From Blank Page to On Stage: What It’s Like to Create and Practice a Talk in One Day with Carol Cox, Lesline Pittman, Dr. Emma Jones, & Monica Mitchell: Podcast Ep. 435

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What if you could go from a completely blank page – or in this case, a blank poster board – to mapping out and practicing your signature talk… all in just one day?
That’s exactly what happened at our recent in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop in Orlando, and in this episode, you’ll hear directly from three of the incredible women who participated: Lesline Pittman, Monica Mitchell, and Dr. Emma Jones.
You’ll get the behind-the-scenes scoop on what it’s like to go from idea to delivery in a single day (yes, it’s totally possible!) – including the unexpected improv exercises, vulnerable storytelling moments, and the real magic that happens when smart, passionate women come together to use their voice.
In this episode, we talk about:
- Why each of them said “yes” to attending the workshop (even flying in from out of state!)
- How they went from “Can I really do this in one day?” to confidently practicing their talk on stage
- What it felt like to get feedback in real-time and push past perfectionism
- The power of sharing personal stories
- What they’re doing next with their talks and visibility efforts
You’ll also hear some powerful lessons about embracing vulnerability, escaping the “expert trap,” and why your story absolutely matters, even if others are talking about similar topics.
Whether you’ve been thinking about joining one of our in-person workshops or you just want some encouragement to get your own talk out of your head and into the world, this episode will inspire you to take that next bold step.
Our next 1-day Speaking Workshop is on October 30, 2025, in Downtown Orlando, Florida! If you’re ready to accelerate your growth as a speaker, gain hands-on feedback, and have a lot of fun, this is your chance. Learn more and grab your spot at https://www.SpeakingYourBrand.com/orlando/.
Links:
Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/435/
Video from the live show: https://youtube.com/live/ZH73ckePBdo
Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/
Attend our 1-day speaking workshop in Orlando: https://www.SpeakingYourBrand.com/orlando/
Enroll in our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/
Connect on LinkedIn:
- Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
- Emma Jones, MD = https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-jones-mdcoach/
- Monica Mitchell = https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachmjmitchell/
- Lesline Pittman = https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslinepittman/
Related Podcast Episodes:
435-SYB-LILive-Workshop-Clients.mp3: Audio automatically transcribed by Sonix
435-SYB-LILive-Workshop-Clients.mp3: this mp3 audio file was automatically transcribed by Sonix with the best speech-to-text algorithms. This transcript may contain errors.
Carol Cox:
Hear how you can go from a blank page to on stage in just one day. On this episode of the Speaking Your Brand podcast. More and more women are making an impact by starting businesses, running for office, and speaking up for what matters. With my background as a TV political analyst. Entrepreneur and speaker, I interview and coach purpose driven women to shape their brands, grow their companies, and become recognized as influencers in their field. This is speaking your brand, your place to learn how to persuasively communicate your message to your audience. Hi there and welcome to the Speaking Your Brand podcast. I’m your host, Carol Cox. This episode is the audio from a live show that we did shortly after our most recent one day speaking workshop in Orlando. So you’re going to hear from three of the women who attended what it was like to create their talk and practice it on our stage. On that same day we had so much fun with lots of hands on coaching and feedback, fun activities and more. If you would like to join us at our next One Day speaking workshop, you can get all the details as speaking your brand.
Carol Cox:
So again that speaking your brand. So now let’s get on with the show. Hi there and welcome to backstage with Speaking Your Brand. I’m your host Carol Cox. Today we’re going to talk about how to go from a blank page. And I literally mean a blank poster board to having a signature talk mapped out and then practicing it basically with zero preparation and just one day. Is it possible? Yes, it is, because I have the proof right here with me. These are three of the incredible women who recently joined us for our one Day Speaking Accelerator workshop in Orlando, Florida. I invited them on because I wanted them to share with you what it was like to spend the day with us, what they felt like they were going to do before they got there, what the experience was like, what they learned, and what they’re going to do next. I’m going to have each of them introduce themselves where they live, what they do, and then we’re going to dive in to the questions. Lesline Pittman, let me start with you.
Lesline Pittman:
Hi, Carol. Thank you so much for having me. I’m excited to be here. So yes, my name is Lesline Pittman. I live in Orlando, Florida. I want to say here, like everybody lives here. Um, and I am a registered nurse who’s also a certified yoga instructor. And I show new moms how to put themselves first through yoga.
