1 00:00:00,050 --> 00:00:02,450 Carol Cox: Struggling to get clarity on your ideas? 2 00:00:02,450 --> 00:00:04,730 Here's how to get out of your own head on 3 00:00:04,730 --> 00:00:06,440 this episode of the Speaking Your Brand 4 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:13,220 podcast. More and more women are making an 5 00:00:13,220 --> 00:00:15,920 impact by starting businesses, running for 6 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:18,830 office, and speaking up for what matters. 7 00:00:18,860 --> 00:00:21,080 With my background as a TV political 8 00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:23,930 analyst, entrepreneur, and speaker, I 9 00:00:23,930 --> 00:00:26,420 interview and coach purpose driven women to 10 00:00:26,420 --> 00:00:28,910 shape their brands, grow their companies, 11 00:00:28,910 --> 00:00:31,570 and become recognized as influencers in 12 00:00:31,570 --> 00:00:34,930 their field. This is speaking your brand, 13 00:00:34,930 --> 00:00:37,420 your place to learn how to persuasively 14 00:00:37,420 --> 00:00:40,810 communicate your message to your audience. 15 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:42,700 Hi and welcome to the Speaking Your Brand 16 00:00:42,700 --> 00:00:44,800 podcast. I'm your host, Carol Cox. 17 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,260 I hope you've enjoyed our recent episodes. 18 00:00:47,260 --> 00:00:49,600 Last week, we talked about strategies for 19 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:51,820 getting momentum on the speaking circuit 20 00:00:51,820 --> 00:00:53,260 with one of our thought leader Academy 21 00:00:53,260 --> 00:00:54,980 grads, And the week before that, we talked 22 00:00:54,980 --> 00:00:58,100 about why introverts make great speakers and 23 00:00:58,100 --> 00:01:01,190 leaders. Today, I want to talk about how you 24 00:01:01,190 --> 00:01:04,250 can get clarity on your ideas, because I 25 00:01:04,250 --> 00:01:06,230 know you want to have impactful talks and 26 00:01:06,230 --> 00:01:08,390 presentations. You want to make a positive 27 00:01:08,390 --> 00:01:10,100 impact on your audience. 28 00:01:10,100 --> 00:01:12,020 You want to develop your thought leadership 29 00:01:12,020 --> 00:01:14,330 and your brand and your business and your 30 00:01:14,330 --> 00:01:15,680 ideas matter. 31 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:18,170 But I know from talking to so many of you 32 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:20,720 that it all feels a little bit messy, or 33 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:22,850 maybe a lot messy and muddy. 34 00:01:22,850 --> 00:01:25,040 You're not sure which of your ideas are the 35 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:27,140 best ones, which to include in your 36 00:01:27,140 --> 00:01:29,600 presentations and talks, and how to make 37 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:31,310 sense of all of it. 38 00:01:31,340 --> 00:01:33,200 I went through the surveys that we have our 39 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:35,570 thought Leader Academy grads fill out after 40 00:01:35,570 --> 00:01:38,300 they finish the program, and here's what 41 00:01:38,300 --> 00:01:39,500 they say consistently. 42 00:01:39,500 --> 00:01:41,240 As far as the number one problem or 43 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:43,200 challenge that they were facing when they 44 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,930 decided to enroll in the program, they say 45 00:01:45,930 --> 00:01:47,910 things like, quote, I had too many ideas 46 00:01:47,910 --> 00:01:50,190 swirling around in my head, and I knew I 47 00:01:50,190 --> 00:01:52,800 needed outside expertise and guidance to 48 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:54,450 organize my thoughts. 