Professional Speaking: Known. Booked. Paid.

Streamlining Podcast Production with Expert Joe Casabona Summary In this episode of Present Influence, host John Bull interviews Joe Casabona, a well-respected figure in the podcasting world. Joe shares his journey into podcasting, starting from 2009, and the lessons he's learned along the way. The conversation focuses on how to streamline podcast workflows, the importance of systems and processes...

Mastering Storytelling for Impactful Keynote Presentations In this episode of Present Influence, John Ball, a keynote coach and professional speaker, delves into the importance of storytelling for effective communication in talks and presentations. As part four of his keynote creation series, John provides detailed guidance on how to find and utilize stories to enhance your message. He shares his...

Unlocking the Power of Truly Showing Up with Marcy Axelrod In this episode of Present Influence, host John Ball welcomes Marcy Axelrod to delve into the nuances of 'showing up.' Axelrod, an expert on the topic and author of 'How We Choose to Show Up,' explains that success is not just about physical presence but involves different levels of engagement. She introduces her research on the three leve...

Mastering the Art of Professional Keynote Presentations: Structure, Tools, and Tips Summary In this episode of 'Present Influence,' keynote coach and professional speaker John Ball provides an in-depth guide on structuring and delivering professional talks. He introduces the Cicero card deck as a useful tool for creating well-organized presentations and highlights the importance of keeping the aud...

Mastering Platform Sales: Insights with Mitch Carson Summary In this episode, John Ball interviews Mitch Carson, a seasoned speaker and expert in platform sales, to explore the art of selling from the stage. The discussion highlights the differences between keynote speaking and platform sales, emphasizing the competitive nature and high earnings potential of the latter. Mitch shares his experience...

Unlock Your Speaking Potential: Creating Impactful Keynotes In this second episode on John's signature keynote creation process, he shares insights on creating impactful speeches. John emphasizes the importance of selecting relevant and needed topics for speaking engagements, differentiating between 'nice-to-have' and 'need-to-have' solutions. He also provides a glimpse into his own creative proce...

Mastering Public Speaking & Business Soundboarding with Phil Fraser In this episode of Present Influence, host John Ball dives into the importance of presentation skills in professional success and how being a confident speaker can give you a competitive edge in business. John sits down with guest Phil Fraser, who shares his unique role as a business sounding board, helping small business owne...

Crafting Your Signature Keynote: A Step-by-Step Journey In this episode of Present Influence, keynote coach and professional speaker John Ball invites listeners into his creative process as he develops his own signature keynote talk. John shares comprehensive insights from his years of coaching, covering topics such as the importance of having a mission, the difference between mission and position...

Mastering Empathy in Business: An Interview with Michele Hansen In this episode of Present Influence, host John Ball interviews Michele Hansen, author of 'Deploy Empathy.' Michele discusses her journey from the technical side of business to understanding and mastering empathy. The episode covers how empathy can be a learned skill crucial for business success, even in technical fields like software...

The Power of Detachment and Flow: Enhancing Influence and Inner Peace In this episode of Present Influence, John explores the concepts of detachment, flow, and presence, and how they can help improve communication and inner peace. He discusses the challenges of seeking approval and the paradoxical effect of trying too hard, illustrating the importance of letting go of specific outcomes. John share...

Mastering Influence: Sales Training Lessons for Business Leaders In this episode of 'Present Influence,' host John Ball shares valuable lessons from his sales training experience and how they enhanced his influence, communication, and coaching abilities. Through personal anecdotes and actionable tips, John discusses the importance of overcoming resistance, being prepared, balancing rapport, showin...

John Ball announces the return of his podcast after a year-long hiatus. In this new episode, he shares his experiences working with The Speaker Lab, a company helping individuals build professional speaking businesses. John emphasizes the podcast's renewed focus on improving presentation, influence, and persuasion skills for professional communicators and says that the show will continue to provid...

