Professionally Speaking

NSA/NC September Meeting

September marks the start a new year of meetings for the Northern California Chapter of the National Speakers Association (NSA/NC). It kicked off with a "Wealthy Speaker Seminar" conducted by Jane Atkinson, who promised to share a "Proven Formula for Catapulting You To The Top 3%" of the speaking business. Jane reported that top speakers earn over $1 million annually.

Jane has been helping speakers grow their businesses for more than 18 years. As an agent for speakers, she has represented speaking super stars Vince Poscente, Joe Calloway and Peter Legge as well as best-selling authors and celebrities. A former vice president of International Speakers Bureau, Jane has seen the industry from many angles.

The Wealthy Speaker

Jane’s new book, The Wealthy Speaker: The Proven Formula for Building Your Successful Speaking Business details many of the tools she shared in the morning seminar.

These include:

Ready, Aim, Fire: first, get crystal-clear about what your expertise is; then roll out marketing materials that enable customers to find you; finally deliver your expertise to audiences from the podium.

Focus on your speech: "No fancy brochure or website can overcome a mediocre speech." Tips for creating a powerful speech include:

Use humor - once the endorphins kick in, the audience is more receptive to your message.

Be real, open and authentic.

Be congruent with your message, both on and off the platform.

Deliver a focused message with one main idea and three points.

Tell great stories - especially ones that are about the audience, not you.

Outline your speech: Pick one theme and a through-line. Would the message of the speech look good printed on a T-shirt? Does it have three main points and a hook to hang it on?

Ask, "Who do I need to become to take my speech to new heights?" It's all about positioning: become an expert first, a speaker second.

"Clients no longer want to hire speakers. They want to hire smart people who happen to speak."

Expertise - Topics - Revenue

Jane recommends that we each become an expert in one area we are are passionate about. This is the "lane" we travel in. Don't get stuck doing things we are merely good at. Find an area of expertise people will pay for. Choose this one area and develop a number of topics around it.

Ask "What do I need to become, to be the expert?" It might be focusing on a topic. It might be standing tall and stepping fully into the knowledge you already have.

In my case, my expertise is helping executives communicate effectively. The topics I've developed center on my services as a speechwriter. These services include writing one-time speeches for CEOs as well as company overview or Vision Pitch presentations delivered multiple times in the Executive Briefing Centers of major Silicon Valley companies. More recently, I've added topics involving Social Media and re-purposing a speech with podcasting. This allows asychronous communication of the speech outside the room in which it is delivered.

Jane suggests that we build revenue streams which flow from each of our topics. In my case, I have my consulting fees and more recently the recorded webinars, workbooks and clinics ranging in price from $39 - $499 available on Practical Social Networking.

Websites

Jane reminds us that a good website is a key requirement for a successful speaker. One-sheets are so last century. A good website clearly positions you and shares a promise (or brand) that will make the prospect curious about what it is that you offer. She recommended Rene Godefroy's and Keith Harrell's as great examples.

Podcast Interview

After the program ended I sat down with Jane and asked her what was the one piece of advice she would share with someone who wanted to become a wealthy speaker and make it into the top 3% of those in the business who make over $1 million a year. To hear what she told me, click on the podcast icon below.

Keynote Speaker, Author, and Singer

Diedra has made the incredible journey from orphan and "lost cause" to an honor-roll student and college graduate. Her journey of survival --through the adversity of growing up in an addiction-driven household, to the loss of her parents during high school -- has enabled her to be a living example that no young person has to be a victim of their circumstances.

Diedra has been speaking professionally since the age of 15. She has been recognized as a Global Young Leader by the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, and served as Miss Yuba-Sutter as well as Miss California-State.

Diedra is well known for her presentations to youth regarding "The Power of Choice" but also speaks for educators on a broad range of topics including a powerful collaborative keynote with award winning educator Dr. Arlene Kaiser. Kaiser and Wallis’ keynote gives an informative and meaningful look at the classroom from both a student and teacher’s perspective. Diedra also shares her personal journey of tragedy and triumph in an inspirational and unforgettable Christian program entitled "Faith Through Adversity."

Diedra is currently a full time student at California State University East Bay where she is a psychology major pursuing her life’s calling to be a drug counselor.

Pro-Track Profile

Diedra is also a participant in Northern California National Speakers Association 2009 Pro-Track class, where she says she has enjoyed taking her speaking career to the next level and has learned to think-outside-the box as a presenter. Diedra’ presentations have been described as vibrant and gritty. Her goal as a speaker is to combine real life experiences with practical tools that will leave you informed, affirmed, and strengthened. Diedra’s teachings are effective when applied in schools, work environments, service, and faith-based organizations.

