Speaker Life

Want to get paid to speak and turn your expertise into a growing business? Jessica Kriegel shares how she built a speaking business that out-earned her corporate salary—and eventually sold it. If you're struggling to get speaking gigs, stand out, or turn audience interest into clients, this Speaker Life conversation with Lea Woodford will help you identify your next move. You don't need to wait fo...

How do you get booked as a speaker, attract a speaker agent or earn recommendations from a speakers bureau? Chris Lee, CEO of CAL Entertainment, reveals what speaker bureaus, meeting professionals and event planners look for when choosing keynote speakers for corporate events, conferences and association meetings. The short answer: Successful professional speakers need a clearly defined area of ex...

What can an FBI hostage negotiator teach you about building trust, strengthening your personal brand, handling difficult conversations, and becoming more influential? In this episode of Speaker Life, Lea Woodford sits down with Chris Voss, former FBI lead kidnapping negotiator, bestselling author of Never Split The Difference, and founder and CEO of The Black Swan Group. Chris reveals how the same...

How to Get a TEDx Talk: What Organizers Look For How do you get a TEDx talk? Start by finding licensed TEDx events in your area, researching what each organizer is looking for, developing one clear idea that serves the audience, and being willing to apply more than once. In this episode of Speaker Life, host Lea Woodford sits down with speaker coach, speechwriter, and TEDx coach Cesar Cervantes to...

Strategic partnerships can help you grow your business faster, reach new audiences, generate referrals, and create opportunities you may never reach alone. But the wrong partnership can cost you time, money, energy, and trust. In this episode of Speaker Life , host Lea Woodford sits down with business profitability strategist, bestselling author, speaker, and Path to Profits® founder Michelle Jaco...

How do you sell without being salesy—especially when you're a speaker, coach, consultant, or entrepreneur who needs people to invest in what you offer? In this episode of Speaker Life, Lea Woodford sits down with Matt Leitz, founder and CEO of BotBuilders, to uncover a more authentic approach to sales, webinar conversion, marketing, and selling from the stage. Matt explains why great advertising c...

How do event planners choose the right keynote speaker—and what makes a professional speaker get hired? Chris Lee, CEO of CAL Entertainment, joins Lea Woodford to reveal what happens behind the scenes at a leading speaker bureau. He explains how event planners can find, evaluate, and book keynote speakers who understand their audience, support the goals of the event, and create an experience peopl...

Jim Kwik shares how to improve focus, strengthen memory, overcome public speaking anxiety, and protect human intelligence in the age of AI. In this episode of Speaker Life, host Lea Woodford sits down with the renowned brain coach, memory expert, and bestselling author of Limitless to reveal practical strategies for thinking, learning, and speaking at your best. If checking your phone is the first...

How can women entrepreneurs grow a business through networking, mentorship, visibility, and community? Entreprenista co-founder Stephanie Cartin shares the relationship-building strategies that helped her build a seven-figure agency. If you're trying to grow your business alone, struggling to get noticed, or unsure how to find your next client, referral, speaking opportunity, or strategic partners...

Creators, speakers, artists, and entrepreneurs are working harder than ever to build an audience—so why is it still so difficult to get discovered and paid? In this Speaker Life podcast episode, Wendy Starland explores the future of creator monetization, AI-powered audience discovery, brand partnerships, and sustainable income for people who create meaningful content. Wendy Starland is a songwrite...

How can professional speakers make money beyond speaking fees? Profitability strategist Michelle Jacobik explains how to create multiple income streams and build a speaking business that produces sustainable profit—not just applause. In this episode of Speaker Life, Lea Woodford and Michelle reveal why being booked and busy doesn't necessarily mean your speaking business is profitable. When every...

Have you ever dreamed of stepping onto a TEDx stage and sharing an idea that could change lives? In this episode of Speaker Life, Lea Woodford sits down with Cesar Cervantes, one of the most respected TEDx speaker coaches in the industry. If you're an aspiring speaker, coach, author, entrepreneur, or thought leader, this conversation is packed with insights that can help you elevate your message a...

