The Speaker Lab Podcast

Have you ever listened to a speaker and felt like they knew you and your fellow audience members personally? That feeling makes all the difference as a listener, but it also makes a difference for the speaker.

Here to tell us how customizing improves you as a speaker is our Chris Hogan, our guest on today's episode of The Speaker Lab.

Chris is part of Ramsey's Solutions, Dave Ramsey's company and has been for the last 13 years. Over time, Chris has evolved from coaching pro athletes, entertainers and musicians to traveling the globe giving customized speeches to Fortune 100 companies.

On this episode of The Speaker Lab we also talk about how he balances his family with giving close to 100 talks a year, plus what it means to be a good leader. Join us for all of that and more with Chris Hogan on episode 196 of The Speaker Lab! 

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• Why was his first gig a "hot mess" and what can it teach you about being a better speaker?
• What does his process look like today when giving a new talk?
• What allows him to grow his craft?
• How does he track potential stories and anecdotes to include in his talks?
• Why are first person stories so powerful?
• What is the magic that connects you with an audience?
• What advice does he have if you are just starting out?
• Why we can never be 100% balanced.
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Chris Hogan's web site
• The Chris Hogan Show
• Chris’ speaking events
• Retire Inspired, by Chris Hogan
• Chris Hogan 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.

Why is being your authentic self on social media important to your speaking career? The answers are on this episode, and it's an extra special one. We're doing something today we have never done before: Melanie Deziel is your host, not me.

Joining her is Michael Barber, a marketing expert and talented speaker who is sharing how speakers can show up as their authentic selves on social media and on stage, plus the 3 different types of content speakers should share online to market themselves and how your day job can compliment your speaking and vice versa.

This is a phenomenal and fun interview covering those topics and much more so be sure to listen in to episode 195 of The Speaker Lab! 

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• What are you amplifying when you take the stage?
• What are two ways you can be more you on social media?
• Why you've got to be okay with sharing the real you.
• What are the three categories for what to share and what not to share on social media?
• Why is email still the #1 social media channel?
• Which is better: short or long-form content?
• Who should you focus on: your engaged subscribers or unengaged?
• Why your metrics are yours, and you should forget about anyone else's benchmarks.
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Michael Barber's web site
• Michael Barber on Twitter
• Michael Barber on Instagram
• Principles by Ray Dalio
• 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.

Knowing how to get attention in today's increasingly digital world is no small feat, and our guest is here to fill us in. If you've listened to the show for awhile you may remember her from episode 124 - Ms. Neen James.

She's a rare repeat guest and we make great use of her visit on today's The Speaker Lab. We talk about attention: getting and keeping attention from potential clients and even other speakers, and how to pay attention.

We're also talking about the grind of speaking and how to stay positive and not give up. Neen is a long-time speaker who knows the ups and downs of building and maintaining a speaking career, together we talk candidly about our own experiences of the highs and the lows. There's much to learn from Neen so settle in and join us on this episode of The Speaker Lab. 

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• How to go analogue in a digital world.
• What's the absolute best marketing tool?
• How peanut butter and jelly landed her a client.
• What is her approach for using a CRM effectively?
• How to use simple video to create custom communication.
• What is her process to follow up without being annoying?
• Why attention is really about authentic connection.
• Which should you approach first: associations or contacts in your specific industry?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Neen James' web site
• Neen James on Twitter
• Neen James on Facebook
• Attention Pays, by Neen James
• Digital Persuasion, by Erin Gargan
• Never Lose a Customer Again, by Joey Coleman
• 5 Ways to Create Advocates blog post
• Vidyard Video
• HubSpot Free CRM
• Boomerang for Gmail
• 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.

Do you hate the idea of networking or do you see it as an opportunity to give to others? For some networking has a negative connotation, but our guest is here to set the record straight and tell you how to improve your life through networking.

David Burkus is a successful author who considers himself a writer first, and a speaker second. He's written several best-sellers including his latest book called Friend of a Friend., which is specifically about how to enjoy networking.

On today's edition of The Speaker Lab, we'll specifically talk about what most of us do wrong when networking, and what we should instead. David will tell us how to actually connect with other speakers, and do it in a way that fosters real connection, and he'll explain how to find out who you already know to help you find gigs. Buckle up and get ready to enjoy this episode of The Speaker Lab with David Burkus.  

