This week, I’ll be moderating a panel of women in the fintech, blockchain and crypto space at the InvestHer Summit in Paris. If you have a desire to build your personal brand by doing more public speaking on national and international stages, here are 5 tips:
1. Create a body of work. Youtube channel. Blog. Substack account. Create a body of work that shows the world that you operate magnificently in this space. I moderate conversations daily with my Women’s Leadership Lab. I invest the money to get a professional photographer, both for domestic events and international. I’ve also been a business news anchor on major networks for 20 years, interviewing CEOs of major Fortune 500 companies.
2. Be Informed. While I read the mainstream publications, I also subscribe to several newsletters written by some really smart people.
- Josh Spector writes about building an audience.
- Justin Welsh writes about monetizing an internet business.
- Teddy Mitrosilis writes about improve your writing and communication skills
- Dan Silvestre writes about productivity
- Dorie Clark writes about how to be known for your expertise
- Todd Henry writes about motivating creative people
- May Busch, former COO of Morgan Stanley Europe, writes about career mastery
3. Ask for sponsorship. Nobody is a better advocate for you, THAN YOU. My friend, colleague and two time speaker at my women’s leadership platform Kelly Hoey wrote the book “Building your Dream Network’ and subsequently publishes opportunities that come into her inbox weekly on her substack account. When she published she would be in Paris to speak at this conference, I wrote her and said, “Hey I will be in Paris for a month. Could I speak at this?”
She stepped in and spoke to the founder. I’m slotted to moderate a panel on Thursday.
4. Pre interview your guests one on one if moderating. It doesn’t have to be more than a 15 minute call, but I do this out of habit, whether I’m in Marrakech or the Mojave desert. I want to figure out the top points each person is making. Even the most seasoned speakers will forget a really good point they made in a pre-interview. I work to tease them out and bring them up at the panel.
5. Create a through line. As women, we are multi talented and can speak to many many things. But to captivate an audience, I like to keep a tight headline that each panelist can speak to. I’ll give you an example. Last week, I went on a tour of the Musee D’orsay. Three thousand pieces are on display in the Museum. My tour guide smartly elected to create a bespoke tour about the most outrageous of 19th century painters. In 2 hours, a guide can only cover so much. Plus I get exhausted after that time. He took us on a tour of select pieces that spoke to outrageous technique, subjects, brushstrokes for the time period. Did we glide by the Rodin sculptures? Yes. No big deal. I’ve seen Rodin at the Met at home. I was so appreciative of this tight thesis for the 2 hours we spent with him.
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I’m working from Paris this month on client strategy. As a former journalist, I’m working with C-level women to tell their stories and do it better. I also work with them to integrate this into their thought leadership
