In this candid episode of the SpeakersU Podcast, James Taylor and Maria Franzoni tackle one of the most dangerous traps for professional speakers — ego. While confidence is essential to step on stage, unchecked ego can sabotage client relationships, damage reputations, and even end careers.

Maria shares shocking true stories of "speakers behaving badly," from diva demands and drunken disasters to midnight tantrums over hotel rooms. James reveals how cultural differences, gender perceptions, and even microphone preferences can blur the line between professionalism and arrogance. Together they explore how to stay grounded, easy to work with, and respected — even when success and attention start to inflate your self-image.

If you've ever wondered where confidence ends and ego begins, this episode offers hard-won lessons, cautionary tales, and practical ways to keep your feet firmly on the ground.

Key Takeaways

• Confidence ≠ arrogance – A healthy ego gets you on stage; an inflated one gets you blacklisted.

• Be easy to work with – Kindness to AV teams, organisers, and staff is remembered (and shared).

• Do your own briefing calls – Never outsource relationships that build trust with clients.

• Ego destroys reputations fast – Word travels quickly among bureaus and event planners.

• Cultural context matters – What reads as confidence in the US may look like arrogance in the UK.

• Boundaries vs. bad behaviour – Riders and technical requests are professionalism, not ego.

• Stay grounded – Family check-ins, gratitude, and humility keep you level when success rises.

Memorable Quotes

• "Speakers need ego to get on stage — but when it tips into arrogance, it can destroy your career." – Maria Franzoni

• "Our job is to be champions for our craft, not divas of the greenroom." – James Taylor

• "Do your own briefing calls — if Neil Armstrong could, so can you." – Maria Franzoni

• "Confidence is caring about the craft; ego is caring only about yourself." – James Taylor

• "You can't control how others treat you, but you can control how you treat everyone around you." – Maria Franzoni

Episode Timestamps

• 00:00 – Welcome and playful banter about podcast "coolness"

• 01:20 – Why ego deserves its own chapter in The Bookability Formula

• 03:07 – When ego makes speakers inflexible on stage timings

• 04:18 – The ripple effect of bad behaviour on AV and event teams

• 06:29 – How negative energy travels fast between events and bureaus

• 07:15 – "Speakers behaving badly" – examples from Maria's agency days

• 09:07 – Do your own briefing calls (and why Neil Armstrong did his)

• 10:45 – Cultural and gender differences in how ego is perceived

• 12:13 – When high standards aren't arrogance but professionalism

• 13:20 – Midnight hotel tantrums and balcony meltdowns

• 14:08 – Respect the client's exhaustion – empathy over entitlement

• 16:42 – Drunken speeches and recycled stories: reputations ruined

• 18:04 – Tracking your material to avoid repetition and mistakes

• 19:44 – Cultural nuances: big intros that work in the US flop in Europe

• 20:24 – Crossing ethical lines: relationships and reputation at events

• 21:56 – Zig Ziglar's "five calls a day" rule to stay grounded

• 23:20 – Tips & tools of the week: elected-office speaking practice and portable AI recorders

• 27:25 – Future of AI speaker assistants — "Digital Maria Franzoni?"

• 27:52 – Wrap-up, humour, and listener invitation

Have a question or story for James and Maria? Email: [email protected]