Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies

We 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”...

Show Notes

We 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.

We explore why embracing your full self - quirks, career twists, and even those moments that feel “messy” - is essential for authenticity and personal branding.

Diane shares how her Ironman journey continues to influence her life, even years later, and I reflect on bringing my tech background into Speaking Your Brand’s evolution.

You’ll learn:

  • Why “reinvention” might not be the right word (and why evolution feels more authentic)

  • The importance of challenging yourself - even when it feels uncomfortable

  • How to embrace all aspects of your past, from childhood passions to career pivots, to shape your personal brand

  • What saying “yes” to unexpected opportunities (hello, comedy sets!) can do for your growth

 

This episode is full of personal stories and actionable takeaways to help you think about what’s next for you. Whether it’s launching a podcast, tackling public speaking, delivering a TEDx talk, or simply trying something new, it’s never too late to evolve.

This episode was filmed in one of the beautiful studios on the campus of Full Sail University, where Diane and I have been teaching business and marketing classes since 2009.

Watch the video episode (you’ll love it, including some behind the scenes!) at https://youtu.be/718HGeeKr20

 

Timestamps:

  • [00:00] Introduction: Reinvention vs. Evolution – Are You Challenging Yourself?

  • [00:25] Behind the Scenes: Filming at Full Sail University

  • [01:15] Why Evolution is More Authentic Than Reinvention

  • [02:33] Embracing Your Full Self in Your Personal Brand

  • [04:19] Diane’s Ironman Journey: Lessons That Still Resonate

  • [06:48] Carol’s Career Evolution: From Tech to Speaking Your Brand

  • [08:46] The Role of Adaptability in Personal and Professional Growth

  • [10:36] Saying Yes to Unexpected Opportunities (Diane’s Comedy Set!)

  • [12:21] The Importance of Enjoying the Process Over Perfection

  • [13:02] Closing Thoughts: What’s Your Next Challenge?

 

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/424/

Watch the video of this episode at https://youtu.be/718HGeeKr20

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/ 

Join us at our B.O.L.D. Brand Intensive Retreat in London in Summer 2025: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/london/ 

Connect on LinkedIn:

Related Podcast Episodes:

 


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What is Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies?

It's time to escape the expert trap and become an in-demand speaker and thought leader through compelling and memorable business presentations, keynotes, workshops, and TEDx talks. If you want to level up your public speaking to get more and better, including paid, speaking engagements, you've come to the right place! Thousands of entrepreneurs and leaders have learned from Speaking Your Brand and now you can too through our episodes that will help you with storytelling, audience engagement, building confidence, handling nerves, pitching to speak, getting paid, and more. Hosted by Carol Cox, entrepreneur, speaker, and TV political analyst. This is your place to learn how to persuasively communicate your message to your audience.

Carol Cox:
It's okay if your personal brand feels a bit

messy. That's a natural part of an authentic

evolution of who you are,

which is what we dive into today on this

episode of the Speaking Your Brand podcast.

More and more women are making an impact by

starting businesses, running for office and

speaking up for what matters.

With my background as a TV political analyst,

entrepreneur, and speaker,

I interview and coach purpose driven women to

shape their brands, grow their companies,

and become recognized as influencers in their

field. This is speaking your brand,

your place to learn how to persuasively

communicate your message to your audience.

Hi there. This is your host,

Carol Cox. Thank you for indulging me in my

two month break from this podcast.

It was exactly what I needed.

And during that time, Diane Diaz,

our lead speaking coach, and I had an

opportunity to record some podcast episodes

in an actual film studio on the campus of

Full Sail University, where we teach business

and marketing classes.

You can listen to this episode audio only,

but I think you're going to get the most out

of it if you watch the video.

The video has extra clips in it.

When we're talking about different things, it

really is an amazing edit and I would love to

hear your feedback on it.

You can find the video on the show notes page

at Speaking Your Brand 424.

So the episode number Speaking Your Brand

424. In the show notes,

you can also find the direct link to the

YouTube video itself.

Now let's get on with the show.

Hi there and welcome to Speaking Your Brand.

I'm your host, Carol Cox,

joined by our lead speaking coach,

Diane Diaz.

