235: Pivoting Your Brand and Business into Thought Leadership with Marisol Erlacher

Have you been getting the feeling that you’re ready to go bigger with your ideas and message? That you want to have a bigger impact and reach more people?

This is what today’s guest, therapist Marisol Erlacher, started feeling last year, as she took part in conversations with other BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) women who were recognizing the role that trauma has played in their leadership development and how it has shown up in their professional lives.

Marisol is currently in our Thought Leader Academy and has been working one-on-one with our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz on her thought leadership platform and signature talk.

I love what Marisol says towards the end of their conversation about her evolution as a thought leader: “It’s not about how other people see me. It’s about how I see myself.”

In this episode, Diane and Marisol talk about:

• The conversations Marisol was having that led her to realize “There’s something more here”
• How listening to cues can guide you in identifying your thought leadership message
• Marisol’s transition from therapist and business owner to speaker and thought leader
• The scary and exciting aspects of shifting your identity
• Seeing yourself as a thought leader and owning that identity

Enrollment for our Thought Leader Academy is opening again in September! Get the details and join our interest list at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/.

About Our Guest: Marisol Solarte-Erlacher, M.A., LPC is a trauma expert, speaker and workshop facilitator specializing in post-traumatic growth and resilience. She is also the creator and host of the podcast Resilience and Resistance, which features Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color who have overcome trauma and built success. Her dedication to Latinx communities and women’s issues is evident in her research and public-speaking engagements as well as her leadership with nonprofits and public health departments.

About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. This episode is hosted by our lead speaking coach, Diane Diaz. 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/235

Marisol’s website = https://www.marisolerlacher.com/

Marisol’s podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/resilience-and-resistance-podcast/id1521769475

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

Get on the interest list for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/

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:

• Diane on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianediaz
• Marisol on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisol-solarte-erlacher-a5566513
• Marisol on Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/resilience_and_resistance/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 210: Finding Your Big Idea By Noticing What's Missing with Jackie Roby
• Episode 215: Moving Past the Surface to Find Your Deeper Story and Message with Zaribel Clay

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