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Understanding Speaker Selection for Conferences and Events to Grow Your Brand with Speaking
Episode 6 • 22nd September 2025 • Scale Your Vision • Adriane Galea
00:00:00 00:39:19

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If you’ve ever wondered why some speakers land the mic (and the money) while others stall, I'm opening the curtains on how event hosts actually choose speakers, what “paid” really means in different rooms, and why the savviest entrepreneurs treat stages like a core growth channel. Behind every conference stage is an organizer balancing budgets, reputation, and the experience they want to create.

If you’ve ever stared at a call for speakers and wondered what’s really happening on the other side, this episode gives you the host-eye view. It’s equal parts reality check and opportunity map — because when you understand how the game is played, you can decide when to chase the fee, when to chase the audience, and when to plant yourself in the kind of room that will pay dividends in the long run.

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🌟 Have a specific question you want me to workshop on the show?

I set up this voice-note line so you can send context-rich questions I can answer for everyone’s benefit — and I can’t wait to hear what you’re building!


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What’s inside this episode


  • The quiet calculation event hosts run before they ever open your application — and how to tip it in your favor without changing your talk 
  • Why two conferences with identical audiences can make opposite decisions on speaker fees — and how you can build brand equity vs get paid
  • The different types of talks and the reputational bar that changes who gets paid (and how much)
  • How showing up in the room — even when you’re not on stage — compounds your chances of getting invited later
  • The overlooked assets hosts are investing in for you — and how to leverage them for your visibility long after the event
  • The most important things you can do to get your application to stand out and make it easier for the host to say YES to your application


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⭐️ Love this episode? We'd GREATLY appreciate a 5-star review! ⭐️


. . . . . . . . . . . . .


Connect with Adriane and Visionaries!

Transcripts

Speaker:

Have you ever wondered about how

event hosts make decisions about

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how they choose their speakers

and what they offer to speakers in

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terms of stipends or compensation

or maybe the lack of those things?

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So speaking.

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Especially when you're speaking on

stages, is absolutely one of the best

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ways that you are going to be able

to establish authority in your niche.

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Establish authority as an expert in

your, in your industry to build your

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brand reputation and like really

to build your place as a thought.

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Um, and almost everyone that I

know who is really intentionally

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and pretty consistently using

speaking within their business.

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Like these people are generating tens, if

not hundreds of thousands of additional

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dollars per year in revenue that's

getting booked through clients that

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they have met from speaking on stage.

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So it is a huge driver

for a lot of businesses.

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And then there are other speakers

who are generating tens, if

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not hundreds of thousands of

extra dollars per year speaking.

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Like getting that revenue as an

actual speaker, getting paid to

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get up on, on stage to speak.

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Whether they're booking clients

off the back end of that or not.

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That might not even be like, they might

not even have clients in that sense.

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You know what I mean?

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But when you use speaking intentionally

and you're doing it consistently, there

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is a lot of money that can be made here.

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So I've just started to plan my first.

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The big conference that is going

to happen in the fall of:

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And the reason I wanted to record this

episode is, you know, I thought it

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would be helpful for people not only

who want to speak or who are, who might

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be interested in speaking at my event

because that is definitely like the

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biggest reason I wanted to, to talk

through some of these things because I

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want people to have an understanding of.

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Like what I'm thinking and why I

am thinking and why I am doing what

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I'm doing and all those things.

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But I think this will also be helpful for

any speaker who wants to understand how

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event hosts think about bringing speakers

on, because I know a lot of people who

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are wanting to get on stage to speak.

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And they have a lot of ideas about what it

might look like and what I've heard a lot

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of people say about their expectations on

speaking and what their expectations are

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around getting paid and things like that.

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Like I just sort of have sat back

and gone like, I don't wanna argue

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with people because that's not really

what I'm trying to do, but like

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it's a whole different ball game.

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Getting on stage to speak is a

wildly different thing than I think

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a lot of people are, are realizing.

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So anyhow, let's get to this.

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So first I want to give a very short

overview of my event that I'm planning,

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and then I want to get into the three

things that I want to actually talk

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about, like my three primary things

that I want to actually dive into.

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So, and, and those things are

the different types of events,

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the different types of talks, and

then the speaker selection process

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based on each of those things.

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So my event is going to be a

pretty traditional conference.

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It's going to be more educational

than aspirational, so I think that.

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You know, there are different

types of conferences in terms

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of like what is the goal for the

people who are actually attending.

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Like you.

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If you're planning an event,

you have to have an objective.

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The same way that if you were going

to offer a coaching program, you

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would need to have an objective around

these are the marketable outcomes

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and this is the transformation

that you're offering to people.

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And sometimes that transformation

is going to be motivation.

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Aspiration, et cetera.

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Like if you're planning an event,

that's, you know, if you're someone

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who runs a really large business,

like more of a corporation,

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you might be planning an event.