49 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:56,670 Another woman said my ideas were scattered, 50 00:01:56,670 --> 00:01:58,590 and my confidence lacked the belief that I 51 00:01:58,590 --> 00:02:00,570 could deliver an idea that could inspire 52 00:02:00,570 --> 00:02:02,790 others. Another woman said that she really 53 00:02:02,790 --> 00:02:05,130 needed help organizing her thoughts in order 54 00:02:05,130 --> 00:02:07,370 to create a coherent message and a 55 00:02:07,370 --> 00:02:08,930 compelling talk. 56 00:02:08,930 --> 00:02:10,280 So an on and on. 57 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:12,260 So know that you are not alone. 58 00:02:12,260 --> 00:02:15,350 It is hard for our own selves to get clarity 59 00:02:15,350 --> 00:02:17,390 on your ideas. That's why I want to help you 60 00:02:17,390 --> 00:02:18,890 with this episode. 61 00:02:18,890 --> 00:02:21,320 I remember a console call that I had with a 62 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:23,780 woman, and you may be in this place as well. 63 00:02:23,780 --> 00:02:26,120 And she said to me she wondered if she 64 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:29,480 needed to figure out her idea first before 65 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:31,430 joining us in the Thought Leader Academy, 66 00:02:31,430 --> 00:02:33,360 And I told her, no, that's actually what 67 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:35,820 we're here for. If you wait until you figure 68 00:02:35,820 --> 00:02:37,710 out what your idea is, number one, you'll 69 00:02:37,710 --> 00:02:38,970 probably be waiting a long time. 70 00:02:38,970 --> 00:02:40,980 But number two, you'll be doing a lot of 71 00:02:40,980 --> 00:02:43,020 that hard work on your own. 72 00:02:43,020 --> 00:02:45,120 When you really need a coach, you need that 73 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:47,580 sounding board. You need that community in 74 00:02:47,580 --> 00:02:51,000 order to help you to define and iterate and 75 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:52,470 to evolve your ideas. 76 00:02:52,470 --> 00:02:55,560 As I say, we are your idea whisperers. 77 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:58,760 We listen to you and we pinpoint which of 78 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,010 your ideas are the ones to go forward with 79 00:03:01,010 --> 00:03:03,770 and how to make sense of them all together. 80 00:03:03,770 --> 00:03:05,480 If you would like to join us in our Thought 81 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:08,240 Leader Academy, we only have two start dates 82 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:10,940 left for the rest of 2024. 83 00:03:10,940 --> 00:03:13,520 We have August and we have October. 84 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:15,740 You can get all the details including the 85 00:03:15,740 --> 00:03:18,680 dates, the pricing and so on as speaking 86 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:20,950 your brand.com slash academy. 87 00:03:20,980 --> 00:03:22,000 Again, that's speaking your 88 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:25,840 brand.com/academy. Now let's get on with the 89 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:29,740 show. Why is it so hard for us to get 90 00:03:29,740 --> 00:03:32,230 clarity? I know how frustrating this feels 91 00:03:32,230 --> 00:03:34,300 because I feel this frustration myself. 92 00:03:34,300 --> 00:03:37,000 This is why I've worked with a book coach to 93 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,040 help me develop my ideas for my book. 94 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:41,590 Because even though I know what I want my 95 00:03:41,590 --> 00:03:44,290 book to be about, I still have, like you, 96 00:03:44,290 --> 00:03:46,290 all those ideas swirling around in my head. 97 00:03:46,290 --> 00:03:47,790 It kind of makes sense, but it kind of 98 00:03:47,790 --> 00:03:51,600 doesn't. And then I get analysis paralysis. 