Carol Cox:
Fantastic. Monica Mitchell. Welcome. Tell us about yourself.
Monica Mitchell:
Hi, Monica Mitchell. Thanks also for having me. Uh. So fun. Uh, such a great follow up to the event. I’m from Charlotte, North Carolina, and I’m a burnout prevention and recovery coach. I work with women business owners, usually in the service industry, and I help them transition from hustle to harmony.
Carol Cox:
Oh, I love that. Yes, I know we all need that. And Emma Jones, MD. Tell us about where you live and what you do.
Emma Jones:
Yes. Hi everyone. I am in the Boston area. My name is Emma Jones. Carol said that, um, I am a physician and have worked with and do continue to work with other health care professionals to help them overcome burnout, as well as helping health systems to design their systems so that they’re not causing so much burnout.
Carol Cox:
It’s fascinating that the three of you that were available to join me here today all are in burnout and wellness. So clearly this is a hot topic and maybe much needed. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing that we all need burnout, recovery, and assistance so much, but at least we’re all talking about at least you all are all talking about it and helping others. So Monica, you went through our Thought Leader Academy online program that was in was it 2022?
Monica Mitchell:
I think it might have been before that. It was. It was a long time ago.
Carol Cox:
Yeah, it was definitely a few years ago. And so you had worked with us already. So what prompted you to decide that you wanted to come to Orlando and do this one day workshop with us?
Monica Mitchell:
Well, I had wanted to do one of your in-person workshops even back then. Um, and I ended up closing my business down for a couple of years for a couple of different reasons. And I started my business back up recently, and I just knew one I needed a signature talk to. I wanted to work with you. And about the same time I made that decision, I got the email promoting the event and I went. So like immediately there was no question, no doubt I was ready and excited to jump back in. So.
Carol Cox:
Okay, great. Well then we’ll talk a little bit about what the difference was like working with us online versus in person. Obviously a thought leader academy is over eight weeks since it’s not just one day. And there’s definitely advantages to both different ways of delivery. Emma, let me come to you. So, Emma, you and I met through Katrina Skinner, who runs the Women in Pediatrics group, and she’s fantastic. She became a client of Speaking Your Brand way back in 2020. And I’ve done some storytelling workshops for her group. And so we had met, I think, actually in person last year when you were at a conference here in Orlando. So what prompted you to decide that this was the time that you wanted to come do this one day workshop with us?
Emma Jones:
Yeah. You know, I think that yes, we had met I had done one of those storytelling workshops for the speakers panel on women in Pedes and obviously got hooked in the way that you teach to think about talks, you know, with the storytelling and drawing people in and making it much more engaging instead of just the data dump, which is the way I had been trained to talk in academia. So that was very intriguing to me. And then we did get to meet in person when I was doing the book event. And you were you were there as well. Um, and then the real decision to come to this event was that it was I’m really kind of intentionally setting my public presence as more of an intention for this year. And so how I’m showing up online in basically every time I’m in front of people speaking, whether that’s a two minute Instagram reel or a longer teaching video or an in-person. Really kind of taking that care so that it’s high impact and that I feel like your approach of, you know, it’s not just the words you’re saying or the content of your talk, but kind of the way you structure it and the way you weave in. The storytelling was really resonating. And a lot of people, when I said, I’m going down to Orlando because I went in for one day, I flew down the night before and I flew back that night. I was in Orlando for less than 24 hours. People were like, this is crazy. Like, you’re on stages all the time. You already know how to talk. Why do you even need to do this? And I was like, no, no, no, it’s not about that. It’s like a different way of communicating in a different way. So those were the reasons why it felt like the right time for me to jump in.
Carol Cox:
All right. Great. I’m so glad that you were there. And, Leslie, you’re here with us in Orlando, and I know that you know a woman, Brittany Johnson, who had attended the one that we did last fall. And she had encouraged you to come to ours. And so what finally made the decision for you?
