How to become a public speaker?

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SurferLife
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How to become a public speaker?

Post by SurferLife »

Fellow Bogleheads, we need your help. My wife is having a career/identity crisis and I think the expertise exists here for assistance.

I am currently in the military (TX) and will likely retire in 2 years. We are debt-free, and should be able to survive off our savings and retirement pension provided we don't retire in California or Hawaii. My wife is a non-practicing attorney (barred in CA and TX) who is currently unemployed due to being a stay-at-home mom for a 2yr old; we also have another one on the way due to arrive in Feb 2017. We believe in always having one parent at home to raise the kids, so she essentially can't go back to "working" full-time in the traditional sense until I retire. She does not want to work in a law firm but perhaps she will pursue working as a civilian attorney on-base working with the military. Putting her law degree aside (which we think she may be handcuffed by), we believe her true passion to be in women's ministry, and she has been actively involved in different ministry aspects for over 20 years. She has a gift for public speaking and would like to do more of that, but she has no idea of how to get started going down that road. Is there something that she can be doing now to start going down this path? We are not concerned about her generating an income, so that part is not necessary relevant. We are currently living in TX and will move again in a year, and then perhaps one more time after that. Ultimately, we don't know where we will settle. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Marjimmy
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by Marjimmy »

So just by reading through quickly, the concern is how to get started, correct?

My first question would be does she plan to get started on her own? Or simply be apart of an existing group of "public speakers" ? Does she plan to use her major in any way to public speak, or is this aspect of a degree irrelevant?

Ultimately, I think the obvious advice here is to ask a group she might have an interest in if it was possible she can participate in public speaking of " x,y,z". Then from there she can get a feeling for it and grow a network of connections for self marketing. If you're not sure if you're relocating or not, an existing group she's already familiar with is a good spot to start and ask for help as you had mentioned she had been apart of groups for 20 years.

Can't provide any resources as far as articles or websites. Best of luck though :sharebeer
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SurferLife
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by SurferLife »

Marjimmy wrote:So just by reading through quickly, the concern is how to get started, correct?
Yes, how does she become a public speaker.
My first question would be does she plan to get started on her own? Or simply be apart of an existing group of "public speakers" ? Does she plan to use her major in any way to public speak, or is this aspect of a degree irrelevant?
Due to our mobile lifestyle, I don't see her being part of a speaking group as a possibility, though I will admit I know less than nothing with regards to the public speaking field. I guess she could use her degree if it's relevant, though the public speaking desire is to address women regarding women's ministry.
Ultimately, I think the obvious advice here is to ask a group she might have an interest in if it was possible she can participate in public speaking of " x,y,z". Then from there she can get a feeling for it and grow a network of connections for self marketing. If you're not sure if you're relocating or not, an existing group she's already familiar with is a good spot to start and ask for help as you had mentioned she had been apart of groups for 20 years.
We are relocating soon as I had mentioned. Public speakers in ministry are not part of a group as far as I know, they exist as individuals who have done something greater, like written a book or have a ministry themselves and people want to hear them, not a spokesperson for them, so asking a group seems to not apply in this case. The groups she is involved with do not focus on or do public speaking, so that's not really an avenue of approach either as far as I can see. The groups she has been involved with in the past were not public speaking groups either, they were local church ministries. Though she did a lot of public speaking to the group internally and leading in those groups, that's where it started and ended. On occasion she has spoken to thousands when visiting a friends church overseas, but that's not a regular thing and is only one group, and is facilitated solely due to the personal relationship.
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by RudyS »

I humbly suggest the question is backwards. Public speaking is a means, not an end. Given that she's quite comfortable at being a speaker (many are not) I would start by identifying topics/fields that she would enjoy speaking about, and has the background to do so effectively. Then, and this is likely the harder part, identify groups that would be interested in her message. Depending on topic, some possible audiences are churches (or other houses of worship), continuous learning programs at schools/colleges, senior centers. Must be many others. There might be honoraria (speaker's fees) or maybe not. Good luck!

