Speaking Business Models: Pay-to-Play, Keynotes, Visibility, Competitions, Corporate Training, and Hosting Events, oh my!

The episode of Mic Drop Mindset breaks down major speaking business models and how to choose a fit. Jenn Espinosa-Goswami reflects on early, unprofitable experiences relying on Facebook groups and virtual summits, then explains 6 different speaking business models to consider on your speaking journey. These 6 business models are

1) pay-to-play/sponsored stages

2) the paid keynote/enterprise model

3) visibility or “free dinner” speaking

4) speaker competitions for “vicarious authority”

5) corporate training

6) promoter speaking (with a cautionary disclaimer about those who may promise more than they can deliver)

Would you like my support with finding speaking opportunities for paid, visibility or corporate training? Join my masterclass on July 21 on Finding & Booking Speaking Engagements. This includes a deep dive using resources on where to start and who to connect with. These aren't your typical "free dinner" speaking!

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/finding-and-booking-paid-speaking-engagements-tickets-1991070988926

00:00 Speaking Models Overview

00:33 Early Speaking Lessons

01:30 Pay To Play Stages

05:00 Keynote Enterprise Model

07:37 Visibility Free Dinner

09:21 Speaker Competitions

11:43 Corporate Training Path

14:13 Host Your Own Events

15:55 Recap And Final Advice

Have a question or suggestion for a future episode topic? Email me jenn@jennspingo.com.

Ready to deliver mic drop moments in your next presentation? Schedule a call to learn more about coaching www.calendly.com/jennchat

Looking to book a speaker for your corporate or association event on topics including leadership and communication? View my programs at www.jennspingo.com

Worst Public Speaking Advice Ever (And What to Do Instead)

The episode reviews the worst public speaking advice that Jenn has heard and offers alternatives: don’t wait to perfect a fully written, filmed speech before seeking gigs because events book 6–8 months out and perfectionism can stall opportunities; avoid opening with a joke or forced audience-energy questions like “How are you today?”; reject the idea that anyone is simply a “natural,” since strong speakers practice and can appear natural through preparation; “speak from the heart” shouldn’t mean being unprepared, overly dramatic, or oversharing private details; two unusual tips are discussed—eating salty potato chips to calm nerves (shared as an industry myth and used with caution) and squeezing butt cheeks as a grounding/tension-release idea; and instead of only listening to your videos for feedback, review visuals without audio, then audio without visuals to improve both.

Thanks to Eva Rose Daniel for inspiring tip #6.

Resources mentioned: Episode 4 on Speechcraft https://www.buzzsprout.com/2593278/episodes/18781840

00:00 Worst Advice Intro

00:23 Perfection Before Gigs

01:38 Skip Jokes Opener

03:19 Nobody Is Natural

04:51 Speak From Heart Myth

06:40 Potato Chips Nerves

07:56 Squeeze Butt Cheeks

09:16 Better Video Feedback

10:35 Wrap Up And Next

Have a question or suggestion for a future episode topic? Email me jenn@jennspingo.com.

Ready to deliver mic drop moments in your next presentation? Schedule a call to learn more about coaching www.calendly.com/jennchat

Looking to book a speaker for your corporate or association event on topics including leadership and communication? View my programs at www.jennspingo.com

How to Answer “What’s Your Speaking Fee?” and Get Paid What You’re Worth

The episode explains how speakers can confidently answer “What’s your speaking fee?” and avoid blurting out an unaligned number by using three approaches: replacement cost, honorarium/starter fee, and the “budge or barter” method to avoid.

For replacement cost, speakers (especially coaches/consultants) can base fees on their hourly rate plus preparation, pre-event calls, and post-event follow-up, emphasizing they’re paid for delivering a problem-solving program, not just a 60-minute talk.

For honorariums, speakers can ask early if there’s a budget, then negotiate other compensation like travel, books, video footage, attendee lists, sponsorship/table space, promotion, or discounted tickets, and invoice the full fee with discounts.

The script shares typical fee ranges (emerging $0–$3,000; experienced/industry $3,000–$7,000; professional/celebrity $7,000–$100,000), suggests stating ranges, discusses whether to list fees on a website, and underscores saying no when it isn’t worth it.

00:00 The Speaking Fee Question

00:56 Avoiding the Bread Game

01:48 Replacement Cost Method

03:52 Prep Time and Add Ons

07:00 Lead with Value

07:37 Honorarium and Low Budget Gigs

09:09 Negotiating Non Cash Perks

11:06 Sponsorship and Tabling Example

14:02 Budge or Barter Pitfalls

15:25 Typical Fee Ranges

17:34 Using Ranges and Calculators

19:21 Posting Fees and Wrap Up

20:34 Final Thanks and Call to Action

Have a question or suggestion for a future episode topic? Email me jenn@jennspingo.com.

