Every week, for more than six years now, Innovation Women, our speaker platform and community, hosts a drop-in Zoom meeting for speakers, event organizers, authors and podcasters. Any given week, dozens of (mostly) women (everyone is welcome) show up to discuss anything and everything related to speaking. We talk about building a speaking business and/or career, and using speaking to help build and grow another business.
At first, we didn’t have a name for it. I tried a bunch of options, but nothing really stuck. It was the “Friday morning speaker conversation” for a long time. Then one day, I had a face-palm moment. I was hosting Speaker Friend Friday. It stuck IMMEDIATELY. It was the perfect name for a group that prided itself on being a supportive voice for people at all stages of their speaking and entrepreneurial journey.
When we started the meetings in 2020, we didn’t record them. You just showed up. But so many people wanted to be able to reference the wisdom being shared that we started recording the sessions in 2022. Now, a recording of each session, a summary and the chat are posted in the Innovation Women Green Room.
This means that we have an incredible treasure trove of information and education. With the help of AI, I was able to extract the top ten most common themes from the years of data, and I turned the themes into representative questions. (These questions, or variations on them, get asked over and over again.)
1) “How do I get paid more — or get paid at all — for speaking?”
Reality is… half of all event managers have zero budget for speakers. One of the most common topics of conversation among Speaker Friends is speaker compensation. How do you build a sustainable speaker business? How do you identify and secure speaking engagements that are more than just visibility? (No one ever paid the mortgage or bought gas with visibility.)
2) “How do I find better speaking opportunities?”
There are literally millions of speaking opportunities, from local small business gatherings like rotaries and chambers of commerce to massive global events like SXSW or CES, looking for speakers. How do you find the right opportunity for you? The right opportunity is one that considers your speaker business model, audience and ancillary opportunities that come from it.
3) “How do I stand out and build visibility as a speaker?”
Inside Innovation Women, there can be dozens of speakers who speak generally on the same topic. [Innovation Women represents 190 different industries and 19,432 different topics (at last count)]. But every speaker has had a unique life and has a unique point of view. The key is to employ both to stand out in a crowded marketplace. We talk about how to do that.
4) “How do I turn speaking into a real business?”
Even the biggest speakers in the world rarely rely entirely on speaking to pay the bills. They have books, podcasts (and sponsors), consulting and coaching services, products, licensing deals and more. Rarely do we find speakers JUST speaking. There are probably as many speaker business models as there are speakers. Sometimes, the things with the biggest payday might surprise you.
5) “How do I create presentations and experiences that engage audiences?”
How do you keep an audience engaged and entertained? How do you do a better job on stage so you get more opportunities and get invited back? The ideas and range of options we discuss are astonishing. So many great ideas and discussions on what works, what doesn’t and big trends in presenting.
6) “How do I use podcasts, video and media appearances to grow my authority?”
We tend to think very narrowly about speaking when we have a multitude of ways to get our messages and stories across. Appearing in the right places and the right stages can enhance our leadership status and lead to new stages.
7) “How do I market myself consistently without feeling spammy or getting overwhelmed?”
No one wants to be sold to, and yet, some of those stage appearances only make sense if they lead to business. This means you need to think like a marketer without becoming someone who spends all their time doing it. We talk a lot about how to walk that fine line between professional marketer and Email Blast Queen.
8) “How do I overcome fear, imposter syndrome and confidence issues around speaking?”
While the often-cited adage that “people fear speaking more than death” isn’t true (yup, it’s based on a misunderstanding of a 1973 study and has been disproven but still gets cited A LOT), some people do have anxiety when it comes to speaking and how their presentations will be received. Maybe they have nagging or intrusive thoughts about their speaking performance or the ideas they present. Having a group of Speaker Friends is reassuring and often a terrific way to validate that you are on the right track.
9) “How do I use AI and new technology effectively in my speaking business?”
And the fastest growing topic at Speaker Friend Fridays is, of course, AI. What’s happening in the world of AI? What tools are must-haves? How can we use AI to accelerate our speaker journey? And what do we need to consider in a world where AI slop is giving many marketers a bad name?
10) “How do I position myself as an expert or thought leader in a crowded market?”
Ah, the thought leader/expert question. And to be clear… Two. Different. Things. A thought leader helps you see the world differently, and an expert shows you HOW to do something. But both address credibility and drive authority.
Come to the next Speaker Friend Friday!
Interested in learning more about the world of speaking, and how you build a speaking business, or use speaking to build another business? Join us for one of the weekly Speaker Friend Friday events. These questions are just a few of the ongoing themes we address. We’ve answered so many questions over the years – from how to get to sleep in a strange hotel the night before your big keynote to how to protect your intellectual property.
On Friday, May 29, 2026, we’re hosting a special Speaker Friend-a-thon to celebrate our 11th anniversary. It will be 11 hours of all things related to speaking. There will be special 11-minute lessons, giveaways, themed discussions, breakout rooms and more. It’s a chance to connect with others for whom speaking is an important part of how they build authority. Hope you’ll join us!
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