Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies

We hear the term “personal brand” a lot, but do we know exactly what it means and how to use our personal brand to get more speaking opportunities? Imagine getting requests from organizers to speak at their conferences and events without you having to pitch them and, even better, getting paid speaking engagements. That’s what having a powerful personal brand can do for you. My guest in this episode, Diane Diaz, has experienced exactly that that as she’s built her personal brand both online and offline. We talk about: What a personal brand is Ways to figure out what your personal brand is (i.e. how do others see you) How Diane has positioned herself as an expert and as a speaker over the past two years and the results she’s seen Specific strategies you can use to create a powerful personal brand (we even come up with an alliteration of 3 S’s!) Doing webinars for other people’s online communities   Be sure to also check out the Facebook Live video replay that Diane and I recently did on Leveraging LinkedIn for Speakers. Plus, I have an exciting announcement that you’ll hear in this episode! About My Guest: Diane Diaz is the founder of The Brand Teacher and a self-described brand geek. 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 will attract their dream jobs or clients so they can build careers or businesses they love. Diane also teaches branding classes at Full Sail University. Diane has spoken on the topic of personal branding to organizations including NAWBO Orlando, International Coaching Federation, FemCity Orlando, Florida Trucking Association, Public Allies, Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, Women in Automotive, Indian American Chamber of Commerce, and Commercial Real Estate Women Orlando. She’s also been interviewed on numerous podcasts on the topic of personal branding.   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/106 Check out Diane’s website at http://www.thebrandteacher.com. Watch the Facebook Live video replay on “Leveraging LinkedIn for Speakers.” 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. 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 2: Taking Your Speaking to the Next Level with Diane Diaz [Coaching] 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 72: How to Speak Strategically for Better Business Results Episode 83: Collaborating to Expand Your Reach with Baily Hancock

Get ready for a whirlwind conversation on all things speaking! I guarantee you will learn something you didn’t know before. For instance, do you have a walk-on song? Don’t know what a walk-on song and why you need one? Definitely listen in to hear Mia’s and how to choose a good one. If you do have one, let us know in the Speaking Your Brand Facebook group. (Join for free at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join.) Want to hear what mine is? I share in the group the week this episode airs. My guest is Mia Voss, who is a speaker, emcee, and brand ambassador, and we have a lot of fun - and we get real about things like gender pay parity for speakers - during this interview. We talk about: How Mia seems like an unlikely speaker because of what happened to her in her 20s The work Mia does as an emcee and panel moderator Getting paid to speak The pay disparity between male and female speakers Asking and negotiating with event organizers on your pay What to do when you’re asked to be on a panel or speak at an event and there’s no diversity The importance of having a walk-on song What to wear when speaking How NOT to start your talk Ways to get the audience to tag you on social media About My Guest: Brand Ambassador, Spokesperson, Social Storyteller, Speaker, Expert Interviewer; Mia connects brands and businesses to their most powerful buying market: Women. She's currently working with brands such as Collette Travel, Lexus, Toyota, BMW and more. Her engaging & energized style showcases businesses with authentic & engaging social content. 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/105 Visit Mia’s website at https://miaonthego.com. Connect with Mia on Instagram and Twitter @miavossonthego. 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. 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 70: Aligning Your Wardrobe with Your Brand with Jennifer Mackey-Mary Episode 71: Using Humor in Your Talks Will Get You More Speaking Gigs with Kathy Klotz-Guest Episode 101: Public Speaking Trends for 2019 Episode 102: Getting Local Media and Publicity to Expand Your Visibility with Amanda Berlin

