Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies

What opportunities are you missing out on because you don’t have a signature talk? In this episode, I share why having a signature talk is critical for your business and your personal brand, including examples of what makes a great signature talk (and how it’s different from a training). With a signature talk, you become the go-to expert and thought leader for your topic and industry. You establish your personal brand and business reputation. You’re ready to accept speaking opportunities when they come your way, because you’re always prepared with a presentation that you can tweak and repurpose based on the particular audience, event, venue, and length of time. When you sincerely and authentically empower others, they’ll want to share and refer you to others, and they will come to you to buy your product or service when they need help. Having a signature talk, a presentation that you are comfortable with, that provides value to those in the audience, that you get better at each time you give it, will give you the confidence to get out there and share your message. Highlights: What a signature talk is and what it isn't Why you need a signature talk for your business and your personal brand How to figure out what your signature talk topic is The difference between a training and a signature talk Taking your personal story and universalizing it Getting booked and paid to speak Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/25 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 [email protected] or click here to schedule a call. Say hi to me on Instagram and Twitter: @CarolMorganCox. Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

Have you been to conferences and events and, during sessions, you see lots of people in the audience on their phones? And not using their phones to take notes, but to do other things because they’re not engaged with the speaker. How can you keep your audience interested and off their phones? In this episode, I share 5 mistakes I see speakers make that turn off their audiences - and specific techniques you can use instead to keep your audience engaged and learning. This applies no matter the audience size - whether 10 people, 100, 500, 1000, or more. Download the free PDF for this episode that has the 5 mistakes: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/63 I invite you to schedule a free discovery call with me so we can chat about working together to create your signature talk and framework. Email me at [email protected] or go to https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/contact to schedule a call. 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 and free PDF download at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/63. 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 [email protected] and we’ll set up a time to chat. Say hi to me on Instagram and Twitter: @CarolMorganCox. Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! Episodes mentioned: Episode 60 On-Air Coaching Call on simplifying your presentation content Episode 61 on Developing Your Own Framework

Ever since I started my first business over 15 years ago, I was told to make it a habit to ask for referrals: from my current clients, past clients, and network. I never did make it a habit, but in all three of the businesses I’ve started, including Speaking Your Brand, referrals have been a key component of getting new clients. My guest today, Stacey Brown Randall, believes we should *not* ask for referrals. Instead, she advocates a better way. Listen in as Stacey and I talk about why she believes this, the system she teaches her clients for getting referrals (without asking!), and as speakers, how we can approach getting referrals for speaking engagements. About My Guest: Stacey Brown Randall’s online programs and live coaching provide a blueprint to follow to take control of your referrals, your client experience, and your business. Stacey is a contrarian when it comes to typical referral advice and believes the best way to unleash a referral explosion is to do it WITHOUT asking for referrals. Stacey is a three-time entrepreneur, author of Generating Business Referrals…Without Asking (Fall 2018 release date), certified productivity and time efficiency coach, and has a background in sales and marketing. 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: Stacey’s approach to referrals and what she teaches her clients The importance of client experience lifecycle As speakers, how we can approach getting referrals for other speaking engagements The impact Stacey’s weekly Facebook Live video show has had on her business Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/62 Connect with Stacey on her Facebook page for her weekly show at https://www.facebook.com/StaceyBrownRandall/, her Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/referralswithoutasking/, and on her website at http://growthbyreferrals.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 [email protected] and we’ll set up a time to chat. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! Episodes mentioned: Episode 50 on the 3 C's of Visibility Episode 34 on Relationship Selling with Nikki Rausch

Developing your own framework can be a game changer for your business and presentations. It differentiates yourself from others in your field, it makes it easier for your audience and clients to understand what you do, and you’re creating intellectual property. What is a framework, why do you need one, and how can you find yours? It’s not an internal system or process; it’s how you work with your clients to get them results. Listen to this episode to learn how to identify your framework and how to use it in your presentations. To see framework examples, visit the show notes page at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/61. 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 a framework is, including examples you’ll recognize What kinds of businesses a framework is good for How having a framework for your business and presentations can increase sales How to identify your framework How to use your framework in your presentations The #1 thing your framework needs to convey Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/61 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 [email protected] and we’ll set up a time to chat. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

Do you feel like you have so much you want to share in your presentations that you’re not sure what to keep, what to exclude, and how to streamline it? Or, are you afraid that you’re giving away too much valuable information? In this on-air coaching call, I help business strategist Joanna Sapir simplify her presentation content, so that it’s more useful for her audience AND gets her better results for her business. Your presentation needs a spine, a clear focus that you can hang all of your points and examples onto. Otherwise, your audience can get confused and overwhelmed, leaving them less likely to want to buy from you. Your presentation content - the spine - should reflect your unique approach and how you work with your clients. Listen in to this coaching call as I dig into who Joanna’s clients are, what they need the most help with, and the a-ha moment when we identify her presentation’s spine. Joanna is an expert at what she does and has a deep background in sales, so you’ll not only hear how we pinpoint exactly what she can center her presentation content around, but you’ll also get some sales tips you can use. We’re doing something a little different with this coaching call episode. You’ll hear me pop in from time to time to point out key things you can do for your own presentations, so let me know what you think of this format. About My Guest: Joanna Sapir has been a teacher and coach her whole life from the classroom to the gym floor and now to small businesses across the world as a Business Strategist and Coach. After founding, growing, and then selling a fitness and health coaching business, she shifted her focus to helping other service-providers - like consultants, coaches, and health/wellness professionals - with the structure, support and actionable steps to build successful and sustainable businesses. She is a competitive Olympic-style Weightlifter, the mother of two redheaded teenagers, and lives in a co-housing community in Northern California. → Get the free PDF download with the sample feedback form you can use in your speaking engagements at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/60. Do you need help with your presentations and speaking questions? Sign up for a strategy session - it’s all focus, no fluff. As a client said to me, “I’ve done more in one session with you than I have by myself in the past year.” That’s how powerful it is to work out your ideas with someone else. 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 your communities. Check out our coaching programs and workshops at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com. Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/60 Connect with Joanna at http://joannasapir.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? Email me at [email protected] and we’ll set up a time to chat. Say hi to me on Instagram and Twitter: @CarolMorganCox. Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

Episode 59: Have you heard the phrase “sell from the stage”? The idea is that you pitch your programs and products to the audience at the end of your presentations. If you’ve been doing speaking engagements, you know it takes time, effort, energy, and sometimes money (especially when travel is involved), so it’s understandable that you want to get a return from it. However, when preparing your presentations and delivering them to your audience, “selling from the stage” is the wrong approach - and I’m going to explain why in this episode. Many of my clients tell me that they don’t want to come across as salesy. It can feel especially icky if you’re not comfortable doing it and the audience can tell, so it’s not going to work that well. You’ll end up feeling awkward, your audience will feel awkward, and you’ll lose the opportunity to create a real connection. On the other end of the spectrum, clients come to me who are scared of selling and end up including nothing in their presentations about what they do and how the audience can work with them, missing out on opportunities to get clients and referrals. How can you find a happy medium between the awkward pitch and not selling at all? In this episode, I’m sharing with you 5 things you can and should do in your presentations to get leads, clients, and referrals. → Get the free PDF that includes the key points and examples from this episode at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/59. 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 the phrase “sell from the stage” means Why I believe it’s the wrong approach - any many event and conference organizers feel the same way Finding the happy medium between the awkward pitch and not selling at all in your presentations 5 key things you can and should do in your presentations to get leads, clients, and referrals. Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/59 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/getvisible. Ready to create your signature talk? Email me at [email protected] and we’ll set up a time to chat. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! People and episodes mentioned: Episode 57 on How to Use Simple Story Structure to Create Compelling Content Diane Diaz of The Brand Teacher was on episode 2 Natalie Eckdahl of BizChix was on episode 35 Geraldine Carter of Focused Business Coaching was on episode 36 Dr. Carmen Landrau was on episode 29 Pamela Cox of Pamela Cox Wellness

How can you reach your highest potential in speaking and in your business? What does it take to be the best you can be? For many years, I felt that I had to learn and master anything I came across in my businesses, from coding and SEO to marketing and PR to graphic design, accounting, and contracts. Each of these areas are specialized and require not only certain skills but also constant upkeep. Sounds pretty crazy, right? But, I know many of you are trying to do this all as well. The downside is that this is costing us - and in more ways than you may think. In this episode, my guest Belinda Brown, an executive and leadership coach, shares how she helps her clients, many of whom are executives at large companies, reach their potential as individuals, as teams, and as an organization. We take the three key areas Belinda focuses on - Uniqueness, Potential, and Equity - and apply it to you as a speaker and entrepreneur. About My Guest: Belinda Brown brings extensive experience across multiple industries to her work in executive and leadership coaching. Her passion lies in empowering women and diverse leaders to BE who they are wherever they are so corporate cultures can shift and embrace feminine leadership and diversity development as powerful skills. She also consults with companies in the areas of organizational development, talent development and diversity management. Prior to her coaching and consulting work, Belinda spent over 15 years in roles in management and leadership roles European and American multinational organizations such as Carrefour, Renault, Brambles and Walt Disney Worldwide. Highlights: Why Belinda decided she needed to create a signature talk for her business and why the VIP Day was a perfect fit for her personality The challenges Belinda sees that entrepreneurs face, especially in today’s social media world The pitfalls of focusing on trying to improve your weaknesses Assessments you can take to identify your strengths and unique traits Every person in a team and organization has a different potential level, but self-limitations often hold us back What happens when we try to use someone else’s speaking style If you would rate yourself as a 7 now for potential, what would it take to get to a 10: identify your goals, amplify your unique traits, be intentional, invest in improving your skills The difference between equity and equality - and why one is better than the other How you can get started today identifying your strengths and unique traits Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/58 Learn more about Belinda at http://www.belindamjbrown.com Connect with Belinda on LinkedIn and Twitter Belinda’s podcast “Planting the Seeds for Change” Assessments you can take to identify your strengths and unique traits (some are free and some have a fee): Fascination Advantage Gallup’s StrengthsFinder Kolbe DISC Trimetrix Energy Leadership Reach 360 Diane Diaz of The Brand Teacher (personal branding services and assessments) 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? Email me at [email protected] and we’ll set up a time to chat. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

