Why is being your authentic self on social media important to your speaking career? The answers are on this episode, and it's an extra special one. We're doing something today we have never done before: Melanie Deziel is your host, not me.
Joining her is Michael Barber, a marketing expert and talented speaker who is sharing how speakers can show up as their authentic selves on social media and on stage, plus the 3 different types of content speakers should share online to market themselves and how your day job can compliment your speaking and vice versa.
This is a phenomenal and fun interview covering those topics and much more so be sure to listen in to episode 195 of The Speaker Lab!
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Knowing how to get attention in today's increasingly digital world is no small feat, and our guest is here to fill us in. If you've listened to the show for awhile you may remember her from episode 124 - Ms. Neen James.
She's a rare repeat guest and we make great use of her visit on today's The Speaker Lab. We talk about attention: getting and keeping attention from potential clients and even other speakers, and how to pay attention.
We're also talking about the grind of speaking and how to stay positive and not give up. Neen is a long-time speaker who knows the ups and downs of building and maintaining a speaking career, together we talk candidly about our own experiences of the highs and the lows. There's much to learn from Neen so settle in and join us on this episode of The Speaker Lab.
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Do you hate the idea of networking or do you see it as an opportunity to give to others? For some networking has a negative connotation, but our guest is here to set the record straight and tell you how to improve your life through networking.
David Burkus is a successful author who considers himself a writer first, and a speaker second. He's written several best-sellers including his latest book called Friend of a Friend., which is specifically about how to enjoy networking.
On today's edition of The Speaker Lab, we'll specifically talk about what most of us do wrong when networking, and what we should instead. David will tell us how to actually connect with other speakers, and do it in a way that fosters real connection, and he'll explain how to find out who you already know to help you find gigs. Buckle up and get ready to enjoy this episode of The Speaker Lab with David Burkus.
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Preparing for your speech is an important aspect of giving a great talk and here to give us her trade secrets is Melanie Deziel.
If you've been here before you know Melanie is a frequent co-host of the show and she joins us again on The Speaker Lab to give you a breakdown of her personal speaking preparations.
We give you a behind-the-scenes look at how we each rehearse and get ready for the stage. We specifically talk about music we listen to, food we eat or don't eat, how much we hydrate, and what else we do in the hours leading up to the talk. Get your head right and body right before you take the stage, hear how on this edition of The Speaker Lab!
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On episode 191 of The Speaker Lab, we're talking about the technical aspects of slides when you're speaking: the pros and the cons, and how to deal with the cons.
As a recap from last week's episode, our co-host Melanie Deziel is here with us for part two of our talk on slides. She's a fan of slides, and uses them with almost all of her presentations. As she says, she's all about the slides!
It's not that I'm not a fan of slides it's just that they can really make or break a presentation. There's a lot that can go wrong when you're using slides, and today we'll help you avoid those mistakes.
Join us to hear how to do so and how to address all the technical aspects of using slides properly on today's episode of The Speaker Lab.
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Should you use slides as a speaker? Some say yes, some say no and some say it depends! To weigh on whether or not you should use slides during your speech we're bringing back our lovely and talented co-host Ms. Melanie Deziel for this edition of The Speaker Lab.
We'll be debating about the pros and cons of using slides as well as customizing slides, and using text, video and images in your slides. Melanie uses slides in almost all of her speeches, and I rarely use them so you'll hear both sides!
On next week's episode, the second half of this interview, we'll get into the technical side of slides from dimensions to formats to using your own equipment or not. Be sure to visit us again to hear the details, and tune in to episode 190 of The Speaker Lab this week.
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Our guest is an expert at many things, especially how to put yourself out there! Nicole Walters is our entertaining, energetic and sassy guest on this episode of The Speaker Lab.
Nicole is an income strategist, and globe-trotting speaker. In her business, she helps everyday entrepreneurs apply corporate income strategies to get more profitability, more popularity all the while creating a life they love.
