I’m on the road again after being “home” in Baltimore for the past few weeks, exploring the city and working on my business. I flew into Springfield, Massachusetts this afternoon for a keynote I’m giving at a women’s conference tomorrow. Actually, I flew into Hartford, then one of the lovely organizers picked me up and took me to dinner, and then on to the Marriott where I’m writing this blog post. I was walking around the hotel room with my trusty iPhone and just started recording a video about why I’m here, which led to me telling the story of how I even got started with professional speaking in the first place. Click here to learn about my 3-hour training on becoming a professional speaker.
In the video below, I talk about the importance of speaking for free to get exposure for paid speaking engagements down the line. I also share how much money I charged for my first gig! If you’re an aspiring professional speaker, I’m hoping that my story will encourage you to pursue your own opportunities, so feel free to ask any questions you have in the comments as well. (If you can’t see the video, click here)
By the way, if you really want to know how to get started in the professional speaking industry, I’ve put together a useful resource for you here —> startyourspeakingcareer.com
Rosetta Thurman is a nationally-recognized author, speaker, mentor and coach dedicated to helping women create their ideal lives.
Great post, Rosetta! Thanks so much for the shout-out. It’s been great seeing how far you’ve come in the years since that first speaking engagement and I know it’s only been the tip of the iceberg. I, too, am an extreme introvert and I used to have the worst fear of public speaking. I never would’ve imagined myself agreeing to speak in front of a group of people, but I’ve been doing it and have discovered that it’s not so bad. :) Now when I get to the point of getting paid for it, I’ll really be glad. Question- if you don’t mind sharing- how do you come up with $400 for that first gig & how have you decided on your fees since then?
Yeah, it took me a couple years to be comfortable speaking to groups of people but now I really enjoy it! I believe I got to $400 for my first gig using my hourly rate ($50 at the time) x how long I thought it would take for me to put together the preso & deliver it. Back then, I didn’t know to ask for expenses to be reimburse for meals, etc. Now, I have a higher fee that factors in my prep hours but at the higher rate of $100/hour. I also charge more for keynotes, as they are much more nerve-wracking & take more prep to be relevant for a larger audience.
Thanks. Also, loving the ‘a day in the life’ video idea.
I really love the video about how you got started and I loved that you had a mentor or helper to see the potential and help you with your goals. I have not had that but I am not deterred. I also work in the world of non profit as a Case Manager and would love to start motivationally speaking (have only done this 1-to-1 with my clients) and I know I have a bigger calling. My question is since my job is Mon-Fri 9-5 do you think I would make a side hustle out of speaking on weekends? Is it even worth pursing if I can only do it on the weekend?
Rosetta – You are always so full of wisdom and information that you enjoy sharing with others. Thank you very much for your enthusiasm and generosity. Keep up the good work!
I honestly had never thought of asking to speak at a conference/activity for free. What a great idea to gain exposure!
I needed this as well. Had a down moment from other activities in my life, but remembered I was invited to speak and liveblog at some events in my niche this spring. Going to feed off of that and see if there are opportunities there.
Awesome – great way to take advantage of those immediate opportunities that might not seem like much right now, but can reap dividends later.
Awesome! I swear you are like my guardian angle at this point in life! Every question I have you post or write an answer! Thank you! I second Keisha…this was right on time!
This came at the right time… As always, thank you.
side note: s/o to Tamara Rasberry, you’re an inspiration as well. :)
Thank you for reading here :) Glad the info was useful.
Thanks, Keisha! :)