Here’s what you don’t want the audience to say after you deliver your keynote: “I learned a lot.”

That’s you being stuck in the expert trap.

As a keynote speaker, you’re there to provide an experience for the audience; to help them see something differently about themselves or their industry or their world; and to have them believe they can do it.

In this episode, I’m sharing 3 must-haves that will take your keynote from “just another talk” to a truly transformative experience for your audience.

You’ll hear behind-the-scenes from a keynote I recently gave called From Invisible to Influential: How I Found My Voice and Why Yours Matters More Than Ever.

Here’s what you’ll learn

• Why storytelling should always be at the core of your keynote (and the story I shared that had women coming up to me afterward saying how inspired they felt).
• How to use the “Rule of Three” to make your keynote easy to follow, memorable, and impactful.
• The importance of weaving in humor and audience participation - and how I planned both into my talk so they weren’t left to chance.

By the end of this episode, you’ll have a clear roadmap for how to design your keynote so it not only informs but truly transforms your audience.

✨ Ready to create your own keynote that’s powerful, inspiring, and totally YOU? Visit https://www.speakingyourbrand.com and schedule a call.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/445/

Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/

Schedule a consultation call: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/contact/

Attend our 1-day in-person Speaking Accelerator workshop in Orlando: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 426: Every Talk Needs Humor: Here are 5 Ways to Make Your Audience Laugh
• Episode 422: How to Create a 10-Out-of-10 Keynote that Leaves Your Audience in Awe
• Episode 382: 3 Signs You're Stuck in the Expert Trap with Your Public Speaking
• Episode 288: A Framework for Creating a Signature Talk for Income and Impact

JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

We’re wrapping up our Booked Without Burnout series, and this one might surprise you: should you ever pay to speak?

I know - it sounds backward. After all, you want to get paid for your expertise, not the other way around.

But there are times when paying for a speaking slot makes strategic sense, especially if it’s tied to a sponsorship or marketing opportunity that gets you in front of your ideal clients.

This is Part 4 of my 4-part series on how to land more speaking engagements. In Part 1, I shared outbound strategies: what to do when you pitch yourself. In Part 2, we talked about inbound strategies: how to set yourself up so event organizers find you. In Part 3, we looked at getting paid to speak.

In this episode, I share:

• How to evaluate whether paying to speak is worth it for your goals
• The key questions to ask before you invest in a speaking opportunity
• How to turn a sponsorship into a visibility and revenue boost

Plus, I’m including an episode from my Confident Speaker podcast, my fully AI-generated show. The script, voice, and show notes are all created by AI using a custom knowledge base built from 400+ episodes of Speaking Your Brand. You’ll hear “AI Carol” and see how closely it matches my style (it’s kind of wild!).

If you’ve ever wondered how you can use AI to amplify your brand voice, this episode is a behind-the-scenes look at what’s possible.

Listen in and find out when it might be smart to pay to speak - and how to use AI to grow your visibility without burning out.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/444/

Check out my companion podcast “Confident Speaker”: https://confidentspeaker.transistor.fm/

Apply for my Automate & Amplify with AI program: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/ai/

Attend our 1-day in-person Speaking Accelerator workshop in Orlando: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/

Enroll in our online Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 443: [Part 3] Booked Without Burnout: Getting Paid to Speak
• Episode 442: [Part 2] Booked Without Burnout: Speaking Invitations that Come to You
• Episode 441: [Part 1] Booked Without Burnout: A Smarter Way to Land Speaking Gigs
• Episode 433: Behind the Scenes of My AI-Powered Business: Real-World Use Cases

JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

Visibility is valuable. But visibility plus revenue? That’s power.

Speaking isn’t only about sharing what you know. It’s about owning your expertise, modeling equity, and showing what women leaders are worth on stage.

So how do you go from free talks at local events… to $2,500, $5,000, even $10,000 keynotes and workshops?

This is Part 3 of my 4-part series on how to land more speaking engagements. In Part 1, I shared outbound strategies: what to do when you pitch yourself. In Part 2, we talked about inbound strategies: how to set yourself up so event organizers find you. And now, it’s time to talk about getting paid to speak.

Because here’s the shift: when you position yourself as a thought leader who delivers transformation, not just information, you move from being “a nice-to-have” speaker to an essential investment for event organizers.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The signs that you’re ready to start charging for your talks.
• How to position your value in terms of audience transformation and ROI.
• What typical fee ranges look like across associations, conferences, and corporate.
• The exact question to ask organizers that opens up budget conversations.

  
  

Getting paid to speak is absolutely possible - and once you start, you’ll open the door to bigger stages and bigger impact.

Want help creating your signature talk, packaging your expertise, and building a strategy that leads to paid opportunities?

• Join our online Thought Leader Academy for step-by-step coaching and a proven process to elevate your message.
• Prefer in-person? Attend our 1-Day Speaking Accelerator in Orlando and walk away with your talk and action plan.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/443/

Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/

Attend our 1-day in-person Speaking Accelerator workshop in Orlando: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/

Enroll in our online Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 442: [Part 2] Booked Without Burnout: Speaking Invitations that Come to You
• Episode 441: [Part 1] Booked Without Burnout: A Smarter Way to Land Speaking Gigs
• Episode 422: How to Create a 10-Out-of-10 Keynote that Leaves Your Audience in Awe
• Episode 373: From Free to Fee: How to Get an ROI from Speaking

JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.