Excellence without intentional follow-up has a very short shelf life. You can deliver a great presentation, have people tell you how much they enjoyed it, and still leave entirely too much value on the table if you don’t have a strategy for what happens next. There’s a window after you speak when people still remember your message, your stories, and how you made them feel. 

What happened during the engagement can also give you clues about what comes next. A question that keeps coming up, a conversation with someone in the audience, or feedback from the organizer may point toward another opportunity. The point is to pay attention, follow up thoughtfully, and not treat the engagement as something that ended the moment you left the stage.

In Part Four of So You Want to Be a Speaker? on Branding Room Only, Paula T. Edgar walks through what to do after a speaking engagement to keep the momentum going. She shares how to follow up with the people involved, build proof of your work, and use the experience to support future opportunities while continuing to build genuine relationships. She also gives you a practical timeline for the days and weeks that follow, so you know what to do next while the experience is still fresh.

1:35 – Why the first 48 hours after you speak matter just as much as the talk itself

3:12 – What to say in your LinkedIn post reflecting on the event

4:39 – The right and wrong way to send a personalized LinkedIn connection request

6:03 – How to follow up with the event organizer and ask for a testimonial and an introduction to a new audience

9:13 – How you can turn every speaking opportunity into a content goldmine

10:58 – The video and photo strategy that builds evidence of your work for potential clients

13:12 – How to build a simple system for collecting and organizing testimonials

14:18 – Why you should think of the people in your audience as future connectors in addition to potential clients

15:47 – Practical timeline to use after your next speaking engagement, from 48 hours to 30 days

18:32 – A short tease for the next episode of this series

Mentioned In So You Want to Be a Speaker? How to Turn a Speaking Engagement Into More Opportunities

Part 1 - So You Want to Be a Speaker? Getting Clear Before You Get Booked

Part 2 - So You Want to Be a Speaker? Build a Personal Brand That Gets You Booked

Part 3 - So You Want to Be a Speaker? How to Pitch, Prepare, and Get Invited Back

Curated Resources from Paula

Sign up for Paula’s Upcoming Events 

Learn More About Paula's Personal Branding Strategy Session Offer

Subscribe to The Branding Room Only podcast on YouTube

Call to Action

Follow & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform! 

Want more ways to grow your personal brand? Make sure you’re signed up for my upcoming webinars and workshops.

Conferences are an investment—make sure you maximize yours. My Engage Your Hustle™ Conference Playbook gives you the strategies to prepare, stand out, and follow up with impact. Get your copy today.

Sponsor for this episode

This episode is brought to you by PGE Consulting Group LLC.

PGE Consulting Group LLC empowers individuals and organizations to lead with purpose, presence, and impact. Specializing in leadership development and personal branding, we offer keynotes, custom programming, consulting, and strategic advising—all designed to elevate influence and performance at every level.

Founded and led by Paula Edgar, our work centers on practical strategies that enhance professional development, strengthen workplace culture, and drive meaningful, measurable change.

To learn more about Paula and her services, go to www.paulaedgar.com or contact her at [email protected], and follow Paula Edgar and the PGE Consulting Group LLC on LinkedIn.

Have you ever had something happen and thought, “I should post about that,” and then life moved on before you did? By the time you came back to it, a few days or weeks had passed and suddenly you were telling yourself that the moment was gone and nobody wanted to hear about it anymore.

My friends, it is not too late. Your experiences are evergreen. If you lived it, learned from it, laughed about it, struggled through it, or are still thinking about it, there is value in going back to that experience and asking what it means to you now. I still talk about being on Wheel of Fortune more than a decade later because that story continues to give me something to reflect on and gives other people a way to understand more about my growth, my choices, and my personal brand.

In this episode of Branding Room Only, I want to talk about why your past experiences still matter to your personal brand and why you do not have to share something in real time for it to have value. We’re talking about the stories you thought you missed your chance to tell, the perspective you have now that you could not have had in the moment, and why the people in your sphere can still benefit from what you experienced.

