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As a professional speaker, your job often takes you across state lines to deliver keynote addresses, facilitate workshops, and conduct seminars for diverse audiences. While travel and exposure can be exhilarating, understanding the state tax implications that come with working in multiple states is important. Why State Taxes Matter Each state in the … Read more
How can you help prospective clients get the money to pay your full fee? For more than 60 years, I have been using a technique which I call, “The Self-Eating Watermelon!” The concept was developed by myself and a few friends while I was an undergraduate at Louisiana State University (1961-1965), and I have continued … Read more
A few years ago, Joe Calloway, CPAE, called three people on the stage in the middle of his keynote presentation and facilitated a 15-minute panel discussion! Whoa! You can do THAT in a presentation? Indeed, you can! Embedding a panel discussion into your presentation can be an effective way to diversify the content, introduce multiple … Read more
The first debate about presentation material is whether or not to use slide decks. The second debate is then a question of which tool to use. The answer to the first is…it’s your choice. A slide deck has many advantages, the main benefit being that it is a cheat sheet for yourself. If the slide … Read more
Speakers often want to know what items are negotiable and how much to charge. Not asking for what is available can be a rational concern. That said, there are lists of concessions and items to request. However, many speakers ignore the wants, needs and even fears of the busy professionals who hire us. At lunch … Read more
The pandemic hit my speaking career hard. Speaking mostly to midsize associations, the abrupt halt of live events meant my clients didn’t hold in-person meetings. They no longer had the same budget for paid speakers, and my income plummeted by three-quarters over two years. Emerging from the pandemic felt like starting from scratch. The industry … Read more
Many think you must have a killer Speaker’s Reel. Others will tell you to hire a Virtual Assistant. Another group will tell you it’s about creating a social media presence. You’ll hear constant comments about building a funnel. Everyone has advice. Let me be honest with you…there are numerous ways to be successful in the … Read more
For whatever reason, my whole life has been one of intimidation. Maybe it was because my brother was eight years my senior, always a step ahead and setting the bar high. Or maybe it was because I’ve always wanted more for myself and my career, which put me alongside people who were way ahead of … Read more
You’ve heard the buzz about AI and how it’s changing our world, potentially replacing a boatload of jobs. But hold your horses! As with so much technology I’ve seen through the years, some of this is flat-out malarkey (a technical term, mind you) and yet there are some grains of truth we need to sift … Read more
Not having enough time is not the challenge we think it is. While our goals and ambitions may be big, we do have the time we need to be successful. In an era dominated by digital distractions, the traditional go-to concept of “time management” is losing its relevance. We’ve all had days that end with … Read more
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Rob Ferre
Member since 2015
It's been awesome to see exactly what NSA has done to create a great hybrid virtual experience and also making sure that everyone feels safe in this environment while producing great content.
Helen Turnbull
PhD, CSP, Global Speaking Fellow, Member since 2007
I’m delighted that I could still be a part of Winter Conference even though I was at home and I still had so many takeaways.
Lisa Koenecke
Member since 2020
I love the variety, I love the level. I love the content that's happening. As a new speaker, it's giving me lots of ideas on how to scale my business and seeing people that I've heard about for so long.