The Speaker Lab Podcast

Speaking is full of surprises. Even if you’re equipped with the best business plan, vision, and work ethic, things don’t always go as planned. Knowing how to handle tricky situations is something that comes with experience, but there are many steps you can take to shore up your speaking business against pitfalls. While there’s no reason to dwell on worst case scenarios, it’s valuable to have a game plan or safety net when it comes to potential problems. Fortunately, our TSL coaches have guided thousands of speakers through these strategies. For episode 446 of The Speaker Lab podcast, our director of student success Maryalice Goldsmith and coach Rick Clemons share how to avert–or at least ameliorate–potential disasters in your speaking business. Clients are perhaps the most typical yet unpredictable source of tricky situations. Whether it’s a misunderstanding about the speaking topic, payment timeline, event schedule, or intellectual property, even the most well-meaning client can cause a miscommunication. Once you realize early on which events are a poor fit for your mission and recognize the red flags of a shady contract, you will save yourself and your clients time and energy. Doing your due diligence on potential clients–including reading all the fine print and reviewing your own contract terms–is essential. This can seem like a momentous task, but Rick and Maryalice break it down into manageable action items that you can start implementing today. From designing a contract, to consulting an attorney, to hiring your first employee, our coaches have every step of building your speaking business covered!As we reiterate time and time again, the key to getting this right is having systems in place. This coaches’ corner show is sure to get you thinking about how you can systematize your speaking business to keep it running smoothly for years and even decades down the line.You’ll also learn all about: Polite and supportive ways to decline a gig and recommend alternative speakers.How to decide if an iffy client is worth compromising for.How to roll with the punches when you can’t avoid a last-minute setback.How to navigate money conversations and secure deposits early on.Why having an attorney look over your contracts is the best investment you’ll ever make.Why overcommunication is key (and how it can save your business). Which processes to document before you hire employees (hint: all of them).…and so much more!EPISODE RESOURCESGet Free Speaker ResourcesBook a Call with The Speaker LabCalculate Your Speaking FeeJoin The Speaker Lab Community on FacebookSubscribe on Apple PodcastsSubscribe on SpotifySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Every week, our Speaker Lab podcast guests surprise us with all the exciting twists and turns of their journey to the stage. This week’s guest, Taurea Vision Avant, is no exception — listen in to episode 445 to hear her adventures from computer science, to network marketing, to authorship, coaching and beyond. In fact, Taurea never even saw herself as a professional speaker or entrepreneur at the beginning of her career! In this episode, she admits speaking was “never her thing” until she realized how powerful and impactful she felt speaking for even just a small room full of people. Now, she’s a successful entrepreneur and author of over 15 books. Her story is an incredible testament to how no matter what educational background you come from, you can challenge expectations and make an impact as a speaker.As a network marketer, Taurea often found herself speaking to smaller groups. As she invested in her skills, she became a speaker on behalf of the entire company! Despite her experience and success selling from the stage, she held off on speaking “for herself” for years. On the show, she shares how she finally got into the mindset that took her from wishing she was a speaker to actually starting her own speaking and coaching business, which she did from the ground up. That’s right–every event she spoke at during the first year she organized herself from start to finish. Her grit and determination earned her six figures that first year and she hasn’t stopped hustling since. Now, through her coaching and speaking business, she helps others amplify their personal brand and hit their goals as authors and entrepreneurs.Taurea doesn’t put on any airs about her success–she is humble, humorous, and honest about the things she wishes she didn’t do. If you’ve been hesitant about launching your speaking business or publishing your first book, you’ll be hanging onto every word of this episode!You’ll also learn all about: Tips for inviting guests when you organize your own event.How to shift from running your own events to being a guest speaker.When it’s a good idea to speak for free or even pay to speak.Why planning is essential to publishing a book that actually profits.How to write a book that sells itself.Why helping people get from A to B is more helpful than A to Z.…and so much more!EPISODE RESOURCESTaurea Vision Avant's Website10k Book WebsiteGet Free Speaker ResourcesBook a Call with The Speaker LabCalculate Your Speaking FeeJoin The Speaker Lab Community on FacebookSubscribe on Apple PodcastsSubscribe on Spotify Quotable Quote:“I tell every entrepreneur, I don't care what your product or service is, you have to develop the skill set of knowing how to speak in front of people.