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That's just more for like company culture.

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You could also be more doing, like

more of what I'm doing that is

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intended to be educational for people.

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Because it's my business

conference, it would be considered

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independently organized.

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What I would say is independently

organized, like I'm an individual

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independent event host rather

than someone who is like a large

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corporation or the head of an

association or something like that.

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And I'm not going to sell

anything off the back end of this.

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It's not.

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So a lot of times you go to

big business conferences and.

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Or not even necessarily big business

conferences, small business conferences,

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small business events, and off the back

end of those things, the, the person

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who's hosting it turns around and like

at the event, and then after the event

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goes into their program launch and that's

where they make their money, their event

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pri predominantly, probably will go

in the hole, but they're going to make

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money because they're launching something

through this event and it's, it's.

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Authority building in that sense,

and it helps them launch their event.

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I'm not doing that.

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Mine is going to be, it's just

intended for brand building,

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not revenue generation.

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So any revenue that this event is going

to generate comes from the actual event.

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Um, so to get to my points, because

I think I've already kind of started

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to, to make them, so the first thing

that I want to really clarify is

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that there are different types of

conferences and events, and this is

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going to change compensation structure.

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And this is really something that I want

you to understand and it's something that

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I want you to think about, like, what

are your goals off the back end of this?

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Because like I said in, in my

introduction, when you are really

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using speaking intentionally,

you're probably adding a hundred

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thousand dollars a year in revenue.

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When you're using, speaking

consistently and you can move those

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people from the the stage audience

into your community, there's a really

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good chance that you're going to be

able to generate revenue from that.

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That is where you're going

to make your money from the

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majority of speaking that you do.

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Because when you look at the different

types of conferences and events that there

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are, so there are independent versus the

corporate or association types of events.

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Where you have huge organizations that

are, that they're budgeting out of

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their revenue, they're budgeting to

host these events, and they are putting

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a huge dollar amount behind them.

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And like, it's a totally different

function than what someone who

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is like, I'm a, I'm essentially a

solopreneur running a very small,

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like a micro small business.

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Producing these events.

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We're not generating.

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Tens of millions of dollars per year.

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We're not generating hundreds

of millions of dollars per year

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like these corporations might be.

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So it's completely different in

the way that we are structuring

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things because events are.

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So freaking expensive to produce.

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Like I don't know any

other way of saying that.

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It is very expensive to rent rooms.

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It is very expensive to feed

people in these, in these rooms.

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If you are, if you're

planning to feed people.

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So like, for example, I just

engaged an event planner.

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One of my clients, Ryan, shout out Ryan.

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Um, and she's traditionally a

wedding planner, but I was like,

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she gets first right of refusal.

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Like if I'm gonna do, if I'm gonna

hire an event planner for this, like I.

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I, of course, I'm gonna ask Ryan first.

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So, um, one of the first things I

said to her was, number one, like,

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my only goal is like, God in heaven.

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Please do not let me lose money on this.

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Like, I am so concerned that I am going

to just eat it in terms of like, it's

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gonna wind up costing me so much money.

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I also, through the course of

this like joke that originally

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I was thinking I was gonna have.

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I was gonna host the event in Vegas.

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Like, I think that would be fun.

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And I was like, why would I do that?

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I've never even been to Vegas.

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Like, it's just the idea

of, I think it would be fun.

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I'm ultimately looking at Los

Angeles because that's, I love

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la I've been there a gazillion

times in the next couple of years.

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I would like to move there.

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So anyhow, the, the joke that I

made to her was, I was like, I'm not

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someone who likes to even gamble.

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Like, why would I want

to have it in Vegas?

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But the event, like the, this

event is my version of Vegas.

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Like, I'm someone that, I've been

in a casino and I've had people

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be like, just take $20, like,

let me give you $20 to gamble.

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And I've been like, no, no thanks.

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Like it does not appeal to me at

all to the idea of putting my money

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into something and not getting it

back is the most unattractive thing.

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Like, I won't even spend

someone else's money.

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I won't even gamble with

somebody else's money.

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And, which is really funny that I

ran an ads agency, but like I'm very

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confident in my abilities to run ads.

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It's really not gambling to

me, but this event is a gamble.

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Like this is my version of Vegas

because it is so likely that I

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could lose money and I'm just,

I'm putting a stake in the ground.

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It's not gonna happen.

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But events are so expensive.

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Also for reference, like if you want

to get, so I'm, I'm designing my event.

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In the way that I would want to attend.

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One that's, that's in general the

way I'm doing this for my first one.

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So like I want to have it in a hotel

rather than an offsite venue that

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people have to figure out, they have

to get an Uber or I have to arrange a

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shuttle or something like that, which

I would, if I were going to have an

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offsite venue, I would definitely

want to arrange a shuttle for people

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because that's what I would want.

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So.

