Speaking Your Brand: A Public Speaking Podcast

We all know that non-verbal communication can be as important as our words, whether we're talking with a person one-on-one or speaking in front of an audience. Did you know that our body movement - our kinetic energy - is something different from what we traditionally think of regarding body language and it has an impact too? My guest is Ritu Chander, the founder of The Next Move LLC, which is a decision-making consultancy.

Whether you have a fear of public speaking or a fear in a different area of your life, this episode is for you. My guest’s story of how she went from a self-described fear of public speaking to being an in-demand paid keynote speaker in just 2 years is incredibly inspiring.  Charmaine Gregory, M.D. is an emergency room doctor and speaks to professional groups about burnout. Hear what she did to overcome her fear, including specific strategies.

Is there something holding you back from being more visible, whether it’s sharing a powerful message or standing on a stage in front of an audience? As women, we’ve grown up with societal and cultural messages that can influence us to keep quiet, not share our opinions, or even fear being seen. My guest is Eleanor Beaton, founder of Fierce Feminine Leadership. This is a powerful conversation on the mindset shifts and strategies we can use to be willing to be seen and heard.

Starting with this episode, the next 5 episodes will be related to confidence: from putting yourself out there to pitch for speaking gigs, to conquering a fear of public speaking, to standing on stage and delivering your talks with presence and poise. This episode kicks off this series by talking about what confidence is, my own ups and downs with confidence, and specific strategies you can use to increase your confidence.

Serving on a corporate or non-profit board is an excellent opportunity to gain skills and visibility and broaden your network. Plus, representation matters: not only to the performance of the companies and organizations who have more women on their boards, but to women who see other women on boards and then imagine it for themselves. My guest is Shireen Motara, who consults with companies and agencies like the United Nations on gender equality and women’s rights, including board diversity.

You may not be talking about politics at your speaking engagements, but you may be discussing issues that are controversial or where people have a distinct point of view. Or, you may get a question from an audience member that throws you off. How can you handle hard conversations, whether it’s at events, panels, media interviews, or even with your family and friends? Joining me are Sarah Stewart (from the left) and Beth Silvers (from the right) of the Pantsuit Politics podcast.

Have you ever been asked to give an important talk or presentation with a very short time frame? You knew that saying “yes” would be beneficial, but then you had to scramble to put it together, which meant pushing aside your other work, stressing about it, and creating a presentation that wasn’t as good as it could have been? What if, instead, you’re prepared when great speaking opportunities present themselves?

You’re going to love this episode, so much so that you may want to listen to it more than once. It’s packed with what you need in order to get paid speaking engagements. There are 5 key elements that event planners look for in speakers they hire. You’ll learn what these key elements are and how to position yourself as a paid speaker. My guest is Li Hayes, who is a speaker manager and also facilitates speakers’ exchange groups.

Have you heard the term “call and response”? As speakers, we can use the call and response technique to heighten energy and emotion with our audiences and get them to participate more in the experience. But, have you thought about using this idea of “call and response” on social media? I certainly hadn’t until I saw a post by my guest, Tara McMullin, in her What Works online community.

How does your website impact your speaking opportunities and the fees you can charge? More than you may think. If you want to be seen as an authority in your field and charge premium rates, as both a speaker and an entrepreneur, your branding needs to reflect that. This includes your website, your marketing materials, your graphics, and your content. When you come to a place in your speaking and business when you need to level up, you need to bring in experts to help you.

A question I get a lot is: What content should I include in my lead generation presentations? How much information do I share? Start with these two questions: #1 = What exactly are you selling? This will help you to determine what content will best align with your offer. #2: Who is your ideal client and what do they need to know to make a decision? This is what my guest, Layne Booth, and I did during our recent VIP Day to create her signature talk. Hear how we decided on her content - you may be surprised.

Diane Diaz is one of the speaking coaches here at Speaking Your Brand. Diane was asked to give the luncheon keynote at a women’s conference here in Orlando where we both live. Like most of us, she was both excited and nervous - and she knew saying yes was going to help propel her to the next level in her speaking journey. You’ll hear how we decided on the content for her keynote, how she practiced and prepared for it, including handling the roller coaster of emotions leading up to it, and how it wen

In today’s episode, we’re talking about hitting a plateau, why it happens, the danger of staying there, and how to get past one. I’m going to be sharing some of my own experiences plus giving you specific strategies you can use.

How can you take your in person presentation and convert it to a webinar for lead generation particularly if you’re selling a program or course? Much of the content can be easily repurposed for a webinar, but there are some considerations and constraints when you have attendees online vs. in person. In this episode, my guest Lorena Klingel of Learn to Flourish and I talk about how we approached repurposing her signature talk into a webinar to promote her online program.

When we think of a signature talk, we naturally think of standing in front of a group of people delivering our talk. Did you know that there are many more ways - 16 at least! - that you can use your signature talk? Why can you use it in all these ways? Your signature talk is more than a presentation - it’s your core message: who you are, who you help, what they need, how you help them, and why it matters - both to you and to your audience/potential clients. Let's re-purpose!