1:00 – Your experiences are evergreen and still have value for your personal brand

1:43 – Treating past experiences as personal brand assets instead of expired moments

2:16 – The perspective and reflection that make an old story worth sharing now

3:08 – How to use your past experiences as a personal library you can keep pulling from

4:02 – Sharing later can show growth and give your audience something valuable to learn from

4:52 – Going back to the stories, photos, and lessons you thought you missed the chance to share

Your Personal Brand Challenge

Think about the conference photo you never posted, the accomplishment you did not celebrate, or the meaningful lesson you thought was no longer timely.

Ask yourself:

• Why am I still thinking about this experience?
• What did it teach me?
• How have I changed since it happened?
• Why might this lesson matter to someone today?
• What does the story reveal about my values, expertise, or journey?

Then share it. You did not miss the opportunity. Your story may be arriving exactly when someone else needs it.

Mentioned In Your Past Experiences Still Matter to Your Personal Brand

Sign up and see Paula on Wheel of Fortune

Curated Resources from Paula

Sign up for Paula’s Upcoming Events 

Learn More About Paula's Personal Branding Strategy Session Offer

Subscribe to The Branding Room Only podcast on YouTube

Call to Action

Follow & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform! 

Want more ways to grow your personal brand? Make sure you’re signed up for my upcoming webinars and workshops.

Conferences are an investment—make sure you maximize yours. My Engage Your Hustle™ Conference Playbook gives you the strategies to prepare, stand out, and follow up with impact. Get your copy today.

Sponsor for this episode

This episode is brought to you by PGE Consulting Group LLC.\

PGE Consulting Group LLC empowers individuals and organizations to lead with purpose, presence, and impact. Specializing in leadership development and personal branding, we offer keynotes, custom programming, consulting, and strategic advising—all designed to elevate influence and performance at every level.

Founded and led by Paula Edgar, our work centers on practical strategies that enhance professional development, strengthen workplace culture, and drive meaningful, measurable change.

To learn more about Paula and her services, go to www.paulaedgar.com or contact her at [email protected], and follow Paula Edgar and the PGE Consulting Group LLC on LinkedIn.

What happens when your title changes? Does your confidence change with it?

Too many professionals tie their value to a position, an organization, or someone else's validation. But your personal brand should be rooted in something much stronger: your personal power.

In this episode of Branding Room Only, Paula T. Edgar sits down with Demetrius Thornton to explore the difference between positional power and personal power. They discuss his SCOPE Personal Power Framework, the inspiration behind his book American Trickery, and why understanding your value beyond your title is essential for long-term career success.

If you've ever questioned your worth after a career transition or wondered how to build a brand that lasts through change, this conversation is for you.

1:20 – How personal brand is evolving for Demetrius, three words that describe him, two resonating quotes, and the music that picks him up

4:47 – Being in New York as a native Southerner and Demetrius’ professional journey after graduating from Morehouse College

10:36 – How personal power changes the way we should think about personal branding

13:48 – The moment a senior banker said the quiet part out loud, and the faultiness of seeking external validation that never comes

17:58 – How to stay grounded in your personal power, regardless of the status of your job or title

21:35 – The SCOPE Personal Power Framework and how it helps you find your way back to yourself when you get off-kilter

28:54 – How to protect your values, credibility, and personal power within an organization with a public brand that doesn’t align with how they navigate internally

33:02 – What the title of Demetrius’ book American Trickery represents, and why he wrote it

36:31 – The difference between a resume and a body of work, and why so many high achievers are aiming lower than they realize

40:34 – Advice for anyone building a personal brand rooted in purpose rather than on paper

43:06 – What Demetrius does for fun, what he’ll never compromise his brand on, and why his relatability and passion for people is his magic

Mentioned In Building a Personal Brand Rooted in Personal Power with Demetrius Thornton

Demetrius Thornton | LinkedIn

American Trickery by Demetrius Thornton

Curated Resources from Paula

Sign up for Paula’s Upcoming Events 

Learn More About Paula's Personal Branding Strategy Session Offer

Subscribe to The Branding Room Only podcast on YouTube

Call to Action

Follow & Review: Help others find the podcast. Subscribe and leave a quick review.

