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If you read Part 1 of this article, we examined three reasons why speaker bureaus might not live up to their hype. Now, let’s look at some action steps you can use to take control of your speaking biz… starting with your mindset.

Speakers bureaus aren’t all they’re cracked up to be…  

Sure, they can offer some opportunities, but the best speakers know they need to take control of their business if they want a sustainable career.  

So, that’s my challenge for you today…  

It’s time to take your “business bull” by the horns, seize the reins of destiny, and reshape your mindset when it comes to building long term success.

Are you with me?!

:: Pause for your whooping and hollering :: 

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All of this starts when you embrace three mindset shifts centered around self-empowerment, authenticity / connection, and personal fulfillment.

That might feel like a lot of fluffy words to pack into one sentence, so let’s break this down into concrete action steps you can take starting today.

The Self Empowerment Mindshift

Self empowerment is all about taking control of your own speaking career – without relying on a speakers bureau to provide direction.  To help you overcome this desire for validation and gigs served up on a silver platter, take some time to create a list of your potential speaking opportunities.

Then, start reaching out to your event organizers, association contacts, and c-level executives to establish or strengthen those relationships.

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Action Item #1: Make a list of potential gigs and start reaching out to build your relationships with event organizers.

Your next avenue to self empowerment comes from building confidence and autonomy within your business.  If you’re having trouble finding first gigs, look for a way to push past this challenge in a creative way.

For instance, a good friend of mine named Andy Crestodina was excited about speaking and was looking for his first gigs.  But that didn’t stop him from creating his own event where he could start to share his ideas.

His "event" came in the form of a weekly webinar for his clients and customers where he honed his ideas and practiced his speaking skills.  These weekly sessions led to many inquiries for him to speak, very quickly.

Wine & Web - Web Marketing Events | Orbit Media
Orbit’s Wine and Web event is a casual and collaborative environment where we teach the latest trends in web marketing.
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BTW, Andy Crestodina still does a monthly free event. See... it's called Wine & Web.

Before too long, Andy was on his way to an extremely successful speaking career that is going strong today.

So, if you’re having trouble finding gigs, don’t be afraid to create your own event.  It gives you an opportunity to rehearse your content and interact with the audience in a low-stakes environment.  Use the feedback to improve your speech over time.

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