You may have a twinkling of an idea for your topic for your signature talk, keynote, or TEDx talk, but perhaps you’re not sure where to go from there. How can you take your idea, expand upon it, and make it your own? In this on-air coaching call, you’ll hear the key questions I ask my clients to help find their core message, including the one question that tends to be the most useful. My guest, Nettye Johnson, a certified health educator and coach, sent me a lovely email after I posted in the Speaking Your Brand Facebook group asking for on-air coaching call guests. (A great reason to join the group and check in every few days! Not a member? It’s free. Go to https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join or text SPEAKING to 444-999.) She wrote to me: “The idea I want to share goes against the popular position that we are all the same, and should be considered and treated equally. When we try not to see differences in people we actually hinder progress because differences beg for understanding and equitable action - not equal action. “The root of this is a short 5-minute talk I did shortly after the Alton Sterling killing in my town 2 years ago. I was at a speaker training session about to have my prepared talk on faith-based fitness (my professional niche) coached in a small group. My heart was so heavy, that morning I went with my heart and instead spoke on race relations to a group of white women - trying to get us all to see the different people and perspectives of this divisive issue, and how leaning into differences can help. A video of it is at https://youtu.be/C-HGr8UDvWs.” I watched the video and was impressed by Nettye’s passion, poise, presence, and empathy, so I invited her to come on the podcast to talk about this idea of “the value of labels” or “one size doesn’t and can’t fit all” and how that can be turned into a signature talk or TEDx talk. In this on-air coaching call, you’ll hear the questions I ask and how, through digging deeper and reflecting back, we get to the root of her idea - and from there the seed of the talk can grow. You’ll also hear the key question I ask my clients to help get to the root of their core message, which I encourage you to ask yourself and journal about or, even better, talk to someone about There’s tremendous value in hearing your ideas spoken out loud, which is why coaching can be so powerful. Need a coach to help you make your idea your own and turn it into a signature talk, keynote, or TEDx talk? That’s what we love to do! Review our coaching packages and schedule a consultation call with us at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/contact. About My Guest: Nettye Johnson is a wife, mom, author, speaker, trainer, certified health educator and health coach. Wholeheartedly believing apart from God we can do nothing, Nettye combined health education and coaching knowledge with 25 years of Christian education study and experience and founded Nettye Johnson Faith and Fitness Services LLC, (NJFFS), that provides curated holistic solutions that help women find balance and live well.    Nettye began her career in technology as a software engineer for Eastman Kodak. Career changes to IT Training for Jacobs Engineering and Corporate Training for Weight Watchers International, shifted her focus from programs to people, and helped Nettye find her voice and passion in speaking and teaching. During her decade tenure with the nation’s leading weight loss company, Nettye’s work in training, business development, and operations management on local, state and national levels impacted thousands. In this work, she was struck by the decline of health, wellness, and wholeness in our nation, moved by African-American health disparities and focused to develop and deliver holistic education, resources and support to effectively address this problem. 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/104 Visit Nettye Johnson’s website at http://nettyejohnson.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. 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 80: [Coaching] Connecting Your Why with What Makes Your Approach Unique with Anne Torrez Episode 95: Finding Your Idea Worth Sharing with Lori DiGuardi Episode 98: [Coaching] Expanding Your Personal Story into a Universal Message with Nicole Rochester, M.D.  

