entrepreneurs: http://www.bit.ly/profitceo Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Ready to create your signature talk and framework? Email me at carol@speakingyourbrand.com or click here to schedule a call. Say hi to me on Instagram and Twitter: @CarolMorganCox. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts and leave a review! Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 72: How to Speak Strategically for Better Business Results Episode 80: Connecting Your Why with What Makes Your Approach Unique with Anne Torrez [Coaching] Episode 93: Turning Your Framework into a Course with Jessica Korthuis Episode 116: 16 Ways You Can Use Your Signature Talk Episode 117: Turning Your Signature Talk into a Lead Generation Webinar with Lorena Klingel [Coaching]

In the last episode, I talked about pushing past your speaking plateau - what happens when we get to a certain point in our skillset, it’s a comfortable place, but we’re no longer progressing or challenging ourselves, and I shared some ways you can get past your plateau. That’s where my guest today, Diane Diaz, was in her speaking journey. You may recognize Diane - she’s been on the podcast a couple times this year and she’s one of the speaking coaches here at Speaking Your Brand. Diane does quite a bit of speaking for her business, The Brand Teacher - about once a month for the past few years, mostly to build brand awareness and for lead generation. She’s gotten really good at - audiences love her presentations and she gets clients from them. And then Diane was asked to give the luncheon keynote at a women’s conference here in Orlando where we both live. Like most of us would be, she was both excited and nervous about it - and she knew saying yes was going to help propel her to the next level in her speaking journey, which is what we talk about in today’s episode. You’ll hear how we decided on the content for her keynote, how she practiced and prepared for it, including handling the roller coaster of emotions leading up to it, and how it went. Pushing past your speaking plateau and going after bigger opportunities and bigger stages, like keynotes, is why I created our new Master Your Speaking online group coaching program. The program starts May 16, 2019, and applications are currently open. The program combines 1:1 coaching and expert guidance from both me and Diane, group calls, peer feedback and support, and accountability. We will challenge you and gently push you out of your comfort zone so you can become a Master Speaker. You’ll work on creating or refining your signature talk and adding layers to it - emotion, humor, video and audio clips, audience experience, and stories with visual scenes and dialogue. You’ll create your speaker promotional materials so you can position and market yourself as a speaker to get those bigger opportunities, including paid ones. You can get all the details and apply online today at www.speakingyourbrand.com/mastery. Diane’s speaking highlights: https://youtu.be/hASGMpco62A About My Guest: Diane Diaz is founder of The Brand Teacher. As a personal brand strategist, LinkedIn strategist, CultureTalk Certified Partner in using Archetypes in personal branding, and a Certified Speaking Coach with Speaking Your Brand, she uses her two decades of combined branding, marketing, and teaching experience to teach professionals and entrepreneurs how to define and build personal brands that attract their dream jobs or clients so they can build careers or businesses they love. Diane also leads workshops with companies and organizations on personal brand strategy, Archetypes in personal branding, and LinkedIn strategy for building personal and business brands that stand out and get noticed. 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 and training programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com. Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/119 Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Apply for our new “Master Your Speaking” online group program at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/mastery. Ready to create your signature talk and framework? Email me at carol@speakingyourbrand.com or click here to schedule a call. Say hi to me on Instagram and Twitter: @CarolMorganCox. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts and leave a review! Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 55: Should You Give an Instructional or an Inspirational Talk Episode 66: Mastering Your Speaking Style and Stage Presence Episode 81: Be a Better Speaker – Top Takeaways from Watching Presenters at Podcast Movement Episode 106: Get More Speaking Opportunities with a Powerful Personal Brand with Diane Diaz Episode 118: Push Past Your Speaking Plateau

