Stop Looking for a Speakers Bureau. Do This Instead...👇🏾

The only way to speak is to tell people that you speak...

Welcome to the 243 folks who have joined the MYM Familia. 👊🏾🎉👊🏾

One quick thing before we get started this week.

We’d love to learn more about you.👇

Ok, let’s get to it. 👊🏾

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I probably annoyed the hell out of some people in 2015.

After doing a few free talks, I caught the speaking bug.

Within 46 seconds of meeting someone, I would release a long exhale, puff out my chest and whisper: “Yep…I’m a keynote speaker.”

Was I?

Was I really a keynote speaker?

Yes, damnit, I was. 💪

Why?

Because I said so.

How many times have you met someone and they told you they were a keynote speaker?

It doesn’t happen that often, right?

Which is exactly why you should must proclaim these five words to anybody you know: I am a keynote speaker.

And you know what? You’re going to stand out.

People will remember you over every accountant (no shade) and consultant (with all due respect 😂) they meet.

Now, I’m going to be honest and tell you the hard part:

You gotta tell people that you speak before you ever take the main stage.

Harassing people with this one line: “I am a keynote speaker” landed me in….

Schools

They’re more excited than they look. 😂

CrossFit competitions

I definitely wasn’t competin’…I was just talking about competin’. 💀

And prisons…

None of these gigs were paid.

At most, I was reimbursed for mileage and offered a free meal.

But you know what, I got invaluable reps in front of a wide range of audiences.

Those early free gigs solidified set me for long-term success.

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THE MIC DROP 🎤

1. Reinvention Begins with Belief & Brainwashing 🧼🧠

This is secret footage of my brain’s reaction when I started telling people that I was a keynoter:

And every time self-doubt would creep into my membrane, I’d hear the words of Rev. Kirt Roberts:

Whew! Was that man right?!?

From the University of Texas to the U.S. Senate to Harvard to the National Football League…

I spent a lot of time in rooms with average people.

Sure, a few of them were off-the-charts in some category (usually test-taking 😉), but most of them were just plain ole average.

And you know what, here’s a secret: Most speakers are average (at best).

They find a niche build relationships and get paid because they provide predictable value.

Don’t disqualify yourself.

2. Reps Beget Reps Beget Reps…

One of the people in the audience at the CrossFit event invited me to speak to her marketing firm.

They paid me $250.

Show up. Deliver. Delight.

And more invitations will follow.

3. You Do Not Need a Speakers Bureau

Washington Speakers Bureau’s roster

Here’s my last point…

When I first started speaking, my high-brow friends would tell me, “Oh, you need a speakers bureau. That’s how you really take off! 🚀😃”

Guess what? They were wrong.

Bureaus typically have a large roster of clients.

If you’re just starting this journey, a bureau is not going to significantly move the needle in your business.

I’m listed with five different bureaus and they account for 9.3 percent of my talks each year.

You know how I get the other 90.7 percent?

I keep telling people:

That’s all for this week, MYM Familia.

If you liked this week’s newsletter, be sure to like, share, comment and do all of the things that lovers do when they love something. 🥰

Take the Stage.

Get Paid.

Buy Your Freedom.

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