Want more branding insights? Join Paula’s newsletter for expert tips and exclusive content! Subscribe Here

Conferences are an investment—make sure you maximize yours. My Engage Your Hustle™ Conference Playbook gives you the strategies to prepare, stand out, and follow up with impact. Get your copy today.

Sponsor for this episode

This episode is brought to you by PGE Consulting Group LLC.

PGE Consulting Group LLC empowers individuals and organizations to lead with purpose, presence, and impact. Specializing in leadership development and personal branding, we offer keynotes, custom programming, consulting, and strategic advising—all designed to elevate influence and performance at every level.

Founded and led by Paula Edgar, our work centers on practical strategies that enhance professional development, strengthen workplace culture, and drive meaningful, measurable change.

To learn more about Paula and her services, go to www.paulaedgar.com or contact her at [email protected], and follow Paula Edgar and the PGE Consulting Group LLC on LinkedIn.

Getting a yes for a speaking opportunity can feel like the finish line. You pitched yourself, made the case for why you belong in the room, and someone agreed to bring you in. In reality, that yes marks the beginning of your responsibility as a speaker, because what happens between getting booked and taking the stage can determine whether you are invited back.

Speaking is a relationship business long before it’s a stage business. That relationship is still being built as you ask questions, learn what the audience is navigating, and prepare for the experience the organization wants you to create. People can feel the difference between a speaker who prepared for their specific audience and someone who prepared a talk and just happens to be delivering it to them.

In Part Three of So You Want to Be a Speaker? on Branding Room Only, Paula T. Edgar shares how speaking opportunities actually begin, how to pitch yourself with strategy, and how she prepares once she’s booked. She walks through how she builds the spine of a session, rehearses out loud, and handles the practical details that affect the delivery, so that when it’s time to step into the room, she can be present, connected, and in service to the audience.

1:16 – Reality check about how speaking opportunities actually reach you

2:42 – How to decide which stages are worth your time to pitch to

3:22 – How to personalize the pitch to increase your chances of getting booked

5:04 – How to follow up, and why silence after a pitch doesn’t automatically mean “No” 

5:54 – The first thing Paula does to prepare after getting an invite to speak at an event

6:49 – The internal process behind building a talk that has a true through line, and how writing out your speech reveals gaps you can’t see otherwise

7:47 – Why rehearsing out loud matters, and the importance of the first 60 seconds 

8:26 – Overlooked practical details that separate a polished professional from someone just winging it

9:35 – What determines whether an organizer books you again 

10:22 – How Paula prepares on the day of the event, and why preparation can also offer flexibility

11:31 – Your takeaway, and a preview for Part Four of the series

Mentioned In So You Want to Be a Speaker? How to Pitch, Prepare, and Get Invited Back

Part 1 - So You Want to Be a Speaker? Getting Clear Before You Get Booked

Part 2 - So You Want to Be a Speaker? Build a Personal Brand That Gets You Booked

Curated Resources from Paula

Sign up for Paula’s Upcoming Events 

Learn More About Paula's Personal Branding Strategy Session Offer

Subscribe to The Branding Room Only podcast on YouTube

Call to Action

Follow & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform! 

Want more ways to grow your personal brand? Make sure you’re signed up for my upcoming webinars and workshops.

Conferences are an investment—make sure you maximize yours. My Engage Your Hustle™ Conference Playbook gives you the strategies to prepare, stand out, and follow up with impact. Get your copy today.

Sponsor for this episode

This episode is brought to you by PGE Consulting Group LLC.

