364: Your Stories and Experiences Shape Your Thought Leadership and Signature Talk with Samantha Irwin

If you think your stories and experiences from long ago aren’t relevant to what you do now, what you speak about, and your overall thought leadership message, this conversation will show how much our past experiences shape who we are and reflect what matters to us.

Our lead speaking coach, Diane Diaz, sat down with Samantha Irwin, a recent graduate of our Thought Leader Academy and a seasoned entrepreneur with a fascinating journey.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Samantha's journey from teaching to entrepreneurship, and how these experiences shaped her thought leadership
• Her time in the Thought Leader Academy and how it helped her create a signature talk
• Samantha's recent talk crafted during her VIP Day and the positive feedback she received
• Samantha's innovative use of her customer service card decks in her presentations for lead generation

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/364/

Samantha’s website: https://kaizen.zone/

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
• Diane Diaz = https://www.linkedin.com/dianediaz
• Samantha Irwin (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthairwin/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 343: Why YOU are the Messenger for Your Idea and Audience

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