The Speaker Lab Podcast

Today we've got an extra special guest for you: Erick Rheam. Erick is a student of our Booked and Paid to Speak program, and he has been wildly successful in his speaking career since signing up for the course. He joined us in December of 2015 and in the 15 months between then and our recording of this episode, he has made over $80,000 in speaking gigs!

On this episode of The Speaker Lab, Erick joins us to talk about his success and how he decided who to speak to and what to speak about, why it's important to have a good web site and demo and how he gets referrals.

Because Erick is still relatively new to the speaking world his story is relatable, as his resulting success. You'll want to tune in to hear more about what's next for him on episode 126 of The Speaker Lab.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• What was he making in his speaking business before joining Booked and Paid to Speak?
• Why agreements and contracts have been critical to his financial growth as a speaker.
• What does Erick say you have to love in order to be a successful speaker?
• How did he decide what to speak about and who to speak to?
• Why helping people achieve signficance in their lives also helps you.
• The four things he's learned that are critical to running a successful speaking business.
• What percentage of this business is the grind of pursuing and getting gigs?
• How he's preparing to go from his full-time corporate job to speaking full-time.
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Erick Rheam's web site
• Erick Rheam on Twitter
• Erick Rheam on LinkedIn
• 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.

As a speaker or an aspiring speaker you know the importance of a demo video. But what about other forms of video content like a YouTube channel or Facebook Live? Could those help you build your speaking career? Absolutely says our guest for this episode! Josh Drean is here to tell us how.

Josh's primary gig is as a youth motivational speaker but he's also a father and a part-time student at Harvard University in Boston where he is studying business management. As if that wasn't enough, he is also a street performer who does almost daily videos for his YouTube channel.

On today's edition of The Speaker Lab, he shares how to leverage video content as a speaker, how he uses content to get gigs and promote those gigs, as well as what to talk about on your video. His insights on those topics and more will get you off the fence about video and in front of the camera! Hear it here on episode 125 of The Speaker Lab.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• By 2020 what percentage of all content will be video?
• Your fees are directly proportional to the quality of your what?
• Why did he start producing videos multiple times a week?
• Josh explains what vlogging is exactly.
• Does everyone need to do video?
• Why and how to work for "celebrity status" online.
• What is Musically and what will it teach you about connecting with your audience?
• What is the bare minimum equipment you need to get started creating quality video?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Josh Drean's web site
• Josh's Speaker's Videography Starter Kit
• Josh Drean on YouTube
• Josh Drean on Facebook
• 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.

Have you ever considered that how to set yourself apart as a speaker may be to embrace what is uniquely you? Maybe it's an accent you have or your above-average height, whatever it is it may be the key to standing out in our crowded speaking marketplace.

On today's edition of The Speaker Lab, I've got a guest who has used her unique voice and stature to create a thriving speaking career. Neen James stands a petite 4'10 (and 1/2!) and hails from Australia. With her tiny height and self-professed Disney princess voice she was told by many no one was going to book her or take her seriously as speaker.

But with her undeniable sass, drive and determination she has proven them wrong! Listen to this episode to hear how she accidentally became a professional speaker, how she pivoted from productivity to her current topic today, and how's she built her reputation in the corporate business world. You'll hear that and more on episode 124 of The Speaker Lab.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• What's the trick to having a successful speaking career?
• What are "telecoffees" and how did she build her business with them?
• Why you should audit the things you are good at.
• What are the things that make us "rememorable"?
• Why speakers have to establish credibility and do it quickly.
• How she pivoted from productivity to attention.
• Can you be a jack of all trades and be successful as a speaker?
• How can you become a great resource and trusted advisor to your clients?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Neen James' web site
• Neen James on Twitter
• Neen James on Facebook
• Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands by Terri Morrison
• CultureGrams web site
• National Speakers Association (NSA) web site
• NSA's Voices of Experience app
• Speaker Magazine
• 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.

Episode 123 of The Speaker Lab is unlike any other episode we've done before! In essence today's show is a one-on-one coaching call I had with a listener who emailed me.

I wanted to share our conversation with you because his story is common: he has done a number of free speaking gigs but wasn't sure about how to move into the paid realm. He also wasn't sure how to narrow down his list of potential audiences and topics.