PGE Consulting Group LLC empowers individuals and organizations to lead with purpose, presence, and impact. Specializing in leadership development and personal branding, we offer keynotes, custom programming, consulting, and strategic advising—all designed to elevate influence and performance at every level.

Founded and led by Paula Edgar, our work centers on practical strategies that enhance professional development, strengthen workplace culture, and drive meaningful, measurable change.

To learn more about Paula and her services, go to www.paulaedgar.com or contact her at [email protected], and follow Paula Edgar and the PGE Consulting Group LLC on LinkedIn.

By the time I reached Luxor, I thought this trip had already given me everything it was going to give me. Kenya reminded me to slow down and rediscover wonder. Cairo made me think about legacy and the importance of telling our own stories. Hurghada reminded me that joy is not a luxury. Then Luxor connected all of it in a way that settled into my spirit.

Standing in the Valley of the Kings, surrounded by stories that had survived for thousands of years, I couldn't stop thinking about how intentional it all was. Every image, every color, and every symbol had been chosen to communicate something about who these people were, what they valued, and how they wanted to be remembered. They did not leave their stories to chance, and neither should we.

In this final episode of my Paula Out of Africa series on Branding Room Only, I'm sharing what Luxor taught me about gratitude, legacy, and the choices we make about how we show up. From the story of Hatshepsut to the realization that none of us should leave our stories to chance, this part of the journey reminded me that legacy isn't something we leave behind someday. It's something we're creating every day through the choices we make, the stories we tell, and the lives we lead.

1:34 – How gratitude shapes your personal brand and the way people experience your character

3:33 – Why gratitude changes the question from what else you can get to how you can honor what you have already received

4:02 – The Luxor excursion Paula nearly skipped and why “hope is not a plan” changed her decision

7:25 – Arriving at the Valley of Kings and feeling the weight of standing on sacred ground

9:09 – What the intentional storytelling inside the tombs revealed about branding and legacy

12:31 – How Hatshepsut shaped her own identity, authority, and place in history

14:49 – What Hatshepsut’s story reveals about women, leadership, visibility, and taking up space

16:18 – The moment Paula realized no one could make her small unless she participated in her own shrinking

18:34 – The message Paula brought home from Africa about remembering who you are and what you are building

Mentioned In Paula Out of Africa, Part 4: Luxor and the Legacy You Create Every Day

Paula Out of Africa, Part 1: Kenya, Wonder, and the Brand You’re Becoming

Paula Out of Africa, Part 2: Egypt and What Your Personal Brand Preserves

Paula Out of Africa, Part 3: Hurghada and Why You Should Stop Postponing Your Joy

Paula’s Luxor and Valley of Kings Photo Album

Curated Resources from Paula

Sign up for Paula’s Upcoming Events 

Learn More About Paula's Personal Branding Strategy Session Offer

Subscribe to The Branding Room Only podcast on YouTube

Call to Action

Follow & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform! 

Want more ways to grow your personal brand? Make sure you’re signed up for my upcoming webinars and workshops.

Conferences are an investment—make sure you maximize yours. My Engage Your Hustle™ Conference Playbook gives you the strategies to prepare, stand out, and follow up with impact. Get your copy today.

Sponsor for this episode

This episode is brought to you by PGE Consulting Group LLC.

PGE Consulting Group LLC empowers individuals and organizations to lead with purpose, presence, and impact. Specializing in leadership development and personal branding, we offer keynotes, custom programming, consulting, and strategic advising—all designed to elevate influence and performance at every level.

Founded and led by Paula Edgar, our work centers on practical strategies that enhance professional development, strengthen workplace culture, and drive meaningful, measurable change.

To learn more about Paula and her services, go to www.paulaedgar.com or contact her at [email protected], and follow Paula Edgar and the PGE Consulting Group LLC on LinkedIn.