Diane Diaz:
Hi, everybody.

Carol Cox:
Today we are filming in one of the studios on

the campus of Full Sail University,

where Diane and I have been teaching for 16

years in the digital marketing program.

We certainly have evolved over those years.

Everything from how has the internet has

evolved, as has AI.

And we want to talk today about reinvention

versus evolution.

I feel like a lot of times we are told that

we should reinvent ourselves,

that we should become someone new if we want

to take on different aspects of our career or

projects that we're working on.

But I'm not sure reinvention is the right

word, because I'm not even sure it's possible

to truly reinvent who you are.

I think it's more of an evolution.

So, Diane, thinking about your career that

you've had in marketing and branding,

including at the university,

how have you seen this idea of evolution play

out?

Diane Diaz:
I agree with you that it is not really a

reinvention, because I think who we are today

is largely, obviously based on who we used to

be and things we've learned over the course

of time over our careers,

personal experiences.

And so I really feel like it's really just a

maybe coming into who you are and an

identification of all that makes you who you

are based on all those experiences that

you've had.

Carol Cox:
I wonder if part of it is also an acceptance

of all these different aspects of ourselves.

I remember way back when I started speaking

your brand in 2015, 2016.

I was told by very well-meaning people that I

should not talk about my background in

politics, that it could potentially turn off

people if they weren't similarly politically

aligned. And I should just kind of ignore

that aspect of my career.

And I thought at the time, well, that doesn't

really make sense because it is a core part

of who I am, who I am,

who I always have been as part of my values,

the work that I do, the work that I like to

do with women, to help them use their voice.

But I'm sure that there's a lot of women out

there that feel like maybe aspects of their

career or things that they've done that they

have not embraced because they're afraid that

either it feels messy or like it doesn't feel

like it is as part of their overall cohesive

brand.

Diane Diaz:
Yeah. That's true. I hear that from clients

sometimes, or even just in conversations with

women. And I think it's a it's a valid

concern. But what I would say to that is that

when we are trying to push down some aspect

of ourselves, like for you,

the, the political portion of your career,

then you cannot be who you truly are and be

your full self in anything that you do.

Right. And so I think that then colors how

you do what you do. But when when we just

bring everything about ourselves and

certainly whatever setting you're in,

whether it's a networking event or a personal

event, you're going to change how you convey

that. But when you bring your whole self and

all that makes you who you are, the politics,

even religion for some people,

hobbies, personal interests.

When you bring all of those things to the

work that you do and to your messaging,

that is truly what your personal brand is.

Right. And that's how we can feel more

comfortable living in our personal brand. It

doesn't feel like a disconnect between who

were saying we are and who we actually are,

which we don't want that disconnect.

Carol Cox:
Well, I know that you are an iron man.

You completed an Iron Man.

This was in 2013.

Yes, yes. And so and that was a big part of

your identity. And when we started teaching

here at the university in 2009,

I was so inspired and impressed by these

triathlons that you were doing.

And so I started doing more running, and I

was like, I got to keep up with Diane and her

fitness. And then when you did the Ironman,

I was like, wow, I was blown away.

I mean, it was just such an accomplishment.

And I remember you telling me last year

you're like, well, that feels like it was so

long ago. Can I really still talk about that?

Or can I still include it in the talks that I

do? And I said yes, because that number one

shows so much about who you are and your

personality and what matters to you.

And yes, even though it may have been ten

years ago now, it's still something that

shapes, I believe, who who you still are

today.

Diane Diaz:
Yeah, that's a good point. And it does. I

mean, it does from my side.

It does feel like a little bit of like a

statute of limitations has run out on that.

But I think you make a valid point,

because everything that we've done,

even things that we've done when we were a

child, come into our personal brand.

And so, yes, that does inform how I look at

the world. Right? Because I do,

even though I don't do triathlons anymore, I

do operate sort of in this world of doing

things that are healthy for me and help keep

me fit, which is a big part of what my

personal brand is about. So even though that

has changed what it is that I do to do that,

it is still my personal brand. But even

things from childhood that might have been

interests that we had,

hobbies that we had, those things still

factor in because who we are today is based

on experiences we had as children growing up.

