If you’re going to be speaking at an in-person conference, this episode has some excellent tips on how you can exceed expectations as a speaker to make it a win-win-win for you, the audience, and the event organizer. Our guest is Jill Janecke, who is a mental health counselor and has opened and operates 15 offices in South Dakota. Last year, Jill decided to host a conference for women around mental and brain health and recently held it for a second time. As the organizer, Jill delivered a keynote address and joined our Thought Leader Academy to develop it with our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz. In this episode, Diane and Jill talk about: What Jill does in her business and why she decided to create her own conference What it's like to speak at her own event vs. someone else's event The importance of practicing and envisioning your audience As an event organizer, suggestions Jill has for speakers Why Jill joined our Thought Leader Academy and what her experience has been Get our free thought leadership workbook that has our event preparation checklist in it: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/guide/ About Our Guest: Jill Janecke has been working in mental health since 2005 and started Rising Hope Counseling, a private practice, in 2013. Her passion to help people expanded as she created a group practice and has opened 15 offices across the state of South Dakota since March of 2020. Jill yearns to bring opportunities for people to have access to hope. Annually, she presents a Women’s Conference and also provides motivational, educational and inspiring speaking engagements making mental health an approachable topic with easy to learn concepts to apply to anyone’s life. Jill embraces learning to help people achieve their goals and grow from the inside out. About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. This episode is hosted by Diane Diaz, our lead speaking coach. 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, voices, 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/283/ Jill’s website: https://risinghope605.com/jill-janecke-ms-lpc-mh/ Get our free thought leadership workbook that has our event preparation checklist in it: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/guide/ Apply for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/ Connect on social: Diane Diaz on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianediaz Jill Janecke (guest) on Facebook = https://www.facebook.com/risinghope605 Jill’s favorite books = “Switch on Your Brain” by Dr. Caroline Leaf: https://www.amazon.com/Switch-Your-Brain-Happiness-Thinking/dp/0801018390/ and “Happy Days: The Guided Path from Trauma to Profound Freedom and Inner Peace” by Gabrielle Bernstein: https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Days-Guided-Profound-Freedom/dp/1401965490/ Jill’s favorite TED Talk = Brene Brown: https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability?language=en Jill’s favorite quote = “Don’t be afraid to fail.”- Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 245: How to Get Selected as a Speaker by Event Organizers with Sarah Soliman 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.