“Look for inspiration, not comparison.” Brittany Richmond sat down with Dean Heffta today to talk about his speaking journey, the National Speaker Association, and how he built a business to get him booked and paid consistently. Get back to the basics. Keep it simple. And remember, you don't have to build somebody else's business; you have to build YOUR own business.In this episode, Brittany and Dean talk through:Dean’s experience getting starting as a speakerWhen to donate your time and other ways to get paid Embracing the mindset of the marathon not the sprintWhat it looks like to provide services people rave about Dean’s new book and what having a book signals What are the perks of being in the National Speaker Association Developing the craft of speaking "And to sustain innovation and to sustain the hard times and the uncertainties and the ups and the downs, I believe you need a community. Your friend group and your family group will smile and nod as you're sharing things they don't really understand or they can't offer maybe the insights that the people in the speaking community can."Episode Chapters:00:54 Dean’s background as a speaker 04:25 What does Dean currently speak on and what do his speaking engagements look like?10:05 When to think about donating your time.12:46 Dean’s take on a marathon not a sprint17:33 How to grow your business by developing referrals19:20 An overview of Dean’s book + the process of writing it24:17 What is the National Speakers Association?28:42 You get what you put into, here’s what that means for you as a speaker.31:19 Why communities matter and how to lean into the speaker community33:12 How to develop great relationships in this business38:32 How to build your personal brand while overcoming tech issues40:31 What it looks like to gracefully overcome adversity on the stage 43:19 Dean’s favorite thing about begin a speaker2024 Podcast Listener Survey:Will you take 3 minutes and tell us what you love and hate about The Speaker Lab Podcast? We want to make this podcast better as we work to serve speakers — but we can't do that without your feedback. Click here or go to thespeakerlab.com/survey — we'll send you a Starbucks gift card as a thank you for your time! Episode Resources:Connect with Dean on LinkedInExplore Dean's Website Take the 2024 Speaker Lab Listener SurveyGet Free Speaker ResourcesBook a Call with The Speaker LabCalculate Your Speaking FeeJoin The Speaker Lab Community on FacebookSubscribe on Apple PodcastsSubscribe on SpotifySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.