99 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:53,700 I start procrastinating, I start 100 00:03:53,700 --> 00:03:54,840 overthinking it. 101 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:57,630 I start organizing more than I should be 102 00:03:57,630 --> 00:03:59,730 writing and so on. And I know that's where 103 00:03:59,730 --> 00:04:01,680 you're at a lot of the times when you're 104 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:03,870 thinking about your signature talk, your 105 00:04:03,870 --> 00:04:05,790 message, or even just presentations in 106 00:04:05,790 --> 00:04:08,640 general that you want to put together, we 107 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:09,970 get stuck in our own head. 108 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,730 We've also been with our ideas for a long 109 00:04:12,730 --> 00:04:14,230 time, especially if you've been in your 110 00:04:14,230 --> 00:04:16,300 career or your business for a while. 111 00:04:16,300 --> 00:04:19,030 You've had these ideas with you a long time, 112 00:04:19,030 --> 00:04:21,700 so sometimes they may even feel a little 113 00:04:21,700 --> 00:04:23,800 stagnant, or you may be bored with them 114 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:26,260 because you've been with them for so long. 115 00:04:26,260 --> 00:04:28,210 But you have to remember, your audience 116 00:04:28,210 --> 00:04:30,850 hasn't been with them that long, and they're 117 00:04:30,850 --> 00:04:32,170 new to them. 118 00:04:32,170 --> 00:04:34,260 Your ideas and the way you're sharing your 119 00:04:34,260 --> 00:04:36,720 ideas, your perspective and your stories are 120 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:38,340 new to them. So those are some of the 121 00:04:38,340 --> 00:04:40,890 reasons why it can be hard to get clarity on 122 00:04:40,890 --> 00:04:42,330 our own ideas. 123 00:04:42,330 --> 00:04:44,130 And we really need to have that clarity, 124 00:04:44,130 --> 00:04:45,690 because when we're presenting to our 125 00:04:45,690 --> 00:04:48,840 audiences, I want you to think about finding 126 00:04:48,840 --> 00:04:50,670 your clear through line. 127 00:04:50,670 --> 00:04:53,520 It's like the trunk of a palm tree, which is 128 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:55,890 very solid, very stable. 129 00:04:55,890 --> 00:04:57,750 There's that palm tree trunk and then 130 00:04:57,770 --> 00:04:59,540 there's some branches at the top. 131 00:04:59,540 --> 00:05:02,450 But unlike an oak tree, which has branches 132 00:05:02,450 --> 00:05:05,270 upon branches, upon branches and lots of 133 00:05:05,270 --> 00:05:08,330 thick trunks in addition to the main one, 134 00:05:08,330 --> 00:05:10,490 that's a lot of times what our ideas feel 135 00:05:10,490 --> 00:05:12,200 like, those branches upon branches. 136 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:14,300 We could go off on one direction or we can 137 00:05:14,300 --> 00:05:16,280 go off on the other direction. 138 00:05:16,280 --> 00:05:19,100 But that not only is it too confusing for 139 00:05:19,100 --> 00:05:21,530 you, it's also to confusing and overwhelming 140 00:05:21,530 --> 00:05:23,580 for your audience. You want to think about 141 00:05:23,580 --> 00:05:26,430 that clear through line, that solid trunk of 142 00:05:26,430 --> 00:05:27,540 a palm tree. 143 00:05:27,540 --> 00:05:29,880 So once you have your clear through line, 144 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:32,010 this is what helps you to determine what to 145 00:05:32,010 --> 00:05:34,560 include in your talk, what to include in 146 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:35,700 your presentations. 147 00:05:35,700 --> 00:05:37,980 Because as I like to say, everything that 148 00:05:37,980 --> 00:05:41,040 you include has to hang off of that clear 149 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:44,040 through line has to hang off those branches 150 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:45,990 off of that palm tree trunk. 151 00:05:45,990 --> 00:05:49,130 Here's a few examples of clients that we've 152 00:05:49,130 --> 00:05:52,220 worked with as we're helping them to flesh 153 00:05:52,220 --> 00:05:54,680 out their ideas, they'll say things like, 154 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:56,660 well, I wanted my talk to be about 155 00:05:56,660 --> 00:05:58,760 leadership, but I also have this idea of 156 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:01,190 self-worth and of belonging and of 157 00:06:01,190 --> 00:06:02,900 boundaries, and they'll name different 158 00:06:02,900 --> 00:06:05,330 categories. Now, any of those categories 159 00:06:05,330 --> 00:06:07,220 could be the through line. 160 00:06:07,220 --> 00:06:09,260 The through line could be about leadership, 161 00:06:09,260 --> 00:06:10,550 could be about boundaries. 