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

Episode 237 of The Speaker Lab is a unique show: we are diving into the history of The Speaker Lab!And we are doing it by flipping the tables: I am going to be interviewed by Eric Rheam. You may recognize him from previous shows, he's a former alum of Booked and Paid to Speak and a current coach with the program.This is the first of a two-part series in which we detail how I got into speaking, what my early years were like as a speaker, and then how and why I created The Speaker Lab. Join us for those goodies and more on today's edition of The Speaker Lab!THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  What's a great exercise I recommend to other speakers today?How many gigs did I do in my busiest year?How long did it take to go from my first gig to my first $1k gig?Do I still experience insecurities and doubts today?What is the purpose of The Speaker Lab?Why speaking is a high-paying manual labor gig.What are the two primary ways to make more money as a speaker?What does it mean to "sell the sawdust"?And so much

On this episode of The Speaker Lab I have a fireside chat with Jane Atkinson, founder and creator of The Speaker Launcher. The journey to creating this business began with a desire to work for an inspirational speaker. The seed was firmly planted when she saw a Les Brown TV special not long after, and it soon sprouted her first marketing gig.Hear how that gig led her to later work with Peter Legge and Vince Vicente, before she ultimately formed The Speaker Launcher. You'll hear her stories and advice, as well as some of my own experiences when you join us for episode 236 of The Speaker Lab!THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  What is one of the most difficult finds in this industry?What it means if you aren't getting referrals.Why being difficult doesn't just mean being a diva.What to do when fear creeps in.Why referring business to other speakers is critical to your own success.What's the difference between speakers who make it and speakers who don't?How becoming known for one thing can be beneficial.W

We are back with another YouTube speech breakdown; this time we are giving you the ins and outs of what works and what doesn't from the venerable Mel Robbins.On today's The Speaker Lab, we are breaking down Mel's very popular Ted Talk called How to Stop Screwing Yourself Over. Mel is a well-known keynote speaker and presenter so you will learn a lot from her speech.Be sure to hear it all by tuning in to episode 235 of The Speaker Lab. THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  What pieces of your speech should be the most tightly scripted?Is there a way to create humor without using words?What types of callbacks should you use in your speech?What lighting is best for you on stage?What is one way to emphasize a powerful moment?Why should you leave the stage and walk among the audience?What works best for slides?How to use call and response in your presentation. EPISODE RESOURCES The Speaker Lab on YouTubeMel Robbins' web siteGet Free Speaker ResourcesBook a Call with The Speaker LabCalculate You

Has a company ever asked to license your material? Whether or not you've ever been approached, it's important to understand the topic of intellectual property for speakers.Here to tell us about IP for speakers is Pamela Slim. Pamela is a successful coach, author, speaker and all-around amazing woman.On this episode of The Speaker Lab, Pam explains when and how to license your material, how to protect your IP (intellectual property), as well as how to market it, price it, and leverage it to your greatest advantage.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  What qualifies as intellectual property?How can licensing help you leverage your knowledge and tools to reach new markets?When do you know licensing is your best option?Do you need to be famous to license your material?What is essential to intellectual property and brand recognition?What are the best ways to market your licensed material and IP?Why do you need to track how many people use your materials?Why money shouldn't be your sole focus when licensing y

We're doing something different this week on The Speaker Lab: coming straight from our YouTube channel is our play by play breakdown of speeches and popular Ted Talks. We'll talk about what works, what doesn't work and some ideas on areas to improve.Today our speech breakdown is of 2018 Toastmasters Champion Ramona J. Smith.Personally, I have mixed feelings about Toastmasters which I will share on today's episode. So tune in to hear my thoughts on Toastmasters and our speech breakdown of Toastmasters champion Ramona Smith on episode 233 of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  What is one of the ways you get better as a speaker?How does Toastmasters help you improve?Can you ever be too polished as a speaker?What are the drawbacks to Toastmasters?How to use cadence in your speeches for the greatest effect.When does physicality work in your favor and when does it not?How can you create visual representations on stage?How to use strategic pauses to emphasize your points.And so much more...&n

