Paula Edgar: Welcome to Branding Room Only, the podcast where your personal brand gets a front row seat. I’m Paula Edgar, and if you’re here, it’s because you know your brand isn’t just about what you do, it’s about how people experience you. In each episode you’ll hear stories, strategies, and lessons from leaders and influencers who built their brands and made their mark. And I’ll share the tools you need to do the same. Let’s go.
Welcome back to Branding Room Only, this is the final episode of the So You Want to Be a Speaker series. And I, as you know, am Paula Edgar. I loved creating this series because, speaking has become one of the most meaningful parts of my work. It has also been one of the clearest mirrors. So this episode is gonna be a little bit different. Over the last four episodes I’ve given you some frameworks, strategies, and practical steps that you can take in your journey to being a speaker. We, we talked about foundation, the brand, the pitch, the preparation, and what to do after the applause.
Today I wanna give you something else. I wanna give you an honest reflection, behind the work. Because when people ask, you know, “How did you build this?” Or “How do I become a speaker?” When they ask me those things, they’re usually asking for, like, the visible steps, the things that they should do. But it’s important to know that, there’s also an inner process. There’s the fears that you have to face. The boundaries that you have to set. Mistakes you have to learn from. Definitely. And the moments you have to decide whether you are really committed to this, for the long game. You know, I’ve been doing this full-time for, over a decade now. The stage will show you that your confidence, your preparation, your ego, and your discipline, and definitely your growth areas.
When I started speaking more intentionally, years ago. I thought that the goal for me was to get on bigger stages, as quickly as possible. Bigger audience, bigger names, bigger platform. And yes, those things do and can, they matter and, and they definitely matter to me. But, but I've learned that the size of the room does not always accurately measure the impact. Because some of the most meaningful conversations that I have had, as a speaker can happen in smaller rooms, when people feel safe enough to tell the truth, to connect. And definitely some of the best referrals that I have gotten, are from sessions that were not necessarily big, flashy ones, that are on big stages, but they were deeply useful, obviously for the attendees. I have also learned, that the prestige, and alignment, in terms of being a speaker, are not the same thing, right? Because there are a lot of opportunities that can look impressive, and still not be the right fit, for me.
A stage can have strong names attached to it, and still not connect to the audience, my business, or my values. And, in the beginning, it's easy to say yes, or to want to say yes. Because you're building a brand, you're building a track record. But as you grow, being discerning, as a speaker, and a business person, should be part of the strategy. One of the things I got wrong for way too long was I undercharged. And let me say that plainly. I undercharged, because I was still like, calibrating what my value should be. I under charged because, I wanted the value. And I under charged because I thought that being excellent, which I am, would eventually make the business part obvious. There were a lot of people who were like “This is going to give you visibility.” Right? I don't work for visibility anymore, because I have it. I have intentionally built a visible platform. And I've always been excellent, and the excellence has elevated as I, you know, been a speaker more. But excellence does not automatically set your fee.
You have to learn how to articulate your value, you have to be able to price your work, and you have to be able to hold the line about that, with professionalism. And that is not always easy, especially for, you know, those of us who come from communities or professions where, service is deeply ingrained in what we do. Right? You can love servicing people and still charge appropriately for what your expertise is. And remember you're not charging for just what's happening on the stage, the preparation, everything that goes into it, is a part of the conversation about value. And you can care about a mission and still require a contract, a deposit, clear logistics, and boundaries. Because in fact, if you want for your business as a speaker, to remain sustainable, you have to.
Another lesson that I have learned, that I want to share with you, is that volume is not the same as momentum. Saying yes to everything can make you busy, but it doesn't always make you strategic. Every yes that you say, uses your energy, your time, your creativity, and it depletes from your capacity. And every yes also has an opportunity cost. I had to learn to ask better questions, and I guess learn better lessons. Who is the audience? Why am I being selected, or considered as a speaker? Why, this conversation now? What is the goal of the engagement? And are those things aligned with where I’m going? How I wanna be perceived and seen. And then, I also love to think about what relationships can take an opportunity to deepen, right? What will this require of me before, during, and after the event? Because I’ve learned over and over, that the speaking is not just about performance, it’s about trust. The client has to trust you, the audience has to trust you, and more importantly you have to trust yourself. And that trust is built through preparation, consistency, honesty, and presence. So if you're trying to impress the room, more than you are trying to serve the room? The room can feel that. Right? The best speaking engagements happen when your expertise and your generosity are both present. There have been moments when I have walked off stage, and felt electric. And they have also been moments when I knew exactly what I came to do and did them, and there’re moments when I thought “Damn, I could have done that a little bit better.”