An afterthought: provide classes in budgeting, finances, for lower income folks who likely have no idea of what's happening. Some community service agencies might be interested in providing this to clients. It does not take much financial knowledge to be helpful to folks at or near ground zero on this subject. This might be more like training than public speaking but one could consider this a form of ministry.
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by Cruise »

OP: Has your wife done Toastmasters? It is really a good organization for people who want to be speakers. She will get all sorts of feedback from other speakers on her presentations and style.
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SurferLife
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by SurferLife »

Cruise wrote:OP: Has your wife done Toastmasters? It is really a good organization for people who want to be speakers. She will get all sorts of feedback from other speakers on her presentations and style.
Interesting. Yes, she did Toastmasters 20 years ago. They focus on teaching public speaking and helping you refine your technique. She already has learned the public speaking skillset in spades, so it's not what she's looking for.
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by dm200 »

SurferLife wrote:Fellow Bogleheads, we need your help. My wife is having a career/identity crisis and I think the expertise exists here for assistance.
I am currently in the military (TX) and will likely retire in 2 years. We are debt-free, and should be able to survive off our savings and retirement pension provided we don't retire in California or Hawaii. My wife is a non-practicing attorney (barred in CA and TX) who is currently unemployed due to being a stay-at-home mom for a 2yr old; we also have another one on the way due to arrive in Feb 2017. We believe in always having one parent at home to raise the kids, so she essentially can't go back to "working" full-time in the traditional sense until I retire. She does not want to work in a law firm but perhaps she will pursue working as a civilian attorney on-base working with the military. Putting her law degree aside (which we think she may be handcuffed by), we believe her true passion to be in women's ministry, and she has been actively involved in different ministry aspects for over 20 years. She has a gift for public speaking and would like to do more of that, but she has no idea of how to get started going down that road. Is there something that she can be doing now to start going down this path? We are not concerned about her generating an income, so that part is not necessary relevant. We are currently living in TX and will move again in a year, and then perhaps one more time after that. Ultimately, we don't know where we will settle. Any help is greatly appreciated.
What about contacts with (or networking) organizations like Legal Services?
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praxis
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by praxis »

Congratulations on your growing family. It sounds like your wife has a gift for speaking in front of groups. That is rare. She is not interested in earning money doing it (but I bet she could). Unless she has a unique, powerful religious or spiritual message, churches may not need her services. I recommend she pick a secular topic that inspires her that community (and church) groups want to hear about. Some ideas have been mentioned such as basic financial planning (I've heard these based loosely on the Bible). She could research a topic and write a strong presentation on anything: Parenting. Tips on Sane Elder Care. Couplehood. Healthy Cooking for Picky Eaters. Container Kitchen Gardening. Helping Children Use the 5 Christian Values. Cake Decorating. De-Clutter Your Life, 8 Reasons You Should Start Eating Tumeric Now, How To Create Your Family Cookbook, 4 No-Fail Tips to Look Great Before Your Next High School Reunion, Breathing Exercises For the Beginning Meditator, Understanding Men.

If she did Toastmasters, she was required to write a different speech for each of her presentations in front of her club. She has experience creating a speech from new material. Any magazine off the shelf is full of speech ideas. Encourage her to watch some TED talks on youtube. They run the gamut. All the topic needs to do is grab her interest and it will show in her speech and be satisfying. She is lucky to own that skill and want to use it.
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by LadyGeek »

This thread is now in the Personal Consumer Issues forum (public speaking).
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by Raybo »

There is a national organization for professional speakers called the National Speakers Association (NSA). If she wants to know what it is like to try and earn money speaking, she should attend some of their meetings. There are local chapters throughout the world.
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by Rodc »

Step one is to have something to speak about and some idea of who might want to listen.

Who is it she wants to help and in what way? What message does she have that someone would want to hear?
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by livesoft »

I have a friend who is a minister. He is well-known in his circles and gets invited to speak around the country all-expenses paid.

We see that bloggers get invited to speak at various venues as well. They get interviewed for radio and TV shows, too.

I don't blog and don't have a web site, but I have published many papers in my area of expertise, so I get invited to speak around the world and get paid, too.

All of the above folks have done something called "Marketing." They have let others know that they have an expertise in something that people want to pay for.

