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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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, … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
By Stephen Shapiro, CSP, CPAE In mid-2024, I published what I believed to be my most important book yet. It tackled today’s biggest business buzzwords, including uncertainty, volatility, disruption, and AI, and offered practical frameworks to help people and organizations regain a sense of clarity, stability, and focus. As someone who’s spent decades thinking about … Read more
By Thom Singer, CSP As professional speakers, we are part of the meetings industry. Not separate from it. Not a side hustle to it. Not an add-on to the agenda. We are in it, fully. But too often, I wonder if we forget that? We get caught up in perfecting our keynotes, crafting our personal … Read more