1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,440 Carol Cox: Learn different ways you can structure your 2 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:04,840 keynotes. In this conversation with three of 3 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:07,200 the women who attended our recent in-person 4 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:09,760 workshop on this episode of the Speaking Your 5 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:10,800 Brand podcast. 6 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:18,320 More and more women are making an impact by 7 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:20,800 starting businesses, running for office, 8 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:23,000 and speaking up for what matters. 9 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:26,080 With my background as a TV political analyst, 10 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:27,720 entrepreneur, and speaker, 11 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:30,640 I interview and coach purpose driven women to 12 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:33,200 shape their brands, grow their companies, 13 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,040 and become recognized as influencers in their 14 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:39,200 field. This is speaking your brand, 15 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:41,640 your place to learn how to persuasively 16 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:44,880 communicate your message to your audience. 17 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:47,640 Hi there and welcome to backstage with 18 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaking Your Brand. I'm your host and 19 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:52,200 founder of Speaking Your Brand, Carol Cox. 20 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:54,520 Today we're going to talk about what it takes 21 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:58,400 to create and deliver a keynote that inspires 22 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:01,270 audiences, transforms audiences, 23 00:01:01,270 --> 00:01:04,270 but also build your speaking career. 24 00:01:04,390 --> 00:01:06,990 I'm excited to have joining me here today, 25 00:01:07,030 --> 00:01:09,710 three women who attended our recent Speaking 26 00:01:09,710 --> 00:01:12,830 Accelerator in-person workshop in Orlando, 27 00:01:12,830 --> 00:01:15,030 Florida. We have Kate Richardson, 28 00:01:15,030 --> 00:01:16,550 who lives here in Orlando, 29 00:01:16,550 --> 00:01:18,950 where I live. She's a registered dietician. 30 00:01:18,950 --> 00:01:20,750 We have Alfie McGinty, 31 00:01:20,790 --> 00:01:22,190 who lives in Indianapolis, 32 00:01:22,230 --> 00:01:24,630 Indiana, and she is a coroner, 33 00:01:24,790 --> 00:01:27,270 which is not not an industry or not a 34 00:01:27,270 --> 00:01:29,230 profession that I usually come across. 35 00:01:29,230 --> 00:01:31,070 So we'll definitely talk about that. 36 00:01:31,070 --> 00:01:32,630 And then Nikki Ramirez, 37 00:01:32,630 --> 00:01:37,230 who is a leader to help HR departments and 38 00:01:37,230 --> 00:01:39,790 other HR leaders in their profession, 39 00:01:39,790 --> 00:01:41,430 and she lives in the Phoenix, 40 00:01:41,430 --> 00:01:43,150 Arizona area. 41 00:01:43,150 --> 00:01:45,150 As I mentioned, they recently attended our 42 00:01:45,150 --> 00:01:46,910 one day speaking workshop. 43 00:01:46,910 --> 00:01:49,590 We had a lot of fun, and they walked away 44 00:01:49,790 --> 00:01:52,670 with the foundation for keynotes that they're 45 00:01:52,670 --> 00:01:53,950 going to deliver now. 46 00:01:53,950 --> 00:01:56,670 They are already established and experienced 47 00:01:56,670 --> 00:01:58,750 speakers in their industries, 48 00:01:58,750 --> 00:02:01,340 especially when it comes to talking about 49 00:02:01,340 --> 00:02:04,820 more professional or business related topics. 50 00:02:04,820 --> 00:02:07,060 But they wanted to challenge themselves and 51 00:02:07,060 --> 00:02:09,460 think about how can they take the work that 52 00:02:09,460 --> 00:02:11,660 they do, what matters to them, 53 00:02:11,660 --> 00:02:14,460 but then turn it into more of a story driven, 54 00:02:14,460 --> 00:02:16,500 transformational message? 55 00:02:17,060 --> 00:02:19,740 As we think about for a keynote address, 56 00:02:19,740 --> 00:02:21,660 or we're going to talk about all of that here 57 00:02:21,660 --> 00:02:24,660 today before I invite them to introduce 58 00:02:24,660 --> 00:02:26,740 themselves, I also want to let you all know 59 00:02:26,740 --> 00:02:29,180 that our next one day in person speaking 60 00:02:29,180 --> 00:02:32,120 workshop is coming up in Orlando on February 61 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,380 19th, 2026. 62 00:02:34,420 --> 00:02:36,740 You can get all of those details and register 63 00:02:36,780 --> 00:02:37,820 at speaking your brand. 64 00:02:37,820 --> 00:02:40,020 Com Orlando. 65 00:02:40,300 --> 00:02:42,340 All right Kait, I'm going to start with you. 66 00:02:42,700 --> 00:02:44,860 Tell us about a little bit about what you do. 67 00:02:44,860 --> 00:02:47,740 You recently also delivered a TEDx talk which 68 00:02:47,740 --> 00:02:49,180 was so well done. 69 00:02:49,300 --> 00:02:51,740 Why did you decide that you wanted to work on 70 00:02:51,740 --> 00:02:52,460 a keynote? 71 00:02:53,100 --> 00:02:55,100 Kait Richardson: Yeah. Well, thanks for having me. 72 00:02:55,140 --> 00:02:56,820 Your workshop was so much fun. 73 00:02:56,860 --> 00:02:59,570 I've been telling so many of the people I 74 00:02:59,570 --> 00:03:01,370 know who do workshops and speaking 75 00:03:01,370 --> 00:03:02,770 engagements to check it out. 76 00:03:03,090 --> 00:03:05,410 And the reason I wanted to do it is because 77 00:03:05,450 --> 00:03:08,330 about six months ago, I had heard some 78 00:03:08,330 --> 00:03:10,370 podcast. I can't remember exactly what it was 79 00:03:10,810 --> 00:03:14,530 that, uh, reframed all of the things that we 80 00:03:14,530 --> 00:03:17,210 do in our businesses as either you're an 81 00:03:17,210 --> 00:03:18,930 amateur or you can be a professional. 82 00:03:19,290 --> 00:03:21,250 And I had done about, I don't know, 83 00:03:21,290 --> 00:03:23,530 25 speaking engagements, 84 00:03:23,530 --> 00:03:25,850 workshops. And I knew in my heart I love 85 00:03:25,890 --> 00:03:27,490 doing it. I love speaking in front of 86 00:03:27,490 --> 00:03:29,370 audiences. I've loved that ever since I was a 87 00:03:29,370 --> 00:03:31,250 kid. I love being on stage. 88 00:03:31,250 --> 00:03:32,330 I love helping people, 89 00:03:32,330 --> 00:03:33,490 inspiring people. 90 00:03:33,730 --> 00:03:35,450 But I felt like I was an amateur. 91 00:03:35,450 --> 00:03:37,290 I was just kind of picking up things here and 92 00:03:37,290 --> 00:03:39,250 there. I knew what to talk about. 93 00:03:39,250 --> 00:03:42,250 I had an idea of how to deliver specific 94 00:03:42,250 --> 00:03:44,450 information, how to get audiences engaged, 95 00:03:44,450 --> 00:03:46,330 but I wasn't a pro yet. 96 00:03:46,450 --> 00:03:48,690 And so doing the Ted talk and doing your 97 00:03:48,690 --> 00:03:52,450 workshop, I feel like is helping me become a 98 00:03:52,490 --> 00:03:54,290 professional, getting in there and really 99 00:03:54,290 --> 00:03:57,130 mastering how to speak to audiences about 100 00:03:57,130 --> 00:03:58,450 women's health and nutrition. 101 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:01,000 Carol Cox: Okay, well, I really like this distinction 102 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:03,040 between an amateur and a pro and really 103 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:05,880 investing in that skill building and all the 104 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:08,120 things that I think a lot of us who enjoy 105 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:10,080 speaking, we've been doing it for a long 106 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:12,480 time. We probably did it in high school and 107 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:15,320 maybe in debate team or acting or we did 108 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:17,400 some. So we kind of learned these things just 109 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:20,160 along the way. And so we're good at it. 110 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:21,840 But in order to be great, 111 00:04:21,840 --> 00:04:23,360 I think to your point, Kate, you have to 112 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:25,280 invest in the things that you don't know, 113 00:04:25,280 --> 00:04:27,520 that you don't know when it comes to this. 114 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:29,160 Yeah. All right, Alfie, 115 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:31,080 let's go to you. So as I mentioned at the 116 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:33,160 top, so you're actually a corner. 