Whether you are a newcomer or a veteran listener, I'm glad you are here! Thanks for joining us on episode 145 of The Speaker Lab. Today we have THE go-to expert for memberships, Mr. Mike Morrison of The Membership Guys.
As you might imagine, we'll be talking about memberships! We dive into what they are, why they matter and why you as a speaker should pay attention to them. We also cover what memberships should look like, and what tools and tricks of the trade to use when building membership communities and content for those communities.
You're going to like what we have to say today so get ready and join me and Mike Morrison on this edition of The Speaker Lab.
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Can you imagine how you'd feel if your first speaking gig was in front of 6,000 people, and Dr. Phil was speaking at the same event? You'll hear how today's guest on The Speaker Lab felt because that's exactly what happened the first time he took the stage as a speaker!
Mitch Joel is an international speaker, author and CEO who works with major companies like Wal-Mart, Google and Starbucks. He joins us for this show to walk us through his early career days, including whether or not he rocked his first gig or he bombed. We also discuss his recommendations for becoming a premiere speaker who charges $10k, $20k or more.
And we wrap up with the three different types of speakers, examples of each and which one you should be if you are a beginning speaker. Tune in for that and so much more on episode 144 of The Speaker Lab.
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If you like to record video content but you know your audience is on Facebook, what should you do? Here to answer that question, and so much more about content creation for speakers is our very own Maggie Rowe!
Maggie is a friend of mine and is also a member of the support team at The Speaker Lab. Behind the scenes she's been helping us create our content, including our blog posts, emails and other projects. She's an expert at writing for speakers, and content creation in general.
On this edition of The Speaker Lab Maggie will be sharing how to write your speaking bio, how to create the most impactful titles for your speeches and descriptions as well as how to choose which platform to connect with your audience and why you should meet them wherever they are online. Join us to hear all of those great nuggets from Maggie today on The Speaker Lab!
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If negotiating your fees has ever been difficult for you our guest will solve that problem today! Liz Saunders is an expert on booking speaking gigs, including how and when to negotiate your fees.
On episode 142 of The Speaker Lab, Liz shares her background as an event coordinator and road manager, and how she created The Tivich Group, an independent booking agency for speakers. She even walks us through a typical sales call for one of her clients, including the all-important fee discussion.
Liz also explains how and when to build your fees around your clients' priorities, and how to know when to lower your fees without shooting yourself in the proverbial foot. Whether you've been booking your own speaking gigs for decades or you're just starting out, Liz's information will be valuable and eye-opening. Join us to hear it all on today's edition of The Speaker Lab.
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If you've ever worried that narrowing your audience and your target market will hurt your speaking business, you'll want to listen to today's guest. Jill Christensen has grown her speaking business by leaps and bounds simply by focusing on one type of audience.
On today's edition of The Speaker Lab, Jill shares how being a member of Booked And Paid To Speak has helped her narrow her target market, why doing so has been tremendously successful for her and her advice for creating that same level of success.
We also talk about why some speakers don't get traction, the importance of hard work and what to do if you find yourself stuck. Check out that and much more on episode 141 of The Speaker Lab with Jill Christensen!
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Could public relations (PR) help you get more speaking gigs? This isn't an area I've paid much attention to but our guest for episode 140 changed my tune. Janet Murray is an author, speaker and PR wizard with 16 years of experience working with publications like The Guardian, The Telegraph and Huffington Post.
On today's edition of The Speaker Lab, Janet joins us to talk about why PR will help you grow your personal brand, your audience and get you more speaking gigs. She also shares her thoughts on quality versus quantity: is it better to be featured in a lot of publications, or a few select outlets?
You'll hear the details on those topics as well as how she started her current work helping entrepreneurs and business owners become featured in the press. Listen in to hear her thoughts plus her lovely British accent on this edition of The Speaker Lab!
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Have you ever considered running ads on Facebook, YouTube or Google to get more speaking gigs? If not then you'll reconsider after hearing today's guest, Rick Mulready. Rick is an expert who has been in this world since the days of AOL and dial-up! He's worked with companies like AOL, Yahoo, and Funny or Die.
