What if the most difficult experience of your life could become the very thing that changes someone else’s?

When we share our stories, we don’t just recount the past - we give our audiences a way to see their own challenges differently, to believe in what’s possible for them, and to take action in their own lives.

In this episode of the Speaking Your Brand podcast, I talk with Karen Keene, a graduate of our Thought Leader Academy, whose life was forever altered after surviving a violent home invasion. Karen’s journey of healing - through 26 surgeries, unimaginable loss, and the courage to rebuild - has become the foundation for a keynote talk that inspires audiences to face adversity with resilience and purpose.

But this conversation isn’t only about Karen’s story. It’s about:

• Why your story can be just as powerful, even if you haven’t faced extreme trauma

• How to uncover the universal lessons in your story that speak to anyone in your audience

• The importance of moving from “sharing what happened” to “showing what’s possible”

• Karen’s M.A.P. framework and how it turns inspiration into action

• The transformation that happens for you when you tell your story with intention

If you’ve ever wondered whether your story is “enough” to share or how to use it to truly serve your audience, this episode will give you both the confidence and the tools to do it.

This conversation originally aired as episode 337 on July 10, 2023.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/story-transformation/

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/

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Karen Keene = https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-keene-profile2023/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 297: Integrating Your Story Into Your Talks with Carol Cox, Diane Diaz, and Joy Spencer
• Episode 263: Finding the Emotional Heart of Your Message with Carol Cox
• Episode 230: Use Your Story for an Inspirational Talk with Tanea Smith
• Episode 137: The Missing Ingredients in Your Stories with Carol Cox

Ever wish you could walk on stage and instantly connect with your audience, whether it’s a room of five people or a stadium of 50,000?

In this episode, Diane Diaz and I are trying something new: a reaction video to a famous speech. And who better to kick things off than Taylor Swift’s 2022 NYU Commencement Address?

You might think being a global superstar makes Taylor impossible to relate to. But what she does in this speech is exactly what you can do in your own presentations to make your audience lean in, laugh, and feel like you’re speaking directly to them.

We break down three powerful speaking tips for relatability that you can start using right away:

• Self-deprecating humor to lower the pedestal and create connection.

• Knowing your audience: their stage in life, challenges, and what they want next.

• Bridging personal stories to universal themes so your message resonates far beyond the details of your own experience.
  
  

Whether you’re delivering a keynote, leading a workshop, or speaking on a panel, these strategies will help you connect, engage, and inspire, no guitar required (unless you have one, then bring it!).

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/438/

Watch our video conversation: https://youtu.be/-Mm2_urTF40

Taylor Swift Commencement Address at NYU in 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBG50aoUwlI

Taylor on Travis Kelce’s New Heights podcast in August 2025: https://youtu.be/M2lX9XESvDE?si=r_GL2a_iNf2F_iuJ

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/

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox

• Diane Diaz = https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianediaz/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 426: Every Talk Needs Humor: Here are 5 Ways to Make Your Audience Laugh

• Episode 398: Storytelling for Leaders: Crafting Narratives that Inspire and Persuade

Do you ever feel like you're stuck in the "expert trap" - sharing lots of great information, but not quite connecting with your audience the way you want to?

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Teri DeLucca, founder of Impact Early Education and a graduate of our Thought Leader Academy, about how she made the bold leap from academic researcher and fact-based presenter to transformational speaker and sought-after thought leader.

Teri has not one, but TWO PhDs (yes, you read that right!), and like many high-achieving women, she found comfort in data and research. But as she began training preschool teachers and school leaders, she realized that just presenting facts wasn’t creating the impact she truly wanted.

In our conversation, Teri shares:

• What led her to start her own business and step into entrepreneurship

• The power of personal storytelling in leadership and speaking

• How embracing vulnerability changed everything for her and her audiences

• Her transformation through the Thought Leader Academy and how it impacted her signature talk

• Her behind-the-scenes prep for a major international keynote (and why she called me in for a VIP Day!)

• Why it's not only okay, but essential, to share your personal challenges as a speaker and leader

If you've ever worried that being real with your audience might hurt your credibility, you need to hear what Teri says about the moment she realized not sharing her struggles was actually holding her back.

