World of Speakers

Marketing mentality. Ryan Foland speaks with Shakira Brown, an expert in PR and branding. the CEO of SMB Strategic Media, a public relations, branding and website consultancy group that create cutting edge marketing strategies for small businesses. She teaches techniques on how to get yourself in front of the right people to build your business. In this energetic talk, Ryan and Shakira talk about what professional speakers can do to get more bookings. From setting your mentality to marketing, this podcast outlines how to find the events that will help you add to your bottom line. Listen to this podcast to find out: - How to be your own PR agent, and use your inner tenacity to get more speaking opportunities. - Why content and branding are the two most important factors in getting more bookings. - Why storytelling is an essential part of presenting, and how to weave stories in to make your message stick. - The surefire way to get more clients (Spoiler: Get very clear on exactly how you can help them.) - Why you need to be able to adapt your niche message and topics to suit the needs conference.

Own Your Story. Ryan Foland speaks with John Lawson, an international speaker who with a wealth of knowledge on online retailing and digital marketing. He has been called one of the Top 100 Small Business Influencers in America, and uses his expertise to teach speakers how to build a business sharing their message with the world. Ryan and John talk about how you can start making more money as a speaker. They offer practical advice on how to become an authority, pitch yourself effectively, build a sales funnel and start adding to your bottom line. Listen to this podcast to find out: - How to speak with authority and why you need to find the right audience for your message (and speaking style) - Why you can’t count on only speaking to make money, and need to develop multiple streams of revenue - Practical techniques for dealing with pre-stage nervousness that you can try before your next talk. - Ideas on how to have a clear sales funnel. Make it easy for people to give you money. -Why your branding is important, and how to create a brand people can relate to.

Don’t suck on stage. Ryan Foland speaks with Tiffani Bova, the global customer growth and innovation evangelist at Salesforce. She is a keynote speaker and podcaster who shares ideas on business growth. Tiffani is cutting-edge analyst and an expert growth strategy. Ryan and Tiffani talk about how speakers can hone in on their topic, and how not to suck on stage, and why practice is crucial to really learn how to engage an audience and start getting paid top dollar for your talks. Listen to this podcast to find out: - How to “not suck” on stage, with advice from Guy Kawasaki, Nancy Duarte and Seth Godin. - Why you have to get really good at speaking before expecting to get paid for it. - Why you need to constantly be changing and improving your talk, if you want people to keep listening to you over and over again. - The true power in being yourself on stage, and how acting like someone else can harm your speaking presence. -How to recover quickly from an on-stage blunder.

Authenticity. Ryan Foland speaks with Linda Williams, a best-selling author and business expert, behaviorist, and Life Coach. She uses her personal story of trauma to deeply connect and inspire audiences, teaching them how to find the courage it takes to face down the past. Ryan and Linda talk about what it means to be a truly authentic speaker. There are thousands of motivational and inspirational speakers, but sometimes their message leaves audiences thinking “Oh, I have heard this before…” and fails to engage them, or inspire change. Linda outlines the need for authenticity, and how you can lean into your past pain and healing process to develop a message that reaches the hearts of your audience. Listen to this podcast to find out: - How to deeply connect with your audience, by sharing a message that actually resonates with them. - How women who have suffered from sexual violence can tap into their inner strength and why this is essential for fulfilling their life’s purpose. - Why you need to deal with your issues and traumas if you want to become a truly authentic speaker. - How to find your our individual message that will stand out in an ocean of noise. - Why you need to build relationships with your audience on social media, and how to do it.

Getting on camera. Ryan Foland speaks with Dorien Morin-van Dam, a marketing trainer and consultant, who specializes in video and social media. She is an expert in helping people get over their initial fears of the camera to reach new and wider audiences. Ryan and Dorien thoroughly explore the topic of videos. They discuss how mid-level speakers can maximize on tools they already have, like a smartphone and Facebook Live, to grow their fan base and get more bookings to speak. They also vibrantly talk about the colour orange and branding, just for fun. Listen to this podcast to find out: - The 4 main issues speakers have with creating videos- and how to get over them. - How to use simple tools like your smartphone to make clips that will boost your speaking career. - A practical guide to doing your first Facebook Live video. - Why you should be sticking a post-it note over your Live video viewer count. - Why a speaker reel (or at least a variety of videos of you speaking) is essential for getting booked.

