403-SYB-Maria-Flynn.mp3: this mp3 audio file was automatically transcribed by Sonix with the best speech-to-text algorithms. This transcript may contain errors.
Carol Cox:
How can you make opportunities happen? That’s what we talk about with Maria Flynn, who went from CEO to author to keynote speaker on this episode of the Speaking Your Brand podcast. More and more women are making an impact by starting businesses, running for office and speaking up for what matters. With my background as a TV political analyst, entrepreneur, and speaker, I interview and coach purpose driven women to shape their brands, grow their companies, and become recognized as influencers in their field. This is speaking your brand, your place to learn how to persuasively communicate your message to your audience. Hi there and welcome to the Speaking Your Brand podcast. I’m your host, Carol Cox. Today we’re talking about how to make opportunities happen and the importance of time. So I’m a big believer that timing is so important in so many things that we do in our lives, whether it’s in our personal lives or in our careers and our businesses. And my guess is Maria Flynn, who is a graduate of our Thought Leader Academy. She went through the program earlier this year. She is now the founder and CEO of her own consulting and training company called and Biologics. Before that, she was CEO of a company called Orbis Biosciences that had an exit. It had an acquisition which, if you’ve ever been a part of a company or part or been definitely a CEO, that’s always a big milestone to have. Since then, she has written a book which has become an Amazon bestseller, and she also now has developed a talk from that book that we worked very closely on and is now keynoting and doing workshops around this idea of maximizing time to make opportunity happen.
Carol Cox:
So we’re going to talk about all of those things today, including how she’s getting speaking engagements. There are combination of free and paid. So where are these speaking engagements coming from and how she’s converting some of the free ones into paid ones. Maria, welcome to the podcast. Thank you for having me. All right. So let’s dive into this idea of maximizing time to make opportunity happen. I have always thought in my life like, oh, you know, I should have done this at a certain time, or I’m so glad that I did this other thing at a certain time. And I we know as entrepreneurs that we always have a sense of we should be doing more, but we also have a sense of are we doing too much or are we focusing on the right thing? So I know as part of your framework in your book and in your talk, you talk about patience versus urgency. And I don’t consider myself a very patient person. Maybe. So can you talk talk to us a little bit about this idea of patience versus urgency, what it looks like, because I know you have some great visuals, some great slides around this. And what should we consider as entrepreneurs when we’re thinking about maximizing time in this way?
Maria Flynn:
You bet. So urgency was always a big word at Orbis Biosciences because we had this deep desire to get our technology out there into the world. We didn’t have a lot of cash. So there’s some of these elements of startup life where you just have this urgency, and then you work with investors and customers and acquirers, partners that oftentimes don’t have the same level as urgency as you do. So I thought a lot about how do you get an urgency alignment, how do you make it more interesting for them to go faster, and how do you make it less urgent for use, cash reserves, options, things like that? But then I had this epiphany that it’s not always urgency. Patience is a really important part of this game too, because there are many examples of things that die just because we’re not patient enough. There’s a lot of stories where, you know, people are going to close down their doors and then, you know, you don’t know what happens. The next day, things started to line up and and then they were off to the races. So you really need both this extreme urgency driver and this ability to be patient. And a lot of times people think they’re one or the other, but you have to really be both in this game.
Carol Cox:
All right. So talk to us a little bit about what what are these visuals look like. What are some of those slides that you show your audience when you’re talking about this section.
