Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies

Carol Cox

It's time to escape the expert trap and become an in-demand speaker and thought leader through compelling and memorable business presentations, keynotes, workshops, and TEDx talks. If you want to level up your public speaking to get more and better, including paid, speaking engagements, you've come to the right place! Thousands of entrepreneurs and leaders have learned from Speaking Your Brand and now you can too through our episodes that will help you with storytelling, audience engagement, building confidence, handling nerves, pitching to speak, getting paid, and more. Hosted by Carol Cox, entrepreneur, speaker, and TV political analyst. This is your place to learn how to persuasively communicate your message to your audience.

Episodes

Mentioned books

Aug 13, 2019 • 1h

133: Authentic Selling at Your Speaking Engagements with Nikki Rausch [Money Series]

When we’re doing unpaid speaking engagements, the expectation is that, because it’s free, we can use it for building brand awareness and for lead generation. However, many conferences and groups explicitly forbid “selling from the stage.” I’ve never liked that phrase because it conjures up images of a pitchman on stage hawking their wares like on an infomercial. It’s a turn off to the audience and for many of us speakers it feels awkward and inauthentic. But, there IS a way to sell who you are and what you do in your presentations authentically and by providing value to your audience. My guest is Nikki Rausch, who is my sales coach and who last appeared on the podcast in episode 34 in September 2017. In this episode, Nikki and I talk about: How to sell from the stage in an authentic and genuine way How to prime people in the audience to want more Why you should pre-frame your offer at the beginning of your presentation Planting seeds throughout your presentation by telling stories Transitioning to your offer and how to determine what price point the offer should be for that audience What to do after your presentation is over to get consult calls scheduled right then and there Nikki’s Selling Staircase framework (5 steps) Negotiating your speaking fees This is the second episode in our new podcast series on Money, episodes 132-136. Nikki was a guest speaker in our Master Your Speaking group coaching program and the women were blown away by her feedback to them. If you’re ready to position yourself as a paid speaker as well as generate more leads from your speaking engagements, join our Monetize Your Speaking online group coaching program. This is a 3-month online, hands-on program that will help you find/refine your unique topic, create your speaking page, packages and fees, optimize your LinkedIn profile, improve your current presentation to make it more sales-driven, and position yourself as a premium speaker. About My Guest: Founder and CEO of “Sales Maven”, an organization dedicated to authentic selling, Nikki Rausch has the unique ability to transform the misunderstood process of “selling”. With 25+ years of experience selling to such prestigious organizations as The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Hewlett-Packard, and NASA, Nikki shattered sales records in many industries, receiving multiple “top producer” awards along the way. Today, entrepreneurs and small business owners from a wide range of disciplines hire Nikki to show them how to sell successfully and authentically, without being pushy or “salesy.” An engaging and sought-after speaker, she shares the secrets of her sales success through illuminating keynote addresses and business-changing workshops. Her robust Sales Maven Society ignites game-changing outcomes for clients. 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/133 Connect with Nikki on her website at https://yoursalesmaven.com. Get Nikki’s free ebook gift “Closing the Sale” at https://www.yoursalesmaven.com/ebook. Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Join the Monetize Your Speaking group coaching program at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/group. 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 and leave a review! Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 34: Relationship Selling with Nikki Rausch Episode 59: Why You Shouldn’t Sell from the Stage – and What to Do Instead with Carol Cox Episode 61: A Game Changer for Your Business and Presentations: Developing Your Own Framework Episode 74: Increase Conversions at Your Speaking Engagements with April Caldwell [Coaching] Episode 96: Booking Corporate Workshops from Local Speaking Gigs with Louise Brogan [Coaching] JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

Aug 6, 2019 • 45min

132: 7 Reasons Why You Aren’t Getting Paid to Speak with Carol Cox and Diane Diaz [Money Series]

As we gain more experience as speakers and build our platforms, many of us want to get paid to speak. But, we don't know where to start - or we're asking to be paid and hearing "it's not in our budget." In this episode, I’m joined by one of our speaking coaches Diane Diaz to talk about 7 reasons why you aren’t getting paid to speak - and what to do to change it. A few of the reasons may seem obvious (not knowing to ask to be paid in the first place), but some of them may surprise you and be ones you haven’t considered. If you’re ready to position yourself as a paid speaker as well as generate more leads from your speaking engagements, get on the interest list for our upcoming Monetize Your Speaking online group coaching program. This is a 3-month online, hands-on program that will help you find/refine your unique topic, create your speaking page, packages and fees, optimize your LinkedIn profile, improve your current presentation to make it more sales-driven, and position yourself as a premium speaker. This is the first episode in our new series on Money. About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. In this episode, Carol is joined by one of our speaking coaches, Diane Diaz. 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 one-on-one and group coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com. Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/132 Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Get on the interest list for the Monetize Your Speaking group coaching program at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/group. 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 and leave a review! Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 61: A Game Changer for Your Business and Presentations: Developing Your Own Framework Episode 68: Getting Paid to Speak and Negotiating Speaker Fees Episode 106: Get More Speaking Opportunities with a Powerful Personal Brand with Diane Diaz Episode 123: The Key Elements You Need to Get Paid Speaking Engagements with Li Hayes Episode 131: Pitching and Negotiating for Bigger Speaking Opportunities with Maureen Taylor [Coaching] JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