On today's edition of The Speaker Lab, Chris Field joins me to gain clarity on those topics and more. Listen in to hear his stories (including his run for mayor at the age of 19!), and our brainstorming session on this coaching call. You'll hear how all of that applies to you wherever you are in your speaking journey on episode 123 of The Speaker Lab.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• How do you know if your speaking plan makes financial sense?
• Why is the audience you speak to a variable in what you can charge?
• What are the 5 components of the speaker success roadmap?
• What are the 7 major industries you can speak to?
• How to know if you are on the right path, or if you need to pivot.
• What does integrity have to do with your choice of speaking topics?
• Why it is ideal that you find something other speakers are already doing.
• What is the reason organizations ultimately hire someone?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Chris Field's non-profit's web site
• Chris Field on Twitter
• Chris Field on LinkedIn
• 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.

Buckle up buttercups! We've got our sassy friend back in the saddle with us today: Ms. Carrie Wilkerson and she is in rare form on episode 122 of the Speaker Lab. If you missed her previous visit to the show you can listen in here.

I wanted Carrie to return to the show because she's proven how to turn one speaking gig into many, and I wanted her to share that with you. Specifically on this show she will explain how she creates and structures valuable long-term offerings for her clients, and how she turns those offerings into a consistent monthly revenue stream.

This is one episode you don't want to miss! Get out your pen and paper and get ready for some actionable insights from the one and only Carrie Wilkerson on episode 122 of The Speaker Lab.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• What is the "hit and run" approach and why doesn't Carrie like it?
• What questions does she ask to create a 100% closing rate?
• At what point does she pitch a package deal to clients?
• Why serving first is the best approach, and how to do it properly.
• What are the magic words to use when offering a long-term arrangement?
• How to add value without offering a discount.
• What are some of the industries where this works, and where it might not?
• What does she do to land more referrals?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Carrie Wilkerson's web site
• Carrie Wilkerson on Twitter
• Episode 109 of The Speaker Lab
• Getting Naked, by Peter Lencioni
• The Ultimate Sales Machine, by Chet Holmes
• 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.

Would you struggle for five years as a speaker if you knew it was going to pay off? Would you be willing to travel 220 days a year if that's what it took to one day share the stage with Simon Sinek and Gary Vaynerchuk? That's exactly what our guest for episode 121 of The Speaker Lab has done and continues to do presently.

John Spence spends anywhere from 170 to 220 days a year giving speeches around the world. He speaks on leadership, high performance teams, culture, strategy, strategic thinking, and business excellence, and has been for 23 years.

His speeches are never canned, each one is unique. That coupled with the tremendous value he brings to every speaking engagement has allowed him to build a business that is based almost entirely on referrals. Today he outlines his strategic approach to generating repeat business and referrals, how he got through the struggle of his first five years and why he enjoys being a road warrior.

On this edition of The Speaker Lab, you'll also hear how he helps charities rather than giving free speeches. Listen in for that and more from the one and only John Spence.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• What is the one question he asks all of his clients?
• How does he create a unique topic for every speaking engagement?
• The three ways he differentiates himself as a speaker.
• How much of his business has been word of mouth?
• Does he get nervous when he goes on stage?
• How long does he talk with each potential client before working with them?
• Why he refuses to sell from the stage.
• How he got his foot in the door with companies like Mayo Clinic, Merrill Lynch, and Allstate.
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• John Spence's website
• John Spence on Twitter
• 7 Proven Steps to Finding And Booking Paid 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 makes a speech a memorable one? Our guest for today knows! He says there are 5 keys you must include to make your speech memorable. Joining us for episode 120 is our repeat visitor and friend, Hugh Culver.

He was previously here for episode 10, which feels like an eternity ago! If you missed his first visit, Hugh is an adventurer turned speaker. He started out in the adventure travel industry and later became a speaker. For the last dozen years or so, he's been speaking to corporate audiences about productivity.

On today's show, Hugh tells us about the 5 things he's learned along the way that are needed to give a memorable speech. They are: solve a problem, warm up the audience, make the audience work, teach with stories and make your speech about them. Listen in for that and more on episode 119 of The Speaker Lab!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• Why is your speech your best marketing tool?
• What type of speeches don't pay and how can you avoid giving them?
• What are the variables that go into making a good presentation?
• Why it's okay to speak on a competitive topic.
• Two tricks to find out what topics people are being paid to speak about.
• The three phases of warming up an audience.
• Why should you make your audience work during your speech?
• What does it mean to be "situationally extroverted" and why does it matter?
• The quick check to ensure you are making your speech about your audience.
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Hugh Culver's web site
• Hugh Culver on Twitter
• Business of Speaking School
• Episode 10 of The Speaker Lab
• 7 Proven Steps to Finding And Booking Paid 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.

