Enjoy this episode & transcript below where Kimberly Spencer, Master NLP Mindset & Communications Coach and CEO of Communication Queens, interviews professional speaker, storytelling coach, and founder of The Elegant Office, Marianne Hickman.

Your story isn’t too messy — it’s your mic-drop moment. 🎙️
In this raw, real, and ridiculously empowering episode, Kimberly Spencer and speaker coach Marianne Hickman unpack the truth about authenticity, storytelling, and showing up unapologetically in your brand and business. If you’ve ever dimmed your light to be “professional,” this one’s for you.

FYI Transcripts may contain a few typos. With many episodes lasting 30-minutes, it can be difficult to catch minor errors. Enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, Castbox, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Pandora, Youtube, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Authenticity Is Your Superpower: Turning Your Story Into a Stage Magnet

Featuring Kimberly Spencer and Marianne Hickman
🎙️ From The Communication Queens Podcast

[00:00] The Mic-Drop Moment That Changed Everything

Marianne Hickman:
Once I learned the lesson, I made this commitment to myself to say, “I don’t care.” I love you, I respect you, and I want to give you what you need — but I don’t care what you think of me.

I don’t care what you think of my clothes. I don’t care what you think of my hairdo. I don’t care what you think of what I consume or what I drink.

As long as I’m proud of it, and I can hold that and honor that, then it takes the power from you and gives it back to me. And I can never be embarrassed again.

[00:01:30] The Journey From Food Stamps to Financial Freedom

Kimberly Spencer:
Mary Ann, I am so excited to chat with you because you took your family from food stamps to financial freedom as a single mother of five — and it has to do with the power of your story.

Marianne Hickman:
That’s true. That was the story. I keep adding chapters to it! You start writing a book, and it never seems finished. There are epic wins, epic losses, and huge problems we get to solve.

And I’ll never profess that I’ve arrived. Ever. That’s the growth mindset — always learning, always becoming.

[00:03:00] Authentic Storytelling vs. Approval-Seeking

Kimberly Spencer:
That authenticity piece is where so many people get lost. They think they have to be “professional.” But the more you strip away the “shoulds” of who you’re supposed to be, the more attractive your brand becomes.

Marianne Hickman:
Oh my gosh, yes! I remember going to Nordstrom and buying a $750 suit coat because I thought that’s what I should wear on stage in New York. It’s still in my closet — worn twice.

Now? I’d rather wear sneakers, braided hair, and my cowboy hat. That’s me. I don’t want to change clothes to switch from podcasting to gardening. I want to live authentically, not costume-change for credibility.

[00:06:50] The Coffee Post That Broke the Internet (and Almost Her Career)

Marianne Hickman:
Here’s the story that changed it all. I was flying to Hawaii for a speaking event. I took an airport selfie in my pink hoodie and pajama pants — one version perfectly posed, one real.

I posted both, captioned “What Instagram sees vs. what’s really happening.” It went viral — my most engaging post ever.

Then a mentor told me to take it down. He said, “We’re worried about you drinking coffee — it doesn’t fit our company brand.”

I was shocked. My job was held over my head for a cup of coffee. I took the post down then — but I’ll never know what could’ve happened if I hadn’t. That’s when I promised: I will never again hide who I am to fit someone else’s standard.

That’s when my authentic storytelling journey really began.

[00:09:45] The Fear Behind Public Speaking Isn’t Speaking — It’s Rejection

Kimberly Spencer:
As a coach, I’ve seen this again and again. People don’t fear public speaking — they fear being seen.

Marianne Hickman:
Exactly! It’s not about the mic, it’s about the mask. People are terrified of not being accepted as they are.

But here’s the truth: if I’m vulnerable and real, and the audience throws tomatoes? Great — I’m just in the wrong room. I’d rather be myself and get rejected than wear a mask people applaud but I can’t maintain.

[00:12:30] The Bottle of Water Metaphor: Know Your Worth 💧

Marianne Hickman:
Let me give you an analogy. A bottle of water at Costco costs ten cents. At a grocery store, fifty cents. At a stadium? Five dollars. On a spaceship? Thousands.

If people don’t value you, you’re not in the wrong business — you’re in the wrong room.

You don’t need to change your label or your contents. Just find the environment that sees your worth.

