The Speaker Lab Podcast

Speakers often come from diverse backgrounds, and today's guest is no exception! Brian Fanzo began his career in Computer Science working for the United States Department of Defense on issues like cybersecurity.

Today he is a change evangelist who helps people embrace change in their businesses, and grow their presence in the process. And it's something he's been widely recognized for: in 2014, The Economist named him one of the Top 25 Social Business Leaders of The Future. He's also spoken in 11 countries at over 50 events.

On this episode of The Speaker Lab, Brian shares the light bulb moment that led to his leap into entrepreneurship a few years ago, what social media platforms you should be using to grow your speaking career and his reverse engineering that creates more speaking gigs for himself. You're going to learn all of that and so much more on the 116th edition of The Speaker Lab!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• How Brian landed his first speaking gig ever - at The Pentagon.
• When did he make the shift to being an evangelist for his own brand?
• How to create your own path while still following in the footsteps of your role models.
• How do we truly stand out in any marketplace?
• How he's using online video to advance his speaking career, and how you can too.
• Why you should think like a fan, and what that means according to Brian.
• What percentage of internet traffic will be video in 2020?
• How does he make sure his social media content is seen by decision-makers?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Brian Fanzo's web site
• Brian Fanzo's Fomo podcast
• Entrepreneurship Taught Me I Suck at These 10 Things, Brian's blog post
• Brian Fanzo on Twitter
• Brian Fanzo on YouTube
• 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.

Can you imagine doing 800 gigs in 5 years? Our guest for this edition of The Speaker Lab did just that and she's here to share exactly how she successfully managed such a feat!

Chantelle Adams got her start as a speaker in the education and corporate markets before making a name for herself in the entrepreneurial field.

On today's podcast she explains why she started where she did, how she structured her offerings and her schedule to fit 800 gigs into five years and how she now spends her days helping the change-making women of the world step into their own and shine.

When you join us for episode 115 of The Speaker Lab you'll hear Chantelle talk about all of that plus her worst speaking gig ever (and how she turned it into a positive experience). Listen in for all of that and more on today's show!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• What did she do prior to becoming a speaker?
• Why did she decide to become a speaker in the education field?
• How to add more value to your speaking gig so you stand out and land more clients.
• What did she do to solicit new leads from clients?
• How to make your clients say "heck yes" to your proposals!
• Why gratitude and being grounded leads to ongoing success.
• What local industries and organizations does she recommend focusing on?
• How did she handle being a mom of three boys and speaking so often?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Chantelle Adams' web site
• Chantelle Adams on Facebook
• Chantelle Adams 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.

Many speakers' businesses rely solely on getting paid to speak. But how can you build a business in addition to your speaking roles? Is it possible to have a successful speaking career and a thriving business?

It is! Here to tell us how he's done it is Jay Baer. Jay is the best-selling author of multiple books, and he's an international keynote speaker. Jay also runs Convince and Convert, his fifth business endeavor.

Today he talks about how Convince and Convert is set up as three solid divisions, how he's created a business that can run without him, and how he's gone from speaking to Kiwanis Clubs to connecting with audiences around the globe. Listen in for all of that and more on episode 114 of The Speaker Lab!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• How many live keynotes and webinars did he do in 2016?
• Why he became a speaker who consults versus a consultant who speaks, and what the difference is.
• What was the mental shift he made to feel confident in his speaking content?
• How can you tell a true keynote speaker from the wannabe?
• Why he prefers the process of elimination over the process of discovery.
• How to find exactly what topics to speak on.
• What would he do differently if he were starting over?
• Why the less he writes the better his business does!
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Jay Baer's web site
• Convince and Convert
• The Convince and Convert podcasts
• Jay Baer on Twitter
• Hug Your Haters, by Jay Baer
• The Now Revolution, by Jay Baer
• Trust Agents, by Chris Brogan
• 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.

You've probably heard of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, but did you know there is a similar charity that helps adults and kids with life-threatening illnesses? It gives them the opportunity to experience the live event of their dreams from the front row!

The charity is called The Front Row Foundation and the co-founder is Jon Vroman, our guest for this show. Jon is also a full-time speaker and the head of his own company, Front Row Factor.

Today he shares how his charity was started, and how his speaking career became his full-time pursuit as a result of the lessons his Front Row Foundation's recipients taught him. You'll hear how he shares their inspiration with the college world, and how he is transitioning into the corporate market as well. Dive in with us on episode 113 of The Speaker Lab.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• How he started speaking at 19.
• Why he went from a six figure job to spending $90k to be a full-time speaker the next year.
• How long did it take him to land his first speaking gig?
• How he attended one event and walked out with 14 paid gigs.
• What are the things a speaker needs to get started?
• How did relationships help him find his speaking topics?
• Why speaking to everyone means you actually speak to no one.
• How he's building his name in a new market, and how you can too.
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Front Row Factor
• Front Row Foundation
• Living College Life in The Front Row, by Jon Vroman
• The Front Row Factor podcast
• Jon Vroman on Twitter
• Giftology, by John Ruhlin
• APCA
• 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.

Positioning yourself an authority is a surefire way to be featured in major media outlets and open doors that would otherwise be closed. But how do you do it?

Our guest for episode 112 has the answers! Jeff Rose of Good Financial Cents is here to spill the beans on how he became a regular contributor for Forbes. Jeff is a certified financial planner who was named one of the Top 10 Young Advisors to Watch, by Financial Advisor magazine.

