What should come first, your book or your talk?

That’s one of the questions I posed to Azul Terronez, book coach to some of the best known thought leaders around. 

Azul is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author and book coach who specializes in helping leaders write and publish books that elevate their brand. As the CEO of the six-figure company Authors Who Lead, he has enabled Wall Street CEOs and health and wellness gurus to sell tens of thousands of books. When he’s not hosting his podcast, Authors Who Lead, he’s working as a creativity coach with CEOs and Emmy Award-winning producers to build their confidence, improve their productivity and increase their visibility within their companies.

Prior to starting a career in coaching, Azul spent over two decades as a teacher, a principal and a founding faculty member of High Tech High Graduate School of Education. He has been a keynote speaker at international conferences and his TEDx talk, “What Makes a Good Teacher Great”, has been viewed over 4.1 million times. Azul has appeared on Smart Passive Income, The Will To Change, Addicted2Success and The Good Men Project.

In this show you are going to get real insight into how to succeed in your book writing journey, some golden tips that will accelerate your speaking journey and a masterclass in storytelling.

Enjoy!

What you’ll discover:

• Why being diagnosed as dyslexic after failing English at college motivated Azul.
• How and why Azul helped his high school students become published authors.
• How Azul wrote a best-selling book in 30 days.
• The promotion strategy he used for his first book.
• Why Azul left teaching to become a book coach and publisher
• The blessing of naivete and how it is a catalyst for your success.
• The three biggest reasons you think leaders should write a book.
• Where Azul’s business fits into your book publishing journey.
• Azul’s advice for neuro-diverse people wanting to write a book. 
• How Azul prepared for his TEDx talk and why he thinks it went viral. 
• What should come first, your talk or your book.
• How speaking fits into Azul’s business.

If you'd like to watch the video of the episode, you can do that here:

All things Azul:

Website:  https://authorswholead.com/ 

Instagram: @azulterronez

Twitter: @azulterronez

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azul-terronez/ 

TikTok @azulterronez

Books & Resources*:

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Speaking Resources:

Grab Your From Blank Page to Stage Guide and Nail the Topic for a Client Winning Talk

Want to get better at finding and sharing your stories then check out our FREE Five Day Snackable Story Challenge

Thanks for listening!

To share your thoughts:                                                  

• Share this show on X, Facebook or LinkedIn.

To help the show out:

• Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.
• Subscribe on iTunes.

*(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)

I want to share something that I know will get you more speaking gigs and ramp up your confidence for outreach.

It’s relevant for live events, podcasts and any other type of 

It’s very simple yet so many people struggle to execute on it, but hopefully this episode will give you inspiration and some concrete steps to take to implement this in 2025. 

In this show I’m covering:

• The secret ingredient for getting you more gigs.
• The curse of assumptions. 
• The antidote quote to taking uncomfortable action.
• What you should aim for with your initial outreach.
• Something female speakers should pay attention to.
• An underused action that gets you powerful results.
• A software tool that will give you the edge in your outreach.
• The possibilities available using this secret ingredient. 
• Why you should BAMFAM your speaking leads. 

Enjoy!

If you'd like to watch the video of the episode, you can do that here:

Leave a rating or review for The Speaking Club

(Take a photo of your review, email it to me at [email protected] and get a free e-copy of my book Cracking Speech Mate - How to Use Humour to Make You an Amazing Speaker!)

Books:

Grab your copy of Straight to the Top - How to Create and Deliver a Killer Elevator Pitch

Grab your copy of Cracking Speech Mate - How to Add Humour to Make You An Amazing Speaker

Resources:

FREE RESOURCE - The 5 Levels of Pain

FREE NEW GUIDE - From Blank Page to Stage 

Take the Snackable Story Challenge

https://www.saraharcher.co.uk

https://www.lusha.com/

Thanks for listening!

To share your thoughts:                                                  

• leave a comment below.
• Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.

To help the show out:

• Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc. Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.
• Subscribe on iTunes.