Hurghada became one of my favorite parts of the entire trip. Between standing in the Red Sea, saying yes to a flying dress photo shoot, and dancing in the middle of an Eid al-Adha celebration, I was reminded how joyful life can be when you stop trying to optimize every moment and simply allow yourself to experience it.

As high achievers, we are often quick to postpone joy until after the next promotion, project, or busy season. We make plenty of room in our personal brands for expertise and accomplishment, while forgetting that people also remember our energy and how we made them feel. Joy belongs there too.

In Part 3 of my Paula Out of Africa series, I’m taking you with me to Hurghada and sharing what this part of the trip taught me about being fully present in your own life. I’ll also tell you about the unexpected conversation that reminded me how much we have in common, even when our lives look completely different.

1:13 – Why joy belongs in your personal brand alongside expertise and executive presence

2:47 – How arriving in Hurghada changed the pace of Paula’s Africa trip

5:56 – A flying dress photo shoot by the Red Sea and the power of giving yourself permission to play

8:15 – Experiencing Hurghada during Eid al-Adha and seeing the city beyond the resort

10:31 – Why permission, more than confidence, helps Paula participate fully in her life

12:30 – What a conversation with a shopkeeper revealed about career pivots, resilience, and identity

15:00 – Trusting a stranger’s advice and finding another spiritual moment in Hurghada

16:53 – Why high achievers need to stop postponing joy until someday

Mentioned In Paula Out of Africa, Part 3: Hurghada and Why You Should Stop Postponing Your Joy

Paula Out of Africa, Part 1: Kenya, Wonder, and the Brand You’re Becoming

Paula Out of Africa, Part 2: Egypt and What Your Personal Brand Preserves

Paula’s Hurghada Photo Album

Curated Resources from Paula

Sign up for Paula’s Upcoming Events 

Learn More About Paula's Personal Branding Strategy Session Offer

Subscribe to The Branding Room Only podcast on YouTube

Call to Action

Follow & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform! 

Want more ways to grow your personal brand? Make sure you’re signed up for my upcoming webinars and workshops.

Conferences are an investment—make sure you maximize yours. My Engage Your Hustle™ Conference Playbook gives you the strategies to prepare, stand out, and follow up with impact. Get your copy today.

Sponsor for this episode

This episode is brought to you by PGE Consulting Group LLC.

PGE Consulting Group LLC empowers individuals and organizations to lead with purpose, presence, and impact. Specializing in leadership development and personal branding, we offer keynotes, custom programming, consulting, and strategic advising—all designed to elevate influence and performance at every level.

Founded and led by Paula Edgar, our work centers on practical strategies that enhance professional development, strengthen workplace culture, and drive meaningful, measurable change.

To learn more about Paula and her services, go to www.paulaedgar.com or contact her at [email protected], and follow Paula Edgar and the PGE Consulting Group LLC on LinkedIn.

Ancient Egypt isn’t just something you read about in a school history book or see in an old Elizabeth Taylor movie. It was a real, thriving civilization filled with people who lived, loved, worked, governed, worshipped, and left behind evidence that they had been there. Millennia later, we still know their stories because someone took the time to document, preserve, and pass them on.

Standing in a papyrus gallery in modern-day Egypt and learning how ancient writings survived for thousands of years made me think differently about personal branding. Your personal brand helps preserve your ideas, your work, and the story of the impact you made. It also gives you the opportunity to shape that story for yourself instead of leaving someone else to define what you are known for.

In Part 2 of my Paula Out of Africa series, I’m taking you through the Egyptian leg of my trip, from Cairo and the Nile to the Grand Egyptian Museum, the pyramids, and the Sphinx. I’m sharing why joy belongs in your personal brand, how your vision can expand before anyone else sees it, and why documenting your expertise matters if you want your work to continue speaking when you are no longer in the room.

If you have ever assumed your work will speak for itself, this episode makes the case for giving it a voice.

