427: Using Your Voice as a Woman in Leadership with Mary Beth Plank-Mezo

What does it really look like to lead with courage, advocate for yourself (and others), and embrace vulnerability as a strength?

In this episode, I had the pleasure of talking with Mary Beth Plank-Mezo, who is the Vice President of Staff and Cultural Development at Full Sail University and has been with the university for an incredible 36 years. Her leadership has touched so many across the campus — and I know firsthand how impactful she’s been.

We recorded this conversation live in studio at Full Sail, and you’ll hear how Mary Beth’s leadership journey has evolved over the years, from being a quiet observer in meetings to becoming a powerful voice and advocate for change.

She shares the pivotal moments that shaped her, including the time she walked into the founder’s office and asked to switch departments (talk about bold self-advocacy!) and how she helped start the university’s Staff and Cultural Development department.

We talk about:

• Why asking for what you want is so important (even when it’s scary)

• How to deal with “no” - and why it doesn’t always mean “never” The value of listening first and co-creating a vision to build trust and buy-in

• What happens when leaders show vulnerability (and how it fosters innovation)

• Why women often hold themselves back and what we can do to push past that

• The three layers of advocacy: for yourself, by others, and for others

Mary Beth also shares what continues to fuel her passion for mentoring and growing new leaders and how she sees her role now as ensuring the next generation is ready to take the reins.

This is one of those episodes that will stay with you, especially if you’ve ever questioned whether your voice matters (spoiler: it does).

Tune in and then ask yourself:

• What’s one area where you can advocate for yourself right now?

• Who’s in your corner, cheering you on and who can you advocate for?

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/427/

Watch the video of this episode at https://youtu.be/HT77NKq2un4

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

• Mary Beth Plank-Mezo (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbplankmezo/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 397: Speak to Lead: Elevating Your Executive Presence

• Episode 399: Be a Voice of Change: How to Communicate Transformational Leadership

• Episode 405: Advocating and Using Your Voice for Yourself

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