117 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:34,640 So can you tell us, well, 118 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:36,680 how did you get into that profession? 119 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:38,480 And then tell us a little bit about why you 120 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:40,240 decided to come to the workshop and work on a 121 00:04:40,280 --> 00:04:40,800 keynote. 122 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:44,240 Alfarena (Alfie) McGinty: Yeah. So I've been with the coroner's office 123 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:46,760 and a death investigator for 28 years, 124 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,120 and I got into that sort of unexpectedly 125 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:53,160 while in undergrad. I went to an office to 126 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:55,520 work part time and do an internship, 127 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:58,240 and by day two, I loved the work. 128 00:04:58,310 --> 00:05:00,910 I love the job. I loved everything about it. 129 00:05:00,910 --> 00:05:02,790 And what I found is there's a lot of 130 00:05:02,790 --> 00:05:05,510 education in death investigation. 131 00:05:05,510 --> 00:05:09,430 So you are talking a lot about explaining how 132 00:05:09,470 --> 00:05:11,270 the death occurred and those kind of things. 133 00:05:11,270 --> 00:05:13,830 And so I kind of morphed into sort of this 134 00:05:13,830 --> 00:05:17,230 educator, uh, in my speaking and talking and 135 00:05:17,230 --> 00:05:19,630 teaching about death investigation. 136 00:05:19,630 --> 00:05:21,510 And I wanted to expand, 137 00:05:21,710 --> 00:05:24,310 and I thought the workshop would be a great 138 00:05:24,310 --> 00:05:27,910 opportunity for me to expand a talk. 139 00:05:27,910 --> 00:05:31,710 Right, like expand upon all the things that I 140 00:05:31,710 --> 00:05:33,910 know about death investigation, but also in 141 00:05:33,910 --> 00:05:35,110 life in general. 142 00:05:35,310 --> 00:05:38,030 And so I wanted to do this workshop and oh my 143 00:05:38,030 --> 00:05:39,990 goodness, I thought, I'm a teacher, 144 00:05:39,990 --> 00:05:41,670 right? So I thought, oh, 145 00:05:41,670 --> 00:05:43,270 I'm going to go. I'm going to sit down in 146 00:05:43,270 --> 00:05:45,630 front of the class and learn a bunch of 147 00:05:45,630 --> 00:05:46,790 things while sitting. 148 00:05:46,790 --> 00:05:50,270 Oh no, it is so interactive. 149 00:05:50,510 --> 00:05:53,470 And it had us up and moving and hanging out 150 00:05:53,470 --> 00:05:55,910 with each other and talking and laughing 151 00:05:55,950 --> 00:05:58,780 uncontrollably, um, in some instances. 152 00:05:58,780 --> 00:06:00,660 So it was great fun. 153 00:06:00,660 --> 00:06:03,460 And I walked away ready to have like four 154 00:06:03,460 --> 00:06:05,540 talks. Right. Four keynotes. 155 00:06:05,660 --> 00:06:08,620 So that was the exciting thing about the, 156 00:06:08,620 --> 00:06:10,420 the the class that we did. 157 00:06:11,060 --> 00:06:12,940 Carol Cox: Okay. Well good. Yes, we definitely get you 158 00:06:12,940 --> 00:06:14,420 moving around. Right. Who wants to sit all 159 00:06:14,420 --> 00:06:15,700 day? We sit all day on zoom. 160 00:06:15,740 --> 00:06:18,020 Right as it is. If we're going to be in 161 00:06:18,020 --> 00:06:19,580 person, we're going to be moving around. So 162 00:06:19,580 --> 00:06:21,060 we're going to come back to this idea of 163 00:06:21,060 --> 00:06:24,220 teaching and educational content and how that 164 00:06:24,220 --> 00:06:26,700 is different from what you all worked on with 165 00:06:26,700 --> 00:06:28,740 your keynotes. Let me say hi to Diane, 166 00:06:28,780 --> 00:06:31,860 Monica and Aaron who are here with us live as 167 00:06:31,900 --> 00:06:33,940 we're going. So thank you so much for being 168 00:06:33,940 --> 00:06:36,180 here and letting us know in the comments. 169 00:06:36,220 --> 00:06:37,540 Nikki, let me bring you in. 170 00:06:37,540 --> 00:06:39,140 So tell us a little bit about what you do and 171 00:06:39,140 --> 00:06:41,420 why you because you have been doing speaking 172 00:06:41,460 --> 00:06:42,780 a long, long time. 173 00:06:42,780 --> 00:06:44,100 You speak a lot. 174 00:06:44,140 --> 00:06:46,100 So why did you decide you wanted to work on a 175 00:06:46,140 --> 00:06:46,660 keynote? 176 00:06:46,900 --> 00:06:47,980 Niki Ramirez: Yeah. Thank you. 177 00:06:48,020 --> 00:06:49,620 Yeah. Thanks for having us today. 178 00:06:49,620 --> 00:06:51,540 It's nice to see, um, Alfie and Kait, 179 00:06:51,580 --> 00:06:53,260 too. We did have such a good time. And Alfie 180 00:06:53,260 --> 00:06:55,900 was my table partner, and we did laugh a lot, 181 00:06:56,180 --> 00:06:59,090 so. Yeah, I have been in the speaking world 182 00:06:59,090 --> 00:07:00,330 since the 90s. 183 00:07:00,330 --> 00:07:03,210 So it's been yeah, it's been a really nice 184 00:07:03,250 --> 00:07:05,050 sort of long journey. 185 00:07:05,050 --> 00:07:06,810 And to Kate's good point. 186 00:07:06,850 --> 00:07:09,730 Like, I know there's always more to improve. 187 00:07:09,730 --> 00:07:13,050 And Carol, you and I met years ago now in 188 00:07:13,050 --> 00:07:14,930 another circle for, um, 189 00:07:15,090 --> 00:07:17,010 women entrepreneurs who are ambitious and 190 00:07:17,010 --> 00:07:18,530 trying to grow their skill set and their 191 00:07:18,530 --> 00:07:20,930 businesses. And I've really enjoyed working 192 00:07:20,930 --> 00:07:22,170 with you and Diane. 193 00:07:22,290 --> 00:07:25,210 Um, so when the opportunity came up to attend 194 00:07:25,250 --> 00:07:28,930 in person, build my skills and expand the 195 00:07:28,930 --> 00:07:30,770 type of speaking. So really going into it 196 00:07:30,770 --> 00:07:33,610 with the lens of developing this keynote, 197 00:07:34,050 --> 00:07:36,170 um, it was just a slam dunk idea. 198 00:07:36,170 --> 00:07:38,130 And I, you know, I'm thinking about and 199 00:07:38,130 --> 00:07:40,290 moving forward with the idea of keynoting 200 00:07:40,290 --> 00:07:42,250 because I think there is space to, 201 00:07:42,490 --> 00:07:46,530 um, do a little bit more inspiring people to 202 00:07:46,770 --> 00:07:49,330 figure out what their own next steps are. 203 00:07:49,530 --> 00:07:51,090 You know, I think a lot of times when we see 204 00:07:51,090 --> 00:07:52,690 a keynote, that's what you know, that's the 205 00:07:52,690 --> 00:07:54,570 hope. And that's what I love about them. Just 206 00:07:54,610 --> 00:07:55,890 kind of like, okay, well, 207 00:07:56,130 --> 00:07:57,480 what could I do next? 208 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:00,080 And I think I spent years working with HR 209 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:01,880 professionals, small business leaders, 210 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:04,920 developing their HR and leadership practices. 211 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:06,760 And now I'd love to just be able to encourage 212 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:09,640 other people to whatever the thing is they're 213 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:11,160 working on, it doesn't have to be HR 214 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:14,240 leadership. Just be inspired to work on it no 215 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:15,960 matter what challenges they're facing. 216 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:18,440 So just needed to be there in the room with 217 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:20,560 you all to get that underway. 218 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:22,240 Carol Cox: Yeah, well, I love it. 219 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:25,120 And so then what we do in the morning during 220 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:28,000 the workshop is that we we teach you our 221 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:29,840 framework here and we give you the materials. 