The Big Talk with Tricia Brouk

In this episode, I'm sharing exactly what it takes to show up as a masterful podcast guest, and why this is more important than you may think for your speaking career. A guest spot is not a casual favor you're doing for someone. It's a speaking gig, and the hosts who book the best stages all talk to each other. Tune in to discover: Why every podcast guest appearance is an audition for your next op...

In this episode, I'm joined by my dear friend and an alum of The Big Talk Academy Mastery, Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor.   Dr. Diane is a speaker, educator, and podcast host who helps leaders connect playful learning and empathy to support a creative culture for collaborative problem-solving. With 30+ years of experience in classrooms, children's museums, and college lecture halls, she brings a lifet...

In this episode, I'm sharing one of the most underrated skills in coaching, directing, and leadership — and it's probably not what you think. It's not a strategy, technique, or even experience. It's detachment. Tune in to discover: Why you don't need to fix things when a client falls apart in front of you, and what to do instead How to stay the steady anchor in the room when everything around you...

Today, I'm so excited to welcome back my friend and thought leader, Jason van Orden.    You may remember Jason from Episode 461 that aired in September of 2022, where we talked about becoming a thought leader in your industry. Or, if you're a long-time listener, you may have heard our conversation on how to stop robbing yourself of your best work in Episode 128 , which aired in 2017.   Jason serve...

In this special episode, I had the honor of sitting down with the authors of Unedited: Women's Stories of Truth, Identity, and Transformation That Shape Leadership — a powerful collection produced by Maria DeLorenzis Reyes and published by The Big Talk Press.    Each woman in this book was given a label at some point in her life that caused her to stop trusting herself. Labels such as bossy, divor...

Today, I'm joined by my dear friend, Big Talk Academy Mastery alumna, and keynote speaker, Rhona McBain. Rhona is the creator of the Creative Intelligence OS — a framework that explores how creative intelligence functions as the operating system of origination, helping people work with creative energy and process to shape identity, direction, and what they create. In this episode, Rhona and I expl...

This week, we are celebrating 10 years of The Big Talk Podcast, and I am so grateful you are here for it!   Ten years. Over 700 episodes. Not a single week missed.   In this special anniversary episode, I reflect on what a decade of showing up has taught me — not just about podcasting, but about consistency, trust, and what it truly means to keep your word.   Tune in to discover: Why consistency i...

Today, I'm joined by the remarkable Jackie Graves, an English and Creative Writing Professor, Soul Voice Activator, and a beloved member of The Big Talk community.   Jackie spent 20 years helping thousands of students find their voices and transform their lives. Now, she helps visionaries liberate their voices so they can step out and change the world. And her own story of reclaiming her voice is...

In this episode, I deconstruct Steven Spielberg's new film Disclosure Day — which I happened to see on the Fourth of July, on the 250th anniversary of this country, in a theater in New York City.    The timing was unplanned. The way it landed was not.   Tune in to discover:   Why integrity is simpler than we think, and why we so often talk ourselves out of it anyway What withholding truth has to d...

Today, I'm joined by an amazing friend and speaker, Maria DeLorenzis Reyes.  Maria is an executive leadership coach who specializes in challenging conventional norms and fostering cultures of belonging and high performance.  As CEO and Founder of Training Innovations and MDR Brands, she has transformed over 1,600 companies, delivered over 5,800 presentations and trained 400,000+ people. Her extens...

In this episode, I share something that happened on my way to vote that stopped me in my tracks — three words spoken so flatly, so matter-of-factly, that I couldn't stop thinking about them for the rest of the morning.   "I'm just here."   Those three words revealed something I think a lot of us are doing without even realizing it, and it's quietly costing us more than we know.   Tune in to discov...

Today, I am joined by the amazing Linda Lorelle.   Linda is an Emmy- and Gracie Award-winning journalist, entrepreneur, speaker, moderator, and host of the award-winning podcast Our Voices Matter. As Co-founder of the democracy project, Civil Dialogues, she travels the country creating a safe space for Americans to engage with each other about difficult issues affecting the country.   In this epis...