On today's show we talk about her practical tips on how she pitches for gigs, her follow up formula after her initial pitch and how she balances speaking, travel and a family. She also breaks down her different revenue streams for us, why she has a specific season for speaking and her love of making jam! Join us for those insights plus a lot of fun on the 189th episode of The Speaker Lab.
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What do you need to know about insurance? Do you even need to know about insurance? Yes! I get questions about this all the time so I'm bringing you the man with the answer: Matt Ham. Matt is our guest today on The Speaker Lab.
For the last 10 years Matt has focused on helping families properly insure their homes, their businesses and their lives. But not long ago he also felt a calling to step into something new, and he wrote a book called Redefine Rich. From there he began speaking which has morphed into his organization called YouPrint which is a faith development organization.
Today we talk in great detail about what you need to know about insurance, both personally and professionally. Wherever you are in your evolution as a speaker this is a topic that matters so join us on episode 188 of The Speaker Lab.
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There's something the most successful speakers do that you might not know: they know how to create systems for success. Without systems, businesses either never really get going or they fall apart. The same is true for speakers and their businesses. Join Melanie Deziel and I as we talk about that very topic on today's episode of The Speaker Lab.
Melanie is back with us again for the third week in a row and we're going to help you figure out the ins and outs of systems for your expenses, your outreach, your travel, your calendar, your taxes, etc. These are all things you need to track and systemize, and to pay attention to this in advance! If you really want to have longevity in your industry you need to know how to create systems for success.
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Want to know how to pull off the riskiest move as a speaker? Then you'll want to know how to interact with your speaking audience! And here to help us break this topic down is our returning co-host Melanie Deziel.
Today on The Speaker Lab, we are talking about audience interaction: how to engage and interact with your audience, the pros and the cons plus the different ways to go about connecting and when to use which approach.
We'll also cover how to manage your audience interactions so you don't lose control of the room. It's important to connect with your audience, but it can go sideways quickly so join us to hear how to handle it on episode 186 of The Speaker Lab.
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Part of living the speaker life is travel, so today you'll find out how to be a true road warrior! Joining us to give her expert insights and wisdom is our co-host, Melanie Diezel. If you've been listening to The Speaker Lab for awhile you'll remember Melanie from some recent episodes: she is an outstanding speaker, coach and consultant on her own - and she also does a phenomenal job of coaching our Speaker Lab students.
And we had such terrific feedback from her recent appearances we decided to bring her back to the show. She's joining us for the next 3 episodes and we'll be talking about a few different topics.
Today we're covering how to be a road warrior, booking travel, packing essentials, travel perks and rewards. It's all things travel today as a speaker and road warrior! Join us for that and more on today's The Speaker Lab.
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Do you know how to provide value offstage for more success? It's true - what you provide offstage can do just as much (if not more) to help grow your onstage business. Our guest today is proof positive and he's here to tell us all about it!
If you recognize his name from a previous episode of the show you would be right - Brian Fanzo was here for episode 116. And he's back for today's edition of The Speaker Lab to share the simple ways he promotes his events to his audiences and how he connects with event planners before he speaks.
Also on today's show he breaks down strategic tactics that help him stand out among the competition, especially his offstage tactics. Join us to hear all of that and more on today's episode of The Speaker Lab!
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When you think of speakers do you normally think of extroverted people? Does that have you wondering if you can be an introvert and a great speaker?
That's a question I answer today with Jonathan Fields. Jonathan is a best-selling author, entrepreneur and international speaker who is known for his brand, Good Life Project.
On this episode of The Speaker Lab, we take an introspective look at being speaker. Jonathan shares how he handles being an introvert during his speaking engagements, and how to be comfortable in your own skin while you're on stage. Join us to hear all about it and more on the 183rd edition of The Speaker Lab.
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If you are wanting to learn how to speak effectively in two different markets our guest today is your source! Typically I tell people not to speak to two markets but John Michael Morgan has done it quite successfully.
