The Speaker Lab Podcast

"You need to believe in yourself and you need to understand that you are validated in what you're wanting to charge."

In this edition of our Student Highlight series, Brittany Richmond sat down with TedX speaker and education thought leader Dr. India White to talk about what it takes to build a speaking business and the tangible, practical things Dr. White did to take hers to the next level. 

"Work with them through that process until they say, okay, now let's get the contract going. Are you going to send it? Do you want mine? What do you want? Right. And then you go from there."

This episode is filled with: 

• Hard truths about building a speaking business 
• Practical knowledge and problem-solving to help you work through the hard things 
• Implementable changes to help you level up 
• Expert advice from people a few steps ahead of you to achieve your dreams 
• Tips on negotiating contracts
• Guidance on building solid relationships both with the audience and the event decision-makers 

"At the end of my conferences, I always have a QR code where I gather the people's name information and I ask, how did you like this? What did you want to learn from this? Is there anything you can add to this?"

Episode Chapters:

• 05:16 How to align with your purpose and do work that changes lives
• 09:16 Why TSL and what was your hope when you made this investment?
• 14:25 What was your purpose in stepping into this space?
• 17:33 The best part about being a speaker
• 18:59 Underrated speaking advice to help you grow faster
• 25:25 Negotiating tips to help you get better contracts
• 28:17 How to capture post event feedback from attendees and build a relationship with event planners 
• 31:32 Why brand building matters and how it shows up in other places off the stage 
• 35:26 Tweaking your talk when the event timeline is thrown off

Episode Resources:

• Dr. India's Website
• Connect with Dr. India on LinkedIn
• Watch her TedX Talk on Grit
• Get Free Speaker Resources
• Book a Call with The Speaker Lab
• Calculate Your Speaking Fee
• Join The Speaker Lab Community on Facebook
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“If something scares you, you should probably do it."

Grant sits down with Dave Allred to talk about how speaking can help you expand your comfort zone, create opportunities, and unlock potential in your life to achieve your goals. If you have thought about using speaking as a means to magnify and expand the impact of your legacy, this episode is for you. 

“My primary goal, Grant, when I get on stage, I always try to ask myself this question over and over as I'm preparing as well as when I walk on the stage, is just how can I create maximum value for the audience? That's where I found the best success, man, because you're really focusing on how you can create and serve the audience, and it's always going to come back full circle to you."

In this episode Grant and Dave cover: 

• Dave’s story and how he got into speaking 
• How to stay top of mind and build a reputation as a speaker 
• Practical tips for bridging the gap between relationship building and pitching 
• What it looks like to bet on yourself and achieve big goals 
• How to get started when something is new and/or intimidating
• And more! 

“My advice would be, is to just dive in headfirst and again, take every single speaking opportunity that you can, even if it's for free, even if you have to pay for the flight or the hotel and whatnot, just go and do it.”

Episode Chapters: 

• 02:20 Tell us about who you are and what you want in life
• 06:26 What’s your backstory look like and how did you find speaking
• 11:05 Speaking was a tool that allowed you to attract capital. What did that look like?
• 14:51 What kind of results do you expect from speaking gigs?
• 18:15 Being active on social media is an important part of brand building and creating opportunities
• 21:30 The criteria Dave uses to asses if gigs are worth it
• 24:45 Using speaking to build strong relationships and create value for people who matter as a way to measure impact 
• 27:24 What do you do it capture the leads in a room to keep a conversation going?
• 31:24 How should someone get into speaking?

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"I think it's important for speakers to be aware of it, to understand it, not be the type of speaker who's yelling at clouds like, no, I'm going to avoid this. When used in appropriate context, it can make so many things so much easier. But the challenge, like with any new technology, is really understanding what appropriate means and really understanding the boundaries of how it can help you, but then also being self aware enough to go, maybe this is where it doesn't help me."

In this edition of Coaches Corner, we're digging into AI with Maryalice Goldsmith and Jeremy Rochford. This episode is a great addition to the show because they dig into leveraging AI to help you create great content. 