162 00:06:10,550 --> 00:06:13,000 It could be about self-worth and so on. 163 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:15,580 But they have to decide with our guidance 164 00:06:15,580 --> 00:06:18,220 and with our questions back to them, what is 165 00:06:18,220 --> 00:06:19,990 the through line? Because the talk will be 166 00:06:19,990 --> 00:06:22,210 slightly different. The emphasis of the 167 00:06:22,210 --> 00:06:24,940 stories and examples they share are is going 168 00:06:24,940 --> 00:06:26,830 to be different. If the through line is 169 00:06:26,830 --> 00:06:29,170 leadership versus self-worth versus 170 00:06:29,170 --> 00:06:30,670 belonging and so on. 171 00:06:30,670 --> 00:06:32,560 So that's why it's so important to have a 172 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:34,750 clear through line. Now you could end up 173 00:06:34,750 --> 00:06:36,630 creating several versions of your 174 00:06:36,630 --> 00:06:38,610 presentation. Maybe the through line of one 175 00:06:38,610 --> 00:06:40,470 is leadership and the through line of 176 00:06:40,470 --> 00:06:41,610 another is self-worth. 177 00:06:41,610 --> 00:06:43,290 And of course, there are things that are 178 00:06:43,290 --> 00:06:45,240 going to be in common with both of those 179 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:46,260 presentations. 180 00:06:46,260 --> 00:06:48,390 But as far as the emphasis you're making to 181 00:06:48,390 --> 00:06:50,790 your audience, it has to be clear what that 182 00:06:50,790 --> 00:06:52,770 through line is. And that's what we do at 183 00:06:52,770 --> 00:06:54,810 the very beginning of the Thought Leader 184 00:06:54,810 --> 00:06:56,910 Academy is we help you to do that. 185 00:06:57,090 --> 00:06:59,340 Having a framework, creating your own 186 00:06:59,350 --> 00:07:02,800 framework is also extremely helpful for 187 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:04,810 getting clarity on your ideas. 188 00:07:04,810 --> 00:07:07,780 You can create an acronym, an alliteration, 189 00:07:07,780 --> 00:07:08,860 a visual shape. 190 00:07:08,860 --> 00:07:11,740 Maybe you have stages that you're taking the 191 00:07:11,740 --> 00:07:13,780 audience through as far as your framework, 192 00:07:13,780 --> 00:07:16,540 and it is so fun to see our clients come up 193 00:07:16,540 --> 00:07:18,610 not only with their own frameworks, they'll 194 00:07:18,610 --> 00:07:21,670 come up with acronyms and different visual 195 00:07:21,670 --> 00:07:24,160 shapes, but they also think of ideas for 196 00:07:24,180 --> 00:07:26,130 each other. While we're on the group calls, 197 00:07:26,130 --> 00:07:28,050 they'll be like jotting down acronyms or 198 00:07:28,050 --> 00:07:30,780 even use ChatGPT to come up with acronyms on 199 00:07:30,780 --> 00:07:33,000 the spot. Now you can hear some of our 200 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:35,220 thought leader Academy grads on the episodes 201 00:07:35,220 --> 00:07:37,020 that we've done, where they've delivered a 202 00:07:37,020 --> 00:07:39,690 ten minute version of their signature talks. 203 00:07:39,690 --> 00:07:41,160 On our LinkedIn live show. 204 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:42,870 You can scroll back through the podcast feed 205 00:07:42,870 --> 00:07:46,230 to find them. But now, here's the biggest 206 00:07:46,230 --> 00:07:48,860 reason it's hard to get clarity on your 207 00:07:48,860 --> 00:07:50,690 ideas, along with being stuck in our own 208 00:07:50,690 --> 00:07:53,030 heads or being with our ideas for too long 209 00:07:53,030 --> 00:07:56,690 and so on. It's because you're stuck in the 210 00:07:56,690 --> 00:07:57,740 expert trap. 211 00:07:57,740 --> 00:08:00,410 It's because you want to give your audiences 212 00:08:00,410 --> 00:08:03,140 everything you know, everything you've 213 00:08:03,140 --> 00:08:05,420 learned over the past five years or ten 214 00:08:05,420 --> 00:08:08,090 years or 15 years or 20 years of your 215 00:08:08,090 --> 00:08:11,090 career. So of course it feels overwhelming 216 00:08:11,090 --> 00:08:14,250 to figure out how to convey all of that in a 217 00:08:14,250 --> 00:08:17,130 30 minute or 45 minute talk, even an hour 218 00:08:17,130 --> 00:08:18,960 talk or a half day workshop. 