If you built several successful businesses and sold them, what would you do next? Would you write books and become a speaker? That's what our guest for today's episode of The Speaker Lab has done!

Mike Michalowicz (listen in and he'll help you pronounce his name) is a well-known international speaker and best-selling author who made a lot of money in previous endeavors, and started over as a speaker and author.

On episode 119 of The Speaker Lab, he shares why he has gone down this particular road and several hacks that have helped him continue to level up his success. We also discuss how to pronounce his name and why his web site makes fun of the various mispronunciations he's heard over the years, how much of his time is devoted to speaking versus writing and so much more on today's show!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• What is a domain name hack you can use if your name is hard to spell and pronounce?
• What should you do with your biggest weakness?
• Why he became an author and speaker when he started over.
• What are the strongest domains and how can you get backlinks from them?
• Where do you get the best practice as a speaker?
• How he made the transition from college speaker to the corporate realm.
• How did he nearly double his speaking frequency?
• What introduction did Simon Sinek make for Mike?
• What is realistic and unrealistic to expect when working with an agent or an agency?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Mike Michalowicz's web site
• Mike Michalowicz on Twitter
• Episode 59 of The Speaker Lab
• 7 Proven Steps to Finding And Booking Paid 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.

Is giving a TED Talk or a TEDx Talk on your bucket list? If it is then today is your lucky day! Joining us for this episode of The Speaker Lab is Tamsen Webster. Tamsen is a keynote business speaker and strategist who helps people find the power of their ideas and share those ideas with the world.

She also happens to be the Executive Producer of TEDx Cambridge, the oldest TEDx in the country. In her role, she decides who speaks at their events and she oversees all coaching and designs the coaching process for those speakers.

On this episode of The Speaker Lab, she shares the differences between TED and TEDx Talks and why giving either one is a great feather in anyone's cap. She tells us how she helps her speakers prepare for their TEDx talks, how you can get your foot in the door with your local TEDx and how to know if your idea is interesting enough to be considered for a TEDx talk. Listen in for that and more on the 118th edition of The Speaker Lab!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• What is the oldest TEDx in the country?
• What are the differences between a Ted talk and a TEDx talk?
• How to get your foot in the door at your local TEDx.
• Why it's always helpful to know the organizers of any event.
• What are the two different levels of licensing for TEDx events, and why do they matter?
• Why do professional speakers have an extra barrier to being accepted as a TEDx speaker?
• What are the three "I"s of a great TED Talk?
• What gets in the way of connecting with the audience in Tamsen's experience?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Tamsen Webster's web site
• Tamsen Webster on Facebook
• Tamsen Webster on Twitter
• 7 Proven Steps to Finding And Booking Paid 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.

Have you given both keynotes and taught workshops? Some speakers prefer one over the other, while some enjoy both.

Marcus Sheridan of The Sales Lion is an interactive and engaging speaker who likes doing both. On this episode of The Speaker Lab, Marcus is here to talk about his journey from a missionary in Chile to running a successful pool company to commanding audiences around the globe today. He also shares how that journey led to the creation of latest book, They Ask You Answer.

You'll hear about all of that plus the importance of video today, why it's only going to continue to become even more vital and what he learned from his worst speaking moment ever. Check it out on episode 117 of The Speaker Lab!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• Are good keynote speakers always good at teaching workshops too?
• What did being a missionary in Chile teach him about speaking?
• The lesson you can learn from how he landed his first speaking gig.
• How he made the leap from workshop speaker to keynote speaker at Content Marketing World in one year.
• Why is giving gigs the most effective way to land more gigs?
• Why it works for him to be so interactive with his audiences.
• How much attention should you be paying to content marketing?
• Should you have a videographer?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Marcus Sheridan's web site
• Email Marcus
• They Ask You Answer, Marcus' latest book
• Marcus Sheridan on Twitter
• 7 Proven Steps to Finding And Booking Paid 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.