222 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:31,800 And so this looks familiar to you all because 223 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:32,920 this is what you did. 224 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:35,160 You had the boards that we gave you and then 225 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:36,640 you had your post-it notes. And we kind of 226 00:08:36,680 --> 00:08:38,440 prompted you and guided you and asked you 227 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:40,920 questions that you then wrote down on the 228 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:43,600 post-it notes and filled in along the way. 229 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:46,480 And I remember that as you all were working 230 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:49,040 on them, Diane and I would go around and chat 231 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:50,680 with you and kind of see what you were 232 00:08:50,680 --> 00:08:52,640 working on and how we could help. 233 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:55,080 And, Kait, I'll come back to you because like 234 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:57,110 I said, you've been like you said, 235 00:08:57,110 --> 00:08:58,790 you've been doing speaking workshops, 236 00:08:58,830 --> 00:09:00,750 you know, at least a couple of dozen of them, 237 00:09:00,750 --> 00:09:03,750 and they're probably pretty information rich 238 00:09:03,790 --> 00:09:05,750 where you're teaching the audience certain 239 00:09:05,790 --> 00:09:07,950 things for them to understand about their 240 00:09:07,950 --> 00:09:10,190 health and what you have learned as a 241 00:09:10,190 --> 00:09:12,070 dietician and your own journey. 242 00:09:12,070 --> 00:09:13,830 So how did thinking about this, 243 00:09:13,870 --> 00:09:16,070 though, from a keynote perspective, 244 00:09:16,390 --> 00:09:19,110 shift your idea of what kind of content and 245 00:09:19,110 --> 00:09:20,870 what and how to frame your message? 246 00:09:21,670 --> 00:09:23,670 Kait Richardson: Oh, okay. That's a really great question. 247 00:09:23,870 --> 00:09:25,750 Um, so how to frame my message? 248 00:09:25,750 --> 00:09:28,470 That's the first struggle that I had before 249 00:09:28,470 --> 00:09:30,590 the workshop because I have so many messages. 250 00:09:30,590 --> 00:09:32,510 I have so many things that I talked about on 251 00:09:32,510 --> 00:09:34,350 a day to day basis, just in my work as a 252 00:09:34,350 --> 00:09:36,430 dietician. Just for context, 253 00:09:36,470 --> 00:09:39,830 I sit face to face with people at a desk and 254 00:09:39,830 --> 00:09:41,870 they share with me their biggest struggles, 255 00:09:41,870 --> 00:09:44,510 their stories, their backgrounds when it 256 00:09:44,510 --> 00:09:46,990 comes to what they've had trouble with, 257 00:09:46,990 --> 00:09:48,150 with health and body image. 258 00:09:48,150 --> 00:09:49,830 And so there's so many things just floating 259 00:09:49,830 --> 00:09:51,830 around in my brain and I'm like, 260 00:09:51,830 --> 00:09:53,710 what actually do I want to speak about? 261 00:09:53,710 --> 00:09:56,700 And, um, I can't remember the exact question 262 00:09:56,700 --> 00:09:58,300 that you just asked me, but I think what 263 00:09:58,340 --> 00:10:00,140 really helped me. I have my board here, 264 00:10:00,180 --> 00:10:03,460 actually. Oh yeah. To show off was just 265 00:10:03,500 --> 00:10:06,660 getting to the main point that I wanted to 266 00:10:06,660 --> 00:10:09,780 share, and then learning how to interweave 267 00:10:09,940 --> 00:10:12,620 the storytelling, the education in all of 268 00:10:12,660 --> 00:10:14,660 that. Because when I've spoken at medical 269 00:10:14,660 --> 00:10:16,660 conferences, the expectation is that you're 270 00:10:16,660 --> 00:10:19,100 going to, you know, meet certain continuing 271 00:10:19,100 --> 00:10:20,220 education criteria. 272 00:10:20,260 --> 00:10:21,660 You're going to show a bunch of research, 273 00:10:21,660 --> 00:10:23,100 you're going to back everything up with 274 00:10:23,100 --> 00:10:25,180 science. You know, I'm talking to physicians, 275 00:10:25,180 --> 00:10:26,940 I'm talking to other dieticians, 276 00:10:27,340 --> 00:10:30,820 and they expect to see you prove your points 277 00:10:30,820 --> 00:10:32,700 when you're talking and doing a keynote. 278 00:10:33,100 --> 00:10:35,060 That's not the point. 279 00:10:35,060 --> 00:10:37,420 The point is to share a message, 280 00:10:37,420 --> 00:10:40,900 share a story, get the audience leaving and 281 00:10:40,900 --> 00:10:43,220 feeling and wanting to make some kind of 282 00:10:43,260 --> 00:10:44,340 change or improvement, 283 00:10:44,340 --> 00:10:46,060 or take some information and apply it to 284 00:10:46,100 --> 00:10:49,620 their own life. It's not proving every single 285 00:10:49,620 --> 00:10:51,980 point that you say with research and science. 286 00:10:52,100 --> 00:10:54,180 So this really helped me get to my key point 287 00:10:54,180 --> 00:10:56,570 and interweave how to really connect with the 288 00:10:56,570 --> 00:10:58,610 audience, how to make stories, 289 00:10:58,610 --> 00:11:01,250 and how to make the messages actually stick. 290 00:11:01,570 --> 00:11:03,370 Instead of just putting everyone to sleep 291 00:11:03,370 --> 00:11:05,970 with facts and science and data. 292 00:11:06,090 --> 00:11:08,210 Carol Cox: Right. Yeah, like using the facts and the 293 00:11:08,210 --> 00:11:11,450 data to support the point that you want to 294 00:11:11,450 --> 00:11:13,170 make versus the other way around. I think a 295 00:11:13,210 --> 00:11:15,570 lot of times we we lead with like, 296 00:11:15,610 --> 00:11:17,130 okay, here's the data, the science. 297 00:11:17,130 --> 00:11:20,050 But like okay, but then how does that fit to 298 00:11:20,090 --> 00:11:22,050 the audience and what's important to them. 299 00:11:22,530 --> 00:11:25,050 And I remember that when in your act two. 300 00:11:25,090 --> 00:11:26,850 So the middle part we talked a little bit 301 00:11:26,850 --> 00:11:28,130 about stages. 302 00:11:28,330 --> 00:11:31,370 So in keynotes it's helpful to to either 303 00:11:31,410 --> 00:11:33,170 share with the audience three lessons that 304 00:11:33,170 --> 00:11:35,250 you want to impart or like three pillars or 305 00:11:35,250 --> 00:11:37,370 principles that you've learned or three 306 00:11:37,370 --> 00:11:39,930 stages. So people go from stage one to stage 307 00:11:39,930 --> 00:11:42,890 two to stage three in their journey as they 308 00:11:42,890 --> 00:11:45,410 learn more, as they develop more awareness. 309 00:11:45,610 --> 00:11:47,930 So and so. I think you ended up with three 310 00:11:47,930 --> 00:11:50,330 stages that in your talk, 311 00:11:50,490 --> 00:11:52,330 do you want to share a little bit about those 312 00:11:52,370 --> 00:11:53,210 with with us? 313 00:11:53,610 --> 00:11:55,040 Kait Richardson: Yeah, sure. Absolutely. 314 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:57,360 So just for for context, 315 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:00,760 I'm speaking in my keynote to Women in 316 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:03,560 leadership, women led businesses and women's 317 00:12:03,560 --> 00:12:07,000 retreats. So usually women who are giving a 318 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,360 lot, doing a lot either to their business, 319 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:11,200 to their family, to their community. 320 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:13,600 And what I'm seeing in my work is these women 321 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:15,440 are doing such amazing things, but they often 322 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:16,920 put themselves last. 323 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:19,200 And as a result, when they're not putting 324 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:20,920 themselves first, when it comes to their 325 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:22,040 health, their nutrition, 326 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:23,640 their rest, their fun, 327 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:25,840 because that's part of wellness, too, is that 328 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:27,360 they begin to feel resentful. 