How can you make opportunities happen?
That's what we talk about with Maria Flynn,
who went from CEO to author to keynote
speaker 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 and welcome to the Speaking Your
Brand podcast. I'm your host, Carol Cox.
Today we're talking about how to make
opportunities happen and the importance of
time. So I'm a big believer that timing is
so important in so many things that we do in
our lives, whether it's in our personal
lives or in our careers and our businesses.
And my guess is Maria Flynn, who is a
graduate of our Thought Leader Academy.
She went through the program earlier this
year. She is now the founder and CEO of her
own consulting and training company called
and Biologics.
Before that, she was CEO of a company called
Orbis Biosciences that had an exit.
It had an acquisition which, if you've ever
been a part of a company or part or been
definitely a CEO, that's always a big
milestone to have.
Since then, she has written a book which has
become an Amazon bestseller, and she also
now has developed a talk from that book that
we worked very closely on and is now
keynoting and doing workshops around this
idea of maximizing time to make opportunity
happen. So we're going to talk about all of
those things today, including how she's
getting speaking engagements.
There are combination of free and paid.
So where are these speaking engagements
coming from and how she's converting some of
the free ones into paid ones.
Maria, welcome to the podcast.
Thank you for having me.
All right. So let's dive into this idea of
maximizing time to make opportunity happen.
I have always thought in my life like, oh,
you know, I should have done this at a
certain time, or I'm so glad that I did this
other thing at a certain time.
And I we know as entrepreneurs that we
always have a sense of we should be doing
more, but we also have a sense of are we
doing too much or are we focusing on the
right thing? So I know as part of your
framework in your book and in your talk, you
talk about patience versus urgency.
And I don't consider myself a very patient
person. Maybe.
So can you talk talk to us a little bit
about this idea of patience versus urgency,
what it looks like, because I know you have
some great visuals, some great slides around
this. And what should we consider as
entrepreneurs when we're thinking about
maximizing time in this way?
You bet. So urgency was always a big word at
Orbis Biosciences because we had this deep
desire to get our technology out there into
the world. We didn't have a lot of cash.
So there's some of these elements of startup
life where you just have this urgency, and
then you work with investors and customers
and acquirers, partners that oftentimes
don't have the same level as urgency as you
do. So I thought a lot about how do you get
an urgency alignment, how do you make it
more interesting for them to go faster, and
how do you make it less urgent for use, cash
reserves, options, things like that?
But then I had this epiphany that it's not
always urgency.
Patience is a really important part of this
game too, because there are many examples of
things that die just because we're not
patient enough. There's a lot of stories
where, you know, people are going to close
down their doors and then, you know, you
don't know what happens. The next day,
things started to line up and and then they
were off to the races.
So you really need both this extreme urgency
driver and this ability to be patient.
And a lot of times people think they're one
or the other, but you have to really be both
in this game.
All right. So talk to us a little bit about
what what are these visuals look like.
What are some of those slides that you show
your audience when you're talking about this
section.
And this is probably the most fun part of the
presentation. And you know you're on to
something when you're really enjoying it.
Uh, so it's a good place to get engagement
with the audience, because I asked them to
think of what picture comes to mind.
And we we visualize a scale of urgency to
patient, and we know we don't want to be too
urgent, and we know we don't want to be too
patient. So I asked them, what does two
patient look like to you?
And sometimes they'll say things like decay
and that will be closer to to the image.
I then pop up on the screen, which is the
skeleton sitting in front of his keyboard
saying, still waiting for the reply.
And I talk about how so many people I work
with. I say, how's that going?
And they're still waiting for the reply.
And so that is two patient.
Um, but then we go into what is too urgent
and what I looked at when I did a lot of
searching of tell me, what is the image of
two urgent, uh, and Gordon Ramsay pops up a
lot and then I can do the fun meme of some
of his behavior that works for him, because
that's his style.
But it doesn't work for a lot of us.
And then we go into, okay, what is good
urgent? What is good patient?
Um, good patient is the cute dog sitting by
your door with a leash in the mouth, and he
he's just ready for when when you are.
There's nothing he can do to make that walk
come sooner. Whenever it happens, you know
he's there. And then just right in the
urgent. Is the cheetah the fastest land
animal? Um, because she can get the kill
when she needs to. She can't do that
indefinitely. Um, but those images really
help to get a memorable, um, visual of when
we need to be patient, when we need to be
urgent and but not the extremes.
And the reason I wanted you to share that is
for the listeners to to number one thing
about they're probably going to remember
those visuals because that's how we remember
things, right? We remember those the images
in our minds. But then I had watched a
speaking engagement you you had done
recently. You sent me the video of it.