Why didn’t your interview get published? Why do hosts sometimes ghost their guests? Maybe you’ve had the experience of being a guest on someone else’s podcast and later on discovering that episode not only hasn’t been published but the host isn’t responding to messages. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons this happens and what you can do about it. Is it just the host to blame when an episode...

When you’re presented with the choice of spending $1000s on FB ads, sprinting on the content creation treadmill or choosing the road less travelled as an ace podcast guest, how can you know which is right for you?  I first encountered Christine Amerman on LinkedIn. I saw her profile headline saying she was the Queen of podcast guesting and I knew I had to find out more. I reached out and we m...

Do you ever wonder if you're just kidding yourself about being in business as a coach, speaker or consultant? Are you one of the many who talk a good game but don't deliver the goods or one of the people who get stuck in overthinking things to the point of inaction? Do you have realistic expectations and are they based on the action you're going to take to achieve the outcomes or... are you just k...

Is done truly better than perfect? What’s the power of imperfect action?  Angela Henderson is an international business coach , keynote speaker, author, entrepreneur, blogger, and mental health clinician with a wide variety of experience and self-made successes. She’s anti-hustle, she’s anti-perfectionist and she helps small business owners navigate the challenges of building a successful bus...

Why is it that most of us will do just about anything to avoid picking up the phone and calling someone, even when that call might get us a new client or booking? Coaches and speakers need to be good at picking up the phone. Why? Because in most situations of getting a new client or booking, you're going to make a lot more progress speaking to relevant people than you ever will sending emails and...

Are webinars still effective for growing a coaching or speaking business? If you're thinking of using webinars, you'll want to get some insights from one of the founders of the amazing platform Webinar Ninja, Nicole Baldinu, and she's my guest on this episode of Podfluence. We go behind the scenes of Webinar Ninja and also one of the top business podcasts in the world, $100 MBA with Omar Zenhom ,...

In this episode of Podfluence, we tackle the issue of lacklustre podcast guests and offer advice for those aiming to elevate their performance. I've noticed that many people shy away from speaking up online due to a fear of negative reactions, resulting in bland and unremarkable content. To combat this, I urge you to turn up the dial on your personal energy and express your passions and conviction...

What really works for businesses wanting to use podcasts as a marketing tool? If you worry about there already being too much competition in the podcast space, this could be your episode as it turns out there’s plenty of room near the top. Enjoying the content? Join me for the Podfluence Weekly newsletter HERE to get articles and show updates every week. You are warmly invited to join other coachi...

How much bad advice is out there? How many people are creating valuable content in podcasts? We tend to think there is huge competition in the podcast space but the reality seems to be that there is very little valuable and quality content out there. Here is the opportunity. Neal Veglio is a podcast coach, editor and educator with a long history in podcasting and also in the broadcasting world. He...

Have you ever been let down, disappointed, frustrated that things take so long and wondered if it’s just you, this is your episode. In this episode, I’m asking the question “ Is patience still a virtue in the digital business world?” and talking about learning to be more resilient and play the long game is essential not only in podcasting but also in life and business. We will finally be wrapping...

What does it take to create psychological safety in a work environment and how can leaders be more ethically and effectively influential and persuasive? In this episode, Tracy Tutty helps to answer what does it take to create psychological safety in a work environment and a positive non-toxic working culture, and how can we, as leaders, be more ethically and effectively influential and persuasive....

Are downloads the best measure of success in podcasting? Did you think it was OK to turn up for a virtual interview in your PJs? We’ve probably all had the experience of being unfairly judged by one superficial aspect that felt unfair. You may also have felt at times that other people don’t get your definition of success. It’s easy to get focused on the wrong metrics and it happens all the time in...

Being a coach can be frustrating. You learn to become a coach. You put in the hours of coaching and build up your confidence to start charging for your services, but then you find out you need to have media and marketing strategies, and you need to do sales and loads of other things that aren't coaching, aren't your zone of genius. Some coaches don't bother and end up falling by the wayside. Some...