Jul 30, 2019 • 1h 1min

131: [Coaching] Pitching and Negotiating for Bigger Speaking Opportunities with Maureen Taylor [Confidence Series]

Have you held back from pitching yourself for bigger speaking engagements? Or have you not raised your speaking fees even after you’ve been speaking for a while? Or have you not asked to be paid at all? Just like in our businesses, we need to develop confidence in the value, expertise, and experience we provide as speakers at an event. And sometimes having an outside perspective, like a coach, can be the push you need. My guest is Maureen Taylor, known as The Photo Detective. Maureen has been a speaker for years and has appeared on national TV programs like The View and The Today Show. As a member of our Master Your Speaking group coaching program, Maureen has been encouraged by me and the other women in the group to go after bigger speaking opportunities and to raise her fees. In this on-air coaching call, Maureen and I talk about: How nerves can appear even when you’ve been speaking for years (and oftentimes it’s because of a certain type of audience) What to do when you’re hit with a bundle of nerves to gain your confidence back The energy you have as a speaker and the energy and personality of the audience How to handle hecklers in the audience Negotiating your speaker fees Pitching yourself, including what to write in the introductory email Strategies to make it easier to promote yourself Whether you’ve been speaking for years or have started more recently, you’ll learn a lot from this episode. This episode is part of our Confidence Series, episodes 127-131. About My Guest: Maureen Taylor is a frequent keynote speaker on photo identification, photograph preservation, and family history at historical and genealogical societies, museums, conferences, libraries, and other organizations across the U.S., London and Canada. She’s the author of several books and hundreds of articles and her television appearances include The View and The Today Show (where she researched and presented a complete family tree for host Meredith Vieira). She’s been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Better Homes and Gardens, The Boston Globe, Martha Stewart Living, Germany’s top newspaper Der Spiegel, American Spirit, and The New York Times. Maureen was recently a spokesperson and photograph expert for MyHeritage.com, an internationally known family history website and also writes guidebooks, scholarly articles and online columns for such media as Smithsonian.com. 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/131 Connect with Maureen on her website at https://maureentaylor.com/. Listen to Maureen’s podcast “The Photo Detective.” Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Get on the interest list for the Monetize Your Speaking group coaching program at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/group. 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 and leave a review! Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 46: We All Need a Wingwoman with Mia Scharphie Episode 72: How to Speak Strategically for Better Business Results Episode 92: Deconstructing My TEDx Talk: Why We’re Uncomfortable with Women in Power Episode 127: Developing Confidence in Public Speaking JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

Jul 23, 2019 • 43min

130: Your Movements Say As Much As Your Words with Ritu Chander [Confidence Series]

We all know that non-verbal communication can be as important as our words, whether we're talking with a person one-on-one or speaking in front of an audience. Did you know that our body movement - our kinetic energy - is something different from what we traditionally think of regarding body language and it has an impact too? My guest is Ritu Chander, the founder of The Next Move LLC, which is a decision-making consultancy. In this episode, Ritu and I talk about: How she became interested in body movement The history of movement analysis The subconscious behaviors we do How our body movement reflects our cognitive processing and how we make decisions The difference between looking at body language and kinetic energy As speakers, how our body movement can impact the audience subconsciously Why it’s important to change up our body movement, gestures, and voice when we’re speaking Why we want to come across as approachable and warm - and what to do if we feel like that’s not our natural personality This episode is part of our Confidence Series, episodes 127 through 131. About My Guest: Ritu Chander is the Founder of The Next Move LLC, with offices in Chicago, Illinois. The Next Move is a leading decision-making consultancy in the United States. Ritu is passionate about the transformative results that occur as her clients break through the roadblocks of their ingrained decision-making patterns. Ritu employs an analytical technique of correlating subconscious behaviors to cognitive strengths and weaknesses, a technique scientifically proven as 99% accurate. Ritu expands her services to speaker training, jury selection, witness preparation, mediation and more, integrating her expertise in cognitive patterns with Laban Movement Analysis for thorough mind-body integrated analysis and coaching. Ritu’s international client base reaches entrepreneurs, politicians, scientists, physicians, corporate leaders, teams and attorneys. As a leading expert in her field, she is an engaging speaker and trainer and is passionate about sharing her knowledge to maximize the potential of her clients. Ritu is an Associate Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and previously was Adjunct Faculty in the graduate school at Columbia College Chicago in the MPA Certification Program. Along with her training and expertise in decision-making studies, Ritu has a background in genetics, molecular biology and a career in intellectual property, with her own patent firm specializing in biotechnology and pharmaceutical patents. 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/130 Connect with Ritu on her website at http://www.thenextmovellc.com. Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Get on the interest list for the Monetize Your Speaking group coaching program at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/group. 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 and leave a review! Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 49: This Surprising Element Will Make You a Better Speaker Episode 66: Mastering Your Speaking Style and Stage Presence JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