In today’s episode, we’re talking about hitting a plateau, why it happens, the danger of staying there, and how to get past one. I’m going to be sharing some of my own experiences plus giving you specific strategies you can use. The definition of plateau is to reach a state or level of little or no growth or decline, especially to stop increasing or progressing; remain at a stable level of achievement; level off (from Dictionary.com). Notice the word “achievement”. Just because you’re at a plateau doesn’t mean you’re not a good speaker - or entrepreneur or writer or podcaster. You’re achieving - getting speaking engagements, getting good feedback. But, you’re not getting the same results you used to for the same effort. You’re at a place where there’s little to no growth, you’re no longer progressing, you’ve hit a point that you’re not going beyond. It’s ok to be here for a little while - sometimes we need to coast a little on our achievements, take a breather. But, not for too long because we can lose momentum and motivation, get stagnant, and not achieve what IS possible for us. In this episode, you’ll hear: Why we plateau and get stuck Times when I’ve reached a plateau Strategies you can use to get past your plateau to uplevel your skillset and mindset What I believe is necessary for us to shift to get past a plateau How are we making sure that we’re continuously improving so that we can reach those bigger stages, increase our speaker fees, and having a bigger impact on our audiences? We need feedback, accountability, guidance, and some pushing outside of our comfort zones, which is what you’ll get in our new “Master Your Speaking” Online Group Program. This will be a combination of group coaching + mastermind, taking place on Zoom video and in a private online community, so you can join us no matter where you live. By the end of the program experience, you'll have the speaking elements in place that will fuel the growth of your business and lead you to bigger opportunities. Get all the details and apply online at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/mastery. 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/118 Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Apply for our new “Master Your Speaking” online group program at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/mastery. Ready to create your signature talk and framework? Email me at carol@speakingyourbrand.com or click here to schedule a call. Say hi to me on Instagram and Twitter: @CarolMorganCox. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts and leave a review! Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 63: Five Mistakes You’re Making in Your Presentations that Turn Off Your Audiences Episode 68: Getting Paid to Speak and Negotiating Speaker Fees Episode 92: Deconstructing My TEDx Talk: Why We’re Uncomfortable with Women in Power Episode 97: Thinking Bigger – I Get Coached On-Air by Geraldine Carter Episode 108: NLP Can Make You a Better Speaker with Candice Czaplak Episode 113: Storytelling Isn’t Enough – Your Content Needs to be E.P.I.C.  

How can you take the presentation you do in person and convert it to a webinar for lead generation, particularly if you’re selling a program or course? Much of the content from your presentation can be easily repurposed for a webinar, but there are some considerations and constraints when you have attendees online vs. in person. Hosting a webinar before giving your presentation in person is also a great way to practice and get comfortable with the content and get feedback from a real audience. In this episode, my guest Lorena Klingel of Learn to Flourish and I talk about how we approached repurposing her signature talk into a webinar to promote her online program, Video Fundamentals. You’ll learn: Why we started with her offer when deciding on the content for her signature talk How and why we chose the opening of her presentation The changes we made for the webinar version The results Lorena got from the webinar she recently did   Our signature talks don’t live in a vacuum. We’re out there speaking and learning, but then who are we sharing those questions and lessons with? How are we making sure that we’re continuously improving so that we can reach those bigger stages, increase our speaker fees, and having a bigger impact on our audiences? We need feedback, accountability, guidance, and some pushing outside of our comfort zones, which is what you’ll get in our new “Master Your Speaking” Online Group Program. This will be a combination of group coaching + mastermind, taking place on Zoom video and in a private online community, so you can join us no matter where you live. By the end of the program experience, you'll have the speaking elements in place that will fuel the growth of your business and lead you to bigger opportunities. I’m still working out all the details, but the program will start in May 2019. Get on the interest list to be the first to know when applications open at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/mastery. About My Guest: Learn to Flourish was born from Lorena’s desire to share her enthusiasm for creating online courses that actually TEACH – a skill that she’s mastered after more than 20 years of experience in corporate learning. Now, Learn to Flourish is a team of eLearning and tech experts dedicated to taking your message to your audience in a way that is effective, engaging, innovative, and ultimately, successful. About Lorena: When Lorena is not helping her clients create beautiful and engaging online courses and communication videos, she can also be found hitting the slopes, hiking the trails, finding her next favorite hand-pottered mug, or mothering her three girls. 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 and workshops at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.   Links for Our Guest Lorena Klingel: Lorena’s website: https://www.learntoflourish.com Connect with Lorena on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorena-klingel-2876ba10/ Get the Heart-Head-Hands Framework Microlearning Tutorial: https://www.learntoflourish.com/creating-videos-takes-your-heart-head-and-hands/ Watch Lorena’s Webinar Recording: https://www.learntoflourish.com/create-your-own-marketing-videos-webinar-replay/ Register for Video Fundamentals: https://www.learntoflourish.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Video-Fundamentals.pdf   Links for Speaking Your Brand: Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Get on the “Master Your Speaking” online group program interest list to be the first to know when applications open at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/mastery. Ready to create your signature talk and framework? Email me at carol@speakingyourbrand.com or click here to schedule a call. Say hi to me on Instagram and Twitter: @CarolMorganCox. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts and leave a review!   Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 37: What to Include In Your Webinar with Samantha Agostino [Coaching] Episode 57: How to Use Simple Story Structure to Create Compelling Content Episode 61: A Game Changer for Your Business and Presentations: Developing Your Own Framework Episode 93: Turning Your Framework into a Course with Jessica Korthuis Episode 112: Deciding On Your Signature Talk Topic with Teresa McCloy [Coaching] Episode 116: 16 Ways You Can Use Your Signature Talk