219 00:08:18,990 --> 00:08:21,180 It's overwhelming to figure that out because 220 00:08:21,180 --> 00:08:24,270 you can't you can't possibly share with your 221 00:08:24,270 --> 00:08:26,280 audiences everything you know, and it would 222 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:27,330 just be too much. 223 00:08:27,330 --> 00:08:29,160 And even in a half day or a full day 224 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:32,970 workshop, it's because you're too focused on 225 00:08:32,970 --> 00:08:36,360 information and conveying that rather than 226 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:37,940 on transformation. 227 00:08:37,940 --> 00:08:39,830 I want you to think of yourself as a 228 00:08:39,830 --> 00:08:42,320 speaker, as a leader, and as a curator. 229 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:45,680 You're curating the best pieces of content 230 00:08:45,680 --> 00:08:48,380 to share with your audiences those stories, 231 00:08:48,380 --> 00:08:51,230 those client examples, those fun cultural 232 00:08:51,230 --> 00:08:54,020 references, the use of humor so that your 233 00:08:54,020 --> 00:08:56,330 audience can truly understand where they're 234 00:08:56,330 --> 00:08:58,910 at, their goal, where they're getting stuck, 235 00:08:58,910 --> 00:09:02,410 those obstacles, and how your approach, your 236 00:09:02,410 --> 00:09:04,810 framework, your methodology, your big idea 237 00:09:04,810 --> 00:09:07,870 is going to help them to transform where 238 00:09:07,870 --> 00:09:09,790 they're getting stuck so that they can get 239 00:09:09,790 --> 00:09:12,220 past that to what they want to accomplish 240 00:09:12,220 --> 00:09:14,590 for themselves. So as you're sitting down 241 00:09:14,590 --> 00:09:16,330 and thinking about your presentations and 242 00:09:16,330 --> 00:09:18,100 your talks and your all your ideas and 243 00:09:18,100 --> 00:09:20,380 content pieces, first think about that palm 244 00:09:20,380 --> 00:09:23,350 tree, that through line, but then shift from 245 00:09:23,350 --> 00:09:25,660 thinking about all that information and 246 00:09:25,660 --> 00:09:28,410 instead think about the transformation, that 247 00:09:28,410 --> 00:09:31,110 paradigm shift, that aha moment, that 248 00:09:31,110 --> 00:09:34,260 lightbulb moment that you've had that you 249 00:09:34,260 --> 00:09:36,870 now want your audience to have related to 250 00:09:36,870 --> 00:09:39,030 your topic. Here are some things you can do 251 00:09:39,030 --> 00:09:40,680 to help make this happen. 252 00:09:40,860 --> 00:09:43,830 First is to write by hand instead of typing 253 00:09:43,830 --> 00:09:44,910 on a computer. 254 00:09:44,940 --> 00:09:46,950 Grab a piece of paper and a pen or pencil 255 00:09:46,950 --> 00:09:48,840 and just start writing out ideas for your 256 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:50,920 talk. Put it into a rough outline. 257 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:53,140 You can even draw visual diagrams. 258 00:09:53,140 --> 00:09:55,540 So draw that palm tree with the branches on 259 00:09:55,540 --> 00:09:59,050 it. Or draw some Venn diagrams, or just draw 260 00:09:59,050 --> 00:10:01,120 acronyms or different things like that. 261 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:03,130 Just that act of writing by hand and 262 00:10:03,130 --> 00:10:04,930 drawing. And the drawings don't have to be 263 00:10:04,930 --> 00:10:07,030 good. You just see the drawings I do when I 264 00:10:07,030 --> 00:10:09,070 work with clients on our VIP days, they are 265 00:10:09,070 --> 00:10:11,200 not good. But the point is, it unlocks 266 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:13,480 different parts of your brain than typing on 267 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:16,590 a computer. The