"ChatGPT can start the conversation, but we, as the creators, need to end the conversation. We need to take, if we're using ChatGPT, whatever it gives us, and then go, how would I say this to my tribe? How would I say this to my people?"

In this episode, Jeremy and Maryalice cover: 

• How to think about using AI to develop your content as a speaker
• Practical tips for using AI to create great content 
• Patterns we see in our students who have heavily relied on AI to write their talks 
• The pros and cons of using AI tools as a speaker
• Things to watch out for using ChatGPT and other AI tools
• Best practices for using AI as a piece of the creative process 

"I feel like this AI is the industrial revolution for entrepreneurs. I feel like we'll look back 25 years from now and we'll go, this is where so much of this was made possible."

Episode Chapters:

• 02:20 What is ChatGPT?
• 09:15 Why are we talking about ChatGPT on the podcast?
• 12:40 Why Chat GPT can start the conversation and help you develop it, but can’t do everything
• 22:23 Why you should choose your language carefully so it deeply resonates with your audience.
• 28:22 Other uses for Chat GPT
• 29:18 Final thoughts on how to leverage it as a tool, not a done for you service.
• 33:38 Why you have to build your talk on your own terms for it to work for you

Episode Resources:

• Get Free Speaker Resources
• Book a Call with The Speaker Lab
• Calculate Your Speaking Fee
• Join The Speaker Lab Community on Facebook
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

Editor's Note: This episode was recorded several weeks ago before recent events involving OpenAI had taken place.

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"Speaking is a platform to share a message and a story that could transform somebody's life."

This week, Grant is joined by Dan Martell to talk about how to create a nontraditional speaking career. For Dan, speaking isn’t about the money. It’s a way to spread his message and impact lives. Want to leverage your speaking to create long-term value and develop strong relationships? This is the episode for you.

"If you ever have the opportunity to get on a stage to communicate to other people, you better bring your A game. Because he said that is the highest honor ever."

In this episode, Grant and Dan cover how to: 

• Leverage platforms to share your message 
• Create a speaking career that isn’t your sole income 
• Use speaking for brand building 
• Find your niche and speak for impact to the audiences you resonate with the most 
• Get better at speaking with repetition
• Play to your strengths as a speaker 
• Assess the intangible benefits of a speaking career 

"I you have the honor and the privilege of getting on a stage, you should decide to be world class at that craft, and doing the reps is part of it."

Episode Chapters:

• [00:03:59] When did Dan start coding and why?
• [00:05:22] What mindset do you bring to the speaking events you take?
• [00:07:45] How to build your confidence as a speaker.
• [00:13:57] Dan’s thoughts on structuring a talk. 
• [00:19:38] Using speaking to build a brand vs it being the “product” you sell. 
• [00:21:47] Creating content for the brand through your daily actions. 
• [00:24:02] What it looks like to use your empire to change lives.
• [00:30:16] The importance of testing content and staying agile.
• [00:31:05] How to play bigger in the marketing/branding space 
• [00:35:11] Balancing Dan’s schedule and buying back his time. 

Episode Resources:

• Connect with Dan on his website 
• Follow Dan on Instagram 
• Watch Dan’s Youtube channel 
• Get Free Speaker Resources
• Book a Call with The Speaker Lab
• Calculate Your Speaking Fee
• Join The Speaker Lab Community on Facebook
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“So I just cracked six figures in seven months? In seven months.”

Grant is joined on the podcast this week by Dr Reggie Wright to talk about how he scaled his speaking business in 7 months. Reggie shares his background and his story, but more important digs into what really allowed him to step into this calling as a speaker with confidence.

“Preparation breeds confidence. I just want to be prepared. And I just thought about it, like, as an athlete, right. I just want to go into the game being prepared for the game. Let the chips fall where they may. So that's what I did.”