Lesline Pittman:
Yeah. Um, yeah. Because when Brittany encouraged me, like you said, it was last fall. So here we are, like six months later. And I was like, you know what? Um, it was actually when, um, Diane came to our last women on Their eyes meeting. I’ve just lately kind of felt like I’m in a, I guess, the expert trap. Like you. Like you like to say, Carole, where I can relate with Emma. As a nurse, you’re taught well. You’re not even taught to really publicly speak as a nurse, so I’ll say that. But, um, I say all that to say, I just, I call myself like, I’m a nurse, I’m a nurse, I’m a nurse. And it’s like people they don’t really like. They care about it after they get to know me, you know what I’m saying? But they want to hear, like, from my heart, right? And that’s what drew me to what Diane said, what you said and also what Brittany said. I was like, okay, let me let me sign up and see what this is about. And yeah.
Carol Cox:
And was there anything, Leslie, that you were nervous about or curious about before you did the workshop?
Lesline Pittman:
Yeah. Um, though the main thing was only one day, like, I think that that was the biggest thing. I’m like, one day, like, for real, like, y’all gonna get me together in one day. So even walking in, I still was like, I don’t know, like 8 to 5 goes by really quick, you know? And the way that you structured it, I was after the first five minutes, I was like, oh, okay, we’re getting right into this. So yeah.
Carol Cox:
Yeah. And and for those of you who are watching this either live or on the replay, and if you’re here live or on the replay, say hi to us. So this is our signature Talk Canvas framework here with our the board, which like I said, was blank when they started. And then we guided them through using our questions and prompts so that they could write on the post-it notes and the different colors depending on what they were working on, and lay out their talk from beginning to end. So, Monica, I mentioned that you had done our Thought Leader Academy online a few years ago, and we generally do that process with the board in a one on one VIP day where either myself or Diane, we’re asking you questions, and then we write on all the post-it notes, and then we lay it all out in that three hour time that we’re together. And so how did that how did that compare to what you did with the in the in person one day workshop?
Monica Mitchell:
It was very similar where you were giving the prompts and we were, you know, obviously the big difference was we were filling it out instead of you guys. I think the biggest difference was that we had that 1 to 1 interaction, where we were able to just jump in and brainstorm a little bit, and also the interaction with the other people in the workshop. So we would take a little break and you and Diane were moving around the room. And while that was happening, if we got stuck, we were I was able to go to Emma and say, Emma, what do you think about this? Or um, you know, just anybody else in the group. It was really great to be able to have that extra interaction and perspective that we wouldn’t have had just in a Q&A with you too, directly.
Carol Cox:
Um, I did notice that a lot that not only did Diane and I float around to, again, like, get you on stock or kind of give you some of our perspective because we’ve done this process literally hundreds of times. So it’s kind of like, you know, we can like glance at it in zero in like, oh, this move this here, or I think you need to set this up first before this part comes. But then I noticed that you all were getting feedback from each other, which is what I loved seeing. Now. Emma. I remember at the end of the morning before lunch because we did this work in the morning. I came to look at your board and you talked me through it, and you had the whole thing filled out. I mean, it was so impressive. So how did you feel going through the process, and were you surprised that you got it all filled out?
Emma Jones:
Yeah, I was, to be quite honest. I mean, I was a little, um, nervous, kind of like Leslie that. Oh, am I really going to be able to do this in this short of a time frame? And also just in a ballroom, like where we have post-it notes and a poster board, right? Like, I don’t have my books, I don’t have my resources that I can go and, like, pull all my stuff from. So I was really unsure, but it just started coming out. And of course, some of the stories were ones that I’ve told before. You know, I’ve pulled stuff that I’ve written about in the book or talked about elsewhere. Um, so I had a little bit of scaffolding, but yeah, it was actually really shocking how well things came together. You talked us through the process really, really well in terms of kind of putting the landmarks in place. Um, Carol teaches a little bit from back to front, so I appreciated that. You know, begin with the end in mind. And so we were knowing where we were going. And then that really helped me kind of think, okay, this will be there. I mean, visionary thinking is what I teach and what I was making the talk about. So to some extent I just sort of like ate my own cooking. And I was like, if I have to take the visionary lens to this, how do I do that? You know, think big, X small. Um, so that but that was helpful. Like not having my books and not being able to like Google, everything was, was actually helpful. I was I was afraid of it, but it did actually free me to get things, get my thoughts organized in a in what I think is a much better way.