329 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:28,400 They get burnt out. 330 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:30,320 They may experience unwanted health 331 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:32,360 consequences, breakouts, 332 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:34,040 unwanted weight gain. All the things that you 333 00:12:34,040 --> 00:12:36,080 can think about that could go wrong start to 334 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:38,160 happen when women put themselves last. 335 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:41,840 So my framework shows how if we start from a 336 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:44,600 place of being self-sacrificing, 337 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:46,480 that that can really drain us. And what we 338 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:48,840 actually have to do is step in to being 339 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:50,840 radically selfish with our health, 340 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:54,390 choosing ourselves, saying no to things if 341 00:12:54,390 --> 00:12:56,790 it's going to impede into our health rituals. 342 00:12:56,990 --> 00:12:58,670 And then you can actually go into a place of 343 00:12:58,670 --> 00:13:01,110 self-leadership because you're taking care of 344 00:13:01,110 --> 00:13:03,110 yourself. And now you can give and serve your 345 00:13:03,110 --> 00:13:06,630 community from a place of power and wellness 346 00:13:06,630 --> 00:13:09,310 and not resentment and not bitterness and 347 00:13:09,310 --> 00:13:09,870 burnout. 348 00:13:10,590 --> 00:13:12,470 Carol Cox: Yeah, I love that. It's so inspiring and 349 00:13:12,470 --> 00:13:14,550 impactful, but it's also very tangible. 350 00:13:14,830 --> 00:13:16,950 And I think the audience will see themselves 351 00:13:16,950 --> 00:13:18,950 in those stages and recognize, 352 00:13:18,950 --> 00:13:20,750 okay, where am I at and where do I want to 353 00:13:20,750 --> 00:13:22,270 get to? Yeah. 354 00:13:22,310 --> 00:13:23,470 Okay. Well done. 355 00:13:23,470 --> 00:13:25,070 All right, Alfie, so let's come to you. 356 00:13:25,070 --> 00:13:29,270 So I know that you have a very personal story 357 00:13:29,470 --> 00:13:32,750 that you decided that you wanted to anchor 358 00:13:32,790 --> 00:13:34,990 your keynote in, to share with the audience. 359 00:13:34,990 --> 00:13:36,910 So whatever you feel comfortable with, 360 00:13:36,910 --> 00:13:38,670 do you want to share a little bit about that, 361 00:13:38,670 --> 00:13:41,030 and then how you decided to frame up what 362 00:13:41,030 --> 00:13:42,910 you, the core message or the core lessons 363 00:13:42,910 --> 00:13:44,110 that you wanted to share? 364 00:13:44,830 --> 00:13:47,230 Alfarena (Alfie) McGinty: Yeah. So four years ago, 365 00:13:47,270 --> 00:13:49,350 I lost my son, my firstborn son, 366 00:13:49,350 --> 00:13:54,820 Jimmy, um, to a fentanyl poisoning And what I 367 00:13:54,860 --> 00:13:56,900 found was that grief was hard. 368 00:13:56,900 --> 00:13:59,500 Although I had dealt with grief with other 369 00:13:59,500 --> 00:14:01,980 families in this industry of death 370 00:14:01,980 --> 00:14:04,500 investigation for many years, 371 00:14:04,540 --> 00:14:05,860 20 plus years. 372 00:14:05,860 --> 00:14:07,300 And then here it was. 373 00:14:07,340 --> 00:14:10,260 Now I'm facing grief and I'm having to deal 374 00:14:10,260 --> 00:14:12,140 with grief, and I just didn't know how to do 375 00:14:12,140 --> 00:14:13,900 it. I couldn't get through, 376 00:14:14,180 --> 00:14:16,740 um, how to just get up every day and keep 377 00:14:16,740 --> 00:14:20,500 going. But yet, um, I wanted to talk about 378 00:14:20,500 --> 00:14:23,140 it. And as we know, substance abuse and 379 00:14:23,140 --> 00:14:26,700 substance use, um, is a very stigmatized 380 00:14:26,700 --> 00:14:29,580 subject and just encouraging people to be 381 00:14:29,620 --> 00:14:32,860 able to talk about it. So with what I learned 382 00:14:32,860 --> 00:14:36,180 during, um, during the course with, 383 00:14:36,180 --> 00:14:37,780 with you all, was that, 384 00:14:37,980 --> 00:14:39,860 um, that there were pillars, 385 00:14:39,860 --> 00:14:42,380 right, that there were stages of things to 386 00:14:42,420 --> 00:14:45,820 talk about when it comes to the keynote. 387 00:14:45,820 --> 00:14:49,620 And what was encouraging for me was giving 388 00:14:49,620 --> 00:14:53,770 people inspiration to identify what some of 389 00:14:53,770 --> 00:14:56,370 those things are as it pertains to grief. 390 00:14:56,570 --> 00:15:00,610 So my three pillars were notice it, 391 00:15:01,410 --> 00:15:04,370 name it, and nurture it. 392 00:15:04,770 --> 00:15:07,130 And that's something that I had never thought 393 00:15:07,130 --> 00:15:09,770 of before. So I came into this like, 394 00:15:09,810 --> 00:15:11,650 okay, so I'm gonna have this keynote. 395 00:15:11,770 --> 00:15:14,570 And, you know, I didn't think anything about 396 00:15:14,610 --> 00:15:17,610 those three pillars and those stages until I 397 00:15:17,610 --> 00:15:20,170 got there. And it was so encouraging. 398 00:15:20,210 --> 00:15:21,930 Now I use this so much. 399 00:15:22,250 --> 00:15:24,450 It's like, okay, this is good. 400 00:15:24,650 --> 00:15:27,170 Um, but that was what I took away from that 401 00:15:27,170 --> 00:15:30,450 and how to put that into into the talk and 402 00:15:30,490 --> 00:15:32,090 put that into the keynote, 403 00:15:32,130 --> 00:15:34,610 where now it's easy for people to remember. 404 00:15:34,610 --> 00:15:36,730 In fact, I said it and now people are 405 00:15:36,730 --> 00:15:39,810 repeating it. And so that was encouraging. 406 00:15:39,810 --> 00:15:42,490 And that was just the one thing like the big 407 00:15:42,730 --> 00:15:46,330 takeaway for me, for my own grief as I was 408 00:15:46,330 --> 00:15:48,610 going through it. And now I have something to 409 00:15:48,650 --> 00:15:51,130 work with other people on as it pertains to 410 00:15:51,490 --> 00:15:54,480 navigating grief for others and with others. 411 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:57,080 Carol Cox: Hmm. Oh, well, thank you for sharing that. 412 00:15:57,080 --> 00:15:58,840 And I the notice it, name it, 413 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:01,320 nurture it. Got the the got the alliteration 414 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:02,680 in there as well. So yes, 415 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:04,840 it makes it memorable for you. 416 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:07,160 Right. So you can remember it if you're doing 417 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:09,640 a podcast interview or a speaking engagement 418 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:12,160 or if you're on a panel or anything else, 419 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:14,320 you just kind of clicks into place and you 420 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:16,040 know what's important to share, 421 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:17,600 then obviously your audience can remember it 422 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:19,320 more easily as well. Yeah, 423 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:20,960 yeah. Okay, great. 424 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:22,160 Nikki, let's come to you. 425 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:24,520 So tell us, tell us a little bit about your 426 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:27,160 core message in your keynote, 427 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:28,920 what you decided for act two, 428 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:31,720 and then we'll come back to how you decided 429 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:33,920 to open with your with a personal story. 430 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:35,480 But let's start let's focus on act two and 431 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:36,360 what you put there. 432 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:40,280 Niki Ramirez: Yeah. So, um, thankfully I just got to meet 433 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:42,200 with Diane also. 434 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:45,560 And so I, um, I don't necessarily have my 435 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:47,000 three pillars dialed in, 436 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:48,440 like, exactly yet. 437 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:49,520 I'm still working on it, 438 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:52,350 but, you know, the keynote that I am putting 439 00:16:52,390 --> 00:16:54,790 together. And then molding into this 440 00:16:54,790 --> 00:16:58,670 fantastic framework is about reframing and 441 00:16:58,670 --> 00:17:02,310 shifting our concept of being perhaps unlucky 442 00:17:02,310 --> 00:17:05,550 sometimes. And so we're talking about how we 443 00:17:05,550 --> 00:17:08,910 can cultivate and manufacture luck in our 444 00:17:08,910 --> 00:17:12,950 lives through simple actions and attitudes. 