This episode didn’t go quite as planned. In last week’s episode, we looked at why some speakers become thought leaders - the elements they have in common. I’ve gotten great feedback on that episode, so go back and listen to it if you haven’t already. I decided to do this series on thought leadership because of a client survey we did and a recent conversation I had with my business coach. She pointed out to me that I needed to step up. So, I was planning on sharing my own journey as a thought leader over the past 15 years. I have 3 particular inflection points: when I was in politics; when I had my prior technology company; and the past 5 years since I started SYB. Except Sunday morning came, two days before this episode airs, and I had been procrastinating on recording it. I had the outline done, yet I felt like something was missing. I was showing the facade of Carol - sure, I’d share “mistakes” I’ve made and lessons I’ve learned, but it felt flat. If you’ve been listening to this podcast this year, especially for the past few months, you may have noticed - I certainly have - that a theme has shown up several times - how hard it is for me to tap into my emotions. I’m great at analyzing and intellectualizing, but ask me to tell you what my emotions are, what’s deeper, and there’s a wall there: my guests April Harter and Rebecca Arbona pointed it out (and I’m grateful for them); you can even hear it way back in episode 97 when Geraldine Carter coached me. So, I decided to use this episode to share a very personal story, one that most of my friends don’t even know. You’ll also hear the reasons I chose to share it, as well as how we’re evolving our work here at Speaking Your Brand. Thank you for listening. This episode is the second in our series on thought leadership. About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com. Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/185 Subscribe to get updates about our upcoming live virtual summit on October 15: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/summit/ Schedule a consult call to talk about creating your signature talk and thought leadership platform: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/contact. Connect with Carol on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Business Coach Lisa Princic: https://www.scalingdeep.com Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 97: Thinking Bigger – I Get Coached On-Air by Geraldine Carter Episode 175: The Work of Anti-Racism as White Women with Carol Cox and Diane Diaz Episode 177: A Radically Different Approach to Understanding Racism with April Harter Episode 179: The Deep Truths You and Your Brand Need to Say with Rebeca Arbona [Finding Your Voice Series] Episode 180: You Say You Want to be a Thought Leader: What That Really Means & How to Find Your Voice with Carol Cox and Diane Diaz Episode 184: Why Some Speakers Become Thought Leaders with Carol Cox [Thought Leadership Series] JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.