So I suggest that she start a web site for Women's Ministry and also start a youtube channel. It could be non-profit, but could eventually lead to a self-published book, invitations to speak, and the whole ball of wax. But first, her friends in her ministry endeavors should already have friends who would invite her to speak in their congregations. It's all about marketing.

Public speaking is like being a singer or musician. One is simply "performing" in front of an audience. Instead of a hit song, one has a hit powerpoint presentation or two. Develop a playlist of hit speeches and you are golden.
Last edited by livesoft on Thu Dec 22, 2016 7:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by blueblock »

As Raybo mentions, the NSA is a good resource.

When I was working, I'd hire speakers from time to time. One source was speakers bureaus, which issue catalogues of speakers giving their expertise/speaking topics, along with their fee scales and travel requirements.

To get representation like this, your wife should have a professionally made and edited tape of her speaking before a live audience, including good sound. (Homemade attempts at same are to be discouraged; they don't attract business, they drive it away.)

Professional speakers always have their own websites, which include the topics on which they are expert, testimonials, press coverage and, often, free, proprietary "resources" of some kind, along with sample video clips.
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by friar1610 »

I know nothing about monetizing public speaking, so take everything I say with a large grain of salt. Since retiring (from the military, I might add) I've done several things as a volunteer that have involved public speaking. For example, I became a presenter for an AARP/FINRA program on "Outsmarting Financial Fraud." In that capacity I spoke to Senior Citizens Clubs, Lions, Rotary, etc. It seems to me that if someone wanted to establish a name as a speaker in a given geographic area, s/he could use similar volunteer gigs as a foot in the door.
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by BeachPerson »

I have been involved with Toastmasters from 1986 - 2000 and 2005 - now. I am in two clubs. A great experience. I have given speeches on investing. Visit a few clubs, to see which one would be a great fit.
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by sperry8 »

Perhaps have her get involved with TED talks. They are always looking for good speakers if they have a good topic.
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by mlebuf »

Raybo wrote:There is a national organization for professional speakers called the National Speakers Association (NSA). If she wants to know what it is like to try and earn money speaking, she should attend some of their meetings. There are local chapters throughout the world.
NSA is an excellent resource for those wanting to learn how to speak professionally. Although I haven't spoken professionally in over a decade, I have been a member of NSA since 1984 and still attend some of their annual conventions. While NSA has local chapters, my experience was that I learned the most at annual conventions and workshops. There you see and meet people who speak for a living and who are willing to share what they know. Here's the link to their website:
http://www.nsaspeaker.org

Years ago I heard someone at NSA say that there are basically 2 ways to break into professional speaking:

1. You do or experience something that will cause companies/organizations to call and ask, "Do you speak?" In my particular case, I was hired because of the books I wrote.

2. You speak, and speak and speak until you get so good at it that people will pay you to speak.

If your wife is serious about speaking professionally, NSA can take a lot of years off of her learning curve.
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by F150HD »

SurferLife wrote:She has a gift for public speaking and would like to do more of that, but she has no idea of how to get started going down that road. Is there something that she can be doing now to start going down this path?
Become a teacher. Tie in the ministry aspect and do it at a private school (even part time)

Or, even teach a course at a local college/Junior college, or teach GED courses (Jr College or local outreach program).
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by dm200 »

Having attended several types of meetings, conferences, etc. over the years in several different roles and capacities, it seems to me that the (highly) compensated public speakers are folks with "celebrity" status, such as former politicians, CEOs, etc. Another type are folks that speak as part of their "business", such as doing (for profit/compensation) workshops on various topics, etc. The speaking itself is not well compensated, but the peaking is an integral part of promoting the business. Depending on the nature of the "ministry", there are probably "compatible" national conferences of organizations that could provide fertile ground for this.

These kinds of "workshops" (for compensation) could also be offered to employees, volunteers, associates, etc. of compatible organizations. Without getting into the "weeds" of religion and politics (too much), as an example, suppose there was a denomination whose official position was against allowing women to become ordained clergy. I am sure there are organized movements "protesting" such a ban. These organized movements often sponsor conferences, annual meetings, etc. where speakers on the issue may be in demand.
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by livesoft »

^Those are good ideas. More specifically,

1. Look up national organizations that have something to do with what spouse wants to speak about.
2. Join these organizations and see when they have meetings whether local, regional, national, international.
3. Submit an abstract to speak at these meetings in any sessions that are within one's area of expertise.
4. Get abstract accepted, go to meeting, speak, network, and offer to chair similar sessions at other meetings in the future.