I could’ve tightened that story, I could’ve handled that question differently. But that's a part about building the craft. Like, you don't start from, you don't go from zero to excellent, you know? All of a sudden, you have to, you have to earn your craft. And so if you want to be a speaker, you have to be willing to watch yourself, I hate watching myself, you have to hear feedback, and you have to improve without letting perfectionism stop you. Watching yourself on video is humbling. Listening to yourself recorded is humbling. Do it anyway. Notice the filler words, notice you're pacing, your gestures, your eye contact, your transitions. And notice the parts where the audience leans in. Are there times when the energy dips, right? You're not watching yourself to criticize your humanity, you’re watching yourself so you can become more skilled, and discerning at honing your craft.
Another lesson I’ve learned is that, your niche is your power. For a long time, I think people resist narrowing, because they think it will limit them. You, you wanna speak to everyone, about everything, but the more specific you become, the easier it is for people to understand and remember you. Like, my work and personal branding has expanded because the core of what I'm saying is clear. I can apply it to lawyers, executives, law students, women leaders, affinity groups, business development, leadership and visibility because the foundation of what I know, and what I talk about is strong. Like, this podcast adds to that as well. But your brand will evolve. My brand has. The topics will deepen, and may expand. The audience will definitely expand. Your delivery will get sharper. And your stories will change because you will change. And I think that, that’s a good thing.
You’re speaking, and you’re speaking and your career as a speaker is not a frozen brand statement. It is a body of work that grows as you do, or should grow as you do. And what keeps me going as a speaker is that impact. I love when people come and talk to me about, you know, “Oh, I needed to hear that.” After I’ve spoke, or “You know, that really resonated.” You know, it could be a lawyer who says “I finally understand how I should talk about my value. That just being excellent is not enough.” Or it’s the professional who realizes that they have been waiting for permission to become visible when, in fact, they should be visible while they’re being excellent, always. I love an audience member who tells me they've been, they feel like they have been seen. Because of something they have been going through, that they have been carrying quietly, that I elevated for the room. Those moments are what keeps me going, they remind me that, my speaking is not just delivering content. It, it can be affirmation, activation, and strategy at the same time. For me, it is always about the impact, in addition to my intent, right?
But having purpose does not remove the need for your systems. If you want speaking to become a part of your business, then you need a process, you need a way to track leads, you need templates, you need proposal structure, you need pricing, you need follow up. And you need someone, even if that someone is you at first, making sure that the business doesn’t depend entirely on your channelling or your memory.
If you’re still listening to this podcast, and particularly if you’ve learned, listened to the entire series, and you’re still wondering if you have the right to speak. I’m gonna speak, and say this directly to you. You don’t need to be the most famous person in your field. You don’t need to have everything figured out. You don’t need to, have all the, dots crossed and the i’s dotted, you know what I mean. You have something meaningful to say, you have expertise, you just need a clear audience that needs it, a commitment to yourself to continue to get better. Right? As we talked about during the confidence series, confidence is not always a starting point. Sometimes, confidence is gonna be the result of you doing the work repeatedly, consistently, and well. So start where you are, say yes to the right rooms, build your message, record yourself, ask for feedback, share your thinking publicly. Build relationships, definitely strengthen those brand assets, and then start pitching. Pitching with clarity. Prepare for the things you’re doing with care, and follow up with intention. And then do those things again, wash, rinse, and repeat. And as you continue to do it again, remember you’re speaking career is not gonna be built by one perfect moment. It is all consistency. It’s built by the way you make people feel after hearing you. It’s the problems you are solving by your content. It’s the relationships that you have built. It is built by your courage to keep on refining, your voice. Definitely that, while also using your voice.
So as I close this series, I’m going to tell you, you need to take action. Write your speaker send-ins, audit your brand, identify three audiences that need to hear your message. And then draft a few pitches. And definitely ask for testimonials from people who heard you speak. These small steps will compound, and you’ll then be a speaker too. With that my friends, that is the So You Want to Be a Speaker series. There’s been five episodes in this series, if this is the first one you’re hearing, go back a little bit and listen to the other ones. I hope that this series has challenged you, encouraged you, and given you some practical next steps. And, if it was valuable, and I know it was, share with somebody else who you know has been sitting, with a message, or desire to be a speaker. Share it with someone who needs to know that, speaking can be built if you do it strategically, intentionally, and authentically. And with that y’all, it’s Paula Edgar, and I’m encouraging you to stand by your brand, and also come find me at PaulaEdgar.com and at LinkedIn, and if you need a speaker, consider me. Bye everybody.
That’s it for this episode, I appreciate you hanging out with me at Branding Room Only. Now, please do me a quick favor, head over to ratethispodcast.com/branding so more people can join this conversation. And make sure to stop by PaulaEdgar.com/events to see what’s next. Whether I’m live, online, or in person I’d love to see you there. See you next time in the branding room, and until then stand tall, shine bright, and always stand by your brand.
