Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies

How can you create an emotional connection with your audience? Even if you *think* you have a topic that doesn’t lend itself to creating an emotional connection, there are ways you can pull your audience in. Creating an emotional connection: Engages the audience and keeps them interested Builds trust with you and with each other by being vulnerable and relatable Helps them to remember what you’re teaching Gives them a way to apply what you’re sharing to themselves   In this on-air coaching call, my guest Leanne Kabat and I brainstorm about how she can create an emotional connection with her audience in her presentations. We also talk about: What happened in 2006 when Leanne was given 5 years to live Why Leanne needs to evolve her current business model to include speaking How Leanne can use her new book at speaking engagements Creating a story bank Leanne’s “a-ha” moment during our conversation Speaking packages and how to structure and price them A must-have: Why you should provide your audience with a worksheet and feedback form   → Get the free PDF download that has the story structure framework, sample workbook and feedback form I share with Leanne that she - and you - can use in your presentations. About My Guest: Leanne Kabat is the CEO and Main Mama at MamaConnects and the award-winning conference for moms called MamaCon. Each year, MamaCon celebrates the journey of motherhood by offering community, inspiration and education at events around the Pacific Northwest. A strong community is a lifeline for women raising children and balancing the complexity of life, which Leanne knows too well as she faced a medical diagnosis that gave her five years to live in 2006. Through events and her podcast called MamaConnects, Leanne nurtures a strong and vibrant community of women who support each other as they stand strong, rise up and take on life’s challenges together. Leanne’s forthcoming book is called “The 5 Seasons of Connection for Parents.”   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.   Highlights: Why and how to create an emotional connection with your audience What happened in 2006 when Leanne was given 5 years to live Why Leanne needs to evolve her current business model to include speaking How Leanne can use her new book at speaking engagements Creating a story bank Leanne’s “a-ha” moment during our conversation Speaking packages and how to structure and price them A must-have: Why you provide your audience with a worksheet and feedback form   Links: Show notes and free PDF download at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/82 Leanne’s website: http://www.mamaconnects.com/ Leanne’s podcast “MamaConnects”. 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 and leave a review!   Other Podcasts and Episodes Mentioned: Episode 57: How to Use Simple Story Structure to Create Compelling Content Episode 81: Be a Better Speaker: Top Takeaways from Watching Presenters at Podcast Movement Podfest podcasting conference in Orlando Katie Krimitsos’ podcast Biz Women Rock My episode on the Biz Women Rock podcast: Amplify Your Message with Your Signature Talk

What separates a great speaker from a so-so one and how can you be a great one? I recently attended a 3-day conference (Podcast Movement) and took notes during the keynotes and breakout sessions on what the speakers did well and what could have been better, so you can take these tips and apply them to your own presentations. Although it was a conference for podcasters, this episode is not about podcasting - it’s about how you can be a better speaker and presenter. (But, if you are a podcaster, it will help with that too!) You’ll learn: Top takeaways from watching presenters at Podcast Movement that you can apply to your own presentations What the best speakers had in common What Pat Flynn did in his opening keynote The worst session I attended - what went wrong and how it could have been better The best sessions I attended - and what the speakers did well How a panel was structured as a 3-person presentation: Did it work? What Terry Gross of NPR’s Fresh Air did in her closing keynote that was incredibly brave   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/81 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 and leave a review!   Other Podcasts, People, and Episodes Mentioned: Amber De La Garza’s Productivity Straight Talk podcast episode 63 Amber De La Garza on this podcast episode 43 Elyse Tager and Maureen Berry Jenny Melrose Episode 68: Getting Paid to Speak and Negotiating Speaker Fees Episode 69: What Event Organizers Look for in Speakers with Erin Smith Episode 57: How to Use Simple Story Structure to Create Compelling Content Episode 59: Why You Shouldn't Sell from the Stage - and What to Do Instead You can get the Feedback Form template in the download on this episode Episode 65: Writing, Publishing, and Promoting Your Book with Julie Broad Episode 71: Using Humor in Your Talks Will Get You More Speaking Gigs with Kathy Klotz-Guest Episode 55: Should You Give an Instructional or an Inspirational Talk?

