Grant Baldwin is a full-time professional speaker who has coached over 2,000 other speakers on what has worked for him. He just released his new book, The Successful Speaker, which outlines the five steps for booking gigs, getting paid, and building your platform. From his roots as a youth pastor to his time speaking at over 60 gigs a year, Grant has a lot of wisdom to share about being a successful speaker.   In today’s episode, he talks about: • Picking an audience and a topic—why it’s better to be a steak house than a buffet. • Validating your niche before getting into the marketplace. • Transitioning to a new market. • What you need to start out in the professional speaking world. • How to know how much to charge, and when it’s okay to speak for free. • Building a brand beyond the stage.   If you’ve ever dreamed of making a living by speaking, you’ll want to listen in and hear what Grant has to say.   Resources: -The Successful Speaker: https://www.amazon.com/Successful-Speaker-Booking-Building-Platform/dp/0801094089 -National Speakers Bureau: https://nationalspeakers.com/ -Grant’s free speaking fee calculator: https://thespeakerlab.typeform.com/to/mKgF8q   Connect with Mike: https://mikekim.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mikekimtv/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikekimtv Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mikekimtv/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/mikekimtv   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com