Eventually, one will get invited to sit on government committees. While not well-paid, they add to one's resumé and the committee meetings are usually held in nice places that you would like to go to anyway. For instance, has anyone heard of Jackson Hole, Wyoming? Davos, Switzerland?
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by stoptothink »

sperry8 wrote:Perhaps have her get involved with TED talks. They are always looking for good speakers if they have a good topic.
You have to be very well known and recognized in your field to do a TED talk. No offense to the OP and his wife, but that doesn't quite sound like it is the case (yet). One of the coolest things I've done in my career was write a TEDX presentation for my boss.
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by LarryAllen »

Find a really good Toastmasters club. I saw a few people move from our group to professional speakers.
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by sperry8 »

stoptothink wrote:
sperry8 wrote:Perhaps have her get involved with TED talks. They are always looking for good speakers if they have a good topic.
You have to be very well known and recognized in your field to do a TED talk. No offense to the OP and his wife, but that doesn't quite sound like it is the case (yet). One of the coolest things I've done in my career was write a TEDX presentation for my boss.
You do have to be well known to do a TED talk for the national organization. However, there are many local TEDx groups that are always looking for good speakers. You can submit your talk to them and they can choose you, well known or not.
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by PoppyA »

Corporate trainer?
Radio?
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by Capsu78 »

RudyS wrote:I humbly suggest the question is backwards. Public speaking is a means, not an end. Given that she's quite comfortable at being a speaker (many are not) I would start by identifying topics/fields that she would enjoy speaking about, and has the background to do so effectively. Then, and this is likely the harder part, identify groups that would be interested in her message. Depending on topic, some possible audiences are churches (or other houses of worship), continuous learning programs at schools/colleges, senior centers. Must be many others. There might be honoraria (speaker's fees) or maybe not. Good luck!

An afterthought: provide classes in budgeting, finances, for lower income folks who likely have no idea of what's happening. Some community service agencies might be interested in providing this to clients. It does not take much financial knowledge to be helpful to folks at or near ground zero on this subject. This might be more like training than public speaking but one could consider this a form of ministry.
+1... become a "subject matter expert" in a current topic that she is interested in, put together presentations that can be delivered in 20 minutes (+ Q&A) and a longer 45 minute one (+Q&A) and pitch it anywhere your can- refine it on small groups and search out larger audiences. Google "Call for Presentations + something about the topic" and see which associations the topic resonates in. Ask folks in business organizations if their companies sometimes offer "Lunch and learns" and ask to get connected to the coordinator. I found several that had me back multiple times after hearing me speak the first time...also, be prepared to conduct " go to Meeting" webinars to improve your reach- to me it was very much the same as public speaking.
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by SurferLife »

Raybo wrote:There is a national organization for professional speakers called the National Speakers Association (NSA). If she wants to know what it is like to try and earn money speaking, she should attend some of their meetings. There are local chapters throughout the world.
This is great information, thank you, we will look it up!
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by SurferLife »

livesoft wrote:I have a friend who is a minister. He is well-known in his circles and gets invited to speak around the country all-expenses paid.

We see that bloggers get invited to speak at various venues as well. They get interviewed for radio and TV shows, too.

I don't blog and don't have a web site, but I have published many papers in my area of expertise, so I get invited to speak around the world and get paid, too.

All of the above folks have done something called "Marketing." They have let others know that they have an expertise in something that people want to pay for.

So I suggest that she start a web site for Women's Ministry and also start a youtube channel. It could be non-profit, but could eventually lead to a self-published book, invitations to speak, and the whole ball of wax. But first, her friends in her ministry endeavors should already have friends who would invite her to speak in their congregations. It's all about marketing.