If one of your goals is to become a keynote speaker, this on-air coaching call will help you identify the stepping stones to get you there. My guest in this episode, Laura Gallaher, was on the podcast about a year ago (episode 54), talking about how to build trust with your teams and audience, based on a powerful workshop experience I had had with her. Laura and I have worked together on her signature talk and, more recently, on her TEDx talk for TEDxOrlando (here's the intro). Now, Laura wants to know how she can become a keynote speaker, including a paid one, as well as how she can find other speaking engagements where her ideal clients would be in the audience. In this on-air coaching call, you’ll hear us talk about: What Laura and her company do Who her ideal clients are and where she can find them The types of speaking engagements that are the size and format for the work she does and that will generate the most interest in hiring her company How Laura can start positioning herself to be a keynote speaker Whether Laura should niche down even more (you may be surprised at my response) Speaking topics that could be good ones for conferences Laura wants to attend How to title her talks And more. About My Guest: Dr. Laura Gallaher is an Organizational Psychologist, Executive Coach, and Licensed Human Element Practitioner. She began her career at NASA Kennedy Space Center. After the Space Shuttle Columbia exploded upon re-entry in 2003, killing everybody aboard, Kennedy Space Center hired Laura and a team of organizational psychologists to change the cultural influences that were deemed to play a role in the tragedy. She worked for 8 years with NASA to positively influence culture, develop leadership capacity, and improve organizational performance at Kennedy Space Center. She was also hired to help manage the change associated with radical changes in the performance management process and philosophy at Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. Laura’s company, Gallaher Edge, works with executives who want an edge over their competition by looking inward, and pushing past the edge of their comfort zone in order to increase their awareness, alignment, and accountability. She helps executive teams have conversations they didn’t even know they needed to have. Organizations are just people. Gallaher Edge helps executives learn what it takes to be more profitable by truly putting people first. 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/103 Visit Laura Gallaher’s website and download her free guide at http://www.gallaheredge.com. Join Laura’s membership program at https://gallaheredge.com/join/. Listen to Laura’s podcast “Expand Your Edge”. Laura's TEDx talk: https://youtu.be/RUxT8wuDsG4 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. 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 8: [Coaching] Topics Worthy of a Keynote with Danielle Liss Episode 11: Creating and Preparing for a Keynote Presentation with LuAnn Nigara Episode 45: Your Visibility Roadmap: Build Your Business, Brand, and Influence Episode 50: The 3 C’s of Visibility: What It Takes to Get Known Episode 54: Building a Culture of Trust with Your Team and Audience with Dr. Laura Gallaher Episode 68: Getting Paid to Speak and Negotiating Speaker Fees

You’re speaking, you’re podcasting, you’re creating videos to increase your visibility. Have you thought about expanding your visibility strategy to include “traditional” media like TV, radio, and magazines? Appearing on TV and radio as a political analyst over the past 12 years has been a vital part of building my personal brand and visibility, not only in my local market (Orlando) but also using those clips on my website and social media to build credibility. Seeing yourself on TV with your name on the lower third of the screen can be a thrill - and it’s something that can position you as an expert in a way that online videos you create yourself can’t. Our mission at Speaking Your Brand is to get more women in positions of influence and power - and that includes more representation of women (that means you!) in the media, especially TV and magazines. What’s the best way to get started? What are local TV, radio, and publications looking for in your pitches? How can you connect with producers, reporters, and writers? In this episode, publicity expert Amanda Berlin gives us concrete strategies we can use to: Take our speaking topics and turn them into media topics Write pitches that get noticed, including the headline and tease Emphasize the local angle Identify visuals that would enhance our media segments Connect with producers, reporters, and writers, including the best ways to contact them Get a feature in a magazine Contribute our own articles to publications About My Guest: After more than a decade in the New York City public relations world, Amanda Berlin now uses her pitch powers for good. She helps entrepreneurs step into their presence, create a story that inspires others, and spread their message in the media. Amanda has created a library of template guides and trainings and works one on one with clients to guide them to strategic storytelling and media relations based on her 12 years of experience guiding strategy for major brands in the corporate world. Amanda and her clients have been featured in all types of media - from Business Insider to Entrepreneur on Fire and from WNYW Fox 5 to Bustle.com. She's the host of The Empowered Publicity Podcast and loves arming soul-powered business owners with the ideas and skill-set they need to go from hidden industry gem to recognizable trusted expert. 