422-SYB-Julia-Korn.mp3: this mp3 audio file was automatically transcribed by Sonix with the best speech-to-text algorithms. This transcript may contain errors.
Carol Cox:
What does it look like to create and deliver a ten out of ten keynote? That’s what we’re talking about with my guest and client, Julia Korn, on this episode of the Speaking Your Brand podcast.
Carol Cox:
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.
Carol Cox:
Hi there and welcome to the Speaking Your Brand podcast. I’m your host, Carol Cox. Have you ever seen a keynote delivered at a conference where you’re like, wow, that was a ten out of a ten. That was amazing. Something that I didn’t expect. Mm. Probably not. Because let’s face it, there are a lot of fantastic speakers out there. But there are a lot also a lot of keynotes that we see that just kind of do the job that share some content with you, maybe share some insights or some takeaways, but just really don’t give you that multidimensional experience. Well, that’s what we’re talking about today with my guest Julia Korn, because she recently delivered a ten out of ten keynote. And that is not me saying that. And that’s not Julia saying that, although we are saying that it was people in the audience and many people in the audience who went up to Julia and the event organizers afterwards and said, wow, that was amazing, including the AV and the sound people. And, you know, they see a lot of keynotes at conferences. Julia is the founder and CEO of the Authenticity Guide and executive coaching company that works with ambitious leaders. She also recently did a TEDx talk earlier this year called Break Up with Should in Your Career, which was named as a TEDx Editor’s Pick of the year. I’ll include a link to that Ted talk in the show notes as well. Julia, welcome to the podcast.
Julia Korn:
Thank you Carol, I am such a fan of yours and of the podcast, so it’s a real honor to be here.
Carol Cox:
Well, I have had such so much fun working with you. We started working together in the very beginning of August, and your keynote was just last, well, last week as of recording this. So November and we worked really hard on this keynote on only the content, but so many of the different aspects of it. And so I want to really dig into what, what makes a ten out of ten keynote. Before we get there, though, let’s talk about how did this keynote come about in the first place?
Julia Korn:
Yeah. So I, um, this was sort of a warm lead, if you will. And so I started off in my business not doing keynotes, which I know is common for many people. I was doing workshops, and when I started my business, I was giving workshops for free and getting footage and getting testimonials, and I had gotten to the point where I was giving workshops for money at conferences, and I gave a workshop at this exact conference three years ago before I had a child, and I, I loved the audience, I loved the event planners, and those went really well. And so I was able to keep those relationships warm over the years. And so, uh, when I reached back out to inquire about keynote slots and yes, I reached back out, um, they already sort of knew who I was and knew that I had already received positive feedback from their audience and cared about their audience. And so I had circled back because of my fond feelings, and it was sort of like they wanted this mutual assurance that I cared about this audience. They had some social proof from me, and so it made sense to partner on a keynote because, um, I pitched them a topic that they, that they liked.
Carol Cox:
And I think this is such a great point that, number one, you already had spoken there. So they were familiar with you, because I say that speaking is the best way to get more speaking engagements and to get higher profile speaking engagements, because they have to see you as a speaker and they have to know what you can do. But the second thing is that you didn’t you didn’t wait for them to just kind of like dawn on them. Oh, maybe we should go back to Julia and see if she could be our keynote speaker, because they have a lot of things on their plate. They have a lot of speakers that they’ve seen. So I love that you were proactive in pitching them to do this. And so this conference, as I mentioned, was just this November. When did you send them the proposal for the keynote?
Julia Korn:
It was probably a year before that. Um, we had a really, really long lead time. Yeah. They were, you know, they’re, um, they’re extremely organized. They plan really far in advance. I think they had just wrapped up this conference for the year prior. They had just finished taking their post-conference breath and then they were ready to start thinking. And so, you know, the lead time is pretty long between getting them to respond to your email, getting on the calendar, pitching the topic, them taking the topic back to the powers that be, getting the contract right. And so, um, so it was, I would say like ten months before the conference, I was like signed and ready.
Carol Cox:
Yeah, that is so important. Also to keep in mind, because four keynote slots, especially a lot of conferences, do book a year in advance, sometimes 18 months in advance of the actual conference. So for those of you listening, keep that in mind. You’re not probably going to get a keynote slot a month before the event unless something happens and you already know the people. All right. So let’s talk about the topic that you pitched them. So tell us what that topic was and why you felt this would be a great fit for their audience.