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But like I would rather just be in

the hotel because I know that when I'm

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out someplace, I want to be able to

do whatever I'm doing in the morning.

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I wanna hang out with my dog.

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I wanna go swim.

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I like to swim in the mornings.

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And then I wanna just like go down the

elevator and be where I need to be.

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I don't wanna have to worry about

transportation and where am I going

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and what am I doing and what if

there's traffic and am I gonna get

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there on time and is it blah, blah?

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But all the things like that's not for me.

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I don't wanna do that.

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I wanna be in the place

where I need to be.

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So that's the way I'm designing my event.

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The other thing is I don't want to have

to worry about food during the day,

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so my plan is I want to feed people.

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Which is not like dinner

would be on, on their own.

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Like, I'll probably do something with a

VIP ticket that has like a VIP dinner,

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one of the nights dinner on, on your own.

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Like that's fine, that's in the evening.

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But in the, in the, ideally I would like

to offer breakfast and lunch to people.

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I dunno if I'm gonna be able to do

breakfast, but like the idea is to

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have some type of all day, um, like all

day food station, which is something

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that hotels o you typically offer.

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Think about how much you would spend

between breakfast and lunch if you

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were getting those things yourself.

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One hotel that I was specifically

looking at where their catering menu

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was like really, really transparent.

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And the very well laid out was it very

clearly said that if you want all day,

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like some type of all day dining, so your

participants are gonna get breakfast and.

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To have like a coffee station that's

refilled a couple times a day, and the

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water's refilled and the, the beverages

are refilled and there's like trail

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mix and you know, little snacky things

that are offered throughout the day.

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And then a lunch, some type

of like boxed lunches served.

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It's $150 per person per day.

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E exclusive of tax and service

fee, so $150 per day per person.

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Plus, I think because this was the

state of California, it was like 7.5%

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sales tax plus a 25% service fee.

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So 25% on top of that,

like, so an additional 32.5%

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on top of that, 30 plus percent

times one 50 is a lot of extra money.

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Like it is very, very expensive.

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So to make my point.

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If you are a large corporation or an

association, you're just budgeting this

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in as like a cost of doing business.

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When you are an independently organized

event, the participants have to pay this

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and or you have to find sponsors for

these types of things, which that's the

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idea is like you're gonna get sponsors.

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So that event tickets are not

a gazillion thousand dollars,

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but you know what I mean?

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Like this is why when you go to these

types of events, they're charging into

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the thousands of dollars because it's

so bloody expensive to produce them.

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That's just one consideration.

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Events are really a lot of,

lot, a lot of money to produce,

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even when you have sponsors.

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The organizers are barely

making money when you go into

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like corporate type events.

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You're losing money for sure.

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You're losing money.

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It's more for like company culture and

you're, you're, you're making money

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in the long run because when your

culture is better in a big corporation,

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you're um, you're more, you're less

likely to have like high turnover.

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So your retention is better and it's

turnover's really expensive to train

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someone, to hire a new person and then

train them to come once they come in.

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Is really expensive.

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So the lower your turnover is, the

more you're saving money like that.

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Those are the types of things

that they wind up making their

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money back on in the long run.

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An independent organizer is

like, let's just break even guys.

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We really just wanna break even.

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And I really think that this is something

that I want people to understand that this

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is why most independent event hosts, and

I will say that I am one of these, are not

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offering compensation to their speakers.

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Because it is brand building,

especially for an event like mine.

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It is brand building.

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It's brand building for me, and

it's brand building for you, and

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I'm not turning around and selling

something off the back end of this.

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If I were, first of all.

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It would not like I'm planning

on speaking at my event.

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I plan on doing the opening, I

plan on speaking at the closing.

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I plan on doing probably one, maybe two,

um, more of the educational style talks.

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But there are a lot of other

slots that are gonna get filled.

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And when I was looking at this, I was

like, I think I'm gonna wind up probably

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doing something like 30 or 40 speakers

if I wind up having the number of

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breakout rooms that I'm planning to have.

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That may or may not wind up

happening, but like it's gonna be

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a significant number of people.

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If I were doing something where

I was planning on launching a

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program off the back end of this,

it would be the Adrian show.

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It would not, it would

be predominantly me.

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And then I would probably bring my

clients on to speak and then I might

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hire and actually pay a like maybe

1, 2, 3 people in addition to that.

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It would be a lot of me.

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So I'm not doing that.

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There's a reason that a lot of independent

event hosts are not paying their speakers,

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and it's because you, as the person

who is coming on to speak, is assuming

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you understand what you're doing.

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You're going to make a lot of money

off the back end of this as a part of

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your larger marketing and visibility

ecosystem in the way that you are

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going to be able to generate clients.

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You know what I mean?

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And I personally plan on allowing.

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Speakers to sell from stage, like

not one big pitch athon, but at

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the end of your talk, you're gonna

be allowed to pitch something.