One of the questions I get asked most is how do I get booked consistently for paid speaking gigs. I have my views on this from a speaker and speaking coach perspective, but I wanted to get a view from someone with another angle.

That’s why I invited Seth Dechtman onto the show. Seth works with event planners for some of the biggest organisations and conferences. He knows exactly what they are looking for, and he has a network of some of the highest paid speakers in the world. He offers the gold standard in service to make sure that events go as smoothly as possible and the organisers look like rockstars! 

He is here to share the inside track on what organisers are looking for in a keynote speaker, why he chooses to work with some speakers over others and what you can do to maximise your chances of getting booked and paid to speak.

Enjoy!

If you'd like to watch the video of the episode, you can do that here:

What you’ll discover:

• How Seth got into curating speakers.
• The consistent themes that come up in an event brief.
• Seth’s advice on the number of keynotes to offer.
• What to consider when positioning your expertise around a hot topic.
• Why Seth chooses to work with some speakers over others.
• The difference between the top speakers and the rest.
• The non-negotiable assets that speakers need to get booked.
• The three most important steps new speakers should take if they want to get booked and paid to speak.
• How often clients request the same speaker.
• Why you should consider offering additional products or services beyond the keynote.
• Whether Seth has ambition to get on stage.

All things Seth:

Website: www.thekeynotecurators.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-dechtman/ 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheKeynoteCurators 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sethdechtman/ 

Books & Resources*:

Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders

Speaking Resources:

Grab Your From Blank Page to Stage Guide and Nail the Topic for a Client Winning Talk

Want to get better at finding and sharing your stories then check out our FREE Five Day Snackable Story Challenge

Thanks for listening!

To share your thoughts:                                                  

• Share this show on X, Facebook or LinkedIn.

To help the show out:

• Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.

• Subscribe on iTunes.

*(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)

“I’ve been booked to do a fireside chat at a conference, have you got any tips?”

This is a question I got a few weeks ago from one of my Green Room clients, and she actually had the event this week. 

In response I shared with her some tactics she could use before and during the event to ensure she influenced the direction of the conversation to where she could share her message effectively and make the most of the opportunity. 

This is something that you need to consider for any interview format, whether it’s with the media, or a podcast interview and that’s why I’m sharing some with you too.

In this show I’m covering:

• The mistakes I see made when people are speaking in an interview format.
• The possibilities available if you get your approach right. 
• How you can influence the direction of the conversation. 
• Some great question responses that allow you to bring in your talking points in a natural and engaging way. 
• Why you shouldn’t just regurgitate your talk in an interview. 
• A simple tip for building rapport with the host and their audience. 
• What to do after the interview to make the most of it. 

Enjoy!

If you'd like to watch the video of the episode, you can do that here.

Leave a rating or review for The Speaking Club

(Take a photo of your review, email it to me at [email protected] and get a free e-copy of my book Cracking Speech Mate - How to Use Humour to Make You an Amazing Speaker!)

Books:

Grab your copy of Straight to the Top - How to Create and Deliver a Killer Elevator Pitch

Grab your copy of Cracking Speech Mate - How to Add Humour to Make You An Amazing Speaker

Resources:

FREE RESOURCE - The 5 Levels of Pain

FREE NEW GUIDE - From Blank Page to Stage 

Take the Snackable Story Challenge

https://www.saraharcher.co.uk

Thanks for listening!

To share your thoughts:                                                  

• Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.

To help the show out:

• Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc. Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.
• Subscribe on iTunes.

I’m going to be real here. 

When I look back at my life from my death bed, I am not going to say … “if only I’d spent more time on Linked In”. 

Most of the people I speak to would be happy to spend less time on social media and free themselves from the guilty feeling that they should be doing ‘more’! 

But the truth of it is that social media is important in a number of ways to building and growing your speaking career.

Here’s the thing though, there is a way to do social media on your terms. 

And that is what my guest Mark Saxby is here to share with you. 