Maria Flynn:
And this is probably the most fun part of the presentation. And you know you’re on to something when you’re really enjoying it. Uh, so it’s a good place to get engagement with the audience, because I asked them to think of what picture comes to mind. And we we visualize a scale of urgency to patient, and we know we don’t want to be too urgent, and we know we don’t want to be too patient. So I asked them, what does two patient look like to you? And sometimes they’ll say things like decay and that will be closer to to the image. I then pop up on the screen, which is the skeleton sitting in front of his keyboard saying, still waiting for the reply. And I talk about how so many people I work with. I say, how’s that going? And they’re still waiting for the reply. And so that is two patient. Um, but then we go into what is too urgent and what I looked at when I did a lot of searching of tell me, what is the image of two urgent, uh, and Gordon Ramsay pops up a lot and then I can do the fun meme of some of his behavior that works for him, because that’s his style. But it doesn’t work for a lot of us. And then we go into, okay, what is good urgent? What is good patient? Um, good patient is the cute dog sitting by your door with a leash in the mouth, and he he’s just ready for when when you are. There’s nothing he can do to make that walk come sooner. Whenever it happens, you know he’s there. And then just right in the urgent. Is the cheetah the fastest land animal? Um, because she can get the kill when she needs to. She can’t do that indefinitely. Um, but those images really help to get a memorable, um, visual of when we need to be patient, when we need to be urgent and but not the extremes.
Carol Cox:
And the reason I wanted you to share that is for the listeners to to number one thing about they’re probably going to remember those visuals because that’s how we remember things, right? We remember those the images in our minds. But then I had watched a speaking engagement you you had done recently. You sent me the video of it. So I watched the entire thing. It was about 30, 35 minutes. And when you got to that section where you talked about urgency versus patience, and you showed those visuals and you ask the audience that question. They perked up so much to your point, because it’s fun for them. But if you as the speaker, if you’re excited to deliver that section, then that’s going to come across to your audience as well. So, Maria, let’s fill in the rest of the time framework for the audience here so that they understand kind of what this the time looks like. And then we’re going to back up and we’re going to talk about how this all came about from the book that you’ve written recently.
Maria Flynn:
You bet. So as you’ve taught us, acronyms help us remember. And once you taught me that when I start to see others, yes, I can remember so much more. So T stands for take that crack of opportunity in the door and push it wide open. Uh, sometimes you don’t even see the crack. The door feels completely shut. But there’s always an opportunity there. And it’s what things can we do to push it open? Uh, we talked about AI already. It’s integrating patients and urgency. So knowing the spectrum and knowing how to use those levers M is for maximizing listen tuition, which is a concept from the book. And it’s about really listening to where the market is telling you to go, but also having the intuition. So even in our personality tests, you’re either intuitive or you’re data driven. And I believe you really need both. You need the data to influence your intuition. You need the intuition to fill in the blanks where you don’t have data because you never have perfect data. So really having both of that and that’s less intuition. And then E is experiencing your next win. It’s not about a second wind. These are really long games. So knowing how you pick yourself up, how you pick your team up, getting your next wind.
Carol Cox:
Okay, so Maria, when we work together in your VIP days for the Thought Leader Academy, I know you had come in with your book already written, and you have 40 short chapters in your book because it’s meant for entrepreneurs to be able to pick up, either read an order or go to the section, go to the chapter that they need the most help with. So obviously you had a lot of content, too much content to fit into 30 minutes or 45 minutes or even an hour or two hour workshop. So we had to figure out what was going to be the the most relatable content to audiences and something that they could take away from them. So let’s talk about what was the inspiration for you to to write this book in the first place.
Maria Flynn:
So after I sold Orbis, I was working with entrepreneurs, and I would wake up in the middle of the night and I think I need to tell them the story or this advice someone gave me that was really great, and I started repeat myself over and over again. And that’s why I thought, I think there’s a book here. I think this is a way to scale myself. So if I don’t have time to sit down with an entrepreneur, I can at least give them a book and they can, um, um, leap into the next phase on the things that I have learned in working in this space. And, and I really like to create and this was a way to create something. I didn’t realize how much work it was going to be or how long it was going to take. Uh, but it was fulfilling to create something that I felt like people needed. I had a lot of beta readers that helped fine tune it along the way. And so that’s how it came to be.
