279: Building Trust and Connection Through Vulnerability with Dr. Katrina Skinner

Do you have an experience that happened to you that you’re reluctant to share with your audience?

What would happen if you did?

So often we feel like our stories are too uncommon or unrelatable or not interesting enough to include in our talks.

What I see happen is that speakers generalize their stories - and by doing so they remove what makes a great story.

It may seem counterintuitive, but it’s the specificity and details of our stories, the very thing we think is uncommon, that makes them powerful.

Sharing a deeply personal story, one that shaped who you are and how you understand yourself, is what can connect you to your audience and build trust.

Building trust with your audience is especially important if you want to help them go deeper and think differently. You have to go first.

Being vulnerable is not always easy. You may wonder if you’re sharing too much or if your audience will look at you differently.

But, the rewards are well worth it - not only for the audience but for your own personal development and confidence.

My guest is Dr. Katrina Skinner, a pediatrician who is also the founder of Women in Pediatrics, an organization that provides unique, practical educational content and opportunities for female pediatricians.

Katrina recently hosted an in-person retreat for Women in Pediatrics and she opened the event with her keynote talk sharing a very personal and vulnerable story.

I invited Katrina on the podcast to talk about that experience and what she learned from it.

About My Guest: Six weeks after residency graduation, Dr. Katrina Skinner opened the doors to her pediatric practice in her rural Alabama hometown. Twelve years later, she and her team serve thousands of their community’s children as a Patient Centered Medical Home.

Dr. Skinner serves as the President of the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, where she advocates for children and pediatricians across the state, from working with legislators to negotiating with payors to make sure Alabama’s children and the physicians who serve them are fairly represented. Dr. Skinner is also the founder of Women in Pediatrics, an organization that provides unique, practical educational content and opportunities for female pediatricians.

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/279

Katrina’s website = https://www.katrinaskinner.com/

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
• Dr. Katrina Skinner (guest) on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-skinner-md-faap-0a61011b2/
• Dr. Katrina Skinner (guest) on Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/katrinaskinner_md/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 192: The Cure for Vulnerability Hangovers with Carol Cox
• Episode 193: Five Kinds of Stories to Share in Your Thought Leadership Content with Carol Cox
• Episode 263: Finding the Emotional Heart of Your Message with Carol Cox

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