There’s this misconception out there that a busy speaker is a successful speaker. You see someone booking all the podcast interviews, getting all the media attention, and speaking at all the events, and you think, “Dang, that speaker’s made it. They know what they’re doing!” But that’s not always the case. Trust me, I work with some of these speakers. And so many of them come to me in a panic because they dropped tons of money booking these engagements and aren’t seeing results. Or they’re...

“As a beginner speaker, you have to get on stage. Traditional speaking events are the only way to go.” Have you heard this idea before? Is it something you believed before you started speaking? Well, friends…it’s not true. Speaking does not always mean you have to get a spot in a conference with thousands of attendees. There are so many unconventional speaking opportunities that are actually better fits for beginner speakers! And one of those opportunities that I always recommend to...

What’s the key to making speaking work for your business? Well, not just work. It can help your business grow, help you make an impact on the world, and help you create the life you’ve always wanted. The key is to figure out the path to successful speaking that’s best for you. If you don’t — and you jump into speaking without understanding your strategy first — speaking can quickly become this extra task on your plate that’s not getting you results. Luckily, I’ve mapped out the three paths...

As a business owner, it’s easy to get into the habit of putting everything and everyone else first. You keep serving your clients, helping them accomplish their goals, and grow their businesses. What you want, like speaking, gets put on the back burner. I see this happen all the time with our clients. And I do the exact same thing. I’ve spent so much time helping my clients move forward on their speaking journey (which I love) but I haven’t spent enough time on my own speaking platform! ...

A friend recently reached out to me and asked if she should pay to speak at a certain event. When I realized I had been invited to speak at that same event the night before — without being required to pay — I found out that paying to speak was now a thing. And I needed to talk about it on the podcast. This episode is not meant to bash the whole pay to speak method, or make you feel bad if you’ve tried it. I want to bring light to things that are happening in the speaking industry so that you...

Recently I was thinking of an old business friend for a potential speaking opportunity when I realized something: I hadn’t “seen” them online in a while. Which isn’t uncommon on social media with algorithms that are always changing. But when I looked them up, I found that they were doing something completely different with their business. This happens more than you think. (Hello, 2020.) If you’re pivoting your business or have shifted it already, you need to make sure your speaking strategy...

The world feels like a heavy place to live in right now. Things feel broken, maybe even irreparable. Whether you’re directly affected by current events, feel anxious about what’s happening in the world, or are going through something personal, it’s understandable if you’re having a hard time serving your people. How do you stay motivated with speaking when you don’t actually feel motivated? How can you show up on stage to motivate, lead, or inspire others to take action when everything...

Browse through the backlog of this podcast with over 200 episodes (!!), and you’ll find a lot of advice on preparing to speak on stage. Advice like overcoming your speaking anxiety, using slides in your presentation, and practicing so that your flow and rhythm are natural. These topics make sense; as a speaker, you want your voice and talk to make a big impact. But what about how you look while you’re speaking? If you struggle with body image and feeling comfortable in your skin, delivering...

Everyone, please welcome back to the Speak to Scale Podcast…Arel Moodie! Arel joined me on the podcast way back in Episode 59, where we talked about how a mentor can help you become a successful speaker. With Arel as my own mentor, I can attest to that.  He’s built several 7-figure businesses based on speaking and spoken to over 750,000 people all over the world. Arel returned to the podcast today to talk about his newest venture that helps speakers market themselves with data: Talkadot.  ...

There’s a myth out there about what the “natural progression” of getting paid to speak looks like. At first, all you do is take free speaking gigs. You’re putting in your time and paying your dues. No one will want to pay to book you…yet. Until you slowly start replacing unpaid speaking engagements with paid engagements. When that happens, you’ve “made it.” Like I said, this is a myth! This is usually what speaking looks like for those who want to become professional speakers. It’s not the...

Recently I got to speak with Racheal Cook of The CEO Collective and Promote Yourself to CEO podcast. She shared so many nuggets of wisdom (including how to find speaking opportunities) that I’m so excited to share with you all. Racheal serves women entrepreneurs who run service-based businesses who are ready to sustainably scale, without sacrificing life, family, health, or themselves. How did she get into this “life first” mindset and business? By experiencing the harsh “work first”...

No matter what industry your business serves, you’ll have to weather busy and slow seasons. But does that same principle apply to your speaker journey? Are there times you should be working on speaking for your biz? The answer? Always.  Whether your calendar is packed with speaking opportunities, you’re focusing on pitching, or you’re connecting with your audience on social media, you have to plan for all the speaking seasons. That’s how you make it a consistent part of your business! For...

