Maria Franzoni on Bookability and Leading in the Speaking Industry

Maria Franzoni has booked Neil Armstrong and Liza Minnelli—and mentored hundreds of speakers in between. In this episode of Leadership NOW with Dan Pontefract, she explains what separates the truly bookable speaker from the rest, and how those same principles apply to leadership, business, and long-term impact. We explore how speaker bureaus are evolving in an AI-enabled world, what event organizers actually want, and why celebrity status means far less than clarity, value, and being frictionless to work with. Maria also walks through her new model, The Bookability Formula, and why the most successful speakers aren’t always the most famous—they’re the most useful. This is a masterclass in leadership positioning disguised as a conversation about keynote speaking. If you want to lead with more presence, pitch with more purpose, or build influence that lasts, you’ll want to listen through to the end. Learn more: Maria Franzoni: https://www.mariafranzoni.me Dan Pontefract: https://www.danpontefract.com