A Blog By Speakers, For Speakers.
A Dream, a Journal, and the Journey in Between
By Sam Demma*, CSP | In July of 2023, I sat in the back of the ballroom in Orlando, Florida, watching a parade of brilliant speakers walk across the stage to receive their CSP, CPAE, and respective awards. Moved to tears by the remarks from Dr. Willie Jolley, CSP, CPAE, Cavett Award Recipient, I scurried…
My 5 Secrets to Getting Booked Consistently for 25 Years
By Jason Hewlett, CSP, CPAE The first NSA meeting I ever attended—22 years ago—featured a brilliant, well-known keynote speaker who emphatically proclaimed, “Do not EVER speak for free.” Oddly, I had just seen that same speaker a few days earlier… speaking for free at a charity event. That’s why I came to NSA in the first…
From Big Macs to Big IMPACT: Systemize Your Speaking Business
By Patrick Donadio, MBA, CSP, MCC The Smart Speaker’s Advantage Sitting in a Tokyo McDonald’s, craving something familiar after weeks of home-cooked meals from my various Rotary host families, I bit into a “Big Mac.” It tasted exactly like the Big Mac back home in Columbus, Ohio. That was the moment I understood the power…
Let’s Get Candid About Keynote Speaking Fees!
By Crystal Washington, CSP, CPAE I owe you an apology. As the person who introduced using “pineapples” in place of quoting actual numbers when I hosted the NSA podcast—I know you’re groaning—I think it’s time we have a candid discussion about speaker fees in 2025. First, I must share that I’m writing from the perspective…
The Business Behind the Curtain: 25 Ways to Create an Amazing Speech – That Doesn’t Include the Speech
By Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE One of the highest compliments a speaker can receive is being invited back to present for the same client. It validates that you weren’t just good, but good enough—or should I say amazing enough—to be invited back. Who doesn’t love that? But there’s another compliment that’s almost just as good,…
Embrace Change: Reinventing for Growth and Success
By Cliff Quicksell, CSP, MAS+ Nearly two decades ago, I had the pleasure of hearing a dynamic speaker, Jim Tunney, CPAE, Cavett Award Recipient. Jim was a former NFL referee and spoke on the topic of reinvention and change – it was spectacular. During his presentation he uttered this statement which has become the central…
Start Strong: How to Open a Speech the Right Way
By Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE, Cavett Award Recipient “Hello, and thanks, Bob, for that great introduction. Really, I appreciate it. You read it just like I wrote it..ha ha! And good to be here with you tonight. Dinner was really good. Did you enjoy it? If you did, let’s give a round of applause to…
Booked and Busy: Why Every Speaker Must First Be a Salesperson
By Courtney Clark, CSP and Dr. Andy Neillie, CSP You’re not just a speaker. You’re not just a storyteller. You’re not just a subject-matter expert with a killer keynote. You’re also—whether you like it or not—a salesperson. That sentence might make you cringe. For many of us in the speaking profession, “sell” can feel like…
What Happens When You Bomb a Keynote? The Unexpected Lessons of Getting Knocked Down on Stage
By Bruce Turkel, CPAE People often come up to me after a keynote and say, “I want to do what you do.” Sometimes they’ve done a little public speaking themselves, and they’ll tell me how good they are. That’s usually when I ask, “Tell me about the last time you bombed.” They almost always smile…