“I feel guilty to charge [money] for what I love to do…one woman said, ‘They should pay you because it’s your gift, you shouldn’t feel guilty about it.’”
Few stories capture the grit and transformation behind a speaking business like Stephanie Dauphin’s journey. This week, Grant Baldwin chats with Stephanie on The Speaker Lab podcast about investing over a decade in her craft—often speaking for free, wrangling self-doubt, and struggling with the idea that meaningful, joyful work can (and should) be well-paid.
Her turning point wasn’t just learning how to market herself or build a keynote. It was doing the mindset work: identifying and letting go of limiting beliefs around money, motherhood, and self-worth, many rooted in her upbringing. Stephanie is honest about the messy process, the fear of charging what you’re worth, and the inner resistance that can sabotage your best opportunities.
What shines through is her hard-earned wisdom: fulfillment comes from embracing your gifts, serving others, and having the courage to genuinely value yourself. Stephanie’s story is proof that your passion deserves to be your profession—and that the most important shift is believing you’re worth every bit of it. If you’re doubting what’s possible, let Stephanie’s journey remind you that building your dream starts with betting on yourself, even when the path forward is unclear.
You’ll learn:
- How authority can be a speaker’s asset
- The challenges of remote work and its effect on workplace relationships
- Issues around charging for speaking engagements
- Strategies for overcoming mindset obstacles
- Stephanie’s experience with The Speaker Lab
- About building a mailing list and using content to generate referrals
- The importance of designing a speaking career around family needs
- Step for self-development
- And much, much more!
“More and more people are working remotely, and it has a big effect on team cohesion.”
