The Speaker Lab With Grant Baldwin // Public Speaking / Motivational Speaking / Entrepreneurship

Have you ever wondered how to work with a speaking agent? Our guest, Li Hayes, has all the info you need to decide if an agent is right for you!Li runs a boutique speaker agency and works with a dozen different speakers. On today's The Speaker Lab, she tells us what her role is as their agent and what you need to do if you are looking for an agent. She shares her advice for emerging speakers and what you should and shouldn't be doing when working with event management.We wrap up with her tips on what is working right now for speakers so be sure to join us and listen in til the end of episode 304 of The Speaker Lab!THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:What's the difference between a bureau and a speaking agent?Who actually needs an agent and who needs a personal assistant?What are the best ways to find and book gigs if you are an emerging speaker?How narrow should your market be?Why you should stop trying to get on a big stage.What is pull marketing?What are the big 3 event planners want?Why connecting with your aud

Speaking part-time to grow your full-time business can be a surefire way to expand your reach, maximize your impact and your bottom line. Our guest is a living example of this and she joins us to share her journey.Liz Bohannon is a very successful keynote speaker but speaking itself is secondary to her full-time gig. Primarily, she is the founder and CEO of a lifestyle jewelry company called Sseko Designs.On today’s The Speaker Lab, she tells us how speaking moves the needle of her lifestyle business and whether she is representing herself when she speaks or her business. We finish with what value there is in experiences themselves, including one of the riskiest and craziest stories you may ever hear!Listen in to hear that story along with her passion, energy and insights on episode 303 with Liz Bohannon.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:How do you harness the power of your own stories?How to translate your personal experiences into topics for your audience.Why sharing your message is an act of service to others

Stories are one of the most important tools for any speaker. So how do you tell stories that stick long after you've finished speaking? Our guest has the answer. Kindra Hall is a renowned speaker and author who is here to talk all things storytelling.On today's episode of The Speaker Lab, Kindra and I talk about storytelling for speakers, whether to use first person or third person and how to ensure your stories are built around your audience.There's so much great content on this show so be sure to join us and hear it all on the 302nd edition of The Speaker Lab!THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:How do you recognize when you're in the middle of a story?What are the three reasons stories are so valuable to a speaker?What parts of your speech should be illustrated with stories?Is there a right balance of stories to include in your speech?Does every story need to have an action item?How do you use a bystander story effectively?What makes a timeless story versus a time-sensitive story?How to use social media to devel

Ryan Giffen is an agent at Premiere Speakers Bureau and he's here to give us an update on the current state of the speaking industry.He's been an agent for over a decade. While he's joined us in the past to talk about education and working in a speakers bureau, on today's show he's going to tell us what he's seeing on the front lines right now in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.Ryan works with speakers and event planners on a daily basis so he has his finger on the pulse of the industry. Listen in to hear his perspective and much more on episode 301 of The Speaker Lab! THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:How are the different markets responding to the current pandemic?Are certain avenues opening up more than others right now?What kind of flexibility will you need as a speaker?How do you need to prep differently for virtual speaking?How can you tier your fees for virtual gigs?Is virtual just a stop gap until we can get back to in-person events or is it the new normal?When do you need to readjust your pricin

Don't quit your day job to start a speaking career. Begin building your speaking business on the side.During this Speaking Workshop, We Cover:The 7 things you must clarify from the outsetWhere to spend your time and money as you get started (and where not to)The one thing you CANNOT do while trying to grow your speaking businessWhy not all full-time jobs are created equalWhy your plan should take into consideration the type of boss you haveThe change levers you can pull to set yourself up for successLive Q&A at the end with Grant and ErickWe answer the following questions:Which one of the 4 full-time job types are you in?Which one of the 4 types of bosses do you have? (This is a fun one to answer.)Which one of the 3 life phases are you in?Which one of the 4 career phases are you in?Which one of these 4 financial situations sounds closest to yours?What are your speaking goals? (We’ll help you make some if you don’t have any!)What changes are you truly willing to make?Schedule Your 1:1 Strategy Session Toda

