Bobbie Carlton

Business leader, Business mentor, Change Agent, Entrepreneur, Event planner, Performer, Promoter, Social entrepreneur

Bobbie Carlton is the founder of Carlton PR & Marketing, Innovation Nights and Innovation Women, or, as she calls them, the day job, the night job and the dream job. Carlton is an entertaining, tell-it-like-it-is speaker who speaks extensively (and passionately) about public speaking and how it can be the driving force behind career growth and business success. She's a TEDx speaker; an entertaining startup event host; she's spoken at the United Nations; she's shared the stage with storytelling legend (and NPR's Snap Judgment host) Glynn Washington; and she's been on the main stage for some of the world’s best-known conferences for technical and professional women. Carlton has been featured on CBS News, in the Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, USA Today and other major media. Through Innovation Nights, Carlton has helped to launch more than 1500 new products for startups who raised more than $4B in funding. She was previously the head of global PR at two different enterprise software companies and the head of marketing for a brand devoted to providing positive role models for preteen girls. She’s inspired thousands of technical, entrepreneurial and professional women to take control of their own speaking careers and has worked with event managers around the world to deliver diverse and inclusive events. She's also a sought after speaker coach.

...helping entrepreneurial, technical and professional women get more visibility that helps them super-charge their careers, connect with more customers and partners, get their businesses funded and be invited to boards and other top opportunities. And, I'm passionate about helping conferences and events produce diverse, inclusive and gender-equitable events.

crowdpromoting

Marketing, Public relations, Public Speaking

I was driving home from a meeting and my phone rang. I was being invited to speak at a TEDx! Of course I immediately said yes and asked when the event was. Tuesday. Um, no. These talks are workshopped for months. You don't just hop up on stage and perform. But in the end they convinced me to do it. I spent one of my precious days just watching TEDs and listening to the cadence. I had my concept. The second day was working on the presentation and in the evening, I participated in the dress rehearsal...which wasn't great to say the least. I went home and tore the presentation apart and reworked it that night. The next day I did nothing but rehearse. The next night was The Night. My husband had a concert. My kids couldn't come. One friend came. A friend's mother took a couple of pictures. All-in-all? Not bad. Not embarrassed too much. Six years later...I'm coaching TEDx speakers but I do warn them. I never did get any coaching myself so if there is a special TEDx methodology I'm not the person to get it from.

baking chocolate cake. (Ask me for my recipe.)