332: Defining Your Personal Brand: The First Step to Becoming a Thought Leader with Carol Cox and Diane Diaz

We’re kicking off a new series all about personal branding.

Do you know you have a personal brand, whether you're aware of it or not?

Now more than ever, your personal brand is essential.

We're all swimming in a sea of online content, from social media posts to podcasts and videos, and even AI churning out more stuff.

How do you stand out in that crowd? How can you connect with the people you most want to connect with so that they understand who you really are, what matters to you, and then how they align with that?

We know it can be confusing about what personal branding actually means.

How slick and buttoned up does your personal brand need to be? Does it feel superficial or like a facade to have a personal brand? How does your personal brand connect with your company brand?

That's why we're doing this series on personal branding. It's a perfect match with thought leadership and public speaking. So, let's navigate this together and help you make your mark in your world.

In this episode, Diane Diaz, our lead speaking coach, and I talk about:

• What a personal brand is
• What it looks like to define your personal brand
• Our 3 C’s of personal branding
• How to determine what your personal brand is currently
• And more!

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

About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox, joined in this episode by our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz. 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/332/

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/in/dianediaz/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 327: From Expert to Thought Leader: 3 Key Strategies You Need Now to Set Yourself Apart in Our New AI-Driven World with Carol Cox
• Episode 313: How to Thrive in the Age of A.I. with Carol Cox
• Episode 293: The True Value of Your Personal Brand with Monique Bryan

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