The Speaker Lab Podcast

Many speakers' businesses rely solely on getting paid to speak. But how can you build a business in addition to your speaking roles? Is it possible to have a successful speaking career and a thriving business? It is! Here to tell us how he's done it is Jay Baer. Jay is the best-selling author of multiple books, and he's an international keynote speaker. Jay also runs Convince and Convert, his fift...

You've probably heard of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, but did you know there is a similar charity that helps adults and kids with life-threatening illnesses? It gives them the opportunity to experience the live event of their dreams from the front row! The charity is called The Front Row Foundation and the co-founder is Jon Vroman, our guest for this show. Jon is also a full-time speaker and t...

Positioning yourself an authority is a surefire way to be featured in major media outlets and open doors that would otherwise be closed. But how do you do it? Our guest for episode 112 has the answers! Jeff Rose of Good Financial Cents is here to spill the beans on how he became a regular contributor for Forbes. Jeff is a certified financial planner who was named one of the Top 10 Young Advis...

When you try a new restaurant do you read what others have posted about it on Yelp? Or before you buy a new product do you read the Amazon reviews people have written? If you do you understand why I highly recommend getting your own speaking testimonials: your potential clients and potential audiences want to know who you are a speaker and what you bring to the table. On episode 111 of The Speaker...

Today is a Q&A episode highlighting a question asked by listener, Eric Moss. Eric called in with a great question about finding the appropriate contacts within the faith-based market. It's a relatable one for me because I got my start as a speaker in this realm. After college I became a youth pastor and began speaking to my youth group, and from time to time I'd have the opportunity to speak t...

Do you think speakers are born or can they be made? Is there a checklist of characteristics that make someone a great speaker? Our guest for episode 109 is here to weigh in on those topics, and more! Carrie Wilkerson, my extra sassy friend and founder of The Barefoot Executive, joins us to talk about her background as a trained musician, and how growing up as the pastor's daughter set up her...

Whether you are building a speaking business or any other kind of business, you most likely are doing so while still working a full-time job. When you add in the responsibilities of being a spouse, a parent and the other roles in your life, how do you do it while staying sane? One man who knows how it's done is Erik Fisher. Erik is the Social Media Manager for the Social Media Examiner's web site...

Our guest today is from an exclusive club: he's the proud creator of one of the most viewed videos on YouTube! Judson Laipply is our guest and he is known as "The Evolution Dance" guy. He's here to talk about the video by the same name, as well as how his own speaking career as he evolved through the years. On episode 107 of The Speaker Lab, Judson shares how he started as a speaker in high school...

Episode 106 of The Speaker Lab is a double feature! Listener Breahna wrote in with two questions, and I recorded two answers for her and for you. Today I'll be explaining what to do if you have an amazing, sad, impactful, life-altering or otherwise significant story and how to develop that story into the pillar of your speaking career. Find out if you need to earn more credentials, go back to scho...

Two listeners wrote in with two great questions this week so rather than choose one, I'm answering both on episode 105 of The Speaker Lab! Paton left a message asking how and when to use visual aids and Todd wanted to know if he should keep using his name as his web site now that he is seeking more speaking gigs, even though he previously was promoting his music skills on that web site. Today I'll...

If there's one thing I've learned in my time as a professional speaker, it is the importance of the follow up. A listener called in and asked about how to properly and effectively follow up with potential clients, so that topic is the focus of this solo episode of The Speaker Lab. You'll hear me answer his question by laying out the different phases and stages of follow up, including how to make i...

Have you ever considered adding Master of Ceremonies (MC) to your speaking offerings? Our guest for today's show is a talented keynote, MC and overall great speaker. Thom Singer, otherwise known as the Conference Catalyst, joins us to talk about what it takes to be a great MC, as well as a keynote/MC. On episode 103 of The Speaker Lab, Thom shares his background and how he got into the speaking wo...

When someone says motivational speaker, what do you think? Chris Farley's character on Saturday Night Live, or someone who actually helps people move their lives where they want to go? Our guest, Kyle Scheele, is a motivational speaker who does the latter! Kyle is also an entrepreneur and one of the most creative guys I know. We've been friends for a few years, and I've watched him grow from his c...

