Speaking Your Brand With Carol Cox | Women Entrepreneurs | Public Speaking | Communications And Media | Presentations | Tedx

I’ve been wanting to do an episode since last fall on what’s been going on in Iran with the huge protests by girls and women. This is a fascinating and important conversation about the power of women using their voices and how privileged we are in the U.S. and other democratic countries to be able to use our voices without fears of arrest or death. Last September, a young woman named Mahsa Amini died while in custody of Iran’s morality police after being detained for allegedly not adhering to the strict dress code.  When news of what happened spread on social media, young women took to the streets to protest having to wear the hijab to cover their hair along with having to comply with many other strict and misogynistic rules. As the protests have grown and spread, the Iranian government has cracked down on protesters, including mass arrests, death sentences, and the execution of four young protesters. “The core and heart of this movement is really the revolutionary act of these women turning their head scarve

We’re kicking off Women’s History Month here in the U.S. in the month of March.  Of course, we champion and advocate for women every month and every week :-), but I do have some special episodes for you this month, starting with today’s. Last fall, I delivered a keynote address and as I was working on that talk, I was really thinking about what happens as women when we use our voices and the transformative power it can have.  That’s what I’m going to share with you in today’s episode, including: What I hear from women about public speaking The 3 stages we go through when we use our voice Why many women stop at stage 1 How I got stuck in stage 2 What happens at stage 3 3 things we can do at the individual, collective, and structural level for ourselves and others About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platfo

We are celebrating 6 years of the Speaking Your Brand podcast! To mark this milestone, I invited Diane Diaz, our lead speaking coach, to interview me. I know you’re going to enjoy our conversation! Diane and I talk about: Why I decided to start a podcast The benefits I’ve experienced (both for the business and personally) How my thought leadership has evolved How podcasting has increased my confidence Vulnerability hangovers And more! About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox, joined in this episode by our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories, voices, and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.  Li

We’re going behind the scenes so you can hear how and why to integrate case studies into your presentations. My guest is Cherie Mylordis, who is currently in our Thought Leader Academy. Cherie and I have been working on her signature talk using our Signature Talk Canvas® framework (based on 3 acts). In this episode, Cherie and I talk about: Her thought leadership message and framework around a new way of working Why we decided to use case studies as the main content in Act 2 of her talk The benefit of using case studies for thought leadership talks Cherie’s experience as a leader helping to organize the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Why Cherie decided to enroll in our Thought Leader Academy And more! About My Guest: Cherie Mylordis is a business transformation expert, leadership coach and speaker. As the founder of nextgenify, Cherie helps future-focused leaders innovate, transform and thrive with a unique, contemporary approach. She inspires her clients to think differently and achieve extraordinary outcomes

When ChatGPT came out at the end of 2022, one of the first industries to be instantly impacted was education. There were a lot of articles written bemoaning ChatGPT and schools announced they were banning the tool because students could use it to very easily and quickly write papers. Sure, there will always be students who want to find a way to do less work.  But, what if there’s a way that A.I. tools like ChatGPT can be used to improve education and to allow students to learn in a new way? I knew that I had to have on the podcast Dr. Bibi Pirayesh to talk about this important topic. Bibi is an educational therapist and one of the smartest people I know. Get ready for a deep conversation!   Bibi and I talk about: What the purpose of education is  The current paradigm of education vs. what a new paradigm could look like How A.I. tools like ChatGPT can benefit students and their learning, including issues around social justice How I’m using ChatGPT in the university classes I teach and what students thi

We’re continuing our new podcast series on A.I. with my conversation with startup founder Dr. Elena Mechik. Elena was inspired after spending two months in the Brazilian rainforest to use technologies like blockchain and A.I. to provide transparency and accountability to solve challenges of the past using the technologies of the future. In our conversation, Elena and I talk about: How she’s using AI in her software and why What blockchain is and why it's important Her experience in the Brazilian rainforest and the work she did for her PhD How we see AI impacting society (the good and the bad) What it's like to be a female founder of a startup About My Guest: Dr Elena Mechik spent over five months in the rainforest of Brazil writing her PhD on climate change mitigation through sustainable conservation of tropical forests. In 2009, she founded an NGO to minimize poverty and protect the environment. In 2020, she founded INHUBBER, a SaaS solution for contract management, which uses blockchain and artificial i

Get ready for a fun episode where I share how I’ve been using A.I. tools like ChatGPT and image generators like Midjourney and DALL-E. You don’t have to be a techie or tech savvy to start trying them out. The key to thriving in the age of A.I. is to be proactive and adaptable. By embracing the technology, developing relevant skills, and staying informed, you can position yourself to take advantage of the many opportunities that A.I. has to offer. This is the second episode in our new podcast series on A.I.   About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories, voices, and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.