Three amazing students join us for this very special 300th episode of The Speaker Lab!All three of our guests today are students of The Speaker Lab and they crushing it. They are here to share their insights, wisdom and secrets to success. Going forward we're going to be sharing more students' stories on bonus episodes so be sure to join us for their stories.And we've got a huge giveaway in honor of episode 300 and to thank you for being a listener! The grand prize winner receives free enrollment in our new program: Virtual Speaking Pro. This person will also receive five of my favorite speaking books, plus a free copy of my book, The Successful Speaker, and a free one-hour one on one coaching call with me. Want to enter? Go here!Even if you don't win the grand prize, you might one of the lucky five runner up winners! Each of those winners will receive a copy of my book and a one-hour group coaching call with me and Erick Rheam (our Director of Education at The Speaker Lab). You can enter right now. THE

One area we haven't touched on is how to be a corporate trainer, my friend Michael Bungay Stanier is here to change that!Michael is a well-established keynote speaker and corporate trainer. On today's The Speaker Lab, we talk about what topics work in this industry, positioning yourself versus positioning a product/program, and who hires corporate trainers.We have a lot of fun during this informative and practical conversation with Michael, so please join us for episode 299 of The Speaker Lab! THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:What's the distinction between selling yourself versus a product?Why you need standards if you are going to scale.How to define "good enough" and why you must.Are there both prizes and punishments to scalability?Can you dabble with having other people speak for you?What are the three delivery models and what do they entail?How should you determine your fees?When do you charge per participant?And so much more!EPISODE RESOURCESMichael Bungay Stanier's web siteBox of Crayons web site The

We talk about relationships but what about building relationships through giving gifts? What are the dos and don'ts of successful gift-giving? Here to tell us is gifting expert, best-selling author and keynote speaker John Ruhlin.On today's episode of The Speaker Lab, John tells us who to give gifts to, when to give gifts, and how to reframe gift-giving as an investment versus just another line item expense.You'll hear those topics plus a few great gifting stories on this edition of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:How to show appreciation even during a pandemic.Why gifting is the purple cow of business.Why doesn't he allow his clients to send gifts at Christmas?What makes gifting one of the most effective ways to stand out in a crowd?Why you should stop putting logos on your gifts.What are the four buckets of the Inner circle and how do you invest in those buckets with gifting?Why you should never send a gift after receiving a referral.What should you do if you cannot afford to give gifts?And s

How to speak to the medical field is a question I get asked a lot, and today our guest is answering it. Nisha Mehta is a practicing physician, specifically a radiologist. She also speaks around the country to medical professionals on the topic of burnout.Today we talk about how she got started speaking, the different speaking opportunities in the medical industry, whether or not you need a background in medicine to speak to doctors and how to use media to position yourself as an expert.You'll hear those insights and much more on episode 297 of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:What is the typical speaking season for the medical industry?Do you always have to choose between a job you love and speaking?Can you get hired to speak on a topic that's important, but no one else is talking about?What are some topics speakers are hired for in the medical industry?How important are credentials in being hired to speak?What specific speaking opportunities are available within the medical community?What area

Today's conversation is a discussion on race and the speaking industry with my friend Nicole Walters. Nicole is an incredible speaker, amazing entrepreneur and phenomenal human being.On this episode of The Speaker Lab, we talk about the heavy but important topic of racism in the speaking world. We talk about what exists in the marketplace for her as a Black woman, how she sees things that I don't as a white male. She also gives advice for minority speakers and shares what the speaking community at large can do to better support diversity in the industry.These are serious topics but Nicole brings her humor, lightheartedness and personal wisdom. Join us for this much-needed talk on episode 296 of The Speaker Lab with Nicole Walters.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:Why it's important for activism to be on-going and not just a trend.How racism impacts her everyday life: a snapshot.What are new factors she considers now when booking gigs?Do you know what performative activism is and why you should avoid it?What grou

