Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies – Details, episodes & analysis

Do you feel like your presentations are good, but maybe not yet great? The kind that gets people talking, taking action, and reaching out long after the event?

That’s exactly what happened for my guest, Karen Cochran, founder of Philanthropy Innovators. 

Karen has led teams that have raised over $1 billion (yes, billion with a “B”!) - and after attending our 1-Day Speaking Accelerator Workshop and working with me on her presentation makeover, she delivered what attendees called “the most valuable session at the conference.”

In this episode, you’ll hear how Karen transformed her talk by making small but powerful shifts in storytelling, structure, and connection—and how those changes led to remarkable results.

We dig into:

• The difference between informing and transforming your audience
• How storytelling creates connection, especially in philanthropy and leadership
• Why suspense and foreshadowing keep audiences engaged (and how Karen used this brilliantly!)
• The key mindset shift from “writer” to “speaker” that helps your ideas land with clarity

Karen also shares how storytelling in fundraising parallels effective public speaking. Both are about listening, connecting, and understanding what truly matters to your audience.

If you’ve been feeling stuck in “the expert trap”—overloading your slides with information instead of making emotional connections—this episode will show you what happens when you let your stories and your personality shine.

Listen in and imagine what could change for you with just a few strategic tweaks to your talk.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/449/ 

Karen’s website: https://www.philanthropyinnovators.com/

Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/

Book a Presentation Makeover: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/presentation-makeover/ 

Attend our 1-day in-person Speaking Accelerator workshop in Orlando: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/ 

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Karen Cochran = https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-cochran/ 

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 435: From Blank Page to On Stage: What It's Like to Create and Practice a Talk in One Day
• Episode 436: Turn Your Stories Into Impactful Messages: Live Signature Talks from TLA Grads
• Episode 382: 3 Signs You're Stuck in the Expert Trap with Your Public Speaking

Most of us have been told that if we want referrals, we should just ask for them. But, that approach can feel awkward.

What if, instead of asking, you could design an experience that makes you naturally referable?

That’s exactly what my guest, Stacey Brown Randall, teaches. Stacey is the author of her new book The Referable Client Experience, and she’s built a proven system to generate consistent referrals — without asking, without paying, and without gimmicky tactics.

In this conversation, Stacey and I dig into:

• Why doing great work isn’t enough to generate referrals
• The three stages of the client experience — new, active, and alumni — and what to do in each one
• The difference between “work” touch points and “relationship” touch points (and how both matter)
• How to stay top of mind with clients after your work together is done
• What speakers can do to create a “referable” experience for event organizers

I especially loved Stacey’s ideas for how we can nurture relationships in meaningful ways — like acknowledging that quiet voice of buyer’s remorse with empathy and care, or sending a “You survived it!” gift to an event organizer after a big conference.

These kinds of thoughtful, human touches don’t just make you memorable — they make you referable.

If you’ve ever wished more clients and speaking invitations came your way because people can’t stop talking about the experience you create, this episode is for you.

Tune in and start designing your own referable client (or audience!) experience.

About My Guest: Stacey Brown Randall is the multiple award-winning author of Generating Business Referrals Without Asking, author of the forthcoming book, The Referable Client Experience (October 2025) and host of the Roadmap to Referrals podcast.Stacey teaches business owners how to generate referrals naturally...without manipulating, incentivizing or even asking.She has been featured in national publications like Entrepreneur magazine, Investor Business Daily, Forbes, and more. She received her Master’s in Organizational Communication and is married with three kids.

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.com. 

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/448/

Get Stacey’s new book The Referable Client Experience: https://referableclientexperience.com/

Stacey’s website: http://www.staceybrownrandall.com/ 

Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/

Enroll in our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/ 

Attend our 1-day in-person Speaking Accelerator workshop in Orlando: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/ 

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Stacey Brown Randall (guest) = http://www.linkedin.com/in/staceybrandall 

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 62: Tired of Asking? A Better Way to Get Referrals with Stacey Brown Randall
• Episode 442: [Part 2] Booked Without Burnout: Speaking Invitations that Come to You

One of the biggest benefits of creating your signature talk and framework is that you don’t just use it once; you can repurpose it over and over again.