2:03 – How Paula’s arrival in Egypt was completely different from when she first set foot in Kenya

5:02 – Real joy as a brand asset and credibility as a reward for authentically expressing it

7:24 – How a photo taken on a dock overlooking the Nile expanded Paula’s vision for her brand

8:40 – Highlights from the breathtaking Grand Egyptian Museum tour

10:54 – The importance of owning your story and not letting others define your professional reputation

12:54 – What ancient paper can teach you about showcasing and protecting your expertise (and legacy)

15:31 – A valuable business reminder from vendors hustling outside the pyramids

17:16 – Why building a stronger personal brand might start with leaving your calendar behind

Mentioned In Paula Out of Africa, Part 2: Egypt and What Your Personal Brand Preserves

Paula Out of Africa, Part 1: Kenya, Wonder, and the Brand You’re Becoming

Paula’s Cairo Photo Album

National Bar Association

Grand Egyptian Museum

Curated Resources from Paula

Sign up for Paula’s Upcoming Events 

Learn More About Paula's Personal Branding Strategy Session Offer

Subscribe to The Branding Room Only podcast on YouTube

Call to Action

Follow & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform! 

Want more ways to grow your personal brand? Make sure you’re signed up for my upcoming webinars and workshops.

Conferences are an investment—make sure you maximize yours. My Engage Your Hustle™ Conference Playbook gives you the strategies to prepare, stand out, and follow up with impact. Get your copy today.

Sponsor for this episode

This episode is brought to you by PGE Consulting Group LLC.

PGE Consulting Group LLC empowers individuals and organizations to lead with purpose, presence, and impact. Specializing in leadership development and personal branding, we offer keynotes, custom programming, consulting, and strategic advising—all designed to elevate influence and performance at every level.

Founded and led by Paula Edgar, our work centers on practical strategies that enhance professional development, strengthen workplace culture, and drive meaningful, measurable change.

To learn more about Paula and her services, go to www.paulaedgar.com or contact her at [email protected], and follow Paula Edgar and the PGE Consulting Group LLC on LinkedIn.

For years, I had wanted to visit the African continent, especially Egypt, but when the opportunity came to travel to both Kenya and Egypt with the National Bar Association, something in me immediately said, "Paula, you have to go." I had no idea just how much that decision would change me.

In Part 1 of my Paula Out of Africa series, I'm taking you along on my journey through Kenya. What started as a long-awaited trip became a powerful reminder of the importance of wonder, curiosity, community, and making room for experiences that expand who we are. Along the way, I found unexpected moments of connection, stood in awe watching elephants in the Maasai Mara, reflected on leadership and personal branding, and came home with what I can only describe as a capital-C confidence.

If you've ever felt a nudge to do something that stretched you, this episode is your reminder to trust it. Sometimes the experiences that change us the most begin with simply saying yes.

1:11 – Why Paula took this trip (and why it had to be solo)

2:29 – The question so many stop asking themselves

3:54 – A strange encounter that proved prophetic

5:01 – An important reminder about relationship-building on the first leg of the journey

6:07 – What surprised Paula when she first set foot on African soil

7:10 – How travel influences your perspective

9:38 – The creative power of participation

10:14 – Why curiosity might be the most underrated tool in relationship building

11:17 – What finally happened when the long-awaited spiritual connection arrived

13:01 – An unforgettable scene that shows the beauty and heartbreak of nature

15:11 – The "capital-C confidence" Paula brought home and what it means for her personal brand

16:59 – An invitation to trust your intuition

Mentioned In Paula Out of Africa: Kenya, Wonder, and the Brand You're Becoming

Paula’s Kenya Photo Album

National Bar Association

Nairobi National Museum

Kobe Tough

Curated Resources from Paula

Sign up for Paula’s Upcoming Events 

Learn More About Paula's Personal Branding Strategy Session Offer

Subscribe to The Branding Room Only podcast on YouTube

Call to Action

Follow & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform! 

Want more ways to grow your personal brand? Make sure you’re signed up for my upcoming webinars and workshops.