Ready to deliver mic drop moments in your next presentation? Schedule a call to learn more about coaching www.calendly.com/jennchat

Looking to book a speaker for your corporate or association event on topics including leadership and communication? View my programs at www.jennspingo.com

How to Know You’re Speaker Bureau Ready: Fees, Materials, Reputation, and Consistency

The episode explains why speakers shouldn’t approach a speakers bureau until they’re “bureau ready,” noting bureaus typically want speakers already booking plenty of work and consistently earning about $7,500–$12,500 per talk, and that some speakers sign with bureaus yet book nothing.

Jenn outlines key readiness factors: professional speaker materials (a speaker kit/portfolio with a clear signature talk, audience takeaways, bios, professional headshots, testimonials, and both editable drafts and polished PDFs so bureaus can add logos), reputation (responsiveness, warm referrals, industry relationships, and a strong online presence), and consistency (fee integrity, consistent branding, visible event activity, and audience fit).

She also discusses tradeoffs of bureaus—25% commission, expectation to say yes, and benefits like negotiation, logistics, and access to ongoing event-planner relationships.

00:00 Bureau Ready Warning

00:22 Why Bureaus Say No

02:49 Who Bureaus Want

03:21 Build Your Speaker Kit

04:50 Professional Assets Checklist

05:28 Public And Private Versions

07:24 Reputation Matters Most

10:19 Boost Your Visibility

11:56 Consistency And Fee Integrity

13:54 Lifestyle Fit Reality Check

15:22 What Bureaus Actually Do

18:10 Wrap Up And Next Steps

Have a question or suggestion for a future episode topic? Email me jenn@jennspingo.com.

Ready to deliver mic drop moments in your next presentation? Schedule a call to learn more about coaching www.calendly.com/jennchat

Looking to book a speaker for your corporate or association event on topics including leadership and communication? View my programs at www.jennspingo.com

Find Your Authentic Speaking Style: From Formal to Facilitator

This episode explores how a speaker’s authenticity is connected to their unique speaking style and how to identify it. It suggests starting with outward cues like stage wardrobe (formal vs. informal) and aligning dress with language and delivery to avoid disconnects.

Jenn outlines four core speaker personas—informative (data-driven), narrative (storytelling/performance techniques), entertainer (physicality, props, magic), and facilitator (co-creating interactive experiences)—and notes people may blend elements of each.

Jenn also discusses vocal and cultural nuances, especially among women and women of color, including musical cadence influenced by traditions such as church and ministry, along with techniques like vocal fry, upspeak, pitch, and the importance of clear enunciation. She encourages recording and listening to audio to self-assess cadence, pacing, pauses, emphasis, and content balance, then leaning into natural style while practicing new techniques.

Get the free guide to evaluating your presentation skills: www.jennspingo.com/free-guide

Video on vocal techniques unique to women: https://youtu.be/ueVYU6jZ8-Q?si=hDQMOOY5u0IHYOgQ

00:00 Speaking Style and Authenticity

00:45 Dress Sets the Tone

01:54 Informal vs Formal Vibes

04:52 Stage Personas Explained

05:20 Informative and Narrative Types

06:59 Entertainers and Facilitators

09:25 Cultural Cadence and Musicality

10:51 Vocal Habits to Watch

12:13 Enunciation and Self Review

13:40 Key Takeaways and Next Steps

Have a question or suggestion for a future episode topic? Email me jenn@jennspingo.com.

Ready to deliver mic drop moments in your next presentation? Schedule a call to learn more about coaching www.calendly.com/jennchat

Looking to book a speaker for your corporate or association event on topics including leadership and communication? View my programs at www.jennspingo.com

How to Get Useful Speaking Feedback: From Worst to Best Sources

Jenn explains why speakers should actively solicit feedback to iterate on their talks, improve performance, and earn rebookings and referrals. She contrasts helpful feedback with a negative experience watching a competitor’s webinar where a volunteer speaker was repeatedly interrupted and bluntly criticized in front of hundreds, advocating instead for supportive, end-of-presentation feedback like Toastmasters and her Mic Drop Moments process.

She recommends using Talkadot to collect immediate audience “smile report” data, quotes, and social graphics, and then ranks feedback sources from worst to best: self-review (often overly critical), staff (too supportive), family and friends (inconsistent and not specific), AI tools (useful analytics but limited on connection), other speakers (valuable if guided with specific questions), audience members and event organizers (more candid survey data), and finally speaker coaches for objective, encouraging, mindset-and-mechanics support. She previews next week’s topic on speaking fees.