Carol Cox:
Well, and this is one of the things when I was preparing for the workshop in my notes, I put a note that said, basically, we’re going to go through this pretty quickly. And but because we do that because we don’t want you to overthink and we you need to kind of like get through the process, get through the main elements on the board. And then you can always go come back and add details, add more details to stories or add a client examples or what have you. Because I feel like so many of the times we get stuck because we are overthinking, like, oh, let me go look at Google, let me go read my, you know, 100 pages of Google Docs like and ways that I have kept related to whatever I’m speaking about. But then we never get through the whole thing because we get like analysis paralysis. And so that’s why I like either the VIP day process, which is just three hours, or this in person, because you really this is what we always say, Diane and I is that you know, your content and you know your stories. We just give you the structure to get them out of your head and into a format that you can work with. So, Leslie, let me come back to you and ask you about after in the morning. So in the morning everyone mapped out their talk and then we had lunch. And then after lunch we had you all get on the stage and well, first we did some improv activities and some improv games, and then we had you actually have five minutes each to share a segment of your talk, either a story or say the beginning of your talk. So, Leslie, let me first ask you about the improv exercises that we did. Have you ever done improv before, and did you know we were going to do that? And then how did you feel about it? Um.
Lesline Pittman:
No, I had never done improv before. And like, the only thing I know with improv is like, whose line is it? You know? Anyway, that show, um, and watching comedy stuff myself and like, you guys share that, which was nice, but I had no, I didn’t Brittany did not. She left that detail out. So, um, because I would have been like, uh, what? You know, and after though, it just felt. I felt so exhilarated. Like it felt like, oh, I can do this. Like I can show up on the stage and think on the spot because I feel like, you know, like I could speak for myself. Like, even though I do put out content on a regular basis, I still be in my head a lot. So this was a really good activity where it was like, you just gotta you gotta do it. Like Carol and Diane were like, you just come on, just just say anything. Anything. So that was good.
Carol Cox:
Yeah. I love the videos of all of you doing the improv because it looks so silly. But that is the point. Because I want us to get comfortable, you know, like being silly. Not because we’re going to be silly when we’re standing in front of a stage and, you know, in front of 100 or 500 or more people, but it’s more like getting reminding ourselves that we have bodies that we can use when we’re speaking. It’s not just saying up in our head. Monica, what about you? How did you feel about the improv? Did you know we were going to do that and what was the experience like?
Monica Mitchell:
I had heard about your previous workshops where you had done it, and I was dreading the whole way down. I was like, she’s gonna make us do improv. How do I get out of it? Like, I was ready to like, oh, my tummy hurts, but I sucked it up. I got in there and I think the thing for me was just it reinforced that it was okay to not be perfect and that nobody was going to die and that nobody, like, even if we laughed, we laughed because we were having fun. Um, but I think I just, I get in my head a lot about needing to make sure I get things right. And so it just kind of released that for me, and I, I had fun. I don’t want to do it again. But but it was fun and I really appreciated just the love and support from everybody that, you know, we just had fun with it. Nobody. Nobody got hurt. Nobody died. It was great, right?
Carol Cox:
Yes. Yeah. For sure. And Emma, what about you?
Emma Jones:
Well, I definitely had no idea that. But I’m not surprised because I have been in other similar venues that are trying to, like, get over stage fright or just get a little out of your head where improv has is been used as a technique. And so it wasn’t my first time. Um, but it was a lot of fun. You know, it was a lot of fun to do that. I think improv is more fun to do than to watch. I when I’ve gone to improv shows, I’m kind of like, I’m not sure I get it, but when you’re actually doing it, it is a lot of fun.
Carol Cox:
And so the reason that, and for those of you watching and listening, the reason we do improv again is to remind us that we have bodies. Because as high achieving women especially, we spend so much time in our heads overthinking, thinking about what is the exact right word that I’m going to say next. Or I want to make sure that, you know, whatever I’m saying is perfectly scripted. And of course, improv is the opposite of that. So I deliberately designed the workshop for everyone to do the improv first, and then come up and do their five minute segment of their talk. So. And how did that feel? Did did you feel less less nervous coming up to do the five minutes after that?