445 00:17:13,110 --> 00:17:16,310 And so yeah. So I'm on Alfie's tail here 446 00:17:16,310 --> 00:17:17,670 with, you know, trying to find some good 447 00:17:17,670 --> 00:17:19,230 alliteration and dial in. 448 00:17:19,230 --> 00:17:23,470 I have like, I always have too much to too 449 00:17:23,470 --> 00:17:24,630 many things to think about. 450 00:17:24,630 --> 00:17:26,470 Too many. I have too many pillars. 451 00:17:26,510 --> 00:17:28,630 will Carol. So working on it. 452 00:17:28,910 --> 00:17:30,750 I know it's so important though, 453 00:17:30,790 --> 00:17:32,790 to follow, to really follow the framework, 454 00:17:32,790 --> 00:17:33,910 and I really believe in it. 455 00:17:33,910 --> 00:17:35,870 And I'm so grateful that we were there to 456 00:17:36,110 --> 00:17:37,310 just dial it in. 457 00:17:37,310 --> 00:17:40,390 Because as a consumer of keynotes and I do 458 00:17:40,430 --> 00:17:43,270 love, I love a good inspirational talk. 459 00:17:43,790 --> 00:17:45,110 Always, I always will, 460 00:17:45,310 --> 00:17:47,670 um, the best ones have really clear and 461 00:17:47,670 --> 00:17:49,590 concise messaging. And so I'm working hard to 462 00:17:49,590 --> 00:17:52,100 figure out what my, what my hook is a little 463 00:17:52,140 --> 00:17:54,020 bit, but the concept is really about, 464 00:17:54,060 --> 00:17:55,900 you know, thinking about how to create, block 465 00:17:55,900 --> 00:17:57,500 and cultivate luck in our lives. 466 00:17:57,500 --> 00:18:00,620 And it's a it's a mental exercise. 467 00:18:00,660 --> 00:18:01,180 Yeah. 468 00:18:01,340 --> 00:18:03,380 Carol Cox: Yeah. Well, something for you to think about, 469 00:18:03,420 --> 00:18:05,300 Nicky. And this goes to anyone listening as 470 00:18:05,300 --> 00:18:07,820 well. Is that so we talk about in that act 471 00:18:07,820 --> 00:18:09,740 two, that core. It could be three, 472 00:18:09,780 --> 00:18:11,660 three lessons like those hard one life 473 00:18:11,660 --> 00:18:13,620 lessons. It could be three stages people go 474 00:18:13,620 --> 00:18:16,420 to go through. It could be three pillars like 475 00:18:16,420 --> 00:18:18,620 pillars are good if stages or lessons don't 476 00:18:18,620 --> 00:18:21,300 make sense. Another way to do it this was 477 00:18:21,300 --> 00:18:23,380 came to mind for you. Nicky is like three 478 00:18:23,420 --> 00:18:26,780 myths or three beliefs we have about luck. 479 00:18:27,220 --> 00:18:29,260 So like contrasting like the three myths or 480 00:18:29,260 --> 00:18:30,620 beliefs versus what the act, 481 00:18:30,700 --> 00:18:32,060 what actually it is. 482 00:18:32,180 --> 00:18:34,500 And that could be a good way to like bucket 483 00:18:34,500 --> 00:18:36,300 your key points in act two. 484 00:18:36,500 --> 00:18:37,980 Niki Ramirez: Love it. Thank you Carol. 485 00:18:38,020 --> 00:18:38,860 Yeah. Yes. 486 00:18:39,020 --> 00:18:40,900 Carol Cox: And trust me, I get it. We all have too much 487 00:18:40,900 --> 00:18:44,100 content. I have a gazillion slide decks and 488 00:18:44,100 --> 00:18:45,980 presentations and I just know. 489 00:18:45,980 --> 00:18:48,540 Okay, but for the 30 minutes or 45 minutes I 490 00:18:48,540 --> 00:18:49,700 have for this audience, 491 00:18:49,740 --> 00:18:50,820 what can I give them? 492 00:18:50,930 --> 00:18:53,450 And then I'll give a different talk to a 493 00:18:53,450 --> 00:18:55,090 different audience, and I'll get to use all 494 00:18:55,130 --> 00:18:56,970 this other stuff that I have. 495 00:18:57,370 --> 00:18:59,450 Niki Ramirez: Exactly. Yeah. And with the storytelling 496 00:18:59,450 --> 00:19:01,450 piece of it, that's the other reason I came 497 00:19:01,450 --> 00:19:02,610 to the event. 498 00:19:02,650 --> 00:19:05,290 You know, I've always struggled to figure out 499 00:19:05,290 --> 00:19:08,970 how to incorporate a good story into the into 500 00:19:08,970 --> 00:19:10,890 the, into the keynote content. 501 00:19:10,890 --> 00:19:12,730 And that was one of my sticking points I 502 00:19:12,730 --> 00:19:14,370 needed to get, you know, get it again, get 503 00:19:14,410 --> 00:19:17,370 momentum. So yeah, when we think about 504 00:19:17,370 --> 00:19:20,130 pulling a story through it or using a story 505 00:19:20,130 --> 00:19:22,650 to inspire a way of thinking, 506 00:19:22,690 --> 00:19:24,490 I mean, that was definitely another reason 507 00:19:24,490 --> 00:19:26,370 that I chose to go so I could help have your 508 00:19:26,370 --> 00:19:27,650 help right there on the spot, 509 00:19:27,690 --> 00:19:29,370 you and Diane to really say, 510 00:19:29,370 --> 00:19:31,490 okay, this is where stories go and this is 511 00:19:31,490 --> 00:19:33,490 how to link it to your message. 512 00:19:33,810 --> 00:19:35,090 Carol Cox: Yeah, that was fun. 513 00:19:35,130 --> 00:19:37,010 All right. So then so in the mornings you all 514 00:19:37,010 --> 00:19:39,970 worked on your boards and then we had an hour 515 00:19:39,970 --> 00:19:41,050 lunch, which was nice. 516 00:19:41,050 --> 00:19:43,090 We could kind of just like take a brain break 517 00:19:43,090 --> 00:19:44,450 and chat and eat. 518 00:19:44,450 --> 00:19:47,530 And then in the afternoon we got to do some 519 00:19:47,530 --> 00:19:49,050 fun exercises. 520 00:19:49,050 --> 00:19:51,600 And then each of you took the stage for about 521 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:54,360 five minutes to practice delivering either a 522 00:19:54,360 --> 00:19:57,280 story or a segment of the talk that you had 523 00:19:57,280 --> 00:19:59,440 worked on and there. 524 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:01,800 So when you got to the stage to do your 525 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:04,680 practice session, you had no no slides, 526 00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:07,400 no notes, no script, no outline, 527 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:11,600 nothing. So honestly, were you terrified? 528 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:12,680 How did you feel? 529 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:14,360 And then how do you think it went? 530 00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:15,760 Kate I'll come back to you. 531 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:19,120 Kait Richardson: Well, I was definitely terrified because, 532 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:22,760 you know, when I talk about as a dietitian, 533 00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:25,720 what resonates with people are the stories. 534 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:28,080 And especially when you can be really honest 535 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:30,600 about the things that. 536 00:20:31,360 --> 00:20:33,280 Well, I'll give you an example. So growing up 537 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:35,640 my whole life, I was mostly insecure about my 538 00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:37,440 body trying to be thin, 539 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:39,600 trying to fit in, trying to be popular, 540 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:41,880 trying to be liked like that was just the 541 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:44,040 narrative of my adolescence and young 542 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:46,520 adulthood. So then stepping up in front of a 543 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:49,160 bunch of professional women with your blazers 544 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:51,470 on and everyone looks really nice and sharing 545 00:20:51,470 --> 00:20:55,110 with everyone about how growing up I was so 546 00:20:55,150 --> 00:20:58,190 insecure is very nerve wracking. 547 00:20:58,470 --> 00:21:01,990 But I felt when I was sharing that part and I 548 00:21:02,030 --> 00:21:05,470 tied it into this real story I had about a 549 00:21:05,470 --> 00:21:06,870 client who was in her 70s, 550 00:21:06,910 --> 00:21:09,790 and she came to me just hating her body and 551 00:21:09,790 --> 00:21:11,790 wanting to lose five more pounds, 552 00:21:11,990 --> 00:21:13,550 and how that was an eye opener for me because 553 00:21:13,550 --> 00:21:14,990 I was like, I don't want to be 70. 554 00:21:15,030 --> 00:21:16,550 Worried about losing five more pounds. I 555 00:21:16,550 --> 00:21:18,790 mean, I'm 31 and that's exhausting. 