Do you know what makes your approach and process unique? As a speaker and entrepreneur - whether you’re a coach, consultant, strategist, trainer, therapist, or other type of business owner - your methodology and philosophy are important components of what you do. In this on-air coaching call, I help my guest Anne Torrez find what makes her coaching approach unique, so she can better articulate her brand message, whether she’s speaking to a group, being interviewed on a podcast, or talking with a prospective client. We go deep to dig out what’s important to Anne and to find her why, which carries over into the work she does with her clients and why her clients like working with her. You’ll hear us brainstorm to come up with Anne’s brand statement: “I help [target audience] do [this] so they can [get these results].” As you listen, think about your why and what your brand statement could be. Need help clarifying your message and brand statement? Book a strategy session with me at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/strategy.   About My Guest: After completing her first triathlon as a way to improve her health, Coach Anne Torrez was hooked for the long haul. Finding a sport she was passionate about changed not only Anne’s physical health, but also drastically improved her mental and emotional outlook. Today, Anne helps runners, cyclists and triathletes all over the country to become the best athletes they can be, by creating individualized training programs that focus on consistent improvement and steady progress. Anne loves working with both beginners to help them enter the racing world confidently, as well as with experienced athletes who want to achieve the next level of competitive performance. As a wife, mom of two young kids, athlete and business owner, Anne understands how to juggle serious training with a busy lifestyle and works with each athlete to create an individualized program that will bring success in the context of real life. 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/80 Anne’s website = https://www.triityourway.com/ Connect with Anne on Instagram @triityourway and Facebook and 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 and leave a review!   Other Episodes and Podcasts Mentioned: Anne Torrez on the BizChix podcast Diane Diaz on this podcast in episode 2: Taking Your Speaking to the Next Level Amber De La Garza’s Productivity Straight Talk podcast Amber was also on this podcast in episode 43: How Speaking Can Grow or Derail Your Business 5 AM Miracle Podcast

In this on-air coaching call, you’ll hear how my guest Coryne Forest and I create the visual shape of her framework to use in her presentations. In episode 61, you learned how developing your own framework can be a game changer for not only your presentations but also your business. Many listeners have told me how impactful that episode was for them. They’ve even shared sketches of their frameworks in the Speaking Your Brand Facebook group (get access at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join). In this episode, you are truly a fly on the wall as you’ll hear Coryne and I brainstorm what her framework should look like (a circle, triangle, rectangle, etc.) based on how she helps her coaching clients. We come up with a really unique shape that at a glance shows the key elements and outcomes. Want to know what her framework ends up looking like? Listen until the end! Need help developing your framework? This is part of what we work on together when creating your signature talk. Get the details, sign up, or schedule a free consult call with me at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/coaching.   About My Guest: Coryne Forest is the Deputy Director for Organization Development for an Army R&D Center and the owner of Forest Leadership Solutions. She is a writer, speaker, workshop facilitator and coach for women with STEM careers. With over 30 years of tech and leadership experience, Coryne’s vision is to change the technical landscape the technical landscape so that there are more women in senior leadership positions that are rockin’ it in all aspects of their life. 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/79 Coryne’s website = https://coryneforest.com/ Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Ready to create your signature talk and framework? Email me at carol@speakingyourbrand.com or click here to schedule a call. Say hi to me on Instagram and Twitter: @CarolMorganCox. Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!   Other episodes mentioned: Episode 61: A Game Changer for Your Business and Presentations: Developing Your Own Framework

What is it like to travel around the world, from Europe to China, to speak - and get paid for it? My guest is Annie Mori, a licensed pediatric occupational therapist and founder of playSense, based in California. Annie is paid to travel internationally several times a year to conduct trainings and workshops and to be a keynote speaker at conferences. In this episode, Annie and I talk about: How she became an international speaker How she negotiates contracts with conferences and organizations Challenges with speaking to an international audience, including language and cultural differences What happens when things don’t go as planned How she balances travel, business, and family Her tips for becoming a paid speaker   About My Guest: As a licensed pediatric occupational therapist and founder of playSense, Dr. Annie Mori has led individual and group sessions in a variety of settings including clinics, preschools, schools (K – 12th grade), homes and in the community. In 2000, she earned her Doctoral and Master’s degrees in Occupational Therapy at the University of Southern California. She further pursued advanced training in sensory integration, which she uses to guide her therapeutic approach and treatment planning. When not treating children and adolescents, Annie lectures, nationally and internationally, on topics related to theory and application of sensory integration.   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/78 Annie’s website = https://www.playsensekids.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 and leave a review!   Other episodes mentioned: Episode 68: Getting Paid to Speak and Negotiating Speaker Fees