second thing to do is talk 268 00:10:16,590 --> 00:10:19,080 out loud to someone and have them ask you 269 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:22,020 questions and record it while you're going 270 00:10:22,020 --> 00:10:24,720 along, so then you can transcribe it later 271 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:26,970 so you can use the voice memo app on your 272 00:10:26,970 --> 00:10:29,640 phone. You can use zoom to record it and 273 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:30,720 then transcribe it. 274 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:33,570 Just the act of talking out loud can give 275 00:10:33,570 --> 00:10:35,070 you so much clarity. 276 00:10:35,070 --> 00:10:36,900 Then keeping it in your head, or even just 277 00:10:36,900 --> 00:10:38,460 trying to type it out or write it out by 278 00:10:38,460 --> 00:10:41,840 yourself. The third thing to do is to read 279 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:44,510 books and listen to podcasts that are 280 00:10:44,510 --> 00:10:46,100 adjacent to your topic. 281 00:10:46,100 --> 00:10:48,830 So not specifically related to your topic or 282 00:10:48,830 --> 00:10:51,380 to your industry, but find those adjacent 283 00:10:51,380 --> 00:10:53,570 ones, or even ones that are like way out in 284 00:10:53,570 --> 00:10:55,580 left field. Because here's where you can 285 00:10:55,580 --> 00:10:58,070 find intersections of different ideas and 286 00:10:58,070 --> 00:11:00,830 how your idea intersects with other ideas 287 00:11:00,830 --> 00:11:03,200 that are out there. This will also help you 288 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:05,960 to spot trends and how you can fit your idea 289 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:07,340 into what's trending. 290 00:11:07,340 --> 00:11:08,960 I'm going to talk more about that on an 291 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:11,330 upcoming podcast episode about how to tie 292 00:11:11,330 --> 00:11:13,430 your topic to what's trending. 293 00:11:13,430 --> 00:11:16,430 The fourth thing to do is actually step away 294 00:11:16,430 --> 00:11:18,620 from what you think about your idea and 295 00:11:18,620 --> 00:11:21,350 topic, and instead consider where your 296 00:11:21,350 --> 00:11:23,690 audience is. So kind of remove yourself. 297 00:11:23,690 --> 00:11:25,160 Take off that expert hat. 298 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:26,660 This is kind of back to this idea of being 299 00:11:26,660 --> 00:11:27,920 stuck in the expert trap. 300 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:31,280 Take off that expert hat and instead put 301 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:33,080 yourself where your audience is, who maybe 302 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:35,240 knows a little bit about your topic, but not 303 00:11:35,240 --> 00:11:36,380 as much as you do. 304 00:11:36,410 --> 00:11:37,670 Where are they at? 305 00:11:37,670 --> 00:11:40,130 Where are they getting stuck, and what's 306 00:11:40,130 --> 00:11:42,440 going to help them to get to that next step, 307 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:44,390 that next stage where they need to get to. 308 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:46,100 So those are the four things that you can 309 00:11:46,100 --> 00:11:47,660 start doing now. Write by hand. 310 00:11:47,660 --> 00:11:50,300 Draw those visual diagrams, talk out loud to 311 00:11:50,300 --> 00:11:52,190 someone, have them ask you questions, and 312 00:11:52,190 --> 00:11:53,980 then record it and transcribe it. 313 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:56,920 Find books and podcasts that are adjacent, 314 00:11:56,920 --> 00:11:59,050 or maybe even just really outliers to your 315 00:11:59,050 --> 00:12:00,670 topic to find those interesting 316 00:12:00,670 --> 00:12:03,640 intersections and trends and then step away 317 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:05,320 from what you think about your idea and 318 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:07,690 topic, and consider where your audience is 319 00:12:07,690 --> 00:12:11,080 instead. Now, the other reason why it's hard 320 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:14,020 for us to get clarity on our ideas is that 321 00:12:14,020 --> 00:12:16,870 oftentimes we're faced with self-doubt. 