The Speaker Lab Podcast

Wouldn't it be great if someone could guide you through how to find your first paid speaking gig?

One of our own team members is here to demonstrate, Mr. Bryan Allain. Bryan has worked with us for a year now and he wants to know if what we teach actually works. This is an unscripted walk the process of how to find your first paid speaking gig.

Get ready to hear the details on this edition of The Speaker Lab. 

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• What should one of your first goals be?
• Is there a simple way to build your confidence?
• What are the two sides to selecting a problem to solve?
• What does it mean to establish your speaking expertise?
• Why it's completely normal to second-guess your decisions.
• What to do when you don't know where to start.
• How can you use your real world experience to start your speaking journey?
• Why it's easier to pivot and adjust when you have momentum.
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Bryan Allain's web site
• Bryan Allain on Twitter
• The Speaker Lab Elite coaching call
• Got questions? Send them in here
• Email me!
• Subscribe on iTunes, and leave us a rating or review
• Read show transcripts here

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Grant Baldwin and Mike Michalowicz hosted a Facebook Live to talk about how speakers should handle their finances in the midst of crisis.

During the live stream, Grant and Mike discuss:

• Pivoting business to accommodate canceled or postponed events
• Expediting projects to fill the gap created by live events
• Amplifying communication frequency while decreasing quantity
• Super long, rambling emails can have a negative impact on your brand
• The difference between seizing an opportunity to serve and being opportunistic
• Sending out short sound bits of value to your audience is powerful
• Ask your email list what they need to identify themes
• Create products to meet those needs at a reasonable rate (not free)
• The economy is built on paying for stuff. If we all give everything away, it falls apart.
• Lessons small businesses and speakers can learn to prepare for the future
• The business crisis trend
• What can you do to keep the lights on
• 1-Step Back Technique to discover new opportunities
• And more

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Mike’s books
• Mike on Twitter
• Mike 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.

Grant Baldwin and Carrie Wilkerson hosted a Facebook Live to talk about how speakers can diversify their business.

During the live stream, Grant and Carrie discuss:

• Starting her brand as “The Barefoot Executive"
• Self-isolating with teenagers in Texas
• Why worry won’t do you a bit of good
• Prioritizing daily communication with your audience
• Marketing with empathy and not appearing tone-deaf
• Creating leverage in your business to create a “stage” in different ways
• Teach a masterclass on your area of expertise
• Provide mentoring to a few clients to coach through a specific process
• Create the infrastructure for a membership program (>1000 email list subscribers)
• Do not stop your marketing
• Using the tools you have to deliver value to your audience
• Asking the question: How can I serve your people from a distance?
• Don’t wait for fancy tools to create value for your audience
• Virtual keynoting and reimagined virtual conference for 50,000 people
• Suit up and show up every day
• Make the most of the opportunities you have
• If you stop your marketing now and disappear, you’ll be forgotten
• Stay in healthy communication with both colleagues and clients
• It’s time to build your email list and stay in connection with them
• Why you can’t rely on social media and paid advertising alone
• How to go get some paid contracts
• Learn something new while you’re stuck at home
• Stay away from the fridge and stay in your speaker clothes
• Practice your material and test new stuff on Facebook Live
• Take care of yourself. Your image is your business.
• Acknowledge your stress and grief, but don’t live in it. Focus on gratitude.
• Set goals for each day and establish minimum expectations
• Don’t be ashamed to get help. This crisis is not your fault.
• Small businesses are what keep the country going.
• And more

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Carrie on Twitter
• Carrie on Instagram
• Carrie’s blog
• 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.

Grant Baldwin and Erick Rheam hosted a Facebook Live to talk about how speakers can convert live events that are postponed or canceled into virtual gigs.

During the live stream, Grant and Erick discuss:

• Booking webinars and workshops to replace/supplement live events
• Finding value in what you’re already doing and converting it to an offer
• Repurposing the challenge of working from home to create new value
• Discovering new opportunities to diversify your speaking platform
• Add value while recognizing your clients pay you for the solutions you bring
• Prioritizing service doesn’t have to sacrifice revenue
• Strategies for stopping the bleeding in your business
• Throw out the rule book in the short-term
• How to price virtual speaking gigs versus live events
• And 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.

Staying positive on your speaking journey will help you succeed, and our guest today is the perfect example of this.

Jon Gordon is the author of Stay Positive, The Energy Bus and many other best-sellers. He's also an equally prolific and successful speaker.

On episode 282 of The Speaker Lab, he tells us how he got started speaking, the pros and cons of speaking for free, and how he thinks about his business beyond the stage. Join us for this intriguing and illuminating conversation with Jon Gordon on this edition of The Speaker Lab.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• How does he take the challenges of flying and transform them into opportunities?
• Why did he give 80 free talks?
• Why you shouldn't expect to be good when you start.
• From where did he get the idea for his first book?
• What a telescope and a microscope have to do with achieving your goals.
• How can you take a big topic and carve your own niche within it?
• What does research show about positivity?
• What is the power of being introverted?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Jon Gordon's web site
• Stay Positive, by Jon Gordon
• Jon Gordon's other books
• Jon Gordon on Twitter
• Jon Gordon 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
• Subscribe on iTunes, and leave us a rating or review

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

Grant Baldwin and Josh McGhee hosted a Facebook Live to talk about how event planners are responding to the coronavirus and its impact on the speaking industry.