This is the first episode in a new series I’m doing on A.I. (artificial intelligence) and what that means for us as entrepreneurs, content creators, speakers, and thought leaders. In the next few years, it’s very likely that up to 90% of the content we see online will have been artificially or synthetically created, from text to photos and images to audio and video. How will we know what’s real and what’s not? How can we double down on what makes us human? We used to think that our intelligence, cognitive abilities, even art and creativity were what made us human. This is no longer the case. In this episode, I make the case that we’re going to see a shift into what I’m calling the embodied economy and embodied experiences. I share with you 3 things you can start doing now to thrive in this new age of A.I. and set yourself apart as a speaker and thought leader.   About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we empower women entrepreneurs and professionals to confide

In the trends for 2023 episode I did 2 weeks ago, trend #3 was about the return and resurgence of in-person activities and events, which means more in-person speaking opportunities.  (Btw, if you haven’t listened to the trends episode 310 yet, definitely do so. I’ve received great feedback from listeners and I’m going to be talking about each of the trends more in depth in future episodes.) When new women join our Thought Leader Academy, I ask them to share what they liked to do when they were young and most of them loved performing, whether in school plays, singing, or dancing. There’s definitely a connection between speaking and performance. However, once we start speaking for our business, we don’t see the connection between speaking and performing and we miss out on bringing performance elements into our presentations and speeches. You don’t need to sing and dance - unless you want to! - but there are things you can do to create a more immersive and memorable experience for your audience. At the end, I’ll

If you’re a speaker who has in-person events coming up OR if you’re planning an in-person event, you won’t want to miss this conversation. We held our first in-person client retreat speaking intensive in Orlando, Florida, in April 2022 and it was incredible! We brought 12 women together to practice their speaking delivery skills (on a real stage!) and get professional videography they can use in their speaking reels. I asked two of the women who attended, Betsy Jordyn and Joy Spencer, to join me and Diane Diaz to talk about the experience. We talk about: Top takeaways from the the instruction and practice on delivering keynote speeches Favorite parts of the retreat How the retreat made them feel as speakers and thought leaders Our lessons as the hosts / planners of the retreat   We are hosting another retreat! Join us in Orlando on February 27, February 28, and March 1st, 2023, for 3 full days of coaching, training, practice, and filming. Get all the details and apply at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/re

Happy New Year! This is the 5th year in a row I’ve done a trends episode for the start of the year. This may be the most important podcast episode I’ve done to date, as the trends I’m talking about will impact every business and every industry in profound ways, including the rise of A.I. tools; the shift from mass audiences and the attention economy to trust-based audiences and the imagination economy; and a renewed focus on local, in-person activities and business. What I mean by trends are not fads or cliches or gimmicks.  Trends are like currents or waves of energy that move through our society and affect everything from business and politics and the economy to popular culture and media. How do these trends impact our public speaking and thought leadership?  As speakers and leaders, our talks and messages have more of an impact if our audiences can see the bigger picture of what’s affecting them and the world around them. In this episode, you’ll learn 3 trends (and action steps for each) related to format,

I’m taking you behind the scenes to share what worked, what didn’t, and what’s next for us in the areas of speaking, visibility, this podcast, and the business in general.

This is a tour de force conversation about being a woman business owner and how to navigate changes in the economy that we’re all seeing and experiencing right now. My guest is Angela Guice, the founder of an Emmy-award-winning Los Angeles-based production company that has worked with clients like The Walt Disney Company, Netflix, Hulu, BET, Warner Media, NBCUniversal and DreamWorks. Angela and I worked together on creating her new keynote around the importance of personal branding and how your uniqueness, even what you may perceive as a weakness, is actually your strength. In this episode, Angela and I talk about: Her roots and why she wanted to work in Hollywood The weaknesses she perceived she had and how they turned out to be what set her apart The framework we created for her keynote How she’s navigated changes in the economy, from the impact of COVID on the filming business in 2020 to what she’s seeing now Specific things you can do now to thrive in your business About My Guest: Emmy-award-winning A

I’m joined in this episode by one of our Thought Leader Academy grads, Heather Hausenblas, PhD. Heather has an impressive background as a health psychology expert, an international award-winning scientist, and a professor of health sciences. We met at an event I spoke at earlier this year and it was perfect timing because Heather had been wanting to make the shift from expert to thought leader. Heather and I talk about: Heather’s message around the importance of social health and social connections How she has made the shift into thought leadership with her presentation content The results she’s seen so far from the presentations she’s been giving Elements of her signature talk that we worked on together And more! About My Guest: Heather Hausenblas, PhD, is a health psychology expert, international award-winning scientist, public speaker, and best-selling author. Her research focuses on how our health habits affect our well-being. She is ranked in the top 1% of the most influential scientists in the world

