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

Often, one of the hardest parts of the learning curve of launching a speaking business is being self employed. Many would-be entrepreneurs have longed for a textbook that explains how working for yourself actually works. Fortunately, Jeffrey Shaw, speaker, author, and expert in the unconventional art of being self-employed, has written a book about just that. For Episode 438 of The Speaker Lab podcast, he spoke with TSL founder Grant Baldwin about honing in on your expertise and managing your own business. He also shares his time-tested strategies for mastering the art of storytelling, one of the most important skills in any speaker’s toolkit.Many speakers overextend themselves trying to reach too many audiences. Getting in front of the group who values what you have to offer can be a long process. Jeffrey has done the hard work for you–he cycled through a variety of audiences before finding the place where his expertise could deliver the most value. While it’s not bad to try different things with d

Our amazing TSL coaches do a lot of great work helping our students accelerate their speaking careers through our programs. But beyond their great work at TSL, our coaches are people with their own amazing journeys inside and outside of the speaking industry. This week on the Coaches Corner, our director of student success Maryalice Goldsmith interviewed coach Michelle Onuorah about her mission, her speaking career, and how she ended up at The Speaker Lab. Michelle is a faith-filled go-getter with so much passion for life, and Episode 437 gives you just a taste of what you might learn from her if you enroll in one of our programs. Michelle started out as a TSL student before she started coaching for us (a story shared by many of our coaches, like Erick Rheam). Her mission had already fired her up to run a life coaching business and publish a book when she decided to dig deeper into the opportunities afforded by speaking. Michelle is an ideator and innovator with a professional story marked

Every year, The Speaker Lab founder Grant Baldwin and coach Erick Rheam come onto the TSL show for an episode we call “The State of the Speaking Industry.” Grant and Erick use this time to zoom out and examine shifts in the last year and trends for the next year that affect speakers working on building their business this year. This is a chance to really dig deep into what’s going on in a variety of different industries and how that changes things up for all speakers, from aspiring to advanced. In episode 436 of The Speaker Lab podcast, we’re looking at the state of the speaking industry for 2023. Exciting things are happening as the world emerges from the COVID-impacted era of virtual events into a new hybrid era. Some organizations are eager to get back to classic conferences with lots of personal interactions and face-to-face communication, while others are enjoying the efficiency afforded by shifting everything to zoom. At the same time, many sectors are hurting due to the economy, and speakers in th

Our Student Highlight series continues with a student who came to us after years of success as a therapist and academic. Dr. David Palmiter knew how to fill in the gaps between scientific research and common knowledge, specifically on the topic of achieving happiness. He had three decades of speaking experience and regularly trained other therapists. He was a hit with his audience every time he went onstage. He had a good handle on content, delivery, and performance. But something was missing. He hadn’t turned speaking into a real business. Fortunately, the Virtual VIP program with Erick Rheam helped him do just that and find the magic key (literally!) to differentiate himself from his competition. David does indeed do magic tricks to illustrate his points, but the magic he works for his audience goes much further. In this episode, he shares how Erick opened the world of possibilities available once he streamlined his prospecting process by utilizing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. This c

On The Speaker Lab podcast, we feature guests who find their way to the speaking industry via myriad paths. Sometimes their path is linear, and sometimes the story of how they got to speaking is just as interesting as what they speak about. In Episode 434, you’ll get to hear from one of those speakers–someone who has really done it all! Lou Diamond has worked in marketing, technology, finance, and professional services. He’s a speaker, author, consultant, and expert podcaster, and he has a lot to share.Lou’s journey to speaking involves a lot of the lessons we love to emphasize at The Speaker Lab. Discovering his unique ability for connecting with people allowed him to find an organic niche that suited his message and his experience–one of the most important steps to launching your speaking business. As demand for his speaking services increased, he had to make a lot of tough decisions about where to put his time and energy to further his career. These days, he splits his time three ways, between sales and le