Public speaking is like being a singer or musician. One is simply "performing" in front of an audience. Instead of a hit song, one has a hit powerpoint presentation or two. Develop a playlist of hit speeches and you are golden.
Livesoft, I think you've hit the nail on the head. What we need to do, well, what she needs to do, is put herself out there from a marketing perspective. When I look at other folks, like The Minimalists, Mr Money Mustache, and other internet bloggers, they got their start blogging/youtubing/podcasting, and then their message spread into books, talks, etc... I'm going to broach it to her that she needs to refine what it is she actually wants to focus in on, and then we can get her up and going on the internet. If it takes years to build up a reader base, that's fine, we are in no rush, but she would like to start moving in this direction. She is still relatively young, and with our two youngin's, it's an easy way to start. I like that I can do the technical piece. Really great way to start and to start slow!
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by SurferLife »

Capsu78 wrote:
RudyS wrote:I humbly suggest the question is backwards. Public speaking is a means, not an end. Given that she's quite comfortable at being a speaker (many are not) I would start by identifying topics/fields that she would enjoy speaking about, and has the background to do so effectively. Then, and this is likely the harder part, identify groups that would be interested in her message. Depending on topic, some possible audiences are churches (or other houses of worship), continuous learning programs at schools/colleges, senior centers. Must be many others. There might be honoraria (speaker's fees) or maybe not. Good luck!

An afterthought: provide classes in budgeting, finances, for lower income folks who likely have no idea of what's happening. Some community service agencies might be interested in providing this to clients. It does not take much financial knowledge to be helpful to folks at or near ground zero on this subject. This might be more like training than public speaking but one could consider this a form of ministry.
+1... become a "subject matter expert" in a current topic that she is interested in, put together presentations that can be delivered in 20 minutes (+ Q&A) and a longer 45 minute one (+Q&A) and pitch it anywhere your can- refine it on small groups and search out larger audiences. Google "Call for Presentations + something about the topic" and see which associations the topic resonates in. Ask folks in business organizations if their companies sometimes offer "Lunch and learns" and ask to get connected to the coordinator. I found several that had me back multiple times after hearing me speak the first time...also, be prepared to conduct " go to Meeting" webinars to improve your reach- to me it was very much the same as public speaking.
I didn't even know this stuff existed. Being a military guy, I'm so isolated from what civilian life looks like.
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SurferLife
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by SurferLife »

sperry8 wrote:Perhaps have her get involved with TED talks. They are always looking for good speakers if they have a good topic.
This is a really interesting idea, I thought that TED solicited talks from folks they wanted to hear from, not the other way around. I'll throw it out there to the wife and see if she thinks this would be an avenue. From my experience, TED audiences tend to lean in a way that might not jive with a message regarding faith, but you never know, it just depends on how it's presented.
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by SurferLife »

mlebuf wrote:
Raybo wrote:There is a national organization for professional speakers called the National Speakers Association (NSA). If she wants to know what it is like to try and earn money speaking, she should attend some of their meetings. There are local chapters throughout the world.
NSA is an excellent resource for those wanting to learn how to speak professionally. Although I haven't spoken professionally in over a decade, I have been a member of NSA since 1984 and still attend some of their annual conventions. While NSA has local chapters, my experience was that I learned the most at annual conventions and workshops. There you see and meet people who speak for a living and who are willing to share what they know. Here's the link to their website:
http://www.nsaspeaker.org

Years ago I heard someone at NSA say that there are basically 2 ways to break into professional speaking:

1. You do or experience something that will cause companies/organizations to call and ask, "Do you speak?" In my particular case, I was hired because of the books I wrote.

2. You speak, and speak and speak until you get so good at it that people will pay you to speak.

If your wife is serious about speaking professionally, NSA can take a lot of years off of her learning curve.
Thanks for the link, I'm checking out their website now. With the new baby coming and then our upcoming move, it's going to be about 2 years before she can get plugged into this, but I'm bookmarking the link for later. It's a great resource and I had no idea this existed. Much appreciated.
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Re: How to become a public speaker?

Post by Mingus »

dm200 wrote:Having attended several types of meetings, conferences, etc. over the years in several different roles and capacities, it seems to me that the (highly) compensated public speakers are folks with "celebrity" status, such as former politicians,
Apparently some former politicians can command quite the speech payment until they lose an election and no longer have anything to sell.
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