Mark is more than just ‘another social media expert’. Combining his experience as an award-winning BBC and ITV journalist with his expertise gained after setting up one of the UK’s first specialist social media agencies in 2011, Mark and his clients have generated more than £20 million in sales through social media. 

Mark also founded the national Positive Social charity, which goes into schools to teach young people how to take back control of their lives from social media.

So … sit back and find out how to make social media less ‘faff’ and more fun. 

What you’ll discover:

• Why Mark left an award winning career in journalism to create a social media agency.
• Social media strategy for speakers. 
• What’s best using multiple platforms or focusing on one?
• How much attention you should be paying to AI.
• Mark’s view on speakers using paid social media.
• How to use storytelling to get results with social media.
• The three biggest tips Mark has for speakers for getting gigs through social media.
• Why Mark says people should ‘Be more Colin’
• The charity social media project that is changing lives in education
• How Mark’s spirituality impacts how he runs his agency. 
• Where does speaking fit into your sales pipeline.

Enjoy!

If you'd like to watch the video of the episode, you can do that here:

All things Mark:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/social-media-consultant/

https://www.statussocial.co.uk/

http://positivesocial.org.uk/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/social-media-consultant/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/status-social 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/positivesocial 

https://www.statussocial.co.uk/social-media-services/social-media-training/be-more-colin/

Books & Resources*:

The E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber

Value Based Fees by Alan Weiss

Speaking Resources:

Grab Your From Blank Page to Stage Guide and Nail the Topic for a Client Winning Talk

Want to get better at finding and sharing your stories then check out our FREE Five Day Snackable Story Challenge

Thanks for listening!

To share your thoughts:                                                  

• Share this show on X, Facebook or LinkedIn.

To help the show out:

• Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.
• Subscribe on iTunes.

*(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)

“I’ve been approached to speak at an event, but they have no budget for speaker fees, should I do it?” … is a question I get asked a lot. 

So, I say … “Firstly, that’s not a question I can answer for you … but here’s some ideas for how you can assess the value of an opportunity for you and your message, and how you can make low fee or free gigs pay.”

And those ideas are what I want to share with you today.

In this show I’m covering:

• The problems arising from doing the wrong free gigs
• Criteria for evaluating speaking opportunities
• The possibilities available if you are strategic with free gigs
• How you should position ‘free gigs’ for event organisers
• What you should say to the audience even if it is a free gig
• 5 ways to make free gigs pay.

Enjoy!

If you'd like to watch the video of the episode, you can do that here:

Leave a rating or review for The Speaking Club

(Take a photo of your review, email it to me at [email protected] and get a free e-copy of my book Cracking Speech Mate - How to Use Humour to Make You an Amazing Speaker!)

Books:

Grab your copy of Straight to the Top - How to Create and Deliver a Killer Elevator Pitch

Grab your copy of Cracking Speech Mate - How to Add Humour to Make You An Amazing Speaker

Resources:

FREE RESOURCE - Stand Out and Get Booked Speaker Playbook (available until end Nov 30, 2024)

FREE NEW GUIDE - From Blank Page to Stage 

Take the Snackable Story Challenge

https://www.saraharcher.co.uk

Thanks for listening!

To share your thoughts:                                                  

• Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.

To help the show out:

• Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc. Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.
• Subscribe on iTunes. 

Trigger Warning - this show briefly discusses difficult topics including self-harm and suicide.

Gethin Jones is a survivor, but what few people would have believed, (including Gethin), was that he would also become an international speaker and thought leader. 

Growing up in the care system, he spent a total of 8 years in prison, battled intravenous heroin addiction, and was trapped in destructive patterns that seemed destined to lead him to more prison time or an early death.

He found the will to change his life and a way to transform his own narrative arc, and today he shares his story and offers hope and a different future to others incarcerated and employed within the justice system.