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do you think some careers just aren’t a good fit for speaking? Think again! This week, we invited a world champion salsa dancer on the podcast. Not only is he a professional dancer, but also a veteran firefighter–we’re talking about Alex Lee, one of our Booked and Paid to Speak program alumni featured in our latest Student Highlight. In Episode 444, he shares the twists and turns of his professional career with our director of student success Maryalice Goldsmith, as well as the lessons he learned and applied from our coaching program. His message focuses on teaching the language of leadership through the paradigm of three pillars: credibility, humility, and loyalty. This message is applicable to a wide variety of audiences, and equally so to the speaking world. It’s a helpful paradigm to keep in mind when acknowledging the reality that there’s no “shortcut” to gaining momentum as a speaker. While our Booked and Paid to Speak program has equipped Alex and thousands of other speakers to launch sustainable, successful speaking careers, we can’t offer a “get rich quick” method. Getting your speaking business off the ground usually requires a year or two of late nights, unanswered emails, and non-ideal gigs. Alex offers some inspiration for humbly and patiently taking on those years of building credibility before you start to reap big rewards–and staying loyal to yourself in the process.Alex does an incredible job of making his unique story both relatable and memorable for his audience, a skill that sets apart great speakers from good speakers. Whether you also come from a career that isn’t well-represented in the speaking world or you just need a pep talk full of grit and resilience, Alex’s story is sure to warm your heart and set you on fire for your passion!You’ll also learn all about: Why credibility is key to building trust with your audience. What it means to be loyal to yourself, and why that’s important for speakers.When to turn down gigs and why it can help your business. How to create a roadmap for your business (and how The Speaker Lab can help).Why money can’t be the primary factor driving your speaking business.How to approach speaking as a second career.…and so much more!EPISODE RESOURCESAlex Lee's Success StoryGet Free Speaker ResourcesBook a Call with The Speaker LabCalculate Your Speaking FeeJoin The Speaker Lab Community on FacebookSubscribe on Apple PodcastsSubscribe on SpotifySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bobby Umar is a speaker who does it all. He writes books. He runs coaching programs. He’s amassed hundreds of thousands of followers in his social media communities. He’s done multiple TEDx talks. And most importantly, he’s a self-described doting dad. If you’re wondering how he manages to juggle so many balls alongside his speaking engagements, so are we — so he joined our founder Grant Baldwin for Episode 443 of the TSL podcast to discuss his speaking journey. Many aspiring speakers want to be like Bobby. All kinds of people in all sorts of industries look to him as a branding and networking expert. But he didn’t start out that way! Over time, he has both expanded and refined his speaking platform so he only speaks on topics he is best at to audiences who are the perfect fit. On the show, he shares how he started with a well-defined niche that allowed him to become a thought leader with a simple, compelling message: discover your personal brand (DYPB). One part of Bobby’s platform that we don’t often talk about on the TSL podcast is TEDx talks. While not all TEDx talks are created equal, Bobby and Grant walk through how you can decide if this is a useful tool for your speaking business and how to leverage TEDx appearances as part of your marketing plan. This episode is packed full of incredibly important lessons on scaling your speaking business, and Bobby’s charisma shines through every word. To top it off, he offers some wise words on how to prioritize your family while making travel plans.You’ll also learn all about: Realistic timelines for pivoting from your 9-5 to speaking.Signals and feedback to listen for when you’re ready to diversify your business.The importance of uniting all aspects of your business under a cohesive umbrella.How to find an ideal client when you speak on a widely applicable topic.What to do when traveling for gigs isn’t worth the time away from family anymore.How keynotes are evolving in the virtual space.