Are you overlooking some simple ways to book more gigs? You'll find out when you listen to today's show!Kris Reece is a professional faith-based speaker who also coaches and writes books for women about reaching their fullest God-given potential.On this episode we talk about some issues she is facing in her speaking business. Specifically, we help Kris find new gigs, leverage connections from previous gigs and evaluate whether it makes sense to pay to speak.Join us to hear insights on those topics and more on the 232nd edition of The Speaker Lab!THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  What are the reasons you should consider speaking for free?Why you send an invoice even if you speak for free.The two things you can do during a speaking gig to generate future gigs.What's the best way you can approach previous clients for referrals?How do you evaluate whether you should buy a sponsorship and pay to speak?What is one of the quickest ways to build a relationship?How do you find the key person who books speaker

Follow up is what separates part-time speakers from full-time professionals.But how do you follow through on your follow up in the most effective way? That's what we are talking about today on The Speaker Lab with Jim Kukral.Jim is an online marketer and serial entrepreneur who wants to grow the speaking aspect of his business. This episode is a one on one coaching call with Jim about what he's been doing for follow up and what he can start doing right now to improve that aspect of his business. You'll hear that topic and more on episode 231 of The Speaker Lab!THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  What does it mean to be "unskippable"?How do you get better as a speaker?Why speaking fees are more than just a check.How often should you follow up?When should you call people you've contacted about potential gigs?How to ensure you have accountability.What do you do when you have a hot lead?Why you need to always be knocking on doors for leads.And so much more! EPISODE RESOURCESJim Kukral's web siteB

Ever feel like your topic should be heard by everyone? If you said yes today's show is perfect for you. Our guest is facing the same dilemma many speakers have faced: how to narrow your speaking audience.To address this common challenge on today's The Speaker we are joined by Rocco Cozza. Rocco is a successful businessman who wants to do more speaking and today we're going to help him accomplish that goal by narrowing his audience.Join us to hear exactly how to do this and so much more on this edition of The Speaker Lab!THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  Why is kindness the most important thing in business?Why a message for everyone is a message for no one.When you pick a lane does that choice have to be permanent?How to determine if there is a market for your topic.How you can trojan horse your topic into existing speaking needs.What should you do if you have doubts about your speaking fees?How do you determine if a free speaking gig is valuable to you?What is one of your best marketing tools?And so

Hugh is one of our rare 3-peat guests and he's back to tell us how to use blogging to book speaking gigs.On today's edition of The Speaker Lab, Hugh specifically explains why you should blog to grow your speaking business including how often you should blog, what you should blog about, how long your blog posts should be, and where you should promote your blog.In addition to being a keynote speaker and best-selling author, Hugh runs a business called BlogWorks. BlogWorks is a company devoted to helping speakers book more speaking gigs through the art of blogging.Hugh shares his wealth of knowledge and more so join us to hear it all on episode 229 of The Speaker Lab!THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  How often should you post to ensure you're relevant?Why more is not necessarily better.The three steps to take after you write every blog post.Should you write your blog for your audience or people who hire speakers?What are the two ways to know if your blog post resonates with your audience?What should you

Do you know how to network and get more keynote speeches as a result? Our guest is here to find out, and you'll hear too when you listen to today's episode of The Speaker Lab.Lea Pica is part of our elite coaching program and she is looking for ways to turn her existing speaking opportunities into additional paid keynote engagements. Lea is a data storytelling evangelist who teaches digital analysts and internet marketers how to look at the data from their programs, tie it to the success of their organizations or clients and then tell that story.During episode 228, Lea tells us how speaking fits into her current business model, what she is doing right now to garner more gigs and what type of follow has worked and hasn't worked for her. We dive into all of that and more on this edition of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  What options is she considering to boost her keynote opportunities?Do you have to be outgoing and extroverted to be a good networker?Why direct conversations translat