In this on-air coaching call, you’ll hear how to distinguish and balance the WHAT, the WHY, and the HOW of what you teach related to your business and your offer. My guest is Libby Rothschild, a registered dietitian who helps other registered dietitians build their businesses and use social media, especially Instagram, effectively. With her partner, Libby offers an online course and masterminds. We talk about how she can tweak the content of her presentation to focus on the WHAT and WHY so that people in the audience are interested in taking her course or mastermind for the HOW. We also brainstorm audience engagement activities, whether the audience is 60-70 people to audiences of 300-500. About My Guest: Libby Rothschild, MS, RD, CDN, is a social media influencer and academic content creator. Libby creates an authentic and highly engaging dialogue on social media reaching more than 12 thousand individuals, mainly registered dietitians and nutrition students, as well as creates content for health-care settings and corporate wellness institutions. She monetizes her brand by coaching, speaking and creating online courses which are approved for Continuing Education. Libby co-created an online course and she co-facilitates a regular mastermind with a focus on Instagram. Libby received her Masters of Science in Clinical Nutrition at New York University and Bachelor of Science in Nutrition at Hunter College.   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/77 Libby’s websites = https://www.libbyrothschild.com/ and https://www.nutritionmasterminds.com/. Connect with Libby on Instagram: @nutrition_business 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 and leave a review! Other Episodes Mentioned: Episode 59: Why You Shouldn't Sell from the Stage - and What to Do Instead You can get the Feedback Form template in the download on this episode

I’ve talked before about how sharing stories in your talks helps the audience to better understand and remember what you’re teaching. In this episode, we’re going deeper into why stories matter - not just for our presentations, but for understanding ourselves, our place in the world, and our identity - who gets included and who is excluded in the stories we hear and the stories we tell. My guest is Leena Nasser, who is Executive Director of The Chopra Institute in NYC. Leena Nasser specializes in the intersection of neuroscience, cognitive psychology and education. She explores the question of how experiential storytelling, told orally, or spatially impacts the mind-brain connection, identity and behavior. I met Leena this past March when I was in NYC. We hit it off immediately - Leena is incredibly smart and passionate and I knew I had to invite her on the podcast to share some of the research she’s done, including when she was in graduate school at Harvard. About My Guest: Leena Nasser specializes in the intersection of neuroscience, cognitive psychology and education. She explores the question of how experiential storytelling, told orally, or spatially impacts the mind-brain connection, identity and behavior. She is the Executive Director of The Chopra Institute, a global social enterprise aiming to build the next wave of preventative health care. Prior to this role, Leena served as one of two experts in the education sector of the global consulting firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Leena has a graduate degree in Mind Brain and Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her research explored how the design of informal and formal learning spaces contribute to sense of identity and residual mind brain lifelong impact. Leena was specifically investigating the power of stories—told explicitly through words, or implicitly through orchestrated spaces--on the brain and behavior. Leena remains currently involved in this research, specifically looking at less represented communities and the impact of empowering identity stories on performance, societal contribution and health and wellbeing. Leena is fluent in Arabic and English and was born and raised in Saudi Arabia, while spending much of her time in Syria. Leena now lives in New York City.   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/76 The Chopra Foundation Check out Debbie Gonzalez and her upcoming book “Girls with Guts: The Road to Breaking Barriers and Bashing Records”. Carol Cox on the BizChix podcast #323: How to Create a High End Offer/VIP Day. 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 and leave a review!