In this episode, Grant and Reggie dig into: 

• How to leverage your story to connect with audiences 
• What it looks like to put in the work to chase your dreams 
• A detailed look at Reggie’s schedule while he launched his business 
• What it looks like to commit to making an impact on the world around you 
• How to use your message to drive your focus when the path is unclear 
• Why it’s important to be prepared even if you’re not in the game yet 

“I was confident in my ability to speak in terms of being on a stage. I knew that I still had a lot of work to do in terms of crafting my speech, in terms of the intro and the transitioning and all that kind of stuff. But in terms of the business side of it, combining both of them together, I just looked at it like going to school. I need to start playing a sport. I need to start up the basics. Let me learn how to dribble with my right hand. Let me learn how to drill my left hand.”

Episode Chapters: 

• [00:00:44] What do you speak on?
• [00:03:57] What’s your background?
• [00:08:07] You happened upon a keynote opportunity, tell us how that happened. 
• [00:10:40] How did that keynote go and what were you feeling after it? 
• [00:15:58] What was on your mind when it came to building a speaking business? 
• [00:17:44] You started this journey with self education, what did you learn in this phase? 
• [00:19:45] What was the learning curve like for you to step into this world? 
• [00:24:30] What kind of impact are you hoping to leave on the world? 
• [00:29:00] What are your biggest lessons learned in pursuing this journey? 
• [00:31:51] How did you set your expectations to create a success story in your life? 
• [00:34:26] Our biggest pet peeve when it comes to new speakers.

Episode Resources: 

• Connect with Reggie on LinkedIn
• Visit Reggie’s Website 
• Get Free Speaker Resources
• Book a Call with The Speaker Lab
• Calculate Your Speaking Fee
• Join The Speaker Lab Community on Facebook
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"History doesn't repeat itself. It's just that humans tend to do the same thing in patterns even if 20 or 40 or 50 years ago they did the exact same thing when faced with the same inputs."

This week on the podcast, Grant sat down with Dominique Luster, a TSL alum and a professional speaker in the DEI space. Dominique’s speaking career started somewhat naturally as she was on a mission to share the history of minorities through working in the museum/education space for years before she was asked to do a TED talk. 

“Any project or organization that comes to the table with the same feelings and beliefs that history is not passive and that African American history matters and should be uplifted and shared and preserved and told just like anything else."

In this episode, Dominique and Grant dig into: 

• How Dominique got into speaking 
• Figuring out what makes you unique and what your niche can be in the speaking world 
• How to find DEI gigs and leverage your network 
• What it looks like to get creative and find places to share your message 
• Learning how to leverage her impact when it comes to seeking out gigs 
• The ongoing symbiotic relationship of her speaking and consulting businesses growing together 
• What Dominique thinks the future of the DEI space holds for speakers and thought leaders 

"I think the future of DEI is just becoming a part of what we do, a part of being a better world, about being a more mindful and care giving world, is just expanding it out so that it isn't so separate all the time."

Episode Chapters:

• [00:03:07] Dominique’s background from Theather to Archival work and beyond
• [00:06:37] Speaking for work all the time and being asked to present a TEDx Talk
• [00:10:47] Are the opportunities in the DEI field limited?
• [00:13:32] How Dominique got into speaking in the university space
• [00:17:15] Who to approach when trying to get booked as a DEI speaker 
• [00:21:54] How the DEI space is continuously growing and changing
• [00:27:27] What does the future of the DEI space hold?
• [00:29:46] Where can you find new opportunities and connections
• [00:32:31] Places to connect with Dominique online

Episode Resources:

• Connect with Dominique on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Dominique’s work
• Get Free Speaker Resources
• Book a Call with The Speaker Lab
• Calculate Your Speaking Fee
• Join The Speaker Lab Community on Facebook
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"And it's interesting because our self talk starts at the very beginning of our day. So the minute you become conscious before, sometimes you even open your eyes, what's your first thought? Right? Is it something positive? Or is it like, oh, my back is killing me. Well, guess what? That is the underlying tone and theme for the rest of your day."

Maryalice is back on the podcast with another one of our awesome coaches. This week, we’re welcoming Angie Besignano for her first time on the podcast. Maryalice and Angie run through her background and then dig into one of Angie’s areas of expertise, energy management. 

"We need to treat our energy and our energetic goals as intentionally as we do our business goals."