556 00:21:18,910 --> 00:21:21,150 So I don't want to go the next 40 years of my 557 00:21:21,150 --> 00:21:22,190 life doing that. 558 00:21:22,230 --> 00:21:24,070 And so when I shared that story, I could tell 559 00:21:24,070 --> 00:21:26,390 that women who were at the workshop could 560 00:21:26,390 --> 00:21:28,670 resonate with that, because being a woman in 561 00:21:28,670 --> 00:21:31,710 a body in present time is hard. 562 00:21:31,750 --> 00:21:32,870 There's a lot of pressure, 563 00:21:32,870 --> 00:21:34,510 and it's hard not to have negative feelings 564 00:21:34,510 --> 00:21:36,670 about yourself. So it gave me a lot of 565 00:21:36,670 --> 00:21:39,270 confidence to continue sharing that because 566 00:21:39,270 --> 00:21:41,510 it's received well, even though it's really 567 00:21:41,510 --> 00:21:43,270 scary. And one of the reasons it's really 568 00:21:43,270 --> 00:21:45,990 scary. I felt this way at my TEDx talk as 569 00:21:45,990 --> 00:21:47,750 well, is because when you're talking about 570 00:21:47,750 --> 00:21:50,060 insecurities with your own body. 571 00:21:50,460 --> 00:21:51,940 Everyone's looking at you. And so they're 572 00:21:51,940 --> 00:21:53,820 going to be looking at your body. And people 573 00:21:53,820 --> 00:21:55,460 are going to have thoughts about your body. 574 00:21:55,460 --> 00:21:56,860 That's just what happens sometimes when 575 00:21:56,860 --> 00:21:58,380 you're talking about it, you know? 576 00:21:58,620 --> 00:22:01,180 And so getting over that takes a lot of 577 00:22:01,180 --> 00:22:04,020 repetitions. And I'll never be 100% over it, 578 00:22:04,020 --> 00:22:06,180 but I'd love to be 99% over it. 579 00:22:06,180 --> 00:22:08,180 And so the repetitions are what I need. 580 00:22:08,660 --> 00:22:10,460 Carol Cox: Mhm. That's an excellent point right. Because 581 00:22:10,460 --> 00:22:12,020 if we're talking about something that's 582 00:22:12,020 --> 00:22:15,300 vulnerable but it's not something that is 583 00:22:15,300 --> 00:22:17,500 right there for people to look at that is 584 00:22:17,540 --> 00:22:19,460 yeah I can see how that that's like an extra 585 00:22:19,460 --> 00:22:21,980 layer of vulnerability that you have for 586 00:22:21,980 --> 00:22:24,620 sure. But I think then you are role modeling 587 00:22:24,900 --> 00:22:28,620 to your audience that you are here anyways. 588 00:22:28,620 --> 00:22:31,420 And actually you could even say that out loud 589 00:22:31,580 --> 00:22:33,220 to the audience, like, I know it's either, 590 00:22:33,260 --> 00:22:35,180 you know, it's it's ironic or there's this 591 00:22:35,220 --> 00:22:36,540 extra layer of vulnerability that I'm 592 00:22:36,540 --> 00:22:37,900 standing here talking about my body. You're 593 00:22:37,900 --> 00:22:40,220 all looking at my body, but this is what we 594 00:22:40,220 --> 00:22:41,500 need to get more comfortable doing. 595 00:22:41,980 --> 00:22:43,460 Kait Richardson: Yeah, because then you make everyone in the 596 00:22:43,460 --> 00:22:45,060 audience feel more comfortable, and then you 597 00:22:45,060 --> 00:22:46,940 could have more connection with the audience 598 00:22:46,940 --> 00:22:49,010 off stage, which I think is also really 599 00:22:49,010 --> 00:22:51,850 important for women who have businesses or 600 00:22:51,850 --> 00:22:53,290 who have things that they're doing, because 601 00:22:53,290 --> 00:22:54,810 you want to connect with the audience and 602 00:22:54,810 --> 00:22:56,250 build those relationships. 603 00:22:56,410 --> 00:22:58,330 And that starts with trust. 604 00:22:58,530 --> 00:23:00,250 And so especially when I'm talking about 605 00:23:00,250 --> 00:23:01,570 health and body image, 606 00:23:01,730 --> 00:23:04,090 I want to be a person that people can talk to 607 00:23:04,130 --> 00:23:07,290 about their biggest fears and involves 608 00:23:07,290 --> 00:23:08,610 putting mine all on the table. 609 00:23:08,930 --> 00:23:10,890 Carol Cox: Yes. Yeah. Excellent point about building 610 00:23:10,930 --> 00:23:13,690 trust through sharing those your those 611 00:23:13,690 --> 00:23:16,330 personal stories and the vulnerable moments 612 00:23:16,330 --> 00:23:18,450 as well. Nikki, let me come back to you. 613 00:23:18,450 --> 00:23:21,090 So I know that in the keynote that you were 614 00:23:21,090 --> 00:23:24,090 working on, that you had a personal story 615 00:23:24,090 --> 00:23:26,410 that you were going to open with and a story 616 00:23:26,410 --> 00:23:28,930 that you had. You don't share normally in the 617 00:23:28,930 --> 00:23:30,730 speaking engagements that you do. 618 00:23:30,770 --> 00:23:32,450 Right. So how did it feel to work on that, 619 00:23:32,450 --> 00:23:34,970 and then how did it feel to get up on the 620 00:23:34,970 --> 00:23:37,010 stage and practice sharing that? 621 00:23:37,410 --> 00:23:40,130 Niki Ramirez: Yeah, well, it was definitely a challenge 622 00:23:40,130 --> 00:23:42,970 for, you know, having been on so many stages, 623 00:23:42,970 --> 00:23:44,970 this stage felt like it was bigger and more 624 00:23:44,970 --> 00:23:47,210 important than any stage I'd ever been on, 625 00:23:47,650 --> 00:23:49,760 and it was only this far off the ground. 626 00:23:50,120 --> 00:23:51,880 And how many? 30 women in the room, 627 00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:55,520 right. So no, I mean, the the story that I am 628 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:58,560 sharing is the story that shaped the way that 629 00:23:58,560 --> 00:23:59,800 I think about luck. 630 00:24:00,120 --> 00:24:04,000 And so in the late, late ish 90s, 631 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:07,160 I was carjacked at gunpoint while on campus 632 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:09,640 at my college. And, you know, 633 00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:13,640 a lot of years later and a lot of retrospect 634 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:16,560 later, I've been able to pick it apart and 635 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:20,440 figure out how that particular incident 636 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:24,640 actually spurred my interest and continuing 637 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:27,160 to be out in the world and connect with 638 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:30,480 people and really see people for what was 639 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:32,160 happening in their moment. 640 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:33,640 Because, you know, I think that, 641 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:36,440 you know, as we navigate the world so many 642 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:39,000 times, we're just passing by one another. 643 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:41,360 And, you know, taking that opportunity to 644 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:43,680 say, gosh, I'm so lucky that I learned how to 645 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:47,160 interpret someone's feelings of crisis, 646 00:24:47,470 --> 00:24:50,350 how you know, how I was able to sit back and 647 00:24:50,350 --> 00:24:51,910 say, okay, I'm going to slow down in this 648 00:24:51,910 --> 00:24:53,670 moment, but I'm not out of this game. 649 00:24:53,670 --> 00:24:55,190 I'm coming back to school. 650 00:24:55,230 --> 00:24:56,590 You know, it was very so it was nerve 651 00:24:56,630 --> 00:24:59,030 wracking to pull this very personal story 652 00:24:59,030 --> 00:25:01,590 that, yeah, I had I had no reason to tell it 653 00:25:01,590 --> 00:25:03,590 on any other stage. It just didn't fit into 654 00:25:03,590 --> 00:25:06,270 the concepts that I talk about in most cases. 655 00:25:06,510 --> 00:25:08,790 So yeah, it was really great to be up there. 656 00:25:08,790 --> 00:25:10,630 And yes, it was nerve wracking and it was 657 00:25:10,630 --> 00:25:13,510 very doable and it was such a safe and 658 00:25:13,510 --> 00:25:15,070 comfortable space to grow. 659 00:25:15,190 --> 00:25:18,030 And I finally it took me days to go back and 660 00:25:18,030 --> 00:25:19,070 watch my video. 661 00:25:19,110 --> 00:25:21,830 Alfie and Kate, I don't know how soon you 662 00:25:21,830 --> 00:25:23,750 went and watched your video, but I waited 663 00:25:23,750 --> 00:25:26,230 over a week to go back and watch it. 664 00:25:27,230 --> 00:25:28,390 Carol Cox: I feel like that's normal. 665 00:25:28,390 --> 00:25:30,350 I don't like watching my videos either. 666 00:25:30,830 --> 00:25:32,350 Niki Ramirez: I waited for a week and then I said, 667 00:25:32,350 --> 00:25:33,670 oh, that wasn't so bad, 668 00:25:33,710 --> 00:25:34,110 right? 669 00:25:34,150 --> 00:25:36,230 Carol Cox: Yeah, that's what always happens, right? 