Do you feel like everything’s already been said about your topic and that your audience has heard it all before? Let me assure you that sharing your own experiences, knowledge, and examples*will* set you apart. The key is to have a unique angle and to align your presentation content with what you do in your business. In this on-air coaching call, you’ll hear how my guest Regina Byrne and I find what she should center her presentation around. Hands-on audience engagement activities end up being a big part of it, precisely so that the audience can get a sense of what it’s like for Regina to come to their organizations and provide them with training and coaching. For your presentations, think about how you can involve the audience more and how your content leads to what you offer. Need help? Let’s work together. About My Guest: Regina Byrne is a leadership coach with a background in Human Services Management and the development of person-centered services. Having operated at Director level, Regina is a well-established professional with in-depth experience in strategic leadership, organisational change, and business development. She is a qualified coach, NLP practitioner and holds qualifications in Social Sciences, Management and Conflict resolution. Over her career, Regina has learned (often the hard way) that the key to success at work is clear, honest, open communication, what she calls real conversations, and she loves sharing those principles and practices in talks, workshops, team and individual coaching, to help create wonderful workplaces where people thrive, are valued and do great work.   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/75 Check out Regina’s website at https://www.reginabyrnecoaching.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 and leave a review!   Other Episodes Mentioned: Episode 48: [Coaching] Strategies to Get Visible with Pam Andrews of the Scholarship Shark Episode 61: A Game Changer for Your Business and Presentations: Developing Your Own Framework Episode 59: Why You Shouldn't Sell from the Stage - and What to Do Instead You can get the Feedback Form template in the download on this page

In this on-air coaching call, you’ll learn how you can shift the content and flow of your presentations to increase conversions (leads, clients, and referrals) at your speaking engagements. My guest is April Caldwell, who helps professional women manage their money and achieve their financial goals. April hosts a monthly in-person event for women and also speaks at other groups, but isn’t getting the leads and clients that she knows she can. We talk about: How to make the audience feel comfortable and build trust when dealing with a vulnerable topic like money The importance of including client stories and successes Integrating April’s process/framework into her presentation Using the story structure framework to outline the flow of her presentation Being sure to give the audience next steps they can do How to get more people to fill out the feedback form   About My Guest: April Caldwell is passionate about helping women manage their money. Personally, she saw the impact money had on the women in her life. She knows first hand what it is like to have been affluent and then to have lost everything due to poor financial planning. April rebuilt her finances through education and financial literacy which she now uses to help others to reach financial freedom. She has successfully built a community, the Trail Blazers network. Every month 40-50 women gather and April teaches them a financial concept to take and implement. April received an MBA from Franklin University and has over 20 years experience in the financial industry. April is an Army Veteran who served during Operation Enduring Freedom and a Jacksonville native.   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/74 Check out April’s book and website at https://aprilcaldwell.me. Connect with April on Instagram @TrailblazersRise and Twitter @AprilCaldwellFL. 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 and leave a review!   Other episodes mentioned: Episode 61: A Game Changer for Your Business and Presentations: Developing Your Own Framework Episode 57: How to Use Simple Story Structure to Create Compelling Content Episode 59: Why You Shouldn't Sell from the Stage - and What to Do Instead You can get the Feedback Form template in the download on this page

Being a guest on podcasts is great for brand awareness, credibility building, networking, and lead generation. How can you pitch podcasters the right way so they want to have you on their show? In this episode, I talk with Nicole Holland of Interviews That Convert on: what to do and, just as importantly, what *not* to do in your podcast pitches how to turn listeners into leads specific tips on how to be a good podcast guest Here’s an example of a landing page I create for each podcast I’m a guest on, so I can track opt-ins and leads for that particular podcast: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/bizchix/   About My Guest: Nicole Holland is the lady behind the scenes at Interviews That Convert where she supports business owners and CEOs in making a greater impact in the world through Podcast Guesting for exponential growth. Nicole inspires entrepreneurs worldwide with her very popular podcast, The Business Building Rockstars Show and launched a fantastic new podcast in February, Get Guest Ready, that teaches you how to be the best podcast guest ever.   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.   Highlights: What *not* to do in your podcast pitches The right way to pitch a podcaster How to get on a podcaster’s radar Permission-based pitching Questions to ask yourself before pitching Why being on a big podcast isn’t necessarily going to give you what you want The importance of being part of a podcaster’s community Converting listeners to leads Specific tips on how to be a good podcast guest   Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/73 Check out Nicole’s website at https://interviewsthatconvert.com/ Connect with Nicole on Twitter: @niczthename Listen to Nicole’s podcasts: The Business Building Rockstars Show and Get Guest Ready 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 and leave a review!   Other Episodes Mentioned: Episode 62: Tired of Asking? A Better Way to Get Referrals with Stacey Brown Randall