[00:15:30] How to Find Your Right Room (and the Courage to Stay There)

Marianne Hickman:
Every speaker wants more stages. But there are three types:

1. The aligned ones that feel like home.
   
   
2. The “stretch” ones where you respectfully disagree but grow.
   
   
3. The ones that aren’t your audience — and that’s okay.
   
   

The more authentic you are, the more the wrong rooms fall away. Authentic storytelling magnetizes the right opportunities.

[00:18:00] Authenticity in Love, Life, and Leadership

Kimberly Spencer:
Two hours before I met my husband, I said, “All I want is to be authentic and travel.” That intention brought him to me.

Marianne Hickman:
Yes! I told myself, “I’m going to fall in love with myself so much that my husband has to compete with me for how good I am at it.” Met him within 72 hours.

Authenticity attracts alignment — in business, in love, in everything.

[00:20:30] Storytelling as a Muscle — and a Mirror

Kimberly Spencer:
You answer every question with a story — that’s a skill. Storytelling bypasses resistance and builds connection.

Marianne Hickman:
Exactly. My dad was a storyteller. Every year, we went to the Storytelling Festival. That’s how I learned: storytelling is how humans remember.

You don’t need to live an epic life — you need to notice the moments in yours. That’s authentic storytelling. It’s not about perfection; it’s about presence.

[00:26:45] The Gratitude Story: What If You Lost Everything You Didn’t Thank?

Marianne Hickman:
My morning ritual is sacred. Coffee, sunrise, garden. One morning, I thought, “What if I lost everything I didn’t thank today?”

I started saying thank you — for my home, my kids, my health, my business. Gratitude grounds authentic storytelling. It reminds us our daily moments are sacred, not small.

Kimberly Spencer:
That’s such a beautiful metaphor. Authentic stories don’t come from extraordinary lives — they come from extraordinary presence.

[00:32:00] When to Tell the Story (and When to Heal First)

Kimberly Spencer:
So how do you know when you’re ready to tell your story?

Marianne Hickman:
When you’ve healed enough to stop blaming. If someone else is still the villain, it’s too soon. The audience can’t rely on a victim to show them the way — you must be the hero of your own story first.

Authentic storytelling starts when you tell the truth without needing to be right.

[00:37:00] Turning Pain Into Power: The Alchemy of Storytelling

Kimberly Spencer:
When I exited my e-commerce company, I realized I’d been dressing and acting to please others. I had to rebuild my brand from truth.

Marianne Hickman:
Exactly. Whether it’s divorce, business, or trauma, your story has to evolve from “this happened to me” to “this happened for me.”

That’s the alchemy of storytelling — transforming pain into purpose.

[00:40:00] From Podcasts to Keynotes: The Visibility Path

Marianne Hickman:
There are four kinds of stages: digital, physical, your own, and others’.

Start where you are. Host your own gatherings. Get on podcasts. Build relationships.

The biggest stages I’ve been invited to came from showing up — authentically — on smaller ones first.

[00:44:00] Showing Up Is the Strategy

Kimberly Spencer:
That’s the third pillar of Communication Queens: just show up. Eighty percent of success is being in the room.

Marianne Hickman:
Exactly. The people who show up consistently — even imperfectly — win. Authentic storytelling doesn’t require perfection; it requires presence.

[00:45:30] Your Voice, Your Story, Your Stage 🎙️

Marianne Hickman:
I have a free resource: How to Deliver Your 10-Step Signature Keynote Presentation. It breaks down the framework to create your own powerful story-based talk.

Kimberly Spencer:
Go download it — it’s gold. And if you’re ready to amplify your visibility, remember:
Your story has the power to save lives. Let it be heard.

💎 Key Takeaways from Marianne Hickman

• Authentic storytelling is about truth over polish.
  
  
• You don’t need to change your story — just your audience.
  
  
• Gratitude deepens your message.
  
  
• Vulnerability becomes power when ownership replaces blame.
  
  
• Show up. Every stage starts with presence.

Ranked No.55 in the United States by Apple Podcasts for Marketing, within just one week of launching, and over 33,000 downloads in the first 5 months, the Communication Queen Podcast with Kimberly Spencer is on the fasttrack to becoming an industry GAMECHANGER, in supporting listeners to tell better stories, enhance their communication skills, and learn how to leverage getting booked on podcasts to grow their business.

From interviews with Top 100 Podcasters, to providing real-life storytelling coaching, and communication #quickies of bite-sized communication tips that you can start leveraging right away, to increase your authority and influence in your niche, this podcast is a must-listen for anyone looking to level up their storytelling skills to serve + sell more in their business. To listen to any of our past episodes for free, check out this page.