Conferences are an investment—make sure you maximize yours. My Engage Your Hustle™ Conference Playbook gives you the strategies to prepare, stand out, and follow up with impact. Get your copy today.

Sponsor for this episode

This episode is brought to you by PGE Consulting Group LLC.

PGE Consulting Group LLC empowers individuals and organizations to lead with purpose, presence, and impact. Specializing in leadership development and personal branding, we offer keynotes, custom programming, consulting, and strategic advising—all designed to elevate influence and performance at every level.

Founded and led by Paula Edgar, our work centers on practical strategies that enhance professional development, strengthen workplace culture, and drive meaningful, measurable change.

To learn more about Paula and her services, go to www.paulaedgar.com or contact her at [email protected], and follow Paula Edgar and the PGE Consulting Group LLC on LinkedIn.

Your brand is your first audition.

When someone hears you speak and starts imagining you at their conference, retreat, leadership program, or client event, the next thing they are going to do is look you up. Long before you speak with an event organizer, your LinkedIn profile, website, bio, content, and digital presence are helping people decide whether you are someone they can trust with their audience.

Too many aspiring speakers leave that process to chance. An outdated LinkedIn profile, a website that never mentions speaking, a vague bio, or a lack of clear positioning can create hesitation and uncertainty at the exact moment you want to inspire confidence.

In Part Two of So You Want to Be a Speaker? on Branding Room Only, Paula T. Edgar breaks down how to build a personal brand that supports your speaking goals and helps you stand out. She explores the importance of positioning, clarity, and consistency, while walking through the essential speaker assets every professional should have, including LinkedIn, a website, speaker bios, one sheets, video, and thought leadership content.

Whether you're pursuing your first speaking engagement or looking to expand your platform, this episode offers practical strategies to help decision-makers understand your value, remember your expertise, and feel confident bringing you to the stage.

1:08 – The invisible audition you start giving as soon as someone hears your name

2:39 – Three questions your positioning must answer (and why not doing this first will cost you)

4:08 – The LinkedIn profile set-up that entices others to book you as a speaker

5:49 – What to include on your website to make it effortless to refer and invite you

6:23 – What your speaker bio needs to address for the event organizer and your audience

7:00 – The one-page document you can create to serve as an easy referral tool

7:31 – How to create and use video as a showcase (and why it matters more than you think)

8:23 – The importance of consistency among your assets as a quiet trust-builder

9:38 – How to create five pieces of content from a single speaking topic 

11:08 – How to audit your assets, the key takeaway from this episode, and a preview of the next installment in the series

Mentioned In So You Want to Be a Speaker? Build a Personal Brand That Gets You Booked

Part 1 - So You Want to Be a Speaker? Getting Clear Before You Get Booked

Curated Resources from Paula

Sign up for Paula’s Upcoming Events 

Learn More About Paula's Personal Branding Strategy Session Offer

Subscribe to The Branding Room Only podcast on YouTube

Call to Action

Follow & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform! 

Want more ways to grow your personal brand? Make sure you’re signed up for my upcoming webinars and workshops.

Conferences are an investment—make sure you maximize yours. My Engage Your Hustle™ Conference Playbook gives you the strategies to prepare, stand out, and follow up with impact. Get your copy today.

Sponsor for this episode

This episode is brought to you by PGE Consulting Group LLC.

PGE Consulting Group LLC empowers individuals and organizations to lead with purpose, presence, and impact. Specializing in leadership development and personal branding, we offer keynotes, custom programming, consulting, and strategic advising—all designed to elevate influence and performance at every level.

Founded and led by Paula Edgar, our work centers on practical strategies that enhance professional development, strengthen workplace culture, and drive meaningful, measurable change.

To learn more about Paula and her services, go to www.paulaedgar.com or contact her at [email protected], and follow Paula Edgar and the PGE Consulting Group LLC on LinkedIn.

What happens when the very things that make you different become your greatest strengths?