Today Jeff explains how he developed a relationship with Forbes, why it takes time and a focused niche. He also shares other major media he's been featured in like CNBC, Entrepreneur, and Huffington Post to name a few. Hear it all on episode 112 of The Speaker Lab!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• Why did he start his blog, Good Financial Cents?
• How could he have gotten more traction quicker?
• What's the best way to get quoted by the media?
• How do you know if you should expand or narrow your focus?
• If he was starting from scratch today would he change anything?
• What is HARO and how can it help you?
• The story of how he became a contributing writer with Forbes.
• The John Corcoran strategy and how to use it.
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Good Financial Cents blog
• Jeff Rose's podcast
• Soldier of Finance, by Jeff Rose
• Jeff Rose's life insurance web site
• Jeff Rose on Twitter
• HARO 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.

When you try a new restaurant do you read what others have posted about it on Yelp? Or before you buy a new product do you read the Amazon reviews people have written?

If you do you understand why I highly recommend getting your own speaking testimonials: your potential clients and potential audiences want to know who you are a speaker and what you bring to the table.

On episode 111 of The Speaker Lab, I'll be sharing exactly why these tools are so useful in garnering new clients and new gigs, how to go about securing the best possible testimonials and the keys to making a testimonial great. Listen in for all of that and more on this edition of The Speaker Lab!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• What do testimonials give your potential clients?
• What are the two key pieces of a good testimonial?
• Who are the two types of people you should you get testimonials from?
• An example of how to properly solicit a testimonial.
• Are recommendation letters beneficial?
• What are the different ways you can use testimonials?
• Why you can never have too many testimonials, and what to do with all of them.
• 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.

Today is a Q&A episode highlighting a question asked by listener, Eric Moss. Eric called in with a great question about finding the appropriate contacts within the faith-based market.

It's a relatable one for me because I got my start as a speaker in this realm. After college I became a youth pastor and began speaking to my youth group, and from time to time I'd have the opportunity to speak to the "big church". That paved the way for me to create a full-time business as a speaker and a speaking expert.

On episode 110 of The Speaker Lab, I share exactly how to find out who you should be contacting at different religious organizations, and much more.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• How I got my start in the speaking world, and what it has to do with the faith-based market.
• Why is the faith/church market a fairly common one for speakers?
• What is the first thing you want to do when reaching out in the faith-based market?
• The three questions to answer to determine who to contact within a church.
• Does the topic you want to speak about matter when finding a contact?
• How does the size of the church's congregation impact you as a speaker?
• When should you reach out to the pastor of a congregation?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Episode 1 of The Speaker Lab
• Episode 31 of The Speaker Lab
• Episode 37 of The Speaker Lab
• Episode 63 of The Speaker Lab
• Episode 81 of The Speaker Lab
• 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 think speakers are born or can they be made? Is there a checklist of characteristics that make someone a great speaker? Our guest for episode 109 is here to weigh in on those topics, and more!

Carrie Wilkerson, my extra sassy friend and founder of The Barefoot Executive, joins us to talk about her background as a trained musician, and how growing up as the pastor's daughter set up her present day speaking career.

According to her parents, Carrie has been a talker since birth! In fact she talked so much as a child that her dad once told her if she could find a way to get paid for it she'd have it made. Carrie shares those stories as well as how a transition from performing as a singer in her dad's church to introducing those songs and making them relevant helped her hone the natural cadence she has on stage.

She also shares a great lesson she learned firsthand about why it's important to be a fit for for your audience. Hear it all on episode 109 of The Speaker Lab! 

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• Did she know she would always be on stage?
• How big were her earliest crowds?
• When did she know speaking was the thing she was meant to do?
• Does she think anyone can be a speaker?
• How did John Maxwell describe her speaking style?
• How The Barefoot Executive was born.
• What three assets should you take care of the most as a speaker?
• What's the best way to become a really good speaker?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Carrie Wilkerson's web site
• Carrie Wilkerson on Twitter
• The Birth Order Book, by Dr. Kevin Leman
• 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.

Whether you are building a speaking business or any other kind of business, you most likely are doing so while still working a full-time job. When you add in the responsibilities of being a spouse, a parent and the other roles in your life, how do you do it while staying sane?

One man who knows how it's done is Erik Fisher. Erik is the Social Media Manager for the Social Media Examiner's web site and is also host of the podcast, Beyond The To-Do List.

On his show he has conversations with some of the best and brightest successes in the world about their productivity habits, their successes and failures, and how they balance it all with their home life and their loved ones.

You'll hear Erik talk about how that show got started, why there is no silver bullet solution to productivity, and so much more on the 108th edition of The Speaker Lab.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• Can you have both a full-time job and a side gig you are working on?
• The secret to how he started podcasting, while still in his full-time job.
• Can time constraints ever be beneficial?
• What is Parkinson's Law and how does it apply to productivity?
• How accountability can help you stay connected and on track.
• How do you balance the hustle of building a business with a happy home life?
• Is there an easy way to know you are on the wrong path?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Erik Fisher's web site
• Erik Fisher 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.

Our guest today is from an exclusive club: he's the proud creator of one of the most viewed videos on YouTube! Judson Laipply is our guest and he is known as "The Evolution Dance" guy.

He's here to talk about the video by the same name, as well as how his own speaking career as he evolved through the years.

On episode 107 of The Speaker Lab, Judson shares how he started as a speaker in high school, the mentorship that helped him build his career and where his dance video fits into it all.

You'll hear all of that and so much more on today's edition of The Speaker Lab.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• Who knocked Judson off the top of the most viewed list on YouTube?
• What market has the simplest barrier to entry?
• What can the musical Hamilton teach you about speaking?
• Why did he start offering "inspirational comedy" as a speaker?
• What percentage of your speech will audiences remember?
• The #1 question to ask yourself when speaking to college students.
• What are the two reasons people hire a speaker?
• What is his advice when entering into a new market?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Judson Laipply's web site
• Judson Laipply on Twitter
• The Evolution of Dance video
• 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.