So I watched the entire thing.
It was about 30, 35 minutes.
And when you got to that section where you
talked about urgency versus patience, and
you showed those visuals and you ask the
audience that question.
They perked up so much to your point,
because it's fun for them.
But if you as the speaker, if you're excited
to deliver that section, then that's going
to come across to your audience as well.
So, Maria, let's fill in the rest of the
time framework for the audience here so that
they understand kind of what this the time
looks like. And then we're going to back up
and we're going to talk about how this all
came about from the book that you've written
recently.
You bet. So as you've taught us, acronyms
help us remember. And once you taught me
that when I start to see others, yes, I can
remember so much more. So T stands for take
that crack of opportunity in the door and
push it wide open.
Uh, sometimes you don't even see the crack.
The door feels completely shut.
But there's always an opportunity there.
And it's what things can we do to push it
open? Uh, we talked about AI already.
It's integrating patients and urgency.
So knowing the spectrum and knowing how to
use those levers M is for maximizing listen
tuition, which is a concept from the book.
And it's about really listening to where the
market is telling you to go, but also having
the intuition. So even in our personality
tests, you're either intuitive or you're
data driven. And I believe you really need
both. You need the data to influence your
intuition. You need the intuition to fill in
the blanks where you don't have data because
you never have perfect data.
So really having both of that and that's
less intuition. And then E is experiencing
your next win.
It's not about a second wind.
These are really long games.
So knowing how you pick yourself up, how you
pick your team up, getting your next wind.
Okay, so Maria, when we work together in your
VIP days for the Thought Leader Academy, I
know you had come in with your book already
written, and you have 40 short chapters in
your book because it's meant for
entrepreneurs to be able to pick up, either
read an order or go to the section, go to
the chapter that they need the most help
with. So obviously you had a lot of content,
too much content to fit into 30 minutes or
45 minutes or even an hour or two hour
workshop. So we had to figure out what was
going to be the the most relatable content
to audiences and something that they could
take away from them.
So let's talk about what was the inspiration
for you to to write this book in the first
place.
So after I sold Orbis, I was working with
entrepreneurs, and I would wake up in the
middle of the night and I think I need to
tell them the story or this advice someone
gave me that was really great, and I started
repeat myself over and over again.
And that's why I thought, I think there's a
book here. I think this is a way to scale
myself. So if I don't have time to sit down
with an entrepreneur, I can at least give
them a book and they can, um, um, leap into
the next phase on the things that I have
learned in working in this space.
And, and I really like to create and this
was a way to create something.
I didn't realize how much work it was going
to be or how long it was going to take.
Uh, but it was fulfilling to create
something that I felt like people needed.
I had a lot of beta readers that helped fine
tune it along the way.
And so that's how it came to be.
And what was the writing process in the book
development process? What did that look like
to you? Did you have a book coach who helped
you? Did you have were you really
disciplined to sit down on a regular
schedule and write it?
How long did it take?
As someone who was working on a book, which
I've been telling my audience for years, I
would. I'm asking for a friend.
So about two years from start to finish, and
there were some hiccups in there, but I got
a lot of good advice. I met a lot of great
people along the way, uh, and it was a very
entrepreneurial pursuit of, how do you know
that this is the right thing for your
audience? How do you demonstrate product
market fit? How do you launch it into the
world? And, um, so that was very fulfilling.
And, um, yeah, it was great fun.
So did you did did you sit down, you know,
every day over a period of months?
And did you write like or did you spend, you
know, did you kind of lock yourself in your
room for a week?
What did that look like?
So about nine months into this, I joined a
group with other authors and they they said
it's from the, um, the War of Art book.
They said, um, inspiration always strikes
and it strikes at 9 a.m..
So about getting a discipline, writing so
many words a day, every day.
And that really helps you get across finish
lines and then, you know, write the first
draft, just get it out there into the world
and keep refining it.
Um, be careful that perfect is the enemy of
good.
And then did you hire a book editor?
I did, yes.
Okay. Like like not only grammar and
spelling, but a developmental editor to help
you to kind of make sure it was all
cohesive. Yep.
Three different groups of editors and a lot
of graphic help.
Uh, the the book cover.
And there's 40 images I definitely had a lot
of help on this project.
And I know you had a really successful
launch. You had lots of people supporting
you. I, I'm primarily using LinkedIn.
Linkedin. So I saw a lot of that launch on
LinkedIn. Obviously, you got a lot of
reviews for the book. How did you set up
your launch team?
What did that look like?
So I got some good coaching, and I listened
to podcasts of how other people had done it.