Julia Korn:
So they were really insistent that this was a group of individuals who needed, uh, Professional development. That wasn’t just your typical professional development. They needed something more sophisticated than sort of the generic topics on leadership and emotional intelligence. And right. Like that was sort of same old, same old. And they were really clear that this is a group of people who want to level up their careers. They love substance and takeaways and action items, but they also like to have fun. Um, and so one, one topic I pitched them, I will say I think this is important for your listeners too. I pitched them three different topics. Right. Like and I think sometimes that’s okay. Right. To play a little bit, I think I hear a lot of like have one keynote like do it perfectly and sure. But um, but they wanted to kind of spitball a little bit. And so I pitched them a few things. I think I pitched them something on imposter syndrome, um, which they were like, nah, something else. And then the thing that hit for them was this idea of building a personal board of directors. And so they were like, wait, what is that? Tell me more. And I you know, I was like, well, this is something I do with my coaching clients where it’s not enough to have one mentor. You have to have a board of people in your corner to help with your career, to help get to the next level. And this is something where it’s I’m introducing a concept, but I’m also introducing the practice of doing it and the how. And there’s takeaways and it’s tangible and it’s new. And so they they loved that because they felt like okay, it’s a cool big idea. But you can also get into the weeds with it. And they’re like these women come with notebooks and pens. They want the details. Right. And so I was like, okay, it’s got to be inspirational, but it’s got to be detail oriented, right? It’s always kind of toeing that line. And so, um, so that’s what we landed on.
Carol Cox:
And I love this idea of the personal board of directors because it’s a fresh topic. It’s not something that they’ve heard before. So it definitely piqued their interest, but it still aligns with a lot of the same things that people are experiencing, whether it is imposter syndrome or stalled career growth or not knowing how to advance in their career. So it hits on that. But it’s from a very fresh angle versus the same old, same old. Like I’m just going to talk about how to strategically advance in your career.
Julia Korn:
Yep. Yeah, exactly. And interestingly, there was a section that I didn’t, you know, overtly call imposter syndrome in the talk where I said, you know, you might have this feeling like, who am I to do this? And interestingly, there were like five people afterwards who came up to me and said that specific part, that question of who am I to do this? That really spoke to me, that imposter syndrome piece. And I was like, interesting. Okay, so you can really sort of work when you know that a topic is going to resonate with your audience, you can find ways to kind of give them what they need versus what the conference planners want or ask for. And I know, Carol, we’re going to get into that.
Carol Cox:
Oh, yes we are. Yes we are. Well, and this and the reason I feel like that resonates with so many people, this idea of who am I to ask for this? Or who am I to want this is it goes to understanding our identity and who we are and how we want to come across and how we’re perceived. And I always say that keynotes, the best keynotes are really about helping the audience understand themselves better and where they fit into the world, because as humans, that’s ultimately what we want. And to your point, event organizers say they want the audience to have, quote, tangible takeaways and action steps and action plans. And I think they see this again out of the goodness of their hearts, because they feel like they want valuable content for their audiences. But I don’t know, I feel like they probably have seen enough presentations over the years to know better by now, because this is what I call the expert trap. And I know Julia, we talked about this in the very beginning of working together, that it’s so easy for us to fall into the expert trap. And we did this initially, like, let’s tell them all the ways that they can put together their board of directors. And then we ended up, we realized that that was not going to create the ten out of ten keynote. So let’s back up just a moment. Julia, why did you decide that you wanted to work with someone on your keynote specifically coming, finding me and speaking your brand. And because I know you create great presentations and I know you could have done a great job on this. So why did you decide to work with someone?
Julia Korn:
So I was ready to take things to the next level, right? Like I have, you know, I think I was getting paid to talk like in the five K to eight K range, and I was building my own content and it was good like exactly that, that way of saying like, oh, that was good. Um, and like that just wasn’t good enough for me. I was so ready to get those stage side referrals to just be the person people think of, to just be dynamite. And I’m sure, like a lot of your listeners, I have sat in on keynotes where it’s like the middle aged white man jogs on stage to eye of the Tiger.
Carol Cox:
I oh my God, do they still do that? I really? Yes, yes. Okay. Well news flash, I think this is going to become even a bigger thing next year. Yeah, right.