In this episode, I talk with Thought Leader Academy graduate Eloisa Marquez-Gonzalez, who shares how she’s taken the signature talk and framework she developed with us and adapted it for different audiences, topics, and speaking engagements.

Eloisa has spoken on everything from sustainability to operational excellence to partnerships, but at the core of each talk is her Optima Framework. By simply giving it a new lens depending on the audience, she’s able to stay consistent in her message while making it relevant to each event.

You’ll hear us discuss:

• Why repurposing your framework saves you time and energy while reinforcing your thought leadership.
• How Eloisa tailored her talks to different audiences, including business leaders, engineers, and bilingual groups, without reinventing the wheel each time.
• The importance of preparation and asking smart questions, which helped Eloisa get referred to new speaking opportunities even before event organizers saw her present.
• What it looks like to niche down your message so your audience clearly understands who you serve and the value you provide.

If you’ve ever felt like you need a brand-new talk for every opportunity, this conversation will show you how to work smarter, not harder - repurposing your signature talk and framework so your audiences remember you and your unique thought leadership.

And if you’d like to create your own signature talk and framework that you can repurpose again and again, join us in the Thought Leader Academy.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/440/ 

Eloisa’s website: https://www.walkingtree.green/ 

Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/

Enroll in our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/ 

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Eloisa Marquez-Gonzalez (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/eloisamg/ 

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 394: Getting Buy-In from Your Audience on Your Message: Live Signature Talks from Our Thought Leader Academy Grads
• Episode 355: What a Signature Talk Is and What It Should be Doing for You
• Episode 288: A Framework for Creating a Signature Talk for Income and Impact

Many speakers use public speaking as a way to build awareness for their business and attract leads and clients.

Speaking is an excellent way to do this because you automatically have credibility and authority by standing in front of a group of people.

However, an opportunity I see speakers miss is that they forgo thought leadership when they’re delivering presentations on behalf of their business to attract leads and clients.

They believe they have to provide lots of information, tips, and facts in order to provide value to the audience and by extension get the people in the audience interested in purchasing their product or service.

What I’ve found to be a better approach, in the presentations that I deliver and in the ones we help our clients with, is to help the audience see where they are truly getting stuck and show them how to think about things differently, which is the essence of thought leadership.

My guest is Danielle Hayden, the founder and CEO of Kickstart Accounting, Inc., who has built an incredible business and team that works with women entrepreneurs to truly understand their numbers so they can make better business decisions.

Danielle reached out to me in October because she wanted to create a new signature talk for lead generation - listen in to find out what happened!

Danielle and I talk about:

• Why she wanted to create a new lead generation signature talk

• How I recognized her thought leadership angle during our VIP Day

• The process we went through to develop her new talk, including how she felt about adding more stories

• The results she got signing on new clients the first time she presented her new talk

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/362/

Do you have giving a TEDx talk on your list of goals?

Many speakers do - and for good reason!

Those 10-minute talks are a powerful way to share a message and give the audience a way to think about a topic differently.

Being a TEDx speaker is also a credibility marker and an opportunity to get seen by more people.

How do you land a TEDx talk? What should you include in your application? What are event organizers looking for? How do you shape your idea?

That’s what we’re going to get into in this episode.

I’ve worked with TEDx events to select speakers and I’ve coached TEDx speakers, so I’m giving you an inside look on how you can increase your chances of getting selected and delivering an outstanding talk.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/361/ 

Search for TEDx events: https://www.ted.com/tedx/events

Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/

Enroll in our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/ 

Apply for our 3-day in-person client retreat in February in Orlando: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/retreat/ 

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox

Listen to more episodes about TEDx talks.

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 354: Finding and Developing Your Big I.D.E.A.
• Episode 352: 7 Things the Best Speakers Do: My Takeaways from TEDWomen
• Episode 339: Using Public Speaking to Influence Social Change with Dr. Tanya Golash-Boza
• Episode 329: From Compelled to Take Action to TEDx Speaker with Dr. Nicole Rochester
• Episode 91: Visibility Works: From Local Speaking to TED.com to a Book with Tammy Lally

There are always going to be other people who do what you do and talk on the same topic.

