The more authentic you are when relaying your message, the more you connect with your audience, and the more resonant your message becomes. Today, we discuss how to incorporate masterful storytelling in your talks.

We address:

• Increasing your confidence as a speaker, even if you’re an introvert
• Becoming unafraid to embrace and be bold with your speaking style and message
• Keeping your brand the anchor for all your professional endeavors
• Focusing your talks on the one core message that defines your brand identity

Today, Karen sits down with “Moxie Maven” Alexia Vernon, a Las Vegas-based keynote speaker and sought-after speaking, sales, leadership, and executive coach and trainer to executives, teams, entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders. Alexia has supported thousands of leaders and speakers through her Step into Your Moxie® corporate offerings, online training, live events, The Spotlight Speaker Accelerator coaching program, and her masterminds.

Listen in as Alexia discusses how focusing 100% on your message and speaking as if to just one person in the crowd automatically eliminates your self-defeating self-talk. She then explains that you should keep your core message on-brand; that is, to have your signature talk embody your message as a thought leader. These, Alexia explains, are the most important elements that make up a one-of-a-kind, in-demand speaker.

3 MAJOR POINTS DISCUSSED

• Your “why” has to be greater than your fear. Even as a natural introvert who never, ever imagined that she would one day become a sought-after speaker, Alexia won America’s Junior Miss at 19-years-old simply because she was motivated to do just about anything for scholarship money. “In those moments where you feel deeply uncomfortable,” says Alexia, “a piece of it is certainly learning how to be in your body and not try to escape that discomfort.” To do that, desire must override reluctance.
• Embrace your unique speaking style and message. All speakers, at some point, have to overcome the temptation to sanitize or “dumb down” their message to appeal to everyone in the audience. This is especially tough for many women, who have a tendency to hold back or be apologetic when speaking in front of crowds. Both Karen and Alexia make the case that, to become the best and most respected speaker you can be, you have to embrace and be bold with your message, warts and all.
• Embody your message as a thought leader. In the TED world, this is called an “idea worth spreading”. What is the core idea you want to be known for? Then—once you’ve defined that message—how can you make sure that your signature talk forwards that idea? Is that signature talk moving people into individual or group programs that support that idea? As hard as it will be at times, keep it focused; otherwise, you’ll exhaust yourself from going in too many different directions.

RESOURCES

• Alexia Vernon
• 9 Mistakes
• Alexia Vernon on LinkedIn
• Step Into Your Moxie by Alexia Vernon

Alexia Vernon is a keynote speaker and sought-after speaking, sales, leadership, and executive coach and trainer to executives, corporate teams, entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders who want to speak with unshakeable presence, sell their ideas, grow their businesses, navigate daring conversations, develop high performing teams, and advance their thought leadership (as Alexia calls it, possess the ability to Step into Your Moxie®).

Dubbed a “Moxie Maven” by President Obama’s White House Office of Public Engagement for her unique approach to communication and leadership development, Alexia has supported thousands of leaders and speakers through her Step into Your Moxie® corporate offerings, online training, live events, The Spotlight Speaker Accelerator coaching program, and her masterminds.

A renowned speaker, women’s leadership, gender equity, and professional development expert, since winning the Miss Junior America competition, Alexia has delivered transformational keynotes and training for Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, educational institutions, professional associations, the United Nations, and she is a TEDxWomen speaker. Alexia has contributed to media such as CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, Forbes.com, Inc.com, European Business Review, and Women’s Health Magazine.

Alexia is the author of multiple books including Step into Your Moxie: Amplify Your Voice, Visibility, and Influence in the World (New World Library and Penguin Random House Audio). She is also the creator/instructor of the LinkedIn Learning course, Communicating to Drive People to Take Action.

Karen Morales is founder and brand champion at Marketing Magnet.

Marketing Magnet was founded by Karen and her lean team of Fortune 500 marketing and advertising talent. We’re a world-class marketing department that has decided to take our big brand experience and direct it at the clients we want to serve: purpose-driven enterprises. Our secret sauce is our ability to focus companies on three marketing pillars to create great impact.

If you are looking for a solution to a marketing challenge, a specific project to be completed or a team to drive marketing on your behalf, we can help.

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