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

What would you do to learn how to land a $40,000 speaking gig?Fortunately all you have to do is listen to today's show and implement what our guest did! Our guest is Erick Rheam and he's here to share the details on how he signed his biggest contract so far. Today on The Speaker Lab he goes through his experience in detail so you can follow in his footsteps.Join us to hear it all on episode 333 of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:How can you create a hybrid of offerings to meet your clients' needs?Why you shouldn't run away from your market and what you already know.Can you align your passions with your experience?Why you should look for creative outlets to test your ideas.How did he learn the lesson to book gigs from gigs?What phrase should be music to your ears as a speaker?Why believing in your message is key.How do you start to mine the gold in your network?And so much more!EPISODE RESOURCESErick Rheam's web siteErick Rheam on TwitterGet Free Speaker ResourcesBook a Call with The Speaker Lab

What was 2020 really like for full-time speakers?Our guest, Ty Bennett, is sharing his experience on today's episode of The Speaker Lab.Ty typically does around 100 live, in-person gigs a year so 2020 was very different for him. On this edition, he talks about the changes he made as the lockdown began and how his business evolved over the course of pandemic and his advice for new speakers.Join us to hear that and more on episode 332 of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:Where does he see the momentum shifting now?Will virtual continue to be a part of his business?What benefits has he found in virtual speaking?Are people valuing virtual speaking equally in terms of fees?What is the average lead time for virtual gigs?How does he engage with his online audiences?Does production value matter?Where are keynote speakers finding opportunities today?And so much more!EPISODE RESOURCESTy Bennett's web siteTy Bennett on TwitterTy Bennett on InstagramEpisode 162 with Ty BennettGet Free Speaker ResourcesBook a

Have you heard of using Clubhouse for your speaking career? Clubhouse is the hottest app right now and it's by invitation-only.Friend of the show, Brian Fanzo, is joining us on today's The Speaker Lab. He's here to talk about what it is, how to use it for booking gigs and how it has helped his mental health during the pandemic.Hear us dive into those Clubhouse-related topics and so much more on episode 331 of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:What's the difference between speaking for free versus speaking for no fee?What is his top tip for using Clubhouse as a speaker?How is this app like a pop-up mastermind?Why asking great questions on Clubhouse is the way to stand out.Is it better to host or participate?How this app has helped his mental health through this pandemic.How can you find your groups on this app and insert yourself in their conversations?Should you have a call to action?And so much more!EPISODE RESOURCESBrian Fanzo's web siteBrian Fanzo on ClubhouseGrant Baldwin on ClubhouseBrian's

If you're looking to better understand how to speak to associations you are in luck!Today's guest is Katrina Davis, who has been an event planner and education director for the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives for over 15 years.On this episode of The Speaker Lab, she tells us about what she has learned from her work with a variety of speakers, how COVID has changed their approach to events and much more!Listen in to hear it all on today's edition of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:How speaking at one association can open the door to many more gigs.What question should you ask to adapt your speech to an association or industry?When should you speak to members of an association?What is one thing good speakers do ahead of time?What can you do to get on the radar of an event planner?Do your videos need to have recent footage of you speaking?What info should your web site have on it?Are there certain approaches that are more effective when following up?And so much more!EPISODE RESOURCESIowa

How to consistently find and book gigs is definitely necessary knowledge for all speakers!And the person to share that knowledge is our guest today, Taylorr Payne of Speaker Flow. His business, Speaker Flow, helps experts build better businesses so they can spend time doing the things they love - like speaking from stage. On this edition of The Speaker Lab, Taylor and I talk about the main challenges speakers run into and how systems and processes apply in the virtual speaking world.Hear those topics and more when you listen to episode 329 of The Speaker Lab!THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:What are the most important systems you need as a speaker?Who can sell you better than you?How do you find the balance between technology and humanity?Why do so many prospecting efforts fail?What should be automated and what should be personalized in your sales process?Why you shouldn't solely rely on outsourcing.What are the approaches working best during the pandemic?And so much more!EPISODE RESOURCESSpeaker Flow web siteT

What is the current state of the speaking industry? What is the latest? Erick Rheam is going to tell us.Erick is a student of The Speaker Lab who now coaches for us in addition to having his own successful speaking business. As a coach, he hears from other speakers what is happening out there. Today we dive into the system he utilized to have a better year financial year than the previous one and hear answers to the most common questions speakers are asking him right now.Listen in for all of that on episode 328 of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:How did he bring in over $300k in 2020?How do you know how much to charge both virtually and in person?What two questions can you ask yourself to shift your business right now?Can you start from scratch and gradually invest in your virtual studio?How having a system can help you in the good times and the difficult times.Should you chase events or can you create your own?Why COVID is actually a blessing for speakers.Is virtual here to stay and if so, how

