Show Notes: Why Speaking Builds Authority Faster

Have you ever watched someone speaking on stage and thought, “I know just as much about this as they do” then immediately talked yourself out of putting yourself forward?

While they’re giving an audience the chance to understand their expertise, yours is still sitting in your head.

In this episode of Mic Drop Moments, I explore how speaking helps people experience your knowledge, follow your thinking and begin to trust you to help them.

Drawing on my years as a solicitor and more than 25 years of speaking, I share why clear explanations, relevant stories and sounding like yourself can make such a difference.

In this episode:

• Recognising the value in knowledge you’ve started taking for granted.
• Explaining your ideas in language your audience understands.
• Showing people how you approach a problem.
• Choosing what to leave out so your strongest point has room to land.
• Connecting your story with what your audience is experiencing.
• Handling questions when you don’t have every answer.
• How my hearing loss shapes the way I approach audience questions.
• Developing your speaking style without copying someone else.

Try this week

Choose one question you’re regularly asked about your work. Record yourself answering it, give an example and suggest a practical next step.

Listen back from the perspective of someone who needs your help. Could they follow your explanation? Did you get to the useful part? Did you sound like yourself?

Mic Drop Moment

The answer that feels obvious to you could be exactly what somebody else needs to hear.

You may have spent years doubting whether your voice matters, while someone else is still waiting to hear what only your experience can teach them.

Develop your speaking with me

My UK Speaker Mastery Retreat takes place in rural Lincolnshire on 9th–11th March 2027. This three-day, all-inclusive experience gives you dedicated time to plan, prepare, practise and deliver a keynote that feels entirely you and explore how speaking fits into your business strategy.

Find out more about The Speaker Mastery Retreat

The Let’s Get Visible® ACCELERATE Academy is currently closed to new members. Join the waitlist to hear when membership next opens.

Explore the Academy and join the waitlist

From Hidden to High Profile

Are you recognised for what you do—and could someone else explain why you’re the person to speak to?

In this episode of Mic Drop Moments, I share how speaking, relationships and consistent contributions help you become known for your expertise.

I’m seeing this happen in my own business, with invitations to speak at an SBS Bootcamp at NatWest, exhibit at the Festival of Entrepreneurs and join awards judging panels. These opportunities have grown from years of conversations, showing up, and creating opportunities for others.

We also talk about my shoes, what happened when the internet went down at Ideas Fest, and why people might still be introducing an earlier version of your business.

In this episode:

• Becoming more intentional about where you spend your time and energy.
• Helping people understand the work you want to be known for.
• Finding speaking topics in the questions your clients already ask.
• Connecting what makes you memorable with your expertise.
• Building relationships through listening and thoughtful follow-up.
• Making the most of invitations when they arrive.
• How the Let’s Get Visible® ACCELERATE Academy connects learning with opportunities to put it into practice.

Your action this week

Ask someone you trust: “What would you recommend me for?”

Their answer could reveal how clearly your message is landing—and where it needs updating.

Mic Drop Moment

What would you love to become known for? And what could you do this week to help the right people recognise it?

Explore the Let’s Get Visible® ACCELERATE Academy, including information about joining when membership is open.

Until next time, keep creating opportunities to be seen, be heard and be remembered.

Show Notes: Mic Drop Moments Podcast | Woman Who Solopreneur Awards 2026 Special

What happens when you bring a room full of ambitious, inspiring women in business together?

Conversations happen. Connections are made. Opportunities are created. And sometimes, those opportunities don't reveal themselves until long after you've left the room.

In this special episode of Mic Drop Moments, Sandra Garlick MBE reflects on the final Woman Who Solopreneur Awards in its current format, held on 9 October 2026 at the National Conference Centre near Birmingham.

Celebrating ten years of Woman Who, Sandra shares why being in the room matters more than ever, the importance of showing up even when you're feeling uncertain, and how a single conversation can open doors you never expected.

Throughout the episode, you'll hear interviews with finalists, winners, attendees and supporters, all recorded live at the Awards by Kathryn Hall, Let's Get Visible ACCELERATE Academy member and Podcast Host for the day.