Why use story structure? Simple: It’s what makes us human. You want to make sure the content you’re sharing is compelling, keeps your audience interested to the end, and invites them to take action, whether you’re hosting a podcast, being interviewed on one, or giving a presentation. Our brains are hard-wired to understand and respond to story structure. Think about the fairy tales you read as a kid and your favorite books and movies. Like a good movie or book, the content we create should have a beginning, middle, and end that takes the audience from the setup of the situation with tension (Act I) to the big idea/angle/process/solution (Act II) and finally to the resolution, reward, and next steps (Act III). The framework I’ve created and describe in this episode is based on classic 3-act story structure and the hero’s journey but - this is key - applied in a business and marketing context, so that your audience understands what’s in it for them and the transformation you can help them achieve. You can use this framework when: Outlining solo podcast episodes Interviewing guests Knowing which stories to share when you’re being interviewed Speaking at groups, conferences, and workshops → Get the free PDF of the story structure framework at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/57. This episode also marks my 1-year anniversary podcasting! I’ve enjoyed it tremendously, greatly appreciate all of you listeners, and am excited to continue to provide you with interesting and relevant content to help you on your speaking journey. Highlights: A straightforward step-by-step framework on how to use 3-Act story structure in your presentations, podcast episodes, and interviews How to select the best kinds of stories to share and to ask your guests How to tell stories in a way that advance the content and the points you’re making Understanding why it’s crucial to realize and convey that you are not the hero of the story How to create a story bank Links: Show notes and PDF at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/57 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? Email me at [email protected] and we’ll set up a time to chat. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

If you’ve been wanting to do a TEDx talk, this episode is perfect for you. My guest Tamsen Webster and I talk about everything TEDx, including what are the 3 key elements that make a great TEDx talk and how to know if you have a TED-worthy idea (“an idea worth spreading”). Tamsen was the Executive Producer of one of the oldest and one of the largest locally organized TED talk events in the world, so she shares how she found speakers and what she looked for in TEDx applications (this may surprise you!). You definitely don’t have to be a professional speaker to be selected for TEDx, but you do need to have authority and passion. About My Guest: Tamsen Webster is an acclaimed keynote speaker, “idea whisperer,” and message strategist. She combined 20 years in marketing, 13 years as a Weight Watchers leader, and four years as Executive Producer of one of the oldest and one of the largest locally organized TED talk events in the world into a simple structure for understanding, talking about, and creating lasting change. As a result, she is an in-demand consultant on finding the ideas that move people to action. The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. Highlights: The 3 key elements of a great TEDx talk Examples of universalizing your personal story How to know if you have a TED-worthy idea What TEDx organizers look for in applications How some TEDx organizers find speakers Why you should not do a TEDx talk as a business booster or marketing effort How to rehearse and the pros and cons of memorizing your talk Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/56 Visit Tamsen’s website at http://tamsenwebster.com/ Tammy Lally on What It Takes to Do a TEDx Talk - Episode 24 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 Visibility Strategy Session at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/getvisible. Ready to create your signature talk or TEDx talk? Email me at [email protected] and we’ll set up a time to chat. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

Should you give an instructional or an inspirational talk? You probably think I’m going to say that the answer is “It depends,” but I’m not. I think the real question behind this question is you want to know what kind of content to present to the audience. You’re not sure if they want to learn specific strategies and tactics and how-to’s (instructional) or if they want what we would call a motivational speaker (inspirational). You want to make sure the audience is happy and has their expectations met, and, yes, you need to provide relevant content that’s valuable to them. But, I also want the speaking engagement to have an ROI for you - to clearly connect to your business so that the audience understands what you do, who you do it for, and how you help them get specific results. In this episode, I share what many speakers and workshop facilitators are missing and how you can integrate this critical piece into your presentations. I also explain 6 types of presentations and what goes into each one. → Get the free PDF with the step-by-step presentation guide with the overview of the 6 types of presentations at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/55. The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. Links: Show notes and free PDF guide at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/55 Clients mentioned: Pamela Cox of https://pamelacoxwellness.com/ Janna Lundquist of https://www.jannalundquist.com/ Geraldine Carter of https://focusedbizcoaching.com/ Other episodes mentioned: Episode 50 on The 3 C's of Visibility: What It Takes to Get Known Episode 30 on How to Become a Sought-After, Stand-Out Speaker Episode 25 on Why You Need a Signature Talk for Your Business Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk 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? Email me at [email protected] and we’ll set up a time to chat. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

When you’re in a group dynamic, whether it’s during a presentation or at work with your team, how can you build real and deep trust and connection? It may seem like this could take days, weeks, or even months or years. But, during a recent workshop I attended that was facilitated by today’s guest, I personally experienced a profound sense of connection with a group of strangers in a matter of 20 minutes. A connection deeper than one I’ve felt with people I’ve known for years. How did this happen? My guest Dr. Laura Gallaher is on the podcast to talk about radical communication and the transformational change in people and culture that emerges from it. The specific techniques we discuss are ones you can use in one-on-one conversations, when you’re facilitating workshops, and with your team. About My Guest: Dr. Laura Gallaher is an Organizational Psychologist, Executive Coach, and Licensed Human Element Practitioner. 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. 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. The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. Highlights: The three ways we are destroying trust in the workplace How choosing to be more open and honest with yourself will allow you to be more open and honest with your peers How to recognize defense mechanisms and what to do instead in order to facilitate a productive conversation Why creating a culture of psychological safety allows for stronger teams Why feedback is critical among teams to produce higher quality products and catch potential mistakes The importance of self accountability and why it is a choice we make The beautiful thing that happens when you are vulnerable How to apply these techniques at your next speaking engagement or workshop to create trust and connection with your audience Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/54 Visit Laura’s website at http://www.gallaheredge.com/ Laura’s podcast “Unlock Your Potential” Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

What is it like to have over 1.25 million visits to your blog every year and over 250,000 followers on social media? My guest is well-known fashion blogger Jeanette Johnson, who started her blog way back in 2010, before influencer marketing was a thing. Since then, her business and brand have skyrocketed and Jeanette has done lots for visibility: blogging, social media, TV, speaking, and now a book. In this episode, we talk about the shifts in influencer marketing, how Jeanette makes decisions about what brands to work with, and what brands look for when partnering with someone. Jeanette shares the online bullying she experienced in the first few years of her blog and how she dealt with it (it’s crazy to me how mean-spirited people can be!). We also get into a discussion about the downsides of “fast fashion” and what good alternatives are if you want to make more conscious buying decisions while still enjoying clothes and fashion. About My Guest: Jeanette Johnson is the creator of J's Everyday Fashion, a budget-friendly, down-to-earth style blog that encourages women to have fun with fashion! With more than one million readers annually, Johnson’s blog is the winner of ShopStyle's Best Everyday Style in 2016, and Sunshine Awards Orlando's Blog of the Year in 2013 and 2015. She regularly appears on national morning show Daytime and speaks at blogging conferences and events. She continues her quest to help women find freedom with both their inner and outer beauty with her new book “J’s Everyday Fashion & Faith: Personal Style with Purpose” (Waterfall Press), which was recently profiled by InStyle Magazine. The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. Highlights: How important authenticity is in order to be viewed as a leader in your industry How our reputations become aligned with the brands and companies we choose to partner with How being consistent with your social media posting creates trust with your audience Why your blog is your portfolio and why it’s important to update it consistently to show you are committed and will deliver on promises you makes with brands or companies The importance of video on Facebook and where to start if you aren’t ready to dive in with Facebook Live Tips on what to wear for your presentations and speaking engagements Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/53 Visit Jeanette’s website at https://jseverydayfashion.com Jeanette’s blog post on “Is This The Next Big Trend? Why Fast Fashion And Fair Trade Are Not Your Only Choices” Follow Jeanette on 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 Visibility Strategy Session at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/getvisible. Ready to create your signature talk? Email me at [email protected]. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

Have you thought about creating and hosting your own in-person event, whether it’s a monthly meetup, a panel discussion related to your industry, or a full conference? Or, if you’ve hosted your own event, but felt like your business and personal brand didn’t get as much exposure as you would have liked (probably because you were busy running around taking care of everything!), you’ll learn what to do instead. My guest, Renee Warmack, and I talk about how to create an event that’s a win-win-win for everyone involved: the content provides value to the audience, the panelists/speakers are showcased, AND your message and brand come through too. Renee is an expert at putting on live events, so we talk about coming up with a topic/theme, how to select good panelists and speakers, the structure/agenda of the event, and how to end the event strong (really important!). Renee also shares with us her 4-step process for making big changes in your life. About My Guest: Renee Warmack, MPA, is a producer, speaker and coach who creates positive change in the world through inspirational movies and events; motivational talks; and helping others claim their power and capture their dreams. The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. Highlights: How women can take action and claim their power Strategies to produce live events and weave your services into that event Why it’s important to prepare your speakers and how to communicate expectations Best practices for vetting your speakers The importance of connecting with your audience in person to supplement social spaces like Facebook groups Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/52 Visit Renee’s website at http://reneewarmackproductions.com/. Listen to podcast episodes 45 and 50 on getting visibility for your business and brand. 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 Visibility Strategy Session at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/getvisible. Ready to create your signature talk? Email me at [email protected]. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