Carol Cox:
And what was the writing process in the book development process? What did that look like to you? Did you have a book coach who helped you? Did you have were you really disciplined to sit down on a regular schedule and write it? How long did it take? As someone who was working on a book, which I’ve been telling my audience for years, I would. I’m asking for a friend.
Maria Flynn:
So about two years from start to finish, and there were some hiccups in there, but I got a lot of good advice. I met a lot of great people along the way, uh, and it was a very entrepreneurial pursuit of, how do you know that this is the right thing for your audience? How do you demonstrate product market fit? How do you launch it into the world? And, um, so that was very fulfilling. And, um, yeah, it was great fun.
Carol Cox:
So did you did did you sit down, you know, every day over a period of months? And did you write like or did you spend, you know, did you kind of lock yourself in your room for a week? What did that look like?
Maria Flynn:
So about nine months into this, I joined a group with other authors and they they said it’s from the, um, the War of Art book. They said, um, inspiration always strikes and it strikes at 9 a.m.. So about getting a discipline, writing so many words a day, every day. And that really helps you get across finish lines and then, you know, write the first draft, just get it out there into the world and keep refining it. Um, be careful that perfect is the enemy of good.
Carol Cox:
And then did you hire a book editor?
Maria Flynn:
I did, yes.
Carol Cox:
Okay. Like like not only grammar and spelling, but a developmental editor to help you to kind of make sure it was all cohesive. Yep.
Maria Flynn:
Three different groups of editors and a lot of graphic help. Uh, the the book cover. And there’s 40 images I definitely had a lot of help on this project.
Carol Cox:
And I know you had a really successful launch. You had lots of people supporting you. I, I’m primarily using LinkedIn. Linkedin. So I saw a lot of that launch on LinkedIn. Obviously, you got a lot of reviews for the book. How did you set up your launch team? What did that look like?
Maria Flynn:
So I got some good coaching, and I listened to podcasts of how other people had done it. And, and, um, I reached out and started my newsletter about that time. So I got about 400 people starting to walk with me on this, and then I got about 150 that were interested in helping me with, um, reviews. Your first week is very important to say, hey, Amazon, this is here. Take note. Um, so that first week I did a lot of that, um, uh, LinkedIn community has been really supportive of me, and I really appreciate that. So making sure that people want you to succeed and and they want to be a part of the story. And I think that’s a huge part. The more beta readers, the more people that feel ownership in what you’re creating is really useful, because then they’re excited to get it and they’re excited to talk about it. Um, and that was a really rewarding process. And then later it was about the week before I decided to have a little launch party. And I’m glad I did, because you run so fast through all these things and you never really stop to celebrate that it was. I’m really glad that I took the time and did that.
Carol Cox:
And I know that you found us, found me, and speaking your brand through one of our past clients, Cara Hauser. She was just on the podcast last December. Episode 363, talking about her own book journey from. And actually, she did it the opposite way. She worked on her signature talk, first with us, and then she ended up writing her book. So you, the two of you met through that other book community, and then you found out, so what? What was on your mind as you were getting ready? You knew the publication date was coming up. What were you thinking about regarding speaking engagements?
Maria Flynn:
I knew that a book and speaking went nicely together, and in fact some people would say, if you want to speak, get a book, write a book, uh, because it gives some credibility and authority. Uh, but I first step was this book. It’s something that I just needed to get out of me, or it would just keep cycling in my head. And I wanted another female voice out there. A lot of the books that I had read on this topic were from men, so it was important that, um, a female from Kansas in a biotech that’s a little bit unusual, uh, story, uh, that that story got out there, that meant other people could see themselves in there. So that was an important driver for me. And when you’re doing something new, you’re like a sponge. Like, how does this work? How how do people, uh, pick their books? How do people talk about books with others? Is word of mouth is one of the main reasons to pick up a book? Um, and so I was really watching a lot of podcasts and, um, there’s great community, um, that has weekly, um, webinars that Kara came on and she was talking about how she had invested in herself with the program, and I was watching it taped.
