280: Making the Shift from Expert Presenter to Storyteller in Your Keynotes with Katie Anderson

Last year on this podcast, I did several episodes about the distinction between being an expert and a thought leader.

As speakers, we often get stuck in what I call “the expert trap.” We get comfortable training and teaching in our area of expertise and we think that’s the only way to provide value to our audiences.

The way out of this is to incorporate more of your personal journey and storytelling into your talks and to believe that providing your audiences with transformation is more important than information.

My guest on the podcast is Katie Anderson, an internationally recognized leadership and learning coach, consultant, and professional speaker.

Katie and I have been working together since the beginning of the year on her new keynote and helping her incorporate more storytelling and performance aspects into her delivery.

Katie and I talk about:

• Why she wanted to get out of the expert trap and add more storytelling into her keynotes
• What the process has been like for her and what doubts she had
• The results so far from delivering two keynotes this year
• How she developed her own voice from the blog and book writing she’s been doing since 2015
• The power of the pause and silence
• And much more!

About My Guest: Katie Anderson is an internationally recognized leadership and learning coach, consultant, and professional speaker, best known for inspiring individuals and organizations to lead with intention and increase their personal and professional impact. Katie is passionate about helping people around the world learn to lead and lead to learn by connecting purpose, process, and practice to achieve higher levels of performance. Her book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn: Lessons from Toyota Leader Isao Yoshino on a Lifetime of Continuous Learning is an international #1 Amazon bestseller.

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/280/

Katie’s website: http://kbjanderson.com/

Katie’s book “Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn”: https://kbjanderson.com/learning-to-lead/

Register for our Summit Speakers Reunion on June 21 (it’s free): https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/reunion/

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
• Katie Anderson (guest) on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson/
• Katie Anderson (guest) on Twitter = https://twitter.com/kbjanderson

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 232: Are You an Influencer, an Expert, or a Thought Leader? with Carol Cox
• Episode 241: The Expert Trap: What Holds Women Back from Thought Leadership with Carol Cox
• Episode 271: Providing Transformation vs. Information 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