Today on The Speaker Lab he talks about how this whole online advertising thing works. You'll come away with an understanding of the basics of each online platform, and which is the easiest to start with.
You'll also learn about how to use online advertising to better automate leads on this edition of The Speaker Lab!
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When you think of improv do you think of sketch comedy, Saturday Night Live or do you think of becoming a better speaker? It can be all of the above! So says our guest for episode 138 of The Speaker Lab, Mike Ganino.
Mike is a former self-proclaimed restaurant guy with an intereste in theatre and in improv. After leaving the restaurant biz he became a consultant and learned to use his improv skills to help his clients become leaders. Soon he found his niche speaking about building organizations for the present and the future, and working with public speakers with Michael and Amy Port.
On today's show we dive deeper into his personal story, as well as how to use improv to improve your speaking skills and why improv doesn't always mean funny. You'll learn about that and more on this edition of The Speaker Lab!
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Many of you have been asking about the mastermind I'm in and how to start and run a mastermind of your own. To fill you in on all the details I've gathered the other three members for episode 137 of The Speaker Lab.
On today's show you'll hear from me, Jeff Rose, Bryan Harris and Joe Michael. The four of us will chat about how we got started, what our format is and how we run the group - including our inside jokes! You'll also hear how the group has evolved and changed over the years, what advice we all have if you're not yet in a mastermind but want to be.
I guarantee you a funny, lively and educational conversation so tune in and check it out on episode 137 of The Speaker Lab.
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A lot of speakers want to write books and be recognized as best-selling authors - but not many speakers call themselves a writer who happens to speak. But our guest for episode 136 of The Speaker Lab does!
Scott Berkun, author of Confessions of a Public Speaker and his latest book, The Dance of The Possible, joins us to talk about why his books drive his speaking career, how his career has evolved over the years, and how he chooses his book topics.
Scott has authored 7 books in the last 12 years and in that time his speaking career has evolved from workshops and consulting gigs to lectures and keynoting conferences. You'll hear how he did this, where his speaking career began and how to develop your expertise in one area. You'll even hear his worst speaking moment! Join us for that and more on today's The Speaker Lab!
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Have you ever listened to someone's speech and immediately taken action as a result? It's rare for a speaker to do this for their audience, and yet it's critical to making a lasting impact.
One of the best in the world at this is Noah Kagan. He's here on episode 135 of The Speaker Lab to share how he crafts his speeches so his audience has results during his talk.
If you've lived in a cave and don't know Noah, he is the creator of AppSumo and SumoMe. AppSumo is Groupon for geeks and SumoMe is an 8-figure business that provides tools to grow your online traffic. His career began with Intel, Microsoft and Mint; he was also one of the first employees at Facebook!
On this edition of The Speaker Lab we also discuss ways he learns from the best, how he decides what to talk about and the importance of content creation. Join us as we dig into that and more on today's The Speaker Lab!
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Do you think creative types must be starving artists with no hope of real income? Our guest for today's episode of The Speaker Lab is going to change that mindset if you do!
Jeff Goins is a published author with five books under his belt, as well as a highly-respected international speaker. And at his core Jeff is an artist.
On this show he tells us why it's okay to profit as an artist, and how to overcome the mental barriers of getting paid well for our craft.
You'll hear Jeff share his back story and also explain why you don't need to wait until you think you're ready, and why you should stop calling yourself an "aspiring" anything! Jeff gives plenty of sage wisdom on those topics, and much more during the 134th episode of The Speaker Lab.
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If there's one thing nearly all entrepreneurs and business owners have in common it is the desire to live a life of significance. We want to do something that matters, something that makes a positive impact in the world. A great example of this is our guest on today's episode of The Speaker Lab, Mr. Aaron Walker.
Aaron has been self-employed and owned a business of some variety since the age of 18; he hasn't worked for anyone else in 38 years! In all of those years he has experienced the full spectrum of the entrepreneurial journey: the highs, the lows and everything in between. On our 133rd edition, he talks candidly about that journey, especially the life-altering experiences.