There’s been a dramatic shift in online marketing in the past 1-2 years. What used to work doesn’t work anymore, or at least not the same way it did. My guest Sandi Eveleth, a digital marketing strategist, and I share strategies you can use now including: how to market to cold audiences vs. warm ones; the #1 reason to do Facebook Live videos (it’s probably not what you think); the new Facebook Local (move over, Yelp!); and more. During our conversation, we hit upon what I believe is THE key to successful marketing nowadays. It’s something you can easily do in your videos, podcasts, interviews, webinars, blogs, and presentations. No fancy tech, no fancy graphics, no fancy lighting required. Curious what it is? Listen in. :-) Sandi and I also talk about ways you can practice your presentation and why you absolutely should before giving it “for real.” About My Guest: Dr. Sandi Eveleth is an Optometrist, Eye Care Practice Consultant, and Digital Marketing Strategist. She loves helping eye care professionals grow their practices using the latest digital marketing and business development strategies. Sandi has been practicing Optometry for over 27 years in just about every setting possible — from owning a thriving private practice for more than 15 years to working inside corporate practices and working for Ophthalmologists. She holds a Doctor of Optometry degree from the New England College of Optometry, where she was the Valedictorian, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston College. In 2009, Sandi also founded KISS your Web, LLC (KISS stands for Keeping Internet Solutions Simple) as a web design and digital marketing firm. Sandi is also a WP Elevation Certified Digital Business Consultant. The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. Highlights: How to utilize webinars as a way to practice new material you will be presenting at a speaking engagement Best practices for your webinar, and why Zoom is a great platform for hosting your webinars How to gear your marketing to cold, warm, and hot audiences The importance of installing the Facebook pixel on your website Why Facebook Live is the most important thing you can be doing on the platform right now and information on the brand new Facebook Local The two things you need to be thinking about now when marketing and speaking Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/51 If you would like to work with Sandi or if you know any eye care professionals that would like to increase their revenues, here is her special offer for listeners: http://www.drsandieveleth.com/specialoffer Connect with Sandi on Twitter @SandiEveleth 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 Visibility Strategy Session at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/getvisible. Ready to create your signature talk? Email me at [email protected]. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

What does it take to get known? How can you become the “go to” person for what you do? You know you need to be more visible in order to grow your business and network and to achieve your goals. But, there’s a lot of noise out there: not only competition, but things competing for people’s attention AND people not being clear about what exactly you do, who you do it for, and the outcomes you get for them. What you need are the 3 C’s of Visibility: Consistency, Courage, and Community (plus a bonus 4th C). I share with you the ways to be consistent for it to make an impact; why being an advocate and standing up can get you known (but why it’s scary to do so); and why having support can make all the difference, including places we need to show up where we might not be right now (hand raised). I do get on a bit of a soap box about why, as a society, we need you as a woman to be more visible and why you’re not the only one who benefits when you do. At the end of the episode, I share with you the key visibility areas for me that significantly grew my revenue last year. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode and where you’re going to focus in 2018! Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. I encourage you to also listen to episode 45, where I go over four different visibility roadmaps you can use, depending on what stage your business is in, to identify where you should focus your time and efforts. The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. Highlights: Why you need visibility for your business 3 C’s of Visibility = Consistency, Courage, Community 3 ways you need to be consistent Examples from my own business about the impact of consistency Why putting yourself out there and speaking up feels so vulnerable The physiological effects of vulnerability The ancestral memory we as women have of vulnerability Why we need more women in positions of power and leadership What those around you get from you being visible Having allies and advocates The 4th bonus C The key visibility areas for me that significantly grew my revenue last year Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/50 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 Visibility Strategy Session at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/getvisible. Ready to create your signature talk? Email me at [email protected]. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! Other episodes mentioned: Your Visibility Roadmap (episode 45) Strategies to Get Visible (on-air coaching call) with Pam Andrews (episode 48) What It Takes to Do a TEDx Talk with Tammy Lally (episode 24) Why Women Need to Speak Up and Roar with Sophia Eng (episode 40) Natalie Eckdahl of Biz Chix (episode 35) Why We All Need a Wingwoman with Mia Scharphie (episode 46)

There’s something you can do as a speaker to connect with your audience and have an impact on them that goes beyond your content or the activities you have them do. It’s one of the four essential elements (fire, water, air, and earth), which is why I used the word “element” in the title. It’s your breath. The most powerful speakers in the world know how to use their breath, resonance, tone, and pauses to create a moving experience for their listeners. You can do the same. More than simply helping to calm your nerves or speak more clearly (which it definitely does as well!), using your breath properly and intentionally can connect you on a deeper level with your audience and make your words more powerful and impactful. My guest Janice Rous is an expert on the breath and the body. In this episode, she shares specific techniques you can use on the stage and in preparation to tune your breath and your body. We also talk about why we’re often reluctant to have silence in our conversations and presentations, but why it’s crucial for our listeners. About My Guest: Janice Stieber Rous has been dancing since she was five and attended the Martha Graham School until the age of 21. She graduated from the American Center of the Alexander Technique in 1981 and has been teaching classes in Stough Breathing Coordination, Yoga and the Alexander Technique in New York City, Orlando, Florida, Ireland and Israel ever since. She is a Sarah Lawrence College graduate and has a master’s degree from Bank St. College in museum leadership, education and administration. Janice created Body Dialogue because she was in search of a practice to integrate all of her different studies, thereby effectively combining Alexander Technique, breathing and yoga. Highlights: The importance of breath, tone, resonance, vibration, and grounding the body How to let your breath guide the voice so your words are powerful and impactful How pauses and silences are necessary so your audience see you as the authority on your topic Techniques to invite your audience into your speech The importance of physical and vocal warmups before a speaking engagement The importance of oxygen for our thinking Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/49 Check out Janice’s website, workshops, and retreats at http://bodydialogues.com/ Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Interested in a VIP Day to create your signature talk? Email me at [email protected]. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

How can you get more visibility for your business? In this on-air coaching call, my guest Pam Andrews and I discuss specific things she can do, from obvious ones like speaking to groups and going on podcasts to some less obvious ones that may be a good fit for you too. You’ll learn the questions to ask yourself to determine where you should focus your time and energy. Interestingly, we discover during our conversation that the customers who purchase Pam’s books are most likely not the same people who would purchase her services - they are two very different types of customers. You may have the same thing in your business and not realize it. I encourage you to go back and listen to episode 45, where I go over four different visibility roadmaps you can use, depending on what stage your business is in. About My Guest: Pam Andrews is a College Admissions Coach and Scholarship Strategist. Pam helps high school students get into their dream college and secure scholarships that will pay for it. Pam is known for helping her son win over $700,000 in scholarship money that pays for his undergraduate and graduate school. More importantly, she has helped her clients win over $1,000,000 in scholarships. Because of her success, Pam is often asked, “How do you do it?” To answer this question she launched, The Scholarship Shark, a coaching company that offers parents and students a roadmap to maximizing their efforts to getting into college as well as finding and winning scholarship money. If you’d like to schedule a visibility strategy session with me to create your own personalized visibility roadmap and plan, go to https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/getvisible. Highlights: The two different types of customers Pam has and how this will influence the visibility areas to focus on What Pam has been doing so far for visibility and the results she’s seen Specific strategies - both online and offline - you can use to build awareness for what you do The power of teaming up with complementary service providers How often you should do public speaking and podcast interviews How to put your visibility roadmap into action Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/48 Check out Pam’s website, books, and board game at https://www.thescholarshipshark.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 Visibility Strategy Session at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/getvisible. Interested in a VIP Day to create your signature talk? Email me at [email protected]. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

As a speaker, you’re only one-half of the equation. The other half is your audience. Particularly when you’re doing workshops and breakout sessions with smaller groups, you want to make sure that the audience is engaged, interested, and learning. My guest Amy Lang is an experienced speaker and workshop facilitator and she shares with us strategies she uses, from stories and humor to flipcharts and breathing breaks, to engage adult learners. We also talk about how to manage introverted and extroverted workshop participants, how Amy got her first speaking gigs when she was starting her business, and our mutual love for alliteration and acronyms. This is a very lively conversation that I know you’ll enjoy! About My Guest: A nationally-known sexuality educator, speaker and author, Amy Lang helps both parents and professionals who work with kids discover talking about sexuality, bodies and safety doesn’t have to be scary or overwhelming. Her engaging, humorous and inspiring style shows adults how to turn conversations and situations they dread into something they can handle like a pro. Her clients include the US Air Force Youth and Family Services programs, Boys & Girls Clubs and thousands of parents around the world. Amy holds an MA in Applied Behavioral Science and her focus was in adult education and group facilitation. She decided to combine her love of sex talking and her love of working with adults and started Birds & Bees & Kids in 2006. Highlights: Getting referrals from current and previous clients, and how important they are to grow your business How to get your first speaking gigs Keeping your presentation content fresh Specific strategies for connecting with and engaging introverts AND extroverts in your audience How to connect to your audience with real stories, humor, and wacky teaching styles Holding space for your audience and being their guide The importance of tweaking your content to different audiences so they are engaged and actively learning Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/47 Check out Amy’s website at http://birdsandbeesandkids.com/ Amy’s Facebook Group Birds and Bees and Kids Find Amy’s book Dating Smarts on Amazon Interested in working together to create your signature talk? Email me at [email protected]. Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