For more information, please visit www.diedrawallis.com

To hear what Diedra had to tell me about her background, including her memories of the very first time she spoke to groups at an early age, click on the podcast icon below.

Donald R. Hunter has been totally blind since seven due to a medication reaction to sulfa drugs. He has been a CEO, consultant, product marketing manager, software developer, public speaker, and financial planner during the past two decades of his corporate and entrepreneurial career.

Donald has a burning passion for helping business owners get control over financial matters in their firms so that he can help them grow their business through financing and raising capital from investors.

People who hear him speak from the platform often say that Donald is the "professor of finance" because his speaking style is more from the college lecture genre. Donald is currently a certified financial planner and the CEO of his commercial finance company - Donald Hunter Financial. He has a masters of business administration from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Donald speaks to chamber groups and financial planning and real estate associations, and helps real estate and other financial professionals understand how commercial finance guidelines and programs work for their clients.

You can contact Donald via email at [email protected] or by calling 877-905-0258.

To hear a podcast interview with Donald, click on the icon below.

Continuing my investigation of the NSA Vendor fair I talked with Tracy Penwell who sells handbags under the name Dressed Up Cat.

Her one-of-a-kind bags are created from "found" bags & objects. The bags are all made from recycled components, Penwell says, and in 2008, she was a finalist for "Best Green Handbag" in the Independent Handbag Designers Awards. She was also a 2008 nominee for the People’s Choice Design Award from the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.

To hear what she had to tell me about her bags, and why professional speakers are a good market for her, click on the podcast icon below.

NSA Exhibit Area

As with many large conventions, the National Speakers Association gathering has an exhibit area where vendors sell everything from self-publishing solutions to, well, handbags and jewelry.

Speakers have to look good on stage and off.

I took the opportunity to ask a couple of the vendors about the goods they sell and why they come to exhibit at NSA.

Illusion Jewlry

Patricia Carbeery has been working with glass for over 25 years.

She finds working with hot glass is very direct and immediate—the ever changing rainbow of color and light while working with dichroic, metals, powders, as well as the glass, continues to fascinate.

She creates her own beads using the ancient technique of lampworking. To make each bead, she melts glass in an oxygen propane flame at temperatures in exces of 2000° F. She then anneal the beads in a kiln for five hours or more. All her designs are unique—incorporting her handmade lampworked beads, Swarovski crystals, silver from Bali, and freshwater pearls.

Her work can be found at The Phoenix Art Museum and The Bead Museum in Glendale, as well as several fine stores.

To hear what Patricia told me about her jewelry, click on the podcast icon below.

Ellen Taliaferro, MD (aka Dr T) is a recovering emergency physician now serving as the Medical Director of the San Mateo Medical Center Keller Center for Family Violence Intervention in San Mateo, CA.

Using her background in emergency medicine, stress management, and writing, she has created a program called Healing the Wound Within with a personal Writing Practice Prescription.

In addition, she continues to speak on Domestic Violence As A Health Issue and The Medical Aspects Of Manual Strangulation As A Form Domestic Violence Assault.

Dr T grew up in Will Rogers country and loves country humor. She sees herself as a true Okie: "Sooner born, Sooner bred, and when I die I’m California dead." Of note, she finished her clinical career at UTSW medical school and Parkland Hospital. While there, the Dallas Morning News named her as one of the 100 most influential Texas women — an amazing feat for an Okie.

Pro-Track Profile

Dr. T. is a professional member of the National Speakers Association. She's also a Board Member of the Northern California Chapter. Ellen is one of a growing number of established members who have enrolled in the 2009 Pro-Track class in order to take their career to the next level.

To hear what Dr. T has to say about professional speaking, well writing and Pro-Track, click on the podcast icon below.

I spent the day at the Women In Technology International (WITI) 20th Anniversary conference in Santa Clara.

One of the exhibitors was Pat Lynch, CEO and Editor in Chief of Women's Radio, an online media and education network which carries podcasts on a wide variety of topics: business, relationships, lifestyle and politics.

Women's Radio uses a unique podcast and video hosting service called Audio Acrobat. This allows anyone to record, publish and stream audio and video. Uses include radio shows, podcasts, multimedia email, video and more.