…and so much more!EPISODE RESOURCESBobby Umar's WebsiteGet Free Speaker ResourcesBook a Call with The Speaker LabCalculate Your Speaking FeeJoin The Speaker Lab Community on FacebookSubscribe on Apple PodcastsSubscribe on SpotifySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our coaches at The Speaker Lab are equipped to guide you through your speaking journey, no matter what kind of speaker you want to be. Which means if you prefer a side room with a dozen or so people around a table to a massive auditorium, we’re here to help. Delivering motivational keynotes might look like the most glamorous choice, but many speakers build incredible careers and make huge impacts through other communication channels such as workshops. With that in mind, this week’s Coaches’ Corner on The Speaker Lab show is dedicated to everything workshops–how to create them, how to build a business around them, and how to actually make an impact. On Episode 442, our director of student success Maryalice Goldsmith is joined by Nanette Hitchcock from our TSL coaching team. Nanette loves nothing better than running a great workshop, and she knows how to create a collaborative atmosphere that helps her audience solve their problems. If you’ve ever wanted a heart to heart chat with our speaking coaches about “deep dive” rather than “big picture” speaking, this episode is for you. Nanette is really the expert when it comes to successful workshops–and she goes through some of her history as an executive leadership coach and how it informs her strategy. Whether you’re a skeptic who only likes big audiences or someone who loves speaking to smaller groups, understanding how to communicate through a workshop and how it differs from a keynote is a great asset to delivering your message. The best workshop speakers do more than teach skills–they empower attendees to take action and ownership with dynamic and interactive experiences. If you’re wondering how to do just that, Nanette breaks it down for you.You’ll also learn all about: Different format ideas for engaging workshops. Why thinking like a child can help workshop attendees be more creative.How workshops can fit in with other streams of income within your speaking business.Why workshops are well-suited to repeat engagements with a client.How to assess your client’s needs and tailor your workshop to their situation.How to develop a workshop series that solves a variety of problems.Innovative ways your workshop can truly stand out and make a difference. …and so much more!EPISODE RESOURCESGet Free Speaker ResourcesBook a Call with The Speaker LabCalculate Your Speaking FeeJoin The Speaker Lab Community on FacebookSubscribe on Apple PodcastsSubscribe on SpotifySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Speaking can be pretty intimidating for introverts. In fact, you might be under the impression that all successful professional speakers are extroverts. After all, isn’t getting up on a stage the ultimate example of being a “people person”? As a matter of fact, introverts can be great public speakers–and they often bring something unique to the stage. This week, the Speaker Lab founder Grant Baldwin (who is actually an introvert!) sat down with Dr. Mike Bechtle (another introvert!) for an episode dedicated entirely to introverts and public speaking.Dr. Bechtle’s career spans many fields: ministry, teaching college, writing books, and decades of work for a renowned coaching company. Now retired, he’s focusing on growing his platform as an author and speaker. You’ve probably seen his name in the “inspirational books'' section, where his best-selling works on communication, and interpersonal relationships reside. In a few months, you’ll be able to read his upcoming book about how introverts can succeed in the workplace. If there’s an expert on empowering introverts to communicate confidently, it’s Dr. Bechtle. And if you’re an introvert hesitant to launch your speaking business because you think your personality is holding you back, what Dr. Bechtle has to say is sure to help you take the leap. Many introverts think that they need to change their personality or copy the flashy, theatrical extroverts to perform well on stage but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Introverts actually have a particular advantage as speakers, given their characteristic intentionality and drive to create impact. Your deep thinking and empathetic nature as an introvert enables you to effect real change for your audience. In Episode 441, Dr. Bechtle shares how to get comfortable in your own skin while succeeding as a speaker.You’ll also learn all about: When to hire a professional coach to help you lean into your strengths.Why being introverted doesn’t affect your ability to match your energy to any size audience.How to mix and mingle with your audience and avoid burnout.How to engage emotionally with your listeners. Strategies for blocking out time to recharge at your events.…and so much more!Quotable Quote: “Introverts, they're not as loud and boisterous and flashy, but they impact people and give them hope that they can do something different that they didn't think they could change 20 minutes ago.”EPISODE RESOURCESMike's Website14 Success Hacks for Introverted SpeakersGet Free Speaker ResourcesBook a Call with The Speaker LabCalculate Your Speaking FeeJoin The Speaker Lab Community on FacebookSubscribe on Apple PodcastsSubscribe on SpotifySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Balancing your work with your personal and family life is a challenge for any ambitious professional, but it can be especially taxing for speakers. Scaling your speaker business to the point where you can make a living takes time, and in those early “lean years” you might be traveling to every gig you can land at the expense of time with your family. Before