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• What are the biggest mistakes most people make when networking at an event?
• Why it helps to partner up when you're networking.
• What two questions should you ask when meeting others?
• What is the majority illusion and how does it work?
• How many introductions away from most of the people you want to meet?
• What is multiplexity?
• How can you develop a deeper relationship faster with someone you've just met?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• David Burkus' web site
• David Burkus on Twitter
• Friend of a Friend, by David Burkus
• Find and contact potential gigs
• 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.

Preparing for your speech is an important aspect of giving a great talk and here to give us her trade secrets is Melanie Deziel.

If you've been here before you know Melanie is a frequent co-host of the show and she joins us again on The Speaker Lab to give you a breakdown of her personal speaking preparations.

We give you a behind-the-scenes look at how we each rehearse and get ready for the stage. We specifically talk about music we listen to, food we eat or don't eat, how much we hydrate, and what else we do in the hours leading up to the talk. Get your head right and body right before you take the stage, hear how on this edition of The Speaker Lab!  

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• How far ahead of time should you have your content down pat?
• How to use voice recording to help you in preparing for your speech.
• Why not to touch your content the hour before you go on stage.
• What is the best way to prepare your voice for your speech?
• Should you work out the day you are speaking?
• What to do backstage before giving your talk.
• What else should you schedule for your gig day?
• How to find out if there's a courtesy clock or countdown clock before you go on stage.
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Melanie Deziel's website
• Melanie Deziel on Twitter
• Melanie Deziel on Instagram
• Melanie Deziel on LinkedIn
• Episode 166 with Shawn Stevenson
• Find and contact potential gigs
• 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.

On episode 191 of The Speaker Lab, we're talking about the technical aspects of slides when you're speaking: the pros and the cons, and how to deal with the cons.

As a recap from last week's episode, our co-host Melanie Deziel is here with us for part two of our talk on slides. She's a fan of slides, and uses them with almost all of her presentations. As she says, she's all about the slides!

It's not that I'm not a fan of slides it's just that they can really make or break a presentation. There's a lot that can go wrong when you're using slides, and today we'll help you avoid those mistakes.

Join us to hear how to do so and how to address all the technical aspects of using slides properly on today's episode of The Speaker Lab. 

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• Powerpoint or Keynote: is one better than the other?
• What's the best size to use for your slides?
• What types of file will most clients want your slides to be created in?
• How to make friends with the A/V people.
• When can you include Internet-dependent audio or video?
• How to spell out what your slides can and cannot be used for in your contract.
• What extra equipment should you carry just in case?
• What questions should you be asking your client about slides before creating your talk?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Melanie Deziel's website
• Melanie Deziel on Twitter
• Melanie Deziel on Instagram
• Melanie Deziel on LinkedIn
• Episode 89 of The Speaker Lab
• Episode 173 of The Speaker Lab
• Find and contact potential gigs
• 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.

Should you use slides as a speaker? Some say yes, some say no and some say it depends! To weigh on whether or not you should use slides during your speech we're bringing back our lovely and talented co-host Ms. Melanie Deziel for this edition of The Speaker Lab.

We'll be debating about the pros and cons of using slides as well as customizing slides, and using text, video and images in your slides. Melanie uses slides in almost all of her speeches, and I rarely use them so you'll hear both sides!

On next week's episode, the second half of this interview, we'll get into the technical side of slides from dimensions to formats to using your own equipment or not. Be sure to visit us again to hear the details, and tune in to episode 190 of The Speaker Lab this week.

 THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• How to be sure your slides are enhancing your speech.
• Can you provide two different versions of your slides? If so, how?
• Are there certain fonts and font sizes you should use?
• Why you should sit at the back of the room before your speech.
• What's the proper way to use images in your slides?
• How can you use slides to add humor to your speech?
• What's the best way to customize your slides for your audience?
• What contact info should you put on your slides and where should it go?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Melanie Deziel's website
• Melanie Deziel on Twitter
• Melanie Deziel on Instagram
• Melanie Deziel on LinkedIn
• Find and contact potential gigs
• 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.

Our guest is an expert at many things, especially how to put yourself out there! Nicole Walters is our entertaining, energetic and sassy guest on this episode of The Speaker Lab.