And, and, um, I reached out and started my
newsletter about that time.
So I got about 400 people starting to walk
with me on this, and then I got about 150
that were interested in helping me with, um,
reviews. Your first week is very important
to say, hey, Amazon, this is here.
Take note. Um, so that first week I did a
lot of that, um, uh, LinkedIn community has
been really supportive of me, and I really
appreciate that. So making sure that people
want you to succeed and and they want to be
a part of the story. And I think that's a
huge part. The more beta readers, the more
people that feel ownership in what you're
creating is really useful, because then
they're excited to get it and they're
excited to talk about it.
Um, and that was a really rewarding process.
And then later it was about the week before
I decided to have a little launch party.
And I'm glad I did, because you run so fast
through all these things and you never
really stop to celebrate that it was.
I'm really glad that I took the time and did
that.
And I know that you found us, found me, and
speaking your brand through one of our past
clients, Cara Hauser.
She was just on the podcast last December.
Episode 363, talking about her own book
journey from.
And actually, she did it the opposite way.
She worked on her signature talk, first with
us, and then she ended up writing her book.
So you, the two of you met through that
other book community, and then you found
out, so what? What was on your mind as you
were getting ready? You knew the publication
date was coming up. What were you thinking
about regarding speaking engagements?
I knew that a book and speaking went nicely
together, and in fact some people would say,
if you want to speak, get a book, write a
book, uh, because it gives some credibility
and authority.
Uh, but I first step was this book.
It's something that I just needed to get out
of me, or it would just keep cycling in my
head. And I wanted another female voice out
there. A lot of the books that I had read on
this topic were from men, so it was
important that, um, a female from Kansas in
a biotech that's a little bit unusual, uh,
story, uh, that that story got out there,
that meant other people could see themselves
in there. So that was an important driver
for me. And when you're doing something new,
you're like a sponge.
Like, how does this work? How how do people,
uh, pick their books?
How do people talk about books with others?
Is word of mouth is one of the main reasons
to pick up a book?
Um, and so I was really watching a lot of
podcasts and, um, there's great community,
um, that has weekly, um, webinars that Kara
came on and she was talking about how she
had invested in herself with the program,
and I was watching it taped.
Um, glad somebody asked.
Now, what's what's this speaking, coach, you
mentioned. And so that's how I was on to
you. And then Carl was so lovely.
I reached out to her through LinkedIn and
got her advice. So even though I've never
met her, I feel a kinship and a friendship
with her. And I think that speaks of your
community that you have, that we are all
willing to help each other.
And it's really a beautiful thing that
you're putting out there into the world.
So that's how I found you.
And I would just coming off a couple of
things that I had invested in myself that
did not go very well.
So I thought, am I really going to do this?
And then I thought, yes, I'm not going to
tell anybody I'm doing this because I
probably say, hey, what about those last two
things? But I just knew you were the right
guide for me to walk in this stage because I
had this book I was very excited about, but
I didn't know how to transform it into a 30
45 minute talk just because there was too
much in there.
Yes. Like we mentioned.
Right. And this happens not only with women
we work with who have books, but just in
general. We all we all feel like we have so
many ideas, so many things that we can share
with our audiences. When you have a book, I
really do think it's a double challenge
because you have that content literally
sitting in front of you, either on that in
that book or on the documents on your
computer. So you're like, oh, but this is
important. This is important, this is
important. I want to share this.
So when we came together for that three hour
VIP day, and you had sent me the copy of the
book ahead of time, even though it wasn't
out yet. So I, you know, I kind of read
through it, scanned through it. So I had a
sense of your content and your approach.
And when we got together for that three hour
VIP day, I guess, what were you thinking
before we started, and what did the process
feel like to you by the time we were done?
Well, I was just curious how you were going
to take these 40 sections and help me come
out with something cohesive.
That's what I was thinking.
And you are delightful to work with.
So really seeing how, uh, um, artfully you
can take people's ideas and map it into
something that you can then start on the
journey. Every time I give the presentation,
I get better. So there's still a lot more of
the journey to go.
Um, but you really help me package it in a
way that the audience could consume and
enjoy. Um, so it was just the right helper
for me at the right time.
I know, I remember that and that we came up
with this, the, the Time framework, because
I was asking you a lot of questions.
And again, I had read through your book.
So I knew that this idea of time was really
important. And obviously making
opportunities happen.
Timeliness or this urgency of time is, is
really important. So, you know, as we're
going through, I'm thinking like, how do we
kind of package all of your thought
leadership, you know, your IP into something
that's that's consumable for the audience,
but that gives them that bigger picture.