Gethin leads Unlocking Potential, a company that works within prisons, probation services, local authorities, and charities across the UK, Australia, and America. He delivers keynote talks, workshops, training, eLearning, and consultancy, aimed at helping individuals, teams and creating a justice system that is fair and fit for purpose for everyone. 

If you are struggling to overcome imposter syndrome, or finding it a challenge to get traction with your message, then listen up because you will get inspiration and insight from Gethin’s journey from inmate to international speaker. 

Enjoy!

What you’ll discover:

• The story of Gethin’s transformation from inmate to international speaker.
• What prison pipelines are and how Gethin is trying to change the justice system. 
• How he busts the myths to shift the narrative about reform. 
• How he positions his talk and services to connect with a business audience. 
• The mindset and practical steps that enabled Gethin to build a speaking career from one networking meeting in 2016.
• Gethin’s advice if you feel that you have a message that no-one wants to hear because it is difficult and challenging. 
• How Gethin approached the first talk he gave. 
• Why Gethin always approaches speaking as a pupil with something to learn.
• Where speaking fits with moving his mission forward.

To watch the episode on YouTube, click here

All things Gethin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gethin-jones-unlocking-potential-99a02510a/  

https://x.com/GethinUnlocks

www.unlockingthepotential.co.uk 

Books & Resources*:

How to F**K Up and Still Succeed by Gethin Jones

Who Moved My Cheese by Dr Spencer Johnson

The Go-Giver Leader by Bob Burg and John David Mann

Speaking Resources:

Grab Your From Blank Page to Stage Guide and Nail the Topic for a Client Winning Talk

Want to get better at finding and sharing your stories then check out our FREE Five Day Snackable Story Challenge

Thanks for listening!

If you would like to support the show and get more from me and The Speaking Club, check out our brand new Patreon Memberships here: https://patreon.com/thespeakingclub 

To share your thoughts:                                                  

• Share this show on X, Facebook or LinkedIn.

To help the show out:

• Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.
• Subscribe on iTunes.

*(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)

Business Book publisher and business author Alison Jones said “for business book writers a signature talk changes the game.”

Arel Moodie, Professional Speaker, Disney Show Host and Founder of Talkadot said:

“If you feel like you are not getting booked enough. You need a signature talk. If you feel like you are constantly chasing clients and they aren't chasing you. You need a signature talk. If you feel like you just need to be given a chance but keep feeling like the best-kept secret in your niche... You need a signature talk. 

A signature talk is something that all the greats have, and everyone who is frustrated with their speaking career doesn't.“

And I say: “get the right signature talk, and you can convert 40% or more of your audience into action authentically and with class!”

That’s what I want to share about today … what a signature talk is, what the ingredients are, and your first steps to creating one.

Enjoy!

If you'd like to watch the video of the episode, you can do that here:

What you’ll learn:

• Why you need a signature talk
• Some examples of great signature talks
• What a signature talk is and isn’t
• The three key ingredients of a signature talk
• How to make your message resonate with your audience
• The Big Idea of your talk and what it should do.
• Your roles in relation to making your signature talk a success.

And more!!

Leave a rating or review for The Speaking Club

(Take a photo of your review and get a free e-copy of my book Cracking Speech Mate - How to Use Humour to Make You an Amazing Speaker!)

Books:

Grab your copy of Straight to the Top - How to Create and Deliver a Killer Elevator Pitch

Grab your copy of Cracking Speech Mate - How to Add Humour to Make You An Amazing Speaker

Resources:

Free Resources to Get You Into Action:

Grab Your From Blank Page to Stage Guide and Nail the Topic for a Client Winning Talk

[Free Download] The Five Levels of Pain (Identify the Trigger to Get Your  Audience into Action)

https://www.saraharcher.co.uk

Thanks for listening!

To share your thoughts:                                                  

• Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.

To help the show out:

• Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc. Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.
• Subscribe on iTunes.

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

That’s a famous and overused quote from Maya Angelou - that really applies to speakers. 

Because people won’t remember your name or the exact words you say, but they will remember how your message made them feel.