For Fitzann “Fitz” Reid, showing up fully, taking calculated risks, and creating opportunities where none existed before have been defining themes throughout her career.

A lawyer, investor, entrepreneur, sports owner, and leader, Fitz has built a career that defies traditional expectations. From growing up in South Jamaica, Queens, as the daughter of Jamaican immigrants to serving at the highest levels of the SEC, helping launch Hunterbrook, and investing in professional sports, she has consistently chosen growth over comfort and possibility over convention.

In this episode of Branding Room Only, Fitz and Paula explore what it means to build a career intentionally rather than simply following the path laid out for you. They discuss the power of sponsorship, the leadership lessons learned through sports, the responsibility that comes with visibility, and the confidence required to remain authentic in spaces that were not always designed with you in mind. Fitz also shares her experiences as a Black queer woman and a first-generation Jamaican-American, and how those experiences have informed her perspective while never limiting the scope of who she is or what she can accomplish.

The conversation covers career pivots, entrepreneurship, investing, leadership, and personal branding through the lens of someone who has repeatedly stepped into unfamiliar spaces and found ways to succeed. Fitz's story is a reminder that growth often requires courage, that visibility creates possibility for others, and that some of the most meaningful opportunities appear long before there is certainty about the outcome. Her approach to life and work demonstrates the value of trusting yourself, staying open to possibility, and being willing to take the first step before you have every answer.

1:26 – Fitzann’s personal brand definition and why she describes herself as authentic, relentless, and empathetic

4:20 – Why a Bryan Stevenson (director of Equal Justice Initiative) quote that hangs on Fitz’s wall made such an impression

7:43 – How Fitz learned independence and resilience as a kid growing up in South Jamaica, Queens 

10:25 – How being a first-generation Jamaican American has influenced Fitz’s leadership and ambition

13:02 – The weight of responsibility often facing children of immigrants and how Paula conveyed that to her kids

14:25 – How Fitz has navigated her career and assumed leadership positions as a Black, queer woman in industries often lacking diversity

19:05 – How her background in sports has played a major role in Fitz’s leadership style

22:38 – How Fitz stood her ground against conforming in law school and grew her confidence over time

31:45 – Fitz outlines her career trajectory, from an early interest in politics and law school to buying an Italian basketball team and building Hunterbrook

39:02 – How that initial sports investment opened up bigger doors of opportunity

41:00 – How Fitz has been intentional about building her brand while navigating her career

44:32 – The root of Fitz’s personal and strategic interest in women’s sports, and investment opportunities still available

48:10 – Why advocacy through the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association is so important to Fitz

51:48 – Why Fitz will never compromise on how she shows up, and the magic she offers to others

53:41 – The importance of treating your difference from others as a superpower, not a disadvantage

Connect With Fitzann Reid

Fitzann “Fitz” Reid is a partner, general counsel, and chief compliance officer at Hunterbook, a startup media company and hedge fund. She’s also an avid sports investor and co-founder of Vera West Sports and Entertainment. 

Before Hunterbrook, she spent the bulk of her career in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at the highest levels, serving across Examinations and Enforcement as well as Senior Counsel to Commissioner Allison Lee. Then she moved on to become the Chief Compliance Officer and Deputy General Counsel at impact-focused hedge fund Engine No 1. Her work spanned rulemaking, enforcement, litigation, whistleblowers, and on-site examinations of registrants, including broker-dealers, investment advisers, private fund advisers, and mutual funds.

Fitzann has a BBA from Pace University, an MBA from Wharton at UPenn, and a JD from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, where she later taught federal regulations and enforcement as an Adjunct Professor. Off the clock, she serves on several boards, including the National LGBTQ Plus Bar Association, and is registered with the state bar in D.C. and New York.

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Mentioned In Authenticity, Ambition, and Betting on Yourself with Fitzann Reid

Equal Justice Initiative

National LGBTQ+ Bar Association

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