As young adults.

You know that all of that informs our

personal brand. So I do still share anecdotes

about that experience and the lessons from it

that it taught me, which had enormous

lessons. I share those in my talks or with

clients because I think that not That not

only do they inform what my personal brand

is, but they're good lessons for clients to

sort of take away and apply in the work that

they're doing. So I try to still incorporate

that message.

Carol Cox:
Well as a tease. For those of you listening

in another episode, we talk about stories

that we have learned about ourselves from

when we were younger. That very much informs

how we showed up as adults,

so stay tuned for that one.

But let's get back to the idea of reinvention

versus evolution.

And I think that one of the things that why I

find the Iron Man so fascinating is because

you were willing to challenge yourself in a

big way. It's not easy to do that.

It takes a lot of work. You have to be

uncomfortable, like physically uncomfortable.

But as you said, it's so much more as a

mental game, even more than physical.

And I think that we stop growing or evolving

when we stop challenging ourselves.

And there may be times in our life or our

career where like, okay, I have enough going

on, like I can't add more to my plate and I

have to just work with what I already have

mastered and feel comfortable with.

But I feel like for myself,

I get to a point where I'm like,

okay, I've mastered this thing. I understand

how to do it. I feel really good and

comfortable and I enjoy doing it now.

What's next? Like I'm looking onto the

horizon and sometimes I need a push,

like an external push from somewhere else to

push me into that, to get me out of my

comfort zone. And sometimes I can kind of

force myself to do it.

So have you had a time in your life where

that has happened for you?

Diane Diaz:
Oh my goodness, yes. So before teaching at

Full Sail, I worked in land development for a

big corporation that was a national land

developer, and I was there for almost ten

years. And then the housing market collapsed.

Now, just to back up a little bit,

I was already ready to leave that job.

I felt like I had sort of outgrown it and was

ready to move on to something else, but I

don't think I would have had it had I not

been laid off. And so I think the push of

getting laid off from that is what got me

here and teaching, which I absolutely love.

And I felt I actually tell people when I tell

that story, I was like, I was lucky enough to

enough to get laid off because I am so glad

that I did. I would not have left that job

had it not been for that.

So that that's sort of that evolution.

It wasn't a reinvention. I didn't reinvent

myself into an educator.

I took all my experience that I had from the

past ten years and before,

and wrapped that into bringing that to the

classroom, the virtual classroom,

as it were, and using that to help inform how

I teach about branding to students.

So even those experiences,

it wasn't a reinvention. It was sort of an

evolution of who I am as a person and as a

professional.

Carol Cox:
That's a great example, because that teaching

thread has been there ever since you were a

little girl teaching your stuffed animals. I

know you talk about that up through until

what you do today. And then I think about my

background in technology,

in software development, which I did many,

many moons ago. My first companies were tech

companies, and I really dropped that entire

aspect of what I did professionally because I

wanted to move into doing speaking your brand

and working with people, and less with typing

code on the computer screen.

But then when I really kind of came out with

ChatGPT. A couple of years ago,

I was immediately enthralled and could see

all the possibilities.

That could be done with it.

So I kind of like went back into my past and

pulled this. Like thread of technology and

then brought that back into the present,

which again, I think. Is more of this idea of

evolution. I didn't reinvent,

I didn't all of a sudden become. A tech

person. It was just that,

okay, I have this interest now,

let me bring it back. More into the

forefront.

Diane Diaz:
Yeah, absolutely. And I think that's true

too. If you look at just the.

Story that you brought up about me doing the

Iron Man, I grew up as a very uncoordinated,

not. Athletic child, and I had no athletic

bone in my body. And so you might say,

well, that was. Reinvention. But it really

wasn't, because it was me. Like you said,

you get bored and you're like, you want a new

challenge. And then I,

little by little, started doing little, like

five K's and different things. And it sort of

ramped up from there.

And it becomes that way of showing yourself

that you can take something from your past

and sort of rework it.

And it isn't a reinvention,

but it is evolving into understanding how to

attack new challenges, like taking what you

did in coding and applying that to the work

that you do with clients. It's different,

but it's it's different, but it's the same.