you know it, you find yourself burnt out in all areas, adrift in the chaos, and not sure what to prioritize. Fortunately, speaker and coach Cory Carlson has some solutions for you. Cory is the author of Win at Home First, an inspirational book that teaches you how to prioritize your personal life so you can then succeed in your professional life. He joined our founder Grant Baldwin for Episode 440 of The Speaker Lab podcast to share lessons from his own experience with a perfect storm of professional and personal burnout, overwhelm, and exhaustion. Cory had an incredibly successful rise to the C-suite in his first career, but he was constantly stressed trying to be “super-employee, super-dad, and super-husband” at the same time. Worst of all, he had no close friends. With the help of an executive coach, he was able to re-prioritize his personal life and build a close circle of supportive friends who could support him to be his best self at home and on the job.As part of his journey toward winning at home, Cory left corporate work in March 2020. Coincidentally, the entire world shut down at the same time. Despite the bleak atmosphere in which he started out on his journey as a full-time speaker and coach, he made things work and found himself less stressed overall. If you feel that speaking will afford you greater flexibility to make time for your loved ones but feel trapped by the stability of your 9-5 job, Cory’s story is sure to inspire. And for those of you trying to come up for air during a season of overwhelm, he also shares important warning signs that mean you might be about to hit a breaking point.You’ll also learn all about: How a coach’s outside perspective and accountability can lead you to breakthrough.The framework that helped Cory reach his “aha” moment How to organize your calendar effectively without letting it control you.  Why it’s so common for business leaders to have no friends (and how to fix that).How to curb the temptation to never stop working as a solopreneur.Why you should always “date your spouse” even during incredibly busy seasons.…and so much more!EPISODE RESOURCESCory's WebsiteWin at Home First PodcastGet Free Speaker ResourcesBook a Call with The Speaker LabCalculate Your Speaking FeeJoin The Speaker Lab Community on FacebookSubscribe on Apple PodcastsSubscribe on SpotifySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s guest on Episode 439 of The Speaker Lab podcast, part of our Student Highlight series, is proof that you can become a speaker at any stage in your career, even if you’ve spent your life doing something different. William Quigg is one of those speakers – after a decades-long career in broadcasting, he found his way via sales and corporate training into the speaking industry with the help of our Virtual VIP program with Erick Rheam. In this conversation with director of student success Maryalice Goldsmith, William shares his story along with unique insights about everything from how many emails you have to send to get an answer to nailing a sales call.William, like many of our students, came to TSL after he realized there was a missing link between where he was as a speaker and where he wanted to be. COVID gave him the opportunity to massively expand his speaking business virtually, and he continues to speak both virtually and in person. If you’re looking for an easy answer for how to scale quickly, you’re not going to find one. But if you want hard truths about how to hone your sales pitch by prioritizing the needs of the customer – William dishes out those hard truths and more. As William focuses on corporate clients, you will also learn a lot in this episode about the massive opportunities hiding behind smaller speaking gigs like HR workshops.Often, speakers think their networking potential is limited to speaking-specific organizations. William joined the National Speakers Association even before he took his speaking career seriously, so he can speak to that experience. But perhaps more importantly, William is great at networking within non-speaking organizations. He is on several boards in a wide variety of industries and has been a member of many professional organizations which led to fruitful speaking opportunities. You’ll want to take notes on his strategy for finding referrals in these spaces!You’ll also hear all about:The importance of an abstract that fully captures your speaking business (and how TSL can help with that).How to adjust your sales pitch to address clients’ pain points.When it’s better to use phone, email, or both to reach out to leads.Which situations make it worthwhile to offer your speaking services for free.What kinds of conventions and conferences are a worthy investment into your business.How to turn keynotes into workshops.