Emma Jones:
Yes. I think that both the improv exercises and then the, the, the whole day that, you know, we kind of had built some rapport together. And so we we had a comfort level to try out something new, you know, and I did share a story that I had never told out loud before. Um, and I know a lot of people did that. Um, so the both of those things made it very comfortable of a container to be able to, to test some things out, which I think was really powerful. And then the other thing that was great about having that like five minutes live is that you were giving us feedback. And again, we already felt comfortable to get we knew that you loved us and you wanted the best for us. So when you were saying, I mean, immediately right off the bat, I had been talking for like half a minute and y’all. And Carol was like, stop, You’re swaying. And she had already given a lot of people feedback about, like, weird movements. So, like, I wasn’t taken off guard by that. And it was really helpful, right? Instead of just, like, keep swaying through the whole talk. And then she told me at the end. So I did also think that was really, really helpful.
Carol Cox:
Yes. And we and the reason we do the five minutes is to give you enough time to kind of spin out your story or what have you, but so that we can notice the things that you don’t know necessarily that you’re doing. And we all do those things, which is why I always recommend recording yourself on video when you do speaking engagements, because either sometimes people sway or they kind of move their feet, but not, but they kind of move it in a way where it’s not helpful. Right? It’s like kind of distracting to the audience or like people play with their hair quite a bit and they don’t even realize that they’re doing that. So just little things like that that are subconscious, and we want you to feel more comfortable on stage and own the stage and use it to your advantage so that you’re making a bigger impact on your audience. Now, Lesley-ann, I know that you had mentioned in you had done a vlog on your YouTube channel as you were preparing to come to the workshop, which was so fun to watch that as well. And then you said at some point that and I can relate to this a lot, that like getting feedback in the moment can sometimes feel hard, like, you know, so but share a little bit about what it felt like to get that feedback and, and what you learned from it.
Lesline Pittman:
Yeah. I yeah. I’m somebody I don’t like feedback. Um, and I know as a high achieving woman, that can be something like, you’re not supposed to say that, but I don’t, and I can, um, get offended by it. But you and Diane did a good job. Like. Like I was saying in my vlog, too, is like, you guys are the people that are supposed to give me the feedback for, for this what I, what I’m doing for with speaking. And so when you gave me the feedback, it felt very like, um, I was very receptive to it because I trust you, ladies. And, um, and obviously you guys are very, both very successful in what you do. Um, but yeah, no feedback, especially like how Emma was saying, like how they would just like stop. And you’re just like, oh, God. But it wasn’t like they’re just wanting us to be better. And they see our potential, which is also something that’s very nice. So I enjoyed the feedback. Like the whole day, everything that you both said was it was it was good. It made me feel like, okay, yeah, I maybe let me change this instead of saying that or let me not, you know, touch and make sure I don’t touch my chest. Because if there’s a mic like those, little things make all of the difference.
Carol Cox:
Mhm. Yes. And well thank you Leslie. And to, to all of you for taking the feedback in stride. And I and I hope and this is what we hope to do is because it’s a small group about 15 women is that we’re creating that kind of safe supportive environment where by the time you’re getting on the stage to practice the five minutes, you know, it’s around 2 p.m. in the afternoon. So we’ve had all of that five plus hours together. And to do that well, actually, though, at the very beginning for introductions in the morning, I had each of you share an embarrassing story on the stage in one minute. So that’s how we roll. Like we get you on the stage right away with now everyone knows now who’s listening to this. They’re going to know how to prepare for it. So we’re going to change it up for next time. All right. So Monica, let me come to you for a talk about your five minute practice session. Now, here’s the thing is, for those of you listening and watching, is that when the women came up to do their five minute session segment, they had no notes, no slides, no script, no little like papers that they’re holding on to. They weren’t even looking at their board that they had been working on because like I said, you know, your content and you know your stories. And Monica, when you did your five minutes, it was flawless. Like it just streamed out of you. And you remember coming onto the stage. I was like, is that the first time you’ve said, like, you’ve given this before? And you’re like, no, that was the first time. So tell me about that.
Monica Mitchell:
I, I still you’re I’m crying just thinking about it because I think you guys just created such an amazing environment to share our passion and our gifts and to put that into words and to create the environment where we felt safe and comfortable and confident sharing it with other people that, um, you know, I, I have changed my business. So this is a new kind of focus and a new program for me. So I came in completely unprepared, completely from scratch, and, um, you know, had my outline but hadn’t really practiced any of, of what I was saying. So I got up and I was like, y’all just bear with me. And I was terrified. I was just shaking in my boots. But because we had already laughed, because we had already bonded, because we had already gotten feedback and and I knew nobody was going to die if I said something wrong. I just kind of went for it and just shared. And, um, I think I kind of blacked out for a few minutes. I don’t remember it at all. Um, but I just remember feeling so proud at the end of it and and just safe. I think that was really the biggest thing for me. It was just safe to. Even though I wasn’t prepared, even though I wasn’t, um, or I didn’t feel prepared even though I it was brand new material and I was just able to share from my heart and it felt safe. And so that was that was my take away from it.
