The Speaker Lab Podcast

Speaking part-time to grow your full-time business can be a surefire way to expand your reach, maximize your impact and your bottom line. Our guest is a living example of this and she joins us to share her journey.

Liz Bohannon is a very successful keynote speaker but speaking itself is secondary to her full-time gig. Primarily, she is the founder and CEO of a lifestyle jewelry company called Sseko Designs.

On today’s The Speaker Lab, she tells us how speaking moves the needle of her lifestyle business and whether she is representing herself when she speaks or her business. We finish with what value there is in experiences themselves, including one of the riskiest and craziest stories you may ever hear!

Listen in to hear that story along with her passion, energy and insights on episode 303 with Liz Bohannon.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:

• How do you harness the power of your own stories?
• How to translate your personal experiences into topics for your audience.
• Why sharing your message is an act of service to others.
• When does she speak on behalf of herself and when does she speak on behalf of Sseko?
• What questions should you ask to pinpoint the best speaking events for your business?
• Should you build your business and your service for one person?
• What do we need instead of more content?
• Why you should give yourself time to let the "wow" set in, before the "how".
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Liz Bohannon's web site
• Sseko Design's web site
• Beginner's Pluck, by Liz Bohannon
• Liz Bohannon on Twitter
• Liz Bohannon on Instagram
• 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.

Stories are one of the most important tools for any speaker. So how do you tell stories that stick long after you've finished speaking? Our guest has the answer. Kindra Hall is a renowned speaker and author who is here to talk all things storytelling.

On today's episode of The Speaker Lab, Kindra and I talk about storytelling for speakers, whether to use first person or third person and how to ensure your stories are built around your audience.

There's so much great content on this show so be sure to join us and hear it all on the 302nd edition of The Speaker Lab!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:

• How do you recognize when you're in the middle of a story?
• What are the three reasons stories are so valuable to a speaker?
• What parts of your speech should be illustrated with stories?
• Is there a right balance of stories to include in your speech?
• Does every story need to have an action item?
• How do you use a bystander story effectively?
• What makes a timeless story versus a time-sensitive story?
• How to use social media to develop a story.
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Kindra Hall's web site
• Stories That Stick, by Kindra Hall
• Kindra Hall on Instagram
• Kindra Hall on Twitter
• 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.

Ryan Giffen is an agent at Premiere Speakers Bureau and he's here to give us an update on the current state of the speaking industry.

He's been an agent for over a decade. While he's joined us in the past to talk about education and working in a speakers bureau, on today's show he's going to tell us what he's seeing on the front lines right now in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ryan works with speakers and event planners on a daily basis so he has his finger on the pulse of the industry. Listen in to hear his perspective and much more on episode 301 of The Speaker Lab!

 THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:

• How are the different markets responding to the current pandemic?
• Are certain avenues opening up more than others right now?
• What kind of flexibility will you need as a speaker?
• How do you need to prep differently for virtual speaking?
• How can you tier your fees for virtual gigs?
• Is virtual just a stop gap until we can get back to in-person events or is it the new normal?
• When do you need to readjust your pricing?
• Why you should focus on how your content can add value in different ways.
• And so much more!

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.

Don't quit your day job to start a speaking career. Begin building your speaking business on the side.

During this Speaking Workshop, We Cover:

• The 7 things you must clarify from the outset
• Where to spend your time and money as you get started (and where not to)
• The one thing you CANNOT do while trying to grow your speaking business
• Why not all full-time jobs are created equal
• Why your plan should take into consideration the type of boss you have
• The change levers you can pull to set yourself up for success
• Live Q&A at the end with Grant and Erick

We answer the following questions:

• Which one of the 4 full-time job types are you in?
• Which one of the 4 types of bosses do you have? (This is a fun one to answer.)
• Which one of the 3 life phases are you in?
• Which one of the 4 career phases are you in?
• Which one of these 4 financial situations sounds closest to yours?
• What are your speaking goals? (We’ll help you make some if you don’t have any!)
• What changes are you truly willing to make?

Schedule Your 1:1 Strategy Session Today: https://thespeakerlab.com/call/

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

Three amazing students join us for this very special 300th episode of The Speaker Lab!

All three of our guests today are students of The Speaker Lab and they crushing it. They are here to share their insights, wisdom and secrets to success. Going forward we're going to be sharing more students' stories on bonus episodes so be sure to join us for their stories.

And we've got a huge giveaway in honor of episode 300 and to thank you for being a listener! The grand prize winner receives free enrollment in our new program: Virtual Speaking Pro. This person will also receive five of my favorite speaking books, plus a free copy of my book, The Successful Speaker, and a free one-hour one on one coaching call with me. Want to enter? Go here!

Even if you don't win the grand prize, you might one of the lucky five runner up winners! Each of those winners will receive a copy of my book and a one-hour group coaching call with me and Erick Rheam (our Director of Education at The Speaker Lab). You can enter right now.

 THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:

• Why it matters what you are saying to yourself.
• Does everyone battle self-doubt?
• When do you need a coach?
• How long does it take to see results?
• Why you must pick a lane, even if your topic appeals to all audiences.
• How each of these speakers have pivoted during the pandemic.
• Why you need to get reps, and how to do it.
• How do you approach speaking for the long game that it is?
• And so much more!
• Celebrate our 300th episode with us by entering this giveaway!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Kate Garnes' web site
• Kate Garnes on Twitter
• Email Kate Garnes
• Daniel Lantis' web site
• Daniel Lantis on Twitter
• Jake Thompson's web site
• Jake Thompson on Twitter
• Email Jake
• Episode 300 Giveaway
• 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.

