In this episode, Susanne Fox joins me to talk about embracing discomfort, thought leadership, owning your message and building your unique audience. 
Susanne is someone who you immediately feel comfortable with. She puts you at ease, keeps it real, and openly shares her stories and experiences. After listening to this episode you will have some concrete tips and strategies in your pocket to step into your thought leadership, get up in front of your audience, and be authentically you. 
Susanne is the founder of Susanne Fox Communications, a consulting and coaching business. She has 20+ years of award-winning journalism, PR and marketing experience. She's the former co-host of CityTV's Breakfast Television and The Morning News on Global Calgary, followed by her role as Director of Marketing and Communications at Canada's largest craft brewery, Big Rock Brewery. 
These days she helps clients find their UNIQUE voice and hone their thought leadership - from the boardroom to media scrums, to branding and marketing campaigns. Her superpower is her constant curiosity and candidness. She lives in Calgary with her husband Andrew, two kids (Bode, 11 and Katherine, 15) and golden retriever Olive. 
She volunteers her spare time with UNICEF Canada, acting as co-chair for The UNICEF Water for Life Gala and also raising awareness for Canadian Blood Services (blood, plasma and stem cell donations). 
 
Listen in as we talk about:

Getting comfortable with the uncomfortable. Susanne emphasizes the value of embracing discomfort, remaining open to learning and personal growth, and the rewarding outcomes it has led to throughout her career.
Empowering individuals to embrace their uniqueness. Susanne passionately mentors and guides individuals, especially women, to confidently embrace their distinctive qualities and stand out in their careers and lives.
Thought leadership and unleashing your unique perspective. Susanne emphasizes the importance of thought leadership in marketing, urging individuals, especially women, to share their unique perspectives and challenge conformity for increased visibility and impact.
Earned vs. paid media. Susanne differentiates between earned and paid media, highlighting earned media's trust-building potential and advocating for a balanced approach.
Building our own audience vs. borrowing audiences. We explore the strategic choice between building one's own audience and borrowing existing ones, citing real-world examples and emphasizing the importance of this decision in marketing initiatives.

 
Connect with Susanne:

Website: https://susannefox.com
Instagram: @susanne_fox
LinkedIn: Susanne Bratton Fox
Twitter: @SusanneFox

 
Connect with Tiana:

Website: https://tianafech.com
LinkedIn: Tiana Fech
Instagram: @tianafech 
Facebook: @tianafech 
Book: Online Course Creation 101: A step-by-step guide to creating your first online course 

 

GETTING COMFORTABLE WITH THE UNCOMFORTABLE
Susanne emphasizes the value of being open to learning and personal growth, highlighting that this mindset can lead to unexpected and rewarding opportunities. She acknowledges that this journey can involve discomfort and uncertainty but stresses the importance of taking one step at a time. 
Susanne shares her pride in embracing discomfort throughout her career, noting that it has consistently led to positive outcomes and new, unforeseen experiences. She also mentions how our minds tend to exaggerate challenges, but once overcome, these challenges often appear less daunting in hindsight. Susanne's approach is characterized by a willingness to charge forward without regrets and adjust course as needed.
 

EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS TO EMBRACE THEIR UNIQUENESS
“Always challenge yourself to know who you're speaking to, and find the stories that they can relate to.”
Susanne is passionate about helping individuals discover and embrace their unique voices, and build confidence, credibility, and visibility in their careers and lives.