…and so much more!EPISODE RESOURCESConnect with WilliamWilliam's Success StoryGet Free Speaker ResourcesBook a Call with The Speaker LabCalculate Your Speaking FeeJoin The Speaker Lab Community on FacebookSubscribe on Apple PodcastsSubscribe on SpotifySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Often, one of the hardest parts of the learning curve of launching a speaking business is being self employed. Many would-be entrepreneurs have longed for a textbook that explains how working for yourself actually works. Fortunately, Jeffrey Shaw, speaker, author, and expert in the unconventional art of being self-employed, has written a book about just that. For Episode 438 of The Speaker Lab podcast, he spoke with TSL founder Grant Baldwin about honing in on your expertise and managing your own business. He also shares his time-tested strategies for mastering the art of storytelling, one of the most important skills in any speaker’s toolkit.Many speakers overextend themselves trying to reach too many audiences. Getting in front of the group who values what you have to offer can be a long process. Jeffrey has done the hard work for you–he cycled through a variety of audiences before finding the place where his expertise could deliver the most value. While it’s not bad to try different things with different people, narrowing your audience helps you focus on your very best content, delivery, and presentation for the people who appreciate it most.Jeffrey’s very first successful business venture was in portrait photography, which as you can imagine lent itself to a great talent for storytelling. His secret? He actually catalogs the stories he thinks will be useful for speaking as they happen to him. We’re big fans of creating and establishing systems within your speaking business, so this is a really important part of the conversation!Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Jeffrey has a lot to say about the good, the bad, and the ugly of working for yourself specifically as a speaker. Constantly traveling, managing the ebb and flow of engagements, and running all the logistical aspects of a business is no joke! Fortunately, Jeffrey really is the expert–he’s never worked for anybody but himself–-and he offers constructive encouragement to those in the trenches.You’ll also hear all about:Why it’s normal for the iterations of your entrepreneurial career to be nonlinear.Which people in your life are well-positioned to help you find your expertise.How to decide if expanding to a particular audience is financially wise.How to deal with feeling like your business barely survives day-to-day.The “trust mantra” that can help you remain resilient in moments of self-doubt.How using stories can make the same talk appealing to wildly different audiences.…and so much more!EPISODE RESOURCESJeffrey's WebsiteGet Free Speaker ResourcesBook a Call with The Speaker LabCalculate Your Speaking FeeJoin The Speaker Lab Community on FacebookSubscribe on Apple PodcastsSubscribe on SpotifySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our amazing TSL coaches do a lot of great work helping our students accelerate their speaking careers through our programs. But beyond their great work at TSL, our coaches are people with their own amazing journeys inside and outside of the speaking industry. This week on the Coaches Corner, our director of student success Maryalice Goldsmith interviewed coach Michelle Onuorah about her mission, her speaking career, and how she ended up at The Speaker Lab. Michelle is a faith-filled go-getter with so much passion for life, and Episode 437 gives you just a taste of what you might learn from her if you enroll in one of our programs. Michelle started out as a TSL student before she started coaching for us (a story shared by many of our coaches, like Erick Rheam). Her mission had already fired her up to run a life coaching business and publish a book when she decided to dig deeper into the opportunities afforded by speaking. Michelle is an ideator and innovator with a professional story marked by constantly trying new things. Her experience as a TSL Booked & Paid to Speak student helped her to hone in on her audience, focus on her core mission, and come to terms with not being able to do everything for everyone. Michelle’s story will inspire anybody struggling to stay on top of all their entrepreneurial visions. Prioritizing the most important initiatives in alignment with your goals is no small task when you have a dozen ideas percolating at once! Michelle and Maryalice also offer some much-needed insight into how to develop and pitch services (like coaching) and educational resources (like books and courses) that help your audience follow the solutions you speak about all the way through. This episode offers some great lessons in how a business based on a powerful mission can evolve over time, especially if you want to expand your impact.You’ll also learn all about: How to form a mission statement connected to the impact you want to createThe relationship between heritage, spirituality, and your missionWhat Prophetic Listening is and how Michelle built a business around itWhy TSL is such a powerful community when you’re facing rejectionHow to make it as easy as possible for your audience to buy your products after a talkHow keeping your website up-to-date affects your lead generationStrategies for pivoting your business when you’re suffering from burnout…and so much more!Episode resources:Michelle's WebsiteGet Free Speaker ResourcesBook a Call with The Speaker LabCalculate Your Speaking FeeJoin The Speaker Lab Community on FacebookSubscribe on Apple PodcastsSubscribe on SpotifySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.