Many conferences get hundreds of speaker submissions. How can you make yours stand out so it gets selected? Then, once you do get selected, how do you make sure you deliver an engaging presentation at the conference? That’s what I talk about with my guest Cathy McPhillips, who is Chief Growth Officer at the Marketing AI Institute. Along with the virtual events they host year-round, they also host an in-person conference called MAICON, which I spoke at in 2023. I invited Cathy on the show to share with us: Her background and what brought her to the Marketing AI Institute How Cathy and the team ..read more

I talk quite a bit on this podcast about "the expert trap" and how so many of us get stuck teaching and training and don't step into thought leadership. This applies not only to those of us who are entrepreneurs, but of course to all the academics out there as well (hand raised!). This episode is a treasure trove of insights for anyone passionate about making a difference through their work, particularly in academia or any field where expertise is a given, but thought leadership can make an even bigger impact.  My guest is Laura McGuire, PhD, a social scientist, educator, and entrepreneur ..read more

A couple of months ago, I attended an event to honor non-profits. What was really cool was that each non-profit had 2-½ minutes to share their story.  When my guest Theresa Smith-Levin, founder of Central Florida Vocal Arts, shared her story, I was instantly inspired and I knew I had to have her on the podcast. Our conversation is a testament to the power of storytelling, vulnerability, and community in fostering personal and collective growth. Theresa's work with Central Florida Vocal Arts is not just about singing; it's about creating a space where young people can grow into their authe ..read more

You know how powerful storytelling is in your presentations and talks. How can you go about integrating your stories in a way that truly connects you to your audiences? There is no *one way* to integrate stories into your talks. Your story can be central to your talk or it can be a supporting element. You can play with the timeline of the story - start in the middle and then come back to the beginning later or start at the end. In this episode, our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz hosts three of our clients who were at our recent 3-day in-person speaking retreat, Darci Foshay, Dani Einsohn, and ..read more

You heard half of our latest Thought Leader Academy grads deliver a 10-minute section of their signature talk last week on episode 381, now you get to hear the other three. In this episode, our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz hosts Maria Flynn, Karen Williams, and Brigette Serfaty, PharmD. You’ll hear how they’ve incorporated their thought leadership message, storytelling, humor, and their frameworks into their talks. We also have a roundtable discussion about what they’ve learned from being in the Thought Leader Academy and what’s next for them as speakers and thought leaders. This audio is fr ..read more

I know you want to grow your business and brand and have a bigger impact as a thought leader. But, as high-achieving women, there are beliefs we have that get us stuck in the expert trap. We believe that we need to teach/train to provide value; that training content is what our audience wants; and our identity is tied to seeing ourselves as the expert. These beliefs are what can hold you back from thought leadership and the impact and income you want to make. The problem is that your presentations and content are undifferentiated and lack emotional resonance. In this episode, I share 3 signs y ..read more

Want to know what it’s like to create a signature talk with us? There’s no better way than to hear our Thought Leader Academy grads deliver a 10-minute section of their talks! You’ll hear how they’ve incorporated storytelling and their frameworks into their talks. We’ll also have a roundtable discussion about what they’ve learned from being in the Thought Leader Academy and what’s next for them as speakers and thought leaders. In this episode, I’m joined by Sandy Robinson, M.Ed., Yewande Fadojutimi, M.D., and Joanne Lane, Ed.D.   This audio is from a live broadcast we did on March 12, 202 ..read more

The power of women’s voices doesn’t just relate to women who own and run their own businesses; it’s also for women who work in corporate spaces.  Building your personal brand and speaker brand separate from your corporate identity can give you a voice and mission that has a greater impact beyond the day-to-day work you do in your job.  In this episode, our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz talks with one of our Thought Leader Academy clients, Sandy Robinson.  Sandy works in revenue operations and she’s carved a niche for herself by building a personal and speaker brand distinct fro ..read more

What’s an early memory of using your voice? That's the question we kicked off our recent 3-day in-person client retreat with - and the women’s answers were incredibly powerful. March is Women’s History Month and March 8th is International Women’s Day (#IWD2024), so this episode is about the power of women’s voices and stories to change the world. From young women activists like Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg to pro-choice women who are running for office to women like YOU who are out there sharing your messages, ideas, and stories, women are making a positive difference in their industrie ..read more

This week is the 7-year anniversary of the Speaking Your Brand podcast! Thank you for being a listener, for sending me emails when an episode particularly resonates with you, and for sharing the podcast with others.  Podcasting every week for the past seven years has taught me a lot. I'm incredibly grateful to all the women who’ve been guests for sharing their stories and wisdom with all of us. Podcasting has also been hard at times: boredom, burnout, too many ideas, no new ideas. I’ve been through all these feelings at different points. In this episode, I share with you: 3 big lessons y ..read more