During the live stream, Grant and Josh discuss:

• How many events an event planner will typically manage in the course of a year
• An insider view of how events approach the decision to cancel or postpone
• The likelihood of rescheduling and postponing events that are further out than 1-2 months
• Adapting to fast-changing circumstances in the midst of unprecedented times
• Placing a high value on safety
• Adjusting accordingly to accommodate travel bands
• Determining which events are able to be converted to virtual experiences
• Just because your physical gathering is canceled or postponed doesn’t mean you can’t deliver value in the digital space
• Organizations being pushed to create a more interactive experience whether it’s in-person or virtual
• How do conference owners/organizers continue education between annual events and leverage technology to stay engaged with their audience?
• Staying connected throughout the year by using virtual learning options
• Finding opportunity amidst the storm
• Speakers who serve in times of crisis will stand out when normalcy returns
• Exploring alternative options to speaking on stage when events get canceled or moved
• Focus on creating value here in the now and pausing on selling future bookings
• Prioritizing relationships is the most strategic things speakers can do
• Partner with event planners now to help them amidst the chaos
• How current social distancing will swing back and create a visceral need for in-person events
• The aftermath of the current crisis will lead to new virtual opportunities that expand speaker revenue streams
• And more

EPISODE RESOURCES

• The Successful Speaker, by Grant Baldwin
• 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.

Grant Baldwin and Terry Brock hosted a Facebook Live to talk about you can create virtual speaking opportunities.

During the live stream, Grant and Terry discuss:

• Making room for natural reactions to stressful times
• Intentionally focusing on positive attitude
• Leveraging technology to reach our audiences and deliver value
• Why now is the time to hustle
• Market trends when it comes to events canceling vs postponing
• Speakers are communicators who solve problems
• How to suggest virtual options to existing clients
• Pull in experts in your network to deliver additional value
• The problem you were hired to solve still exists
• Exploring new ways to solve the same problem
• Speakers don’t have to speak on stage to deliver value
• Simple tips to improve the quality of your virtual presence
• Scalable tools for video streaming and conferencing
• Don’t get distracted by shiny, new tools. Pick one that works for you and move forward.
• The importance of backup technology
• Social distancing doesn’t cancel our need for social connection
• Rolling up our sleeves to work harder and smarter
• And more

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Terry Brock on Twitter
• Terry Brock’s Blog
• 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.

Grant Baldwin and Shawn Hanks hosted a Facebook Live to talk about how speaking bureaus are responding and adjusting to the coronavirus.

During the live stream, Grant and Shawn discuss:

• How appropriate the term “unprecedented” is in these unique times
• Finding comfort in shared experiences
• Adapting in the midst of unforeseen circumstances
• Navigating the process of postponing/rescheduling 400+ events
• The challenge of responding with grace versus reacting in fear
• Operating from a place of fear in the short-term creates long-term losses
• Focusing on relationships and maintaining bridges
• Adjusting presentation to fit virtual delivery
• Following wise financial practices to prepare for times of crisis
• Diversify your business with other offers besides speaking on stage
• Be cautious before you pivot your entire platform
• Reaching out to clients to see where their pain points are and how you can serve their audience with content in the interim
• And more

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Premiere Speakers Bureau
• 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.

Grant Baldwin and Kyle Scheele hosted a Facebook Live to talk about how the youth speaking industry is responding and adjusting to the coronavirus.

During the live stream, Grant and Kyle discuss:

• Navigating the crazy ups and downs
• Adjusting to unexpected free time
• Plenty of events that are rescheduling and postponing instead of canceling
• How long will it take to get back to normal
• Looking back to history for a sense of hope
• Taking steps to prepare your finances for difficult times
• Making a list of what you can control
• Not wasting your time worrying about whatever is outside your control
• Taking advantage of the downtime to catch up on projects you avoided
• Spending time with loved ones and using technology to stay connected
• How to ethically market your speaking business in times of crisis
• The hidden benefits of working with a speaking agency
• How will you tweak and adapt your content after this crisis?
• How can you change to better serve people?
• We have been through hard things as humans and we will continue to go through hard things
• And more

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Kyle on Twitter
• Kyle 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.

Grant Baldwin and Neen James hosted a Facebook Live to talk about how to diversify your speaking income right now.

During the live stream, Grant and Neen discuss:

• Comparing the impact of COVID-19 to the 2008 recession
• Relocating to the United States and starting speaking business over from scratch
• How uncertainty creates a unique challenge
• Keeping your head in the right space
• A service vs a sales mindset
• Defaulting to positivity and generosity
• The difference between making money during a crisis and making money from a crisis (shout out to Sean McCabe)
• Unique challenges faced by different industries
• Managing a long lead time before your next live speaking gig
• The domino effect of events getting postponed
• Financial practices that speakers should emulate
• The reality of what events are actually getting canceled vs rescheduled
• How speakers can look at their available speaking dates as inventory
• “Be kind or be quiet."
• Avoided short-sighted decisions
• Don’t sell something you’re not qualified to teach
• Playing the long-game with intentional attention
• The invaluable gift of asking “how can I help?"
• "You can’t organize history. You can’t live in regret of what you should’ve done."
• And more

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Neen James on Twitter
• Attention Pays, by Neen James
• The Thought Leaders Practice, by Matt Church
• Preet Banerjee finance videos
• 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.