On this episode of The Speaker Lab, John tells us how he speaks in the business and faith-based markets, how he does it effectively and how he uses speaking in different markets as a way to stand out from the crowd.
While I'm typically not a fan of having a foot in more than one market, John is a master at doing this. He started out focusing on speaking to leaders which led to his initial start in the business world. Originally he was focused on staying in that lane. But over time he realized he wanted to touch people in the faith market, and take his message to a more global audience. Today you'll hear how he did it and much more on episode 182 of The Speaker Lab!
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How to use systems to build your business is one of the keys to creating a lasting speaking career. No one is better at this then my friend Andrew "Drew" Davis.
Drew is a master at implementing processes and procedures to ensure he makes the most out of every lead.
Today on the Speaker Lab we'll cover each and every step of his system along with why you should track certain metrics in your business, how to use that data and why a quality system is important to becoming a high-paid successful speaker.
There's so much good stuff on today's show so get ready to take notes when you join us for episode 181 of The Speaker Lab.
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The true key to your speaking business is knowing how to expand your business beyond the stage, and applying what you know. David Loy is going to share that knowledge with you on today's show so you can apply it after you listen!
David has been involved in speaking industry in many capacities for over a decade. Today much of his time is devoted to managing the career of Andy Andrews, the author of The Traveler's Gift.
In fact, that book is what propelled David into the speaking industry. After reading it David was so moved he reached out to Andy's team. That email would lead David to his first job as an agent with Premiere Speakers Bureau and eventually to his role today managing Andy's career.
On this episode of The Speaker Lab, we talk more about that story, and also how David has helped Andy expand his business from speaking and consulting to online memberships. David gives us a breakdown of Andy's revenue from speaking, coaching, books, online memberships, etc.
You'll also hear him give his advice on the next steps to create additional services and products beyond speaking.
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As a speaker you want to leave a good impression, but do you know how to craft an experience for your audience during your speech? Our guest, Stephen Shapiro, is a master at doing this and he's here to tell us how on today's episode of The Speaker Lab.
Stephen began his career with Accenture where he spent 15 years and created a 20,000 person practice around process and innovation. As a result he was charged with speaking to this group and soon found himself giving over 100 speeches a year. He realized he loved it, and he wanted to do it as his own full-time business.
Also on this episode, Stephen explains how he got his start, how he has built momentum and how he differentiates himself as a speaker through experiential keynotes and two specific ways he uses technology. You'll hear what those ways are and much more when you join us on episode 179 of The Speaker Lab.
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Publicity isn't just for actors and celebrities! Learning how to grow your speaking career with publicity can be one of the fastest ways to grow your brand and your speaking platform. And to explain how is none other than publicity and media ninja, Selena Soo.
Selena is the resident expert on public relations, having worked with notable names such as Ramit Sethi, Derek Halpern and Kimra Luna. She's also helped her clients secure coverage in media outlets like Forbes, Inc., and O, The Oprah Magazine.
Today on The Speaker Lab, Selena stops by to explain why public relations and publicity matter so much to your speaking career, along with a step-by-step breakdown of the pitch process. She also shares how to leverage the media coverage you get from those pitches.
We always strive to bring you the best of the best here on The Speaker Lab, and Selena is no exception! Get your notepad ready and tune in for my conversation with Selena Soo on this edition of The Speaker Lab.
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EPISODE RESOURCES
"How can I speak to the military?" is a question I am asked on a regular basis, and you will uncover the answer on today's episode!
Our guest is Mike Domitrz, international speaker and founder of the Date Safe Project. In his role as founder and leader, Mike travels the world working with universities, military installations, corporations and organizations to create a culture of consent and respect.
On episode 177, Mike tells us how his sister's experience led him to become a speaker which in turn led him to found the Date Safe Project. He also goes into detail on how to speak to the military, what you need to know about this unique niche, and also how he has kept his topic fresh and relevant both for himself and his audience for over 25 years!