As women, we walk a tightrope between needing to advocate for ourselves, yet not wanting to come across as braggarts or overly promotional (yes, it’s that pesky double bind). How can we make sure we’re getting the visibility and opportunities we deserve for the amazing work I know we’re all doing? We need a wingwoman (or two or three)! In this episode, my guest Mia Scharphie shares what she has named “the wingwoman effect” and how as women entrepreneurs and professionals we can use it to advocate for others, foster collaboration, and gain more visibility. We talk about the difference between having a mentor and a sponsor, creating a recommendation circle, and a better approach to networking events. We also need your input! During our conversation, we talk about how we all need to have a coach, a cheerleader, and a challenger in our lives. Mia came up with an idea for a fourth archetype and we need a good “C” name for it! (I love alliteration.) After you listen, pop into the Speaking Your Brand Facebook group and share with us your ideas. About My Guest: Mia Scharphie is a creative agent of change, a do-er and big-picture thinker. She founded Build Yourself to help women in creative fields move past the obstacles that hold them back in the workplace, and to make those workplaces better places for their women’s often underutilized talent. Mia is a trained facilitator and has worked on women’s advocacy for over fifteen years. She’s run a research effort on women in social impact design for the Harvard Business School, is a founding member of the Equity Roundtable at the Boston Society of Architects, and was named as one of Impact Design Hub’s Social Impact Design 40 under 40. She has spoken extensively across the country including at the Association of Community Designers, and A Better World by Design, as well as the University of Pennsylvania and UT Austin. Mia received degrees from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and Brown University. Her writings on issues of equity in design have been published in the Christian Science Monitor and GOOD. Highlights: How succeeding in school and the workplace are different, and what actions to take to make yourself memorable Why hearing ‘no’ is sometimes a really good thing to hear How people pleasing and needing approval hinder us from reaching our goals The difference between having a mentor and a sponsor How to start building your visibility today and why you shouldn’t wait to do it The importance of collaboration over competition What it means to have and to be a wingwoman How to take advantage of the opportunities you have to be creative and stand out Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/46 Get Mia’s free brainstorming guide to help you create more unique content: http://www.buildyourselfworkshop.com/speakingyourbrand Visit Mia’s website at http://buildyourselfworkshop.com/ and http://buildyourselfworkshop.com/double-vision-coming-soon/ Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

This episode is a mini-training to help you create your visibility roadmap and identify the areas you should focus on to build your business, brand, and influence. They’re not the same for everyone. I’m going to share with you 4 different roadmaps depending on where you’re at in your business and what your goals are. Whether you want to do more public speaking, give a keynote, do a TEDx talk, create your own workshops or events, launch a podcast or video show or virtual summit, appear on TV, write a book, serve in a leadership position in a community or industry organization, or run for office, you need to identify the stepping stones to get you from where you are to where you want to be. Get the free PDF download of the visibility roadmaps and additional resources at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/45. You’ll also hear about a recent tough decision I had to make about a visibility opportunity. I had to keep in mind what was going to grow my business vs. potentially derail it. Highlights: Visualizing where you want to be and what you want to do, whether it’s a keynote, TEDx talk, launching a podcast, hosting a live event, writing a book, going on TV, even running for office What visibility gets you and your business Identifying the stepping stones to get you from where you are to where you want to be. Questions to consider when deciding what areas to focus on for visibility The 4 Visibility Roadmaps - depending on what stage you’re at in your business and what your goals are Links: Get the show notes and free PDF download of the visibility roadmaps at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/45 Sign up for a Visibility Strategy Session at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/getvisible Interested in a VIP Day to create your signature talk? Email me at [email protected]. Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

Virtual summits can raise your visibility: whether you’re being interviewed on one or hosting your own. Being a part of a virtual summit can introduce you to a new audience. Hosting your own virtual summit can help you grow your email list, network, and revenue. My guest Jaime Slutzky is an expert on creating virtual summits - from the tech integration to strategizing on content and marketing for the summit. She may have even convinced me to do my own in 2018! In this episode, we talk about the reasons to participate on a virtual summit, what you should know as a participant and the questions to ask the host, and whether you should host your own. About My Guest: Jaime Slutzky was born a techie. She knew by the age of 7 that she wanted to spend her life working on computers. She obtained her Bachelor's in Computer Science, spent over a decade in corporate IT and then she started a WordPress freelancing business. Jaime is now the Principal at Virtual Summit TECH, a virtual summit production company. She and her team perform all the behind-the-scenes tech wizardry to deliver their clients content to their audience. Highlights: What exactly a virtual summit is, and how it can grow your business and connect you with other industry leaders How participating in or hosting your own virtual summit can help you become an influencer in your field. How long it takes to create a virtual summit and the three main components of one Questions to ask yourself if you’re thinking of hosting your own virtual summit How to make sure you’re getting the most out of the summit as an interviewee Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/44 Register for Jaime’s Biz BFF Summit: https://thebizbffsummit.com/ Learn about Jamie’s services at https://virtualsummittech.com/ Strong Jewish Women’s Summit hosted by Edie Berg: http://thestrongjewishwomenssummit.com/ . Edie was on the Speaking Your Brand podcast in episode 5. Elevate Pharmacy Summit hosted by Blair Thielemier: https://elevatepharmacysummit.com/ Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Sign up for a strategy session at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/strategy Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

Get ready for a fun and lively conversation! We get into the nitty-gritty of speaking in this episode: how to make sure that the speaking opportunities you say yes to are helping you reach your goals and grow your business vs. derailing you. My guest Amber De La Garza is a productivity specialist, so we also talk about productivity tips for us as speakers and entrepreneurs. I even ask her to help me with a productivity struggle - and you’ll be surprised by her recommendation (I was!). Amber shares with us what the National Speakers Association does and how it has helped her in her speaking journey. We also talk about what it takes to get paid big money for keynotes - and why you may not want to go down that path. About My Guest: Amber De La Garza is The Productivity Specialist! Amber is a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, and the host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast. She helps entrepreneurs take consistent, massive, focused action in business and equips them with the specific techniques needed to reduce stress, increase profits, make more time for what matters most, and achieve their vision of success. Highlights: How you can reach your business goals without being a keynote speaker (and why it may even be better) How being involved with her local chapter of the National Speakers Association has helped Amber on her speaking journey Why content isn’t received the same way in all audiences and how important it is to know your audience The difference between organization and productivity How to create a calendar that supports natural energy flows for ultimate productivity The right way to network at networking events to create opportunities (like being a podcast guest) Productivity tips, and why it’s ok to say no Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/43 Amber’s website: http://www.theproductivityspecialist.com Amber’s podcast: Productivity Straight Talk Amber’s Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductivityStraightTalk/ Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

What kind of content should you create when you want to start a movement (or launch a product)? In this on-air coaching call, I help my guest Marnie Clark with ideas and strategies to generate awareness and interest in a movement she’s starting around premium, hand-crafted non-alcoholic cocktails. Marnie’s been frustrated that when she goes to restaurants or out with friends, she’s stuck ordering water or frozen slushy drinks. She wants a beautiful, delicious cocktail, minus the alcohol. We talk about what kinds of videos to create, who to target, and how she can incorporate her story into her content. About My Guest: Marnie Clark is a business owner who has played an integral role for the past 27-years in the multi-million-dollar construction company that she has helped build alongside her husband. Marnie is also the founder of Marnie Rae, a lifestyle brand that spotlights handcrafted, soft cocktails. Nestled near Hood Canal in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, Marnie loves to enjoy the outdoors - hiking, running, paddle-boarding and boating. Traveling and family are high on her list but you can’t leave off the Seahawks or coffee! Being sober has led Marnie to explore a new passion and she is excited to share this with others. Marnie is recognized as a founder of the Dine and Dream Dinner and a past producer of The Inspired You Event. Highlights: How Marnie found her niche and is filling a void for her audience How sharing your story is important because that’s what your audience will relate to How large the market is for handcrafted non-alcoholic beverages The importance of visual imagery when creating our content and user generated content How working with local restaurants and TV channels can help spark a movement Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/42 Marnie’s website Connect with Marnie on Instagram @MarnieRaeC My interview on the Food Blogger Pro podcast #106 Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Sign up for a strategy session at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/strategy. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of a presentation I recently gave at BizChix Live, a 3-day conference for women entrepreneurs. The title was “Your Visibility Roadmap: Growing Your Business, Brand, and Influence.” I talk about how I created the presentation itself, an overview of the content, how I prepared, and the feedback and results I got. You’ll hear about the nightmare I had 2 nights before I was to speak (and what I learned from it!). You’ll also hear the feedback I received from one of the attendees that stopped me in my tracks - something you need to hear too. In a future episode, I’ll go over the visibility roadmaps from this presentation, so be sure to subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend! Highlights: How I got this speaking opportunity How I decided on the content for my talk and what to include in it The process I went through to create my talk (that you can use too) Slide designs How I prepared Getting to know the audience beforehand The importance of feeling comfortable in the venue Customizing the presentation for the audience The feedback and results I received Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/41 Interested in a VIP Day to create your signature talk? Email me at [email protected]. BizChix podcast My webinar on How to Become a Sought-After, Stand-Out Speaker at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/training Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

