By Jaime Nolan, CAE The speaking industry has a trust problem, and it didn’t start with AI. Several years ago, meeting planners began telling me something I initially found hard to believe. They were booking speakers with polished demo reels, glowing testimonials, and a professional online presence, then watching them bomb on stage. When they looked deeper, … Read more
By Stephanie Melodia What event organizers actually wish keynote speakers knew, straight from meeting planners at the annual NSA conference, Influence. Public speakers spend years honing their craft, their message, and their delivery. Fewer spend any time on what happens backstage, in the inbox, and in the weeks before the event—even though this is often … Read more
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 … Read more
By Thom Singer, CSP 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. … Read more
By Harvey Mackay, CPAE 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 … Read more
By: Courtney Ramsey, CSP 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 … Read more
Part 7: Tracking Your Past Helps Predict the Future By Cara Silletto, CSP 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 … Read more
Part 6: Logistics: The Art of Being “Easy to Work With” By Cara Silletto, CSP 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 … Read more
Part 5: Build Your Marketing Engine By Cara Silletto, CSP 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 … Read more
Part 4: Leading vs. Lagging: How to Predict Your Revenue Before It Happens By Cara Silletto, CSP 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, … Read more