Julia Korn:
Um, so and I just was like, I’m, I’m, I’m ready. And I have to give your copywriter credit and, and your website and your SEO, because normally I don’t work with coaches who I don’t have a warm referral from. I didn’t know anyone who knew you, Carroll. But you came up in my internet search and I went on your website, and I like I was like, wait, is she she’s looking at me like, does she see me? Because it spoke to my soul. I was like, I’m comfortable in an academic environment. I convey information really well. I like I’m concise. I’m I’m fact based, like, yeah, maybe like a joke or two, but I, I’m conveying information. I’m just I’m not thinking like I’m not thinking of this as a performance. And I know it needs to be. So I need to ratchet down the academia and I need to ratchet up the show. And I have no idea how to do that. And so it’s interesting, like we spoke and we didn’t actually work together for a little while after we spoke, but like, it was almost like like I was on your newsletter. I was listening to your podcast. And so I was in your ecosystem even before I paid you. Um, and so it was just like, anytime my mind strayed, I would be brought right back to you through a podcast episode that resonated or through a newsletter. And the more my panic rose about about this keynote and feeling like it just wasn’t going in the direction that I thought would be dynamite. The more I was like, I need Carol, I need some help. And so that’s what made me pull the trigger. I was like, I just, I need I need a spirit guide on this keynote to, like, decrease my blood pressure and just give me the assurance that it’s going to be dynamite.
Carol Cox:
Well, and it was it was a lot of hard work. I mean, you put a lot of hard work into it. We did during our coaching sessions together. I did, you know, brainstorming and marinating on things in between our coaching sessions to really think about how can we make this different, unusual, something that’s really going to stand out. And to your point about the website copy is that and I do have to thank my copywriter, Ashley Harvey. And actually we’re doing a joint retreat in London, England next summer all around building your bold brand voice, because she is such a great copywriter and brand messaging expert. So but this expert trap, the reason I talk about it so much is because not only do I see so many women fall into it, but I myself fall into it. I have, and I, and I still catch myself doing it because it is our default. It is our instinct. But we have to consciously and intentionally reel ourselves out of that, not only for our benefit, for the benefit of our audiences. So, Julia, let’s dig into how we shaped the keynote. And as I mentioned a little bit ago, we very assuredly started going down that expert trap. Right? We mapped everything out and you’re like, let’s tell them exactly how to build their board of directors. So tell me what that looked like. And then how did we reel ourselves back in?
Julia Korn:
Yeah. So you you spent so much extra time with me because we did several versions of this keynote. And it was funny how we both, we both sort of fell into the expert trap the first round. Right? Because I was like, oh, I have all this information like, let me just convey it. And you were like, great, let’s convey it. Let’s fit all of these stories in. And in the first round, I think we like I was talking about my infertility story, like it was like every story you have, let’s do it. And like every description, let’s do it. And it was just like it was. I mean, we both knew it as we were doing it. It was we almost just had to get all the spaghetti on the wall first to to just like, say, this is I’m mixing metaphors to like, say goodbye to it. Um, we just had to work through it. And then once we had like the first version, we took a breather and we came back and I was like, this isn’t working. And you were like, yep, this isn’t working. Like, this is too much information. And like, it’s kind of boring. And and we were like, we both had this moment of like we both fell into the expert trap on this one. And it’s such a good reminder that having that extra person to just be your gut check can be so helpful. You know.
Carol Cox:
I likened it to writing the first draft of a book. Yeah, right. So, like. Yes. Like they always say your first draft is going to suck. It’s not going to be what ends up being published, but you have to get it out because it’s almost like you have to see, like you said, what’s not working or you have to just get all the stuff out that you think, well, maybe that would be a good idea. Maybe I should put this story in. If you don’t have a place to put it, you kind of just stays in your mind and you think, well, what if what if I put that in? But I feel like we got it all out. And then we kind of went back to the drawing board and a lot of ways and we’re like, okay, let’s so we, we kind of we. So act three is the end and we really save that to the very, very end. We didn’t work on that until probably a few weeks before your keynote. But we I decided that we really needed to focus on act two, which was the main thing, like, how are we going to not only tell the audience about this personal board of directors and how it benefits them, but how are we going to show them what it’s like? So, Julie, you had already can you tell us a little bit about what the board of directors is, what what the different kind of roles are? Because then you have the idea that each role kind of represented someone in the cultural zeitgeist.
