From Workshop Leader to National Conference Speaker: Corrin McCloskey’s Thought Leadership Journey

If you love facilitating workshops and trainings, but you know there’s something more you want to say, this episode is for you.

My guest is Corrin McCloskey, a healthcare executive, speaker, writer, and facilitator who has made the leap from being a fabulous facilitator into a true thought leader.

Corrin joined us in Thought Leader Academy in January 2025, and in the year and a half since then, she has spoken at multiple national conferences, published writing in her field, and continued building momentum around her message: healthcare needs more human-centered, connected, and courageous leadership.

This conversation is part of our Expert Trap series because Corrin’s story is such a powerful example of what happens when you move beyond simply teaching helpful content and start naming what’s missing in the conversation.

We talk about:

• How Corrin shifted from facilitating strategic planning and leadership workshops to speaking on bigger stages
• Why thought leadership is less about having all the answers and more about sharing a clear perspective
• The role of writing in expanding your ideas beyond a single talk
• How to keep putting your work out there, even when it doesn’t feel perfect
• What Corrin learned from both deeply affirming audience feedback and a painful experience of harassment after a speaking engagement
• Why having a support system matters when you’re using your voice more publicly

What I love about Corrin’s journey is that she didn’t abandon facilitation. She built on it. She took the skills she already had, added her lived experience and perspective, and stepped into a bigger conversation.

That’s the real invitation of thought leadership: to stop hiding behind expertise alone and start using your voice for the change you want to see.

About Our Guest: Corrin McCloskey is a healthcare executive, executive coach, and national speaker focused on leadership, culture, and change management in healthcare. She serves as Vice President of Heart & Vascular and Oncology Services at Tanner Health, where she leads strategy, growth, and service line development. Passionate about helping leaders build trust and navigate complexity, Corrin frequently speaks on physician leadership, organizational culture, and leading change in healthcare. Over the past year, she has expanded her national speaking presence and contributed thought leadership focused on creating healthier, more sustainable healthcare systems.

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, 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/480/

Corrin’s website: https://corrinmccloskey.com/

Watch Corrin deliver her signature talk on our live show: https://www.youtube.com/live/rhDAdGR44-g?si=MulG_sPQ0-MmpLK4

Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/

Enroll in our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Corrin McCloskey (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/corrinmccloskey/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 478: The Expert Trap: Why Great Speakers Don't Become Thought Leaders
• Episode 391: Claiming Your Identity as a Speaker and Thought Leader