Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies

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

If you have a fear of public speaking, this episode is for you. If you’re confident when speaking but have a fear in a different area of your life, this episode is for you. My guest’s story of how she went from a self-described fear of public speaking to being an in-demand paid keynote speaker in just 2 years is incredibly inspiring.  Charmaine Gregory, M.D. is an emergency room doctor and speaks to professional groups about burnout. You’ll hear: How Charmaine’s fearlessness and love of the stage as a child transformed into fear How the fear of speaking presented itself when she had to do it Why she decided to conquer this fear What she did first Her journey to becoming a speaker Strategies she used and still uses today to feel more confident and comfortable when speaking   Charmaine is a member of our Master Your Speaking group coaching program. Want to know when enrollment opens again? Sign up for the interest list at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/mastery.    → Download the free checklist to prepare for your next speaking engagement at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/129.    This episode is part of our Confidence Series, episodes 127 through 131. About My Guest: Charmaine Gregory, M.D. has served countless patients and taught resident doctors and medical students for 13 years as Clinical Faculty at St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor in Michigan, following Emergency Medicine Residency training at Duke University Medical Center. She has been honored as a nominee for the Golden Apple teaching award by the resident doctors she teaches several years in a row. She is an active member of the Clinical Practice Committee for the Emergency Medicine Physician Group, PC. She serves as a Peer Coach providing feedback on communication techniques for Emergency providers and facilitates talks with healthcare providers about burnout, wellness, and work-life balance/integration. Most recently, Dr. Gregory has had the honor of being a contributing author of the books, The Chronicles of Women in White Coats and Thinking About Quitting Medicine Volume 2 and Doctoring Better. Dr. Gregory faces her fear of public speaking by speaking publicly on topics of burnout, wellness, fitness, work life integration, and night shift life. Outside of medicine, Charmaine’s passion to pursue wellness and work-life balance led to the establishment of the virtual greatness and wellness coaching company Fervently Fit with Charmaine, LLC. Wellness coaching and health content sharing serve as an extension of clinical service by focusing on preventative methods for health and wellness maintenance. She is also a trained Physician Coach, helping colleagues find meaning and direction when most needed. She is the host of the Women in White Coats and Fearless Freedom with Dr. G podcasts. 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/129 Connect with Charmaine on her website at https://www.ferventlyfitwithcharmaine.com/. Listen to Charmaine’s podcast “Fearless Freedom with Dr. G.” Book: “The Chronicles of Women in White Coats” Book: “Alter Ego” by Todd Herman Download the free checklist to prepare for your next speaking engagement at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/129.  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 and leave a review! Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 66: Mastering Your Speaking Style and Stage Presence Episode 118: Push Past Your Speaking Plateau Episode 119: Deconstructing a Keynote: Writing, Preparation, and Delivery Episode 127: Developing Confidence in Public Speaking

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

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

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