Nicole is an income strategist, and globe-trotting speaker. In her business, she helps everyday entrepreneurs apply corporate income strategies to get more profitability, more popularity all the while creating a life they love.

On today's show we talk about her practical tips on how she pitches for gigs, her follow up formula after her initial pitch and how she balances speaking, travel and a family. She also breaks down her different revenue streams for us, why she has a specific season for speaking and her love of making jam! Join us for those insights plus a lot of fun on the 189th episode of The Speaker Lab.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• How does speaking feed her other businesses?
• By what metric does she measure how well she spoke at an event?
• Why does she do meet and greets rather than sell from the stage?
• Why does she arrive the day before an event?
• What sets her apart in the marketplace from other speakers, and can you do the same?
• What percentage of her business time does she spend pitching herself?
• How many months of pitching did it take for her to speak at a Dave Ramsey conference?
• What are the two things between you and the biggest stage you are looking for?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Nicole Walters' web site
• $1K in 1 Day Academy
• Get Fierce Clarity course
• Nicole Walters on Facebook
• Nicole Walters on Twittter
• Find Speaking Engagements
• 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.

What do you need to know about insurance? Do you even need to know about insurance? Yes! I get questions about this all the time so I'm bringing you the man with the answer: Matt Ham. Matt is our guest today on The Speaker Lab.

For the last 10 years Matt has focused on helping families properly insure their homes, their businesses and their lives. But not long ago he also felt a calling to step into something new, and he wrote a book called Redefine Rich. From there he began speaking which has morphed into his organization called YouPrint which is a faith development organization.

Today we talk in great detail about what you need to know about insurance, both personally and professionally. Wherever you are in your evolution as a speaker this is a topic that matters so join us on episode 188 of The Speaker Lab.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• Do you need life insurance if your employer already provides a policy for you?
• What questions do you need to ask to choose the insurance that's right for you?
• How to determine how much should your life insurance policy should be worth.
• What other types of insurance do you need for your speaking business?
• What is an own occupation disability policy and why do you need one?
• What is the difference between short-term and long-term disability, and which do you need?
• How important is disability insurance for speakers?
• What is E&O insurance and is it different than liability insurance?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Matt Ham's personal web site
• Redefine Rich: A New Perspective on The Good Life, by Matt Ham
• YouPrint organization
• Matt Ham on Facebook 
• Matt Ham on Twitter
• Liberty Medishare
• MediShare 
• Christian Healthcare Ministries
• 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's something the most successful speakers do that you might not know: they know how to create systems for success. Without systems, businesses either never really get going or they fall apart. The same is true for speakers and their businesses. Join Melanie Deziel and I as we talk about that very topic on today's episode of The Speaker Lab.

Melanie is back with us again for the third week in a row and we're going to help you figure out the ins and outs of systems for your expenses, your outreach, your travel, your calendar, your taxes, etc. These are all things you need to track and systemize, and to pay attention to this in advance! If you really want to have longevity in your industry you need to know how to create systems for success. 

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• What is the most important aspect of having a system?
• What are the different ways to handle outreach, and which are best?
• What is a CRM and why do you want one?
• Is it okay to use a simple spreadsheet as your system?
• What app can turn a picture on your phone into a PDF?
• Why how much you take matters more than how much you make.
• What's the best way to save for your taxes?
• Why discipline is critical when you are self-employed.
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Melanie Deziel's website
• Episode 6 of The Speaker Lab
• Episode 21 of The Speaker Lab
• Episode 33 of The Speaker Lab
• Episode 72 of The Speaker Lab
• Episode 119 of The Speaker Lab
• Episode 171 of The Speaker Lab
• Grant on Mike Michalowicz's podcast 
• HubSpot CRM
• Highrise
• Followup.cc
• Boomerang 
• Todoist 
• Tiny Scanner app 
• Hello Sign 
• Docusign 
• Freshbooks 
• Xero
• Profit First, by Mike Michalowicz
• Tripit
• AwardWallet
• Mixmax 
• Acuity
• ScheduleOnce
• Melanie Deziel on Twitter
• Melanie Deziel on Instagram
• Melanie Deziel on LinkedIn
• Find and contact potential gigs
• 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.