Kathryn stepped into an opportunity to interview attendees, demonstrating exactly what Woman Who is all about: creating opportunities for others to build their confidence, develop their skills and step into the spotlight.

In this episode, discover:

• Why being in the right room can be more valuable than another social media post.
• How showing up creates confidence, connections and unexpected opportunities.
• Why the real value of networking often happens after the event.
• The importance of celebrating other people's achievements as well as your own.
• Why meaningful relationships should be part of your business growth strategy.
• Sandra's reflections on ten years of Woman Who and what's next.

As Sandra reminds us:

"Don't just go there to be seen. Go there to become known."

Whether you're a seasoned networker or someone who finds walking into a room full of strangers daunting, this episode will inspire you to think differently about the invitations, conversations and opportunities that come your way.

Because being in the room is only the beginning. What you do afterwards is what really matters.

Find out more:

Woman Who: https://womanwho.co.uk

Connect with Sandra

Sandra Garlick MBE is a Speaker Mentor, Visibility Strategist and Founder of Woman Who. She helps people go from hidden to high profile through visibility, speaking and personal brand development so they can attract more opportunities, clients and sales.

Find out more about Sandra and the Woman Who Solopreneur Awards:

• Sandra Garlick
• Woman Who Solopreneur Awards

Thank you for listening to Mic Drop Moments. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with a fellow solopreneur who deserves to be celebrated.

Mic Drop Moments is Sponsored by Grow Radio

GROW Radio is an online radio station dedicated to bringing you a different podcast on the hour… every hour. I am proud that Mic Drop Moments is played on GROW Radio every Tuesday at 3pm and Friday at 8am and to be part of their podcasting community. If you want to listen to the station, explore their shows, get your podcast onto GROW Radio or check out many of the blogs to improve your podcasting skills… head over to https://www.growradio.uk today!

Connect with Sandra

Sandra Garlick MBE is a Speaker Mentor, Visibility Strategist and Founder of Woman Who. She helps people go from hidden to high profile through visibility, speaking and personal brand development so they can attract more opportunities, clients and sales.

Find out more about Sandra and the Woman Who Solopreneur Awards:

• Sandra Garlick
• Woman Who Solopreneur Awards

Thank you for listening to Mic Drop Moments. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with a fellow solopreneur who deserves to be celebrated.

Mic Drop Moments is Sponsored by Grow Radio

GROW Radio is an online radio station dedicated to bringing you a different podcast on the hour… every hour. I am proud that Mic Drop Moments is played on GROW Radio every Tuesday at 3pm and Friday at 8am and to be part of their podcasting community. If you want to listen to the station, explore their shows, get your podcast onto GROW Radio or check out many of the blogs to improve your podcasting skills… head over to https://www.growradio.uk today!

Connect with Sandra

Sandra Garlick MBE is a Speaker Mentor, Visibility Strategist and Founder of Woman Who. She helps people go from hidden to high profile through visibility, speaking and personal brand development so they can attract more opportunities, clients and sales.

Find out more about Sandra and the Woman Who Solopreneur Awards:

• Sandra Garlick
• Woman Who Solopreneur Awards

Thank you for listening to Mic Drop Moments. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with a fellow solopreneur who deserves to be celebrated.

Mic Drop Moments is Sponsored by Grow Radio

GROW Radio is an online radio station dedicated to bringing you a different podcast on the hour… every hour. I am proud that Mic Drop Moments is played on GROW Radio every Tuesday at 3pm and Friday at 8am and to be part of their podcasting community. If you want to listen to the station, explore their shows, get your podcast onto GROW Radio or check out many of the blogs to improve your podcasting skills… head over to https://www.growradio.uk today!

The Biggest Opportunities Happen After You Leave the Stage

What if the biggest opportunity from speaking has nothing to do with what happens while you are actually on the stage?

Following her first Ideas Fest, where she co-hosted the Female Founders Unfiltered tent, Sandra reflects on what happens when the microphone goes down. Because speaking is not simply about audience numbers, immediate leads or whether someone buys from you there and then. The stage can be the catalyst for conversations and opportunities that appear weeks or even months later.

