Speaking Business podcast

In this episode of Speaking Business Podcast, I'm joined by Alex Atherton, an ex-secondary school head teacher, keynote speaker, author of The Snowflake Myth , and a winner at the 2025 Speaker Awards. Alex shares how he moved from running schools to building a speaking business, and why hearing young people dismissed as "snowflakes" pushed him to create a keynote that challenges lazy stereotypes a...

In this episode of Speaking Business, I'm joined by Bobbie Carlton, founder of Innovation Women, an online speaker platform for women and other underrepresented voices. Bobbie shares why she created Innovation Women, what she saw missing from conference stages, and how speakers can use speaking to grow their careers, businesses and visibility. We talk about what makes a speaker profile work, why e...

In this episode of Speaking Business , I'm joined by Captain Emma Henderson, international keynote speaker, leadership expert, founder of Project Wingman and creator of the AVIATE decision-making model. Emma shares how she moved from aviation and charity leadership into building a successful speaking business, and what changed when she stopped treating speaking as something she did on the side and...

In this episode of Speaking Business Podcast, I'm joined by Steve Markman, founder of Markman Speaker Management, who has more than 35 years' experience in the speaker field and has helped over 1,000 leaders secure speaking opportunities globally. Steve shares what speakers often don't realise about the conference world, including how competitive it is, how far in advance events are planned, and w...

My guest this week is Joseph Frankie III, a soldier, logistician, businessman, coach and author of LinkedIn: The Five-Minute Drill for Executive Network Success . Joe has helped more than 750 executives, veterans and students across 15 countries use LinkedIn more strategically, and in this episode we talk about why your LinkedIn profile is no longer just an online CV, it's your digital persona, yo...

In this episode of  Speaking Business Podcast , I'm joined by Elliot Kay, speaker, entrepreneur and CEO of The Speaker Awards and Speaker Summit. We talk about how to build a speaking business where everything works together, from keynote speaking and training to coaching and industry platforms, so that your positioning is aligned rather than all over the place. Elliot also shares the thinking beh...

In this episode, I'm joined by speaker coach Jenn Espinosa, whose route into speaking was anything but obvious. Before building her business, Jenn worked as a certified fraud examiner, using data, investigations and insight into human motivation to uncover where things were going wrong. Today, she helps speakers, coaches and consultants turn their message into something the market will actually pa...

In this episode, I'm joined by Jon Card, former business journalist for  The Guardian , The Times and The Daily Telegraph , and founder of Full Story Media. Jon shares what makes someone interesting to the media, how speakers can turn their expertise into quotes journalists actually want, and why being media-ready has far more crossover with being speaker-ready than many people realise. There's a...

What does it really take to achieve and sustain high performance when the pressure never lets up? In this episode, I'm joined by two-time Olympian, six-time World Champion and Britain's most successful female kayaker, Anna Hemmings. Since retiring from elite sport, Anna has built a leadership and performance consultancy, working with organisations that want to stay at the top of their game year af...

In this episode of the Speaking Business Podcast, Maria Franzoni is joined by Paul McGee , widely known as The Sumo Guy. Paul shares the real story behind building a long, sustainable speaking career, from losing his corporate job through ill health to becoming a bestselling author and one of the UK's most recognisable keynote speakers. They explore how S.U.M.O. (Shut Up, Move On) became a memorab...

In this episode of the Speaking Business Podcast, Maria is joined by Simone Vincenzi , sales consultant, speaker, co-founder of GTeX and co-founder of the Speaker Awards. Simone shares how he built his speaking career by creating his own stages when none were available, starting with weekly events that became his training ground. He talks candidly about how necessity has shaped his business model,...

Most speakers focus on what to say and how to say it. But what about the state you're in when you say it? Jayne Storey has spent decades working with elite performers—Olympians, Formula 1 drivers, senior leaders operating under intense pressure. What she's learned might surprise you: peak performance doesn't come from pushing harder. It comes from getting quiet. In this conversation, Jayne shares...