We also talk about his advice for managing the roller coaster ride of being your own boss, and why he came out of retirement to coach (including who encouraged him to do so!). Today Aaron Walker is a coach, best-selling author, podcaster and acclaimed speaker, and he's our guest on this edition of The Speaker Lab.
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It isn't often we have guests come back for a second visit but today's guest is a special one! Tamsen Webster is here for her second conversation on The Speaker Lab.
If you missed her first appearance on the show check out episode 118 where we talk all about Ted and TedX Talks. And if you didn't hear that show you probably don't know that Tamsen is the Executive Director of TedX Cambridge, and is also the CEO and Founder of her company, Strategic Speaking.
On this edition of The Speaker Lab we're diving deep into how to find your "big idea" for your talks. Tamsen calls herself part idea whisperer, part message strategist and part magpie. You'll hear why when you tune in to this episode of The Speaker Lab!
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What if you'd like speaking to be a complement to other aspects of your business, like consulting? Should you approach speaking differently if so? Today's guest has your answers!
Joe Sanok is the founder of Practice of the Practice, a speaking and consulting business that helps counselors in private practice to start, grow and scale their practices. Joe speaks selectively as a keynote and does so in a way that generates consulting leads.
On this episode he shares how he generates potential consulting clients from select speaking gigs, and how he's established himself as a keynote in his super specific niche. We also dive into how he and his family made the final leap from full-time employment to full-time self-employment. Listen in to hear that and more on the 131st edition of The Speaker Lab!
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Have you ever found yourself tongue-tied when a potential client has asked about your speaking fees? If you have today's guest will help you solve that problem in the future!
Joy Groblebe is an entrepreneur who helps speakers and other entrepreneurs overcome the chaos of their busy minds, busy businesses and busy lives.
On this episode of The Speaker Lab, Joy talks about her switch from working for KMOX in St. Louis to becoming an entrepreneur after the birth of her first son. She shares the journey she's been on and how she's created the business she has today.
You'll also hear her backstage view of the publishing and speaking world. And you'll learn the steps she takes to get the most out of any potential speaking deal for her clients, and how you can fill your speaking calendar following her guidance. Listen in to hear that and more on today's edition of The Speaker Lab!
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Ready for another one?! Today on The Speaker Lab we have two more questions from listeners just like you. Stephanie sent a voicemail asking about the proper strategy for thanking clients after a speaking gig. She wondered if it's okay to send gifts, or what other approaches are acceptable to say thank you to a client.
We have a second and equally interesting question from John. He is getting into speaking and starting to build his platform. He has written a book and intends to write more, and he plans to give away some of those books. John asks if he needs to be a non-profit, or if he can still operate as a for-profit business.
Listen in to hear the answers to both of those questions and then apply them in your speaking career! It's all here on episode 129 of The Speaker Lab.
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Welcome back to The Speaker Lab! This week we've got another episode of listener Q&As. We have one question from Cathy about the absolute essentials to pitching yourself.
We also have a question from Greg who asks about using past media appearances that are notable but not related to his current line of work. Can he do it and if so, how should he do it?
Tune in to hear the answers. And if you'd like to ask a question of your own go to the Ask Grant section here and ask away!
A big thank you to Cathy and Greg for chiming in, and thanks to you for listening to episode 128 of The Speaker Lab.
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Have you ever wanted a guide or a road map to help you along your speaking journey? Today I'm giving you exactly that!
On this listener Q&A show, Clayton Watson called in to ask what his next steps are to get bookings. Clayton is from Calgary in Alberta, Canada and runs a site called Coaching Caregiver. He also has written a book, and is now wondering what to do next to land paid speaking engagements.
When you listen to this episode, you'll hear my answer to Clayton's question as I lay out the five pieces of the speaker road map puzzle. I explain what each step is, why it is important and how to implement it in your journey.
Today you'll also hear my answer to another listener's question about whether YouTube videos of your speeches can help or hurt your chances of getting hired as a speaker. Listen in to hear the details on episode 127 of The Speaker Lab!
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Today we've got an extra special guest for you: Erick Rheam. Erick is a student of our Booked and Paid to Speak program, and he has been wildly successful in his speaking career since signing up for the course. He joined us in December of 2015 and in the 15 months between then and our recording of this episode, he has made over $80,000 in speaking gigs!