Jul 16, 2019 • 41min

129: From Fear of Speaking to Keynote Speaker in 2 Years with Dr. Charmaine Gregory [Confidence Series]

Jul 9, 2019 • 37min

128: The 4 Visibility Mindset Shifts You Must Make with Eleanor Beaton [Confidence Series]

This conversation is one I’ll be listening to again, especially the end (!). Is there something that has held you back from being more visible, whether it’s sharing a powerful message or standing on a stage in front of an audience? You’re far from alone. As women, we’ve grown up with societal and cultural messages (some subtle and subconscious, others not) that can influence us to keep quiet, not share our strong opinions, or even feel fearful of being seen. My guest is Eleanor Beaton, a women’s leadership mentor and founder of Fierce Feminine Leadership, an organization and a podcast of the same name. This is a powerful and enlightening conversation on the mindset shifts and strategies we can use to be willing to be seen and heard - and why as women it’s so important for us to do so. Eleanor and I talk about: The mixed messages she received growing up about being bold Her work as a journalist and the distance that provided by not having to have an opinion on the story being covered In contrast, my work as a political commentator on TV and having to share my opinions Eleanor’s story of being interviewed for the first time and feeling like it was life and death Why sharing a deeper message feels so vulnerable The 4 mindset shifts Eleanor recommends We both share practical strategies we use to deal with criticism from strangers The importance of living life vividly so you have rich material to work with as a speaker Embodying your message as a speaker, like musicians and performers do This episode is part of our Confidence Series, episodes 127 through 131. About My Guest: Eleanor Beaton is a women’s leadership mentor and founder of Fierce Feminine Leadership, an organization that helps ambitious women develop the confidence, presence, political savvy and influence they need to smash the glass ceiling and take their seats at the tables where the big deals and big decisions are made. Eleanor is also an award-winning journalist and host of the Fierce Feminine Leadership podcast. She has served as Chair of the Visiting Women's Executive Exchange Program at the Yale School of Management. She currently sits on the boards of Innovacorp and Invest Nova Scotia. 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/128 Eleanor’s website: https://eleanorbeaton.com/ Listen to Eleanor’s podcast Fierce Feminine Leadership: http://www.eleanorbeatonpodcast.com/ Connect with Eleanor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanorbeaton/ Connect with Carol on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox/ Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Get on the interest list for the Master Your Speaking group coaching program at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/mastery. Sign up for a Strategy Session at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/strategy. 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 40: Why Women Need to Speak Up and Roar with Sophia Eng 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 118: Push Past Your Speaking Plateau JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

Jul 2, 2019 • 33min

127: Developing Confidence in Public Speaking [Confidence Series]

Starting with this episode, the next 5 episodes will be related to confidence: from putting yourself out there to pitch for speaking gigs, to conquering a fear of public speaking, to standing on stage and delivering your talks with presence and poise. This episode kicks off this series by talking about what confidence is, my own ups and downs with confidence, and specific strategies you can use to increase your confidence. Although power posing is great (I recommend it!), we’re going deeper than that - much deeper to discuss: Why we lack confidence in the first place Why confidence is attractive What we gain by being confident More importantly, what our audience gains from our confidence How we can develop confidence Examples from my own experience and from some of our clients 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/127 Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Get on the interest list for the Master Your Speaking group coaching program at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/mastery. 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! Resources Mentioned: Book “Alter Ego” by Todd Herman Book “City of Girls” by Elizabeth Gilbert Vanity Fair article on Star Wars Article on Digital Influencers Nancy Ganzekaufer My FB Live with Nancy (lots of public speaking tips!) Alyx Gardner, HouseMacros.com Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 66:Mastering Your Speaking Style and Stage Presence with Carol Cox Episode 94: Speaking and Showing Up Powerfully as Women with Molly Baker McPherson Episode 101: Public Speaking Trends for 2019 Episode 108: NLP Can Make You a Better Speaker with Candice Czaplak Episode 118: Push Past Your Speaking Plateau JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

Jun 25, 2019 • 41min

126: Gain Skills and Visibility By Serving on a Board with Shireen Motara

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 JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

Jun 18, 2019 • 50min

125: Handling Hard Conversations at Live Events with Sarah & Beth of Pantsuit Politics

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 JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

Jun 11, 2019 • 43min

124: [Coaching] Opportunities Come When You're Prepared with Karen Briscoe

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 JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!

Get the app