Maria Flynn:
Um, glad somebody asked. Now, what’s what’s this speaking, coach, you mentioned. And so that’s how I was on to you. And then Carl was so lovely. I reached out to her through LinkedIn and got her advice. So even though I’ve never met her, I feel a kinship and a friendship with her. And I think that speaks of your community that you have, that we are all willing to help each other. And it’s really a beautiful thing that you’re putting out there into the world. So that’s how I found you. And I would just coming off a couple of things that I had invested in myself that did not go very well. So I thought, am I really going to do this? And then I thought, yes, I’m not going to tell anybody I’m doing this because I probably say, hey, what about those last two things? But I just knew you were the right guide for me to walk in this stage because I had this book I was very excited about, but I didn’t know how to transform it into a 30 45 minute talk just because there was too much in there.
Carol Cox:
Yes. Like we mentioned. Right. And this happens not only with women we work with who have books, but just in general. We all we all feel like we have so many ideas, so many things that we can share with our audiences. When you have a book, I really do think it’s a double challenge because you have that content literally sitting in front of you, either on that in that book or on the documents on your computer. So you’re like, oh, but this is important. This is important, this is important. I want to share this. So when we came together for that three hour VIP day, and you had sent me the copy of the book ahead of time, even though it wasn’t out yet. So I, you know, I kind of read through it, scanned through it. So I had a sense of your content and your approach. And when we got together for that three hour VIP day, I guess, what were you thinking before we started, and what did the process feel like to you by the time we were done?
Maria Flynn:
Well, I was just curious how you were going to take these 40 sections and help me come out with something cohesive. That’s what I was thinking. And you are delightful to work with. So really seeing how, uh, um, artfully you can take people’s ideas and map it into something that you can then start on the journey. Every time I give the presentation, I get better. So there’s still a lot more of the journey to go. Um, but you really help me package it in a way that the audience could consume and enjoy. Um, so it was just the right helper for me at the right time.
Carol Cox:
I know, I remember that and that we came up with this, the, the Time framework, because I was asking you a lot of questions. And again, I had read through your book. So I knew that this idea of time was really important. And obviously making opportunities happen. Timeliness or this urgency of time is, is really important. So, you know, as we’re going through, I’m thinking like, how do we kind of package all of your thought leadership, you know, your IP into something that’s that’s consumable for the audience, but that gives them that bigger picture. And that’s where this idea of kind of packaging it under under time, the framework time came in and then pulling just four of those key components in it, even though you have 40 or 50, right. And 40. But here’s the beauty of it, Maria. You could actually change them out, you know, six months from now, a year from now, if you decide, you know, the time, I want to switch some of those those letters around, you know, to different phrases or different parts of the book, you could do that if you want to. And she’s looking at me like, no, I’m trying to get this one figured out.
Maria Flynn:
Oh for sure. Yeah.
Carol Cox:
So okay, so let’s talk about the speaking engagements you’ve been doing. I know, like you just like I think you graduated from the academy into March and you had a paid speaking engagement already on the calendar for the beginning of May, so that was fantastic. I was so excited that you could actually go and deliver what you had been working on. So where are these speaking engagements coming from? Are and I know that they’re a mix of free and paid. So are you getting a sense of which ones are free, which ones are paid and and how have you been balancing those?
Maria Flynn:
Yes. And it was so fun to get the email with the paid speaking request. Uh, because I was like, wow, Carolyn, Diane work magic. And that was totally inbound. A lot of what I do is, you know, making sure a lot of relationship building before you would get to that stage. So that was really fun. And I asked her how she found me, and she said I had been in her database, uh, for a few years. So all that, all the work that we do in LinkedIn and putting things out, it does come back to us. You just don’t know about the timing. And then after that, I really wanted to hone it. So I did a couple, uh, free, but they bought books, so it was more in trade. And that’s one of the great things you coach us on is there’s a lot of different things that bring you value. And how do you, uh, how do you trade on some of these things that you are getting something for your time? Because in the past, I had been doing all my speaking for free, and then that transition into paid is a little bit unnatural. And that’s why. Having you as a guide to go to of you know, I this is this is where I am. What do you think? Um, has been great, uh, because it’s it’s an evolution, uh, into a new world. And it’s been it’s been wonderful.