The question of how to make a career out of speaking to college audiences is a common one, so I decided to bring my friend, Adam Carroll, on the show to give you the answer. Adam has been a speaker on over 650 college campuses as well as countless local and regional events for college students. He knows that market like the back of his hand! On episode 101 of The Speaker Lab, he's sharing that kno...

( HUGE Giveaway : in honor of our 100th episode, we’re doing a big giveaway including lifetime access to The Speaker Lab Community + a 30 minute Skype call with me to help with your speaking business. It’s free to enter. Get all the details here. To celebrate the 100th episode of The Speaker Lab podcast, we decided to compile a list of 100 tips on how to become a motivational speaker (note: if you...

If you've ever struggled to come up with ideas for a speech you won't after today's episode! Today I've brought in one of my friends, Jeremy Johnson. He is simply one of the best speakers I've ever heard, and I had to share him with you. On episode 99 of The Speaker Lab, Jeremy talks about his yearly, monthly and weekly process for content creation. He's the pastor of a large church in Missouri an...

Have you emailed potential clients about speaking gigs only to hear crickets? If you aren't getting the response you want (or any response at all), today's show is just your cup of tea. Ed Gandia is the master of using email for prospecting. On episode 97 of The Speaker Lab, Ed and I talk about his previous life as an IT services sales person, as well as how he discovered the proper way to use ema...

If you're looking to connect with a highly targeted group of prospects to help you grow and advance your speaking career, you'll want to hear today's guest! Josh Turner is a LinkedIn guru, as well as the founder and creator of LinkedSelling. On episode 97 of The Speaker Lab, Josh and I discuss how he became interested in LinkedIn, how he helped his first client generate $20 million from a campaign...

Do you think starting a podcast can help you reach your target audience and land more speaking gigs? Our guest for episode 96 says yes, and he's got the history to prove it. Cliff Ravenscraft, known as the Podcast Answer Man, joins us to talk about the connection between podcasting and public speaking. On this episode of The Speaker Lab, Cliff shares how he got started as a podcaster, how he's hel...

Whether you're a business owner, self-employed or work for a company, you know today's marketplace isn't like the past. It's no longer about getting a good job and staying with a company for 40 or 50 years until you retire. Today it's about pivoting, and here to share just how to pivot in your career is Jenny Blake. Jenny is the best-selling author beyond Life After College and her upcoming book,...

Do you think you could learn from 40 of the best, brightest and most successful speakers on the planet today? I thought you could so I gathered them all in The Speaker Lab Summit. To give you a sample of what you'll be hearing when you join the summit, I've brought two of those 40 speakers to you for today's show: Dan Miller and Andy Andrews. Dan Miller is an author, speaker and coach who shares h...

What if you could learn from 40 super successful speakers and you could learn from them all in one place? That's what you'll get in my latest course, The Speaker Lab Summit. To give you a taste of what is in store for you in the summit, I'm bringing two of those 40 speakers to you today: Pat Flynn and Tim Sanders. Pat Flynn is an author, international keynote speaker, blogger, entrepreneur and fou...

 Different speakers dress differently. I'm sure you've seen speakers come on stage in everything from jeans to a suit. So what should you wear? On episode 92 of The Speaker Lab, I share my thoughts on what attire is appropriate and when. While I don't claim to be a fashionista, I do know how important what you wear is when speaking to an audience! I'll be digging into that specific topic on t...

Have you ever held a question and answer session (a Q&A) after one of your speaking gigs? Do you know what made it successful, or why it wasn't? A Q&A session can be fun, scary and even a little dangerous!! But it can also make a huge difference in how your audience sees you, so it's crucial it is done right. On episode 91 of The Speaker Lab, I explain what it takes to make a successful qu...

In previous episodes we've talked about the important role a book can have in furthering your career as a speaker. It's a great marketing tool to open more doors and get your foot into and through those doors! Our guest for today's show, Chadwick Cannon, is here to share his publishing experiences working with speakers and helping them spread their messages far and wide. On episode 90 of The Speak...