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And ideally that's gonna be something

free because I think you're gonna

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have a much better conversion to it.

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But like you're allowed

to pitch from stage.

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A lot of events are not allowing their

speakers to pitch from stage because.

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It's not like they're

being paid to be there.

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There's a trade off, right?

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So like I hope that this is

clarifying for you in terms of

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like, I know so many speakers who

are like, I'm not getting on stage.

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If you're not paying me, I'm not getting

on stage to speak, which I absolutely

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understand, and that's your prerogative,

but you're really limiting yourself.

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Like if you are someone who wants

to only go after paid and very

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well paid speaking opportunities.

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You either need to get very good and

develop a reputation around being a

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keynote speaker, which is my second point.

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We're gonna talk about the different

types of talks, so get like build

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a reputation around being a keynote

speaker and also predominantly target.

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Independent, uh, events that are not

independently organized, get good

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at going after other types of events

because most independent organizers are

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not paying except maybe for keynotes.

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So that takes me into my next point.

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The different types of talks.

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There are keynotes and then

there are things that we're gonna

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just classify as non keynotes.

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So there are workshops there are.

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Like I'm calling them for my conference.

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I'm calling them scaling sessions.

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So they could be more just like training

style talks, or they could be more

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workshop style talks, but they're, I'm

calling them scaling sessions and so they

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are designed to somehow enable growth.

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That's the idea behind them.

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There are also, you

know, there are panels.

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I'm gonna have panels at mine and

sometimes panel speakers can get paid.

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I am, for my first event, because

really like first time event hosts,

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especially independently organized

events, first time event hosts are like.

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Really throwing darts at the wall.

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That's really how I feel right now.

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I'm just throwing darts at a, I'm

not only just throwing darts at the

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wall, I'm throwing darts at the wall

completely blindfolded is how I feel

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like doing this for the first time.

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That's where I feel, where I'm like, I

know speaker selection, but the rest of

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this, like understanding selling tickets

and getting people to actually show up and

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getting people interested and, and, and,

and, and there are so many other unknowns.

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To me that I'm like, I feel like I'm

throwing darts at the wall, so at

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least for my first one, I don't plan

on paying panel speakers in the future.

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That might change.

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I also think I want to add as just

sort of a note here, if some, somewhere

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in all of this, I am like drastically

mistaken and my event winds up

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turning like a significant profit.

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I'm going to, the first thing I'm

going to do is turn around and

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offer stipends to my speakers.

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Like if I just miraculously wind up making

a whole bunch of money, I would absolutely

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turn around and be like, I think this

is fair, and I'm gonna give each one of

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my speakers a stipend after the fact.

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But I can't count on that,

and I'm not offering that.

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But like, if it, I don't, I don't

think that's what's gonna happen.

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I'm in fact, almost positive that's

not what's going to happen, at least

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not the first time, and especially

because the first time I don't plan on

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charging as much as I would eventually

charge for the event because there's

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no reputation behind this yet.

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You know what I mean?

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So like if I were to just be mistaken,

then I would turn around and offer,

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I would offer some compensation.

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I would also know for future what.

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I will know in the future, after

I do my first one, I will know

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what I can turn around and offer

to people or not offer to people.

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If it's gonna be no compensation

forever, I'm gonna know that

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after I do my first one.

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But anyhow, getting into the

different types of talks, so

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keynotes versus non keynotes.

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Some events have both, others don't.

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Mine is going to have, both keynotes

are far more likely to be paid.

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I do plan on paying keynote speakers

because I understand that keynote

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speaking is a very individualized

and very separate skill, and the big

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difference here, so like if you are

doing, if you're coming, if you're gonna.

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If you're going to apply to speak

at my event, either for one of the

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:

scaling sessions or to be on a panel

or both, you're, you can, you can apply

347

:

for all of the above if you want to.

348

:

but if you're applying

to be on a panel or.

349

:

In a, in a scaling session, I'm

assuming that your scaling session is

350

:

going to be something that you could

probably do in your sleep because

351

:

it's your expertise that you like.

352

:

This is what you teach on all the time.

353

:

It's what you offer to your clients.

354

:

And it's something that's

going to probably get you

355

:

clients off the back end of it.

356

:

With a panel, it's something that like

you don't have to prepare for at all.

357

:

All you have to do is turn up, sit

down in a chair and answer questions.

358

:

So there's, it's so low lift on your

end, whereas a keynote is something

359

:

that you have written out, practiced,

memorized rehearsed, probably worked

360

:

with speaking coaches on it has

probably been something that you've

361

:

developed over a number of years.

362

:

Like, and that's, you know, you

could say the same thing of, well, my

363

:

expertise is like for a scaling session.

364

:

That's similar in that way,

but it's, it's different.

365

:

Do developing keynotes is a

totally different ball game and.