Julia Korn:
Yes. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. So there was a lot of like, ideation and spitballing here. So your board of directors, uh, has a number of roles on it. And so there’s a connector, and that person is someone who essentially has a mental Rolodex and connects ideas and people. Um, my vision was that the connector would be like a Yiddish yenta, kind of like a matchmaker. Um, uh, there’s the mentor, uh, who? That’s sort of self-explanatory. And I thought the mentor could be Yoda. And the sponsor is a very high level person in your organization who can say your name in a room and things happen. And so I was like, that’s got to be Oprah. Uh, and then there’s one more that is the friend. Um, and I was sort of like, I don’t know, maybe we’ll do maybe like a Martha Stewart Snoop Dogg. We like, played with what that would be. And so I had this idea that it would be really funny to have a visual of all of these people sitting around a boardroom table, because no one would really expect that. And so I like I got there, but the how was still the big question mark because it was like, am I just telling people like what these roles are? Because even though the characters are interesting, the telling is still really boring, right?
Carol Cox:
Because again, you had so you had the characters Yoda and Snoop Dogg and Oprah, which was fun, and we had props for each of them, like, we had thought about that so that you could add those to your talk. But right to your point, it’s like okay, but then right. Do we just like run down the list and say, now go think of people who could be in these different roles and then go put together your board of directors and like, yes, in a conference breakout session. You could do that and have some activities. But this was a keynote on a big stage with a big audience, so we knew we had to bring it. So I remember I was working, uh, you know, thinking about things in between one of our sessions. And I was thinking of, like, different audience engagement activities we could do to kind of just get the audience more involved. And all of a sudden, I’m a very visual thinker pops into my mind, is that old game show Hollywood Squares, you know, where you had like the nine squares, like tic tac toe, and then they would have different celebrities. So I was thinking celebrities, Oprah and Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart. I’m like, oh, what if you had like, each celebrity in one of those boxes and you could just, like, reveal to the audience who they were one by one? And then that’s where we came up with this whole game show idea. So can you tell us about that?
Julia Korn:
Yeah. So from my perspective, I got an email from you in between. We sort of left a session off being like, let’s just each go back and think. And I got an email from you. I think it was like 48 hours later and it was like, okay, you might hate this, but dot dot, dot. What if we made it a game show? And like and and you had some examples that like we didn’t end up like going with. But I was just like I think she just nailed it. Like, it just I had it was like like it just was like this. It was like, that’s it. Like, yes, this will be a game show. And then, um, and then I had the idea that what the game show would be was that I would get people to come on stage and read poems. And so I was like, so excited because I’m like, oh, I get to write poems for all these roles, and those are clues, and the audience can guess it. And so, um, and that was really fun for me because I really like writing poems, and it’s so silly to write a poem about Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg. So they were so good. They were so good. Yeah, they came out really good. And, um. And that moment of doing that was like, that’s when it started being fun again to write the keynote.
Carol Cox:
Yes, yes, yes.
Julia Korn:
And that’s when I knew we were nailing it, because it was fun to write. And it was it was so much fun to play it out. And that’s when we were just like 100 miles an hour. And.
Carol Cox:
Yeah. And so you had these clues and you, you found people who were going to be attending the conference, and you talked to them ahead of time to let them and ask them if they would be willing to come on stage because you weren’t just going to leave it to chance and have random audience people come up to read. So you planned all this? I think you laminated the poems, the clues, so they would have that. And then you also had a call with the AV people at the conference. So can you tell us about that and some of the things that you ended up doing there at the keynote? Yeah.
Julia Korn:
So not every conference is going to be as buttoned up and professional as this one was with hiring an external AV vendor who was just really on top of it. Um, but we, you know, we went through all of my slides and so the audio became really a really important component of the keynote. That’s always such a wild card with keynotes, no matter how good the sound guys are. And I Carol, I don’t know if I told you this. We had sound issues, even though the sound was like they were so good, but it was. I mean, it didn’t. I’m a big believer in like moments of vulnerability helped humanize you. And so it ended up being fine. But, you know, I have this one slide where I when we transitioned to like to this act two, where I’m like, I’m not just going to stand up here and tell you these roles like that would be so boring. So we’re going to make it a game show. And then I hired a voiceover actor from Fiverr or one of these freelance platforms to say, it’s time to play guess you’re bored with, like, this old timey, like music. And it’s like the flashing neon lights. And so I was like, I really need that sound to hit.