Carol Cox:
Well, I feel like if you can do that, that well, you can basically get in front of any group and be totally fine.
Monica Mitchell:
Well, see.
Carol Cox:
Emma, let me come to you now. So again, you mapped out your whole board. It was beautiful. And then you said that you had shared a story for the first time in your five minute segment. So why did you decide to share that particular story? And then how did it feel to go up there with, you know, no notes or anything to to go on?
Emma Jones:
Yeah, the the choice of the story was intentional. Why did I choose to put it in the talk was a little bit of that just kind of like magical moment, kind of like Monica was talking about, like, I don’t know, it just sort of came to me like, this story belongs here. And the choice to use my five minutes to tell that story, really, I wanted to get the value of the feedback, you know, and telling something that might be a little bit hard to tell. I was telling the story about a way a, you know, a way that I thought I was doing something right and it ended up being something wrong. And, um, and the way that the harms came of that and, you know, I don’t know that that I nailed it on the stage in the five minutes, but I got it out in some version of it. That started to take shape of like, why am I telling this story? What am I actually trying to say? What details are necessary versus what details are superfluous? And, um, I wanted to kind of wrangle with that around that story in particular, because it is a central message. You know, the central message of the story I was telling was that I thought I was being a good doctor by being constantly available to my patients and giving them my cell phone number and not making them see any of my partners or anything like that. And that really that ended up resulting in a patient abandonment. And that because so much of what I teach is about the need for boundary setting and for sort of calling out that martyrdom. Um, I wanted I wanted to have like a really clear story that was true and vulnerable and that, like, I know I really lived this. I’m not just preachy here.
Carol Cox:
And I remember your story and you know that you were at Disney World and and what happened because we remember stories. So I remember your story, and then I remember the lesson from it. And so that’s why especially the personal stories are so powerful because they connect you with your audience. They build a sense of trust and rapport and and that you’re showing that your audience is not alone, that they’re not the only ones experience. And especially for all of us, again, who have degrees and credentials, and we are up there as the expert authorities. And a lot of times the audience is like, she’s not going to understand where I’m at or she’s not going to understand what I’m been going through or have gone through. But when you share a story like that and then you draw the lesson for the audience, or they take a lesson from it, then all of a sudden they buy into the rest of your talk, everything else you’re going to share with them, they’re much more aligned. They feel much more aligned with it. Leslie, what about you? You shared also a very personal, heartfelt story in your practice session. Why did you decide to share that one. And how did it feel?
Lesline Pittman:
Yeah. Um, I wanted to share that story. And the same thing that you already pretty much said. Um, I just want, like, more women to be seen. And it’s interesting because I’ve shared that story before, but not but being more prepared. Um, and the tools you guys gave me, it’s still like a hard story for me to share, because, you know, I didn’t know you all, and I don’t know how you’re going to receive me. And, you know, those all those those things that I say in my head, um, but I’m glad that I shared it, you know? Um, so.
Carol Cox:
Yes. Well, I am glad to. And I know all the women there were glad as well. Did any of you experience what we call a vulnerability hangover after the workshop? Yes. Okay. So, Monica, tell me about that.
Monica Mitchell:
I just went home and took a nap. I went back to my B&B and I just, like, face down, and I just, like, passed out for a couple hours.
Carol Cox:
Yeah. It was I mean, it was. Yeah, it was a it was a long day. Lots of food though. We definitely. We kept you fed.
Monica Mitchell:
That’s for sure. We did. We were definitely fueled.
Carol Cox:
Please go eat.
Monica Mitchell:
More.
Carol Cox:
Food over there. All right. Leslie, you raised your hand about the vulnerability hangover.
