The Speaker Lab Podcast

How do you know when it's the right time to hire someone? Whether you think you need help now or you simply have an eye to the future, today's episode is all about hiring a staff to grow your speaking career.

On episode 86 of The Speaker Lab, I'll be sharing my personal staffing journey: who I hired, when I hired them and how I paid them.

I'll also answer the most pressing hiring questions we all have as speakers: do we need to hire someone? How do we know if we can trust them? How should they get paid? Can we afford the expense of staff?

Listen in for the answers to those questions, and much more on today's solo episode of The Speaker Lab.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• How do you know if you even need to hire someone?
• What is the most valuable resource and commodity we all have?
• The 3 list exercise to help you figure out what to hire for when you're ready.
• Cash is king in a new what?
• Why selling has to be your top priority, and can never be outsourced.
• Where to find the right person to hire, and how to know they are a fit.
• Why doing a 30 day or 60 day trial run with a new hire is important.
• Why not to hire someone full-time right away.
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Episode 15 of The Speaker Lab
• Virtual Freedom, by Chris Ducker
• Episode 24 of The Speaker Lab
• Episode 46 of The Speaker Lab
• eaHELP
• Grant Baldwin 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.

Have you ever heard those crazy stories about musicians who would include ridiculous requests in their riders, like Van Halen and their brown M&M clause? Ever wonder exactly what a rider is, and if you need one?

While you don't need to go the Van Halen brown M&M route, a speaking rider is still a good idea. On today's solo episode I explain what a rider is, why you should have one, and why sometimes those ridiculous requests have a good reason behind them!

You'll hear about all of that and much more on the 85th edition of The Speaker Lab.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• The important reason Van Halen didn't want brown M&Ms backstage.
• What I include in my rider, and what you should you include in yours.
• Can you request a specific seating style at your speaking gig?
• Should you include your rider as part of the contract, or separate?
• How to walk the fine line between making requests and being demanding.
• What is the point of having a rider?
• Do most clients read and remember riders?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Episode 6 of The Speaker Lab
• Grant Baldwin 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.

When you started speaking did you give much consideration into how it would serve your business? If you didn't, you are not alone! Often, people begin speaking without thinking about how it will fit into their business model.

Whether your career is successfully underway or you'll still getting started, you should give some thought as to why you want to speak.

You should also ponder how it fits into your overall business, both brand and long-term goals, as well as what type of speaking engagements you enjoy most.

On episode 84 of The Speaker Lab, you'll hear why these three questions are important to answer. You'll also hear what the four revenue models for speakers are and you can decide for yourself which fits you best. Tune in for all of that and more on today's show!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• What are the 4 revenue models for speakers?
• How can you speak less, and charge more?
• The two most common reasons people want to speak.
• What other revenue sources can you tie to your speaking engagements?
• What is the biggest downside to speaking?
• Why it's important to diversify your income sources.
• How my speaking business model has changed and evolved over time.
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Episode 3 of The Speaker Lab
• Ready to reach out to decision-makers? Join our free speaker workshop
• 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 if you could travel to Australia for free? Or take your family to Hawaii for next to nothing? Our guest on today's show, Travis Sherry, knows how and he's built a business by helping others with his knowledge.

Travis was teaching English in Japan a few years ago and wanted to travel more and spend less. That led him to Google which led him down a virtual rabbit hole.

To help him better understand what he was learning, and to share it with other people, he started a site called Extra Pack of Peanuts. It began as a blog to chronicle journey into the world of free travel including hacks, airlines points, frequent flier miles. Today it has grown to much more!

On episode 83 of The Speaker Lab, Travis shares what he's learned along the way, his best travel tips, and how to accumulate miles and points so you can get free travel for yourself and your loved ones. Check it out on today's edition of The Speaker Lab! 

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• One of Travis' top tips for making travel as enjoyable as possible.
• How can you get more time to explore the cities you speak in?
• The 3 best ways to get miles and points, even if you fly only a few times a year.
• Why not all points are created equal.
• Should you get frequent flier accounts with all airlines?
• How to use credit card offers to get more miles.
• Are certain credit cards more valuable than others?
• A next-level travel hack my family uses that you can use too.
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Extra Pack of Peanuts web site
• Travis Sherry on Twitter
• Extra Pack of Peanuts 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 considered creating a lifelong speaking career? Whether you've pondered your speaking longevity or you just want to break into the speaking world, you'll hear about both topics from Harriet Turk, our guest on today's show.

Harriet has been speaking in the youth and education areas for nearly two and a half decades, earning her stars and stripes along the way.

On episode 82 of The Speaker Lab, Harriet Turk joins us to talk about her lengthy career as a speaker, how she got started and what it's like to be a female speaker then versus today. She explains why relationships and connections with other speakers are so vital to your career.

You'll get to hear the wisdom she's earned, and so much more on today's edition of The Speaker Lab.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• Why it's so important to learn the art of storytelling.
• Can your audience really only handle 3-5 points?
• What is the market like for female speakers today?
• What would Harriet do differently if she were building her business now?
• Can you work locally and be successful, or must you always travel the country?
• How does she maintain a balance between speaking and being a single mom?
• How to build your network when you're starting out.
• Harriet's real-life story of the importance of building and fostering friendships with other speakers.
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Harriet Turk's web site
• Harriet Turk on Twitter
• Harriet Turk on Facebook
• Email Harriet
• 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 wanted to speak to college students or collegiate staff? If you have but weren't sure where to start this is the show for you!