670 00:25:36,270 --> 00:25:38,230 Like we make it up in our head about what it 671 00:25:38,230 --> 00:25:38,910 is, right? 672 00:25:38,950 --> 00:25:40,990 Niki Ramirez: So much room to grow. But it was not bad at 673 00:25:40,990 --> 00:25:42,230 all. So yeah. Thank you. 674 00:25:42,270 --> 00:25:43,870 Carol Cox: Yeah. You all did great again. 675 00:25:43,910 --> 00:25:45,750 Like feeling put on, not put on the spot like 676 00:25:45,750 --> 00:25:47,380 you knew what was coming. But still again, 677 00:25:47,420 --> 00:25:49,580 like with not because we want you to get 678 00:25:49,580 --> 00:25:52,060 comfortable with this idea that you know your 679 00:25:52,060 --> 00:25:54,420 content, you know your stories, 680 00:25:54,580 --> 00:25:57,620 and being overly prepared actually 681 00:25:57,940 --> 00:26:00,740 disconnects you from your audience rather 682 00:26:00,740 --> 00:26:03,740 than improving your the, 683 00:26:04,300 --> 00:26:06,340 the rapport that you're trying to build with 684 00:26:06,340 --> 00:26:07,980 them. So, Alfie, I'll come back. 685 00:26:08,020 --> 00:26:09,860 I'll come to you now to talk to us a little 686 00:26:09,900 --> 00:26:13,100 bit about what was it like in the afternoon. 687 00:26:13,100 --> 00:26:15,100 So again, up on the practice stage, 688 00:26:15,140 --> 00:26:17,100 sharing part of your talk, 689 00:26:17,100 --> 00:26:19,420 but then even some of the other kind of 690 00:26:19,580 --> 00:26:21,940 activities that we did to kind of help you 691 00:26:21,940 --> 00:26:24,220 all get more into your bodies and into your 692 00:26:24,220 --> 00:26:25,140 stage presence. 693 00:26:25,580 --> 00:26:27,860 Alfarena (Alfie) McGinty: Yeah. So you just hit the nail on the head 694 00:26:27,860 --> 00:26:31,300 when you said overly preparing as a death 695 00:26:31,300 --> 00:26:34,460 investigator. I always have notes and I 696 00:26:34,500 --> 00:26:37,060 always am prepared with something to back up 697 00:26:37,060 --> 00:26:38,100 what I'm saying. 698 00:26:38,460 --> 00:26:41,500 And you had to go on that stage with nothing. 699 00:26:41,740 --> 00:26:43,820 And I was just like, I can't do this. 700 00:26:43,860 --> 00:26:46,140 Like, I have notes, I need notes, 701 00:26:46,140 --> 00:26:47,650 I need a presentation, 702 00:26:47,650 --> 00:26:50,250 I need something, and to go up there and just 703 00:26:50,250 --> 00:26:53,370 know the story and be able to tell the story. 704 00:26:53,410 --> 00:26:56,690 Not only that, but also in a given amount of 705 00:26:56,690 --> 00:27:00,610 time. So to to stay on the time task right 706 00:27:00,850 --> 00:27:03,210 and making sure that you're staying in focus 707 00:27:03,210 --> 00:27:05,370 and you're wrapping it up within a certain 708 00:27:05,370 --> 00:27:07,770 amount of time. And then in addition to that, 709 00:27:07,770 --> 00:27:10,810 the other takeaway, which Nikki I immediately 710 00:27:10,810 --> 00:27:13,570 watched, probably while I was walking back to 711 00:27:13,610 --> 00:27:17,610 the hotel room because I'm all about like, 712 00:27:17,610 --> 00:27:19,810 practicing and making it better and doing 713 00:27:19,810 --> 00:27:22,490 better and and what I noticed and what I 714 00:27:22,490 --> 00:27:25,090 loved about that opportunity to be on that 715 00:27:25,090 --> 00:27:30,570 stage was you all gave immediate feedback and 716 00:27:30,610 --> 00:27:33,810 that presence of being on the stage, 717 00:27:33,970 --> 00:27:38,090 um, how you move on the stage stuck with me 718 00:27:38,130 --> 00:27:39,930 so much. So I still practice that, 719 00:27:39,930 --> 00:27:41,850 right? Like, you know, 720 00:27:41,890 --> 00:27:44,450 as you mentioned, like moving in a certain 721 00:27:44,450 --> 00:27:47,040 way, not crossing your legs as you walk 722 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:48,240 across the stage. 723 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:49,840 That was like the fun part. 724 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:52,240 So I still practiced that because, 725 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:54,320 you know, you may or may not have a podium in 726 00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:56,280 front of you. You may or may not have notes 727 00:27:56,280 --> 00:27:57,960 or a presentation. 728 00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:00,160 So those were the takeaways that I got from 729 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:02,760 that. But the other parts of, 730 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:05,160 you know, some of the impromptu things were 731 00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:07,160 quite funny, like, you know, 732 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:09,880 just trying to describe and mimic what people 733 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:11,080 were doing. Right. 734 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:13,360 And, and I don't know what that exercise was 735 00:28:13,360 --> 00:28:15,960 called, but that part of the workshop was 736 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:20,200 hilarious. But it also taught us how to be 737 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:21,360 impromptu, right? 738 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:23,720 How to think quickly on our feet. 739 00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:26,560 So that's what we had to do in those minutes 740 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:28,360 while we were on that stage. 741 00:28:28,360 --> 00:28:31,400 So those parts of the workshop were where you 742 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:33,960 got to get up and move and talk and just do 743 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:35,880 something different than you would ordinarily 744 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:37,520 not do in a classroom. 745 00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:39,040 So that was the exciting part. 746 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:40,920 Carol Cox: Oh well, good. Well, good for you for 747 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:42,640 watching your video right away. 748 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:44,240 Wow. Like I'm usually like this. 749 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:46,030 Like I'm looking through my fingers to watch 750 00:28:46,030 --> 00:28:48,030 the video. Like, yeah. 751 00:28:48,030 --> 00:28:48,910 That's amazing. 752 00:28:50,070 --> 00:28:50,430 Kait Richardson: Yeah. 753 00:28:50,750 --> 00:28:52,030 Carol Cox: Yeah, that was a lot of fun. 754 00:28:52,230 --> 00:28:54,550 All right. So I would love to hear from each 755 00:28:54,550 --> 00:28:56,870 of you now. What is next for you? 756 00:28:56,910 --> 00:28:58,470 What are what are you what are you working on 757 00:28:58,470 --> 00:29:01,710 for 2026? You know, any what visions do you 758 00:29:01,710 --> 00:29:03,790 have for speaking engagements that you want 759 00:29:03,830 --> 00:29:06,470 to do or stages that you want to be on? 760 00:29:06,470 --> 00:29:06,910 Kait. 761 00:29:08,310 --> 00:29:09,830 Kait Richardson: Pitching. Pitching. 762 00:29:09,870 --> 00:29:11,510 Pitching? Yeah. 763 00:29:11,790 --> 00:29:12,870 Um, yeah. No. 764 00:29:12,910 --> 00:29:16,110 Now that I have so much more clarity on the 765 00:29:16,110 --> 00:29:18,510 keynotes and I also do nutrition workshops. 766 00:29:18,510 --> 00:29:20,710 So workshops for small businesses. 767 00:29:20,710 --> 00:29:23,110 So now I have a lot of clarity on the keynote 768 00:29:23,270 --> 00:29:25,310 I'm going through and finding all different 769 00:29:25,310 --> 00:29:27,510 types of conferences, medium large 770 00:29:27,510 --> 00:29:30,350 businesses. And I am just working with a 771 00:29:30,350 --> 00:29:32,790 coach to master my pitch game. 772 00:29:33,510 --> 00:29:36,070 And I do have a few speaking engagements 773 00:29:36,110 --> 00:29:39,670 lined up. I'm doing one for a nutrition the 774 00:29:39,710 --> 00:29:41,950 Florida Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 775 00:29:41,990 --> 00:29:43,630 actually, you'll appreciate it. It's about 776 00:29:43,630 --> 00:29:46,740 using your story to empower your brand. 777 00:29:46,740 --> 00:29:48,740 And you just released an episode about 778 00:29:48,740 --> 00:29:51,740 policy. And that's what dietitians in Florida 779 00:29:51,740 --> 00:29:54,420 right now are really trying to push, 780 00:29:54,420 --> 00:29:56,820 which is being an activist, 781 00:29:57,020 --> 00:29:59,540 helping our profession really rise up. 782 00:29:59,540 --> 00:30:00,900 And so that's why they're having me come in 783 00:30:00,940 --> 00:30:02,980 to talk, to help shape, 784 00:30:03,300 --> 00:30:05,060 help give dietitians the courage to share 785 00:30:05,060 --> 00:30:06,820 their story with policymakers. 