Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies

How do you turn an overlooked pattern or experience into a thought leadership message that changes how your audience sees themselves and the world around them? One of the most powerful things a speaker can do is make the invisible visible. In this Back Stage with Speaking Your Brand live show, our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz hosts three of our recent Thought Leader Academy grads, Stephanie Warner, Noa Stisin, and Carolyn Clow, as they each deliver a 10-minute version of the signature talk they developed in the program. Each speaker makes an invisible influence visible: Stephanie reveals how our sensory environments quietly shape our energy, capacity, and leadership. Noa explores how a parent’s internal state and inherited patterns shape what happens in difficult moments with a child. Carolyn shows how the often-overlooked practice of self-leadership affects our ability to lead others. You’ll hear how they: Bring an overlooked problem or pattern into view Use stories to make an unseen experience recognizable Give audiences language for something they may have felt but couldn’t name Turn an abstract insight into a memorable framework Offer a practical next step audiences can use in their own lives We also have a roundtable conversation about what Stephanie, Noa, and Carolyn have learned while developing their talks and what’s next for them as speakers and thought leaders. 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/490/ Watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/live/ZWHCwywBH1Q?si=U6QsPCGhG4EqTEc- Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Apply for 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 Stephanie Warner = https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-warner-tcp/ Noa Stisin = https://www.linkedin.com/in/noastisin/ Carolyn Clow = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynaclow/ Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 355: What a Signature Talk Is and What It Should be Doing for You

If you want more speaking invitations, it’s tempting to think the answer is more pitching, more social posts, and more cold outreach. But event organizers are receiving more speaker submissions than ever. Being one more qualified person in the pile isn’t enough. You need parts of your talk that people can remember, describe, and refer. I call these Signature Stage Segments: intentionally crafted moments that bring together storytelling, humor, audience interaction, props or costumes, and quotable lines. They make the talk more engaging for the audience and give you the kind of video that actually shows an event organizer what you can do on stage. In this episode, I share examples from our clients and our own talks. You’ll hear how a lion at a watering hole, a round of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” a game show, a medical mask, and a pair of human-versus-AI paddles all became memorable stage moments. And we’ll talk about the part many speakers still hold back. In this episode, you’ll learn: What a Signature Stage Segment is and why it helps you get booked and referred The five elements that make stage moments memorable How to use our I.D.E.A.L. Storytelling Ingredients to turn something that happened into an actual story How simple props can make an abstract idea visible Why quotable lines belong in both your talk and your speaker reel The thing many speakers are afraid to bring to the stage and why it matters 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/489/ 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 in-person speaking retreat in Orlando: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/live/ Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 488: They Took the Stage at Our Speaking Retreat. What Happened Next? Episode 462: Speaking Strategies That Create Lasting Impact: Live Signature Talks from TLA Grads Episode 422: How to Create a 10-Out-of-10 Keynote that Leaves Your Audience in Awe with Julia Korn [Client Case Study] Episode 345: Elevate Your Audience Engagement Skills with These Proven Strategies with Katie Anderson [Client Case Study] Episode 467: Making the Shift from Performer to Keynote Speaker with Andy Nunn

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: scientist and registered dietitian Dr. Karen Corbin, physician and health equity consultant Dr. Nicole Rochester, and emotional freedom and forgiveness coach Brenda Reiss. They talk candidly about having to practice without their notes, watching themselves on video, learning to use stories and props, and getting immediate feedback from a room full of women who wanted them to succeed. What I love most about this conversation is what happened next. Nicole changed how she delivers talks and brought a much more personal story to a medical conference. Brenda learned to trust herself and let more of the real person behind her expertise come through. Karen became even more committed to helping scientists use story and personality to become trusted voices. Their experiences are different, but the thread is the same: when you stop trying to get every word right, you create more room for the audience to connect with you. You can watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/live/rmXYSCCoz-A. 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/488/ Watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/live/rmXYSCCoz-A Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Learn about our in-person speaking retreat: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/live/ Learn about our online 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 Nicole Rochester = https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-rochester-md/ Karen Corbin = https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-corbin-phd-rd-75229111/ Brenda Reiss = https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendareiss/ Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 411: Reframing Public Speaking: From Elite Skill to Everyday Power with Dr. Karen Corbin Episode 329: From Compelled to Take Action to TEDx Speaker with Dr. Nicole Rochester Episode 347: The Power of REAL Practice to Transform Yourself as a Speaker Episode 385: Leading with Story in Your Talks [Roundtable]

If you've been telling yourself you'll pitch the conference, keynote, or TEDx talk once you feel more confident, I want you to reconsider the order. Public speaking isn't something you do after you become confident. It's one of the ways confidence is created. I’m sharing three practical ways to build real speaking confidence: say yes and get the reps, experiment with different formats and time constraints, and use podcasting to strengthen your ability to speak naturally. I tell the story of walking into a TV studio for the first time with my heart pounding - and how becoming a regular political analyst years later finally gave me the repetition I needed to trust myself. And then there's the thing that surprised me most: taking an eight-week improv class. Even after decades of speaking, improv helped me get out of my head, into my body, and more comfortable not knowing exactly what would happen next. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why confidence is created through speaking rather than perfected in private What it means to embody your message instead of delivering it only from your head Why repetition builds the muscle memory that makes speaking feel more natural What my first TV political panel taught me about saying yes before I felt ready Why relying on a script can interrupt your connection with the audience How PechaKucha, Ignite, DisruptHR, workshops, and keynotes develop different speaking skills Why hosting a podcast or becoming a regular podcast guest strengthens impromptu speaking What an eight-week improv class taught me about uncertainty and presence How speaking confidence can help you claim the identity of “speaker” Why women's public voices matter to gender equality 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/487/ 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/ Learn more about our speaking retreat in Orlando: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/live/ Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Related Podcast Episodes: Speak with Confidence podcast series Episode 379: How to Develop Stage Presence and Build Confidence as a Speaker Episode 378: The Power of Women's Voices and Stories to Change the World

If you’re exhausted by creating a brand-new presentation every time you’re invited to speak, I get it. You want the talk to fit the audience. But customizing your message is very different from reinventing it. In this episode, I’m joined by our coaches Diane Diaz and Erin Mark to talk about how we each use one foundational signature talk across different audiences, industries, and formats. Erin shares how she adapts her CALM framework for everything from a six-minute-and-40-second PechaKucha talk to a 60-minute keynote. Diane explains what to keep, what to change, and why your stories should be the last thing you cut when time is tight. In this episode, we talk about: Why customizing a signature talk is different from creating a new talk from scratch The core elements that should stay consistent across speaking engagements How Erin adapts her CALM framework for different industries and talk lengths How Diane changes stories and audience engagement without losing her central message Why listing 10, 15, or 20 speaking topics can make you harder to remember and refer How our Brand Voice Canvas connects your mission, expertise, methodology, and experiences What Erin did when she was assigned a topic outside her expertise How to expand a keynote into a workshop without turning it into a content dump How your signature talk can become podcast talking points, website copy, and months of LinkedIn content 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/486/ 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/ Learn more about our speaking retreat in Orlando: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/live/ Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Diane Diaz = https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianediaz/ Erin Mark = https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinmark/ Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 288: A Framework for Creating a Signature Talk for Income and Impact Episode 462: Speaking Strategies That Create Lasting Impact: Live Signature Talks from TLA Grads with Erin Mark Episode 475: From Personal Story to Thought Leadership: A Framework for Speakers with Erin Mark Episode 483: How an I.D.E.A., Not a Topic, Makes You Easier to Refer, Pitch, and Book with Carol Cox