183: Taking Innovation Women to the Stages

On this episode of Innovation Storytellers Show, I’m joined by Bobbie Carlton, an award-winning marketing, PR, and social media professional who is transforming the way we think about public speaking, storytelling, and women’s visibility in innovation. As the founder of Carlton PR & Marketing, Mass Innovation Nights, and Innovation Women, Bobbie has dedicated her career to breaking barriers and creating platforms that amplify diverse voices. In our conversation, Bobbie shared her fascinating journey from broadcasting to global PR at Cognos and her transition into entrepreneurship. She revealed her passion for storytelling as a catalyst for innovation and her mission to eliminate the all-too-common “manels” (all-male panels) that dominate tech and innovation conferences.  Through Innovation Women, she’s redefined public speaking as a tool for visibility and career advancement, positioning it as a gateway for women to claim leadership roles, board positions, and career-changing opportunities. Bobbie also unpacked the art of memorable storytelling, emphasizing the power of refrains and structure in capturing an audience’s attention. She spoke candidly about the common mistakes speakers make, such as telling overly lengthy or irrelevant stories, and offered actionable advice to start stories closer to their conclusion to maintain impact and clarity. We also reflected on our shared roots in PR, reminiscing about the clip books and envelope-stuffing days that shaped our understanding of the evolving communication landscape. This conversation is a masterclass in using storytelling as a tool for innovation and a reminder of the importance of making stages more inclusive. How are you using storytelling to spark innovation and amplify voices in your field? Share your thoughts after tuning in!  

Om Podcasten

Did you ever wonder how an innovation got to its finish line? How innovators saw the future, made a product, and created change – in our world and in their companies? I did. Innovation Storytellers invites changemakers to describe how they created their innovation and just as important – THE STORIES – that made us fall in love with them. Come learn how great innovations need great stories to make them move around the world and how to become a better storyteller in the process. I’m Susan Lindner, the Innovation Storyteller. But I wasn’t always. I’ve been a wannabe revolutionary, an epidemiologist at the CDC and an AIDS educator in the brothels of Thailand helping to turn former sex workers into entrepreneurs. Trained as an anthropologist and the Founder of Emerging Media, I’ve spent the last twenty years working with innovators from 60+ countries. Ranging from cutting edge startups to Fortune 100 companies like GE, Corning, Citi, Olayan, and nine foreign governments, helping their leaders to tell their stories and teaching them how to become incredible advocates for their innovations. Great innovation stories make change possible. They let us step into a future we can’t see yet. I started this podcast to shine a light on our generation of great innovators, to learn how they brought their innovation to life and the stories they told to bring them to the world.