366

:

There is probably a lot like, it's just,

it's different without getting into

367

:

like a ton of the nuance around it.

368

:

Typically with a keynote and also my

keynote speakers are not gonna be allowed

369

:

to pitch anything is in a keynote.

370

:

It is not designed to

get, get someone clients.

371

:

It's designed to somehow.

372

:

Shift perspectives of people.

373

:

And this is where, like where I

said my, my conference is gonna be

374

:

more educational than aspirational.

375

:

Keynotes are typically more aspirational.

376

:

They're typically about

unlocking possibility.

377

:

They're about unlocking some type of

vision, unlocking ideas, tapping into

378

:

something that's going to create some

type of momentum or change or, um, you

379

:

know, some type of enlightening situation.

380

:

It's different.

381

:

It's just different.

382

:

And so if you are someone who's

like, I wanna give a keynote.

383

:

It's, and I can say from what I'm

going to be looking for, there's a 0%

384

:

chance that I'm going to hire a keynote

speaker, especially because I plan on

385

:

paying my keynote speaker speakers.

386

:

And I'd also plan on paying a travel

stipend to my keynote speakers is

387

:

like there is a 0% chance that I'm

going to hire a keynote speaker

388

:

who does not have an established

speaker reel who does not have.

389

:

References that I can go and ask, like,

what was it like, were they engaging?

390

:

Where I can, like, I

want to see you speak.

391

:

If you don't have that, if you don't

already have an established speaker brand,

392

:

I'm not hiring you as a keynote speaker.

393

:

Like, I'm just gonna tell you that

straight off the bat because first

394

:

of all, I'm, I'm betting the only

budget that I have for speaker fees.

395

:

I'm putting it all into

that type of speaker.

396

:

That's part of it, but also because

it's like the highlight of the event.

397

:

It's designed to be like, this is the

big, this is the big thing of the event.

398

:

Like this is something that

everyone should be paying.

399

:

It's going to open the conference,

and it's going to close the conference

400

:

because it's intended to be part of

like a bigger part of the ceremonial,

401

:

you know, part of the process.

402

:

So like people, rem people tend

to remember the beginning and they

403

:

tend to remember the end of things.

404

:

So if people are gonna remember

the beginning of the conference

405

:

and the end of the conference.

406

:

Most vividly, like those keynote

speakers better be superb

407

:

because my brand reputation is

going to be built off of that.

408

:

You know what I mean?

409

:

On all of it.

410

:

Really like the overall event.

411

:

I want all of my speakers to be

phenomenal because it's going to be

412

:

like, I don't want anyone walking away

from this going like, while she really

413

:

picked really crappy speakers, but

especially at the beginning and the end.

414

:

So there's a 0% possibility that I'm

gonna hire people who don't have an

415

:

established speaker brand for my keynotes.

416

:

The rest of it is going to be, you know,

it's, there's diff, there's a difference.

417

:

The compensation is you are going to get

a free ticket to the event, and that's.

418

:

You know, I know some event hosts

that they require their speakers

419

:

to even purchase an event, which

is to me, like that's almost, I

420

:

think that gets in that border.

421

:

That's borderline insulting to me.

422

:

Like I completely understand.

423

:

I could, trust me, I get it.

424

:

I'm up here saying the same thing,

like I don't, I literally don't

425

:

have a budget to pay speakers.

426

:

I'm already.

427

:

Terrified that I'm going to create a

budget to pay keynote speakers, right?

428

:

Like, I get it, you don't have a budget

for this, but to on top of it, be

429

:

like, you're also gonna have to buy a

ticket is to me like that's egregious.

430

:

That's not, that's not okay.

431

:

Um, but some people do it because

you really, like, you're looking

432

:

at losing so much money, so.

433

:

But you know, you gotta pay your own way.

434

:

You gotta get there.

435

:

You're gonna get your, you're gonna

get a ticket to the event, but

436

:

you have to pay for your travel.

437

:

You've gotta put yourself in a hotel, and

I want you to turn up for the whole thing.

438

:

And this real, this is a good segue into.

439

:

The speaker selection process

and like having an understanding

440

:

of all of those things.

441

:

How are speakers selected?

442

:

And this like first and foremost, I

think it is very, very important and

443

:

every event host I think will feel

differently on this, but I think for the

444

:

vast majority of them are in agreement.

445

:

Like I've heard enough event hosts

speak on this specific thing that I

446

:

think we are mostly in lockstep on

this, in that I do not want you to speak

447

:

at my event if you are not interested

in actually paying to be there.

448

:

Now, I'm not gonna make you pay to be

there if you're a speaker, I'm not gonna

449

:

make you, I'm not gonna make you pay.

450

:

Pay to be there.

451

:

But I really don't want people to

speak at my event who are not already

452

:

like this event sounds phenomenal

and I really want to be in the room

453

:

whether I get chosen to speak or not.

