Have you ever had one of those moments when all eyes are on you… and your brain suddenly decides to take a vacation? Whether it’s during a big presentation, a media interview, or an unexpected question in a meeting, how we communicate under pressure shapes how we’re seen as leaders.

That’s why I’m so excited for you to hear my conversation with Jen Mueller, a veteran sports broadcaster for the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Mariners and the founder of Talk Sporty to Me. After more than 25 years on the sidelines of major games, Jen knows exactly what it takes to stay composed, confident, and clear when the heat is on.

In this episode, Jen shares how to:

• Use high-stakes moments to highlight your preparedness and expertise instead of shying away from them
• Prepare for spontaneity (yes, that’s possible!)
• Assert your presence even if you’re naturally quieter or more introverted
• Practice confidence and clarity through small, everyday interactions
• Recover gracefully when things don’t go as planned (including her stories of post-game interviews and a few Gatorade showers!)

I also share one of my own on-air “blank brain” moments from live TV and what I learned about giving myself grace when things don’t go perfectly.

If you’ve ever wished you could think faster, speak clearer, or project confidence when it matters most, this episode will give you practical tools and real stories to help you become a true clutch communicator.

Join us at our next Speaking Accelerator workshop in Orlando, Florida! In just one day, you’ll craft your signature talk and practice delivering it, so you leave ready to step on stage with confidence. Get the details at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

About My Guest: Jen Mueller is a veteran sideline reporter for the Seattle Seahawks, and a longtime member of the Seattle Mariners' TV broadcast team. With over 25 years of experience covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and more, she’s mastered the art of building relationships and delivering impactful stories in fast-paced environments. As the founder of Talk Sporty to Me, Jen translates her locker room communication strategies into actionable insights for business professionals, helping them level up their conversations and leadership skills.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/450/

Jen’s website: http://www.talksportytome.com/

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/

Apply for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/

Connect on social:

• Carol on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Jen on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenmuellertalksporty/
• Jen on Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/TalkSportyToMe
• Jen’s YouTube channel = https://www.youtube.com/@TalkSportyToMe

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 390: Why "Perfect" Speakers Don't Connect: Stop Memorizing & Build Confidence Speaking Off the Cuff
• Episode 370: Overcome Speaking Nerves & Anxiety: How to Develop Confidence on Stage

Do you feel like your presentations are good, but maybe not yet great? The kind that gets people talking, taking action, and reaching out long after the event?

That’s exactly what happened for my guest, Karen Cochran, founder of Philanthropy Innovators.

Karen has led teams that have raised over $1 billion (yes, billion with a “B”!) - and after attending our 1-Day Speaking Accelerator Workshop and working with me on her presentation makeover, she delivered what attendees called “the most valuable session at the conference.”

In this episode, you’ll hear how Karen transformed her talk by making small but powerful shifts in storytelling, structure, and connection—and how those changes led to remarkable results.

We dig into:

• The difference between informing and transforming your audience
• How storytelling creates connection, especially in philanthropy and leadership
• Why suspense and foreshadowing keep audiences engaged (and how Karen used this brilliantly!)
• The key mindset shift from “writer” to “speaker” that helps your ideas land with clarity

Karen also shares how storytelling in fundraising parallels effective public speaking. Both are about listening, connecting, and understanding what truly matters to your audience.

If you’ve been feeling stuck in “the expert trap”—overloading your slides with information instead of making emotional connections—this episode will show you what happens when you let your stories and your personality shine.

Listen in and imagine what could change for you with just a few strategic tweaks to your talk.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/449/

Karen’s website: https://www.philanthropyinnovators.com/

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

Book a Presentation Makeover: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/presentation-makeover/

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

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Karen Cochran = https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-cochran/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 435: From Blank Page to On Stage: What It's Like to Create and Practice a Talk in One Day
• Episode 436: Turn Your Stories Into Impactful Messages: Live Signature Talks from TLA Grads
• Episode 382: 3 Signs You're Stuck in the Expert Trap with Your Public Speaking

Most of us have been told that if we want referrals, we should just ask for them. But, that approach can feel awkward.

What if, instead of asking, you could design an experience that makes you naturally referable?

That’s exactly what my guest, Stacey Brown Randall, teaches. Stacey is the author of her new book The Referable Client Experience, and she’s built a proven system to generate consistent referrals — without asking, without paying, and without gimmicky tactics.

In this conversation, Stacey and I dig into:

• Why doing great work isn’t enough to generate referrals
• The three stages of the client experience — new, active, and alumni — and what to do in each one
• The difference between “work” touch points and “relationship” touch points (and how both matter)
• How to stay top of mind with clients after your work together is done
• What speakers can do to create a “referable” experience for event organizers

I especially loved Stacey’s ideas for how we can nurture relationships in meaningful ways — like acknowledging that quiet voice of buyer’s remorse with empathy and care, or sending a “You survived it!” gift to an event organizer after a big conference.

These kinds of thoughtful, human touches don’t just make you memorable — they make you referable.

If you’ve ever wished more clients and speaking invitations came your way because people can’t stop talking about the experience you create, this episode is for you.

Tune in and start designing your own referable client (or audience!) experience.

About My Guest: Stacey Brown Randall is the multiple award-winning author of Generating Business Referrals Without Asking, author of the forthcoming book, The Referable Client Experience (October 2025) and host of the Roadmap to Referrals podcast.Stacey teaches business owners how to generate referrals naturally...without manipulating, incentivizing or even asking.She has been featured in national publications like Entrepreneur magazine, Investor Business Daily, Forbes, and more. She received her Master’s in Organizational Communication and is married with three kids.

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/448/

Get Stacey’s new book The Referable Client Experience: https://referableclientexperience.com/

Stacey’s website: http://www.staceybrownrandall.com/

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

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Stacey Brown Randall (guest) = http://www.linkedin.com/in/staceybrandall

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 62: Tired of Asking? A Better Way to Get Referrals with Stacey Brown Randall
• Episode 442: [Part 2] Booked Without Burnout: Speaking Invitations that Come to You

Are you the kind of speaker who loves to have everything prepared in advance? Perhaps you even have your entire presentation scripted out nearly word for word and you have detailed notes for every slide that you rely on?

Well, I have a challenge for you: getting more comfortable with impromptu speaking.

As a speaker and as a leader, both impromptu and prepared speaking skills are a must.

Have you ever had one of these situations happen to you:

You're in a meeting or group and asked to share something on the spot. You get really nervous and feel at a loss for words.

You're at a networking event where you need to concisely share with other attendees who you are, what you do, and how you help people. After you introduce yourself, you realized you left out the most important parts or it all felt like a jumble.

You're leading a meeting where you need to motivate your team, but you didn't have an opportunity to prepare your message ahead of time and feel like you weren't as clear or confident as you want to be.

This is why developing your impromptu speaking skills is essential.

I want more women - including you! - to feel comfortable and confident commanding a room and leading teams, organizations, and companies.

In this episode, I share:

• Why impromptu speaking is hard
• Why it matters to your development as a speaker and leader
• Specific things you can do to get better at impromptu speaking
• Some of my own impromptu speaking wins and fails!

This episode originally aired as episode 390 on April 29, 2024.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/390/

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/

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 382: 3 Signs You're Stuck in the Expert Trap with Your Public Speaking
• Episode 370: Overcome Speaking Nerves & Anxiety: How to Develop Confidence on Stage
• Episode 379: How to Develop Stage Presence and Build Confidence as a Speaker
• Episode 347: The Power of REAL Practice to Transform Yourself as a Speaker

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/.