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/102 Visit Amanda Berlin’s website at http://www.amandaberlin.com. Listen to Amanda’s podcast “Empowered Publicity”. Take Amanda’s Publicity Personality Quiz. Twitter thread from Bloomberg reporter about intentionally seeking more women’s voices for their media coverage. Personal Brand & Visibility Masterclass in Orlando, Florida, on February 7, 2019, hosted by Carol Cox and Diane Diaz. 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. 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 13: How to Get Local and National Media Coverage for Your Business with Christina Nicholson Episode 42: [Coaching] Content Ideas and Strategies to Start a Movement with Marnie Clark Episode 45: Your Visibility Roadmap - Build Your Business, Brand, and Influence Episode 48: [Coaching] Strategies to Get Visible with Pam Andrews  

What trends are on the horizon that you can capitalize on to get better speaking engagements and to get better results from them? What are conferences and events looking for in their speakers and the topics they select? How can you improve your presentations and workshops so the audience raves about you and you get invited to do more (including paid speaking)? After having worked with over 100 clients during the past couple of years to create their presentations, workshops and keynotes, attended and spoken at many conferences and events, and talked to event organizers, I’ve noticed several key areas that too many speakers (and thus events) are missing, but that you can incorporate to set yourself apart. In this episode, you’ll learn 3 trends you can apply to your presentation content and delivery that can make the difference between a so-so speaking engagement and one that makes an impact. Hint: One of them has to do with candy (even better, the zero-calorie kind!). The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and executives 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/101 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. 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 47: Creating Better Audience Engagement and Learning with Amy Lang Episode 50: The 3 C’s of Visibility - What It Takes to Get Known 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 63: Five Mistakes You’re Making in Your Presentations that Turn Off Your Audiences Episode 64: [Coaching] Show, Don’t Just Tell, Your Audience How You’re Different with Kimberley O’Brien Episode 69: What Event Organizers Look for in Speakers with Erin Smith Episode 81: Be a Better Speaker – Top Takeaways from Watching Presenters at Podcast Movement  

When I launched this podcast in February 2017, I committed to myself that I was going to do it for one year. No matter what, I was going to make the time to release a weekly episode (and there were weeks when I was up until midnight getting the podcast done for the next morning’s release!). We’re now at episode 100 (woohoo!) and in a couple of months, the podcast will be 2 years old. My tendency is to breeze past this milestone. After all, it’s just one more episode. That’s my Type-A personality: going from achievement to achievement and not taking the time to reflect and celebrate. It’s like when we run off the stage after we’ve finished our talk instead of receiving the applause and celebrating (ahem, yes, I’ve done this in the past). Now, you don’t need to applaud me for episode 100. Rather, I want to thank you and tell you how grateful I am that you listen to the podcast, share it on social media, let your friends and colleagues know about it, and post in the Speaking Your Brand community. (Not a member? Join today for free.) In the Facebook group, I asked which were your favorite episodes. There were a few that many of you said, like episode 61 on frameworks and episode 82 (and others) on using feedback forms at your speaking engagements to collect leads. There was also a few that came up more than once - and I saw a pattern. So, this episode is *not* a collection of clips from past episodes. Rather, I’m highlighting which episodes were your favorites - based on your responses and download numbers - and WHY I think they are. The WHY is what you can apply to your own speaking engagements, whether you’re standing on a stage, facilitating a workshop, or being interviewed on or hosting a podcast. Curious to hear what these are? Listen in. 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/100 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. 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.   Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 3: How I Created My Podfest Presentation [Training] Episode 25: Why You Need a Signature Talk for Your Business Episode 35: How to Rock a Panel as a Moderator and Panelist with Natalie Eckdahl Episode 45: Your Visibility Roadmap: Build Your Business, Brand, and Influence Episode 55: Should You Give an Instructional or an Inspirational Talk with Carol Cox Episode 59: Why You Shouldn’t Sell from the Stage – and What to Do Instead with Carol Cox Episode 60: Finding Your Presentation's Spine & Why It Absolutely Needs One with Joanna Sapir Episode 61: A Game Changer for Your Business and Presentations: Developing Your Own Framework Episode 79: How to Develop the Shape of Your Framework for Your Presentations with Coryne Forest Episode 81: Be a Better Speaker - Top Takeaways from Watching Presenters at Podcast Movement Episode 82: How to Create an Emotional Connection with Your Audience with Leanne Kabat Episode 84: Less Is More: Developing Your Visibility Strategy with Wendy Zanders Episode 92: Deconstructing My TEDx Talk: Why We’re Uncomfortable with Women in Power

You’ve heard their on-air coaching calls - and now you get to hear what they’ve been up to since their coaching call. You know that I love leaving my guests and clients with action items and homework. As a speaking coach, I want you to take what we do together and get results, so you can gain more confidence, get better results from speaking, and someday soon stand on your dream stage and deliver the message you know will have an impact. Putting yourself out there isn’t easy and doing an on-air coaching call isn’t either! A huge thank you and congratulations to these women for sharing their updates with us. See if you can spot the themes - I’ll pull them together in the outro, along with some action items for you (of course!). Say hello to these women and let us know what your visibility goals are in the free Speaking Your Brand community. Appearing in order in this episode: Jodi Flynn is founder of Women Taking the Lead and host of the “Women Taking the Lead” podcast. Jodi was on episode 26: Specific Strategies to Improve Your Presentations. Dr. Carmen Landrau is a cardiologist and sought-after speaker. Carmen was on episode 29: Networking the Right Way to Find Speaking Opportunities. Pam Andrews is founder of The Scholarship Shark and host of “The Scholarship Shark” podcast. Pam was on in episode 48: Strategy Session to Get Visible. Kimberly O’Brien is founder of Quirky Kid and host of the “Impressive” podcast for parents. Kimberley was on in episode 64: Show, Don’t Just Tell, Your Audience How You’re Different. April Caldwell is a Money Coach and Financial Planner. April was on in episode 74: Increase Conversions at Your Speaking Engagements. Anne Torrez is founder of Tri It Your Way, coaching for athletes. Anne was on in episode 80: Connecting Your Why with What Makes Your Approach Unique. Wendy Zanders is a professional home organizer and founder of Functional Organizing with Wendy. Wendy was on in episode 84: Less Is More: Developing Your Visibility Strategy. Stacey Ogden is founder of Side Hustle Moms and host of the “Side Hustle Moms” podcast. Stacey was on in episode 86: How to Generate Leads From Your Podcast. 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/99 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. 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 26: Specific Strategies to Improve Your Presentations Episode 29: Networking the Right Way to Find Speaking Opportunities Episode 48: Strategy Session to Get Visible Episode 64: Show, Don’t Just Tell, Your Audience How You’re Different Episode 74: Increase Conversions at Your Speaking Engagements Episode 80: Connecting Your Why with What Makes Your Approach Unique Episode 84: Less Is More: Developing Your Visibility Strategy Episode 86: How to Generate Leads From Your Podcast

You may have had an experience, a situation, a life event that caused you to change how you looked at the world or led to a new understanding of how something is wrong and needs to be changed. Your personal story can have a powerful impact on an audience. But, for it to spark a movement, to cause others to change, to cause systems to change, you need to expand your personal story into a universal message. This is especially true for TEDx talks and keynotes. I had posted in the Speaking Your Brand Facebook group about a month ago looking for some willing participants to do on-air coaching calls. (Not a member? Join for free.) My guest today, Dr. Nicole Rochester, sent me an email with her idea for a TEDx talk and I loved it. Nicole is a physician (pediatrician by training) who left clinical medicine a year ago to launch a health advocacy and consulting company. You’ll hear in this episode what prompted her to start her company and how that has led to her idea for a TEDx talk. It was a pleasure talking with Nicole and you’ll hear the process we went through to take her personal story and expand it into a universal message. We come up with a really clear spine for her talk - and a single word that serves as a powerful metaphor for the change she wants to see and how it can happen. About