282: Going Bold with Your Thought Leadership Message with Jodi Flynn

Do you sometimes wonder how BOLD you want to be with your thought leadership message?

You know you have something important and impactful to say, but you’re a bit uncertain on how it will be received and if there will be any backlash.

I have definitely experienced this - and the benefits have far outweighed any negativity.

My guest is Jodi Flynn, who is the founder of Women Taking the Lead, which helps corporate women advance in leadership, and the host of the Women Taking the Lead podcast.

Jodi recently graduated from our Thought Leader Academy, where she worked on her thought leadership message and signature talk.

Jodi and I talk about:

• The types of speaking engagements Jodi was comfortable doing - and why she wanted to do something different
• What her bold thought leadership message is
• The hesitancy she had around sharing her message - and how she got past it
• A story from her childhood that influenced the work she does
• Why *you* are the messenger for your message

This is the audio from a recent LinkedIn Live. You can watch the video at https://www.linkedin.com/video/event/urn:li:ugcPost:6930483939065118720/.

About My Guest: Jodi Flynn, founder of Women Taking the Lead, is an Executive Leadership Coach, Podcaster, Author, Speaker, and Workshop Facilitator. A Certified Professional Coach (PCC) through the International Coach Federation (ICF), women leaders hire Jodi to develop the skills needed to thrive in Senior Leadership. She is the host of the critically acclaimed Women Taking the Lead podcast, and an Amazon bestselling author with her book, Accomplished: How to Go from Dreaming to Doing. Jodi has spoken at the Massachusetts Conference for Women, the Maine Bankers Association Women in Banking and Emerging Leaders Conferences, and the Michigan Bankers Association Rising Leaders Conference. She is the President of the board for The Maine Women’s Conference and has been featured in Entrepreneur and Forbes Magazine.

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/282/

Jodi’s website: https://womentakingthelead.com

Register for our Summit Speakers Reunion on June 21 (it’s free): https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/reunion/

Join our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/

Connect on social:

• Carol Cox on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Jodi Flynn (guest) on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodiflynn

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 232: Are You an Influencer, an Expert, or a Thought Leader? with Carol Cox
• Episode 233: 3 Types of Thought Leadership Models with Carol Cox
• Episode 241: The Expert Trap: What Holds Women Back from 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