Do you know what is different about public speaking versus corporate speaking? Our guest does and he's here to tell us.Ryan Avery is a speaker who got his start by winning the Toastmasters' World Championship of Public Speaking. Today, he talks to leaders and companies about what it takes to be THE go-to in an industry versus just another option.Today he shares how got started in speaking on a fluke, how he became a World Champion public speaker in 8 months and why it's important to know the differences in public speaking versus corporate speaking.You'll hear his thoughts on those subjects and more on today's episode of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:Does everyone have something to say and a story to share?What are the pros and cons of Toastmasters?Do people hire you to speak or for your strategies?Is there a wrong way to go into the speaking business?What are the ways to nurture your speaking abilities?Who are the three types of people you must add value for as a speaker?Why and how to contin

How to focus and adapt as a speaker is one very important lesson everyone can learn, especially during a pandemic. Curt Steinhorst is an expert on focus and attention, and he's become adept at adapting thanks to the Covid-19 restrictions.Curt speaks, writes and coaches on the science of attention. Specifically, he helps organizations and teams create a culture that fosters focus and attention. On today's The Speaker Lab, he tells us how he chose this area, he's pivoted and adjusted his speaking and other revenue streams during 2020, and what he plans to do in the near future.You'll hear all of those topics and more on this edition of The Speaker Lab!THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:How to balance what people are hiring for and what you want to talk about.What kind of emotional prep can help you with the ups and downs of building a speaking business?How can you utilize your past accomplishments as a foot in the door for speaking opportunities?What did he do when 90% of his revenue disappeared in one week?Why did

A great way to land more speaking gigs is through event planners, and here to tell us how to work with event planners is Roy Cevallos.Roy is an event planner and program manager for the Northwest Public Power Association. He works with a lot of speakers so we'll talk about what he looks for in new and existing speakers for his events, plus what things look like in this new, strange virtual world of speaking.Join us to hear all of that and more on episode 325 of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:How can you be persistent without being annoying?Where does he find most of his new speakers?Why it's important to tap into your own network, and how to do it effectively.What is the biggest roadblock he's experienced with speakers?Why finishing your speech on time is critical.What is one thing you can do to make an event planner's job easier?How can you continue to evolve and polish your presentation?Are we going towards a hybrid of live and virtual events, even when the pandemic is over?And so much more!

2020 was a year like no other so it's natural for speakers to wonder about the future of live events. And our guest for today's edition of The Speaker Lab is going to weigh in with his wisdom.Brandon is the Vice-President of Premiere Speakers Bureau and, prior to the pandemic, his job was to ensure their yearly 2,000 live events were all going off as planned. March of 2020 changed all of that and on today's show he shares what this year has been like at his agency. He also gives us his views on the future of live events and whether or not this is a good time to get into the speaking industry.Join us to hear the details on episode 324 of The Speaker Lab. THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:Where has he found pockets of business during the pandemic?What is the average difference in fees for virtual speaking versus live?Is virtual a real option for the long term?Why aren't keynotes working as well for virtual and what is?Will virtual be a live add-on for the future?How can you capitalize on virtual for more oppo

Speaking has changed because of COVID-19 and here to share about pivoting during a pandemic is our friend and yours Karen Harris of CMI Management.Karen is a return guest, previously joining us on episode 210 of The Speaker Lab to share about speaking management. But today we're looking at how speaking has changed in light of the global pandemic, what the future holds and the differences between the speakers who are succeeding and those who aren't during this unprecedented time.Join us to hear those details and more on the 323rd edition of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:How did they pivot hundreds of their events because of the pandemic?What was a catalyst for stronger movement in the industry?What are the big milestones that will make people more comfortable with in-person meetings?Does she think virtual speaking is here to stay?What are shifts speakers have made to be successful in this new environment?Why it pays to diversify your offerings.What areas are doing well right now and will conti

What does it look like if you're scaling your speaking business? Our guest today shares his journey from being a one-man show to scaling his speaking business beyond just himself.Houston Kraft is a speaker in the education world, as well as an author and the founder of Character Strong. On today's Awesome Health, he tells us how and why he started Character Strong along with the long-term implications of being a youth speaker in the education space.Listen in to hear all the details on episode 322 of The Speaker Lab!THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:How did he combine his interests and passions to find his speaking path?How do you start with what and who you know?What's the best way to find a need you can fulfill for your audiences?Why is this business a momentum business?What's the first thing to think about if you want to build a speaking business not dependent on you?The importance of boundaries when you're scaling your speaking business.Can you say yes to too many things?How your content can shift if you aren

How to tell a great story and help audiences are two of the strongest skills a speaker can have in their repetoire, and someone who knows full well how to do both is Chris Field.If you're a long-time listener of the show you'll remember Chris from a previous episode (123, which you can find here). But if you are new and/or haven't heard Chris before, he is a successful keynote speaker who founded a non-profit organization over a decade ago. With his background in that area, today he mainly speaks to associations and other non-profit groups.Creating and running his own non-profit gave him a sense of purpose and led him to the topic he mainly speaks about now: empowering audiences to disrupt for good, something he has been doing most of his life. In fact, being a disruptor has been such a notable part of his path that he wrote a book called Disrupt For Good.On today's episode of The Speaker Lab, Chris tells us why disruption can actually be a good thing, how the pandemic has shifted his business and how he made

