014: [Coaching] Shifting Your Presentation from Practical to Inspirational with Tara Lynn Foster

If you’ve been giving presentations for awhile that are the typical 30-60 minutes in length, but you’re curious as to how to condense your idea into a speech that’s less than 10 minutes (it is possible!), you’re going to learn a lot in this episode.

My guest, Tara Lynn Foster, is a leadership speaker and coach for women professionals and entrepreneurs. She spent her career in corporate America, dutifully climbing the ladder, until she realized she was on the wrong ladder.

Earlier this year, Tara was invited to give a TED-style lightning talk at a conference for women entrepreneurs in Denver, so in this episode, I help Tara with putting that together. Since this call was recorded, Tara delivered her speech and I just watched the video. She did great, as I knew she would!

We cover how to open and close the speech, what to cut to stay on theme with an 8-minute speech, what slides Tara should use, and how to prepare.

I also go over my presentation framework and how it relates to Tara’s talk. You can download the free PDF by going to https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/framework/.

If you’d like to hear more episodes on creating presentations, be sure to listen to episode 11 on creating and preparing for a keynote, and episode 3, where I deconstruct a short speech I gave at a conference.

Highlights:

• Who Tara works with and the speaking engagements she’s been doing
• Shifting your presentation from practical to inspirational, from trainer to thought leader
• How to grab the audience at the beginning
• Have to stay on theme and cut everything that’s not on theme, especially for short speeches
• How to end the speech
• An overview of my presentation framework and how Tara’s speech fits into it
• What slides Tara should have
• How to write the speech, memorize it, and prepare for it

Links:

Connect with Tara on her website: http://www.taralynnfoster.com/

Facebook = https://www.facebook.com/taralynnfosterllc

Instagram = @TaraLynnFoster

Twitter = @TaraLynnFoster

Download the free PDF of my presentation framework I describe in the podcast: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/framework/

Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/.

Sign up for a strategy session at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/strategy-session/.

Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox

Subscribe to the podcast, so you don’t miss out on future episodes!

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