Is getting paid to speak on creativity really a viable option? Is that a topic to build your business around? Here to explore those questions is one of our Elite coaching students, Beth Inglish.Beth is an artist who speaks to other artists and leaders in the community to help them rediscover their creativity. Of late, she's been speaking to leaders in corporate America about how to be more creative and how to lead with a creative mindset.On today’s The Speaker Lab, we talk about what changed for Beth that made her want to pursue speaking as a business, how to go from doing free gigs to paid gigs and how to know if you can make a living speaking to a particular audience. Join us for those topics and more on today’s edition of The Speaker Lab.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  What are questions to ask if you are struggling to find your target audience?How do you know if your potential audience is viable?Why you need to keep your big picture goals in mind.Does everyone have creativity inside of them?How

Everyone loves an underdog, right? If you're just starting out as a speaker you definitely fall in the underdog category. So why not take full advantage and create your own underdog Rocky story? Clint Pulver did and success has followed suit.Today he's going to tell us how he tapped into the power of his own Rocky story to make powerful relationships with speakers he admires and respects, and how he created his own board of directors as a result.On this episode of The Speaker Lab, he'll also tell us how he incorporates professional drumming experience into his speaking gigs. Join us for the details on all of these topics with my friend and yours Clint Pulver.THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  How did he get his first speaking gig while still in high school?When did he quit his full-time job in the medical field?The 3 things that make up a dream job: what are they?What one thing did he do that directly led to booking 7 gigs?What questions did he ask of his prospective audience?How much of a f

Do you track any of your speaking metrics? Our guest today, Erick Rheam, says there are 5 key metrics to growing your speaking business.Erick has been on the show before so you can revisit his story on episode 126 and episode 150. I brought him on to today's episode of The Speaker Lab to talk about the exponential growth he has had using certain key metrics. Specifically there are 5 key metrics he focuses on, and those metrics have taken his business from $15,000 to nearly $200k in under 4 years.Even if you're already successful in your speaking career you'll learn plenty from hearing about Erick's metrics and how he uses them to gauge the health of his business. Tune in for those insights and more with Erick Rheam on episode 225 of The Speaker Lab!THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  What are lagging indicators versus leading indicators?How has he determined his $5,000 speaking fee and when does he raise it?What are the 5 steps in his prospective gig pipeline?How soon should you contact a pro

Todd Henry is a successful speaker, consultant and best-selling author who is here to give us speaking tips from the accidental creative point of view.Todd has written four books, including The Accidental Creative, Die Empty, Louder than Words and his latest work called Herding Tigers. Herding Tigers is about how leaders can create environments in which creative teams can thrive.On today's The Speaker Lab, we talk about his evolution, why you need to have a great speaker video and the importance of lovingly punching your audience in the gut! Hear what that means and more on episode 224 of The Speaker Lab with Todd Henry. THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  Is it always necessary to replace your full-time income before you leave to go out on your own?Who are your stakeholders and why must you all be in alignment?How many years did it take for him to make the leap to entrepreneurship?What is the goal of taking risks?How many times did he almost quit while he was building his business?How does he cope wit

Does the idea of cold calling strike fear into your heart? It won't after today's edition of The Speaker Lab!Joe is an up and coming speaker who has quickly added a lot of gigs to his calendar by using the four rules of cold calling for speakers. On this episode, Joe tells us what those four rules are as well as how to remove the fear of cold calling and how to make it easy for your prospects to say yes to you.This is another terrific guest you won't want to miss so be sure to join us on episode 223 of The Speaker Lab. THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  How did he first uncover the power of cold calling?How can you get your foot in the door of an industry in which you are not known?Do you have to go in hot to a cold call?How do you know if you are a good fit for a potential opportunity?Why uncommon commonalities are important in your cold calling process.What's the best way to reach out: phone, email, or social media?How expecting nothing and appreciating everything will explode your business.The type