In this episode, I sit down with the wonderful Freddie Ravel, the internationally acclaimed keynote maestro who has performed with icons like Madonna, Prince, Carlos Santana and Earth, Wind & Fire. Freddie blends music with leadership, communication and human connection in a way that few can. He shares how his multicultural musical upbringing, his time with legends, and his long-standing practice...

In this episode, I'm joined by Certified Speaking Professional David Newman, author of Do it! Selling, Do it! Speaking, and Do it! Marketing.   He has just published a new book titled Market Eminence.   In our chat we get into the real commercial challenges speakers face today: obscurity, relevance, perceived expertise and why some speakers get three times the fee despite not being three times bet...

From transforming Porsche and BMW to rowing across oceans, Kevin Gaskell has led a life packed with achievement. In this episode, he shares how he turned his boardroom experience into a thriving speaking career. Kevin talks about finding his niche, building his team, staying energised, and crafting stories that audiences remember. He also reveals the importance of preparation, humility, and humour...

In this inspiring episode, I'm joined by Dr. Laura Penn, international keynote speaker, four-time TEDx speaker, and founder of the Leadership Speaking School in Switzerland. Laura believes that speaking is a performing art, one that requires craft, discipline, and heart. She shares how the world's best speakers approach their work like artists, creating every talk with intention and soul. From bui...

What really makes a speaker bookable today? In this conversation with Monique Sar, President of BNC Speakers, we dive behind the scenes of how a boutique bureau works and what event organisers are really looking for. Monique shares why the gap between personal branding and content strategy can hold speakers back, and how building a strong online presence supports bureau representation and live boo...

This week on Speaking Business Podcast I'm joined by David Avrin, one of the most in-demand customer experience speakers on the circuit. David shares how he went from theatre and radio to building a global speaking business, why "good enough no longer is," and what it really takes to become ridiculously easy to do business with. We talk about the shift from marketing to customer experience, how sp...

What do Ellen, the Oscars, and your next keynote have in common? According to Emmy Award-winning comedy writer Beth Sherman, plenty. In this episode, Beth shares what years in TV comedy taught her about connection, timing, and truth, and how those same tools help speakers win over audiences and get booked again and again. We talk about moving from Hollywood to the UK stage, how to use humour witho...

What does it take to stay relevant, speak with heart, and connect deeply with your audience? In this episode, Felicity Ashley shares her journey from serious illness to becoming a sought-after speaker on resilience and wellbeing. We talk about how she keeps her message fresh, the power of honesty on stage, and why speaking isn't about being the hero—it's about being human. She also explains how he...

In this episode of the Speaking Business podcast, I'm joined by Marlo Clarke — a former international rugby player turned global speaker. Marlo's journey from Barbados to the stage isn't just inspiring, it's instructive. Instead of jumping straight into speaking, he spent a year travelling through 13 countries, asking people from all walks of life a simple but powerful question: What does a fulfil...

When Sha Nacino answered a question at a speaker convention in Singapore, she had no idea her 30-second response would change everything. That moment led to global speaking invitations, virtual summits with tens of thousands of attendees, and a spot on Global Gurus' Top 30 Motivational Speakers list, alongside Tony Robbins and Simon Sinek. In this conversation, Sha shares how she built a truly int...

This week I'm joined by Kay Korsh, former celebrity stylist turned speaker style strategist. After 20 years dressing A-listers and working with luxury brands, Kay now helps professional speakers align their wardrobe with their message. We talk about what speakers get wrong with their style, why being fashionable isn't the goal, and how your wardrobe can either build or break audience trust. Kay ex...

This week I'm joined by leadership communication expert and bestselling author Mark Leruste. Known for helping thousands of leaders at Google, Nike, and the Premier League tell better stories, Mark shares why most speakers are focusing on the wrong thing. It's not your bio that gets you booked—it's how you connect. We talk about building a "vending machine" of stories, how to introduce yourself so...

In this episode of the Speaking Business Podcast, I'm joined by the unstoppable Brad Burton, award-winning entrepreneur, bestselling author, and top motivational business speaker. Brad built a multimillion-pound national company from scratch and has no time for excuses. We talk about his extraordinary journey from a council estate to the stage, how he created the UK's largest joined-up business ne...