Categories: Articles

How Do You Get Paid To Speak?

It’s a question I get asked multiple times a week: How do you get paid to speak?

It’s like anything else. The journey is not linear (for those familiar with my second business book, CTRL ALT Delete, it’s a very squiggly journey). Over the years, being paid to speak has become a significant platform for the Mirum brand… and for my personal brand. It’s actually a part of my work that I treasure. I enjoy coming up with stories, concepts and ideas around the intersection of brands, consumers and technology… and I thoroughly enjoy empowering brand leaders to think differently about what they can do to grow their business.

So, what is the real story behind becoming a professional speaker?

I recently spent about 45 minutes telling my story and providing tactical advice to those who would like speak (or increase their speaking) on The Speaker Lab Podcast with host (and friend), Grant Baldwin. Here’s how Grant describes our episode:

“Ever wonder how some people can charge a $20K public speaking fee, but others struggle to make ends meet? There are a few key elements that make this possible and today, on episode 144 of The Speaker Lab podcast, Mitch Joel, an international speaker, author, and President walks us through the process of how to position yourself as a highly sought after speaker that can charge $10K, $20K or more. Mitch shares a story of how he spoke in front of 6,000 people and shared the stage with Dr. Phil on his first ever speaking engagement. Today, Mitch works with companies like Wal-Mart, Google, and Starbucks and he breaks it all down for you on the podcast.”

Here’s what else you will learn:

How to develop your “content center of excellence” and why you need it.
Examples of great speakers who have gone from $5K to $50K in speaking fees.
What is an SME and how can you be one?
3 “must-haves” if you want to be considered someone with a “significant platform.”
How to know if you’re killing it on stage or not.
Why being memorable is better than funny.
How social media plays a role in how much you can charge.
What is the Louis CK model of public speaking?
How to identify yourself as 1 of 3 types of speakers.

And, there’s a lot more.

So, if you’re interested in understanding how public speaking can drive business, become a new business engine of growth and establish your brand, please do take a listen here: The Speaker Lab - How to Charge a $20K Public Speaking Fee With Mitch Joel.

Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.