And that is what I want to talk to you about today.

In this show I’m covering:

• What an idea with impact looks like.
• The checklist for idea success.
• What can get in the way of creating an idea that lingers.
• Some tips to help you nail your idea.
• Why it’s worth the effort to get there.

Enjoy!

If you'd like to watch the video of the episode, you can do that here:

Leave a rating or review for The Speaking Club

(Take a photo of your review, email it to me at [email protected] and get a free e-copy of my book Cracking Speech Mate - How to Use Humour to Make You an Amazing Speaker!)

Books:

Grab your copy of Straight to the Top - How to Create and Deliver a Killer Elevator Pitch

Grab your copy of Cracking Speech Mate - How to Add Humour to Make You An Amazing Speaker

Resources:

Message Monetisation Workshop

Nicola S Morgan TedX Talk

FREE RESOURCE - The 5 Levels of Pain

FREE NEW GUIDE - From Blank Page to Stage 

Take the Snackable Story Challenge

https://www.saraharcher.co.uk

Thanks for listening!

To share your thoughts:                                                  

• Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.

To help the show out:

• Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc. Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.
• Subscribe on iTunes. 

The definition of ‘self-expression’ is the expression of one's feelings, thoughts, or ideas, through words, choices or actions, especially in writing, art, music, or dance.

Sounds easy doesn’t it? 

The trouble is that we are all so bogged down with messages about how we should look, think, speak, and act; that it can make it difficult to let go of expectations and simply be ourselves… and for women this conditioning has many additional layers!

 What about you? 

How fully self-expressed are you?

Do you want to speak on stage but feel like an imposter positioning yourself as an expert in your niche?

Maybe you do speak, but on stage you find yourself playing safe, or trying to be what you think a presenter should be instead of sharing your personality with the audience?

Well, my guest today will be sharing some ideas to help you to be more you. 

Michelle Minnikin is a  Chartered Organisational Psychologist, speaker coach, and author of Good Girl Deprogramming.

For many years Michelle struggled under the weight of expectations, playing small, putting herself last and being a ‘good girl’, without even realising she was doing it. 

Eventually she discovered she was suffering from ‘good girl conditioning’!

In this show she shines a light on what that is and how it has disempowered women for years, decades, and generations. 

And whether you’re a man or a woman, who is burdened by how you are told you should be … you will get tips in this show, for how to deprogram that conditioning and set yourself free!

What you’ll discover:

• How Michelle became a rebel and why
• Why Michelle is to women like Orpheus is to Neo in the matrix
• What’s on the other side of good girl conditioning. 
• The resistance she has encountered to her book and ideas. 
• How you can tell if you’re a good girl. 
• How good girl conditioning may be holding you back.
• The three biggest things organisations can do to enable women to fulfil their potential.
• What obstacles you might encounter on the way to being fully self-expressed. 
• The biggest challenges Michelle has encountered in creating her signature keynote

All things Michelle:

Good Girl Deprogramming Ebook and Paperback available at all good bookshops

Good Girl Deprogramming (Amazon) 

Good Girl Deprogramming (Audible)

Find out if you’re a Good Girl at https://goodgirlquiz.co.uk/

Website - https://www.michelleminnikin.com/

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mminnikin/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/goodgirldeprogramming

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@michelleminnikin

Books & Resources*:

Be More Pirate by Sam Conniff Allende

Playing Big by Tara Mohr

Speaking Resources:

Grab Your From Blank Page to Stage Guide and Nail the Topic for a Client Winning Talk

Want to get better at finding and sharing your stories then check out our FREE Five Day Snackable Story Challenge

Thanks for listening!

If you would like to support the show and get more from me and The Speaking Club, check out our brand new Patreon Memberships here: https://patreon.com/thespeakingclub

To share your thoughts:                                                  

• Share this show on X, Facebook or LinkedIn.

To help the show out:

• Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.

• Subscribe on iTunes.

*(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)