The Speaker Lab Podcast

In this engaging discussion, Angie Besignano, a seasoned coach from The Speaker Lab, dives into the nitty-gritty of charging your worth as a speaker. She emphasizes the importance of understanding your money mindset and the need for realistic financial expectations. Angie shares strategies for setting speaking fees that reflect your expertise, navigating confidence to raise your rates, and the power of market research. Listeners will discover how to overcome self-doubt and establish boundaries to elevate their speaking careers!

Learn how to craft compelling stories that evoke emotion and shift perspectives with Ravi Rajani on this engaging podcast. Discover the power of first-person stories, the difference between mediocre and great stories, and valuable insights on mastering storytelling for B2B sales.

Rory Vaden, a personal branding expert and former door-to-door sales prodigy, shares insights on overcoming obstacles to success. He emphasizes the power of mentorship and community support in identifying one's unique strengths. Vaden discusses his transformative journey in public speaking and the importance of finding a niche. He also offers strategies for building a personal brand that stands out, encouraging listeners to view their past challenges as stepping stones to discovering their unique contributions.

Expert event planner Eve Gilmore discusses why there's a 95% chance of not getting hired and how to find better leads. They emphasize the importance of knowing your audience and niche, using clear and specific language, and being specific when identifying your target audience. They also talk about finding speaking gigs in different industries and express gratitude for the lead system at the speaker lab.

“I spoke in a literal barn last year…So for all the speakers listening, you're never too big time. You're never on a big enough stage to go speak at a barn. It kind of humbles you a little.” In this week's episode, Brittany Richmond sits down with the CEO of Streamline Books, Alex Demczak, to chat about his speaking career and how Streamline Books is helping speakers level up their businesses. "When you make a jump of any kind in your career, imagine it like this. You're in one boat, right, and you're leaping to this other boat, and you need to make sure that your boats are aligned so that when you make that jump, there's not a huge splash in the water, right. You need to make sure you go from one boat to the other. And so my mentor, they told me, they said, look, your boats with corporate America and speaking are actually, they're so close that they're actually restricting each other. They're, like, causing friction."In this episode, Brittany and Alex dig into: When Alex realized he wanted to speak Alex's origins of working for free Going pro in your speaking The credibility a book brings to your speaking business Leaving corporate America to pursue speaking full-time Streamline books, what they do, and how they help people become authors How to leverage your book as a speaker Ideas to help you negotiate better speaking contracts with your book And more! "Hey, I'm going to make an impact on one person today. I'm here for one person. I don't know who you and I both know we're probably going to make an impact on a lot more than that. But I think if you have that mentality, it's what drives you."Episode Chapters:04:12 Alex’s first experience with professional speaking and pursuing Jon Gordon to do what he does. 05:37 The moment Alex realized speaking was going to be his calling and how he got started speaking in corporate America 09:16 Overcoming rejection and sticking with the hard seasons to make an impact in the world. 13:47 What do you do when only one person shows up?! How to redirect your focus on the greater impact. 20:17 Let’s talk about the audience Alex serves every day with his message and his book22:41 Alex’s top piece of advice for growing his speaking business and how he thinks through scoping up gigs to maximize his impact 26:05 Why Alex focuses on being a value add to the people he serves and how that’s grown his business and his reputation30:57 Streamline Books deal for The Speaker Lab Podcast listeners “When you bring a team around your dream, it helps you actually get the book done.” Episode Resources: Learn more about Streamline BooksConnect with Alex on LinkedInAlex's Speaking 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.

In this episode, the TSL team shares their top speaking advice, including niching down, going from hobbyist to professional, creating daily habits, branding advice, and the importance of processes and systems. They also discuss making an impact with your message, top pieces of speaking advice, becoming a professional speaker, and the importance of having a clear message and passion. Access free resources and support on their website.

“Look for inspiration, not comparison.” Brittany Richmond sat down with Dean Heffta today to talk about his speaking journey, the National Speaker Association, and how he built a business to get him booked and paid consistently. Get back to the basics. Keep it simple. And remember, you don't have to build somebody else's business; you have to build YOUR own business.In this episode, Brittany and Dean talk through:Dean’s experience getting starting as a speakerWhen to donate your time and other ways to get paid Embracing the mindset of the marathon not the sprintWhat it looks like to provide services people rave about Dean’s new book and what having a book signals What are the perks of being in the National Speaker Association Developing the craft of speaking "And to sustain innovation and to sustain the hard times and the uncertainties and the ups and the downs, I believe you need a community. Your friend group and your family group will smile and nod as you're sharing things they don't really understand or they can't offer maybe the insights that the people in the speaking community can."Episode Chapters:00:54 Dean’s background as a speaker 04:25 What does Dean currently speak on and what do his speaking engagements look like?10:05 When to think about donating your time.12:46 Dean’s take on a marathon not a sprint17:33 How to grow your business by developing referrals19:20 An overview of Dean’s book + the process of writing it24:17 What is the National Speakers Association?28:42 You get what you put into, here’s what that means for you as a speaker.31:19 Why communities matter and how to lean into the speaker community33:12 How to develop great relationships in this business38:32 How to build your personal brand while overcoming tech issues40:31 What it looks like to gracefully overcome adversity on the stage 43:19 Dean’s favorite thing about begin a speaker2024 Podcast Listener Survey:Will you take 3 minutes and tell us what you love and hate about The Speaker Lab Podcast? We want to make this podcast better as we work to serve speakers — but we can't do that without your feedback. Click here or go to thespeakerlab.com/survey — we'll send you a Starbucks gift card as a thank you for your time! Episode Resources:Connect with Dean on LinkedInExplore Dean's Website Take the 2024 Speaker Lab Listener SurveyGet 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.