454

:

Now I have no way of being like,

well, I didn't choose you to speak

455

:

and now I expect you to buy a ticket.

456

:

But like also at the same time, I'm

probably gonna pay attention to that

457

:

if you, you know, this is something

that I plan on doing year after year

458

:

if you apply to speak and apply to

speak and apply to speak and year

459

:

after year after year, but you never

turn up and show up at the event.

460

:

You are every year you are dwindling your

chance at actually getting chosen to speak

461

:

because I am far more interested in having

speakers who are bought in on the event.

462

:

That's not to say just because you turn up

and, and like actually come to the event,

463

:

you're gonna be more likely to get chosen.

464

:

But it's like there's a very fine line.

465

:

There's a lot of nuance around this.

466

:

Right.

467

:

And I think.

468

:

The more that you listen to event hosts

talk, the more you're going to hear

469

:

them say this because it is, I guarantee

you, it's not just me that's saying

470

:

this, like there's a different level

of passion that's going to come out of

471

:

someone from the, in the sense of like.

472

:

People who want to be there

versus people who don't.

473

:

I also am Requi, if you are chosen

to speak, you are required to

474

:

be present at the entire event

and to actually participate.

475

:

So like of course, I want

you to be someone who wants

476

:

to be there to begin with.

477

:

So that's part of it.

478

:

Right?

479

:

So getting into like the actual

speaker selection process.

480

:

If you can't articulate your passion,

not just for your topic, but also for my

481

:

event, you are at a huge disadvantage.

482

:

And like when my speaker selection

process goes live, which will be pretty

483

:

soon after this airs once it goes

live, like there's not gonna be a ton

484

:

of information to go on, I don't know,

between now and then I might like take,

485

:

take the notion to build out like the

actual event page that's possible.

486

:

I'm not 100% positive, but it's

possible that it could happen.

487

:

You might not, not have a ton to

go on, but like you have to be able

488

:

to articulate your passion for.

489

:

My mission, like what are

other things I'm doing?

490

:

Why do you like, take a look at my larger

brand, other things that I'm doing?

491

:

What are things that stand out to you?

492

:

Why are you excited to be a part of that?

493

:

Why are you excited to get behind that?

494

:

And this is not just me guys.

495

:

If you want to speak at any

other event, I guarantee you that

496

:

going and doing that research.

497

:

Looking at what are they

saying about their event?

498

:

What are they?

499

:

What is their About me page

say about their mission,

500

:

their values, their passions?

501

:

What are their offers?

502

:

What are the way that they're

articulating their ideas, their

503

:

opinions, what they stand for?

504

:

If you can't echo those things in a

passionate, driven way, you are putting

505

:

yourself at a huge disadvantage like that.

506

:

I think in a nutshell.

507

:

Is, if I were to end this, if that

would've been the only thing I

508

:

would've said in this entire thing,

like that's the thesis statement.

509

:

You have to be able to do that because

no one wants someone to come and speak

510

:

at their event who isn't actually

interested and excited to be there.

511

:

And I think this is true of the best.

512

:

Keynote speakers who are getting

paid the big bucks to speak,

513

:

like I've listened to so many.

514

:

It's all, basically all the podcast

episodes that I've listened to

515

:

recently are on the topics of like

events and speaking through events.

516

:

And I will also say I just bought a ticket

for the Creative Educator Conference,

517

:

the host of that, her name is Laylee.

518

:

She has her own podcast, and what

inspired this episode was an episode

519

:

that she recorded with someone

else who is also an event host.

520

:

They're both event hosts.

521

:

And they recorded an episode that was,

that's similar to this, and it inspired

522

:

me to, I was like, I want to go and

produce one of these episodes myself

523

:

so that I can speak through my ideas.

524

:

But a lot of what I'm saying,

like a lot of what I'm saying

525

:

is echoing what she said.

526

:

A lot of what I'm saying is echoing what

literally every other event host has said.

527

:

We're all saying the same things, and.

528

:

You know, it's just, it is wildly

beneficial for, oh, where I was

529

:

going with that was the, the

thing around like speakers who are

530

:

getting paid big bucks to speak.

531

:

I listened to this one, one talk recently

that was with someone who's getting paid.

532

:

Oh man.

533

:

Something like.

534

:

I think between 50 and $80,000

per keynote that she delivers.

535

:

Like let that sink in for a second.

536

:

And she was, she talked through her

reasoning for why she was doing that.

537

:

And one of the things she was saying is

she was like, I take it very seriously

538

:

that I'm getting paid this much.

539

:

That like I want to do the

best job for that event host.

540

:

I want to intimately get to

understand their business and

541

:

their goals and what they're trying

to drive through their culture.

542

:

And like I have my set keynote,

but I want to make sure that it

543

:

has an interesting spin so that it.

