How can you start developing your thought leadership message? In this episode, I walk you through: my V.O.I.C.E. model for thought leadership common fears that keep us as women from speaking up the rewards you get from speaking up 6 steps to position yourself as a thought leader Download our free Thought Leadership workbook that has the V.O.I.C.E. framework, question prompts, and more: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/guide/. I define a thought leader as someone who has an interesting idea, especially one that hasn’t been talked about a lot in their circle of influence, that challenges the status quo and challenges our assumptions; who communicates it with conviction and boldness; who inspires people to take action; AND who causes people to be self-reflective, to learn more about themselves and how they relate to the world. Thought leaders who gain momentum also have what I call a container or project for their thought leadership message, which you’ll hear more about in this episode. One of my thought leadership containers is this podcast; the other is the Brave. Bold. Beyond. Live Virtual Summit we did last year and that we’re doing again on April 1st. Register for free at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/summit/. This week is also the 4-year anniversary of this podcast! Podcasting each week has been the most important factor in the growth of Speaking Your Brand as a company and in helping me refine my voice. THANK YOU for being a listener, whether you've recently found the podcast or have been listening for a while. A SPECIAL THANK YOU if you’ve been a listener since year 1! You helped me continue to hit publish every Tuesday. This episode is part of our Big Ideas series. 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/213 Download our free Thought Leadership workbook that has the V.O.I.C.E. framework, question prompts, and more: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/guide/. Register for free for our Brave. Bold. Beyond. Live Virtual Summit at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/summit/. Get on the interest list for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 183: Amplify Your Voice by Having a Sponsor with Jhaymee Tynan Episode 184: Why Some Speakers Become Thought Leaders Episode 185: My Journey as a Thought Leader & How We're Evolving at Speaking Your Brand Episode 192: The Cure for Vulnerability Hangovers Episode 194: How to Structure a Movement-Making Speech Using Your Story with Joy Spencer 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.