If you’re unsure what energy management is or how to regulate and audit the amount of energy you need to create success. In this episode, Maryalice and Angie talk about:

• The 4 types of energy 
• How the energy types are connected and they work together to impact your life
• Regulating and auditing your energy 
• What goes into protecting your energy and your priorities 
• How to develop better habits regarding your energy 
• Why protecting your energy leads to more success 
• Maintain a steady energy level when good and bad things happen 

"Do it, do it for 14 days and then tell me how do you feel then and now? And hands down, it's like, I can't believe this being big miracle happened. Like, I can't believe I feel so much better."

Episode Chapters: 

• [00:03:48] Why is energy is fundamental to a balanced life.
• [00:09:41] How the 4 energies are connected. 
• [00:12:52] How to approach balancing your energy. 
• [00:14:14] What to look for and prioritize when you get busy. 
• [00:19:40] How to begin regulating your energy.
• [00:23:51] What it looks like to create compounding habits for energy success.
• [00:26:09] Developing awareness to the interconnectedness of the 4 energies. 
• [00:29:31] Use the tools you have to leverage your power.
• [00:34:42] Delegate energy-draining tasks to protect growth.
• [00:38:22] Learn how to prioritze selfcare.
• [00:40:03] Your energy compounds, positively or negatively, you get to decide.

Episode Resources:

• Get Free Speaker Resources
• Book a Call with The Speaker Lab
• Calculate Your Speaking Fee
• Join The Speaker Lab Community on Facebook
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"The key to a great demo video is showcasing your best work and highlighting your strengths. It should effectively demonstrate your skills, talent, and unique qualities in a concise and captivating manner."

Demo videos are mission-critical to getting booked and paid as a professional speaker. Today, Grant sat down with Shawn Hanks. Shawn is the CEO of the Premiere Speakers Bureau, and he knows a few things about speaker marketing, demo videos, and how to create a stand-out product. 

“A demo video helps to mitigate and reduce that risk for an event planner to say, no, I feel comfortable and confident hiring this speaker and putting them on stage, putting my reputation on the line as the event planner to report to my committee or board or boss or whoever it may be."

Grant and Shawn dig into:

• Why you need a strong demo video 
• How to create a GREAT demo video 
• The key idea and formula that something memorable 
• What you should be spending on your demo video 
• The perceptions that go into the setting/image of your video 
• What NOT to do in a demo video 
• The ideal length of a sizzle reel 
• What makes a sizzle reel and a demo video different 

Episode Chapters: 

• [00:02:19] Why a demo video essential for booking paid speaking gigs
• [00:04:42] How to make your video stand out by including powerful moments and crowd response
• [00:09:29] Why short, impactful videos capture audience attention best.
• [00:12:24] Why you should keep videos 8-10 minutes, highlight interesting content in first 30 seconds
• [00:17:03] How to use videos to showcase expertise, captivating stories, and positive testimonies
• [00:21:12] How impressive speaker videos have set new standards
• [00:23:08] Why your talking head footage needs to have punch
• [00:27:59] How to make sure your video progress reflects personal and professional growth
• [00:33:37] Why hard work pays off in a thriving events industry

Episode Resources:

• Connect with Shawn
• Learn more about Premire Speakers
• Get Free Speaker Resources
• Book a Call with The Speaker Lab
• Calculate Your Speaking Fee
• Join The Speaker Lab Community on Facebook
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"There were two modules that were particularly helpful for me...The module about preparing your talk was really helpful...It helped me fill in stories where I needed to fill in a story and applications for real-life examples...And then the other part was the last module, Know When to Scale...That last module helped me really make sense of it all."

Dr. Peggy DeLong joins Maryalice Goldsmith on the podcast this week to talk about her journey to The Speaker Lab and what she’s accomplished since beginning her speaking career. Together, they dig into what Dr. Peggy speaks about, how she found her niche, and what pushed her to take the next step to grow her business. 