Have you ever felt scared to say or publish something, but you knew you had to do it? That’s what my guest Sophia Eng did a few months ago when she wrote and published “Hear Us Roar: A Manifesto for Women and Minorities in Startup, Tech, and Business Communities.” She knew that if she wanted other women to speak up, she had to do it herself. Sophia is a Growth Advisor and Founder of Women in Growth, a community dedicated to empowering women to grow businesses. She has been the driving force behind the revenue and user growth at Autodesk, Workday, and now InVision, as well as her own consulting agency using buyer psychology as the backbone of her strategies and insights. Sophia champions female and minority inclusion in Silicon Valley, as one of the leaders of Women Supporting Women. Sophia has a special focus on empowering female entrepreneurs, as well as pushing the agenda for more in-depth studies on the unique psychology of female consumers. In this episode, we talk about how men and women buy differently; what growth hacking is and how we can use it to grow our businesses; the need for more women to speak up in companies and on stages; finding allies; and much more. Highlights: How you should be targeting men and women customers differently The importance of split testing your landing pages and Facebook ads for men and women Tips for using growth hacking strategies, no matter what kind of business you have How community is a key element of growth hacking and word of mouth is the best marketing Finding allies to support you The importance of speaking up, even if it’s frightening, in order to start a conversation that will elicit change Links: Sophia’s website Join Sophia’s Facebook group “Women in Growth” Connect with Sophia on Twitter Sophia’s article “Hear Us Roar: A Manifesto for Women and Minorities in Startup, Tech, and Business Communities” InVisionApp.com Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

What kinds of personal stories should you share in a business context? How personal is too personal when sharing stories publicly? How do you get past the fear that creeps up when you’re about to share something? My guest Lisa Woodruff, founder of Organize 365, and I talk about how and why she shares personal stories on her podcast and blog and how that has impacted her business growth. We also get into how Lisa got visibility for her business early on and what she’s doing now with podcasting, blogging, speaking, and social media. About My Guest: Lisa Woodruff is a home organization expert, productivity specialist and author of The Mindset of Organization, Take Back Your House One Phase at a Time, & How ADHD Affects Home Organization. Lisa believes organization is not a skill you are born with. It is a skill that is developed over time and changes with each season of life. Lisa has helped thousands of women reclaim their homes and finally get organized with her practical tips, encouragement and humor through her blog and podcast at Organize365.com. Highlights: Why Lisa started her business Organize 365 in 2012 How Lisa uses personal stories in her business, blog, and podcast to connect with her audience How Lisa handles the fear of sharing personal stories How Lisa got visibility for her business early on and what she’s doing now with podcasting, blogging, speaking, and social media Links: Lisa’s website Organize365.com Lisa’s podcast Organize 365 Connect with Lisa on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

Creating and hosting your own local workshops can be a great way to add a revenue stream to your business and reach prospective clients who get to know you as an expert and then want to work with your further. My guest is social media strategist Valentina Escobar-Gonzalez, who has built a good part of her business through local workshops, partnering with the chamber of commerce and SBA in her town. We talk about how Valentina markets her workshops, how far in advance to advertise them, tips for effectively targeting Facebook ads, and using Twitter to connect with influencers and podcasters. One of the workshops that Valentina offers is on social media for introverts. As an introvert and someone who doesn’t like to post a lot on social media, that really piqued my interest, so I have Valentina share some of her strategies with us. About My Guest: Valentina Escobar-Gonzalez, MBA, founded Beyond Engagement: Social Media Solutions in January 2012 and hasn’t slowed down since. She has a passion for assisting small businesses grow their engagement levels with customers online with social media marketing. Valentina regularly speaks to business groups, associations, and organizations on using social media effectively. Highlights: How to use Twitter and Instagram to connect with influencers and thought leaders in your field How long your workshop should be Importance of identifying your target market audience for workshops and Facebook ads How much to spend on Facebook ads and when to start promoting your event How local workshops can lead to higher paying on-site consultations Importance of doing old school things like sending thank you cards, birthday cards, and presents to clients - keeps you in the front of their mind Always be engaging with your current clients because most of your new clients will come from them Links: Valentina’s website = http://beyond-engagement.com/ Connect with Valentina on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

We’re back with an on-air coaching call! Webinars are an excellent way to increase awareness of who you are, what you do, and how you help people, plus they’re a lot of fun (at least I think so!). In this episode, I help professional makeup artist Samantha Agostino with the content of her webinar. We review her past webinar and how to improve it to make a stronger connection with her audience and get them interested in her program. We talk about getting clear on your goal as well as the audience’s goal, how to structure your webinar content by focusing on 3 (yes, only 3!) main points and keeping them simple to understand, the power of sharing your personal stories and experiences as well as client examples, tips for engaging attendees, and how many slides to use. About My Guest: Samantha Agostino is a professional makeup artist for high-end bridal and event clients. Samantha’s work has graced numerous covers such as IAN and NJ Bride and been featured by top publications including Grace Ormonde, Carats & Cake and The Knot. A celebrated bridal fashion specialist – she recently collaborated with international luxury wedding planner Jean-Charles Vaneck and Ellie Youseff Couture for The Villa Casa Casuarina in Miami – Samantha also regularly leads beauty teams for NY Fashion Week, where her work has been highlighted on WWD and Vogue Brazil pages. In addition, Samantha mentors and coaches other makeup artists who are building their businesses. Highlights: Getting clear on your goal - and your audience’s goal - for the webinar Understanding the obstacles that are preventing your audience/target market from achieving their goal and how you help them How to structure your webinar content Why you should only have 3 main points and keep them simple, especially on a webinar The power of sharing your personal stories and experiences and client examples Tips for engaging your audience throughout the webinar How many slides you may have for a webinar vs an in-person presentation How much text to include on your slides Links: Learn more on Samantha’s website Connect with Samantha on Instagram Free PDF of my presentation framework you can use for your webinars Watch my recent webinar or listen to episode 30 which is the audio from the webinar Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

Business can be a vehicle for social impact and positive change. But, oftentimes, entrepreneurs who see themselves as changemakers can get tripped up with money blocks, trusting their idea, and figuring out how to turn their idea into tangible growth. That’s where my guest Geraldine Carter comes in. As co-founder of Climate Ride, she grew the organization from an idea to a seven-figure budget and she now coaches changemaking entrepreneurs. She was even mentioned (by name!) by Seth Godin in one of his TED talks. In this episode, Geraldine and I discuss her background and early adventures traveling the world, the impetus for creating Climate Ride, the struggles she sees changemaking entrepreneurs go through, and much more. 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. Highlights: Geraldine’s travels around the world Trusting your idea as a pioneer Needing a map to point you in the right direction for your business The money blocks many socially-minded entrepreneurs face and what to do about it Links: Learn more on Geraldine’s website Free PDF for listeners Connect with Geraldine on Facebook and LinkedIn Seth Godin TED talk “The tribes we lead” Book “The Soul of Money” Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

Moderating a panel, or being on one, can be a great way to increase your visibility at an event or conference. People in the audience see you as an expert and you get to know and network with the other panelists. But, as the moderator if you’re not careful, panels can quickly become unruly or go off on tangents or end up with one person dominating the conversation. My guest Natalie Eckdahl has moderated several high-profile panels over the past year, including at Social Media Marketing World and Podcast Movement. Along the way, she’s learned strategies and lessons that she shares in this episode. We also talk about her decision to create her own live event, coming up in mid-October in Southern California, as she saw how much she connected with others at conferences she was attending. About My Guest: Natalie Eckdahl is a Business Strategist and High Performance Coach, who helps high-achieving women entrepreneurs across industries and time zones build, grow, and scale their business while avoiding overwhelm. She’s the Founder of the BizChix Community and Podcast, and has been recognized as “One of the Top Women in Business to Listen to.” She has also been featured in Inc, Fast Company, Huffington Post and Entrepreneur. Highlights: How Natalie got to be a panel moderator How to select good panelists How to steer the conversation How to get panelists to bond with each other beforehand Checking out the room beforehand and how panelists should sit Introducing panelists Why attending conferences has become key to increasing Natalie's visibility Why host your own live event Links: Natalie’s website and podcast Biz Chix Biz Chix Live event Connect with Natalie on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter My recent episode on the Biz Chix Podcast #278 High-quality royalty-free music at premiumbeat.com Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

How do you approach selling, whether it’s your product/service or yourself for speaking engagements? Do you schedule time and make it a priority or do you tend to procrastinate on it because you don’t like “sales” and you’re not sure what to do or say? In this mini-training, my guest Nikki Rausch, founder of the Sales Maven, walks us through how to do the sales process, from prospecting to closing, in a way that feels good for both you and the other person and builds a relationship, not a transaction. We talk about what to say so you can get to the next step with a prospect, why you need to take the lead, and why you should offer clients several options for your product or service (you’ll hear why this works so well!). About My Guest: Sales Maven founder and bestselling author, Nikki Rausch, is an award-winning sales executive with 23+ years of sales experience selling to organizations such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, Hewlett Packard, Seattle Public Schools, & NASA. By combining her sales experience with her master certification in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Nikki teaches simple, yet powerful techniques anyone can use. Entrepreneurs hire Nikki to learn how to sell in an authentic way without being pushy so they build relationships and close more deals. Her two books, Six-Word Lessons on Influencing with Grace: 100 Lessons to Genuinely Connect with Colleagues, Friends, Family, and Lovers and Buying Signals, How To Spot The Green Light & Increase Your Sales are both available on Amazon. Highlights: Why many of us don’t like selling A better way of looking at selling Prospecting and setting up the first call Phone vs video vs in-person Getting to the next step with the prospect Ways to close without feeling icky Why you need to take the lead in the sales process Links: Sign up for Nikki’s newsletter (it’s one of my favorites) at http://yoursalesmaven.com/sales-resources/ Connect with Nikki on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