In this episode, I share exactly what happened when Live Nation — the world's largest live entertainment company — came to my contact form, and what it revealed about what it really means to treat speaking like a business.   The speakers who will be on the biggest stages next year are building their assets right now. The ones who aren't? They're already missing the window.   Tune in to discover:  ...

Today, I'm joined by an amazing friend and thought leader, Kristin Thomas.   Kristin is the Founder and CEO of Marble Collective, an AI-powered platform that connects, amplifies, and centralizes the digital legacies of remarkable women leaders so they can inspire, be role models, and create impact at scale. Backed by 300 women leaders and 70+ investors, Marble launches publicly this fall.   In thi...

In this episode, I explore one of the most quietly destructive forces in any business relationship: doubt.    Drawing on John Patrick Shanley's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Doubt: A Parable, I examine what happens when doubt takes root between people in professional relationships.    I also look at the moment when business relationships shift from relational to transactional, why defending yourself...

Today's guest, Natalie Tincher, is the founder of BU Style and a certified image consultant. Since 2010, she's partnered with hundreds of clients, collaborated with corporations, and served as the global stylist for a major news network.    As host of the Wear Who You Are podcast and a frequent voice in outlets like Business Insider, the Associated Press, InStyle, and Forbes, Natalie is known for...

In this episode, I share a powerful personal story about reaching out to a friend who used derogatory language on social media.    Rather than ignoring it or publicly calling him out, I chose a third path — a private, loving, curiosity-driven conversation that led to a genuine shift in my friend's thinking.   Join me as I break down three key lessons for communicating across the divide: Lead with...

Today, I'm super excited for you to hear from Beth Norcross. You may remember Beth from Episode 737, which dropped in March. In that conversation, we talked about building resilience through nature. With extensive training and experience in both spirituality and ecology, Beth is a writer, speaker, and spiritual nature guide who invites people into deep, intimate relationships with their Earth kin....

Today, I'm joined by an amazing alum of The Big Talk Academy Mastery, Lee Powers. You may remember Lee from Episode 741 that released in April, where I featured her big talk, "A Nurse's Awakening from a Coma: Lessons Learned from Being the Patient." Lee is a nurse, speaker, and advocate with decades of experience. After surviving a patient assault that left her on a ventilator in the ICU, she foun...

In a world increasingly reliant on AI, in-person mentorship for speakers has never been more essential.   Using my NYC intensive, The Big Talk Live, as the backdrop, I walk through what three days of hands-on stage work actually look like and why this is what you need to gain momentum in your speaker journey.    In this episode, we'll explore: What AI can and can't do for you as a speaker Why grow...

In today's episode, you will hear a big talk from Adolfo Gomez Sanchez, an amazing speaker and alum of The Big Talk Academy Mastery.    Adolfo has served as a performance mentor to pro athletes and CEOs for over 30 years. Leveraging his tried-and-tested methodology, he teaches clients how to break performance down into its component parts, optimize each, and stitch them back together seamlessly. ...

Today, I'm introducing you to Mike Shereck, a thought leader and author whose upcoming book, Radical Integrity, is coming soon from The Big Talk Press.   Mike Shereck is a thought leader, barrier breaker, and a guy from Berwyn who is committed to creating a world that works for everyone. Author of two books with a third on the way, he works as an executive coach and EOS Implementer with a strong c...

Most speakers prepare for their big talks, but very few actually train like athletes, and that's the gap holding them back from true mastery.   In this episode, I'm sharing why approaching your speaking like an athlete is the key to extraordinary performance and how the reps you do between big moments are exactly what make you extraordinary when it counts.   When you tune in, you'll discover: The...

Today, I'm super excited for you to hear from Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor, an engaging speaker, educator, and consultant who helps organizations transform their cultures through playful learning, storytelling, and empathy.    With nearly three decades as a seasoned educator, museum specialist, founder of an award-winning preschool, and university professor, Dr. Diane inspires audiences with high-ene...

Today, I'm joined by an amazing friend, client, and graduate of The Big Talk Academy Mastery, Dr. Lía Roth.    Dr. Roth is a psychoanalyst and keynote speaker specializing in shame, betrayal, and relational dynamics. She is the bestselling author of Get In or Get Out, But Don't Stay in the Freakn' Middle. Known for her sharp, grounded insight, she is a speaker whose presence ignites possibility.  ...