Julia Korn:
And of course it didn’t. Um, so I had like this moment of like. So just in case you didn’t hear me, we’re gonna make it a game show, right? And he’s like, so then it went on the second. The second go. Um, but yeah, so they, they sort of, like, knew in advance which side was going to cue that. Um, I had a song at the end that I needed them to play, and it was very like volume dependent. Soft at the beginning, loud at the end. Right. So there were, um, there were some important pieces that I needed to to get them on board with. But it’s so great because now I know I have like the seven bullet points that are really, really key for that AV team. And I have now bolded these are the things that are most likely to screw up. So how can we prepare for these things? And they also were great because I wanted to do I was like a little bit extra. I wanted to do the like DJ bullhorn for the correct answers after the poems like the pew pew pew. And they were like, we want to give you everything that your heart’s desires, Julia. But like the bullhorns not happening.
Carol Cox:
I was like, maybe the next keynote. Yeah.
Julia Korn:
So, you know, it was like, you know, I was like, okay, the most important things then are this and this. Um, but yeah, working with them and then honestly showing up an hour before my stage time was so crucial because I was on the stage and I was like, here’s where that hits. Know that volume gets higher, that rate. So like that hour before the keynote was also crucial to getting it right.
Carol Cox:
Well, and this also shows how much work real work goes into creating an amazing keynote. It is not just like you dust off some slides and you update a couple of things, and then you roll out of bed and you show up, you know, your call time and you hope everything works. Like, and this is why I am such a big advocate of conferences, paying their keynote speakers and paying them well. And unfortunately, some conferences and a lot of women’s conferences don’t pay their keynote speakers very well. It’s because you want to invest in that speaker, because they’re going to be much more committed, because they know that it is a business relationship.
Julia Korn:
Yeah, exactly. And the things that I did that went above and beyond. They were so appreciative. I mean, talking to attendees before my talk, that was a standout thing for these event planners, because what I was able to do, it was sort of a I mean, I kind of hit two birds with one stone, right? I got to hear from my audience in advance. And so I was like, what are your pain points? What do people misunderstand about you? Right. Like all of these really meaty questions and synthesize their answers, use quotes from them in the keynote so everyone in the audience is like, yes, she sees me. She gets it. She’s speaking our language. But then at the end of those interviews, I also got to say, would you read a poem on stage? I think you would nail it. Right. And so it’s like I got these two things from these women. And the conference planners were like the fact that you took the time before this keynote to understand our audience. They felt so seen. They felt so understood. So it really it really was a win win to just. And when you pay keynotes, they can take that time to do those interviews. And you’re not customizing the whole keynote, you’re customizing 10% of it. But that 10% really stands out.
Carol Cox:
Absolutely, yes. And okay, so that was so we talked about act two, which was really this game show idea to talk about this board of directors, what it looks like, but in a very fun and engaging and interactive way. So and then we ended up kind of we tied up the loose ends in act three. But let’s go back to act one, which is the opening, because the opening, as we know, is really critical for setting the stage literally, for bringing the audience in to letting them know, what are we going to be talking about? Who is Julia? Why should we care about her? Why should we listen to her? Does she understand us? Is she relatable? Can we trust what she’s saying? So we. So talk to us about how we decided to open the keynote. I said the royal we. But how you decided to open the keynote?
Julia Korn:
This was like, I don’t know if act two or this part was the hardest for us. I mean, we really struggled because, you know, it needs to be like, so you you want to be funny and self-deprecating and engaging right off the bat. And so I ended up going with just like a quick little story about my daughter first and like, taking a plane with her and like that being a disaster and like, baby on a plane, right? It’s like people can relate to that. And then we decided instead of any other fluff, like jump right into this story of how I got demoted in my 20s and that like, that story was like such buy in from the audience just immediately because I was just, you know, it’s like my bio is like, she’s a contributor to Forbes, she has a TEDx. And I was just like, everyone’s just like, oh, like, I hate her. And then, okay, wait, wait.
Carol Cox:
Wait, Julie, I’m not going to say that. I’m going to say, wow, she’s amazing. I aspire to be her. But does she really understand where I am right now?