I took the opportunity to ask Pat about Women's Radio and Audio Acrobat. Joining in the conversation, Wendy Wallbridge from On Your Mark Coach discusses how she uses Audio Acrobat to host her own video and podcasts.

To hear what Pat and Wendy shared with me, click on the podcast icon below.

Back in August 2008 I wrote a long review of the Magcloud print-on-demand publishing solution from HP Labs.

Since then I've helped produce a number of editions of Professionally Speaking for our local National Speakers Association (NSA) chapter as well as a magazine for my wife's College Admissions Counseling business.

I was recently invited by Dick Bruso of the Writers and Publishers Professional Expert Group (PEG) of NSA to deliver a one-hour teleseminar on Magcloud. The teleseminar was given on May 21, 2009.

The teleseminar covered three areas:

A background on printing on demand for magazine publishers

The mechanics of producing your own magazine for free

Some examples and my own experience of the time and effort involved.

Websites referenced in my talk

Magcloud

Professionally Speaking

Georgia Speaker

Step Into College

Two Words

Issuu

To hear the teleseminar click on the podcast icon below. Since this is a 55 minute recording you may prefer to Download and listen at your convenience.

Dr. Ronna Phifer-Ritchie has been a coach, consultant, professor, public speaker/workshop leader, and author during the past two decades of her career.

Ronna has a formidable passion for helping individuals broaden and optimize personality style as a developmental pathway to true spiritual, relational, and professional progress.

Because Ronna is a specialist in the professional application of the Enneagram, her colleagues have nicknamed her the EnneaGal. Ronna is a certified Riso-Hudson Enneagram Institute Teacher, as well as a Faculty Trainee and Authorized Workshop Presenter for the Enneagram Institute in New York. She is an International Enneagram Association Accredited Enneagram Teacher and a member of the editorial committee for the IEA Professional Journal.

Ronna is the project manager and assistant writer for the current Riso-Hudson book project on the Enneagram of Personality and relationships, the author of the monthly e-newsletter Elements of Style: Type Talk with the EnneaGal , and has been a technical writer for other Enneagram publications.

She is a graduate of the Enneagram in Business Train-the-Trainers Program and a candidate for professional certification in the Meyers Briggs Type Inventory. She is a researcher in early Christian Studies and their connections to personality science.

Ronna has been an Enneagram Relationship Coach for four years, and served for two years as the VP of Training & Development for the Center for Relationship/Silicon Valley.

She delights in cultivating relational resilience in organizations, groups, teams, couples and families that are facing interpersonal challenge and transition. She has completed advanced studies in group dynamics and professional mediation.

Ronna is a professional member of the Christian Association for Psychological Studies and the International Enneagram Association. She is an ICF certified life coach. In her spare time, Ronna is an amateur competitive swing and hustle dancer, godmother to the very special niece, and the wife of David Ritchie, a Bay Area musician.

I caught up with Ronna at a recent Northern California National Speakers Association meeting and asked her to explain the background on the Enneagram. To hear what she told me, click on the podcast icon below.

Pat Obuchowski is the CEO (Chief Empowerment Officer) of inVisionaria, a seven year old leadership, team and life coaching organization. She helps clients achieve their vision on both a professional and personal level by sharpening their leadership, interpersonal, coaching, presentation and organization skills. She coaches for results.

Most recently she served as an internal Lead Leadership Coach with Pacific Gas & Electric Company where she coached corporate leaders and teams to be more impactful and productive. Her special talent includes accelerating the learning and integration of organizational leaders and teams into new roles brought about by transitions, such as promotion, transfer, growth, mergers or acquisitions. She believes people are more fulfilled by mastering their strengths and managing their weaknesses.

Creative Vision Statements

She is a Certified Professional Co-active Coach through the Coaches Training Institute and completed their Co-Active Leadership and Leadership Mastery course. She is a leader for Vision Statement work

and a Bigger Game coach, workshop and certification leader.

Pat created the 2008 Vision Statement Movie for NSA Northern California.

Pro-Track Profile

What differentiates Pat from others in the coaching field is her operational experience in working at all levels and in all aspects of business. This experience provides her with a 360 degree understanding of business systems, leadership impact, and organizational politics. She helps people create plans that inspire and then coach them in the implementation of these plans.

She is a community activist who most recently served on the Executive Board of the Silicon Valley Coach Federation. She currently serves as a Global Board Member for the International Coach Federation.

I spoke with Pat about the status of her current projects and what attracted her to the NSA Northern California Pro-Track program. To hear what she told me, click on the podcast icon below.