Do you have executive presence? It’s not just for CEOs. According to TSL coaches Maryalice Goldsmith and Katherine Johnson, executive presence actually refers to the constellation of cues that people use to evaluate whether we have credibility, whether they see us as a leader, and how they perceive our capabilities. Most people default to trusting nonverbal messaging when there’s a cognitive dissonance–even if your words are telling the truth. You can have all the expertise and authority in the world, but it won’t help if your clothes, your body language, and your branding send the wrong message.Executive presence solves that dissonance. It helps you create a clear and intentional first impression that communicates your message and your business with warmth and confidence. The last thing you want to do is scare people off, but the many speakers who struggle with executive presence are doing just that!In today’s episode, Maryalice and Katherine go through strategies for elevating trust with your clie

We have big news: we’re launching a new program at The Speaker Lab. In this podcast episode, Grant is joined by Erick Rheam to tell you all about our Master Speaker Program: what it entails, who it’s for, and how it can help you scale your speaking business. This program is our first ever offering for established speakers. If you’re not sure whether that describes you, Erick and Grant give a quick overview of the phases of a speaking business (beginner, emerging, and established). As Erick and Grant explain in detail, established speakers are those who have a good handle on the speaking industry, but are struggling to scale, systematize, and prioritize. Maybe you’ve been speaking for a year or more, but struggle knowing when to say “no” to gigs that aren’t quite in your preferred niche. Maybe you’re overwhelmed by the financial and accounting side of speaking and don’t know how to plan for a more profitable year. Maybe you make a lot of money speaking, but are tired of all the travel and want to cha

When we say our programs get you results, Anne Marie Anderson is what we mean. After decades of experience in sports broadcasting, Anne Marie realized that the speaking gigs she landed here and there could become a career. She joined the Speaker Lab Virtual VIP program with Erick Rheam in the fall and just three months later, her speaking business is booming! She shares her success story on today’s podcast with TSL director of student success Maryalice Goldsmith. If you struggle knowing when and how to make your next best professional move, Anne Marie’s story will fill you with the confidence you need.In this episode, Maryalice and Anne Marie dig deep into what it takes to turn your speaking business from “one of the things you do” into “what you do”. From locker room pep talks to celebrity sideline interviews, Anne Marie’s career has taught her a lot about how to take opportunity by the horns. For her, The Speaker Lab was the obvious choice to maximize her opportunities. Giving us a taste of her si

We love bragging about the success of our TSL students on the podcast. Today’s guest is a real gem — he speaks straight from the heart and you can hear it in his voice! Ryan Botner has tried his hand at several different industries with great success. Despite bringing in multi-million dollar revenues, he wasn’t in love with the results. Coaching and speaking (with the help of The Speaker Lab) turned out to be his passion. What drives him, on and off the stage? Intentionality. In today’s student highlight podcast with TSL coach Maryalice Goldsmith, Ryan talks about how intentionality should drive your business and your life. His inspiring advice for staying aligned with your purpose, facing your fears, and choosing mentors wisely will leave you burning with excitement for your speaking business’s future. In addition, he offers some great tips for coaches who aren’t sure how to integrate speaking into their business. If you’ve been feeling lackluster about your speaking goals, Ryan will fire you up to

You’ve probably heard from us before that a good website is one of your two most important assets as a speaker (the other is your demo video). At the same time, once you build your website you can’t just set it and forget it! Along with that great importance comes great responsibility. You might be surprised how much your menu organization matters to potential clients, or how your font choices and pop-up timing influence first-time visitors!In this episode of The Speaker Lab podcast, Rick Clemons and Maryalice Goldsmith bring some much-needed nuance to the topic of speaker websites. They’re digging deep into what really matters on your website, as well as what isn’t worth your time (when it comes to websites, the perfect is sometimes the enemy of the good)! Have you been trying to coordinate your social media, email marketing, and personal branding with your website? Today’s show covers some incredibly helpful metrics for figuring out if all that effort is paying off.Here's what you'll learn from this episode