On this episode of The Speaker Lab, Erick joins us to talk about his success and how he decided who to speak to and what to speak about, why it's important to have a good web site and demo and how he gets referrals.
Because Erick is still relatively new to the speaking world his story is relatable, as his resulting success. You'll want to tune in to hear more about what's next for him on episode 126 of The Speaker Lab.
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As a speaker or an aspiring speaker you know the importance of a demo video. But what about other forms of video content like a YouTube channel or Facebook Live? Could those help you build your speaking career? Absolutely says our guest for this episode! Josh Drean is here to tell us how.
Josh's primary gig is as a youth motivational speaker but he's also a father and a part-time student at Harvard University in Boston where he is studying business management. As if that wasn't enough, he is also a street performer who does almost daily videos for his YouTube channel.
On today's edition of The Speaker Lab, he shares how to leverage video content as a speaker, how he uses content to get gigs and promote those gigs, as well as what to talk about on your video. His insights on those topics and more will get you off the fence about video and in front of the camera! Hear it here on episode 125 of The Speaker Lab.
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Have you ever considered that how to set yourself apart as a speaker may be to embrace what is uniquely you? Maybe it's an accent you have or your above-average height, whatever it is it may be the key to standing out in our crowded speaking marketplace.
On today's edition of The Speaker Lab, I've got a guest who has used her unique voice and stature to create a thriving speaking career. Neen James stands a petite 4'10 (and 1/2!) and hails from Australia. With her tiny height and self-professed Disney princess voice she was told by many no one was going to book her or take her seriously as speaker.
But with her undeniable sass, drive and determination she has proven them wrong! Listen to this episode to hear how she accidentally became a professional speaker, how she pivoted from productivity to her current topic today, and how's she built her reputation in the corporate business world. You'll hear that and more on episode 124 of The Speaker Lab.
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Episode 123 of The Speaker Lab is unlike any other episode we've done before! In essence today's show is a one-on-one coaching call I had with a listener who emailed me.
I wanted to share our conversation with you because his story is common: he has done a number of free speaking gigs but wasn't sure about how to move into the paid realm. He also wasn't sure how to narrow down his list of potential audiences and topics.
On today's edition of The Speaker Lab, Chris Field joins me to gain clarity on those topics and more. Listen in to hear his stories (including his run for mayor at the age of 19!), and our brainstorming session on this coaching call. You'll hear how all of that applies to you wherever you are in your speaking journey on episode 123 of The Speaker Lab.
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Buckle up buttercups! We've got our sassy friend back in the saddle with us today: Ms. Carrie Wilkerson and she is in rare form on episode 122 of the Speaker Lab. If you missed her previous visit to the show you can listen in here.
I wanted Carrie to return to the show because she's proven how to turn one speaking gig into many, and I wanted her to share that with you. Specifically on this show she will explain how she creates and structures valuable long-term offerings for her clients, and how she turns those offerings into a consistent monthly revenue stream.
This is one episode you don't want to miss! Get out your pen and paper and get ready for some actionable insights from the one and only Carrie Wilkerson on episode 122 of The Speaker Lab.
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Would you struggle for five years as a speaker if you knew it was going to pay off? Would you be willing to travel 220 days a year if that's what it took to one day share the stage with Simon Sinek and Gary Vaynerchuk? That's exactly what our guest for episode 121 of The Speaker Lab has done and continues to do presently.
John Spence spends anywhere from 170 to 220 days a year giving speeches around the world. He speaks on leadership, high performance teams, culture, strategy, strategic thinking, and business excellence, and has been for 23 years.
His speeches are never canned, each one is unique. That coupled with the tremendous value he brings to every speaking engagement has allowed him to build a business that is based almost entirely on referrals. Today he outlines his strategic approach to generating repeat business and referrals, how he got through the struggle of his first five years and why he enjoys being a road warrior.
On this edition of The Speaker Lab, you'll also hear how he helps charities rather than giving free speeches. Listen in for that and more from the one and only John Spence.
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