Teri’s story is proof that when you let go of perfection and speak from a place of truth, that’s when real transformation happens—for you and the people you're meant to reach.

This conversation originally aired as episode 338 on July 17, 2023.

Links:

Show notes: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/escape-expert-trap/

Learn more about Teri’s work at ImpactEarlyEd.com.

Listen to Episode 241 – The Expert Trap – to learn more about how to shift from expert to transformational speaker: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/241/

Ready to escape the expert trap and develop your own signature talk and thought leadership? Join us in the Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/

If you're using speaking for lead generation, you won’t want to miss this episode.

I’m joined by Danielle Hayden, CEO of Kickstart Accounting, Inc., who came to me for a VIP Day to create a new signature talk. Like many entrepreneurs, Danielle had been speaking often, but she knew she was overloading her audience with too much information and not enough transformation.

In this conversation, we pull back the curtain on the process we used to refine her message, develop her thought leadership, and craft a presentation that truly connects - with results to prove it.

You’ll learn:

• Why Danielle knew it was time to evolve her talk (and how she resisted telling personal stories at first!)

• The moment we discovered her unique thought leadership angle: “The Spending Gap”

• Behind the scenes of what happens during a VIP Day

• What happened when she delivered her new talk for the first time (spoiler: record number of new clients!)

• Why storytelling, especially the vulnerable kind, is a powerful connector

• How she uses other lead gen strategies like podcast guesting and hosting her own podcast
  
  

You’ll walk away with ideas on how to turn your own talk into a powerful magnet that attracts the right clients - and how to infuse it with insight, story, and strategy.

Want your own VIP Day to develop your signature talk? Learn more and join us in the Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/

(This conversation originally aired as episode 362 on December 11, 2023.)

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/362/

Danielle’s website: https://kickstartaccountinginc.com/gift/

Danielle’s podcast “Entrepreneur Money Stories”: https://kickstartaccountinginc.com/entrepreneur-money-stories-podcast/

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

Get your own VIP Day to create your signature talk by signing up for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox

• Danielle Hayden (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-hayden-kickstartaccounting/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 204: Make Better Decisions around Business and Speaking Opportunities with Danielle Hayden

• Episode 288: A Framework for Creating a Signature Talk for Income and Impact

• Episode 290: [Coaching] Get More Leads from Your Presentations

• Episode 271: Providing Transformation vs. Information

We believe that every presentation, whether internal or external, at a conference or at a board meeting, has the power to shift how your audience views a topic and the positive changes that can come as a result.

It’s not just about delivering information – it’s about shifting perspectives, sparking new ideas, and inspiring action.

This episode is the audio from a live show we did with two of our recent Thought Leader Academy grads: Dr. Bonnie Boles and Denise Cárdenas López.

Both Bonnie and Denise are executives at companies and often present both internally to team members as well as externally at conferences and to groups.

When we worked with them in a VIP Day to create their signature talk as part of the Thought Leader Academy, we kept both of these audiences in mind.

You’ll get to hear Bonnie and Denise deliver a 10-minute version of their new signature talk.

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 thought leaders.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/437/

Watch the video at https://youtube.com/live/FuUSOnXMYPg

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/

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox

• Diane Diaz = https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianediaz/

• Dr. Bonnie Boles = https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-boles-md-mba-chcio-fccp-09b69792/

• Denise Cárdenas López = https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisecardenaslopez/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 431: Why Your Tech Presentations Aren’t Landing - and How to Fix Them

• Episode 355: What a Signature Talk Is and What It Should be Doing for You

The key to a powerful presentation isn’t just telling stories – it’s uncovering the lessons within them.

When you share a personal experience or an impactful moment, you’re not just recounting events; you’re inviting your audience to see the world through your eyes, to feel what you felt, and to learn from what you lived.

Your stories become more than just a narrative – they can spark change in the hearts and minds of your audience.

This episode is the audio from a live show we did with three of our recent Thought Leader Academy grads: Moe Boles, Melinda Hrynewycz, and Sara Ecklein.