Julia Korn:
Okay, that’s a fair. That’s a fair phrasing. All right. And so I get up there and I’m saying I was I was a special assistant to a C-suite person. So I had the same role that you have. And I’m walking into my performance review thinking I’m getting promoted. Obviously the story is a lot longer and a lot more funny, and I get demoted. And interestingly, actually, I don’t. I didn’t tell you this. I’m excited to tell you this part. So a lot of what we talked about was the importance of having a bit and I think, um, a signature bit, right, that no one else can do that. You do. I think the game show was, was a big bit, but a smaller bit was a little bit more impromptu. And that was when I’m describing the demotion, I talk about how my boss takes out the the dreaded org chart, and I say, and he took his finger and he drew it lower and lower and lower and lower, and I lay flat on the ground.
Carol Cox:
Oh, good for you. I am so glad you did that.
Julia Korn:
I laid on the ground for like one, two, three Mississippi when I tell you like they were like peeing in their pants because it’s like you’re just like, that was my frame of mind in the moment. Like when I felt dead on the ground and like the lowness on the org chart, it just. It worked. And they’re not expecting it. Right. Like I’m in this dress, I look nice and I’m just laying. And so I think that was a really good moment of like, oh, she gonna lay down on the stage like she’s gonna tell this story. And so from there, it was just like they were locked in. Well, you.
Carol Cox:
Committed to the performance right of the keynote, and that’s what that takes, really to be willing to do that. And this is why I love improv, and this is why we do improv at our speaking workshops, because it gets you to use your body. I lay on the floor and do silly stuff and improv, because then I know I’m going to take that to the stage. Yeah. All right. So, Julie, so we figured out the opening, which was the the story about your daughter on the airplane, which was cute. Again, self-deprecating. It was funny, kind of just like lighten the mood brought the audience in. But then you had your real story, which was the story about getting demoted. And I remember we kept cutting and cutting and cutting and cutting because I knew from my experience helping clients with Ted talks that less is more. The more you cut the actually, the stronger the stories are going to be. And I know that there were some parts we ended up cutting where you’re like, oh, I like that part. I’m like, yes, I like it too. But let’s just see how it feels to keep cutting it down to the essence, keeping the humor, keeping the storytelling, but then keep cutting it. And I think it was much more effective.
Julia Korn:
It was so much more effective. We had one session where we had our shared Google doc up, and you were tracking changes, and you were highlighting entire pages and just hitting delete and the red thing, and I was just like, ha ha ha. But then, like, I practice it that way the next week. And I was like, huh, that was a lot better.
Carol Cox:
Yeah, I have no I have no sacred cows. I’m like, I am an editor galore. I will cut, cut, cut, cut, cut because I know we can always bring it back. We can always bring it back if it feels like it’s a little too empty. But I think I just feel like it is much better. All right. So let’s talk about then the feedback you got. So you’re at you’re there. You sent me a video that morning of the stage which looks incredible. And all the chairs and the audience before people got there, you’re like, oh my God. I’m like, I know you’re going to be amazing. Just have fun with it. And so glad you did. So you do your thing. It goes great. And then what happens?
Julia Korn:
So immediately after I get off the stage and there’s just a line of people waiting to talk to me, which is such a fun feeling. And it was like talking to me. But they also wanted pictures with me, and they wanted to ask me specific follow up questions and to tell me, like what resonated with me. I had at least three women, like, break down and cry in my arms about how, like something in particular I said resonated with them and changed the course of how they’re going to think about their career. Um, and so it was this mix of like, that was so fun. What an engaging first keynote. But also, you made me think about something I’m doing in my life in a new way. And so I just was filled with like, just gratitude for the audience and joy at feeling like this was this was as impactful as I had hoped it would be when I first pitched it. And so the the first, I was like 25 minutes after the keynote was just like that. Um, and then I sort of looked up and the room had cleared and the line was gone. And, uh, conference planners were sort of running around, and they were like, that was freaking incredible.
Julia Korn:
Um, like just I could see the joy on their faces and walked out, and the sound guy sort of walked out with me, and he was like, he was like, you were phenomenal. And I was like, I just have to share something funny with you, which you alluded to earlier. Carol. He was like the tech guys I brought with me. They they do like, you know, 1 to 2 keynotes a day, like 1 to 2 conferences a day. And they I overheard them saying usually the keynotes at these things like kind of suck. But she was freaking incredible. And I was like, that’s the highest compliment. Yes. And then the AV guy was like, let me know how I can be of service to you and refer you. And like, because I would love to work with you again. And I was like, you were such a pleasure. Like. And so it was so such an interesting like that was a connection that was made, um, from just sort of being, being a team player and like being happy to work with other people. Um, other than the conference planners.