Resources mentioned:

Talkadot https://www.talkadot.com/s/jennespinosa-goswami/share

Mic Drop Moments (for 2 levels of feedback) www.calendly.com/jennchat

Evaluate your own presentation with this free guide: www.jennspingo.com/free-guide

00:00 Why Feedback Matters

01:28 A Webinar Feedback Horror Story

04:23 Better Ways to Give Feedback

06:06 Fast Audience Surveys with Talkadot

07:20 Ranking Feedback Sources

07:34 Worst to Mid Feedback Options

12:21 Speakers and Audience Insights

14:41 Event Organizer Reports

15:36 Why a Speaker Coach Helps Most

17:49 Recap and Next Steps

Have a question or suggestion for a future episode topic? Email me jenn@jennspingo.com.

Ready to deliver mic drop moments in your next presentation? Schedule a call to learn more about coaching www.calendly.com/jennchat

Looking to book a speaker for your corporate or association event on topics including leadership and communication? View my programs at www.jennspingo.com

How to Write an Expert Speaker Biography (Without Imposter Syndrome)

Jenn explains how to develop an expert speaker biography by first giving yourself permission to be an expert, even if you work adjacent to a credentialed industry and feel imposter syndrome.

She recommends reviewing and editing existing bios (website About Me page or social profiles) to ensure they clearly state who you are, what you do, who you help, and how you help, while removing unnecessary length and clutter.

She discusses balancing education, certifications, and training with experience and personal connection to the topic, noting you don’t owe audiences anything you’re not ready to share.

She advises adding one human “factoid” to make the bio personable, creating both long and short versions (ideally 150 words or less), and keeping biographies consistent across platforms to avoid confusion and improve hireability.

00:00 Expert Enough Mindset

02:05 Adjacent Industry Imposter Syndrome

03:16 Two Bio Types Explained

03:54 Edit Your Long Bio

05:07 Education Versus Experience

08:28 Share Only What Serves

09:26 Add Human Factoid

11:25 Short Bio Speaker Kit

13:05 Consistency Across Platforms

13:53 Closing And Next Steps

Have a question or suggestion for a future episode topic? Email me jenn@jennspingo.com.

Ready to deliver mic drop moments in your next presentation? Schedule a call to learn more about coaching www.calendly.com/jennchat

Looking to book a speaker for your corporate or association event on topics including leadership and communication? View my programs at www.jennspingo.com

Finding a Call to Action That Feels Authentic for Keynote Speakers

On Mic Drop Mindset, Jenn coaches keynote speaker and bestselling author Steve Fredlund, a former actuary, on how to include a call to action without feeling like he’s “selling from the stage” or shifting the spotlight onto himself.

Steve shares discomfort with QR codes, newsletters, and book pitches, partly driven by sensitivity to seeming arrogant or manipulative, and he wants audiences primarily to apply what they learned.

Jenn helps him explore what he wants people to do, why a call to action matters, and the difference between success (getting booked) and validation (spinoff business and deeper impact).

As they discuss options, Steve becomes most energized by hosting retreats as a congruent next step, and he commits to reflecting on that and not adding new offers unless he feels genuinely good about them.

About Steve:

Steve Fredlund is an award-winning keynote speaker, two-time TEDx presenter, and bestselling author of Do the Unright Thing. After more than 30 years as an actuary, executive, entrepreneur, and nonprofit founder, including leading humanitarian efforts in East Africa, Steve gained a unique perspective on leadership in uncertain conditions.

Today, Steve helps leaders keep moving forward through change and uncertainty. Through engaging stories, humor, and practical tools drawn from African safaris, leadership research, and high-pressure decision environments, he equips audiences to build engagement, make confident decisions with limited information, and lead effectively when the path isn’t clear.

Visit his website at https://stevefredlund.com/

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

00:39 The CTA Struggle on Stage

02:45 Why Selling Feels Icky

04:06 Defining the Real Outcome

05:26 Calls to Action and Conviction

06:31 Are the Resources Compelling

07:55 Audience Impact and Feedback

10:01 Validation Versus Success

11:19 Brainstorming the Next Step

12:02 Call To Action Gap

12:47 Retreats Spark Excitement

14:02 Fears And Pricing Doubts

15:37 Reframing The CTA

17:07 Inviting On Stage

19:31 Chasing Inner Knowing

20:17 Action Steps And Boundaries

22:35 Closing Reflections

Have a question or suggestion for a future episode topic? Email me jenn@jennspingo.com.

Ready to deliver mic drop moments in your next presentation? Schedule a call to learn more about coaching www.calendly.com/jennchat

Looking to book a speaker for your corporate or association event on topics including leadership and communication? View my programs at www.jennspingo.com