Sandra shares how visibility creates a ripple effect, from the person who approaches you afterwards to the LinkedIn connection, podcast invitation, collaboration or recommendation that comes much later. She also explains why the right small audience can be more valuable than a huge room, and why being memorable matters more than cramming information into a presentation.

The episode explores how to make speaking work harder for your business by thinking strategically about what happens before, during and after the event. From sharing your speaking appearance beforehand and staying for conversations afterwards, to following up with contacts and turning one talk into weeks of content, the opportunity extends far beyond your time on stage.

Mic Drop Moment:

The stage gives you visibility, but what you do before and after it turns that visibility into opportunity.

Connect with Sandra

Sandra Garlick MBE is a Speaker Mentor, Visibility Strategist and Founder of Woman Who. She helps people go from hidden to high profile through visibility, speaking and personal brand development so they can attract more opportunities, clients and sales.

Find out more about Sandra and the Woman Who Solopreneur Awards:

• Sandra Garlick
• Woman Who Solopreneur Awards

Thank you for listening to Mic Drop Moments. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with a fellow solopreneur who deserves to be celebrated.

Mic Drop Moments is Sponsored by Grow Radio

GROW Radio is an online radio station dedicated to bringing you a different podcast on the hour… every hour. I am proud that Mic Drop Moments is played on GROW Radio every Tuesday at 3pm and Friday at 8am and to be part of their podcasting community. If you want to listen to the station, explore their shows, get your podcast onto GROW Radio or check out many of the blogs to improve your podcasting skills… head over to https://www.growradio.uk today!

What happens when you realise you're working incredibly hard, yet nobody can actually find you?

In this episode of Mic Drop Moments, Sandra Garlick MBE is joined by Lisa Baker-Murray, a People and Leadership Development Expert who helps organisations transform dysfunctional teams into high-performing ones through leadership development, coaching and facilitation.

Lisa shares the pivotal moment that changed everything. During a visibility exercise, she discovered that despite regularly posting on social media, she was virtually invisible online. That realisation sparked a complete shift in how she approached her personal brand, confidence and visibility.

Together, Sandra and Lisa discuss why so many experts hide their expertise, how confidence grows through action rather than waiting until you 'feel ready', and why genuine relationships remain one of the most powerful business development strategies available.

This is an honest conversation about stepping into your expertise, allowing yourself to be seen and refusing to let anyone dim your light.

In this episode you'll discover:

• Why posting on social media doesn't automatically make you visible.
• How a visibility strategy transformed Lisa's confidence in just a few months.
• The connection between being seen and recognising your own expertise.
• Why relationship building will always outperform cold selling.
• How collaboration creates more opportunities than competition.
• The importance of celebrating your own achievements instead of hiding them.
• Why visibility is about being remembered for what you want to be known for.
• Lisa's powerful 'Mic Drop Moment' about resilience and facing life's challenges head-on.

Memorable Quotes

'I decided I wasn't going to let anyone dim my light anymore.'

'I'm really good at what I do… so why am I hiding myself?'

'Relationships built over time create opportunities you could never manufacture through cold selling.'

Lisa's Mic Drop Moment

"No matter what the world throws at you, get back up, put your head to the wind and keep going. Every challenge teaches you something, and when you come out the other side, you'll realise just how much you've achieved."

Connect with Sandra

Sandra Garlick MBE is a Speaker Mentor, Visibility Strategist and Founder of Woman Who. She helps people go from hidden to high profile through visibility, speaking and personal brand development so they can attract more opportunities, clients and sales.

Find out more about Sandra and the Woman Who Solopreneur Awards:

• Sandra Garlick
• Woman Who Solopreneur Awards

Thank you for listening to Mic Drop Moments. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with a fellow solopreneur who deserves to be celebrated.

Mic Drop Moments is Sponsored by Grow Radio

GROW Radio is an online radio station dedicated to bringing you a different podcast on the hour… every hour. I am proud that Mic Drop Moments is played on GROW Radio every Tuesday at 3pm and Friday at 8am and to be part of their podcasting community. If you want to listen to the station, explore their shows, get your podcast onto GROW Radio or check out many of the blogs to improve your podcasting skills… head over to https://www.growradio.uk today!