329: From Compelled to Take Action to TEDx Speaker with Dr. Nicole Rochester

Have you had an experience that impacted you so much that you were compelled to take action, to make a shift in your life, business, or career?

“Compelled to take action” is one of the core stories you can use to frame a talk (others we teach include crisis of confidence, paradigm shift, pin drop, and more).

This is precisely what happened to my guest Dr. Nicole Rochester.

Nicole was inspired to start her company, Your GPS Doc, after caring for her late father and witnessing the complicated healthcare system from the other side of the stethoscope.

Not only has Nicole channeled her advocacy work into her business, but she also does a lot of speaking engagements and panels.

Nicole was on this podcast way back in December 2018 (episode 98) when we did an on-air coaching call to help her take her personal story and universalize it.

She did exactly that, which led to her TEDx talk in 2019!

In this episode, Nicole and I talk about:

• What she learned from that on-air coaching call
• How she prepared for her TEDx talk
• Why she decided to leave her career as a physician and start her own business
• The mindset challenges she’s faced and how she’s overcome them
• What’s next for Nicole as she scales her business and impact

This episode is part of our new podcast series called Use Your Voice.

About My Guest: Dr. Nicole T. Rochester is a board-certified pediatrician, TEDx and keynote speaker, and the CEO of Your GPS Doc, LLC, an innovative company whose mission is to eliminate health disparities by empowering, educating and advocating for patients and family caregivers struggling to navigate the healthcare system and by providing health equity consulting services to healthcare organizations. Dr. Rochester was inspired to start her company after caring for her late father and witnessing the complicated healthcare system from the other side of the stethoscope. Dr. Rochester has been featured on television and radio, is a frequent podcast guest, has an active presence on social media, and has contributed to more than thirty digital publications. She speaks locally and nationally about health equity, navigating the healthcare system, and elevating the patient and family caregiver voice. A Maryland native, Dr. Rochester obtained her undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University, her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine. She is a member of the

Alliance of Professional Health Advocates, the National Association of Healthcare Advocacy, the

American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Medical Association, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Most importantly, she is the proud mother of two young adult daughters.

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/329

Nicole’s website: ​​http://yourgpsdoc.com/

Nicole’s TEDx talk: https://youtu.be/0bcVfiI1zeM

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

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

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Dr. Nicole Rochester = https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-rochester-m-d-40700812/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 98: Expanding Your Personal Story into a Universal Message with Nicole Rochester, M.D.
• Episode 297: Integrating Your Story Into Your Talks with Carol Cox, Diane Diaz, and Joy Spencer

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