Ah, interns. The promise of inexpensive (or even free) labor as you’re growing your business, especially when you’re in that hard point between having too much work to do yourself but not having extra revenue to hire someone. But, there’s a catch. Interns come with responsibilities for you as the business owner (as well as legal regulations). My guest Isabella Johnston is known as the “intern whisperer.” She has trained dozens of interns in her company and is now getting ready to release a software program that will make it easier for businesses to find interns and for interns to find opportunities. What should you look for in an intern? What are realistic expectations? What do you as the business owner need to have in place before you’re ready for an intern? Isabella and I talk all about this and more in this podcast episode. About My Guest: Isabella Johnston owns Pivot Business Consulting where she consults in process innovation and improvement, onboarding, and servant leadership. She facilitates workshops and training in leadership, team building and 360 communication. She is called the intern whisperer because of the customized intern programs that help businesses and nonprofits bridge their process gaps. She is the creator of Intern Pursuit, a software program that is an end-to-end recruitment and management program to help business owners manage the intern process with ease. Highlights: Paid vs unpaid interns What you need to have as a business owner before you bring on an intern What you can realistically expect interns to be able to do Your role as a mentor The differences between an intern and a virtual assistant (VA) Links: Isabella’s website = https://www.pivotbusinessconsulting.com/ Intern Pursuit software platform = http://www.internpursuit.com Connect with Isabella on LinkedIn and Twitter Isabella’s articles on LinkedIn Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

Your signature talk needs to be useful, interesting, and relatable to your audience - and it needs to be original and uniquely yours. In this on-air coaching call, my client Adrienne Borgersen and I discuss how we found her angle for her signature talk topic and we go over key parts of her presentation storyboard. We also talk the groups Adrienne should reach out to for speaking engagements based on who her target clients are. Adrienne shares fantastic style and shopping tips and the importance of making conscious choices when we buy. About My Guest: Adrienne Borgersen is a 25 year veteran of the music industry, a Fashion Institute of Technology certified Image Consultant and a Main Street Vegan Academy Master Certified Vegan Lifestyle Coach & Educator. Wanting to help people thrive no matter what their lifestyle, Adrienne uses her vast experience in marketing A-list recording artists around the world, along with her FIT training, to coach and educate clients on creating their personal style and personal brand. As a vegan, she wanted to find a way to incorporate her awareness of the plight of animals in the fashion industry, into her work. She began to speak and write about the issues and the solutions, to encourage people to consider compassionate and cruelty-free choices. She is also the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the online magazine La Fashionista Compassionista. Highlights: What an image consultant does Why Adrienne decided to create a magazine Finding your signature talk topic and angle or hook Integrating your personal story and experience into your presentation How your image ties to your identity and authenticity Adrienne’s style and shopping tips Making conscious choices about what we buy The groups Adrienne should reach out to for speaking engagements based on who her target clients are Links: Adrienne’s website = http://itfactorimage.nyc/ La Fashionista Compassionista magazine = http://lafcnyc.com/ Connect with Adrienne on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

Creating your signature talk can lead to clarity and better results not only for your presentations but for your business model, product offers, marketing messaging, and speaking strategy. In this on-air coaching call, I talk with my client C S Wurzberger about how our work together to create her signature talk (using my storyboard method) helped her narrow her niche, design her business model, and align her product offerings with what she is most passionate about: empowering kids who love animals to create real-world projects that make a difference and teach them valuable skills. About My Guest: C S Wurzberger, The Green Up Girl is a Podcaster, Green Movement Marketing Advisor, Sustainability Consultant with 25 years of experience and extensive training in helping animal/nature organizations showcase their green initiatives and conservation efforts for the world to see, experience, and unite. C S focuses on today’s strategies and tools to help youth map out a smart, actionable plan for saving species and improving our world. Her specialty is to help youth take charge of the “overwhelm” and manage effective campaigns. Plus, she provides organizations with engaging sessions that keep attendees coming back for more. Highlights: How your signature talk and business model are connected Narrowing your niche and product offer Using your signature talk outline for email sequences and sales conversations Creating your dream list of where you want to speak Strategies for connecting with event and conference organizers Links: Connect with C S on her website at http://thegreenupgirl.com/ Learn about the Green Up Kids Academy at http://www.greenupkids.org Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

Here’s the problem I see with many of the presentations and workshops I attend: Too much impersonal information and data, not enough personal stories and connection. Or, to put it even more simply: Too much Wikipedia, not enough people. In this episode, I share examples of how you can create presentations that are personal and memorable for your audience and how, by having a signature talk, you create consistency with your message. I pulled the audio from the online training I recently did because I got such great feedback from the women who attended. I talk about the 3 C’s of Stand-Out Speaking: Consistency: Having a signature message and talk that you become known for Connection: Making your talk personal and memorable for your audience Context: Using story structure and the hero's journey so your presentation is relevant and relatable Use the examples and strategies I share to make your presentations more impactful and get the results you're looking for. Links: Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Ready to create your signature talk? Get the details on my online group program at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/signature-talk-group-program/ Replay of my online training: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/stand-out-speaker My episode on the Biz Chix episode #278: http://www.bizchix.com/278 Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

Are you spending time going to networking events and not feeling like you’re getting enough out of them? There’s a way to approach networking that can get you better results and save you time. In this on-air coaching episode, my guest Dr. Carmen Landrau and I strategize ways she can network more effectively, from which groups to attend to who to say yes to for coffee or lunch (and how to politely get out of the ones you don’t want to say yes to!). We also talk about Carmen’s background as a medical doctor and how she learned to navigate a very male-dominated industry and now speaks to professional women to help them know their worth and ask for what they want. About My Guest: Carmen W. Landrau, MD is a board certified physician who specializes in cardiology and is a professional keynote speaker who uses her experience navigating a male-dominated and hierarchical career to empower other women to obtain better life balance by sharing techniques that help them understand how to best use their skills, get support and manage their time efficiently. Dr. Landrau completed her medical training at Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico, followed by a residency in internal medicine and fellowship in cardiology at The University of Texas Medical School in Houston. Dr. Landrau has been featured in H Texas Magazine, recognized among Houston's Top Doctors, and is a contributor to online journals. Highlights: The challenges women who grow up in patriarchal cultures face The importance of strong female role models Networking strategies to save time and find speaking opportunities Creating your own local group for women business owners Finding conferences to speak at and tips for speaking proposals And much more! Links: Carmen’s website = http://www.drlandrau.com Connect with Carmen on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter Puja Madan’s Spark event series for women business leaders Episode 7 with Puja Madan on time and productivity Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Ready to create your signature talk? Get the details on my online group program at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/signature-talk-group-program/ Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

As mission-driven entrepreneurs, we’re passionate and certain about the changes we’d like to see to make the world a better place. But, what happens if the people you want to reach aren’t as convinced as you are? You have a couple of options: You can work really hard to educate your market, to convince them that what you’re offering is what they need, to get them to change their behavior in favor of what you’re proposing. (Spoiler: this rarely works and you’ll spend a lot of time and money on it.) Or, you can give them what they want and shift your mission to align with that. This is the point my guest Bruce Friedrich arrived at a few years ago, which we talk about in this episode. This is also the point I see some of my clients at, as they struggle with communicating their message in a way that appeals to their potential customers where they’re at in their journey. In this episode, Bruce and I also talk about the current state of food tech, what entices investors to invest in companies (market opportunity vs. values), the importance of in-person speaking and connections to reach your audience, and what happened to Bruce at age 12 that set him on his career path. About my guest: Bruce Friedrich is Executive Director of the Good Food Institute, which works with scientists, investors, and entrepreneurs to make groundbreaking good food (clean meat and plant-based meat) a reality. Bruce graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown Law and Phi Beta Kappa from Grinnell College and also holds degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the London School of Economics. Bruce is a popular speaker on college campuses and has delivered presentations on food innovation at most of the nation's top universities, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and MIT. Bruce has co-authored two books, including the forthcoming Clean Protein: The Revolution That Will Reshape Your Body, Boost Your Energy - and Save Our Planet with New York Times bestselling author Kathy Freston, contributed chapters to five books, and authored seven law review articles. Highlights: Educating the market (demand-side) vs. giving your customers what they want (supply-side) The current state of food tech (“nerds over cattle,” as Eric Schmidt of Google/Alphabet says) What moves investors to invest (finances/market opportunity vs. values/impact) What Good Food Institute does and how quickly it’s growing The importance of in-person speaking and connections to reach your audience What happened to Bruce at age 12 that set him on his career path The risks and rewards of standing for something Links: Good Food Institute = http://www.gfi.org/ Follow Bruce on Twitter @BruceGFriedrich Connect with Bruce on LinkedIn Good Food Institute on Facebook and Twitter Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods Cowspiracy documentary UN Report: Livestock’s Long Shadow Influence book by Robert Cialdini Clean Protein: The Revolution that Will Reshape Your Body, Boost Your Energy?and Save Our Planet book by Bruce Friedrich and Kathy Freston Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Ready to create your signature talk? Sign up to get notified when my online group program opens at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/signature-talk-group-program/ Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