This is a fun and lively conversation about all things speaking, from what to charge to what makes a great TEDx talk to setting long-term goals. My guest is Dorie Clark, who is a keynote speaker, a top business thinker, and a bestselling author.  Dorie has given 4 TEDx talks since 2015. Her most recent one this year currently has over 1.8 million views (!). I’ve been a fan of Dorie’s since reading her books, including The Long Game, Entrepreneurial You, Reinventing You, and Stand Out.   Dorie and I talk about: Her goal of writing a musical that appears on Broadway (with my love of Hamilton, I had to start there) What it means to think and set long-term goals in a short-term world What makes a great TEDx talk (hint: it’s the opposite of what we do in our businesses) What to charge for speaking engagements And much more About My Guest: Dorie Clark helps individuals and companies get their best ideas heard in a crowded, noisy world. She has been named one of the Top 50 business thinkers in the world by Think

This is the fourth and final episode in our series exploring the four speaker archetypes. (You can discover your archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz.)   Knowing your archetype will help you to: Create more impactful and memorable presentations Market yourself as a speaker using your strengths Try our recommendations to take your talks to the next level In this episode, we’re talking about the Spellbinding Storyteller speaker archetype with my guest and Thought Leader Academy client Shannon Bumgarner.   As a Spellbinding Storyteller: Your audience is captivated by your stories and they feel a real connection to you. You understand the power of sharing personal stories and being vulnerable - it's how you've learned to better understand yourself. You see what's happened to you as a way to share life lessons and help your audience realize they're not alone. Your big challenge? You love sharing stories so much that you may miss out on the opportunity to provide your aud

This is the third episode in our series exploring the four speaker archetypes. (You can discover your archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz.)   Knowing your archetype will help you to: Create more impactful and memorable presentations Market yourself as a speaker using your strengths Try our recommendations to take your talks to the next level In this episode, we’re talking about the Provocative Performer speaker archetype with my guest and Thought Leader Academy client Cara Houser.   As a Provocative Performer: You’re outgoing, charismatic, and love to put on a show. The bigger the stage, the better. You're an entertainer at heart and love to incorporate acting, comedy, dancing, singing, props, and multimedia into your speeches and presentations. Your natural performance abilities and comfort on the stage make you a captivating speaker. You enjoy thinking of new, creative ways you can wow your audience. Your big challenge? You love performing so much that you may mi

This is the second episode in our series exploring the four speaker archetypes. (You can discover your archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz.)   Knowing your archetype will help you to: Create more impactful and memorable presentations Market yourself as a speaker using your strengths Try our recommendations to take your talks to the next level In this episode, we’re talking about the Fabulous Facilitator speaker archetype with my guest and Thought Leader Academy grad Susan Moe. As a Fabulous Facilitator: You’re a great teacher and listener and really good at helping people understand concepts and learn from each other. You enjoy speaking to smaller groups in a workshop setting where you can encourage participation and dialogue. Your empathetic nature allows you to identify connections among people. Rather than you being the provider of the solutions, you like to help people find the solutions together. Your big challenge? You're so inclined to give the floor to othe

This is the first episode in our new series exploring the four speaker archetypes. (You can discover your archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz.) Knowing your archetype will help you to: Create more impactful and memorable presentations Market yourself as a speaker using your strengths Try our recommendations to take your talks to the next level In this episode, we’re talking about the Stellar Scholar speaker archetype with my guest and Thought Leader Academy grad Kristen Albert, Ed.D. As a Stellar Scholar: Your presentations are value-packed with insights and expertise. You enjoy digging into the details. You have drive and ambition and you're always looking to improve and master something new. Your powerfully logical mind helps you identify connections and find solutions to even the most difficult of problems and you make things happen. Your big challenge? Sometimes you might be a bit too technical and tactical in your presentations by sticking only to the facts.

You’ve most likely heard of “imposter syndrome” and perhaps you’ve experienced it yourself. If so, you’re not alone! I hear from women we work with that they sometimes suffer from imposter syndrome, especially as they think about putting themselves out there in a bigger way. You’re going to learn a lot in my conversation with Melody Wilding, who has an impressive background as a best-selling author, a contributor to places like Harvard Business Review, and a LinkedIn Learning instructor.  Melody and I talk about: What imposter syndrome is The various ways it can show up (one of these surprised me) How imposter syndrome has shown up for both of us Specific techniques we can use to lessen it How Melody was selected to be a LinkedIn Learning instructor and her tips for creating engaging video content About My Guest: Melody Wilding is the best-selling author of Trust Yourself: Stop Overthinking and Channel Your Emotions for Success at Work. Recently named one of Business Insider’s Most Innovative Coaches for