Carol Cox:
So, so you mentioned so that one, that first one in May that was paid was inbound. So they already had had you in the database kind of had had, uh, eyes on you. So then like you said, LinkedIn having a visible presence on LinkedIn and being consistent there is important. Now you also are doing outbound. Correct. You’re also are kind of looking around for speaking opportunities and approaching people. What how are you doing that? Are you kind of searching Google? Are you looking in Kansas City where you live? What is what are you doing?
Maria Flynn:
Well, in my primary goal right now is to get to 50 podcasts of letting people know that the book is out there, and I am. This is my 11th, so I am making my way. And the most successful strategy I’ve had there is, uh, a friend of a friend who do I know that knows someone. And it’s a lot like raising money if you just do, um, cold outreach into investors, that’s very tough. But if you can find somebody that they know and trust that that you know, that’s a much better strategy. Um, so it’s been about relationships on the podcast, um, side. And then that’s where I’ve been focusing more of my attention. But I have I do have the alerts set up for, uh, call for speakers, and I am I am starting to nurture that because I’ve learned that through your podcast and start to build out in 2025, where are the places? And I have a goal of what number that we want. I want to get to each year, um, and start to build this. I know I can be really good at this because in other parts of my life I have been really good at it. Uh, it, uh, it’s one of those things if you don’t do it very often, you know, uh, it’s a, it’s a practice muscle. So with podcasts and these, these speaking engagements, I feel like each time it’s getting better.
Carol Cox:
Well, actually, this is a good, uh, segue to this next part that I wanted us to chat about. Is that so? As a CEO of a company, especially one that ended up exiting being acquired, I’m sure you did speaking engagements a lot of the times, whether it was on behalf of the company, perhaps they weren’t keynotes, but whether it was to team members at meetings or to other partners that you were working with or customers and so on. So how did those speaking engagements and your preparation or your sense of them? How is that similar or different from the keynote speaking and the workshops that you’re doing now, which is very much about your own content.
Maria Flynn:
And a lot of investor pitches, a lot of sales pitches. I actually have done a lot of speaking to middle school girls about the value of going into Stem fields over. I counted it up because I did a keynote last year, over 900 girls that I’ve talked to. So those are just some of the give back areas that I find meaningful and the places people have asked me. Uh, but one of the things I feel like I’ve been transformed through your program was not as much memorization of trying to get. This is the exact phrases I need to use, but these are the stories I want to tell and and how they go from one to another. And as you say, you know, you know your stories better than anybody. So I feel like I’m a much more relaxed speaker than I used to be. Um, and that’s just it’s practice. But it’s also that epiphany of being natural is better than having every planned word.
Carol Cox:
Yes. All right. So then, Maria, let me ask you this about the keynotes that you’ve been doing in the workshops that you’ve been doing. Now, I talked to some women and they love public speaking. It lights them on fire. They, you know, they feel like they’re in their element. Other women I talked to, at least initially, are maybe not necessarily reluctant, but they’re like, well, I speak because I feel like I have to or, you know, I kind of enjoy it. But I, you know, I still get a lot of nerves or I’m still feel that. I’m not sure about it. Where do you fit on that spectrum?