Carol Cox:
Right, right. Well, and thinking about I,

I remember when ChatGPT came out and I,

and I was all over it and adding it to the

classes that I teach here and figure out how

to use it in speaking in your brand.

And I remember telling you about it.

And what was your response?

Diane Diaz:
You had me come to your house, you showed me

all this stuff, and I was like,

well, I don't know what any of this is, but

let's do it.

Carol Cox:
And I appreciate that because I think that is

a key part of evolution,

is being willing to say yes,

be adaptable, be open,

and not be so rigid.

I feel like for myself,

when I was in my 20s and 30s,

I had a very clear idea of like how the world

looked and worked to me and like how I wanted

it to look and work.

And it's almost like, okay, I was going to

make sure I fit everything into that that

viewpoint. And sure, it works a little bit,

but maybe it doesn't work as well as we

thought it did looking back.

But I think that especially when we get to

this point in our careers,

having this ability to be adaptable and

flexible and say yes, even to things that

seem totally different than what we've done

before, or things that seem really

uncomfortable or new.

Diane Diaz:
Now, that's a really good point, because if I

look back on my younger self and my younger

days in my career and trying so hard to make

things happen, and now I look at myself now

and I kind of just go with the flow. But

things happen better and more aligned with

who I am and what I want.

So I think the pushing so hard sometimes you

actually set yourself up for a lot more

resistance than if you just go where the

opportunities are and say yes to things like,

for example, me doing a comedy set at the

beginning of the year. That isn't something

that I would have just signed up for,

but it sort of evolved from the fact that I

am a speaker. I am I am a speaking coach.

And then here came this opportunity to do

speaking in a different way. But I also love

comedy. I almost exclusively watch and listen

to comedy things.

So having the opportunity to do my own five

minute comedy set, it's like,

oh, that's kind of interesting and a

different way of looking at speaking. And

then of course, I get lessons from it that I

bring to clients. But so you can take all

those things and go where the opportunities

are and look for ways to say yes to things

that you even if you don't know. I didn't

know how to do that, but I said yes.

And then I figured it out because we're all

smart enough, we can figure it out.

Carol Cox:
That's a great example. Another inspiration

to think about what is something that you

hadn't done before, but you have an interest

in and you said, okay,

I don't know how good I'm going to be at

this, but it doesn't really matter. I don't

have to be perfect.

I just have to be good enough to enjoy it.

And I think, again, like back when I was

younger, it wasn't so much that I wanted

everything to be perfect, but I had very,

very high expectations of what I wanted to

produce for myself.

Not for anyone else, but in my own mind.

And I feel like definitely I have lessened

that and think about, well,

what am I enjoying in this process and can

that be good enough?

Diane Diaz:
No, that's a great point because obviously

nobody was paying me to win triathlons and I

was very slow, so that's fine.

But I loved it. And then when I didn't love

it anymore, I stopped doing it. Same with the

comedy set. It was it's not my job.

I did it for fun and I'm not going to go out

and I'm a daytime person,

not a nighttime person. So I'm not looking to

do comedy sets and comedy clubs at night.

But it was fun and it gave me lessons and a

new challenge and something to try with my

skills that I already have, but in a

different way.

Carol Cox:
Maybe you need to create a lunchtime comedy

group.

Diane Diaz:
I need to I need to open a lunchtime comedy

club where there would be nobody there.

Carol Cox:
Other people like you.

Diane Diaz:
Track.

Carol Cox:
Track. All right, so for those of you

listening, really think about this idea of

reinvention versus evolution.

You're probably not going to wholesale

reinvent yourself.

No one really does.

But think about have you stopped challenging

yourself? Are you a little bit bored or

stagnant with things that you've been doing?

What are some things that you've been

neglecting doing or you've had just like a

little bit of glimmer like,

huh? Like a comedy set or an Iron Man

triathlon, or public speaking or launching a

podcast or doing a Ted talk.

And maybe you can take the next steps getting

you closer there.

But thanks so much for watching speaking your

Brand. Thank you, Diane, for being here.

Diane Diaz:
My pleasure.

Carol Cox:
And until next time, thanks for watching.