We are in a golden age of solopreneurs: independent, innovative experts who are turning the traditional working model on its head. No longer content with working under layers of organisational management, workers around the globe are increasingly making the decision to take full control of their careers.

Public speaking is a golden ticket to creating awareness and generating leads. It’s where you can truly let your personality and expertise shine. It’s also great for gaining an insight into your audience’s problems and how you can help, which is crucial for refining your services.

Leading Female Experts and Personal Brand: Last week Time Magazine shared some of the world’ best known Personal Brands: the profiles of the world’s 100 Most Influential People. Jeff Bezos graces the cover and each person featured is a celebrity or political figure.

My partner Mark and I recently saw the movie Hidden Figures. It tells the story of Katherine Johnson and two of her colleagues – three brilliant female African-American mathematicians working for NASA in the 1960s. (warning-spoiler alerts ahead!)

Do you ever feel as though you’re doing all the right things, but your business isn’t growing?

If so, you’re not alone. I recently worked with a client – an expert in her field – who couldn’t understand why her business was failing to grow.

Virginia is my Executive Assistant and is a baby boomer. She has had some incredible life and business experiences and can deadlift 90 kilos. She’s got heart, passion, skill, intelligence and energy.

Last Sunday night I was fortunate enough to attend Adele’s second sold-out concert in Brisbane. It was the city’s biggest-ever concert, with more than 60,000 adoring fans packed into Brisbane’s iconic sporting stadium, The Gabba. It’s no wonder.

You’ve probably heard of the Top Five Regrets of the Dying. It’s a stunning list that was put together by Australian palliative care nurse Bronnie Ware in her book of the same name. She undertook research of patients in hospitals to identify their regrets.

Remember the phone book? It wasn’t so long ago that when we needed a service or product, we’d pick up the phone book and search for a business that could help us.

Your networks provide you with your most powerful sales source: inbound referrals. About one half of my own business comes from inbound referrals and a recent survey by Marketing Research firm USM, identified that in B2B marketing, an incredible 91% of B2B purchasers use Word of Mouth (WOM) Marketing to make a purchasing decision.

What’s your story? One of the most effective tools for building your personal brand is storytelling. The emotional connection it creates with your clients and leads is a marketing powerhouse.

Want to know the fastest, most sure-fire way to raise your profile, build your database and make more sales? Then it’s time for you to brush up on your speaking and presenting skills!

I recently traveled to Queenstown, New Zealand where there is a winery called Amisfield. I’d heard about this winery and it lived up to its reputation. It has a beautiful restaurant with incredible food, overlooking the vineyard and sitting on a beautiful lush green lawn.

In case you missed it or can’t access the video, this is the transcript from the interview on ‘Mornings’ on Channel 9 this week. I hope you find it helpful, feel free to share with someone who needs it!

I recently worked with a group of sales people on building their Personal Brand as part of their position as thought leaders in their industry. We spent a considerable amount of time talking about testimonials and their value.

Most clients I see get quite frustrated that they don’t seem to be able to access it and wonder why all jobs aren’t advertised. The short answer is networks.

In today’s world of trying to achieve more with less, engagement scores and managing team performance it can be hard to think creatively under pressure.

It’s easy to underestimate the work involved in running a business. Cash flow and stock management can all cause sleepless nights, not to mention the need to justify your pricing to customers who are shopping around for the best quote.