One of the biggest mindset shifts I experienced was at a time when I felt like I had my feet in several different industries and went to all the different industry conferences - coaching, speaking, authorship, podcasting, you name it. The mindset shift was when I realized there was really one business model, and all those roles fell under this one business model: The expert business model. As experts on a topic, we often find ourselves wanting to be a speaker. In today's conversation, I sit down with Grant Baldwin to delve into the state of the speaking industry in a post-pandemic world. Grant sheds light on the industry's resilience, emphasizing the success brought about by virtual events and hybrid formats. We discuss the vital importance of treating speaking as a professional endeavor and investing in sales and marketing efforts. Grant shares invaluable advice on finding the right speaking opportunities and carving out a niche to gain momentum. Join us as we uncover the secrets to thriving in a competitive market, and unlock your speaking potential. Grant Baldwin is the author of The Successful Speaker and founder of TheSpeakerLab.com, a training company for public speakers. He is also the creator and host of The Speaker Lab podcast and has coached thousands of speakers. He has been regularly featured in the national media including Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur and the Huffington Post. He lives near Nashville, Tennessee with his wife and three daughters. And be sure to subscribe to The Self-Employed Life in Apple Podcasts or follow us on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts so you don’t miss an episode. Everything you need can all be found at jeffreyshaw.com. Grant Baldwin, thank you so much for being here! Remember, you might be in business FOR yourself but you are not in business BY yourself. Be your best self. Be proud and keep changing the world. Guest Contact – www.GrantBaldwin.com The Successful Speaker: Five Steps for Booking Gigs, Getting Paid, and Building Your Platform by Grant Baldwin Grant Baldwin on LinkedIn (in/grant-baldwin) Grant Baldwin on Facebook (@grantbaldwinfans) Grant Baldwin on Instagram (@gbaldwin) Grant Baldwin on Twitter (@grantbaldwin) Grant Baldwin on YouTube (@grantbaldwindotcom) www.TheSpeakerLab.com Contact Jeffrey – Website Coaching support Books Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Valuable complimentary resources to help you – The Self-Employed Business Institute- You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and accountability. The Self-Employed Business Institute, a five-month online education is exactly what you need. Check it out! Take The Self-Employed Assessment! Ever feel like you're all over the place? Or frustrated it seems like you have everything you need for your business success but it's somehow not coming together? Take this short quiz to discover the biggest hidden gap that’s keeping you from having a thriving Self-Employed Ecosystem. You’ll find out what part of your business needs attention and you'll also get a few laser-focused insights to help you start closing that gap. Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email you a few suggestions to improve your brand message to attract more of your ideal customers. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Host Jeffrey Shaw is a Small Business Consultant, Brand Manag