322 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:19,050 We think, do our ideas matter? 323 00:12:19,050 --> 00:12:20,400 Do our stories matter? 324 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:23,070 If I can't make sense of my ideas, are they 325 00:12:23,070 --> 00:12:24,900 really good ideas? So we're facing this 326 00:12:24,900 --> 00:12:27,360 resistance. And I actually think resistance 327 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:29,820 is a good thing to be faced with. 328 00:12:29,820 --> 00:12:32,310 Resistance is good because I believe it 329 00:12:32,310 --> 00:12:34,590 tells you that there's something there. 330 00:12:34,590 --> 00:12:36,630 There is something where you need to dig a 331 00:12:36,630 --> 00:12:39,150 little bit deeper to get to that vulnerable 332 00:12:39,150 --> 00:12:41,770 part, to get to that transformation. 333 00:12:41,770 --> 00:12:44,620 Because after all, you are the messenger for 334 00:12:44,620 --> 00:12:47,830 your idea. Vulnerability is hard, but it 335 00:12:47,830 --> 00:12:50,530 matters. It matters so much not only to your 336 00:12:50,530 --> 00:12:52,150 audience, but also to you. 337 00:12:52,180 --> 00:12:55,060 I got a text message from a past client not 338 00:12:55,060 --> 00:12:57,850 too long ago, and here's what she shared 339 00:12:57,850 --> 00:13:01,030 with me that she wanted me to share with all 340 00:13:01,030 --> 00:13:03,460 of you. And she said I was asked to give a 341 00:13:03,490 --> 00:13:06,780 keynote at a conference and she did some 342 00:13:06,780 --> 00:13:08,340 research on this conference because she said 343 00:13:08,340 --> 00:13:10,050 she's very discerning about who she partners 344 00:13:10,050 --> 00:13:11,790 with as far as speaking engagements. 345 00:13:11,790 --> 00:13:13,740 So she decided that this conference seemed 346 00:13:13,740 --> 00:13:16,440 like a good fit for her and that she had 347 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:18,930 been doing local speaking as well as virtual 348 00:13:18,930 --> 00:13:20,910 speaking during the pandemic at a rate of 349 00:13:20,910 --> 00:13:24,600 $5,000 for a keynote or for a workshop style 350 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:27,420 talk. So this company found her online and 351 00:13:27,420 --> 00:13:29,250 reached out. She liked their mission, so she 352 00:13:29,250 --> 00:13:30,860 went ahead with the zoom call with them and 353 00:13:30,860 --> 00:13:32,090 they were great. And she thought, okay, this 354 00:13:32,090 --> 00:13:34,730 is a great fit. They asked her her speaking 355 00:13:34,730 --> 00:13:37,760 fee and she said, without any hesitation, 356 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:43,040 $25,000 plus travel expenses and lodging. 357 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:45,080 And then she continued, in her text message, 358 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:48,350 they said yes without hesitation, quote. 359 00:13:48,350 --> 00:13:50,450 Which made me think that I might have left 360 00:13:50,450 --> 00:13:51,500 money on the table. 361 00:13:51,500 --> 00:13:53,720 So I asked, what is the normal price they 362 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:56,860 hear? And they said they hear a range from 363 00:13:56,860 --> 00:13:59,680 10,000 to $40,000. 364 00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:02,860 So her 25,000 was within that range and not 365 00:14:02,860 --> 00:14:04,420 even on the lower range. That's why they 366 00:14:04,420 --> 00:14:06,070 said yes without hesitation. 367 00:14:06,070 --> 00:14:09,640 So she said, bottom line, the talk that I 368 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:12,490 give isn't easy, but it has changed my life, 369 00:14:12,490 --> 00:14:14,710 both personally and professionally and the 370 00:14:14,710 --> 00:14:16,480 lives of so many people. 