95. How to Cultivate Your Own Thought Leadership with Carol Cox

If you're passionate about getting your thoughts and ideas out there to the world so you can help others, then you, my friend, are a thought leader. But what does that look like, in practice? With public speaking being the number one fear of humans, and the online space making speaking up feel very vulnerable, many thought leaders hold back their message or don't share it to the scope that they could. This week on the podcast, Carol Cox and I talk about how to get past that fear through community and taking little steps toward your bigger message. Because you don't have to have it all figured out from day one. Your message can and should evolve as you learn more and grow. Carol shares how to find your own thought leadership message, where to get started, and why your message doesn't necessarily have to tie to what you do in business. About Carol Cox: Carol Cox is the founder and CEO of Speaking Your Brand®,  a coaching and training company that helps high-performing, purpose-driven women entrepreneurs and professionals create their signature talks and thought leadership platforms. Carol is the host of the weekly 5-star rated Speaking Your Brand® podcast and during election seasons serves as a Democratic political analyst on TV news. Carol was named as one of Orlando's Women of the Year in 2021 and has been featured in Forbes. Through her company and content, her mission is to empower more women to find and use their voice, to tell the stories that need to be told, and to activate ideas for change. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow her on Instagram. Links and Resources: Thought Leader Academy Time Stamps: [2:06] - A magical summit [4:10] - Amber's dream job: emcee [5:52] - What is thought leadership [6:45] - Existential crises among business owners [7:15] - Making a shift from in-person talks being canceled [8:18] - How thought leaders propel themselves [9:35] - This is an opportunity to reevaluate what you're working toward and how you're defining success [11:22] - Standing in your truth of what you believe [13:16] -Developing bravery to put yourself out there [13:40] - Being courageous and in community [16:24] - Where to start with thought leadership  [18:43] - The three hats of biz owners [20:08] - Thought leaders are like therapists  [21:24] - Overcoming the fear of putting ourselves out there [24:17] - How to avoid the vulnerability hangover [28:33] - Public speaking is the #1 fear  [29:23] - Not everyone is a thought leader [32:21] - How to start identifying what you want to talk about [35:44] - The threads in Amber's life [38:00] - Benefit of thought leadership that's different from your business