Lesline Pittman:
Yeah, it’s that’s a good way to say it, because it’s like, right after I was on a high. But that night, I was so tired. Like, even the next day, I was just like, why am I so tired? Like, I didn’t work out, like, you know, like. But no, it was it was a vulnerability. Hangover is the perfect phrase to say for sure. And I think also because that story that I shared, like with my motherhood journey, it even though it happened five years ago and I’ve grown and evolved, it’s still a little part of me that like, is still healing through that. And um, and just like the judgment, I think that’s also what it is like when you share a personal story, being a thought leader being an expert like we all are. You’re afraid that, like, you’re going to get judged. But like you mentioned, that’s how your audience will connect with you. Which like as a health care professional, that that kind of does the new does like makes me like, wait a minute. You’re saying I got to be vulnerable with my with, like, my patients? Like, that doesn’t make sense. But it does, you know, because it really does help people remember and relate. I feel like that’s the biggest thing. And that’s what for me, the audience that I’m talking to, I want them to be able to relate to me and not feel like I’m up here and you’re down there like I never I never want people to feel like that because I know how that feels.
Carol Cox:
Mhm. Yes. And and I remember the other women who shared very personal stories and some of them for the first time to any, to anyone other than maybe, you know, their, their close family members. And we had a discussion about this idea that your audience has to have earned your vulnerability. So that particular audience, because you may have a story in your talk and you may go and I say this, you may go to an event and you kind of get the vibe like, I don’t really know if this audience is quite aligned, or maybe there’s something else kind of going on and it just doesn’t feel like the right place, the right group of people to share. Maybe the really vulnerable details of the story. So you can kind of still include the story, but just kind of, you know, give it kind of the broad brush to get to the your next point or get to your lesson versus another audience you may be in front of, and you feel like this audience will get it. They will they’ll understand it, and they will appreciate it in the sense that it will help them in their own journey as well, because they have earned your vulnerability. So, Emma, let me come to you and either ask you anything about this idea of vulnerability, hangovers, or audiences earning your vulnerability. Or if you want to share, what was your big takeaway from the workshop that you from this day?
Emma Jones:
Yes. I didn’t have to experience the vulnerability hangover because we didn’t put it out into the world yet. I will once this story becomes out there and then responses happen. That’s I’m sure when the like, oh Lord, what did I do? We’ll set in. Um, but one of the biggest ahas for me was somewhere when we were mapping out the talk, we had to write like some kind of a challenging belief or something like that. I don’t remember exactly what the prompt was, and I wrote one that was like, people need boundaries. And then I wrote another one that was like, because they are self-righteous and martyrs. And when I read it out loud, I like, wanted to hide under my desk because I was like, it’s so judgmental and I don’t want to say that. And then everybody in the room was like, yes, that’s it. That’s what you need to be saying. So that was kind of where my like little vulnerability poke came that like my true belief about the way I see the situation needed to be revealed. Whereas I prefer to kind of keep that under wraps and say like, oh, it’s just, you know, just do these behaviors and then everything will be fine, you know? But like really saying, like, I see you and the and then that led to the story because like, I can see you because I’m also seeing me like I was there too. Yeah. And you gave a good piece of advice that if we tell our own story that we, we committed the same sin, then it will make it less preachy and more connecting.
Carol Cox:
Exactly. Because. Right. If you go in front of an audience and basically, like, wag your finger, like you all are self-righteous and want to be murderers, right? It’s that your audience is not really be very receptive to that. But if you say like, I, I felt like a martyr and I kind of liked it until I realized it was harming me, right? My own boundaries and the patients that I was caring for.
Emma Jones:
Exactly.
Carol Cox:
Yeah. All right. Well, thank you for sharing that. Emma. Lesley-ann. What was your biggest takeaway from the workshop?
Lesline Pittman:
Oh, that’s a good question. Um.
Lesline Pittman:
My biggest takeaway would be. Stop overthinking. Like, just just just just you like you like you ladies. The biggest takeaway, actually, it might have be different with them when I said on the vlog, but like, right now, as you ask me, is like, I already know this. Like the story, like what you said in the beginning of this conversation is like, I know my story. Like, nobody can tell my story but me, and there are people out there that need to hear it from me. And with also, um, oh, there was something else that you you said and it just it slipped my mind. Oh, it’ll come back eventually. But yeah, my story needs to be told like that’s the biggest thing. And my story matters because I think that’s something too, is. Oh, that’s what it is that like I also am this like thing of oh, other people already talking about yoga for new moms. Like there’s already other people doing the thing like. Why? Why do I need to share it? Suzy already knows about this, but no, Suzy doesn’t know. Like her algorithm is completely different than my algorithm. Like, obviously I’m going to be seeing yoga stuff all day because of what I do, right? Um, so getting out of that, like, okay, I, I need to share this, even if I’m seeing it, I need to share this because there are people that are following me that don’t know about breathing and stretching and the benefits, blah, blah, blah.