One area we haven't touched on is how to be a corporate trainer, my friend Michael Bungay Stanier is here to change that!

Michael is a well-established keynote speaker and corporate trainer. On today's The Speaker Lab, we talk about what topics work in this industry, positioning yourself versus positioning a product/program, and who hires corporate trainers.

We have a lot of fun during this informative and practical conversation with Michael, so please join us for episode 299 of The Speaker Lab!

 THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:

• What's the distinction between selling yourself versus a product?
• Why you need standards if you are going to scale.
• How to define "good enough" and why you must.
• Are there both prizes and punishments to scalability?
• Can you dabble with having other people speak for you?
• What are the three delivery models and what do they entail?
• How should you determine your fees?
• When do you charge per participant?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Michael Bungay Stanier's web site
• Box of Crayons web site
• The Coaching Habit, by Michael Bungay Stanier
• Michael Bungay Stanier's other books
• Michael Bungay Stanier on Twitter
• 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.

We talk about relationships but what about building relationships through giving gifts? What are the dos and don'ts of successful gift-giving? Here to tell us is gifting expert, best-selling author and keynote speaker John Ruhlin.

On today's episode of The Speaker Lab, John tells us who to give gifts to, when to give gifts, and how to reframe gift-giving as an investment versus just another line item expense.

You'll hear those topics plus a few great gifting stories on this edition of The Speaker Lab.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:

• How to show appreciation even during a pandemic.
• Why gifting is the purple cow of business.
• Why doesn't he allow his clients to send gifts at Christmas?
• What makes gifting one of the most effective ways to stand out in a crowd?
• Why you should stop putting logos on your gifts.
• What are the four buckets of the Inner circle and how do you invest in those buckets with gifting?
• Why you should never send a gift after receiving a referral.
• What should you do if you cannot afford to give gifts?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• John Ruhlin's web site
• Giftology by John Ruhlin
• John Ruhlin on Twitter
• How to Create a Gifting Plan For Your Business (for free)
• Email John Ruhlin
• 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.

How to speak to the medical field is a question I get asked a lot, and today our guest is answering it. Nisha Mehta is a practicing physician, specifically a radiologist. She also speaks around the country to medical professionals on the topic of burnout.

Today we talk about how she got started speaking, the different speaking opportunities in the medical industry, whether or not you need a background in medicine to speak to doctors and how to use media to position yourself as an expert.

You'll hear those insights and much more on episode 297 of The Speaker Lab.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:

• What is the typical speaking season for the medical industry?
• Do you always have to choose between a job you love and speaking?
• Can you get hired to speak on a topic that's important, but no one else is talking about?
• What are some topics speakers are hired for in the medical industry?
• How important are credentials in being hired to speak?
• What specific speaking opportunities are available within the medical community?
• What area is harder to get into within healthcare?
• What niches have bigger budgets?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Nisha Mehta's web site
• Nisha Mehta on Twitter
• 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.

Today's conversation is a discussion on race and the speaking industry with my friend Nicole Walters. Nicole is an incredible speaker, amazing entrepreneur and phenomenal human being.

On this episode of The Speaker Lab, we talk about the heavy but important topic of racism in the speaking world. We talk about what exists in the marketplace for her as a Black woman, how she sees things that I don't as a white male. She also gives advice for minority speakers and shares what the speaking community at large can do to better support diversity in the industry.

These are serious topics but Nicole brings her humor, lightheartedness and personal wisdom. Join us for this much-needed talk on episode 296 of The Speaker Lab with Nicole Walters.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:

• Why it's important for activism to be on-going and not just a trend.
• How racism impacts her everyday life: a snapshot.
• What are new factors she considers now when booking gigs?
• Do you know what performative activism is and why you should avoid it?
• What group of people are becoming entrepreneurs at a rate of 9x the average American?
• When you should add 10% to your asking fee.
• What are some ways white people can be an allies for speakers of color?
• How to encourage diversity at your speaking gigs.
• And so much more!

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.

How to embrace your fears is the subject that helped our guest today jumpstart a whole new career as an international speaker and author.

Michelle Poler is here on The Speaker Lab to talk about how she embraced her fears through 100 fears in 100 days challenge, how that challenge culminated in a TEDx talk and how some of those fears even became things she now loves to do.

We explore those topics plus specific steps she took along the way and how you can do the same. Join us to hear the scoop on episode 295 of The Speaker Lab.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:

• Which speaker was instrumental in both of our speaking careers?
• What should you do if your fears are holding you back?
• Why you don't need to believe all the speaking advice out there.
• What is more important than the number of views of your video?
• How she utilized her network to get the ball rolling on speaking gigs.
• Why having your spouse on board is incredibly helpful to grow your business.
• What actions did she take that led to referrals from Brene Brown?
• What can you do to set yourself for success when approaching speaking bureaus?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Michelle Poler's web site
• Michelle Poler's TEDx Talk
• Hello Fears, by Michelle Poler
• Michelle Poler on Instagram
• Michelle Poler on Twitter
• Creative Mornings web site
• 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.