544

:

Is a little bit developed around

like what their mission is and

545

:

make it relevant for their people.

546

:

And like my goal is for people to

walk away and say like, that was the

547

:

absolute best talk I've ever been to.

548

:

Like that's the best speaker

I've ever seen on stage.

549

:

And when that is what you're showing

up, when you are showing up with

550

:

that energy, like that's the goal.

551

:

That's the type of of speaker that.

552

:

That event hosts want to hire and

will, will wind up hiring again.

553

:

People who are not like,

what's in it for me?

554

:

But I genuinely want to show

up and offer the most valuable

555

:

humanly possible for your people.

556

:

Because I don't take for granted that

I'm here and I'm one of probably a

557

:

gazillion people who applied to be, who

wanted to be a part of this you chose me.

558

:

I'm absolutely going to choose

people who feel like they have

559

:

a passion for what I'm doing.

560

:

And definitely like there is 0% chance

that I'm going to hire someone who

561

:

do, who doesn't demonstrate that they

have an understanding of what I'm

562

:

trying to accomplish with this event.

563

:

You know what I mean?

564

:

You can have all the expertise

and experience in the world.

565

:

If you don't, if you don't have

the ability to articulate your

566

:

understanding of what I'm trying to

do, it's gonna make it very, very

567

:

difficult for me to say yes to you.

568

:

Um, I would also say please

offer multiple ideas.

569

:

Like, this is something that I've

really found to be important as my

570

:

experience in hosting a podcast.

571

:

Like, please come to

me with multiple ideas.

572

:

When you are only offering

one idea, it makes it a lot

573

:

harder to say yes because if.

574

:

If there are three different people who

all offer the same idea and each one of

575

:

them only offer that one idea, there is no

way that I'm gonna say yes to all of them.

576

:

So like, you are naturally

excluding yourself, whereas if

577

:

you offer multiple ideas, like I

would say three is a good number.

578

:

If you can come up with three different

topics and three different, you know,

579

:

like I'm asking for, I don't have this

information in front of me, but like I'm

580

:

asking for like, what's the general topic?

581

:

What are the pro, what are the, what's the

description of this, and then what would

582

:

your primary learning outcomes be like?

583

:

If you can offer three different

sets of those things, that's where

584

:

you are far more likely to be

considered because you'll have much

585

:

more ability for me to be able to say

yes to you because you've offered.

586

:

A, a range of ideas, you know what I mean?

587

:

So offer a lot of ideas

if at all possible.

588

:

Um, and then beyond that, be

the easiest to work with ever.

589

:

This, I will say, from like running a

theater for a really long time, running

590

:

a playwriting competition for a really

long time, from being someone who

591

:

has worked in events for a long time.

592

:

No one wants to work

with difficult people.

593

:

I would rather work with someone

who's maybe slightly less polished,

594

:

but is just a delight to work with.

595

:

An absolute pleasure to work with.

596

:

And that is absolute, like if you are

difficult to work with, if you don't

597

:

meet deadlines, if you are, um, terse

in the way that you communicate, if

598

:

you are, like, if you, it's one thing,

like if I'm not upholding my end of

599

:

the bargain, and if any event host

is not upholding their end of the

600

:

bargain, it is absolutely within your

right to uphold boundaries and to.

601

:

You know, if it goes on, if you,

if you reach out and you articulate

602

:

like, this is something that I need,

and it doesn't get addressed and it

603

:

doesn't get addressed, again, you are

absolutely within your right to like,

604

:

to get terse and to, you know, maybe

share some things that are a bit more.

605

:

Blunt and, and maybe less friendly,

but so like it goes both ways.

606

:

Right?

607

:

You know, like I would argue that

if you have an event host like

608

:

that, you're never gonna go back

and speak for them ever again.

609

:

But it goes both ways, right?

610

:

Like, I understand that as an

event host, I have responsibilities

611

:

to you as a speaker.

612

:

I, you know, I want to make sure that

you are going to get phenomenal brand

613

:

assets out of this, that you are going

to get phenomenal photos for your brand.

614

:

I want to make sure that you're

gonna get phenomenal videography

615

:

for your speaker reel for like

your overall visibility ecosystem.

616

:

I want to make sure that the experience

is so easy for you that you are not having

617

:

to guess about anything like it's what

the very first thing I did, I got an

618

:

event planner because I want everything

to be smooth as butter because I have a

619

:

theater background, guys, like I, I am

so keyed into how events are supposed

620

:

to get run and what a production looks

like, and I want things to run on time.

621

:

I like, I want it to be the

best experience for every

622

:

single person involved.

623

:

From the attendees, to the speakers,

to the vendors, to the sponsors.

624

:

To the, to the hotel staff, like

all the way across the board.

625

:

I want everyone to be like, dang,

that was organized, that was so good.

626

:

On the flip side of that, my

expectation is that, you know,

627

:

everyone is, everyone's having fun.