How to embrace your fears is the subject that helped our guest today jumpstart a whole new career as an international speaker and author.Michelle Poler is here on The Speaker Lab to talk about how she embraced her fears through 100 fears in 100 days challenge, how that challenge culminated in a TEDx talk and how some of those fears even became things she now loves to do.We explore those topics plus specific steps she took along the way and how you can do the same. Join us to hear the scoop on episode 295 of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:Which speaker was instrumental in both of our speaking careers?What should you do if your fears are holding you back?Why you don't need to believe all the speaking advice out there.What is more important than the number of views of your video?How she utilized her network to get the ball rolling on speaking gigs.Why having your spouse on board is incredibly helpful to grow your business.What actions did she take that led to referrals from Brene Brown?What can y

How to pivot to speaking virtually may not have been something you thought of before the pandemic, but our guest today explains why he and a lot of other speakers are embracing it now.Jon Acuff is an entrepreneur and author. He is also one of the best speakers I've seen live: he takes this craft seriously and it shows. In our conversation on The Speaker Lab today, Jon explains the pivots he's made during the COVID-19 pandemic, including virtual speaking and utilizing YouTube to grow his client base. We also explore the long-term implications of virtual speaking going forward.This is a fun, informative, and engaging talk with Jon Acuff so join us on episode 294 of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:What can be done virtually that can't be done from the stage?How do you adjust your pricing for virtual speaking gigs?What are value adds to consider in your virtual offerings?How can YouTube contribute to growing your client base?Has he tweaked his content to reflect current events?If you use humor when

Knowing what meeting planners want from a speaker can be the difference between booking some gigs and being a full-time speaker. Our guest today has the inside scoop on this very topic and he's telling us the answers on episode 293 of The Speaker Lab!Jay Baer is an exceptionally successful speaker who has been in the industry for a long time and has accrued a wealth of knowledge along the way. Today on The Speaker Lab, we talk about Jay's recent research study that surveyed 150 event planners. We dig into what topics planners are looking for, what they want and hows event planners find speakers.Join us to hear the details on all of those topics and more episode 293 of The Speaker Lab with Jay Baer.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:Why micro-categories may be your ticket to success.Who speaks on more topics: mediocre speakers or great speakers?How much customization should you do for your speaking gigs?Substance versus showmanship: what balance do you need to strike?How can you build momentum when you are just st

Grant Baldwin and Erick Rheam hosted a Facebook Live to talk about one of the biggest challenges professional speakers face: getting consistent speaking gig leads and what to do with them.During the live stream, Grant and Erick discuss:Where many speakers get stuckWhy you can’t afford to sit back and wait for the phone to ringHow Erick falls back on principles he learned in the militaryWhat speakers can do to prepare for times of crisisHow to handle stressful times without getting stressed outThe value of creating a system to help you take the next right stepIdentifying the secret sauce behind a sustainable speaking businessThe 5 stages of your speaking gig pipelineWhere to never discuss your pricingSetting up event planners for success and recruiting them to your teamHow to replicate the success of professional speakersAnd moreEPISODE RESOURCESMaster Your Speaking PipelineGet Free Speaker ResourcesBook a Call with The Speaker LabCalculate Your Speaking FeeJoin The Speaker Lab Community on FacebookSubscribe o

How public relations helps speakers may not be something you've considered before, but after today's episode you will know how PR can make a difference in your speaking career.Chris Winfield joins us to talk about this topic. He teaches PR (public relations) and the art of relationships and connections. We dig into those three areas right out of the gate, and also talk about my skepticism of the value of public relations!We answer questions like how important is it to build long-term relationships? What are the challenges and potential obstacles if you are an introvert versus an extrovert? Chris also tells us about PR firms, why most are horrible, and a simple exercise you can do right now to move the needle.This is a fun and informative show so join us for episode 292 of The Speaker Lab with Chris Winfield.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:Does everyone have Impostor Syndrome?What is the law of reciprocity and how does it work?Ten minutes in person can replace how much time online?Who are the people who ma