Mike Kim is one very smart man who knows marketing and branding, and he is here to share his 7 step process for creating your speaking brand. This is the same process he has used with his clients, including well-known thought leaders like John Maxwell, Donald Miller and Suzanne Evans.On this episode of The Speaker Lab, he walks us through those 7 steps and what they entail. We also talk about why positioning determines so much of everything else you do in your business, how to price yourself as a premium speaker while still being able to negotiate and take lower-priced gigs.Whether you are new to speaking or are a long-time veteran, this is a great episode chockfull of helpful recommendations and frameworks to help you. Without further adieu take a listen to Mike Kim and I on today's The Speaker Lab. THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  What is the most unique selling proposition that any of us have?Who should your marketing materials be speaking to?Which platform is best for you?Why you should position

Some people do it all and our guest today is one of those people! Alli Worthington joins The Speaker Lab to tell us all how to write, speak and host conferences.Alli is a speaker, author, business coach and conference host who fell into speaking the same time she hosted her first event, an interesting story she shares with us today.We also talk about how having a book has impacted her speaking career, what you should do if you want to speak to female entrepreneurs, and how she chooses which speakers to hire when she is hosting her conference, Blissdom.You'll hear all of those topics and more - there is a LOT to learn from Alli Worthington on this episode of The Speaker Lab! THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  Why she hosted her first event before she had ever been to a conference!What did Scott Stratten say that shifted her mindset about being nervous?Does she consider herself an author or speaker first?When is it worth speaking for free?What is the perceived value in having someone else handle your ca

If you are just starting out your main concern might about how to get started as a speaker. Our guest on this episode of The Speaker Lab is here to tell us how he did it.Today Jason Hewlett is a professional speaker and entertainer, but like many people he had no idea where to start. He had the dream and the desire, but he needed a plan.On today's episode we talk about how he got a plan in place and took action. We also discuss how he went from performance-based speaking with impressions and impersonations to more serious keynote speeches. You'll hear his tips and ideas on those topics and more on this edition of The Speaker Lab. THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  Why does he prefer the keynote closing session?How did following up after gigs help build his business from scratch?Why event planners are in the risk-mitigation business, and how you can help.How did he keep integrity with his fees?What advice does he give to people moving from one niche to another?Why speaking is a humbling business.Why he

Justin is a unique guest who is unlike any other guest we've had before on this show: he's here to explain what magic can teach us about speaking.As a magician, Justin is an amazing entertainer who speaks and performs from stage. On episode 219, Justin tell us when he knew he wanted to pursue a career in magic, how he strategized which markets to focus on and what his business look like today.We dig into those topics and more so join us on today's edition of The Speaker Lab! THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  How to deal with a topic that needs to be explained to your potential clients.How did he get on The Ellen DeGeneres Show?What would he do if he were starting over today?Why there is no silver bullet to content marketing.How did doing one event for free lead to a book deal with Wal-Mart and an international ad campaign for Coca-Cola?Does he customize his magic presentations for each client?Where does he get his ideas for new material?When does he know a bit is ready for stage and how does he test

As we kick off the new year resolutions are in the air! Is writing a book one of yours? If writing a book is your way of running down a dream then there's no one better to help you on your path than our guest today, Tiim Grahl.Tim is a book marketing expert who has been in the industry for 10+ years. He has worked with everyone from Dan Pink to Barbara Corcoran of Shark Tank, and many other names you'd recognize.Today on episode 218 of The Speaker Lab, he tells us what it takes to make a book successful. He also talks with us about his latest book, Running Down A Dream, how you can overcome doubts, fear and insecurities about running down your own dream and how to find time to build your speaking business no matter how busy you are.  THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  Why shouldn't you focus on social media?Why just having a book out on the market can build your platform.How many years should you continue to promote your book?The one exercise to find the truth about how much time you actually hav