And that's where this idea of kind of
packaging it under under time, the framework
time came in and then pulling just four of
those key components in it, even though you
have 40 or 50, right.
And 40. But here's the beauty of it, Maria.
You could actually change them out, you
know, six months from now, a year from now,
if you decide, you know, the time, I want to
switch some of those those letters around,
you know, to different phrases or different
parts of the book, you could do that if you
want to. And she's looking at me like, no,
I'm trying to get this one figured out.
Oh for sure.
Yeah.
So okay, so let's talk about the speaking
engagements you've been doing.
I know, like you just like I think you
graduated from the academy into March and
you had a paid speaking engagement already
on the calendar for the beginning of May, so
that was fantastic.
I was so excited that you could actually go
and deliver what you had been working on.
So where are these speaking engagements
coming from?
Are and I know that they're a mix of free
and paid. So are you getting a sense of
which ones are free, which ones are paid and
and how have you been balancing those?
Yes. And it was so fun to get the email with
the paid speaking request.
Uh, because I was like, wow, Carolyn, Diane
work magic.
And that was totally inbound.
A lot of what I do is, you know, making sure
a lot of relationship building before you
would get to that stage.
So that was really fun.
And I asked her how she found me, and she
said I had been in her database, uh, for a
few years. So all that, all the work that we
do in LinkedIn and putting things out, it
does come back to us.
You just don't know about the timing.
And then after that, I really wanted to hone
it. So I did a couple, uh, free, but they
bought books, so it was more in trade.
And that's one of the great things you coach
us on is there's a lot of different things
that bring you value.
And how do you, uh, how do you trade on some
of these things that you are getting
something for your time?
Because in the past, I had been doing all my
speaking for free, and then that transition
into paid is a little bit unnatural.
And that's why. Having you as a guide to go
to of you know, I this is this is where I
am. What do you think?
Um, has been great, uh, because it's it's an
evolution, uh, into a new world.
And it's been it's been wonderful.
So, so you mentioned so that one, that first
one in May that was paid was inbound.
So they already had had you in the database
kind of had had, uh, eyes on you.
So then like you said, LinkedIn having a
visible presence on LinkedIn and being
consistent there is important.
Now you also are doing outbound.
Correct. You're also are kind of looking
around for speaking opportunities and
approaching people. What how are you doing
that? Are you kind of searching Google?
Are you looking in Kansas City where you
live? What is what are you doing?
Well, in my primary goal right now is to get
to 50 podcasts of letting people know that
the book is out there, and I am.
This is my 11th, so I am making my way.
And the most successful strategy I've had
there is, uh, a friend of a friend who do I
know that knows someone.
And it's a lot like raising money if you
just do, um, cold outreach into investors,
that's very tough. But if you can find
somebody that they know and trust that that
you know, that's a much better strategy.
Um, so it's been about relationships on the
podcast, um, side.
And then that's where I've been focusing
more of my attention.
But I have I do have the alerts set up for,
uh, call for speakers, and I am I am
starting to nurture that because I've
learned that through your podcast and start
to build out in 2025, where are the places?
And I have a goal of what number that we
want. I want to get to each year, um, and
start to build this.
I know I can be really good at this because
in other parts of my life I have been really
good at it. Uh, it, uh, it's one of those
things if you don't do it very often, you
know, uh, it's a, it's a practice muscle.
So with podcasts and these, these speaking
engagements, I feel like each time it's
getting better.
Well, actually, this is a good, uh, segue to
this next part that I wanted us to chat
about. Is that so? As a CEO of a company,
especially one that ended up exiting being
acquired, I'm sure you did speaking
engagements a lot of the times, whether it
was on behalf of the company, perhaps they
weren't keynotes, but whether it was to team
members at meetings or to other partners
that you were working with or customers and
so on. So how did those speaking engagements
and your preparation or your sense of them?
How is that similar or different from the
keynote speaking and the workshops that
you're doing now, which is very much about
your own content.
And a lot of investor pitches, a lot of sales
pitches. I actually have done a lot of
speaking to middle school girls about the
value of going into Stem fields over.
I counted it up because I did a keynote last
year, over 900 girls that I've talked to.
So those are just some of the give back
areas that I find meaningful and the places
people have asked me.
Uh, but one of the things I feel like I've
been transformed through your program was
not as much memorization of trying to get.
This is the exact phrases I need to use, but
these are the stories I want to tell and and
how they go from one to another.
And as you say, you know, you know your
stories better than anybody.
So I feel like I'm a much more relaxed
speaker than I used to be.
Um, and that's just it's practice.
But it's also that epiphany of being natural
is better than having every planned word.