Have you ever collaborated with someone who’s in your same industry, who does similar work?

It may seem counter-productive to do this because they’re kind of competitors, after all.

But what if you could change your perspective on this?

Having a thought partner who’s in the same industry can be very beneficial, which you’ll hear in today’s episode.

My guests are two women who met in our Thought Leader Academy last year and have stayed connected ever since.

They both work in the corporate leadership space, but with different approaches and types of clients.

The three of us talk about:

• Why they decided to connect and stay in touch
• What it means to have a thought partner and how it has benefitted them
• How you can go about finding your own thought partner
• Having accountability in getting big things done
• Why they joined the Thought Leader Academy
• And more!

About My Guests: Tenice Wehmeyer, PCC, founder of Wehmeyer Leadership Coaching, is dedicated to cultivating vulnerability-based trust and courage in leaders for brain-friendly collaboration. Cherie Mylordis is a business transformation expert, leadership coach and speaker.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/360/ 

Tenice’s website: https://wehmeyerassociates.com/ 

Cherie’s website: https://www.nextgenify.com

Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/

Enroll in our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/ 

Apply for our in-person client retreat speaking intensive in Orlando: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/retreat/ 

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Tenice Wehmeyer (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/tenicewehmeyer/
• Cherie Mylordis (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherie-mylordis

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 324: Creating Strategic Collaborations with Cara Steinmann
• Episode 317: [Coaching] Using Client Case Studies Effectively in Your Presentations with Cherie Mylordis

Whatever your opinion is about AI, it’s being integrated into everything we do, from what we see on social media to how facial recognition systems work to how decisions are made about you by companies.

I personally enjoy using ChatGPT and find it incredibly valuable, but I also want to make sure I’m using these AI tools responsibly and ethically.

This is why I invited Juliette Powell, co-author of the recent book "The AI Dilemma: Seven Principles for Responsible Technology,” to come on the show. 

Juliette and I examine the compelling reasons why AI needs the influence of women's voices and how we can work towards a more inclusive AI landscape.

We talk about:

• The inspiration behind her co-authored book and why it's a wake-up call for responsible AI
• What companies are doing to reduce bias in AI systems
• The importance of having more women in AI, not only to diversify the field but to embed empathy and ethics into the technology that is increasingly governing our lives
• Actionable steps that can be taken to encourage women's participation in AI, from education and mentorship to policy changes and community support
• Our takes on venture capitalist Marc Andreessen’s recent, over-the-top manifesto on AI
• How we, as individuals, can use AI tools ethically and responsibly
• Juliette’s speaking experiences and tips

Want to learn how to use AI tools to give your speaking a boost? Come to our hands-on AI Tools for Speakers workshop live on Zoom on Thursday, December 7. You’ll learn how to use tools like ChatGPT and others to write outlines and speaking proposals, create images for your slides, add audio and music, and more. Sign up today at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/ai-tools-workshop/. 

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/359/ 

Juliette’s website & book: https://www.juliettepowell.com/ 

Juliette’s TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thkmVv54e6M 

Sign up for AI Tools for Speakers workshop: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/ai-tools-workshop/

Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/

Enroll in our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/ 

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Juliette Powell (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliettepowell/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 358: Leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) as Your Strategic Partner and Coach with Alysia Silberg
• Episode 313: How to Thrive in the Age of A.I. with Carol Cox

If you’ve listened to the recent episodes we’ve done on thought leadership, you know that I’ve been working this year on positioning myself as a thought leader in the AI space.

I want to make sure there are lots of women talking about and being heard on this topic because this technology is going to have a huge impact on our society.

This episode and the next one are with women who are thought leaders in AI.

Whether you’re into AI (artificial intelligence) or not, you’re going to LOVE this conversation.

My guest today is Alysia Silberg, a UN Women Empower Women Global Champion, CEO of Street Global venture capital firm, an AI expert, and author of a recent memoir.

Alysia isn't only an entrepreneur; she's a visionary who sees AI not just as a tool but as a strategic coach and partner in business and life.