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Ever wonder how to speak to the education market? Are you interested in making a career out of touching the lives of students, teachers and the parents of students? If so you are in the right place!
Joining us for this show is my friend, Scott Backovich, one of the leading speakers in the youth market. Scott may look young but he has plenty of experience and wisdom on this topic, and he shares it all with us today.
On episode 176, we talk about about how he finds and books school assemblies and school leadership conferences, and who to contact at schools depending on the region of the school. He also explains how to transition from free speaking gigs to getting paid, and more on today's edition of The Speaker Lab!
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One of the most important things you can for your speaking career is to find out how to position yourself as an expert. And I could think of no one better to describe and demonstrate this topic than my good friend Chris Ducker.
Chris is an internationally-recognized expert on all things personal branding. He's also a best-selling author, globe-trotting speaker, and successful business mentor. He knows more than a thing or two about standing out as an expert!
On today's show, we're talking about his latest book, Rise of the Youpreneur as well as the origins of Chris's speaking career and his personal brand. He also explains why you should want to become someone's favorite and how to grow your personal brand beyond the stage. Listen to those great topics and more with me and Chris Ducker today on episode 175 of The Speaker Lab!
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Should you ever speak for free or accept a lower fee? Today my co-host Melanie Deziel and I are answering both of those questions for you.
We specifically talk about why money isn't the only reason to speak, and what the other benefits and non-monetary perks are which you can negotiate as a speaker.
We'll also cover how to build your business beyond the stage, speak to build your credibility and your visibility, and give examples of when we've both been willing to speak for a reduced fee or even for free.
Join us for those topics and more. And when you're done let us know if you like this co-host format on episode 174 of The Speaker Lab!
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Inevitably you'll run into some issue before, during or right after you give a talk. Do you know how to prepare for when things go wrong as a speaker? Both my co-host and I do and that's what we're talking about on today's show.
Our co-host Melanie Deziel is back for her 3rd segment: the blooper reel. On episode 173 we talk about how to respond to any number of potential scenarios and pitfalls as a speaker.
You'll find out what to do if you are running late or having travel issues or if you are feeling sick. we'll discuss how to handle tech issues, if your time is cut short or if you have a difficult audience member.
Today we'll pull open up the curtain to share our best and worst stories, buckle up and join us because there's plenty to learn on episode 173 of The Speaker Lab!
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Once you've given your speech the next step often becomes how to get the most referrals and testimonials after you've given a speech. Today we're going to walk you through the best ways to do this.
On episode 172 of The Speaker Lab, I'm joined by my co-host Melanie Deziel again. In case you missed our introduction of Melanie last week she's a successful speaker who came over from the corporate world after discovering her love of public speaking.
Today she speaks and consults full-time and is also a coach for students in The Speaker Lab programs. As a former TSL alum she is the perfect person to help other budding speakers gain their chops.
On this edition of the show we're covering what to do after your speech, how to request feedback, how to ask for testimonials, referrals, videos, pictures and other marketing materials you can use to promote yourself. Join us for insights on all of these topics and more today on The Speaker Lab.
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One of the common questions I get asked is what you need to know before signing a contract. To answer this question we are joined by Melanie Deziel today. But unlike our usual format Melanie isn't a guest today, she's our first co-host!
Melanie was a student who has gone through our training programs and has become one of our coaches. Before branching out on her own in the speaking world, Melanie worked in a corporate environment. She helped brands think more like journalists and tell better stories.
She shifted into speaking when she realized how much she enjoyed the speaking gigs she was doing to represent her team. She took a course with The Speaker Lab and for the last two years she's been speaking and consulting full-time.
To keep things interesting and extra fun, I invited Melanie to join me as a co-host for the next four weeks. Today we're talking about a common question we get at the speaker lab: what do I need to know before signing a contract? We'll dig into that answer today on this edition of The Speaker Lab.
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