Maria Flynn:
Well, I think it’s part of if I would be doing this every week, it would be feeling more comfortable and that when you’re in the zone, it’s kind of like when I start to talk about those those images and those slides and it’s fun, you know, that is fun. I’m trying to make more of the presentation, as fun as that part is. Uh, so it’s not something I dread. It’s not, um, it’s not as natural if you don’t do it all the time. But I do believe I’ve learned how to harness butterflies into something more productive. Uh, and it’s just it’s just something that we need to do, uh, and it’s worth getting better and better at.
Carol Cox:
And how have the doing the podcast interviews helped with the in-person speaking?
Maria Flynn:
Um, it’s been a way to get a lot of feedback. So they, you know, athletes watch the tapes. And so it’s a great way to watch the tapes and, and really just learning how to do that has been phenomenal because it’s pretty painful at first when you’re watching these and you think, oh my gosh, I just said, um, three times. Or, you know, I look up a lot when I’m trying to do recall and trying to see, uh, there are a lot of good things, but are we noticing that? So making myself know. Oh, that’s a tough question. What am I going to. Oh, okay. That was pretty good. Uh, and then, um, every every one is different. So seeing how they’re, how they’re asking questions and you are evolving through this process, uh, and I cannot wait to hear what number 50 is like, uh, because you just get better as you as you go.
Carol Cox:
And isn’t it fascinating that even though the questions seem like they’re going to be similar from one podcast to the next, but whatever the host happens to ask, they always have their particular spin on it, but in the best way. And then you end up thinking of things that you have never thought of before, or in a particular way.
Maria Flynn:
Right? For sure. And it’s I mean, it’s very natural. We’re just having a conversation. So this is a great way to practice. Uh, and I’m getting people exposed to the book, which is planting seeds. Uh, so it’s a very fun journey.
Carol Cox:
And then Maria, so talk about what is next for you. Obviously, you want to continue to do podcast interviews. So for any of you listening, if you host a podcast and you feel like Maria would be a great fit, help her get to number 50 from where she is today, you can reach out to her and see if that would be a good fit for your podcast. So obviously I know you want to do more speaking engagements, keynotes as well as workshops. What else is on the horizon for you?
Maria Flynn:
So really who I’m about is make opportunity happen, whether it’s in an entrepreneurial setting. I’ve worked in not for profits here recently, helping them really develop ecosystems. Um, I am working with innovators within medical systems. So I that’s where I get a lot of energy of what can what can become of this. You have a blank page. How do you fill it in. So I keep I’m going to keep doing that. And and really it’s about scaling myself, which is what the book and the speaking does is helps me to reach more people, uh, to get them to make opportunity happen.
Carol Cox:
Oh, I love that, Maria. Well, thank you so much for being a part of our community. I love having you as part of it. I love getting your emails when you share your excitement because some new speaking engagement came through, and then you share with me what, how, how things have gone with the speaking engagements that you have done. So keep that up. This is the thing with. But the women that we work with is that we want to continue to hear from you. If you have a question three months or six months or a year after you graduated, like still come back to us because that’s what we’re here for and we’re here to help you double whatever you’re about to quote for your speaking fee, because whatever your first instinct is, is should probably be higher than that, as I’m sure you learn, Maria, when we went through the program.
Maria Flynn:
And I think that’s one of the most unique things about you and Diane, is that you want to keep this relationship going. I think most programs the program’s done. Um, but I really value that you’re still there for us. And. Thank you.
Carol Cox:
Oh, well, it’s my pleasure. So, Maria, for for everyone listening, connect with Maria on LinkedIn. Her profile will be in the show notes for this episode. Also, make sure to go and get her book. It is a fantastic book, and especially if you’re an entrepreneur at any stage or even just in your in your career, you’re going to find different of those mini chapters that are going to really help you out. Maria, thank you so much for coming on the podcast. Thank you.
Maria Flynn:
It’s been a delight.
Carol Cox:
If you would like to join us in the Thought Leader Academy, we are enrolling now for our August and October start dates. You can get all the details as speaking your brand.com/academy again that’s speaking your brand comm slash academy. Until next time. Thanks for listening.
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