Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies

When most people hear the word policy, they immediately picture Washington, D.C., marble hallways, and people in suits arguing on TV. But as my guest today so brilliantly reminds us, policy is simply how decisions get made - and you don’t need to be a political insider to influence it.

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Deborah Stine, founder of the Science and Technology Policy Academy, former Executive Director of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in the Obama White House, and someone who has spent her career helping scientists, engineers, and health professionals turn their expertise into impact.

And yes, her résumé reads like a Washington fairytale, but what makes Debbie extraordinary is how down-to-earth and practical she is. She’s spent decades working at the national level and then chose to move back to the “ground floor” of change—state and local work—where impact shows up fast and in real lives.

Debbie and I talk about:

• Why most experts accidentally sabotage their own influence
• Her 4E Framework for better decision-making
• How to translate complex, jargon-heavy research into something the public—and policymakers—actually understand
• Why state and local advocacy can be even more powerful than federal work
• How to work with people who disagree with you
• A surprising turn into AI—and how Debbie used my Automate & Amplify program to keep her content going while traveling the world

This conversation is a powerful reminder that your voice matters, especially when you pair your expertise with a compelling story and a clear message.

About My Guest: Dr. Deborah Stine is the founder of the Science and Technology Policy Academy, where she helps scientists, engineers, and health professionals translate what they know into policies that improve people’s lives. Deborah has worked with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, at the Congressional Research Service, and was the Executive Director of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in the Obama White House. She was also Professor of the Practice, Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. Deborah is also the author of From Expertise to Impact, which is all about how experts can communicate in a way that truly influences public decision-making. 

Worried that giving the same talk more than once would box you in - or worse, bore you to tears?

I’ve been there. And if you’re a builder-of-slides-at-heart like me, the idea of sticking to one signature talk can feel a little… constraining.

But here’s the truth: the talk you give again (and again and again) is the one that becomes unforgettable - for you and your audience.

In this episode, I’m joined by Thought Leader Academy graduate Kelly Mallery, who proves exactly that. Kelly works in the continuous improvement and lean space, and she discovered that honing one powerful talk didn’t limit her creativity, it amplified it. And it opened doors.

We talk about how she’s evolved her talk, why a transformer toy has become part of her on-stage brand (yes, really), and how she learned to adapt the same content for both 20-minute and 60-minute speaking slots without losing impact.

Whether you’re speaking to industry peers, corporate audiences, or groups who’ve never heard of your topic before, what Kelly shares will help you rethink how reusable and scalable your signature talk can be.

Kelly and I talk about:

• Why one signature talk can actually increase your impact, confidence, and clarity
• How Kelly transformed her message by introducing her “Resistobots” (inspired by her love of Transformers)
• The power of refining the same talk through multiple deliveries
• What changes—and what stays the same—when adapting a talk from 20 minutes to 60 minutes
• How your ideal audience and your buyer can be two different people, and why it matters
• The importance of opening strong and closing with purpose (no rushing just to “get to the content”!)
• Why props, stories, and frameworks make your message stick—and lead to more speaking invites

Links:

Whether you’re in corporate aiming for your next big role or an entrepreneur looking to attract higher-value opportunities, this episode gives you the clarity and strategy to move forward.

I’m joined by my friend and career strategist Kate Wade, founder of Get Her Hired, who brings her signature mix of humor, candor, and deeply practical insight.

Together, we unpack why talented women get stuck, how to craft a powerful career narrative, and what it really takes to position yourself for bigger stages, promotions, clients, and visibility.

Kate and I talk about:

• Why being “good at everything” keeps women from advancing
• The difference between features and benefits in your career story
• How to find the throughline in your background and experiences
• The hidden ways women make themselves indispensable — and how it backfires
• What recruiters say is actually happening in the job market
• How to have career-advancing and  opportunity-advancing conversations
• What AI can help you with in résumé writing — and what it definitely can’t
• The problem with AI-written speaker applications (and why they all sound the same)
• Kate’s new résumé course Hit Send — with a generous discount for listeners

Links:

We all know that facts tell, but stories sell. And when you add a touch of humor, your audience doesn’t just listen… they lean in.

In this Back Stage with Speaking Your Brand LinkedIn Live, we’re joined by two recent clients of our Thought Leader Academy, Angela Gillis and Crystal Daye.

They each present a 10-minute version of their signature talk that they developed with us during their VIP Day and refined throughout the program.

You get to see how they weave together story, humor, and heart to connect with their audiences and how that connection builds trust and relatability, the key ingredients for turning a talk into leads (and leads into clients!).

You’ll learn:

• How to choose and tell stories that make your audience feel seen and understood
• Ways to naturally infuse humor without forcing it or losing credibility
• The secret to transitioning from inspiration to invitation (a.k.a. your call to action)
• Behind-the-scenes insights from our speakers on what they learned while crafting their talks

If you’ve ever wondered how to make your lead generation talks less “salesy” and more human, this is your chance to see exactly how it’s done.

Links:

Have you ever had one of those moments when all eyes are on you… and your brain suddenly decides to take a vacation? Whether it’s during a big presentation, a media interview, or an unexpected question in a meeting, how we communicate under pressure shapes how we’re seen as leaders.

That’s why I’m so excited for you to hear my conversation with Jen Mueller, a veteran sports broadcaster for the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Mariners and the founder of Talk Sporty to Me. After more than 25 years on the sidelines of major games, Jen knows exactly what it takes to stay composed, confident, and clear when the heat is on.

In this episode, Jen shares how to:

• Use high-stakes moments to highlight your preparedness and expertise instead of shying away from them
• Prepare for spontaneity (yes, that’s possible!)
• Assert your presence even if you’re naturally quieter or more introverted
• Practice confidence and clarity through small, everyday interactions
• Recover gracefully when things don’t go as planned (including her stories of post-game interviews and a few Gatorade showers!)

I also share one of my own on-air “blank brain” moments from live TV and what I learned about giving myself grace when things don’t go perfectly.

If you’ve ever wished you could think faster, speak clearer, or project confidence when it matters most, this episode will give you practical tools and real stories to help you become a true clutch communicator.