419: Using Your Voice and Story for Business Impact with Michelle Massman
Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies
Release Date: 11/11/2024
Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies
Do you ever feel like you're stuck in the "expert trap" - sharing lots of great information, but not quite connecting with your audience the way you want to? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Teri DeLucca, founder of Impact Early Education and a graduate of our Thought Leader Academy, about how she made the bold leap from academic researcher and fact-based presenter to transformational speaker and sought-after thought leader. Teri has not one, but TWO PhDs (yes, you read that right!), and like many high-achieving women, she found comfort in data and research. But as she began training preschool...
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If you're using speaking for lead generation, you won’t want to miss this episode. I’m joined by Danielle Hayden, CEO of Kickstart Accounting, Inc., who came to me for a VIP Day to create a new signature talk. Like many entrepreneurs, Danielle had been speaking often, but she knew she was overloading her audience with too much information and not enough transformation. In this conversation, we pull back the curtain on the process we used to refine her message, develop her thought leadership, and craft a presentation that truly connects - with results to prove it. You’ll learn: Why...
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We believe that every presentation, whether internal or external, at a conference or at a board meeting, has the power to shift how your audience views a topic and the positive changes that can come as a result. It’s not just about delivering information – it’s about shifting perspectives, sparking new ideas, and inspiring action. This episode is the audio from a live show we did with two of our recent Thought Leader Academy grads: Dr. Bonnie Boles and Denise Cárdenas López. Both Bonnie and Denise are executives at companies and often present both internally to team members as...
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The key to a powerful presentation isn’t just telling stories – it’s uncovering the lessons within them. When you share a personal experience or an impactful moment, you’re not just recounting events; you’re inviting your audience to see the world through your eyes, to feel what you felt, and to learn from what you lived. Your stories become more than just a narrative – they can spark change in the hearts and minds of your audience. This episode is the audio from a live show we did with three of our recent Thought Leader Academy grads: Moe Boles, Melinda Hrynewycz, and Sara...
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What if you could go from a completely blank page - or in this case, a blank poster board - to mapping out and practicing your signature talk… all in just one day? That’s exactly what happened at our recent in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop in Orlando, and in this episode, you’ll hear directly from three of the incredible women who participated: Lesline Pittman, Monica Mitchell, and Dr. Emma Jones. You’ll get the behind-the-scenes scoop on what it’s like to go from idea to delivery in a single day (yes, it’s totally possible!) - including the unexpected improv exercises,...
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I vividly remember the day after Christmas 2022. Not because I was relaxing, but because I was at my laptop, updating my university courses and diving headfirst into AI tools for my business and podcast. ChatGPT had just launched, and I knew instantly: this was different. This wasn’t just another tech trend; this was a transformation. In this episode, I share the talk I recently delivered at the ElleX Summit, where I wove together history, technology, and the urgent need for women’s voices in AI. From Ada Lovelace and the women of NASA to Eleanor Roosevelt and the Brontë sisters, women...
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Ever wish you had an extra set of hands - or better yet, an AI assistant - to take care of all those repetitive tasks in your business? In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes to share the exact AI-powered workflows I’ve built and now rely on every week at Speaking Your Brand. From automating my podcast production (yes, even these show notes!) to cloning my voice for a brand-new companion podcast, you’ll get a sense at what’s possible - and what's already working. I walk you through real-world examples of how I’m using AI to: Save time with automated content workflows ...
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AI isn’t just on the horizon - it’s already here, reshaping how we work, connect, and show up in our businesses, no matter what industry you’re in. In this episode, I share how AI has fundamentally changed how I run Speaking Your Brand, well beyond using tools like ChatGPT (though I use that too!). I walk you through 4 powerful questions, originally posed by Wharton professor Ethan Mollick, that I’ve been reflecting on deeply and that can help you rethink your own services, content, and visibility. You’ll hear: What I used to do in my business that AI now does better (and...
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You’ve packed your presentation with data, insights, and value — but your audience isn’t responding the way you hoped. If you’ve ever looked out and seen glazed-over eyes… or walked off stage and didn’t get the results you wanted, this episode is for you. As a former software developer and technology strategist who has presented at countless conferences and meetups, I’ve learned what works — and what doesn’t — when it comes to making technical or detail-heavy presentations land with impact. If you’re in a technical field — technology, software, AI, science, healthcare,...
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Have you ever wondered what it really takes to create, practice for, and deliver a powerful TED-style talk - especially one that’s only 8 minutes long? In this episode, I’m joined by Diane Diaz, our lead speaking coach at Speaking Your Brand, as we take you behind the scenes of our recent TED-style speaking experience. We were invited to be part of a live event called ElleX, hosted by a women’s entrepreneurship group at a local college. We had only one week to prepare our full talks for the audition! Diane and I share: How we came up with our topics and aligned them with the...
info_outlineIn this episode, our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz speaks with Michelle Massman, a longtime entrepreneur and graduate of our Thought Leader Academy, who shares her journey from “stuck” to “unstoppable” through storytelling and public speaking.
You’ll hear Michelle’s candid stories—from launching unexpected ventures like The Culinary Studio to her partnership with a music group—that reveal her resilience and passion for following her intuition.
As Diane and Michelle discuss the power of sharing vulnerable stories, Michelle opens up about the anxiety she’s faced and how she’s turned her experiences into speaking topics that resonate deeply with her audiences. Her frameworks, including From Stuck to Unstoppable and Passion to Profit, provide practical steps for anyone feeling stuck or seeking more clarity and confidence.
Michelle’s story is a reminder that by saying “yes” to opportunities, connecting with the right people, and being willing to share your authentic self, you can create incredible impact and growth for both yourself and others.
Diane and Michelle talk about:
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Finding clarity on the message you want to share and ways to bring your unique story to life
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Connecting with audiences authentically by sharing vulnerable, relatable experiences
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Understanding the power of frameworks and storytelling to guide and engage listeners
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Gaining inspiration to overcome obstacles and embrace your next speaking opportunity
About Our Guest: Michelle Massman has been a visionary entrepreneur for over 30 years and knew, even as a teen, that she wanted to own a business someday. After working at a few (ok several) jobs, she realized she didn’t like being told what to do, and didn’t like managing people. So she started her business and loved it! She has guided, launched, directed and overhauled everything from small start up ventures to multi-million dollar private companies, consulted with hundreds of people in the areas of entrepreneurship, marketing, brand partnerships, event production, and music management, and weathered failures and missteps that have given her experience and knowledge that she uses to help her clients sidestep them. Michelle’s sweet spot, as a problem solver, connector, advocate, and persuasive force, is the ability to jump into any problem and help find the best solution while helping her clients access the knowledge they need to get unstuck in their business.
Links:
Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/419/
Michelle’s website: https://www.michellemassman.com/
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:
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Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
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Diane Diaz = https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianediaz/
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Michelle Massman (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-massman-6629236/