As a speaker, there are plenty of legal issues to navigate as you build a rock-solid speaking business. Good news – Autumn Witt Boyd is bringing her expertise and experience to Episode 428 of The Speaker Lab Podcast to help you walk through what you need to know!There are many nuances to preserving and protecting online businesses, intellectual property, opportunities for trademarks, and even creating contracts! Autumn covers all of that in this episode and highlights some of the most overlooked legalities that can often be missed by speakers. In addition to offering her insight and expertise as an intellectual property lawyer, Autumn takes a deep dive into contract writing and how to cover all the specifics, add riders, and navigate extenuating circumstances. As speakers, your work is personal, meaningful, and a reflection of what you're most passionate about. As you build your business, it’s essential to know what you need to protect and how to assess the risks and rewards of each legal consideration. This

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit down with some of our coaches and take a deep dive into some of the hottest topics for speakers?In our first episode of 2023, Director of Student Success Maryalice Goldsmith joins Lead Coach Rick Clemons to unpack the ten biggest distractions that can hurt speakers who are trying to grow and scale their businesses. There are so many things to navigate as you build your speaking business, and it's so easy to get sidelined by things that don't matter.Using social media, finding your audience, navigating the comparison game, figuring out how to sell — it's hard not to get overwhelmed at times. Maryalice and Rick have both been there, done that and they're here to guide you through the delicate process of building success on the stage. Through this episode, you'll learn about the most common distractions, how to identify them in your own journey, and and how to set boundaries and stay focused amidst the “noise.” There’s so much to take away from this conversatio

Sharing in the excitement of our students’ success is a privilege for our team at the Speaker Lab! Our Director of Student Success, Maryalice Goldsmith, is taking the mic for our Student Highlight series so you can hear directly from our students about their experiences and what they want you to know about growing your speaking business.This week, Michael Laidler joins us for Episode 426 of The Speaker Lab Podcast to talk about how the evolution of his speaker training led him to take the plunge into professional speaking. Despite his current success, Michael had a rocky introduction to the speaking industry. Along the way, he found The Speaker Lab and quickly learned how to grow and scale his speaking business.During this conversation, Michael unpacks the value of the systems and processes that have made all the difference in the growth of his business. Michael shares practical advice about how to build your skillset, grow your network, effectively prospect, and be intentional about building a sustainable sp

You’ve built a successful speaking business, yet something still seems to be missing. But what could it be?Julie Solomon joins us for Episode 425 of The Speaker Lab podcast to talk about what might be missing from your speaking business. Julie is a master communicator who is passionate about helping others find what’s next and increase their visibility. She’s got her own coaching business committed to helping others discover what they may not see in themselves, and she’s the expert at equipping her clients to level-up and make way for big-time success.Julie’s diverse professional experiences allow her to bring a level of insight that is unmatched. During this episode she takes a deep dive into how speakers can navigate their doubts and fears, why you have to keep running the race, and how to build an unstoppable brand. She’s also examining the value of the niche and why you must accept and embrace what you’re bringing to your people.Here's what you’ll learn from this episode:How to navigate moments

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit down with some of our coaches and take a deep dive into some of the hottest topics for speakers?Join Maryalice Goldsmith and Katie Campbell for the ninth episode of our Coaches Corner series! Together, Maryalice and Katie share some of their best advice both for aspiring speakers and industry veterans alike. There are so many moving pieces to building a speaking business and it’s important to follow a process, stay the course, and consider the opportunity before you.Maryalice and Katie take a closer look at the SPEAK framework used in our programs and why this methodology creates a sustainable business-building roadmap. They’re also peeling back the layers of the process and why there’s so much more to it than just booking gigs. It’s about the blueprint, the knowledge, and building a skill set that will serve you through different seasons of your journey. It’s just as much about the process and logistics as it is your vision and mission!Here's what you’ll le

