295: Creating a Non-Profit for Your Thought Leadership with Arlene Blake

On the podcast this month, we’re exploring different ways you can channel using your voice.

Last week, we talked about building your personal brand. Next week, we’re going to focus on the impact you can have by writing op-eds for newspapers and magazines.

In this episode, we’re taking a look at creating and leading a community-based non-profit as a way to amplify your thought leadership.

My guest is Arlene Blake, who’s the founder of Women on the Rise, a 501(c)3 organization based in Orlando, Florida.

Arlene has built an incredible community, so I invited her to come on the podcast to share what she’s learned.

Arlene and I talk about:

• Why she started her non-profit organization Women on the Rise
• The power of vulnerability and sharing personal stories to build trust and community
• The biggest leadership lessons Arlene has learned
• What Arlene looks for in the speakers she invites for her events, including where she finds them

About My Guest: Bringing over two decades of excellence in key leadership positions, Arlene Blake is a charismatic entrepreneur, sales leader, and community relations professional with expertise in conceptualizing innovative strategies that captivates audiences and boost sales.

As a strong believer in the power of teamwork, Arlene enjoys recruiting, building, and training top-performing professionals to identify opportunities and exceed targets.

As a seasoned entrepreneur and the founder of Women on the Rise International, Inc., an organization with a vision to provide educational empowerment to women, Arlene prides herself on offering a platform where women can network, volunteer, and grow. During the last six years, she has dedicated her time to make this organization a pathway for women to recognize their talent and make advancement in their respective careers.

In 2020, Arlene was featured in the Orlando Business Journal as a Woman Who Means Business, considered one of the highest honors in the Central Florida Business Community, and was named the runner-up of the Ms. Corporate America Mompreneur Competition. In 2021 she was listed as One of the Most Influential People in Orlando by Black Business Orlando, selected to be in the centennial class of Leadership Orlando, selected to be a part of Leadership Orange and most recently recognized as a 2022 Women of the Year by Orange Appeal Magazine. While she has only just begun, Arlene hopes to one day expand the mission of Women on the Rise International, Inc. to inspire, motivate, and empower women to break the glass ceiling and accomplish their personal goals across the globe.

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/295/

Arlene’s organization Women on the Rise: https://www.wotrinc.org/

Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/

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

Connect on social:

• Carol on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Arlene (guest) on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/arleneblake/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 237: The Power of Being Vulnerable with Your Personal Story with Cyndi Shifrel
• Episode 192: The Cure for Vulnerability Hangovers 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