The Speaker Lab Podcast

“Everything [The Speaker Lab] does is very intentional drive, step driven, process driven, and it can fit whatever time that you can give it…So time is less relevant. Consistency is more relevant.”

Welcome back to The Speaker Lab podcast! In this episode, we’re diving deep into the realities of building a thriving speaking business while balancing a busy professional life. Our host, Erick Rheam, brings on Dr. Yvette E. Pear...

“I’ve been a caterpillar. You know, what do caterpillars do? They collect, they eat, they stock up, they build up until they get a calling that says build yourself a chrysalis. And that [chrysalis], for me, was leaving public service.”

Welcome back to The Speaker Lab podcast! Today’s episode features Marcy Grossman, whose career path took her from criminal psychologist, working in federal prisons, to Canadian ambassador in ...

“Within an in demand topic, how are you going to differentiate? There are only X number of categories of movies out there, right? And so it’s not like you’re suddenly going to invent a new category of movie, but you do want, within that well trenched category, to be distinct.”

Welcome back to The Speaker Lab podcast! In today’s episode, host Grant Baldwin is joined once again by youth speaker and entrepreneur, Josh Shipp, f...

“Once you have your go-to framework, your go-to model, and then as you innovate, few come up with new ideas, and instead of just doing away with the old one, it becomes a tool in your pocket. And you can keep building that toolbox as you go.”

This week, host Grant Baldwin reconnects with his good friend, renowned speaker, author, and content strategist Melanie Deziel. If you've ever struggled to organize your ideas, wanted ...

“I started pursuing meaning instead of money. And I made way more money focusing on meaning and not thinking about money as much as I did when I was laser focused on making more money but living a life that was absent of meaning.”

Welcome back to The Speaker Lab podcast! In today’s episode, host Grant Baldwin sits down with Harris III, an award-winning illusionist, speaker, author, and entrepreneur known for his unique blen...

"All those little intangibles that are so nuanced, the great storytellers can put themselves physically and emotionally back in the story and bring you with them, and then somehow bring it back to you.” 

If you’ve ever felt like your life isn’t interesting enough for the stage, Katie Quesada is here to change your mind. On this episode of The Speaker Lab, Katie and Grant Baldwin unpack what really makes stories memorab...

“When downselling, it’s really good to say, ‘Who is above me, and who is below me?’ And then also find out, looking laterally, who do you compete against? Who is within a similar fee range?...Who can I refer that might fit along that axis.”

In this episode, Grant Baldwin teams up with industry insider Brian Lord of Premier Speakers Bureau for a conversation about what it takes to succeed as a speaker. Brian’s insight is sim...

“You have to make sure you don’t lose the vision of what you started, because the team could begin and can take on a personality of its own. And if you don’t manage it, you can get off the vision of what brought you here.”

What does it really take to build a thriving speaking business? In this week’s thought-provoking episode, Grant Baldwin sits down with Erick Rheam to explore the practical strategies and mindset shifts ne...

“My job is to make [event planners] look like a rock star when I get off stage…I stand beside them so I can also have them hear the lovely things people are saying in line when people want to hug you and take their photo with you. And so what they need to see is [that I] was a good investment.”

In this episode, Grant Baldwin connects with Neen James for an honest, energetic conversation on what it truly means to make an imp...

“[I’m trying] to use stories so the audience can find themselves in the story as it relates to their life, but then extract the lessons learned, the principles to help, to overcome, to move through the process that’s executed, to use adversity as fuel for purpose.”

This week, Grant Baldwin sits down with Lance Cibik, peeling back the curtain on what it really takes to build momentum and establish yourself in the world of pu...

“The whole purpose of the Speaker Lab is we’re here to help speakers, to give them confidence, to get them out there and to translate their experiences, their stories into something that they can take out and get booked and paid to speak.”

Building a thriving speaking business comes down to strategy, momentum, and the discipline to keep moving forward. In this episode of The Speaker Lab, Erick Rheam coaches Marcy Grossman a...

“I have a friend who used to call it putting the cookies on a lower shelf. And you want to say to the audience things that they can absolutely understand and they can take action on and that are not confusing.”

What really sets the best speakers apart? This week on The Speaker Lab, host Grant Baldwin chats with Donald Miller, author, entrepreneur, and creator of the StoryBrand framework, about how to become the kind of spea...

“When speakers communicate directly with the clients and leave me out of the communication, it can get fuzzy. And there have been times when that’s happened and logistical details have not occurred and it has cost somebody money.”

Behind every outstanding speaking event is a world of logistics, relationships, and attention to detail that most audiences never see. On this week’s episode of The Speaker Lab, host Grant Baldwin...

“Content is still important, but content is much more of a commodity. So the premise has to be that we’ve got to create something…It has to include conversation, it has to include community, it has to include the idea that there’s going to be something that’s analog that happens.”

In this week’s episode of The Speaker Lab, Grant Baldwin chats with Brad Lomenick about what truly makes speakers memorable. Brad’s big takeaway ...

“...hustle and hard work might get you past a certain project or deadline, but then habits will help you last over the long haul, right? So build a business that doesn’t ultimately break you over time.”

What does it take to build a speaking business and a life that lasts? In this week’s episode of The Speaker Lab, host Grant Baldwin sits down with his longtime friend Chris Ducker, who just released his new book, The Long-Ha...

“A photo in general is not going to win you business, but bad photos are going to lose you your business all the time because it absolutely crushes.”

Ever dread getting new headshots or wonder if your photos help your speaking business? On this episode of The Speaker Lab, Grant Baldwin chats with photographer John DeMato about what matters when it comes to imagery and visual storytelling for speakers.

John’s best advice is t...

“If your heart is genuinely how do I care about people by doing what I love to do, if that’s the driver of it, I don’t see how you can not end up in a place that is rewarding, fulfilling, and doing something that makes the world a better place.”

Ever wonder if your story is worth sharing or how to even start turning your experience into a book, speech, or brand? In this episode of The Speaker Lab, Grant Baldwin chats with B...

“The mistake I’m seeing a lot of companies make is they’re racing to shove it into a product where they’re trying to drive costs down before the leaders making the call have become AI-driven leaders.”

Feeling overwhelmed by AI and unsure how it fits into your speaking business? In this value-packed episode of The Speaker Lab, Grant Baldwin chats with Geoff Woods, author of The AI-Driven Leader, for a refreshingly practical ...

“The act of you and I exchanging contact information raises the standard that there is going to be a follow up…You want to make that connection and set the expectation right then and there.”

Ever left a conference buzzing, only to watch that excitement fizzle when it comes to follow-up? This live coaching session from The Speaker Lab pulls back the curtain on how pros turn event momentum into real speaking business.

Facilita...