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The Speaker Lab

Grant Baldwin from The Speaker Lab podcast will be sharing speaking business tactics, tips, and strategies from his own experience, case studies, and interviewing the experts. Whether you're just getting started trying to get your first booking or you're a veteran speaker looking to build and grow your business, this is for you. Grant has built a multiple six-figure per year business as a speaker having presented to over 500,000 people in over 450 paid speaking gigs. We'll talk about speaker marketing, working with speaker bureaus and agents, building your platform, negotiating fees, social media marketing, networking, storytelling, humor, operating the business and so much more!
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All Episodes
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Now displaying: June, 2016
Jun 30, 2016

If you already have a business becoming a speaker can only expand your reach, your audience and how many people you can serve. A great example of this is our guest, Jordan Harbinger of The Art of Charm.

Jordan is the co-founder and host of The Art of Charm. The AOC, as it is called for short, is an in-person school as well as a podcast focused on helping men achieve peak performance in every area of life. Jordan's been interviewing experts for his show since before most of us knew what a podcast was!

On today's show he shares some of the knowledge he's learned in that time.  Jordan explains how to build relationships with event organizers, the three criteria he considers when evaluating a potential speaking gig and why you must be comfortable hearing the word no in order to land more gigs. Check it out on episode 76 of The Speaker Lab!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:   

  • What's been the biggest value-add Jordan has gotten out of being a speaker?
  • The three things he considers when asked to speak at an event.
  • Why exposure isn't a reason to speak.
  • What's the difference between Ted Talks and Tedx Talks?
  • Why is networking at an event high on his priority list?
  • What is the people-location-compensation calculation?
  • How to get feedback when you are turned down for a speaking gig.
  • What's a recipe for unhappiness?
  • And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

Jun 28, 2016

Is there a connection between acting and speaking in public? There most certainly is a link between, according to today's guest. Amy Port joins us to talk about that connection, and how to tap into it to become an even better speaker.

Amy is an amazing speaker, performer in her own right. Her background is in acting, theatre and performance. She earned a Master of Fine Arts from Yale's School of Drama and consistently worked as an actor after graduation.

But the transient life of an actor was not for her and she moved on. Fast forward 15 years and she's sharing her acting knowledge to help speakers become great performers and speakers on stage.

On today's show, Amy explains why we are all performing and taking on various roles in our lives even if we don't consider ourselves actors, plus how to use those roles effectively on stage. Tune in for all of that and more on this episode of The Speaker Lab!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:   

  • The two parts to making a speaker great versus good.
  • How do you make the mental shift from speaking into performing your speech?
  • Why rehearsing properly is so important.
  • What does it mean to "sculpt" your performance?
  • When should you get in front of test audiences?
  • Staging: what it is and how to do it effectively.
  • How to find the balance between being rehearsed and over-rehearsed.
  • And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

Jun 23, 2016

Continuing from our last show today I'll be sharing more of my personal travel tips for your speaking engagements. On episode 74 the topic is what to do when things go wrong during your travel.

Mishaps are simply a part of the travel experience. In fact, you're better off if you plan for delays, lost luggage, cancellations and anything else that could get in your way of getting to your client.

As you travel more you'll be able to spot potential problems before they arise, and today's episode will also give you a leg up on what to do in case of issues.

You'll learn plenty about how to travel most efficiently and effectively on the 74th edition of The Speaker Lab!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW

  • How to create a back up plan, before you need it.
  • If you miss a connecting flight how to find your other options.
  • Why going to your airlines with options is so helpful.
  • The rule I follow when booking and taking flights.
  • Why getting upset about travel mishaps doesn't work.
  • Why you need to keep the client in the loop when your travel plans change.
  • Should you ever miss an event?
  • And much, much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

Jun 21, 2016

When most people think of traveling for speaking gigs they think it's glamorous: you travel first class, visit a new city, stay in a nice hotel, etc.

And sometimes it is fun and exciting - and other times it is exhausting. Like when the airlines loses your luggage, or when your flight is delayed and you have to sleep in the airport or a sketchy motel because nothing else is available! I've been in all those scenarios, the glamorous and the not-so-glamorous.

On episode 73 I'm sharing what I've learned about the ins and outs of travel. Today I'll talk about what you should do before you travel, what to do when you book your travel and what to do during the actual travel. Whether you're already a road warrior or you're prepping for your first out-of-town gig, you'll learn plenty on this edition of The Speaker Lab!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW

  • What travel rewards program should you become a member of, and why?
  • How to pick your preferred airline, hotel and rental car company.
  • How to get upgrades and when to fly standby.
  • Why American Airlines is my preferred airline, and why it matters to you.
  • Why you shouldn't book the last flight to an event.
  • What are Kayak and TripIt and why should you use them?
  • Should you ever book non-refundable hotel rooms?
  • Should you invoice travel fees separately or bill one flat rate inclusive?
  • And much, much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

Jun 16, 2016

Do you dread taxes or worry you aren’t using the right entity for your business? Then this is the episode for you! Josh Bauerle, CPA, accountant and all-around tax wizard is here for the 72nd edition of The Speaker Lab.

