338: Escaping the Expert Trap: From Academic Presenter to Sought-After Speaker with Teri DeLucca, PhD

What does the journey look like to evolve from an expert presenter to a sought-after speaker and thought leader?

How can you escape what I call “the expert trap” and make the shift into thought leadership?

My guest and Thought Leader Academy graduate, Teri DeLucca, PhD, has done exactly this. I know you’ll be inspired by Teri!

In this episode, Teri and I talk about:

• Why she started her business a few years ago

• Her initial reluctance to share personal stories and be vulnerable - and what changed her mind

• Her desire to escape “the expert trap” and go beyond her comfort zone of academic presentations

• The impact storytelling and vulnerability has had on her, her business, her customers, and her audiences

• Why she joined the Thought Leader Academy and what she got out of it

• The elements we’ve worked on together to create her signature talk, from incorporating humor and video clips to coming up with an acronym and planting sales seeds for her offer

About My Guest: Dr. Teri DeLucca is the Founder and CEO of Impact Early Education, a professional development institute for the preschool industry. She completed a dual PhD in developmental psychology and educational psychology from the University of Florida where her research focused on the cognitive, social, and academic development of children. She previously worked as a research scientist for a children’s early literacy intervention program and then accepted an applied position as Vice President of Operations for a system of preschools and extended day programs. Her work has been recognized by multiple awards including the Sigma Xi Women in Science Award, Academic Pediatric Association’s Young Investigator Award, the Institute of Education Sciences Randomized Trials Award, and most recently she was recognized as one of the Top 40 Under 40 Business Leaders locally. Dr. DeLucca is a member of the John Maxwell Leadership Team and is a John Maxwell certified speaker. She is also a graduate and certified speaker through the Speaking Your Brand Thought Leader Academy. Dr. DeLucca just completed her Presidency with The Junior Service League of St. Augustine, which is a local women’s volunteer organization. She enjoys serving the community both locally and abroad and her favorite volunteer endeavors are serving at a children’s home in Guatemala for several years and serving with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. She has been matched with her “Little” sister Hannah for 18 years now! Above all else, the most important role she has is that of mom to two wonderfully amazing boys, who never let her take life too seriously.

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/338/

Teri’s website: https://impactearlyed.com/

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

• Teri DeLucca = https://www.linkedin.com/in/teri-delucca-ph-d-46b296200/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 241: The Expert Trap: What Holds Women Back from Thought Leadership with Carol Cox

• Episode 327: From Expert to Thought Leader: 3 Key Strategies You Need Now to Set Yourself Apart in Our New AI-Driven World with Carol Cox

• Episode 307: From University Lecturer to Thought Leader with Heather Hausenblas, PhD

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