786 00:30:06,820 --> 00:30:08,580 So excited to listen to your episode and 787 00:30:08,580 --> 00:30:10,020 glean some things from that. 788 00:30:10,020 --> 00:30:11,940 And then I'm doing some in-person workshops 789 00:30:11,940 --> 00:30:13,980 with local physicians in the area about 790 00:30:13,980 --> 00:30:15,780 menopause and metabolism. 791 00:30:16,140 --> 00:30:17,900 So a lot of fun things coming up, 792 00:30:18,060 --> 00:30:19,340 um, in January. 793 00:30:19,340 --> 00:30:20,980 And in between, I'll just be pitching. 794 00:30:21,500 --> 00:30:22,700 Carol Cox: Oh, well that's great. Well, 795 00:30:22,700 --> 00:30:25,700 I can't wait to get updates and hear about 796 00:30:25,700 --> 00:30:26,940 all the places that you're going to be. And 797 00:30:26,940 --> 00:30:28,420 yes, for those of you listening, 798 00:30:28,420 --> 00:30:30,340 so definitely check out just the previous 799 00:30:30,340 --> 00:30:33,860 episode about how you can use your voice and 800 00:30:33,860 --> 00:30:35,740 your expertise to shape policy. 801 00:30:35,740 --> 00:30:38,580 That's with my guest, Doctor Deborah Stein. 802 00:30:38,580 --> 00:30:40,220 And so actually she was here in the LinkedIn 803 00:30:40,220 --> 00:30:42,140 live chiming in in the comments here. 804 00:30:42,140 --> 00:30:43,980 So she's actually joining our Thought Leader 805 00:30:43,980 --> 00:30:47,290 Academy online program that starts in January 806 00:30:47,290 --> 00:30:50,410 to help her develop her her keynotes as well. 807 00:30:50,450 --> 00:30:52,010 All right, Alfie, let's come to you. 808 00:30:52,050 --> 00:30:54,770 What is on deck for you for 2026? 809 00:30:56,090 --> 00:31:00,050 Alfarena (Alfie) McGinty: Well, so my number one goal is to be like 810 00:31:00,050 --> 00:31:01,730 Kait and do a Ted talk. 811 00:31:02,210 --> 00:31:07,050 So all things in all roads are leading to a 812 00:31:07,050 --> 00:31:09,650 Ted talk. That is the number one goal. 813 00:31:09,650 --> 00:31:13,610 And then later pitching for new opportunities 814 00:31:13,610 --> 00:31:17,090 to speak. Um, to do a keynote, 815 00:31:17,290 --> 00:31:20,530 um, for larger, larger audiences and 816 00:31:20,530 --> 00:31:23,970 audiences outside of death investigation. 817 00:31:23,970 --> 00:31:26,530 So they're used to hearing and seeing me, 818 00:31:26,530 --> 00:31:29,370 but I want to go outside of that particular 819 00:31:29,370 --> 00:31:31,810 profession and maybe see where else. 820 00:31:31,850 --> 00:31:34,610 You know, what I have to say can lead other 821 00:31:34,610 --> 00:31:36,850 people and how inspirational it might be for 822 00:31:36,850 --> 00:31:39,730 others. But that number one thing in 2026 is 823 00:31:39,730 --> 00:31:40,570 that Ted talk. 824 00:31:40,850 --> 00:31:43,210 Carol Cox: Ooh. Okay. Fantastic. 825 00:31:43,210 --> 00:31:44,360 All right, I love it. 826 00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:45,680 Nicky. What about you? 827 00:31:46,040 --> 00:31:47,960 Niki Ramirez: All right. Alfie. Cheering you along. 828 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:49,200 It's going to happen. 829 00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:51,800 You said it. Oh very good. 830 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:55,360 So 2026. Um, we're well we're hustling um, 831 00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:58,160 at HR, Answers.com, just doing tons of HR 832 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:00,120 consulting. And so, um, 833 00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:02,960 I'm taking the opportunity to introduce some 834 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:05,480 of the concepts from this developing keynote 835 00:32:05,520 --> 00:32:06,680 to our clients as well. 836 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:09,120 So that's fun. They get to be my trusted 837 00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:11,360 collaborators and test audience a lot of the 838 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:13,400 time. Um, and beyond that, 839 00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:16,200 I'm really looking forward to being able to 840 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:20,000 get on stage with HR organizations and other 841 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:22,840 spaces where leaders are gathered so that we 842 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:25,880 can all talk about cultivating luck in a time 843 00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:28,440 of, you know, difficulty and confusion in the 844 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:30,160 world. You know, I think we've all got our 845 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:33,360 own challenges, regardless of where we are in 846 00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:36,480 our life stage or socioeconomic position or 847 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:38,120 all of the things that are very personal to 848 00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:40,920 us, that make our life challenging. And so I 849 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:43,120 think it's just time for us to get together 850 00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:44,870 and talk about how to cultivate luck. 851 00:32:44,870 --> 00:32:46,470 And so, like I said, looking forward to 852 00:32:46,510 --> 00:32:48,910 starting with people who already have a 853 00:32:48,910 --> 00:32:50,790 voice. So leaders and organizations, 854 00:32:50,790 --> 00:32:52,950 let's use our voice to lift people up. 855 00:32:52,990 --> 00:32:54,390 That's that's where you'll find me. 856 00:32:54,830 --> 00:32:56,710 Carol Cox: Oh, I love that you're bringing in this idea 857 00:32:56,710 --> 00:32:59,630 of luck back into your HR content. 858 00:32:59,670 --> 00:33:01,070 Niki Ramirez: Yes. Yeah, yeah. 859 00:33:01,110 --> 00:33:03,310 Hr as a profession feels, 860 00:33:03,630 --> 00:33:06,750 on average very unlucky because we do deal 861 00:33:06,750 --> 00:33:10,390 with the problems within organizations. 862 00:33:10,390 --> 00:33:12,830 And if we have time then we get to do 863 00:33:12,870 --> 00:33:14,550 strategy and fun stuff. 864 00:33:14,550 --> 00:33:16,750 But most of our time really is spent dealing 865 00:33:16,750 --> 00:33:19,070 with issues. And so we could use a boost of 866 00:33:19,070 --> 00:33:20,350 luck across the industry. 867 00:33:20,830 --> 00:33:22,590 Carol Cox: Yes. All right. Fantastic. 868 00:33:22,590 --> 00:33:24,950 Well, I'm wishing you all well and cheering 869 00:33:24,950 --> 00:33:26,310 you on for sure. 870 00:33:26,350 --> 00:33:28,110 Make sure to connect with Kait, 871 00:33:28,150 --> 00:33:31,030 Alfie and Nikki on their LinkedIn profiles. 872 00:33:31,030 --> 00:33:33,070 They're linked. The links are in the show 873 00:33:33,070 --> 00:33:34,910 notes so you can find them there. 874 00:33:34,910 --> 00:33:37,070 And if you would like to come to our next one 875 00:33:37,070 --> 00:33:40,030 day in person speaking Accelerator workshop 876 00:33:40,030 --> 00:33:42,190 so you can work on your signature talk, 877 00:33:42,230 --> 00:33:43,580 it could be for a keynote, 878 00:33:43,620 --> 00:33:45,420 it could be for a lead generation. 879 00:33:45,420 --> 00:33:46,700 So a business presentation, 880 00:33:46,700 --> 00:33:48,700 it could be the start of your TEDx talk. 881 00:33:48,700 --> 00:33:50,380 Really. It could even be all three, because 882 00:33:50,380 --> 00:33:52,860 there's ways to mix and match and repurpose 883 00:33:52,900 --> 00:33:55,020 the one talk into these different formats, 884 00:33:55,020 --> 00:33:57,500 and also have a lot of fun practicing on 885 00:33:57,500 --> 00:34:00,660 stage and getting to know an incredible room 886 00:34:00,660 --> 00:34:02,460 full of women. You can get all of those 887 00:34:02,460 --> 00:34:04,700 details and register at speaking your brand 888 00:34:06,700 --> 00:34:09,260 again, that's speaking your brand. And that 889 00:34:09,260 --> 00:34:10,900 is coming up February 19th, 890 00:34:10,940 --> 00:34:12,940 2026. All right. 891 00:34:12,940 --> 00:34:14,660 Thank you so much, the three of you, 892 00:34:14,660 --> 00:34:16,060 for being at the workshop, 893 00:34:16,060 --> 00:34:18,540 for supporting each other and for coming on 894 00:34:18,540 --> 00:34:20,700 and sharing your experiences here on 895 00:34:20,700 --> 00:34:22,940 backstage with speaking your brand. 896 00:34:22,940 --> 00:34:25,140 Until next time, thanks for listening.