How important are values to your company’s brand and culture? For Flipboard, a social news magazine that launched as one of the first breakout iPad apps in 2010 and now has over 100 million monthly active users, it’s been central to their decision making and their success. In this interview, I talk with Marci McCue, who heads up the company’s communications and content strategy, about the process she and Flipboard use to identify their values and embed them into the company culture (a very straightforward process that you can use, no matter the size of your company), the importance of civic engagement, and the power of stories. Marci also shares how she prepares for speaking engagements and the vision curve she uses in her presentations to help brands assess where they’re at with their customers. Did I also mention that she has hosted President Obama, Al Gore, and Steve Jobs, either at her home or at Flipboard headquarters? How cool is that!?! This conversation will leave you excited and inspired to be engaged, to make decisions that align with your values, and to share the stories that matter. As Marci says, “The decisions you make tell the world who you are.” About My Guest: As a member of Flipboard’s founding team, Marci McCue has led the company’s communications and content strategy since the company launched in 2010 with the mission to be the world’s best social magazine, simplifying the way people discover and share stories around any passion. She is responsible for turning Flipboard (now with over 100 million monthly active users) into a globally recognized brand with accolades and awards from leading organizations and publications around the world. Highlights: What it was like to host President Obama at her house in 2013 The process Marci and Flipboard use to identify their values and embed them into the company culture How to live your values in your company Marci and Flipboard believe that “great stories will move our world forward” The importance of civic engagement Steve Jobs and Al Gore coming to Flipboard HQ to talk about the impact of technology as they were building their product Content curation, fake news, the filter bubble, and the need to blend human editors with algorithms What Marci’s passion has been since she was young and how it shows up in what she does today How Marci prepares for her speaking engagements The vision curve Marci uses in her presentations to help brands assess where they’re at with their customers And much more! Links: Flipboard = https://flipboard.com/ Follow Marci on Twitter @marpmc Download the free PDF to help you with your presentations: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/27 Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Ready to create your signature talk? Sign up to get notified when my online group program opens at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/signature-talk-group-program/ Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

We’re back with a coaching episode, so you can take the strategies we talk about and apply them to your own presentations. My guest Jodi Flynn of Women Taking the Lead and I go over an upcoming presentation she has, including why your presentation should only have 3 key points (less is more!), how to poll the audience so you can tailor your content and examples, how to transition between points, and rituals to help you before and after you go on stage. Jodi is already an accomplished speaker and podcaster, and with this presentation she’s melding her core message for type A entrepreneurial women (hand raised!) with a podcasting topic for a more general audience. Listen in to see how she’s going about doing that. About My Guest: Jodi Flynn is the Founder of Women Taking the Lead, a podcast and community of ambitious entrepreneurial women who want to go BIG. She works with Type-A women who are already successful but have not yet achieved the level of success they want to achieve. Jodi helps her clients to see how extraordinary they are and then set priorities, get organized, in action so they can achieve their biggest goals with ease. She became an Amazon bestselling author with the release of her book, Accomplished: How to Go from Dreaming to Doing. Highlights: How Jodi used her coaching system for type A entrepreneurial women for the content of her book and her presentations Finding the right audience How to test your ideas The virtuous circle of podcasting, book writing, and speaking to grow your business The importance of having a specific niche and one core message Why your presentation should only have 3 key points (less is more!) Engaging and polling the audience so you can tailor your content and examples Transitions between points in your presentation Rituals before and after going on stage Integrating your offer into your presentation (without “selling from the stage”) Links: Connect with Jodi on her website and podcast “Women Taking the Lead” at https://womentakingthelead.com My interview on Jodi’s podcast (episode 189): https://womentakingthelead.com/carol-cox/ Jodi’s networking tips episode: https://womentakingthelead.com/networkingtips/ Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Ready to create your signature talk? Sign up to get notified when my online group program opens at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/signature-talk-group-program/ Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

What opportunities are you missing out on because you don’t have a signature talk? In this episode, I share why having a signature talk is critical for your business and your personal brand, including examples of what makes a great signature talk (and how it’s different from a training). With a signature talk, you become the go-to expert and thought leader for your topic and industry. You establish your personal brand and business reputation. You’re ready to accept speaking opportunities when they come your way, because you’re always prepared with a presentation that you can tweak and repurpose based on the particular audience, event, venue, and length of time. When you sincerely and authentically empower others, they’ll want to share and refer you to others, and they will come to you to buy your product or service when they need help. Having a signature talk, a presentation that you are comfortable with, that provides value to those in the audience, that you get better at each time you give it, will give you the confidence to get out there and share your message. Highlights: What a signature talk is and what it isn't Why you need a signature talk for your business and your personal brand How to figure out what your signature talk topic is The difference between a training and a signature talk Taking your personal story and universalizing it Getting booked and paid to speak Links: Download the free PDF guide to start creating your signature talk: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/25 Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Ready to create your signature talk? Sign up to get notified when my online group program opens at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/signature-talk-group-program/ Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

What does it take to do a TEDx talk? In short, a lot of work! But, as my guest and client Tammy Lally talks about in this episode, the process was tremendously rewarding and transformational. Tammy and I talk about the process we went through to create the talk, how she prepared for it, what it was like to be on the TEDx stage, what she learned about herself, how she opened the talk, and much more. About My Guest: In her work as a Certified Money Coach and Financial Planner, Tammy Lally helps couples and individuals achieve financial health and freedom. Since 2009, her ability to help clients succeed is based on her leading edge knowledge and unique approach. She assists them in digging in, questioning, and owning their money beliefs and behaviors and the impact they have on their financial, social, emotional and spiritual well-being. Highlights: Tammy had the intention to do a TEDx talk in 2017 The importance of finding a good coach Determining what part of your story to tell Learning about yourself through the preparation process Tammy’s opening line and powerful story How your money autobiography determines your spending habits The benefits of meditation The process of preparation What it feels like to deliver a TEDx talk Links: Tammy’s website = http://tammylally.com/ Connect with Tammy on LinkedIn and Facebook Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Interested in working together on your signature talk or TEDx talk? Visit www.speakingyourbrand.com and contact me. I would love to hear from you. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

If you’re interested in speaking at conferences and/or being a guest on podcasts, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. I met my guest Kerry Gorgone over 8 years ago and I’ve seen her influence rise, both online as she’s become the host of the MarketingProfs podcast and a contributing writer to well-known sites like Social Media Explorer and Entrepreneur.com, as well as offline through speaking and training. In this episode, Kerry and I talk about how she got started speaking, how she approaches creating her presentations and engaging the audience, what makes a great podcast guest, and much more. About my guest: Kerry Gorgone is the host of the Marketing Smarts podcast and Director of Product Strategy for Training at MarketingProfs. She trained as a lawyer and is now a speaker, educator, and contributing writer to Spin Sucks, Huffington Post, {grow} blog, Social Media Explorer, Entrepreneur.com, and more. Highlights: Repurposing content from Q&A sessions at speaking engagements The value of meeting people in person to build relationships The process Kerry took to get speaking engagements in the beginning Tailoring your presentation for the audience The kinds of stories Kerry uses in her presentations Tips for engaging the audience What to put on your slides and what to include in handouts How showing up at conferences can lead to speaking engagements What makes a great podcast guest What to put in your podcast pitch email What Kerry sees companies doing that they shouldn’t regarding content marketing Marketing trends, including marketing automation and personalization Links: Connect with Kerry on LinkedIn Kerry’s Twitter = @KerryGorgone Marketing Smarts podcast hosted by Kerry StitchFix Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Interested in my online group program? Sign up to be notified when it opens at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/signature-talk-group-program/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

Community has been the most important component for me in growing Speaking Your Brand over the past two years, from online masterminds I’ve been a part of to local women’s business groups I’ve joined. In this episode, my guest Kat Mendenhall shares how community and mentors have been instrumental in helping her with her businesses. We also talk about how to turn passion into a profitable business (and what the key ingredient is). Kat is the creator of a company that makes gorgeous cruelty-free cowboy boots and she recently opened a boutique in Dallas called Mend RT vegan retail therapy. Highlights: Turning passion into a profitable business The value of taking risks Saying yes to everything The different types of mentors you should have The importance of knowing your values and standards Links: Kat's website = http://katmendenhall.com Kat's Instagram = @KatMendenhallBoots Kat's Twitter = @KickButtVegan Main Street Vegan Academy Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Interested in my online group program? Sign up to be notified when it opens at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/signature-talk-group-program/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

There’s a LOT of content out there competing for your (and your customers’) limited attention, from social media updates and blog posts to podcasts and videos. Is the answer to create more content or better content? My guest today, Jay Acunzo, believes that the answer is not “more” or “better”; rather, it’s to create exceptional content. What exactly is exceptional content and how can you use your intuition to create it? Listen to the episode to find out. Jay and I also talk how Jay approaches his speaking engagements and the importance of storytelling in business and presentations. About my guest: Jay Acunzo is an award-winning show host and keynote speaker. Working as a digital media strategist at Google convinced him that the tried-and-true often leads to stale work. As head of content at HubSpot, he developed a passion to see marketing as a craft-driven profession. Now, as the host of the audio documentary series Unthinkable, Jay spends each week telling the stories of people and companies who break from the convention to do exceptional things. Links: Jay’s website and podcast "Unthinkable" = http://unthinkable.fm/ Jay’s Twitter = @JayAcunzo Jay Acunzo on Mitch Joel's podcast Six Pixels of Separation. A Well-Designed Business podcast episode 189 with Jan Bowen and LuAnn Nigara on intuition. Article on thought leadership, sales, and content. “Deep Work” book = https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Work-Focused-Success-Distracted-ebook/dp/B00X47ZVXM/ Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Interested in my online group program? Sign up to be notified when it opens at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/signature-talk-group-program/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review!