In this episode of the Coaches Corner series, Maryalice Goldsmith speaks with Lead Management expert Rick Clemons. They discuss topics such as the difference between warm and cold leads, thinking like a business owner versus a hobbyist, the number of touchpoints needed to convert a prospect to a lead, understanding buyers' mindsets, and practical examples of lead generation processes.

"I want to get in the heads and the hearts of the people in the room. If I'm not in their heads and hearts, I don't know how I can connect."This week, Molly Fletcher joined Grant to discuss her experience transitioning from a sports agent into a speaker. For Molly, becoming a speaker was less about a dream to be on stage and more about a logistically practical way to share the knowledge she was giving out 1-on-1 to people she was mentoring. When Molly started speaking, she focused on industries that required the same kind of trust and relationship building that was normal to her as a sports agent. From there, she started branching out into women’s leadership and general empowerment to encourage people to get out there and change the world. "One of the number one reasons women are coming out of the workforce and hitting a jack is because they don't see other women doing what they want to do. So I think for strong women to be in the front of the room and tell their story, we need more of that, for sure."Grant and Molly dig into: How Molly got into speaking Her journey to authorship If you need a book to be a great speakerWhat it’s like being a female speaker in a male-dominated field Molly’s mindset and process to prepping for a gigHow Molly thinks about breaking the ice on stage and what it takes to connect with your audience "I self deprecate immediately with a story that I tell because I think you've got to get down so that they feel connected to you because you're literally physically, they've just heard all these things they've seen."Episode Chapters:01:20 Who is Molly and what's her speaking business look like?06:58 Molly's turning point for moving into speaking09:34 How to build early momentum as a speaker14:10 Molly's take on her pre-gig prep to deliver a great talk16:12 How do you think about the appropriate level of customization vs having a signature keynote19:12 Molly's #1 tip to connecting with the audience21:40 How to find the right balance of humor for your talk26:19 What plays into how you think about fees and the value you bring as a speaker28:40 How would you encourage other females who want to speak32:11 Why you need good mentorsEpisode Resources:Visit Molly’s websiteFollow Molly on LinkedInFollow Molly on InstagramGet 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.

"We're more willing to be our genuine organic selves, which is going to attract other like minded people, that we can find our group, find our people, and take over the world in a positive way."Today, Brittany Richmond sat down on the podcast with her speaker friends Matt Matkovich and Phil Januszewski to talk about what it’s like being a speaking duo! Matt and Phil have been speaking together for over a decade now, and they joined us to share more about what it’s like sharing the stage and what they have learned over the past 10 years. "We are two ordinary guys who turned out doing extraordinary things to audiences around the country. And we're living proof to people that if you stick with something, if you're natural, genuine, and organic about your message, the sky is the limit, and you could turn an ordinary idea into something truly extraordinary."In this episode, Matt, Phil, and Brittany cover: What it’s like being a speaking duo The importance of honoring your niche How to get over failure as a speaker The balancing act of having full-time jobs and speaking 20-30 gigs a year What they think are the most important traits for speakers to embody Funny speaking stories and memories How to partner with AV to overcome tech issues "We didn't want to leave the education profession. We appreciated and enjoyed it too much, so we knew that as part of our speaking plan, that. All right, well, that's it then. We just have to accept the fact that we'll be limited to the amount of gigs we can take."Episode Chapters:05:19 Who are you guys and what do you speak on?08:57 How did we get connected and start speaking together?12:46 Why does your message resonate with you guys?15:50 We focus on chasing our why nots in life and that’s what we push from the stage. 20:24 With limited time, how does your schedule work?22:08 What’s your process when people want to book you?26:30 How do you make it easier on the decision maker to work with you?28:42 Why we priortize being easy to work with.32:18 Tell us about a time when you guys had a gig go wrong37:13 How do you react when tech issues come up?39:03 Tech ideas to help you recover from issues and adlib if you have to! 42:23 Why it’s important to stay audience focused Episode Resources:Visit the M&P Presentations WebsiteFollow Matt & Phil on InstagramFollow Matt & Phil on LinkedInGet 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.