Recently a listener named Eric wrote in wanting to know how to get booked for speaking gigs at colleges. To answer his question, we'll talk about how to get started speaking at colleges, and where there are the most opportunities in this market.

On episode 81 of The Speaker Lab, I share my personal experiences and insights gleaned from speaking on the collegiate circuit. I'll also share the 9 potential markets that exist within almost any university. You'll hear about all of that and much more on the 81st edition of The Speaker Lab!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• The 3 foundational questions to ask and answer before speaking in any market.
• What questions do you need to answer to define your marketing to colleges?
• What are the 9 potential markets you could speak to on most campuses?
• What are the APCA and NACA, and why should you know?
• What is block booking and how does it work?
• Why student orientation and staff trainings are good opportunities to be hired.
• How should you reach out to potential decision-makers in the college market?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Episode 2 of The Speaker Lab
• Grant Baldwin on Twitter
• APCA
• NACA
• 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 speaking for 3 days? What if it meant making 7 figures a year - can you imagine it then? Our guest for today, Cole Hatter, doesn't imagine it - he lives it.

Cole began as a multi-million dollar real estate investor who continues to run several companies in that industry today, as well as speaking from the stage around the world.

On episode 80 of The Speaker Lab, Cole is here to talk about how he got into speaking, how he uses his own successes and failures as examples for his audience and what it's like to speak on stage for 72 hours! He shares all of that and more on today's show.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• What were some of his earliest steps he took to start speaking?
• How speaking for free - and even losing money on gigs - helped build his career.
• What's it like to speak for three days at a seminar?
• How and why you must earn the right to be on stage.
• Why honesty is the best policy when selling on stage, and elsewhere.
• What does it mean to sell at 90 degrees?
• What are open loops and why are they key to selling from stage?
• How to position your product as the solution to real-world problems.
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Cole Hatter's web site
• Cole Hatter on Twitter
• Cole Hatter on Snapchat
• Episode 121 of HDYGIT with Cole Hatter
• Thrive, Cole's event
• Delivering Happiness, by Tony Hseih
• 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 your niche is ready for a conference or other major event? How would you know if there's enough interest, before booking a venue, speakers, etc?

Our guest today is here to answer those questions. He is Phillip Taylor and is the founder of FinCon, the world's largest Financial Content Expo.

Not only will PT talk about how and when it's the right time to create an event for your particular area of expertise, and he also shares what works and what doesn't work when connecting with the event hosts of conferences you want to speak at.

On episode 79 of The Speaker Lab, PT explains where the idea for FinCon came from, how he grew it to a profitable enterprise over the years and what criteria event organizers look for from their potential speakers. Whether you've spoken at a large conference or simply want to soon, you'll want to hear all of those details on today's show!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• What should you do before you decide to create an event?
• What were the two tipping points that told PT FinCon was a good idea?
• Why it is important to partner with your community.
• How long did it take for this event to be profitable?
• Keynotes vs. workshop speakers: what does he look for in each?
• How to stand out and increase your odds of being selected to speak.
• When is it okay to submit multiple session ideas?
• When is there value in speaking for free?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• FinCon web site
• FinCon on Twitter
• Phillip Taylor on Twitter
• Email PT
• Episode 112 of HDYGIT with PT Money
• 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 of the surest ways to excel as a speaker is to find someone who is a success, and then follow their early steps. It's true in speaking, it's true in business and it's true in other avenues of life.

A man who has done just that is Bob Burg. Bob is the best-selling author of The Go-Giver and Endless Referrals. After picking up audio cassette tapes at a Zig Ziglar event and enrolling in their speaking program, Bob's speaking career took off.

On today's show, Bob shares how the National Speakers Association also had an impact on his speaking career, and why you're better off following in the footsteps of successful giants than trying to go it on your own. It's all here on episode 78 of The Speaker Lab.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• How did he get his first bookings?
• How can you prepare for the inevitable rejections?
• The follow up process to help you build on your successes
• Why discipline and sweat equity are so vital to growing your speaking career.
• What knocks many people out of the speaking business in the beginning?
• What are reactive referrals and should you depend on them?
• What is Burg's Law of The Back Doors?
• How to desire a result without being emotionally attached to the result.
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Bob Burg's web site
• The Go-Giver, by Bob Burg
• Endless Referrals, by Bob Burg
• The Go-Giver podcast
• Bob Burg 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 Scott Stratten is a world-renowned keynote speaker, best-selling author and all-around awesome guy who is known by nearly everyone in the speaking community.

But did you know that in the early days of his career he flew around North America training people to sell bubble wrap?! As our guest on episode 77 of The Speaker Lab he shares that amazing story, and much more.

Scott also shares his earliest experiences as a corporate trainer after college, and why he chose that path. He explains the origin story of the video that catapulted him to speaker stardom and led to receiving 97 speaker invitations in two weeks!

Whether or not you ever create a viral video to aid your speaking career, Scott gives specific suggestions on how to get your start on this episode. We go into the how and when of leveling up your speaking career, once you've got your feet wet as a speaker. He is equal parts hilarious and wise today! Listen in to laugh along with us, and get a little wiser on episode 77 of The Speaker Lab.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• Are many keynote speakers introverted or extroverted?
• Why he has hired for his weaknesses.
• Should every person you bring on to your team be an extension of you?
• The importance of having tact and empathy, no matter what happens.
• What are his two demands he includes in every contract?
• What is his biggest fear as a speaker?
• Why you must "show your work" before you can increase your fees.
• What two things will all speakers eventually learn firsthand?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Scott Stratten's web site
• The Unpodcast
• Scott's books
• Scott Stratten 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.