248: Boost Learning and Engagement in Your Presentations and Programs with Manja Horner

Whether you’re presenting at a conference or running a program or course, you want to make sure that your audiences and clients are learning and, more importantly, applying what they learn.

My guest is Manja Horner, who has a deep background as a learning experience designer. She now helps entrepreneurs create effective and impactful programs and courses.

Manja and I talk about:

• Mistakes we make when designing our programs and courses
• Making our courses bingeable in a weekend
• The importance of experiential learning
• Assessing our audiences and clients at the beginning and along the way
• Suggestions for audience activities for in-person and virtual presentations
• I share some of the things we do in our courses and Thought Leader Academy

About My Guest: An ex-corporate learning experience designer, Manja Horner is a fun and friendly trusted advisor to entrepreneurs who are in growth mode with their offers. She gets results for her clients by teaching them to think like learning designers and always putting the learners’ needs front and center. Innately curious, Manja absorbs information at an alarming rate and has an uncanny ability to make that information learnable for others. Her Masterminds and Workshops elevate your ability to craft professional learning offers to a new level. Teaching is in her blood; a certified music and business teacher, Manja makes a career creating learning and teaching others how to build supportive learning environments.

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/248

Manja’s website: https://www.boostld.com/

Manja’s course creator quiz: https://www.boostld.com/Course-creator-quiz

Download our FREE workbook on how to position yourself as a thought leader: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/guide/.

Schedule a consult call with us to talk about creating your signature talk and thought leadership platform: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/contact.

Connect on social:

• Carol Cox on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Carol Cox on Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/carolmorgancox
• Manja Horner on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/manja-horner-73b53151
• Manja Horner on Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/boost_learningexperts

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 246: Audience Engagement Strategies for In-Person Speaking with Ramona J. Smith

Become Bookable Live Online Workshop - April 15, 2026
If you want to speak more but you’re not sure where to start or your efforts haven’t produced the results you want, I’m hosting a live online workshop called “Become Bookable: How to Get Speaking Invitations” on Wednesday, April 15th.

A lot of brilliant women assume they just need to pitch themselves more. But the real reason speakers get invited isn’t because they pitch harder — it’s because they’re positioned as bookable.

In this 3-hour interactive workshop live on Zoom, I’ll show you how speakers actually get invited — and help you clarify the positioning that makes event organizers say yes.

As a podcast listener, use the coupon code “Podcast100” to save $100 on your registration.

Learn more and register at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/bookable