371 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:19,310 Let the ladies know that vulnerability wins 372 00:14:19,310 --> 00:14:21,860 every time and charge what you are worth 373 00:14:21,860 --> 00:14:23,300 without hesitation. 374 00:14:23,300 --> 00:14:25,070 And then she concludes, I hope this message 375 00:14:25,070 --> 00:14:27,350 makes you smile and offers yet another 376 00:14:27,350 --> 00:14:29,300 validation that you matter. 377 00:14:30,140 --> 00:14:32,060 And I would just add that you matter. 378 00:14:32,060 --> 00:14:34,400 You listening to this podcast, you putting 379 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:35,960 yourself out there, you wanting to put 380 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:39,140 yourself out there to have a better future, 381 00:14:39,140 --> 00:14:40,850 to have to make positive change. 382 00:14:40,850 --> 00:14:43,340 You matter and your ideas matter. 383 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:45,370 That's why the work that we do with the 384 00:14:45,370 --> 00:14:47,350 women in our Thought Leader Academy lights 385 00:14:47,350 --> 00:14:48,430 us up so much. 386 00:14:48,430 --> 00:14:50,080 It is the favor it is. 387 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:52,480 Our favorite part of every single week is 388 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:54,160 getting to meet with you. 389 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:56,470 And when we do the VIP days with women to 390 00:14:56,470 --> 00:14:58,990 create their signature talk one on one, it 391 00:14:58,990 --> 00:15:01,420 truly is a magical process, not only for 392 00:15:01,420 --> 00:15:03,130 them, but also for us. 393 00:15:03,130 --> 00:15:05,240 I had a client recently and we did the three 394 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:07,390 hours together and it always comes together 395 00:15:07,390 --> 00:15:09,180 at the three hours. It's amazing. 396 00:15:09,180 --> 00:15:12,190 And she said, wow, you've done in three 397 00:15:12,190 --> 00:15:14,100 hours what I've been trying to do for the 398 00:15:14,100 --> 00:15:16,830 past five years on my own. 399 00:15:16,830 --> 00:15:20,310 That is the power of having an experienced 400 00:15:20,310 --> 00:15:22,620 coach to guide you through this process. 401 00:15:22,620 --> 00:15:23,940 And our thought leader Academy. 402 00:15:23,940 --> 00:15:26,010 Not only do you get that one on one VIP day 403 00:15:26,010 --> 00:15:28,050 to create your signature talk from scratch 404 00:15:28,050 --> 00:15:30,420 from beginning to end, but you also get 405 00:15:30,420 --> 00:15:33,080 eight weeks of group calls there, small 406 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:34,730 groups, 8 to 10 women. 407 00:15:34,730 --> 00:15:36,800 So you get to learn from each other. 408 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:38,690 You get ideas. Maybe you'll get an idea for 409 00:15:38,690 --> 00:15:40,820 a framework. You get validation, 410 00:15:40,820 --> 00:15:43,400 accountability, support and community. 411 00:15:43,430 --> 00:15:45,590 We do have different tiers for your needs 412 00:15:45,590 --> 00:15:47,840 and budget. And like I said in the intro, we 413 00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:50,480 only have two start dates left for 2020 for 414 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:51,740 August and October. 415 00:15:51,740 --> 00:15:54,170 You can get all of those details and apply 416 00:15:54,170 --> 00:15:56,920 as speaking your Brand.com slash academy. 417 00:15:56,950 --> 00:16:00,010 We're also hosting a one day in-person 418 00:16:00,010 --> 00:16:02,300 workshop in Orlando, Florida on October 419 00:16:02,300 --> 00:16:04,360 10th. We're very excited about this. 420 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:06,190 You can get all of those details as speaking 421 00:16:06,190 --> 00:16:08,920 your brand.com/workshop. 422 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:11,110 I hope to talk to you on a consult call 423 00:16:11,110 --> 00:16:13,600 someday soon. Until next time, thanks for 424 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:14,320 listening.