You know that including stories, especially personal stories, in your presentations is important to connect with and engage the audience. This is true whether you’re giving a keynote, a business presentation, or a training. Along with integrating various stories and examples throughout your presentations, you can also have one core story that illustrates your topic and why it’s important. This is what my guest Chanta Wilkinson and I have been working on during our coaching sessions as part of our Thought Leader Academy. Chanta provides trainings and workshops for organizations around diversity, equity, and inclusion, so we identified a story going back to when she was a young girl that perfectly illustrates why she has gravitated to this work and why DEI is so important. Even better, we’ve identified different angles she can use from this one core story, depending on who’s in the audience and what she wants to emphasize. You are going to love Chanta’s energy and passion for what she does! Enrollment for our Thought Leader Academy is opening again in September! Get the details and join our interest list at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/. About My Guest: Chanta Howard Wilkinson is the founder of Chanta Wilkinson Consulting, LLC, where she provides diversity, equity and inclusion consulting and assistance to organizations implementing diversity, equity and inclusion strategies and best practices. Chanta previously served as a Human Resources Consultant for small to mid-size businesses in Delaware and New York City. Prior to that, she served as the Associate Director of EEO/AA for Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn. In addition, she also served as a Deputy Attorney General and an EEO/Affirmative Action Coordinator for the New Jersey Office of Attorney General and an Associate at a large New Jersey law firm. Chanta holds a J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law, a BA from Rutgers College, and a Diversity & Inclusion for HR Certificate from Cornell University. 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/236 Chanta’s website: https://www.chantawilkinsonconsultingllc.com/ Download our FREE workbook on how to position yourself as a thought leader: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/guide/. Get on the interest list for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/ Schedule a consult call to talk about creating your signature talk and thought leadership platform: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/contact. Connect on LinkedIn: Carol on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Carol on Instagram= https://www.instagram.com/carolmorgancox SYB on YouTube = https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS7AtXV0f_HL09mepAON65w Chanta on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/chanta-howard-wilkinson-547ab8a0/ Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 137: The Missing Ingredients in Your Stories with Carol Cox Episode 193: Five Kinds of Stories to Share in Your Thought Leadership Content with Carol Cox Episode 232: Are You an Influencer, an Expert, or a Thought Leader? with Carol Cox Episode 233: 3 Types of Thought Leadership Models with Carol Cox 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.