Carol Cox:
Yes. I love that, Julia. And in the the feedback was not, wow, those are a lot of great takeaways that that I, that I wrote down on my notebook.
Julia Korn:
Yes, yes. And you know they did and like but it was you know what it was though which I loved. It was a lot less writing in notebooks and this screen phone, phones taking pictures. And when I tell, you know, not a single person was like on their phone. Like I do a lot of audience scans during my talk, I speak to the audience. Nobody was on their phones like people were so engaged. The only time phones came out were, you know, the slides with the quotes like that, that snapping pictures. Um, and yeah, so like there were takeaways, but it was, it was an experience. Like we gave them an Experience?
Carol Cox:
Exactly. An experience they’ll remember. An experience that really, they felt they not only hurt, they thought it in their mind, but they felt it in their bodies, not only because of the sensory elements that you have, but because of this idea of, wow, I can make a difference in my career in a way that I didn’t seek was possible before, or in a way that I didn’t even think of before.
Julia Korn:
Yeah, yeah. And I had a number of people say to me, what an empowering way to start this conference, because now the mindset that I’m using going into all of these other sessions is totally different. And so I think the or like the keynote opening the conference, that was another piece of specific feedback that I got was like this as the opening was very powerful. So that’s something else that I can take with me as I pitch this to other conferences. Right? It’s like, what’s your opening keynote slot? This is what this does for participants.
Carol Cox:
Absolutely. And Julia, the other thing that you did is that you hired a videography company to come and film you because even though some a lot of events will film on their own, you don’t necessarily know when you’re going to get the footage or how much of the footage, or if they’re going to film the whole thing. So I highly recommend it that you bring in your own video team. So tell us about that.
Julia Korn:
Yeah. Um, so it was it was super easy and I really appreciated you pushing me on it. Um, I initially asked the conference planners if they knew anyone. They didn’t. I asked someone in my network who lives in Miami. She recommended someone awesome. Um. It was, you know, it it was an expense, but it wasn’t terrible. And I’m not having them edit anything. It’s just kind of raw footage that I’ll get and eventually put into a, like, more high level sizzle reel than the one I have now when I have more gigs accumulated. Um, but it was so great. I mean, they were so professional and it was just the focus was just on me. The goal was me. It wasn’t the whole conference. And so they brought two cams, which was great. One was stationary at different points in the audience and the other followed me. And so and I was really intentional about all of the different shots I wanted to get. And we got it beforehand, so we had that right before I went on stage like, hey, I’m Julia, I’m about to go on stage to talk to this audience about this. I’m super excited. Follow me. And then he was right behind me when I ran up on stage.
Julia Korn:
So he got the jogging up on stage shot. He got the like leaving the stage, I baked it. This was sort of, um, a little bit sly. But the end of my keynote, I get everyone to stand and put their arms around each other and do a sing along. So then I walk off stage. Everyone’s already standing and clapping. So it’s sort of you like stage? The standing ovation a little bit. Oh my God, it’s so brilliant. Right? And so then the camera pans as I’m walking off stage. Everyone’s standing doing this right. So it’s an amazing visual and it’s an amazing feeling for me and for the audience to have that. And so we captured all of those moments. Um, and, and I wouldn’t have done that if I just went with conference videography like, they wouldn’t have. Oh, and testimonials right after. So my camera guy is standing right next to me, every person who’s coming up to me in line and saying these amazing things, I’m like, would you just repeat that for this guy over here. And they did. Right. And so I was able to get these sort of real time, like, what did you think of it? How did you feel? Testimonials.
Carol Cox:
Amazing. Well, Julia, congratulations on really all the hard work that you put into this, not only pitching yourself for this keynote, but all the speaking work you did leading up to it. Obviously, all the hard work you did on the keynote itself, all the practicing and rehearsing and logistics and all of that. I mean, it is so well deserved and I am so excited for you to take this on the road and to speak to a lot more places.
Julia Korn:
Thank you for everything, Carol. I appreciate you more than you could know.
Carol Cox:
If you would like to work together on your signature talk and keynote to make sure that you don’t get stuck in the expert trap, check out our coaching programs at Speaking Your brand.com/coaching. Again, that’s speaking your brand.com/coaching. Until next time. Thanks for listening.
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