What’s wrong with being a good girl? What does striving for perfectionism and people pleasing cost us as women in leadership? How does it affect our message and our ability to have a greater impact? In this episode, my guest Regena Garrepy shares with us her journey to reclaim her essence - and the gremlins that keep us from doing the valuable work we should be doing. We also talk about the process Regena and I used to create her new presentation and when you need to mature your message to have a greater impact. I’ve gotten to know Regena over the past year as we’ve worked together on two of her presentations and she is a truly beautiful soul. I admire and respect her tremendously and love the power of her story and her message. About my guest: Regena Garrepy is a mentor for messengers, transformational facilitator, superwoman sanity saver and leadership coach. After working with hundreds of women and leading over 30 transformational events, she mentors and empowers women to reclaim, embody and express their essence and become the red hot leader of their lives and businesses without guilt or apology. Regena leads her signature 9-month transformational program called Red Hot Visionista Sacred Circle and now leads the 10-month Leadership level. In this episode, we talk about: Perfectionism, the archetype of the good girl, and how it affects women as leaders The sisterhood wound and why we both crave it and resist it Regena’s journey and the cost of not claiming our essence The gremlins that keep us from doing the valuable work we should be doing The process Regena and I used to create her new presentation When you need to mature your message to have a greater impact Keeping your presentation spacious and focusing on a single theme How Regena prepared for her presentation The importance of having fun on stage What the olive has to do with your message Regena’s programs and retreats and how she structures them as a hybrid of both online and in person Links: Connect with Regena on her websites and learn about her programs = http://regenagarrepy.com/ and http://byebyegoodgirlgetaway.com/ Regena’s Facebook = https://www.facebook.com/regena.garrepy Regena’s Instagram = @RegenaGarrepy Regena’s Twitter = @RegenaGarrepy Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Interested in my online group program? Sign up to be notified when it opens at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/signature-talk-group-program/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review!

Have you thought about writing a book to boost your personal brand, your business, or your speaking career (or probably all three!)? I know I have, which is why I got a lot out of my conversation with author, executive coach, and keynote speaker Jan Bowen. In this episode, we talk about why Jan chose to write her book "It’s Not That Complicated", how she selected her publisher, what hybrid publishing is, and whether the book has helped Jan’s speaking opportunities. We also get into a meaningful discussion about Jan’s signature talk topic and what happens when we don’t live our life purpose. As Jan says, "If we deny what we’re born to do, we just won’t thrive." I’ve gotten to know Jan over the past year and really admire her wisdom and focus and her authentic desire to spotlight the work that others do. Check out her Instagram and YouTube videos to see what I mean. Jan has been a high-level consultant and coach since 2003, leveraging her experience, skills, and knowledge to help executives and enterprises transform their businesses. As founder and principal of Strategic Solutions Services, LLC, Jan has leveraged her over 30 years of corporate and personal experience, skills, and knowledge to help leaders reach the next level of their creative aspirations. Highlights: The genesis of Jan’s book The importance of having a methodology when working with clients Process of writing her book Why Jan chose not to self-publish her book What hybrid publishing is and how it works How having a book has impacted Jan’s speaking opportunities The importance of your book being meaningful and authentic What Jan’s book is about and what her life purpose is The difference between your life purpose, vision, mission, and values Jan’s signature talk topic What happens when we don’t live our life purpose and what we can do about it Links: Connect with Jan on her website = https://janlbowen.com/ Jan’s book “It’s Not That Complicated” = https://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-That-Complicated-Personalized/dp/1599326582/ Jan’s writings = https://janlbowen.com/private-musings/ Jan’s Instagram = @JLBowen13 Jan’s Twitter = @JanLBowen Advantage Media/Book Publishing = http://advantagefamily.com/ Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Interested in my online group program? Sign up to be notified when it opens at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/signature-talk-group-program/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review!

As solopreneurs and small business owners, we often get stuck doing tasks that we really need to delegate or hire someone else to do. We tell ourselves that it only takes a few minutes, or we don’t have time to train someone, or we’ll do it later. The problem is that a bottleneck occurs (us!) that limits our business growth. As the business owner, we should be focusing on doing the activities that drive revenue. My guest, Jamara Wilson, has a great insight into this and helps me through some of my own thinking on this topic. Jamara is CEO & President of Tuxedo Impressions LLC, a company whose mission is to help small businesses create efficiency in their daily operations to sustain growth by using technology that will support your company values and culture. In this episode, we talk about: When businesses come to Jamara (what are they facing) Symptoms vs problems in your business (this is a really key point) Resistance to change Finding the time to create processes As business owners, we need to focus on what we do that drives revenue Technology isn’t enough Hiring VA’s and other team members The software and apps Jamara uses in her own business and why she chose them Apps we mention: Asana HubSpot CRM Zapier G-Suite/Google Apps Links: Jamara's website = https://www.tuxedoimpressions.com/ Jamara's Instagram = @JamaraWilson Jamara's Twitter = @TrulyJamara Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review!

If you’ve listened to some of my other episodes, you’ve heard me help my clients with on-air coaching calls. Now, I’m turning the tables and having someone do a strategy session on me. My guest Carolyn Delaney is the founder of OurCraft.com, which helps creatives and makers by taking care of their technology needs and digital presence through email marketing, SEO, content marketing, ecommerce, and online advertising to amplify their message, reach more of their customers, and sell more of their products. In this episode, you get a peek inside the marketing and technology I’m currently using for my business and for this podcast, and Carolyn asks me insightful questions that you should be asking yourself and gives recommendations you can use as well. Highlights: The danger of the DIY entrepreneurial movement in technology and marketing Being intentional about technology and making sure it’s the right tool for what you need Working in your zone of genius and hiring experts to work in theirs Carolyn asks me what lights me up in my business, the outcomes my clients get, and who my target audience is The technology I’m currently using for my online group program How I’m using my Facebook group, what social media platforms I use, and what SEO and online advertising I’ve done The value of testing hypotheses and assumptions in our marketing The pros and cons of automated posting to social media What is the ROI we’re getting from social media - know your goal and the results you’re getting What has been working for me to get clients Content I should add to my website for SEO How Carolyn works with her clients for their marketing and technology How you can support this podcast: Share it with a friend Leave a review on iTunes (this is how iTunes knows that people like this podcast and will show it to others when people search, plus it’s nice to know that you’re listening and enjoying the content!) Click on the Subscribe button in iTunes or Stitcher (this is also how podcasts are ranked, so this helps more people find the podcast, plus you’ll automatically see new episodes in your podcast queue) Links: Carolyn’s website = http://www.ourcraft.com Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast, so you don’t miss out on future episodes!

This idea of empathy and sharing our stories, especially our deep and vulnerable ones, has been coming up a lot for me lately, from panel discussions on politics and social media I’ve participated in to podcasts I’ve been on talking about the power of public speaking to build trust and empathy. Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. I would add to that not just feelings, but their life situation and what brought them to where they are today. My guest today is Karen Millsap, the founder of The Grief Consultant, which helps organizations implement practical empathy in the workplace to strengthen engagement and improve overall performance. In this episode, we talk about: Why Karen started her company The impact of vulnerability in sharing your story What kinds of speaking engagements Karen has done and how she’s used them to build her business and network How Karen has gotten speaking engagements Her new podcast Invest Human and how she sees it aligning with her business goals What it’s like to be a woman in her field What she wants to be known for Karen also founded Well Now Global Retreats, wellness-inspired retreats to help you navigate complex or suppressed emotional baggage and also teach you how to implement simple healthy habits that will change, and can often save, your life. Karen has a book coming out soon called “Now What?”, in which Karen shares her journey of healing and personal development and gives you guidance on how to pick yourself up, grow through any hardship, and ultimately unleash the best version of yourself. Links: Karen’s website = http://www.karenmillsap.com/ Karen’s podcast Invest Human = https://www.investhuman.co/ Karen’s book = http://www.karenmillsap.com/nowwhat Sheryl Sandberg article = http://time.com/sheryl-sandberg-option-b/ Main Street Vegan podcast I was recently on = http://mainstreetvegan.net/msv-show-notes-april-19-2017-romance-vegans-speaking-cause/ Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast, so you don’t miss out on future episodes!

As speakers, we want to use our voices effectively, feel confident, and project confidence on stage. In this episode, professional singer and vocal coach Freya Casey shares exercises we can do to improve and warm up our voices and how to reduce stage fright and project confidence. What I love about Freya is that she helps people discover the awesomeness in their voice and that she emphasizes mindset and personality as much as physiology and technique. We talk about using the energy of the audience, the benefits of being an introvert as a performer and speaker, what to do if we think our voices are too high pitched or low pitched, and much more. About my guest: Freya Casey is a professional singer and vocal coach from Germany. She studied opera at Southern Methodist University and at the Musikhochschule Stuttgart in Germany, has performed lead roles in opera productions in the United States and Europe, and has been a performing artist on cruise ships all around the world. Freya is also a composer and songwriter and has produced music for commercials, movies, and CD productions. Besides having a very active career on stage, Freya has a passion for helping other singers find the beauty in their voice. With her tutorials on YouTube, Freya has reached tens of thousands of people and enjoys creating opportunities for ambitious singers to work with her. In her weekly podcast "Freya's Singing Tips", she gives valuable advice for anyone who wants to learn how to use their voice in a healthy way for the rest of their lives. Freya has an online course called "Conquer Your Stage Fright", which is for singers and speakers alike, anyone who presents on stage. Highlights: Freya's background as a performer and singer The benefits of being an introvert as a performer and speaker Using the energy of the audience What to do if you have a higher or lower pitched voice (can you change it?) Symptoms of vocal fatigue and what to do about it Vocal exercises to do to warm up your voice How to reduce stage fright and dry mouth The importance of projecting confidence as a speaker Links: Connect with Freya on her website: http://www.freyas-singing-tips.com/ Freya's online course = http://freyas-singing-tips.thinkific.com/courses/conquer-your-stage-fright Facebook = https://www.facebook.com/Freya-Casey-Singer-Vocal-Coach-235591456456207 YouTube = https://www.youtube.com/user/foundmydestiny74 Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Sign up for a strategy session at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/strategy-session/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast, so you don’t miss out on future episodes!