You may see the value of writing, but do you know why writing matters for speakers?Our guest does and he's here to tell us on the 291st edition of The Speaker Lab! Hugh Culver is a repeat guest who is a successful speaker in his own right, and also works with other speakers and thought leaders on content, blogging, and writing.Today we'll talk about the process of writing for speakers, how it can actually help you become a better speaker, and a simple framework to help you approach writing new content. We'll even give you insights on how we produce this podcast!There's a lot to get to so join us and listen in to this episode of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  What happens when you hit on a topic that resonates with your ideal market?How can Google analytics help you narrow down your topics?What are the five components of your template for writing content?How do you follow a framework without boring your audience?What's the downside of not using a template or a framework?When and whe

Today's edition of The Speaker Lab is the final segment of our eight-part series on how to find your first paid speaking gig with Bryan Allain!If you missed the first seven episodes check them out here: part one, part two here, part three here, part four here, part five here, part six and part seven.A lot has happened in Bryan's life since our first show and we talk about it today, including some very vulnerable and personal sharing from Bryan himself.This is a compelling episode you won't want to miss so, please join us for the conclusion of how to find your first paid speaking gig on episode 290 of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:What has helped Bryan process a personal tragedy?How you can offer help to someone who is going through a crisis.Who do people like working with as a general rule?How do you know if you are doing work to get results?Why you need to be aware of onstage hours vs offstage hours.Is pivoting always a hard thing to do?What is Bryan's advice for speakers who

Welcome to part seven of how to find your first paid speaking gig with Bryan Allain.Missed the first six episodes? You can listen here to part one, part two here, part three here, part four here, part five here and part six.Today, you'll hear a two-part conversation: in the first part, we talk right before Bryan talks to a potential client he got a positive response from and in the second part, we recorded an update on how the call went and what his next steps are from there. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned pro we've got insights and lessons you can learn in this series.Join us on episode 289 of The Speaker Lab to hear it part seven of how to find your first paid speaking gig with Bryan Allain. THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  Why is the goal to get someone on the phone?What questions do you ask when you're talking to a warm lead?How do you approach gigs with no pay?Should you build travel into the fees you quote?How to ensure you are exchanging value for value.What should you say if

Welcome to part six of how to find your first paid speaking gig with Bryan Allain!If you missed the first five episodes with Bryan you can listen to here to part one, part two here, part three here, part four here, and part five here.On these in-depth talks, we are diving into what it takes to become a speaker: step by step what he needs to do, what he needs to think through on his journey to becoming a speaker. You'll also hear some real-life examples of his inquiries and how he should phrase his follow-ups.This is a journey we all can learn from so join us to hear every step on episode 288 of The Speaker Lab. THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  Can you create a demo reel without a lot of bells and whistles?What is a "noble obstacle"?Why you don't always have to hit a "home run".How do you keep your name top of mind with potential clients?What should you say if someone isn't looking for a speaker right now?When do you stop following up?What is Loom and how do you use it in emails to potential cli

Welcome to part five of how to find your first paid speaking gig with Bryan Allain!If you missed the first three episodes with Bryan you can listen to here to part one, part two here, part three here and part four here.On this fifth episode, you'll hear about Bryan's progress as well as the work he still has to do. You'll also hear about a slight delay he had and what that sidetrack was all about and how he can get back on track.Get ready to listen in to all of those experiences and more with Bryan Allain on this episode of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:How do you approach events that are coming up in the next 3-6 weeks?When is it too early to get on an event planner's radar?How to evaluate whether or not to speak for free.What's the best system to implement your follow-ups?Why even making "wrong" decisions is ultimately helpful on your journey.Do you need a business card?What movie trailers can teach us about demo videosWhat three things matter most when someone is considering hiring you?And