Why a Big Story Isn’t Enough — Presented by MainStage Speaker Business Academy
How One Adventurer Turned Global Attention into a Sustainable Speaking Business Using the Award-Winning Speaker Business Model from MainStage Speaker Business Academy Mark Agnew looked perfectly set up for a speaking career. A world-first expedition in the Arctic. Headline coverage from the BBC. More than 200 media features worldwide. Surely, the speaker bookings would just…
The Real Value of Influence Is Sitting Next to You
Influence 2026 lands in my hometown of Austin, TX, this July 25–27 at the Hilton Austin. The theme is about building a better business, and if you’re attending, you should show up ready to learn. The main stage will be strong, the breakouts will be useful, and the hallway conversations will be everywhere. Bring a notebook and…
Don’t Let Public Speaking Leave You Tongue-Tied
I am, first and foremost, and will always be, an envelope salesman. My business card says so. But more people probably know me as an author and speaker – which evolved from my sales career. Who knew? Regardless of the title on your business card, everyone is a salesperson whether you want to admit it or not. Why? Because from the time you get up in the morning until the time…
Should You Attend the Reception the Night Before You Speak?
I read a thread recently that stopped me mid-scroll. The topic wasn’t new, but that didn’t make it any less relevant. It was about whether speakers should attend the reception the night before they present. I paused because this is one of those things I still debate… every single time. I’m that speaker sitting in my hotel room five minutes before…
Foolproof Flow: A 7-Part Series (Part 7)
Part 7: Tracking Your Past Helps Predict the Future Do you know how you actually win business? What are your top three lead-generating activities that bring in new gigs? How do people go from seeing you speak to booking you years later, if they weren’t ready to call the moment you shared your brilliance on…
Foolproof Flow: A 7-Part Series (Part 6)
Part 6: Logistics: The Art of Being “Easy to Work With” As a former association meeting planner myself, I’ve learned there is a secret in the speaking industry: planners will blacklist speakers who are a logistical nightmare, even if they’re fabulous on stage. Being “easy to work with” is a critical marketing tool. It’s what…
Foolproof Flow: A 7-Part Series (Part 5)
Part 5: Build Your Marketing Engine Many speakers treat marketing like a fire extinguisher: they only grab it when their business is on fire. But if you want to build a well-oiled machine, you have to treat marketing like a garden. You don’t just water it once a year; you have a schedule for weeding,…
Foolproof Flow: A 7-Part Series (Part 4)
Part 4: Leading vs. Lagging: How to Predict Your Revenue Before It Happens Are you looking at the right numbers? Most speakers look at their bank account at the end of the month to see how they did. This is a Lagging Metric. It tells you what happened in the past, but it does nothing…
Foolproof Flow: A 7-Part Series (Part 3)
Part 3: Your CRM Is Your Satellite Brain Ever said one of these? “I have a CRM, I just don’t put everything in there.” Well, systems are only as good as the data you enter, so that’s a bummer. “I just use a spreadsheet, and it works fine.” I’ve never seen a spreadsheet that emails…