You’ll hear each woman deliver a 10-minute version of the signature talk they created with us, so you can see and hear them in action, demonstrating how drawing insights from personal experiences can create engaging, memorable, and impactful messages.

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 thought leaders.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/436/

Watch the video at https://youtube.com/live/qfOOs3Q3H5c

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/

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox

• Melinda Hrynewycz = https://www.linkedin.com/in/melinda-hrynewycz/

• Moe Boles = https://www.linkedin.com/in/moe-smith-boles-mba-hm-rn-b617236/

• Sara Ecklein = https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-ecklein/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 355: What a Signature Talk Is and What It Should be Doing for You

• Episode 263: Finding the Emotional Heart of Your Message

What if you could go from a completely blank page - or in this case, a blank poster board - to mapping out and practicing your signature talk… all in just one day?

That’s exactly what happened at our recent in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop in Orlando, and in this episode, you’ll hear directly from three of the incredible women who participated: Lesline Pittman, Monica Mitchell, and Dr. Emma Jones.

You’ll get the behind-the-scenes scoop on what it’s like to go from idea to delivery in a single day (yes, it’s totally possible!) - including the unexpected improv exercises, vulnerable storytelling moments, and the real magic that happens when smart, passionate women come together to use their voice.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why each of them said “yes” to attending the workshop (even flying in from out of state!)

• How they went from “Can I really do this in one day?” to confidently practicing their talk on stage

• What it felt like to get feedback in real-time and push past perfectionism

• The power of sharing personal stories

• What they’re doing next with their talks and visibility efforts
  
  

You’ll also hear some powerful lessons about embracing vulnerability, escaping the “expert trap,” and why your story absolutely matters, even if others are talking about similar topics.

Whether you’ve been thinking about joining one of our in-person workshops or you just want some encouragement to get your own talk out of your head and into the world, this episode will inspire you to take that next bold step.

Our next 1-day Speaking Workshop is on October 30, 2025, in Downtown Orlando, Florida! If you’re ready to accelerate your growth as a speaker, gain hands-on feedback, and have a lot of fun, this is your chance. Learn more and grab your spot at https://www.SpeakingYourBrand.com/orlando/.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/435/

Video from the live show: https://youtube.com/live/ZH73ckePBdo

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

Attend our 1-day speaking workshop in Orlando: https://www.SpeakingYourBrand.com/orlando/

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

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox

• Emma Jones, MD = https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-jones-mdcoach/

• Monica Mitchell = https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachmjmitchell/

• Lesline Pittman = https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslinepittman/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 421: 100x Your Speaking in a Day: Insights from Our Recent In-Person Workshop

I vividly remember the day after Christmas 2022. Not because I was relaxing, but because I was at my laptop, updating my university courses and diving headfirst into AI tools for my business and podcast. ChatGPT had just launched, and I knew instantly: this was different. This wasn’t just another tech trend; this was a transformation.

In this episode, I share the talk I recently delivered at the ElleX Summit, where I wove together history, technology, and the urgent need for women’s voices in AI.

From Ada Lovelace and the women of NASA to Eleanor Roosevelt and the Brontë sisters, women have always shown up when new technologies emerged that gave them a voice and a platform.

And now, it’s our moment again.

You’ll hear:

• Why AI isn’t just a tool - it’s a force shaping how we work, teach, govern, and live

• Shocking examples of gender bias baked into AI systems

• Why your perspective, leadership, and storytelling are essential in this new era

• How I’m using AI to save time on the computer, so I can do more of the work that makes me feel human
  
  

AI can either reinforce the past or help us create a more inclusive future. It’s up to us to choose. Let’s make sure future generations find plenty of women in the history books of this AI era.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/434/

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

Join our Automate & Amplify with AI program: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/ai/

Learn how we can work together on your thought leadership and signature talk: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/work-with-us/coaching/

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

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 430: What Giving a TED-Style Talk Revealed About Us as Speakers

• Episode 432: AI Will Impact You: Here are 4 Ways to Think About It

• Episode 433: Behind the Scenes of My AI-Powered Business: Real-World Use Cases