Carol Cox:
Yes. And they and they, for whatever reason, they’re drawn to you. Who you are versus other people are drawn to someone else who maybe does similar things. But that’s also where your stories come in, like your hard won life lessons. You know, the personal experiences to share, like why you or yourself are drawn to yoga and what what it has done for you. Monica, what was your number one takeaway from the workshop?
Monica Mitchell:
I was right in line with Leslie. That was exactly what I was going to say. I remember having the conversation with you when we were working on my my board saying, I mean, this is just common sense. Like, everybody knows this. There’s three other burnout people here. Everybody knows about burnout. You know, like, what am I sharing? That’s different. And it was the exact same conversation. It was just, you know, the different perspective, the different tone, the different experience, all of those things. And so yeah, I’m exactly the same overthinking. And then my, my message does matter. And there are people that need to hear it so.
Carol Cox:
Well, even just in this conversation here, all three of you talk about burnout and wellness, but in to different audiences and very different ways, very different frameworks and content and stories. And so even though the umbrella topic seems the same. It’s it’s dramatically different under the surface. Yeah. All right. So Lesley-ann, what is next for you? What are you doing? Speaking and visibility wise.
Lesline Pittman:
Uh, posting my content on social media. So continuing to show up boldly and loudly on social media and.
Speaker5:
Yeah, that that’s.
Lesline Pittman:
It for now.
Carol Cox:
All right. How about pitching yourself for some conferences?
Lesline Pittman:
Yes. Pitching myself so that I can, so that I can do more speaking opportunities and sharing my story. Um, you know, to new moms and working moms. So, yeah, pitching myself for sure.
Carol Cox:
Okay, great. Emma, what’s next for you? What are you working on?
Emma Jones:
I am working on building my online presence in multiple channels through the social media primarily, you know, primarily getting people out there. I’m building a course called Healthcare Visionary Academy so that I can teach more healthcare workers how to think in a visionary way and give them the skills to do that. And then, yeah, I’d love to, um, pitch and get on some sort of healthcare conferences or speak at hospitals that sort of where I’m looking to the rooms that I want to get in, if you will. And I think all of that through the social media presence will get my name out there so that when people are looking for that, they’ll they’ll know to look for me. And all of this storytelling works very well for those formats. The structure that you give us about how to think about a talk, can I find it can work very well for like any type of format. So I’m just using that and re patterning it. And my signature talk is going to be a webinar very soon.
Carol Cox:
Okay. Well you’ll have to let me know because I would love to be able to see it. Monica, what’s what are you working on? Speaking invisibility wise and in your business?
Monica Mitchell:
I’m just going to copy them. Uh, I am looking for, um. I’m starting to work on developing some relationships with strategic partners to support their businesses by offering my services. I’m looking for podcasts, speaking engagements, conferences, etc. just want to show off my new talk and hopefully, you know, share my passion and gift and experience to to help others. But at the same time, I’m rolling out. I just started promoting my new program, the From Hustle to Harmony, and I’m starting to pick up some clients and do my work there, so I’m really excited about that.
Carol Cox:
Wonderful. Well, make sure to connect with Leslyn, Emma and Monica on LinkedIn. Follow them there. Check out their websites as well. And thank you so much for being here on backstage with Speaking Your Brand. And thank you so much for being part of our Speaking Your Brand community. I love it when I see you all interacting on LinkedIn and supporting each other. You know, we’ve had women in our community who are meet up because they happen to be in the same city or who have gone and flown to a speaking engagement that one of the other women in the community is speaking at. So I just love seeing you all come together and support each other. So thank you so much. And for those of you watching and listening, if you would like to join us at our next One Day Speaking Accelerator in Orlando, go to Speaking Your Brand Orlando again that speaking your brand Orlando. Get on the interest list. So when when we announce our next date for this fall, you’ll be the first to know. Until next time, thanks for watching.
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