Yes. All right.
So then, Maria, let me ask you this about
the keynotes that you've been doing in the
workshops that you've been doing.
Now, I talked to some women and they love
public speaking. It lights them on fire.
They, you know, they feel like they're in
their element. Other women I talked to, at
least initially, are maybe not necessarily
reluctant, but they're like, well, I speak
because I feel like I have to or, you know,
I kind of enjoy it.
But I, you know, I still get a lot of nerves
or I'm still feel that.
I'm not sure about it. Where do you fit on
that spectrum?
Well, I think it's part of if I would be
doing this every week, it would be feeling
more comfortable and that when you're in the
zone, it's kind of like when I start to talk
about those those images and those slides
and it's fun, you know, that is fun.
I'm trying to make more of the presentation,
as fun as that part is.
Uh, so it's not something I dread.
It's not, um, it's not as natural if you
don't do it all the time.
But I do believe I've learned how to harness
butterflies into something more productive.
Uh, and it's just it's just something that
we need to do, uh, and it's worth getting
better and better at.
And how have the doing the podcast interviews
helped with the in-person speaking?
Um, it's been a way to get a lot of feedback.
So they, you know, athletes watch the tapes.
And so it's a great way to watch the tapes
and, and really just learning how to do that
has been phenomenal because it's pretty
painful at first when you're watching these
and you think, oh my gosh, I just said, um,
three times.
Or, you know, I look up a lot when I'm
trying to do recall and trying to see, uh,
there are a lot of good things, but are we
noticing that? So making myself know.
Oh, that's a tough question.
What am I going to. Oh, okay.
That was pretty good.
Uh, and then, um, every every one is
different. So seeing how they're, how
they're asking questions and you are
evolving through this process, uh, and I
cannot wait to hear what number 50 is like,
uh, because you just get better as you as
you go.
And isn't it fascinating that even though the
questions seem like they're going to be
similar from one podcast to the next, but
whatever the host happens to ask, they
always have their particular spin on it, but
in the best way. And then you end up
thinking of things that you have never
thought of before, or in a particular way.
Right? For sure.
And it's I mean, it's very natural.
We're just having a conversation.
So this is a great way to practice.
Uh, and I'm getting people exposed to the
book, which is planting seeds.
Uh, so it's a very fun journey.
And then Maria, so talk about what is next
for you. Obviously, you want to continue to
do podcast interviews.
So for any of you listening, if you host a
podcast and you feel like Maria would be a
great fit, help her get to number 50 from
where she is today, you can reach out to her
and see if that would be a good fit for your
podcast. So obviously I know you want to do
more speaking engagements, keynotes as well
as workshops. What else is on the horizon
for you?
So really who I'm about is make opportunity
happen, whether it's in an entrepreneurial
setting. I've worked in not for profits here
recently, helping them really develop
ecosystems. Um, I am working with innovators
within medical systems.
So I that's where I get a lot of energy of
what can what can become of this.
You have a blank page. How do you fill it
in. So I keep I'm going to keep doing that.
And and really it's about scaling myself,
which is what the book and the speaking does
is helps me to reach more people, uh, to get
them to make opportunity happen.
Oh, I love that, Maria.
Well, thank you so much for being a part of
our community. I love having you as part of
it. I love getting your emails when you
share your excitement because some new
speaking engagement came through, and then
you share with me what, how, how things have
gone with the speaking engagements that you
have done. So keep that up.
This is the thing with. But the women that
we work with is that we want to continue to
hear from you. If you have a question three
months or six months or a year after you
graduated, like still come back to us
because that's what we're here for and we're
here to help you double whatever you're
about to quote for your speaking fee,
because whatever your first instinct is, is
should probably be higher than that, as I'm
sure you learn, Maria, when we went through
the program.
And I think that's one of the most unique
things about you and Diane, is that you want
to keep this relationship going.
I think most programs the program's done.
Um, but I really value that you're still
there for us. And.
Thank you.
Oh, well, it's my pleasure.
So, Maria, for for everyone listening,
connect with Maria on LinkedIn.
Her profile will be in the show notes for
this episode. Also, make sure to go and get
her book. It is a fantastic book, and
especially if you're an entrepreneur at any
stage or even just in your in your career,
you're going to find different of those mini
chapters that are going to really help you
out. Maria, thank you so much for coming on
the podcast. Thank you.
It's been a delight.
If you would like to join us in the Thought
Leader Academy, we are enrolling now for our
August and October start dates.
You can get all the details as speaking your
brand.com/academy again that's speaking your
brand comm slash academy.
Until next time.
Thanks for listening.