"Well, a couple of things came together at perfect timing. Actually three things. Two opportunities literally fell in my lap. I've been a speaker for 20 years, often speaking for free, lots of different reasons and not making much movement. And then all of a sudden, the largest audience opportunity came my way without pitching, and the largest fee came my way. So I thought I really better level up my game."

In this episode, they talk about: 

• The impact of gratitude on your bad days 
• Gaining clarity through the programming and resources TSL has 
• How Peggy structures her talks and her message 
• The power of finding your niche 
• When Peggy fits in her Daily Power Hour
• Learning how to say no to things that are good not great 
• How Peggy takes care of herself so she can take care of everyone else the way she does 
• The ins and outs of Peggy’s Pre Talk routine 

"I teach methods like gratitude and other things that feel good while we're doing them. So it's not a chore. You can actually look forward to doing these things, and when you do them on a regular basis, you are setting yourself up for positive mental health in the future."

Episode Chapters:

[00:04:20] Where did you find Gratitude?

[00:07:57] Brain psychology of habits and why changing your thoughts can change your life?

[00:11:38] What aligned to make you take the jump?

[00:15:55] What helped you grow the most in the program? 

[00:18:08] Where is your speaking business taking you?

[00:21:03] What is your framework for mental health?

[00:23:13] What do your talks center around?

[00:28:25] What does your schedule look like to build your business every day?

[00:30:29] What was your biggest lesson to learn in the program? 

[00:33:48] What is your pre-talk routine?

Episode Resources: 

• Connect with Peggy on Linkedin
• Explore Peggy’s Website
• Buy Peggy’s Books 
• Get Free Speaker Resources
• Book a Call with The Speaker Lab
• Calculate Your Speaking Fee
• Join The Speaker Lab Community on Facebook
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"AI enhances my creativity and helps me explore new ideas. From AI-generated music and artwork to machine learning algorithms that assist in brainstorming and content creation, it has become an invaluable tool in my creative process."

Today, Grant sat down with Lauren Teague to chat about her speaking business and how she uses AI as a work partner to maximize her time, increase her creative output, and scale the amount of work she’s putting in to create great pieces of content. 

"It's like the most valuable intern that you could hire in that most capable, but you have to be extremely specific and good at delegation in order to get the most out of it."

In today’s episode, Grant and Lauren dig into: 

• Lauren’s background in speaking 
• Why content matters when you’re building a brand 
• How to leverage AI to help you create more content 
• What Lauren uses AI for in her everyday life 
• How AI can help you scale the amount of content you ship 
• What AI tools are currently on the market, and what they do 
• The difference between queries and prompting 
• What makes a strong prompt 
• And more! 

"AI is both new and old. It's new in the sense that we're seeing advancements and applications that we couldn't have imagined even a few years ago. But it's also old because the concept of machines being able to mimic human intelligence has been around for decades. It's fascinating to see how far we've come, but also humbling to realize that we're still just scratching the surface of what AI can do."

If you’ve been thinking about implementing AI into your business and your everyday life, this could be a great episode to help you unlock the potential and explore tactical use cases. 

"Technology doesn't take away the human element, it enhances it. And I think that's what I've experienced personally with using tools like PICTORY and Castmagic. It's not about replacing me as a speaker, it's about amplifying my message and reaching a wider audience."

Episode Chapters:

• [00:01:41] Lauren’s speaking background.
• [00:04:48] AI is ubiquitous and revolutionizing technology.
• [00:09:27] AI predictions for the future.
• [00:13:28] What is AI, and how does it create content?
• [00:16:34] What different types of AI models are out there?
• [00:21:02] What is prompting, and what makes a good prompt? 
• [00:26:37] Popular AI tools for video editing, writing, and imagery.
• [00:31:25] What is the future of AI and content in regard to how we consume it? 
• [00:33:53] Other AI that are useful and exciting.

Episode Resources: 

• Lauren’s Website
• Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn
• Lauren’s Podcast - Brand to Fan
• Lauren’s Brand - FanWagn 
• Get Free Speaker Resources
• Book a Call with The Speaker Lab
• Calculate Your Speaking Fee
• Join The Speaker Lab Community on Facebook
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.