Shows
Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies428: How to Keep Momentum in Your Business and Visibility When Everything Feels UncertainDo you feel like hitting pause when everything around you feels uncertain? Whether it's the economy, politics, AI, or just the general state of flux we're all living in, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and unsure of what to do next. You’re not alone - I’ve been feeling it too. In this episode, Diane Diaz and I talk candidly about what we've been noticing in ourselves, our clients, and the conversations we're having behind the scenes here at Speaking Your Brand. Spoiler alert: pausing too long or isolating yourself isn't the answer. I...2025-04-1428 minSpeaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies426: Every Talk Needs Humor: Here are 5 Ways to Make Your Audience LaughHave you ever wondered if you really need to add humor to your business presentations, keynotes, or conference talks? Maybe you think, I’m just here to share valuable information - why should I try to be funny? Well, in this episode, I’m joined by our lead speaking coach, Diane Diaz, to show you exactly why humor isn’t just a nice-to-have - it’s a must-have. We’re diving into how to use humor effectively in your talks, without forcing corny jokes (unless that’s your thing!). From situational storytelling...2025-03-1913 minSpeaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies425: The Story You're Most Reluctant to Share is the One You ShouldIs there a story you’re reluctant to share? The one that still makes you cringe a little, that feels raw and vulnerable? That’s probably the exact story you should be telling - not just for your audience, but for yourself. In this episode, I’m joined by Diane Diaz, and we’re pulling back the curtain on our own stories - the ones we’ve hesitated to share. We talk a lot about storytelling in public speaking, thought leadership, and keynotes, but let’s be honest: we often default to the safer storie...2025-02-2414 minSpeaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies424: Evolving Your Brand is a Must: How to Align Who You Are, Even the Messy PartsWe hear all the time that we should “reinvent” ourselves to stay relevant. Or that we should ignore or dismiss aspects of our careers that no longer seem to “fit” with what we’re doing now. I’m not sure we can truly “reinvent” ourselves, nor should we. Instead, we should embrace how we evolve over time - and actually seek out ways to challenge ourselves to evolve! In this episode, Diane Diaz, our lead speaking coach, joins me for a lively and insightful conversation about the difference between reinvention and evolution. 2025-02-0315 minSpeaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies419: Using Your Voice and Story for Business Impact with Michelle MassmanIn this episode, our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz speaks with Michelle Massman, a longtime entrepreneur and graduate of our Thought Leader Academy, who shares her journey from “stuck” to “unstoppable” through storytelling and public speaking. You’ll hear Michelle’s candid stories—from launching unexpected ventures like The Culinary Studio to her partnership with a music group—that reveal her resilience and passion for following her intuition. As Diane and Michelle discuss the power of sharing vulnerable stories, Michelle opens up about the anxiety she’s faced and how she’s turned her experiences into speaking topics...2024-11-1140 minSpeaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies418: Our Thoughts on the 2024 Election Results: Here We Are Once AgainThe election clearly did not go the way many of us wanted. I was on the TV news once again on Election Night and the morning after. The outcome wasn't the shock it was in 2016, but it's profoundly disappointing. Join me and Diane Diaz for this conversation on our thoughts and how we’re moving forward (recorded on Wednesday, November 6 at 11 am EST). We too are sad and frustrated but we also want to remind you of the power of your voice and your community. It's easy to jump to the conclusion that Am...2024-11-0623 minSpeaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies413: Design and Deliver Workshops that Get You Leads and ClientsWhen you facilitate workshops and presentations for visibility and lead generation, we want to make sure you get the results you’re looking for. It’s perfectly fine to do free or low-cost workshops, as long as the audience aligns with the types of clients you work with, you have an offer that would be of interest to them, AND you’re willing to make that offer. So often, we hear from women that they don’t want to sell at these types of workshops or presentations. But, that’s the reason to do them. Y...2024-10-0730 minSpeaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies405: Advocating and Using Your Voice for Yourself with Laura Camacho, PhDIf you're a high-performing woman who works in corporate and you’ve struggled to use your voice in an impactful way, this conversation is for