In this Speaker Life podcast episode, Miracle on the Hudson survivor and professional speaker Dave Sanderson shares how to turn a personal story into meaningful influence, a clear speaking message, and a sustainable speaking business. After surviving the 2009 US Airways Flight 1549 emergency landing on the Hudson River, Dave faced a defining realization: even after a life-changing experience, corp...

How can speakers, coaches, and entrepreneurs use AI to grow their business without wasting time chasing every new tool? In this episode of Speaker Life, host Leah Woodford sits down with AI automation expert Matt Leitz, founder of BotBuilders, to break down exactly what it takes to market and scale a business using artificial intelligence — the smart way. Matt has helped thousands of entrepreneurs...

If you're a speaker, coach, consultant, or entrepreneur struggling to get booked, increase your visibility, or establish yourself as an authority, this episode of Speaker Life delivers a practical roadmap for building influence in today's digital landscape. Lea Woodford sits down with media strategist and production expert Jason Sievert to discuss how YouTube, podcasting, and AI-powered search are...

Are Facebook ads worth it? When should a business start running paid advertising? What's the difference between boosting a post and running a true Meta Ads campaign? In this episode of Speaker Life, Lea Woodford sits down with marketing strategist and funnel expert Willa Kammerer of Firestarter Funnels to discuss how entrepreneurs, speakers, coaches, consultants, and business owners can use Facebo...

What does it take to transform a life-changing event into a thriving business, powerful message, and global platform? In this episode of Speaker Life, Lea Woodford sits down with professional keynote speaker, author, TEDx speaker, and Miracle on the Hudson survivor Dave Sanderson to discuss how one of the most famous aviation incidents in history became the foundation for a career built on resilie...

How do you grow your personal brand, build a loyal audience, and create opportunities through social media without feeling overwhelmed? In this episode of the Speaker Life Podcast, host Lea Woodford sits down with entrepreneur, content creator, and Food Network competitor Leia Sievert to discuss social media growth, content marketing, Instagram strategy, collaboration marketing, audience engagemen...

Public speaking anxiety, communication skills, negotiation psychology, emotional intelligence, leadership, confidence, and entrepreneurship are all explored in this powerful episode of Speaker Life featuring former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss. Chris Voss spent 24 years with the FBI negotiating with terrorists, kidnappers, and high-pressure crisis situations where communication could mean lif...

Event planners, keynote speakers, thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and public speaking professionals will gain insider knowledge into how speakers are really chosen for conferences, corporate events, leadership summits, and live experiences in this episode of Speaker Life featuring top speaker agent Chris Lee. In this powerful conversation, Chris Lee — one of the leading speaker agents in the speak...

What does it really take to create a profitable beach retreat that people want to attend again and again? In this episode of Speaker Life , Lea Woodford sits down with Michelle Cunningham at her Elite Beach Retreat to discuss how Michelle built a high-ticket, luxury retreat experience for women entrepreneurs, course creators, coaches, and business owners. Michelle shares how she went from hosting...

Is social media still the best way to grow your brand, or are we entering the age of interest media? In this episode of Speaker Life, Lea Woodford and Jason Sievert discuss why creators, speakers, entrepreneurs, coaches, and event planners need to think beyond posting for the algorithm. They explain how interest media, especially YouTube, helps businesses create searchable, intentional, evergreen...

Ever wondered how to become a paid speaker, land bigger stages, and increase your speaker fees? In this episode of Speaker Life, host Lea Woodford sits down with Chris Lee, CEO of Cal Entertainment, to break down what it really takes to build a successful speaking career—from your first speaking engagement to commanding $10,000–$75,000+ keynote fees. Chris shares insider insights on public speakin...

How does a 14-year-old entrepreneur build a successful business, grow a social media presence, and land a feature on the Food Network? In this inspiring episode of Speaker Life, host Lea Woodford sits down with Leia Sievert, a young entrepreneur who started her baking business at just 10 years old. Leia shares powerful insights on entrepreneurship, content creation, YouTube growth, and social medi...