From Technical Talks to Inspiring Keynotes: Finding Your Authentic Speaking Style with Elaine Schomburg-LaFleur

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Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies

Carol Cox

471 episodes

5 days ago

It's time to escape the expert trap and become an in-demand speaker and thought leader through compelling and memorable business presentations, keynotes, workshops, and TEDx talks. If you want to level up your public speaking to get more and better, including paid, speaking engagements, you've come to the right place! Thousands of entrepreneurs and leaders have learned from Speaking Your Brand and now you can too through our episodes that will help you with storytelling, audience engagement, building confidence, handling nerves, pitching to speak, getting paid, and more. Hosted by Carol Cox, entrepreneur, speaker, and TV political analyst. This is your place to learn how to persuasively communicate your message to your audience.

All content for Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies is the property of Carol Cox and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

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From Technical Talks to Inspiring Keynotes: Finding Your Authentic Speaking Style with Elaine Schomburg-LaFleur

Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies

33 minutes

3 months ago

From Technical Talks to Inspiring Keynotes: Finding Your Authentic Speaking Style with Elaine Schomburg-LaFleur

How do you go from giving short, tip-focused talks to inspiring audiences with a full keynote?

That’s exactly the journey our guest has taken and it’s one so many of us can learn from.

Our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz talks with Elaine Schomburg-LaFleur, a senior project engineer who has spent over 20 years in the theme park industry, including at Disney.

Elaine thought of herself as “the tip girl” - packing her presentations with lots of helpful advice. But when she was invited to give her first keynote, she realized she needed a new approach.

With the help of a VIP Day and our in-person Speaking Accelerator workshop, Elaine discovered how to weave stories into her talks, connect emotionally with her audience, and step into her authentic speaking style.

The result? Not only did she deliver a powerful keynote to a room of young women engineers, she also caught the “speaking bug” and has continued landing and delivering talks that inspire.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

Elaine’s transition from sharing only tips to becoming an inspiring keynote speaker
How storytelling makes even technical topics more engaging and memorable
The role of authenticity in building confidence and audience connection
What Elaine gained from practicing in community and receiving real-time feedback
How she continues to grow her visibility and speaking career through LinkedIn and pitching opportunities

Elaine’s story is proof that you don’t have to change who you are to be a great speaker - you just need to unlock the authentic voice that’s already within you.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/439/

Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/

Attend our next 1-day Speaking Accelerator workshop in Orlando: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/

Create your signature talk with us: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/coaching/

Connect on LinkedIn:

Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
Diane Diaz = https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianediaz/
Elaine Schomburg-LaFleur = https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaineschomburglafleur/

Related Podcast Episodes:

Episode 435: From Blank Page to On Stage: What It's Like to Create and Practice a Talk in One Day

JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.