you! Our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz sits down with Laura Camacho, PhD, an executive communications strategist and host of the Speak Up podcast. Diane and Laura dive into the realities of climbing the corporate ladder and the common pitfalls that hold many back, particularly women. Drawing from personal experiences and years of coaching, Laura shares actionable insights on overcoming self-sabotage, enhancing visibility, and effectively using your voice in...2024-08-1248 minSpeaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies401: Strategies for Getting Momentum on the Speaking Circuit with Cindy RoweIf you want to get more speaking engagements, this episode is packed with specific strategies you can use, no matter where you’re at in your speaking journey. Our guest is Cindy Rowe, a professional speaker, owner of a marketing company, and a graduate of our Thought Leader Academy. Cindy has been on fire with her speaking for the past two years, so we invited her back on the podcast to share how she’s been getting momentum on the speaking circuit. Our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz and Cindy talk about: How...2024-07-1543 minSpeaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies400: Why Introverts Make Great Speakers and Leaders [Executive Speaking Series]Are you an introvert? If so, do you wonder if you are at a disadvantage as a speaker? There’s a common misperception that most speakers are extroverts. But, from my admittedly very unscientific survey, many speakers I know are introverts. We think that as introverts we won’t be as engaging or charismatic or energetic. Perhaps we’ve seen speakers we admire and we assume they’re extroverts. I’m an introvert and I grew up quite shy, yet I found that public speaking was a great way for me to connect with other...2024-07-0837 minSpeaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies398: Storytelling for Leaders: Crafting Narratives that Inspire and Persuade [Executive Speaking Series]We’re continuing our new podcast series around Executive Speaking! Today we’re diving into storytelling for leaders, especially in a business, corporate, or academic environment. We’ve been led to believe that stories aren’t appropriate in “professional” business or academic environments. But, that’s when stories can be the most impactful! This episode is truly value-packed with actionable insights to elevate your leadership and executive presence through the art of storytelling, as I’m joined by Diane Diaz and Joy Spencer, two of our speaking coaches. Whether you're preparing...2024-06-2450 minSpeaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies396: Creating a Signature Talk that Attracts Paid Speaking Opportunities with Cherlette McCulloughAre you ready to elevate your speaking game and attract lucrative speaking engagements? Diane Diaz, our lead speaking coach, sits down with one of our clients, Cherlette McCullough, a licensed marriage and family therapist, to delve into the keys to crafting a compelling signature talk that not only resonates with audiences but also leads to paid speaking opportunities. Key Highlights: Cherlette’s Journey: Discover how Cherlette transitioned from community speaking to landing high-paying gigs by refining her presentations and focusing on impactful delivery. Signature Talk Breakdown: Learn the components of Cherlette’s successful signature talk...2024-06-1038 minSpeaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies395: The Power of Storytelling: Live Signature Talks from Our Thought Leader Academy GradsSharing personal stories are essential for memorable and impactful presentations. How specific should your stories be? How do you connect your story to your overall message and framework? This is exactly what we work on with our Thought Leader Academy clients in their VIP Day to create their signature talk. You’ll hear two of our recent grads, Cindy Ojczyk and Amy Bear, deliver a 10-minute version of the signature talk they created with us, so you can see and hear them in action. We also have a roundtable discussion, led by...2024-06-0330 minSpeaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies385: Leading with Story in Your Talks [Roundtable]You know how powerful storytelling is in your presentations and talks. How can you go about integrating your stories in a way that truly connects you to your audiences? There is no *one way* to integrate stories into your talks. Your story can be central to your talk or it can be a supporting element. You can play with the timeline of the story - start in the middle and then come back to the beginning later or start at the end. In this episode, our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz...2024-03-2742 minSpeaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies383: Using Their Voices: Live Signature Talks from Our Thought Leader Academy Grads [Part 2]You heard half of our latest Thought Leader Academy grads deliver a 10-minute section of their signature talk last week on episode 381, now you get to hear the other