Finding Your Voice
The Speaking Retreat Lessons That Stayed With Them Years Later
A public speaking retreat can help you improve your delivery, practice stories, receive feedback, and create professional video. But the most meaningful result may be what happens after you leave: you trust yourself more, rely less on exact wording, and become more willing to let the audience meet the person behind your expertise. That is…
Read MoreThey Took the Stage at Our Speaking Retreat. What Happened Next? with Diane Diaz: Podcast Ep. 488
What stays with you after a speaking retreat – once the filming is over, the notes are back in your hands, and you’re home again? We could tell you what happens at one of our in-person speaking retreats and workshops. Instead, our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz sits down with three women who experienced it:…
Read MoreThe Confidence Advice Women Get Backward About Public Speaking with Carol Cox: Podcast Ep. 487
Twenty years ago, I walked into a local TV studio for the first time as a political analyst. Around the table were the anchorwoman, a sitting member of Congress, two political reporters – and me. This a photo from that day. I look pretty calm and self-assured, but… My heart was beating so fast I thought…
Read MoreYou Don’t Need More Speaking Topics. You Need a Clearer Idea.
If you want more speaking referrals and bookings, you need more than a broad subject or a list of possible presentation topics. You need a clear idea: a specific, supportable point of view that another person can understand, remember, and repeat. I’ve been reviewing my recent consultation calls, and the same challenge keeps coming up.…
Read MoreThe Questions Experts Stop Asking and Why Their Talks Need Them
The more expertise you have, the easier it is to stop being curious about your own topic. You know the common questions, the expected answers, and the examples people in your industry usually give. You may be able to explain the subject clearly and still miss the part that would make an audience lean in.…
Read MoreWork With Us: Signature Message Intensive
You have the experience. Now identify the idea you want to carry forward. You have built a meaningful career, developed deep expertise, and accumulated stories, insights, and perspectives that could help other people. But when you think about speaking, writing a book, creating a workshop, becoming more visible, or building a body of work around…
Read MoreFrom Personal Story to Thought Leadership: A Framework for Speakers with Erin Mark: Podcast Ep. 475
What if the stories you’ve dismissed as “not important enough” are actually the ones your audience needs most? Erin Mark and I explore why storytelling is the bridge between expertise and transformation and why audiences connect far more deeply with emotion, struggle, and humanity than with information alone. Erin shares how she took her…
Read MoreHow One TEDx Talk Reached Millions and Transformed a Business: Lessons on Storytelling, Vulnerability, and Speaking Impact with Tammy Lally: Podcast Ep. 469
I’m thrilled to have back on the podcast my client Tammy Lally, TEDx speaker, author, and money coach, whose talk has reached millions of people around the world. But what makes her story so powerful isn’t just the visibility; it’s the vulnerability behind it. Tammy shares what really went into creating her TEDx talk, the…
Read MoreAuthenticity Over Perfectionism: Lessons from Public Media Leadership with Judith Smelser: Podcast Ep. 465
What if the thing that makes you most effective as a leader and speaker… isn’t perfection, but authenticity? That it’s not about having all the answers, but being willing to tell others that you don’t have all the answers? My guest is Judith Smelser, President and GM of Central Florida Public Media, and she shares…
Read MoreWhy Your Story Matters – Even When You Don’t Feel Ready with Tiffany Hawk: Podcast Ep.464
In this episode of the Speaking Your Brand podcast, I’m joined by returning guest Tiffany Hawk, author, book coach, and longtime collaborator of mine. Tiffany and I have worked together for years helping women find and use their voices, whether through speaking, writing, or thought leadership. In this conversation, we talk about why storytelling matters…
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