My Guest: Dr. Nicole T. Rochester is a board-certified pediatrician, Clinical Assistant Professor, and the CEO of Your GPS Doc, LLC, an innovative company that helps aging individuals, those with chronic illnesses, and their family caregivers navigate the healthcare system through education, empowerment, advocacy, speaking, and consulting. While helping to care for her late father, who had multiple chronic illnesses including dementia, Dr. Rochester witnessed the disjointed healthcare system from the other side of the stethoscope and gained invaluable insight into the plight of patients and their caregivers. On many occasions, it was only because of her medical expertise that her father received the care he needed and deserved. She realizes that most patients and families do not have access to this “inside knowledge” and has made it her personal mission to make this information widely available. 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/98 Visit Nicole’s website at http://www.yourgpsdoc.com/. Connect with Nicole on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 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. Ready to create your TEDx talk or signature talk? 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 24: What It Takes to Do a TEDx Talk with Tammy Lally Episode 56: How to Become a TEDx Speaker with Tamsen Webster Episode 60: [Coaching] Finding Your Presentation's Spine and Why It Absolutely Needs One with Joanna Sapir Episode 91: Visibility Works: From Local Speaking to TED.com to a Book with Tammy Lally

Whew, this episode was much harder than I had anticipated. You’ve heard me coach my clients and members of the Speaking Your Brand community on this podcast. On-air coaching calls are some of the most popular episodes because we go deep and you get to hear what it’s like to be in a coaching session. After hearing Geraldine Carter be interviewed by Jodi Flynn on Geraldine’s podcast (flipping roles), I had the bright idea to have Geraldine interview me. (Both of these amazing women have been on this podcast: Geraldine in episode 36 and Jodi in episode 26.) Except I decided to go beyond a standard interview and asked Geraldine to coach me on “thinking bigger” for myself and for Speaking Your Brand (the name of her podcast is “She Thinks Big” and Geraldine is great at drawing that out of her guests and clients). Well, little did I know that by the end of the conversation, I would feel so incredibly raw and vulnerable. (I have a new-found appreciation for those of you who do on-air coaching calls!) It took a lot for me to record and release episode 92, where I deconstructed my TEDx talk from 2016 and talked about, for the first time, how I had messed it up. Now, you’ll hear in this episode: Your “why” may become clear after you start doing something Why it matters when women aren’t visible and don’t have a seat at the table What I see in the women I’ve had as clients - you may not recognize this about yourself either Where I get stuck when “thinking bigger” (you may do this too) How Geraldine gently nudges me out of my default process-driven mind and into my heart - and the a-ha moments that come from this Questions you can ask yourself to think bigger The clarity that happens when we go deep and have a guide/coach to help us   If you're in need of a business coach to help you think bigger about your business and plan strategically, I highly recommend scheduling a consult call with Geraldine: https://focusedbizcoaching.com/ Of course, if you're in need of a speaking coach to help you create your signature talk and achieve your speaking goals, schedule a call with me: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/contact    About My Guest: Geraldine Carter coaches courageous changemakers who are ready take their business to the next level. From co-founding Climate Ride in 2008 and scaling the socially-conscious company to a seven figure budget, to biking across southeast Asia on her own, to coaching entrepreneurs on how to achieve their own lofty goals, Geraldine loves finding practical, efficient solutions to seemingly complex challenges. After directly experiencing the value of outside perspective and mentorship, Geraldine has been sharing her 10+ years of business experience and mindfulness training, helping clients cut right to the core of any problem to design effective solutions. An ICF accredited Associate Certified Coach, Geraldine takes pride in challenging herself and her clients to reach higher and find bolder ways forward. Geraldine is also the host of the She Thinks Big podcast. 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/97 Learn more on Geraldine’s website. Listen to Geraldine’s podcast She Thinks Big, especially episode 6 with Jodi Flynn interviewing Geraldine. Join Geraldine’s Facebook group. 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. 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 26: Specific Strategies to Improve Your Presentations with Jodi Flynn [Coaching] Episode 36: Creating a Business for Change with Geraldine Carter 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