The Gender Pay Gap in Speaking

What Most People Get Wrong About Public Speaking (And How to Do It Strategically)

What’s the secret to getting paid for your perspective? From virtual events to in-person stages, paid speaking is an incredible way to grow your authority, gain visibility, and win over new subscribers and customers. But how do you land a quality gig? 

In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Jess Ekstrom, bestselling author, professional keynote speaker, and founder of Mic Drop Workshop to talk about just that. Jess is sharing exactly how speaking works today, how to price yourself with confidence, and how to turn speaking into a powerful growth lever for your business.

We talk about what event planners actually pay for, why your story matters more than your pitch, how women can close the pay gap in speaking, and the smartest ways to negotiate so every speaking gig creates momentum beyond the stage.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1️⃣ Speaking Isn’t About Selling Your Business, It’s About Sharing the Lesson – People don’t pay for an elevator pitch. They pay for the universal takeaway from your experience. Your business becomes the story that supports the lesson, not the headline of your talk.

2️⃣ Your Speaking Fee Is Based on Your Knowledge, Not the Size of the Stage – Audience size and talk length don’t determine your rate. Your experience, expertise, and the value of your message do. Some of the highest-paying gigs happen in small rooms.

3️⃣ Every Speaking Gig Can Create Ongoing Business Growth – From bundling your course into your speaking fee to collecting leads with a simple QR code, speaking can fuel your email list, sales, and referrals long after you leave the stage.

CHAPTERS:

08:49 – Why Paid Speaking Isn’t About Big Stages

09:24 – How Speaking Fuels Business Growth Without Selling

13:16 – The Gender Gap in Paid Speaking

15:25 – What New Speakers Should Charge

17:20 – Why Audience Size Doesn’t Affect Your Fee

24:17 – Speaking for Free vs. Getting Paid

27:04 – The Lighthouse vs. Spotlight Speaker Shift

33:46 – First Steps to Getting Booked

37:05 – Common Mistakes New Speakers Make

40:41 – How to Get Started with Speak On Stage

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

- Learn more about Jess Ekstrom and Mic Drop Workshop

- Follow Jess on Instagram @jessekstrom

- Watch Jess's TED Talk

MORE FROM ME

Follow me on Instagram @amyporterfield

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