What event organizers look for. Ryan Foland speaks with Jen Guerrero, the CEO of eCubed, and event organization company that specializes in multi-million dollar executive conferences and events. She manages and coordinates hundred of events, and knows exactly what to look for when it comes to booking the right speakers for her clients. Ryan and Jen Guerrero explore what the qualities and traits are that some speakers have, which helps them get booked to speak, different ways to get your foot in the door of a conference, and what practical advice on how to connect and speak with event organizers in a way that can get you booked. Listen to this podcast to find out: - Real expert advice from a high-level event organizer on what she looks for when booking a speaker. - The opportunities you might not have thought about when it comes to a speaking event (*spoiler*: there is a lot more ways to get opportunities at event than just being the keynote) - The two main traits event organizers look for when booking conference speakers. - Why you need to start “partnering” with events instead of just speaking at them. - How you miss out on many opportunities by just showing up before your scheduled time and leaving directly after.

Finding your authentic voice. Ryan Foland speaks with Karen Millsap, the CEO (Chief Empathy Officer) of Egency, a firm that helps organizations create a human-centric workforce. After experiencing a domino effect of losses, she became acutely aware of the overall lack of support in our society for grieving people. This realization ignited Karen's desire to turn her pain into purpose and pay it forward to help others. Ryan and Karen Millsap sail through this interview, covering a range of topics, from how to talk about grief, the importance of remember the reason you started speaking, and how to turn “free” speaking opportunities into paid ones. Listen to this podcast to find out: - A handful of great hacks for getting paid bookings [spoiler: keynote or bust]. - The difference having your heart in the right place can make on your speaking career. - Why you should never say “no” to a speaking opportunity. - Why you need to find your authentic voice and use it to make an impact. -How to inexpensively build your own digital media kit, and how it can get you hired.

Effective speaker websites. Ryan Foland speaks with Lauren Pibworth, a marketing expert who focuses on helping speaker find the right events, connect with event organizers and build great marketing material. Ryan and Lauren Pibworth have an indepth discussion filled with practical advice on what a great speaker website looks like, and the ins and outs of whether you need one, and how to make yours great so that you start getting booked for more paid speaking events. Listen to this podcast to find out: - How to build a speaker website that actually gets you hired to speak. - How to articulate the value you can offer to the event organizer, and audience. - Why you need to avoid building a complete ego-centric website (and a few other big no-nos) - What a sales funnel is and how to use them to build your speaking business - Practical advice on creating a speaker reel that gets watched and generates leads.

From local to global. Ryan Foland speaks with Rahfeal Gordon, better known as Rah Gor. Rah Gor provides challenges audiences to look at the environmental and physical circumstances that impact their personal and business performance. He is a life strategist, leadership specialist, and innovator of inspiration. Ryan and Rahfeal Gordon talk about a wide variety of topics— from how to deeply engage your home audience before moving into international speaker, practical tips on getting booked internationally, to why you should spiff up (or develop a style that is unique yours) before getting on stage. Listen to this podcast to find out: - Do you need to write a book? And how do you do it? - Jay Z’s top tip from on how to take your speaking business from local to global. - How to use free speaking events to add to your bottom line. - What part are you dressing for? Does what you wear matter? - How to hit your talk out of the park (and why it actually your greatest marketing tool). - A practical how to guide on getting booked to speak internationally

Speaking is an act of service. Ryan Foland speaks with Daniel Midson-Short, an inspirational speaker who teaches audiences around the world on ‘Practical Personal Development’, which is basically the ‘What, Why and How’ of living a great life. Listen to this podcast to find out: - How using the minimalist philosophy can benefit your audience. - Why practicing in front of a group (like ToastMasters) is crucial for leveling up your speaking skills and 10x-ing your self confidence. - Why being a famous speaker is not the be all and end all and how having it be your only goal can affect your audience. - Why you need to get the fundamentals of speaking down before you can expect to level up your speaking business. - How changing your perspective can change whether or not you get paid to speak.