Tell us a little about your book or business...
I was raised in Fairbanks, Alaska from 2-18 years old, and had always dreamed of moving to sunny California. When it came time to apply for colleges, I ONLY applied for California schools. At the time, it all seemed warm to me! I ended up at Cal State Fullerton (California State University, Fullerton), and have lived in Orange County ever since.
Even though I was from a small town, I always enjoyed teaching and presenting. I remember giving a talk to my entire junior high school and having a great experience. It wasn’t a shock that my BA and MA degrees ended up being in Speech Communication. In fact, I even taught Interpersonal Communication at Cal State Fullerton when I was only 22 years old.
Skipping over a few decades…I didn’t actually become a professional speaker until 2013 (at the ripe age of 40)!. I started with ZERO speaking gigs, ZERO clients, no opt-in, no mailing list and NO idea of how to get a speaking gig.
What DID I have? A talk ready to go, support from a company, a workshop to invite people to, sales experience and COURAGE!
In that first year as a speaker, I booked 83 speaking gigs in my local area. Those gigs led to many clients and massive revenue for the company I represented at the time. In order to get more speaking gigs and to educate myself about the speaking business, I formed an organization, The OC Speakers Network (now merged with the International Speaker Network). People would constantly ask me, “How did you get so many gigs? Can you teach me?”
My company, Get Speaking Gigs Now, was founded in 2017 due to a need I saw in the entrepreneurial industry.
I realized that many entrepreneurs have valuable expertise to share, but don’t have the skills and strategies to take their message to the stage. I formed Get Speaking Gigs Now so that professionals who want to use speaking to grow their business could get booked easily and stay booked for the duration of their professional career. Clients build their speaking skills and confidence through the Speaker’s Training Academy. They learn how to get started as a speaker, get booked as a speaker and how to attract their clients as a speaker.
The book, Get Speaking Gigs Now: Learn the Secrets to Booking 500+ Speaking Gigs!, outlines the 7 key steps needed to speaking as a powerful marketing tool.
When was your lightbulb moment?
My lightbulb moment happened during a phone call with a member of the OC Speakers Network. He asked me to tell him about my “speaking coaching business.” I told him I didn’t have one. After hanging up the phone, I decided that was the last time I was ever going to say that. I bought the URL, http://www.GetSpeakingGigsNow.com that evening and wrote my first webinar to put on the home page. The very first time I shared about my new company, I got a client – I didn’t have any business cards or know how much I should charge! BUT, I knew I was onto something. This was a service that people really needed help with and I was thrilled to be a part of their speaker journey.
Please provide your three words of advice, and why they matter to you.
Go get ’em!
This is what my Dad used to chant to me when I was about to go do something challenging me. He was always there to cheer me on, and I think having someone in your corner (even if it’s YOU, a friend, a relative, or God / Divine Power / Universe) is very powerful. You can do it!
What three words of advice would you give the readers?
Go Get ‘Em
Leisa Reid
Founder of Get Speaking Gigs NowWant to be a speaker, but aren’t sure what to talk about, where to go to find gigs, or how to attract your clients from stage? As a speaker and author who has booked and delivered over 600 talks, and is the Founder of Get Speaking Gigs Now, Leisa Reid trains entrepreneurs how to “Get Their Talk Ready to Rock” so they...