In this episode, Alysia and I talk about:

• The transformative potential of using AI in your own business and personal development
• Specific examples of how Alysia leverages AI as a strategic asset, guiding her decision making and sharpening her competitive edge
• Using AI to create a more equitable and inclusive world
• The power of storytelling: how Alysia sharing her story in her memoir set her free
• Alysia’s advocacy for more women in the field of AI, and how she believes diversity can lead to more innovative and ethical AI solutions
• Alysia’s strategies for building a strong personal brand and powerful network
• Her speaking experiences and tips

Want to learn how to use AI tools to give your speaking a boost? Come to our hands-on AI Tools for Speakers workshop live on Zoom on Thursday, December 7. You’ll learn how to use tools like ChatGPT and others to write outlines and speaking proposals, create images for your slides, add audio and music, and more. Sign up today at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/ai-tools-workshop/. 

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/358/ 

Alysia’s website & book: https://www.readunemployable.com/ 

Sign up for AI Tools for Speakers workshop: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/ai-tools-workshop/

Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/

Enroll in our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/ 

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Alysia Silberg (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/alysiasilberg/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 313: How to Thrive in the Age of A.I. with Carol Cox
• Episode 316: Education, A.I., and What It Means to Be Human with Dr. Bibi Pirayesh

How can you accomplish what you want, from the small to the big?

As we gear up for the new year, I’m sure there are things you have on your vision board and list of goals you want to achieve.

There are practical, tangible steps you can take (the what and the how).

There’s also WHO you want to be, the identity you want to shift into, which is essential to aligning your actions to what you want, creating lasting change, and building self-confidence.

My guest is Dr. Kim Foster, who recently graduated from our Thought Leader Academy.

Kim was a practicing family doctor for nearly 20 years and a few years ago decided that she wanted to make a big change to become a wellness coach and entrepreneur.

You’ll be inspired by her story and her thought leadership message!

Kim and I talk about:

• Her own identity shift from being a doctor to an entrepreneur
• What helped her to make that shift
• Her thought leadership message and framework that the WHO is as important as the what and the how to make lasting change
• How you can start thinking about your own identity
• Why she decided to join our Thought Leader Academy and what she got out of the experience

This episode is part of our podcast series on thought leadership.

Links:

Show notes at  https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/357/

Kim’s website: https://drkimfoster.com/ 

Kim’s podcast “The Wellness Project”: https://drkimfoster.com/podcast 

Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/

Enroll in our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/ 

Connect on social:

• Carol Cox on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Dr. Kim Foster on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-foster-14362646/
• Dr. Kim Foster on Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/drkimfoster/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 356: What to Do Now to Position Yourself as a Thought Leader
• Episode 354: Finding and Developing Your Big I.D.E.A.

We’re continuing our new podcast series on thought leadership.

We’ve talked about finding and developing your big idea and what your signature talk should be doing for you.

Today we’re diving into what you can start doing now to position yourself as a thought leader.

Yes, you can absolutely be a thought leader - and we need you to be!

Thought leaders have an interesting idea and they're willing to share it in a bigger way.

Most thought leaders are also public speakers because of the built-in authority and credibility you get standing in front of an audience and the broader impact you can make.

But, here's the thing: Seeing yourself as a thought leader doesn't come *after* you've done the thing.

You need to see yourself first as a thought leader and claim that identity.

That's what's going to align your actions and propel you forward.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What exactly a thought leader is
• How people become thought leaders
• Self-limiting beliefs around claiming an identity, including my own self-limiting beliefs around an identity I need to claim for myself
• Why *you* can be a thought leader
• 6 things to do to position yourself as a thought leader
• How I positioned myself as a thought leader in AI this year

Get the 6 steps to position yourself as a thought leader and a lot more in our FREE guide on Developing Your Thought Leadership at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/guide/.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/356/ 

Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/

Enroll in our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Diane Diaz = https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianediaz

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 354: Finding and Developing Your Big I.D.E.A.
• Episode 355: What a Signature Talk Is and What It Should be Doing for You
• Episode 342: I Almost Got Stuck in the Expert Trap: How I Created My Recent Successful Conference Presentation