272: The Business Case for Speaking and Thought Leadership with Carol Cox

As entrepreneurs, we have a lot on our plate and fitting in the time to build our thought leadership platforms, create presentations, and pitch ourselves can too often get relegated to the back burner.

However, if you’re a service-based entrepreneur who is not a volume business (you’re not looking for thousands of clients at a time), you need speaking and thought leadership to grow your business.

The other thing you need is to say “yes” to opportunities even when you don’t feel prepared and it feels scary.

That’s what I want to talk to you about today.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The importance of timing and saying yes to opportunities
• Having a bias towards action
• How timing has impacted my life (good and bad)
• The contrast between being at the mercy of social media algorithms vs. speaking to a captive audience
• Practical ways to fit in the time for your visibility and speaking

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/272/

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

Join 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 LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 242: LA Grads: Evolving from Experts to Thought Leaders
• Episode 259: Connecting Your Business and Your Thought Leadership with Carol Cox
• Episode 262: The Four Layers of Thought Leadership 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