It’s no secret that uncertain economic times might have speakers wondering if it’s the right season to take the leap and grow their business. This week, TSL student Karl Maier joins the podcast to tackle this great unknown and how to successfully navigate change. Karl draws from his economic expertise to share six steps needed to position a business to get the people and capital you need for success. Karl believes change is good for entrepreneurs and that it's crucial to leverage these times to benefit your business and your impact for others.Karl also talks about his experience with The Speaker Lab and how it’s helped him refine the moving parts of his business and set him up for future success. He’s bringing a fresh perspective to his audiences and reminding speakers of the importance of mindset and thinking outside the box rather than feeling restricted by the economic climate. Karl’s goal is to face the facts, calm the fears, and create a roadmap to move forward even at the most unlikely of

It’s one thing to be successful on stage, but it’s another to build a solid pipeline that builds sustainable growth for your speaking business. For Episode 422 of The Speaker Lab Podcast we’re welcoming Arel Moodie to talk about how you can use data to build a sustainable speaking business.Arel talks about the changes in the industry over the last few years, the durability of the speaking industry, and the importance of being ready to pivot when needed. He's a mission to help speakers use data to get booked and paid to speak, and he's developed a tool he’s developed which is a total game changer for speakers in any season of building their business. Arel’s method helps speakers prove to decision makers and event planners that they are actually good at what they do and why they would be a valuable asset to their event.Here's what you’ll learn from this episode:How Arel discovered the speaking industry and desire to build his own businessThe evolution of the leap from student to corporate audiencesWhy

Sharing in the excitement of our students’ success is a privilege for our team at the Speaker Lab! Our Director of Student Success, Maryalice Goldsmith, is taking the mic for our Student Highlight series so you can hear directly from our students about their experiences and what they want you to know about growing your speaking business.On Episode 421, we're joined by Amy Fuentes, an incredible TSL student who is taking the stage by storm with a passion for empowering women to find their voice, change their stories, and become their own heroes in all aspects of their lives. Amy sat down with Maryalice to share her personal journey to the stage, including how she found her way to The Speaker Lab and why she is so committed to helping women “transition through transitions” with purpose. Amy shares practical insights on how to really seize the moment, embrace change, and navigate the most challenging of times that become defining moments.Whether you’re finding yourself amidst a transition or contemplating life-c

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit down with some of our coaches and take a deep dive into some of the hottest topics for speakers?This week, Director of Student Success Maryalice Goldsmith and Coach Jeremy Rochford are revealing the one mistake that is costing you thousands in your speaking business and what you need to do about it! So, what is it you might ask? The greatest mistake is when speakers are not clear on the problem they solve and how it helps their audience. Jeremy Rochford is sharing his personal story of finding success on the stage and how he discovered what his audience wanted and needed. He’s got first-hand experience and so much insight as a coach to share on the game-changing strategy that will make all the difference.As speakers we want to inspire and impact – and we want you to do that too! But there must be clarity and intentionality in building a message that clearly solves a problem and offers direction to your listeners. Jeremy and Maryalice are bringing light

When it comes to building a successful and sustainable speaking business, so much of what really matters doesn’t happen on the stage. Veronica Romney, the Dream Team Architect, joins us for Episode 419 of The Speaker Lab Podcast to peel back the layers of scaling a business and taking it to the next level. As a fractional chief of staff for several businesses, Veronica helps take seven-figure companies to eight all while addressing their core functions and leadership.Veronica addresses direct ROI vs. the value an individual can bring to your team and unpacks the mystery of when to bring on additional team members and how to do it effectively. She also takes a deep dive into the challenge that speakers face when it comes to the “leaky” mechanics that often exist behind the stage. She shares the options that exist for speakers to create opportunities for success, how to package the value they offer, and why it’s important to build a team that can market your zone of genius. Veronica offers endless ins