three. In this episode, our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz hosts Maria Flynn, Karen Williams, and Brigette Serfaty, PharmD. You’ll hear how they’ve incorporated their thought leadership message, storytelling, humor, and their frameworks into their talks. We also have a roundtable discussion about what they’ve learned from being in the Thought Leader Academy and what’s next for them as speakers and thou...2024-03-2144 minSpeaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies380: Building Your Speaker Brand Separate From Your Corporate Identity with Sandy RobinsonThe power of women’s voices doesn’t just relate to women who own and run their own businesses; it’s also for women who work in corporate spaces. Building your personal brand and speaker brand separate from your corporate identity can give you a voice and mission that has a greater impact beyond the day-to-day work you do in your job. In this episode, our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz talks with one of our Thought Leader Academy clients, Sandy Robinson. Sandy works in revenue operations and she’s carved a niche for herself...2024-03-1137 min
The Empowering Women PodcastInspiring Inclusive Stories with Carol Cox and Diane DiazABOUT OUR GUESTS: Carol Morgan Cox is the founder and CEO of Speaking Your Brand®, a coaching and training company that helps high-performing, purpose-driven women entrepreneurs and professionals create their signature talks and thought leadership platforms. Carol is host of the weekly 5-star rated Speaking Your Brand® podcast and during election seasons serves as a Democratic political analyst on TV news. Carol was named as one of Orlando's Women of the Year in 2021 and has been featured in Forbes. Through her company and content, her mission is to empower more women to find and...2024-03-0856 minSpeaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies376: Use the Secrets of Comedy for Better Storytelling and Delivery in Your TalksIntegrating humor into your talks can seem daunting or even unimportant, but it's an essential element to use to connect with your audience. Recently, Diane Diaz, our lead speaking coach, delivered a 5-minute stand-up comedy set live on stage (!). You don’t have to add jokes or stand-up routines to your presentations. But, you can learn from the secrets of comedy to improve your storytelling and delivery. Diane and I talk about her experience and what you can take away from it for your speaking, including: What makes something funny Her...2024-02-1935 min
Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies374: Using Your Voice to Create Change in Yourself and Your Industry with Karen WilliamsJoin us for a powerful conversation with Karen Williams, also known as the Black Visual Queen. Karen, a skilled photo director, sat down with our lead speaking coach, Diane Diaz, to talk about her journey from corporate life to entrepreneurship, her advocacy for more diversity in the photography industry, and her experience in crafting her impactful keynote talk during a one-on-one VIP Day. Spoiler alert, her talk went great! In this episode, Karen and Diane talk about: Why and how Karen made the shift from corporate professional to entrepreneur The events that shaped Karen’s pe...2024-02-0540 min
Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies364: Your Stories and Experiences Shape Your Thought Leadership and Signature Talk with Samantha IrwinIf you think your stories and experiences from long ago aren’t relevant to what you do now, what you speak about, and your overall thought leadership message, this conversation will show how much our past experiences shape who we are and reflect what matters to us. Our lead speaking coach, Diane Diaz, sat down with Samantha Irwin, a recent graduate of our Thought Leader Academy and a seasoned entrepreneur with a fascinating journey. In this episode, you'll hear: Samantha's journey from teaching to entrepreneurship, and how these experiences shaped her thought leadership Her ti...2023-12-2124 min
Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and StrategiesThe Power of Frameworks: How Sharon Ehrlich Found Her Voice and MessageMany accomplished professional women come to a point in their lives where they struggle to balance their personal and professional responsibilities. Whether it’s their high-pressure career, raising children, caring for aging parents, or all of the above, it can often feel like you lose control over your lives and yourself in the process. On this week’s podcast guest, Sharon Ehrlich, a former hospital administrator, English teacher, and professional at IBM and now an executive coach, and our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz chat about the challenges Sharon faced when she felt she was losing...2023-10-3039 min
Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and StrategiesHot Takes: Country Club Feminism, The Barbie Movie, Taylor Swift, & MoreFrom Barbie and the Super Models to Beyonce and Taylor, women and the influence they have on culture and the economy are being seen and talked about everywhere. Since here at Speaking Your Brand we're all about amplifying and championing women's voices and advocating for gender equality, we figured it was time to give our own hot takes. Along with all the positive gains women have made, we know that there has also been a considerable backlash, both culturally and legally, most noticeably in the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year and in the...2023-10-1637 min
Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies350: How to Tell Stories in Your Presentations that Connect to Your Message and AudienceIn the last episode, I talked about connecting your personal brand and your thought leadership Your stories and experiences are integral to both. Your stories connect you with your audience. Have you ever heard a speaker share a story and have one of these reactions: #1: Wow, I really feel connected to what this person is saying. I have a new perspective on my own situation. -OR- #2: Why is this person telling this story? I don't get how this relates to the rest of their content or why I should c...2023-10-0925 min
Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies341: Unearthing Your Unique Message: Discovering What Makes You Stand Out with Judy CarlsonRaise your hand if you’re used to giving presentations chock full of information, facts, and figures? You are not alone! Many of us get comfortable doing this, probably because that’s how we got started as speakers and presenters. But, your audience doesn’t need to hear tons of facts and figures; they need to understand the big picture of your topic, how it relates to them, and what they should do next. This is precisely the evolution that our guest, Judy Carlson, did while she was in our Thought Leader...2023-08-0740 min
Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and StrategiesGo from a Good Speaker to a Great Speaker with These 5 Lessons from 'Hamilton' with Carol CoxThis episode airs the week of our 4th of July holiday in the United States, so I thought I’d take this opportunity to re-air one of my favorite episodes. If you want to go from being a good speaker to a great one, there are key elements to infuse into your content and delivery. Three years ago, during the July 4th holiday weekend of 2020, I was at home with not much to do since we were all still in the throes of the COVID-19 social distancing. Luckily, that weekend, “Hamilton: The Musical” (filmed...2023-07-0342 min
Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and StrategiesAmplifying Your Personal Brand: Public Speaking as the Ultimate Authority Booster with Carol Cox and Diane DiazWe’re wrapping up our podcast series on personal branding. Today we're diving into how to amplify your personal brand. You've started to define it, you're building it, and now, how can you leverage public speaking to really become a sought-after authority? We're going to explore strategies that work - like how to find speaking engagements that are right up your alley, ways to refine your public speaking skills, and tips on using speaking opportunities to enhance your personal brand. In this episode, Diane Diaz, our lead speaking coach, and I talk...2023-06-2622 min
Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and StrategiesStyling Your Personal Brand: Be Comfortable and Confident in Any Room with Solita RobertsWe’re continuing our podcast series on personal branding. Imagine you have a speaking engagement coming up: What do you wear? How does what you wear reflect and reinforce your personal brand? Our guest in this episode is Solita Roberts, who is an image stylist, LinkedIn Top Voice, and in the first class of LinkedIn’s Creator Accelerator Program. Diane Diaz, our lead speaking coach, talks with Solita about: How our style and clothing (and shoes!) connect to our personal brand What to consider when selecting what to wear, whether it’s on sta...2023-06-1942 min
Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and StrategiesBuilding Your Personal Brand: Establishing Thought Leadership Online and Offline with Carol Cox and Diane DiazWe’re continuing our new series on personal branding. If you caught our episode last week, we dug deep into defining what a personal brand is. We chatted about how to discover your unique brand, and why it's crucial as a thought leader to sync it up with your audience. Today, we're all about building that brand of yours and establishing your thought leadership, both in the digital world and in person. In this episode, Diane Diaz, our lead speaking coach, and I talk about: How we built our personal bra...2023-06-1231 min
Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and StrategiesDefining Your Personal Brand: The First Step to Becoming a Thought Leader with Carol Cox and Diane DiazWe’re kicking off a new series all about personal branding. Do you know you have a personal brand, whether you're aware of it or not? Now more than ever, your personal brand is essential. We're all swimming in a sea of online content, from social media posts to podcasts and videos, and even AI churning out more stuff. How do you stand out in that crowd? How can you connect with the people you most want to connect with so that they understand who you really are, what matters to you...2023-06-0524 min
Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and StrategiesIgniting Change by Using Your Voice: How One Instagram Post Turned into a Powerful Movement with Sharon McMahonWe are wrapping up our podcast series on Using Your Voice with a very special guest. Sharon McMahon is a former high school government and law teacher whose Instagram went viral in 2020 (she now has over 1 million followers!) and who is the host of the podcast Here’s Where it Gets Interesting. Sharon is “on a mission to combat political misinformation by sharing non-partisan facts about the US government and democracy.” Our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz is a super fan of Sharon and has been following her since the 2020 election season. Diane...2023-05-2945 min
Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and StrategiesThe Journey from Settling to Speaking Up with Kelly Lopez [Use Your Voice Series]Have you ever felt so passionate about something that you experienced and the lessons you learned from it that you thought to yourself “others need to hear about this?” If you’ve ever thought something like this, then you’ll want to hear this conversation with our guest Kelly Lopez. Kelly is a graduate of our Thought Leader Academy and in this continuation of our Use Your Voice series, she talked with our Lead Speaking Coach Diane Diaz about: Her story of going from settling, personally and professionally, to being intentional about her life and work Wh...2023-05-2238 min
Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and StrategiesGetting PR and Media with Cheryl Tan [Marketing Series]We’re wrapping up our series on how marketing is changing and new approaches you can take to more effectively connect with your audiences and prospective clients. This episode is all about getting PR and media, which can be an important element of your visibility. Have you ever seen someone you know featured in a television news story and wondered how they made it happen? It’s no secret that public relations efforts like being interviewed on television can ramp up your visibility and grow your reach. But it might feel like a m...2023-04-2445 min
Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and StrategiesHow My Thought Leadership Has Evolved with Carol Cox and Diane DiazWe are celebrating 6 years of the Speaking Your Brand podcast! To mark this milestone, I invited Diane Diaz, our lead speaking coach, to interview me. I know you’re going to enjoy our conversation! Diane and I talk about: Why I decided to start a podcast The benefits I’ve experienced (both for the business and personally) How my thought leadership has evolved How podcasting has increased my confidence Vulnerability hangovers And more! About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox, joined in this episode by o...2023-02-2732 min
Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies311: How to 10x Your Speaking SkillsIf you’re a speaker who has in-person events coming up OR if you’re planning an in-person event, you won’t want to miss this conversation. We held our first in-person client retreat speaking intensive in Orlando, Florida, in April 2022 and it was incredible! We brought 12 women together to practice their speaking delivery skills (on a real stage!) and get professional videography they can use in their speaking reels. I asked two of the women who attended, Betsy Jordyn and Joy Spencer, to join me and Diane Diaz to talk about the experi...2023-01-0930 min
Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and StrategiesSpellbinding Storyteller Speaker Archetype with Shannon BumgarnerThis is the fourth and final episode in our series exploring the four speaker archetypes. (You can discover your archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz.) Knowing your archetype will help you to: Create more impactful and memorable presentations Market yourself as a speaker using your strengths Try our recommendations to take your talks to the next level In this episode, we’re talking about the Spellbinding Storyteller speaker archetype with my guest and Thought Leader Academy client Shannon Bumgarner. As a Spellbinding Storyteller:...2022-11-2828 min
Positively Living®: Shame-Free Productivity ConversationsThe Gift of Being Underestimated with Diane DiazText your thoughts and questions!Being underestimated happens to us all. It can feel insulting and mess with our confidence, but it can also be beneficial when we use it to our advantage. This week, episode 129 of the Positively Living Podcast is about the gift of being underestimated!In this episode of the Positively Living Podcast, my guest Diane Diaz shares what it means when others underestimate you and how you can reframe your perception of it and use the space it gives you to create and grow. Diane and I cover the f...2022-10-3136 min