Josh has started his own business working directly with entrepreneurs as a CPA. Between tax entities, business entities, and deductions, there’s a lot to know, and Josh has you covered. Josh has worked as an accountant for over a decade, and currently works as a CPA for Entrepreneur on Fire as well as running CPA on Fire.

He provides services to small business owners that are both high-quality and affordable, and shares his knowledge and experience with us today. In this episode we talk through the different types of small business classifications and how taxes factor into each of them. Tune in for all this and more on this episode of The Speaker Lab!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:   

  • What are the differences between an S Corporation, sole proprietorship, and an LLC?
  • How to set your salary in order to maximize your income.
  • What are the benchmarks you should be looking for when moving to an S Corp?
  • How do you set aside money for taxes?
  • What can you write off as tax-deductible?
  • How do legal concerns factor into your small business type? Josh explains.
  • What happens when your business crosses state lines?
  • And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

Jun 14, 2016

Have you ever wondered what goes on in the world of mobile marketing? Perhaps you’ve heard of the website System.ly and are curious about its origins and its purpose. Then Greg Hickman is the man to talk to!

As the CEO of System.ly, Greg focuses on making marketing as easy as possible for speakers and entrepreneurs who are busy building their careers. He also has a background in speaking so he understands the nature of the speaking business and how hectic a speaker's lifestyle can be.

Today on the show, Greg shares how he came up with the idea to create System.ly, how his own career in speaking sparked his interest in mobile marketing, and how he utilized his talents as a speaker to spring this topic into the mainstream. He also explains a call to action he uses in his speaking that you can too, plus plenty more on this episode of The Speaker Lab!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:   

  • What is System.ly and how does it work?
  • How can your audience interact with System.ly?
  • What’s the best way to start and grow your email list.
  • What are the next steps after you speak to an audience?
  • How to entice your audience to call you after email marketing.
  • How can you engage the audience through email long-term?
  • What is a master email list and how can you use it?
  • And much, much more! 

EPISODE RESOURCES

Jun 9, 2016

If you've considered creating your own online course but never pulled the trigger because it seemed too complicated then episode 70 is just what the doctor ordered! My friend and fellow mastermind member, Joseph Michael, is here to give us the inside secrets.

Joseph was a pretty typical 9 to 5 guy until he noticed a pain point in the marketplace:  Scrivener. Scrivener is a powerful writing software that most users initially found confusing and hard to use. Seeing so many struggle to implement the software he understood, Joseph created an online course and the rest is history.

On today's show, he joins us to share that history, his process of creating that course, how he helps others discover and promote courses for their audiences, and how to build a side income from online courses or a full-fledged business. Dig in with us on this episode of The Speaker Lab!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW

  • What makes a good online course, in terms of content?
  • Why do most people take a course?
  • What pieces should go into your online course?
  • Why it's important to know what your course's audience needs.
  • What steps should you take to create the course once you have your topic?
  • How much content should you include in your course?
  • The simplest way to create a video course, even if you aren't tech savvy.
  • How to create sales of your course, even if you don't have an email list.
  • And much, much more.

EPISODE RESOURCES

Jun 7, 2016

If I told you today's guest has had such notable clients as Michael Port and Seth Godin, would you be impressed and pay attention to what she has to say? If you said yes then get ready to tune in because that is exactly who our guest on episode 69 of The Speaker Lab has worked with.

Elizabeth Marshall helps thought leaders and people who want to be seen as thought leaders get their message out to the world. A major milestone came in 2006 when she helped Michael Port launch his acclaimed book: Book Yourself Solid.

And on today's show Elizabeth takes us back to that experience, how to keep a long-term perspective while building your audience and honing your message, as well as the 10 pieces you need to build a strong platform. Get ready to hear all of that and more on The Speaker Lab!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW

  • What is an example of an evergreen title and why is that important?
  • How can you develop your key message over time?
  • How to avoid wasting precious time, energy and money while developing that key message.
  • Why should you start with one piece of your content to build your audience?
  • How to stay connected to changes in your market, and why it's important.
  • When to focus on traditional media, and what to do first.
  • Why the size of the audience isn't as important as the quality of the audience.
  • What are the four ways to promote your book if you have a small platform?
  • And much, much more.

EPISODE RESOURCES

Jun 2, 2016

Many of us as speakers love what we do - so much so we'd consider doing it for free! But since we also need a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs and clothes on our back it's important to know how to negotiate fees for your speaking gigs.

On episode 68 of The Speaker Lab, I'll give you insights based on the lessons I've learned in my speaking career. I'll also get into if you should negotiate and exactly how to do so.

With that in mind I've also included the nine circumstances when it's okay to lower or discount your fees in today's show. Listen in for all of that and more on episode 68 of The Speaker Lab.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW

  • Should you ever put your fees on your web site?
  • Do you ever quote fees over email?
  • A simple trick to quoting your fees - even when you're nervous to do so.
  • What solutions are available for potential clients with smaller budgets?
  • How should you raise your fees?
  • What is fee integrity and how do you maintain it?
  • Should you ever walk away from a potential gig?
  • Should you ever speak simply for the "exposure"?
  • And much, much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

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