628

:

Everyone is a pleasure

to have to have around.

629

:

I really only want people who are fun

and joyful and easy to be around to

630

:

turn up, but speakers, especially as

like we have a larger relationship.

631

:

Like, please be easy to work with.

632

:

Please be a delight.

633

:

Please get things to be on time.

634

:

Please have, have good follow up.

635

:

Please be good with communication.

636

:

Like.

637

:

End of the line.

638

:

And if you are not those things,

please expect that you're not

639

:

ever gonna get invited back.

640

:

And that's just sort of

the way that it goes.

641

:

And I understand that we all have things

in life and of course there's, when

642

:

you are communicative on, you know,

this crazy thing has happened, or that

643

:

crazy thing has happened and I'm really

sorry and whatever, of course I'm a

644

:

human and I understand that you're

human and all the things like, it's

645

:

not like I would discredit you and

blacklist you forever because you have.

646

:

You know, big things happening in your

life that are out of your control and

647

:

all, all of that, you know, like I'm a,

I'm a person too, but be easy to work

648

:

with is the thesis statement there.

649

:

Um, also make yourself present,

like if you want to get chosen to

650

:

speak, even if you are not chosen.

651

:

I think that there is a lot of benefit

in making yourself present to that event.

652

:

Host making yourself useful,

be helpful, promote the event.

653

:

Maybe cheerlead the event.

654

:

And I'm not just saying this because

it's me and like I have an event

655

:

and I want people to take time out

of their day and go out of their

656

:

way to do something helpful for me.

657

:

But like.

658

:

I know that where I'm at right

now, my event is an unknown.

659

:

It has no reputation, but I fully

intend on it becoming something that

660

:

has a stellar reputation that one day

in the future, maybe five years down

661

:

the road, seven years down the road

for sure, 10 years down the road,

662

:

assuming that 10 years down the road

I'm still doing this and all that.

663

:

I, I, I think I will, I plan on,

I think I plan on still doing

664

:

this 10 years down the road.

665

:

I plan on it being something that's like

the hottest ticket in town that everyone,

666

:

that people are like banging down my doors

to speak at and to be able to attend.

667

:

five or 10 years down the road, if

creating Cultivate Ted and South

668

:

by Southwest had a love child, that

would be the sort of thing that

669

:

I'm, would go in the direction of.

670

:

Like, that's what I wanna create.

671

:

And something like South by

Southwest, something like create

672

:

and cultivate something like it.

673

:

Ted people are like, please let me speak.

674

:

Right?

675

:

People go after those speaking spots

like there are thousands and thousands

676

:

of people who apply to speak at South by

Southwest, and they can only cho choose

677

:

like a tiny, tiny handful of those people.

678

:

So assuming that I do build a brand

reputation like that and a, a reputation

679

:

for this event like that, like, yeah.

680

:

It, there's gonna be something

too, remembering the people who

681

:

make themselves known in some way.

682

:

And that's not to say like, you have to

go outta your way to promote my event.

683

:

That is absolutely not to say that

you have to like show up and do things

684

:

that you're not comfortable with.

685

:

Not at all.

686

:

That is not, that's in fact

not what I want you to do.

687

:

I don't want that for you, but like it's

going to be a lot easier in the long run

688

:

for me to eventually say yes to people

once there is momentum behind this for

689

:

the people who stand out in my mind.

690

:

Oh, I remember.

691

:

So, oh, I remember Jane.

692

:

Oh, I remember Kathy.

693

:

Oh, I remember Jamie.

694

:

Like, I remember these people

and they, you know, they've

695

:

been, they've been around.

696

:

I really like them.

697

:

This is, I know they're doing super cool

things, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

698

:

So I think that that's also not just

me, that's true of a lot of event hosts.

699

:

So.

700

:

I hope that that is

insightful in some way.

701

:

I hope it gives you an idea of like, why

if you go on my, you know, my speaker

702

:

application or my speaker page, and you

see like there's no compensation for this.

703

:

Like if you're, if you're, you know,

oh, that Adrian, like, she's terrible.

704

:

She doesn't.

705

:

Value her.

706

:

It's not that at all.

707

:

Like I hope that this gives you

some semblance of, I do want

708

:

you to make money from this.

709

:

Um, but like it's very expensive and there

are a lot of other things that go into

710

:

this and, and, and, and, and I hope this

has helped to articulate some of that.

711

:

And I hope that it's helped to,

um, shed some light on why event

712

:

hosts are maybe doing some of

the things that they are doing.

713

:

If you have any questions,

feel free to reach out.

714

:

You can use the voice note tool that I

have that's linked in the show notes.

715

:

If you wanna ask other questions, if you

have a strategic question that you want

716

:

me to answer on the show, I'd be happy to.

717

:

And so with that, I look forward

to reading your application.

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