You can write your own talk, or you can have someone else write it for you. (Like me!) But the question is, should you? That depends. Your goal is always to deliver a great presentation, but the way you create it will be influenced by a couple of different things. Let’s dig in to see if you should outsource or not. For full shownotes and links: https://thepublicspeakingstrategist.com/shownotes/218

In the early years of my business, I was on calls with a bunch of ideal clients to gain information for a program I was developing. After a few calls, I noticed something: almost every single one of my clients had either been a teacher or wanted to be a teacher when they were young. It was fascinating! My people were educators at heart. It was fascinating but also odd because I, personally, never wanted to be a teacher! And here I am today, 5+ years into homeschooling my two kids. Wild,...

You know those moments when someone asks you a simple question and it just blows your mind? A question that makes you fully pause and appreciate its greatness? I got one of those questions a few months ago from a client. She asked, “Knowing what you know now…if you had to start from scratch today, what would you do to see success as a speaker, fast?” I know, right?! This question damn near took my breath away. But the cool thing is, my answer was simple. I’d follow the Speaker Sprint...

If you have a garden or have thought about starting one, I bet you have a Pinterest-perfect image of what it looks like in your mind. Cedar-raised beds, flowering arches, an ivy-covered picket fence, birds singing… Unless you have an unlimited amount of time, money, and land, that’s not what your garden will look like right out of the gate…and the same goes for speaking.  Why do I compare the two? Because starting a garden is a lot like speaking, actually. You won’t be a perfect, successful...

Yep, you read that right. I’ve said goodbye to a signature program — The Speaking Strategy Academy — that’s been a core part of the business since 2019. Learn why I retired my speaking group coaching program and what I hope other business owners can learn from my experience. For full show notes and episode links: https://thepublicspeakingstrategist.com/shownotes/214

In the previous episode, I talked about showcasing yourself as a speaker on your website. If you haven’t listened to it yet, here’s a spoiler alert: I told y’all to start with the marketing assets you have and upgrade or add more as you continue speaking.  Having a speaker website is definitely important. But how do you get people to find that website? That’s where social media comes in. Showcasing yourself as a speaker through social media content is just as important, if not more...

I got a great question from someone in my workshop recently: “I’ve spoken at three virtual events. What’s the best way to showcase them?” While we’d all love a perfectly produced, Insta-worthy speaker Reel to show off our skills, the reality is, most of us aren’t there yet. When it comes to marketing yourself as a speaker, I want you to market what you have. And a handy tool for doing this is to create a speaker website. For full show notes and episode links:...

You know that speaking is an excellent way to grow your business. You’ve even begun taking steps to do that, like searching for speaker events near you or listening to podcast episodes on how to start speaking (wink, wink). But so far, speaking isn’t working for you. If you’ve started thinking that you don’t have what it takes to be a speaker or aren’t good enough at speaking, I want you to stop right there. I say this with all the kindness and love I have: you’re wrong, friend. You can...

So. You wanna get paid to speak. We all do! But, um…where are those paid speaking engagements? Do you find them, or do they find you?  I’ve gotten these questions a few times from audience members, clients, and social media followers. Getting paid to speak isn’t talked about very much, so it all feels very secretive and mysterious. But there isn’t a magical list of events and organizers that are looking for paid speakers.  It really comes down to two things: targeting the right events for...

When it comes to writing your talks, how do you feel? Maybe you love delivering your speeches onstage, but writing them down beforehand feels like torture. Or, maybe you love creative writing, but channeling your creativity into a structured, strategic presentation feels impossible. I’ve been there, folks. Writing a talk from start to finish can be tough! So, let’s go behind-the-scenes today, where you’ll learn how I craft talks for my clients. For full show notes and episode links:...

Why do some speakers stand out over others? Why are some memorable and some…not so much? Why do some speakers look so effortless and personable when they’re on stage? In short, what ACTUALLY makes a great speaker? I bet you wouldn’t believe me if I said personality has nothing to do with it. If you’re extroverted, shy, loud, awkward — it doesn’t matter. What makes a great speaker is perspective…and your ability to see the world through the eyes of other people.  For full show notes and...

Have you been churning out podcast pitches left and right, only to get a bunch of “no thank you” responses back? Or even worse, no responses at all? You might be thinking that there’s something wrong with you, your pitch, your brand, what have you. But I bet that’s not the case. Your podcast pitches may be falling flat if you’re not doing your homework properly. In this episode, I talk about some mistakes you might be making with your podcast pitches, plus how to rectify them — so you can...