Is changing speaking topics a difficult transition? It can be done and here to tell us about the journey is Jessica Kriegel.Jessica is an author, leadership expert and speaker who is a researcher at heart. On today's episode of The Speaker Lab, Jessica tells us how and why she got into speaking, what it's been like changing speaking topics and her advice for people looking to make it in the speaking world.Join us to hear that and more on episode 320 of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:What was the goal of writing her first book?Why did she seek out coaching to grow her speaking career?What does your online presence have to do with your speaking success?How did she translate her subject expertise into speaking topics and audiences?Can you work with people who are not in your target industries?Why you should consider doing your outreach yourself.Are there downsides to changing speaking topics?Do speaking bureaus do her marketing for her?And so much more!EPISODE RESOURCESJessica Kriegel's web site

The beauty of speaking is that you can do it full-time or you can make speaking as your side hustle. Our guest today has done just that. Ryan Gottfredson is a leadership professor at Cal State-Fullerton, and his speaking and consulting work on the topic of mindset is his side hustle.Today on The Speaker Lab, he explains why the connection speaking offers is so fulfilling for him and how speaking feeds the other avenues of his business today.Join us to hear his wisdom on these topics and even more on episode 319 of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:Where's the most bang for the buck coming from in his prospecting?Did his early free gigs help him gain momentum?Why you want to focus small versus focusing on big.How effective is speaking as a lead gen tool for his consulting biz?What questions should you ask before choosing a speaking course?How has he pivoted as a result of the pandemic?What early steps does he recommend taking if you are starting out?And so much more!EPISODE RESOURCESGet Free Speak

How to speak on cultural diversity and inclusion is our topic for today's edition of The Speaker Lab. Joining us is speaker, consultant and corporate leader J. Israel Greene.Israel speaks to tech companies on leadership development, diversity equity and inclusion. He works with them on cultural issues that often show up as low employee engagement, stalled sales and poor leadership. He helps them transform that culture through workshops and consulting.On today's show, Israel tells us when he made the jump to a speaking career and how the Booked and Paid to Speak network has generated over $20k for him in his business. You can hear that and more when you listen in to episode 318 of The Speaker Lab. THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:Which of his acting skills does he apply to speaking?What personal stories does he include in his content?How did he know he wanted to make speaking into a business?What are "fuel up" moments?Can you borrow other people's stories and still be a great speaker?How to reconcile your i

As a speaker, creating impactful stories matters. Here to talk about how creating impactful stories is something you can do consistently to help grow your speaking career is Rain Bennett.Rain has been a documentary filmmaker who knows how to tell a good story when you don't have a lot of time, money and resources. Today he helps those folks understand the storytelling tactics they can use to make impactful video stories for their audiences. You'll hear about that plus how he went from his first non-paid speaking gig in the basement of a library to national keynotes in a year.Join us for that plus his advice for anyone trying to build momentum on today's The Speaker Lab!THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:What strategy can get you from doing free gigs to being paid to speak at big conferences?Should you make your social media a hybrid of your personal life and your professional?Why sharing your missteps and struggles is so powerful to growing your network.What does it mean to find your unique intersections?How hone

Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith has gone from physician to full-time speaker, and she joins us to tell us how she made the leap!After two decades in the medical world, today Dr. Saundra speaks about burn out and work-life integration. During episode 316 of The Speaker Lab, we talk more about her own experiences in this realm and how she made the transition from physician to full-time speaker, and how the pandemic has impacted her business and her life.Join us to hear those details and more on this episode of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:What is the key to restoring ourselves without stopping all activities?How many types of rests are there?When should you start small?How can you build a speaking business while you're working in another field?Why your fee should include your time for studying your specific audience.What part of the process was scary for her?How many years did she speak before going into it full-time?How did she adapt to virtual speaking and will she do it more in the future?And

Do you have an interest in speaking in the tech space? Our guest is a premiere speaker in that industry and she's here to tell us about it.Ilana Golan helps executives grow in their careers from performing better to reinventing themselves. Prior to speaking she worked in engineering and tech working her way up the corporate ladder. On today's The Speaker Lab, hear why she moved over to running her own enterprise and how she made the move from unpaid speaker to six figures.Join us for all of that and more on episode 315 of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:Do organizations take it more seriously when they pay you?What's the recipe to make you shine as a speaker?What is the assumption if you aren't putting your message out in the world?What two groups hire speakers in the tech space?How can you accelerate your growth as a speaker?Why you don't need to find the biggest keynotes to make an impact.What changes has she made due to the pandemic?Why you need to invest in yourself and your business.And so

One key to creating a thriving speaking business is knowing your identity and knowing what you bring to the table as a speaker.Our guest is an expert at helping others know themselves and what they have to offer. Rocky Garza is a speaker and coach whose focus is on how our identities play into the roles and positions we fill. On The Speaker Lab today, we dive into what his life was like before he became a speaker and coach, how he made the leap and how he's adjusted to speaking during a pandemic.Join us to hear that and more on episode 314 of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:Why are so many of us "illiterate" about ourselves?Can fearlessness and vulnerability co-exist?What is the link between intensity and intimacy?How to learn not to apologize for being who you are.What is the most powerful thing we have as speakers?How did he land on the corporate space as his audience, even though he's never worked in that world?If you want to be a speaker then what should you do?What single pivot led to him