Who do you speak to and what do you speak about?
I speak to colleges and high schools, within the education realm, nonprofits, and I inspire leaders or students to recognize themselves as extraordinary leaders to become contributing members to the community.
What was happening or not happening in your business that made you decide to do The Speaker Lab?
I had just recently got a bigger role at the position in my company that I worked for, and to be honest with you, I was getting speaking gigs, at the minimum, probably one a year or something like that.
But the one that I did was like a free one. And then I decided to continue to invest in myself because I was big on listening to different entrepreneurs, and I heard Alex Ramon talking about, “If you want to make a hundred grand in your business, you’ve got to invest 10 grand. If you want to make a million, you got to invest 100 grand.”
So I was saying, “Hey, 100 grand sounds nice in the business on top of the money that I make already,’ so I was like, “Let’s get it.” So I just invested that 10 grand in myself. And that’s pretty much why I did it.
I love that you talk about how you had to make an investment and now, you’re reaping the fruit of that. Did you have any fears or apprehensions at the start of your journey?
It was pretty much smooth sailing. I don’t like to brag but I’ve always been told I had the gift of gab and have this energy that kind of draws people in.
So even when I was speaking, it was pretty easy for me. I never was nervous. I was just excited to be honest with you. That’s pretty much how it’s been for me.
What were some of the moments or key takeaways from the SPEAK framework itself?
To be honest with you, while it was the SPEAK framework, I would say I benefited the most from the regular Zoom call where people talk about how they’re doing.
Someone just said something so simple, but it was profound at the same time. She was saying she just calls places for her ideal clients and just asks them straight up: “Who is responsible for hiring public speakers?” And I was like, “Oh, okay!” So I just started doing that and it really has been that simple.
And you know, not everybody believes in the Bible or believes in God, but I was thinking about how this reminds me of, “Ask and you shall receive.”
I’ve been in sales since I was 18, so almost 10 years, and I always thought about the idea of how you really have to ask for the sale to get it. You actually have to ask. Then you can worry about the negotiation part afterwards.
But a lot of people have that fear of asking, so her just saying that simple question–I started doing that with everything and now, I’ve been able to close speaking engagements just like that.
Well that leads to the next question which is what have been your results and highlights as a speaker?
The first highlight that I had came from a referral. From doing The Speaker Lab, I got more confident telling people, “Hey I’m a public speaker. I’m the greatest motivational speaker ever,” so I always say that. Someone came into one of my schools, and we were just talking, and she ended up referring me to somebody.
The Speaker Lab helped me get a good idea for starting prices, for how to negotiate my prices, so I was able to make $500 for speaking 45 minutes, and I was like, “Dang, okay!”
And then I got another speaking gig, which I thought was free. But then they ended up sending me 200 bucks just for speaking real quick at a little workshop and I was like, “Wow, okay.”
Before I was struggling with even getting free speaking gigs, but then after that zoom call, I started asking people and I just got stacked up, and now I’ve been having at least one per month since the beginning of the year.
I’ve already done four and I have two more. I already got six or seven already booked for 2025.
That’s amazing. Going from one free gig a year to 6 booked and paid gigs by April. That’s progress! Congratulations! How is it feeling to be on those stages and know that you’re getting paid to share your message?
Well to be honest with you, you need money to have impact, and I do a lot of philanthropy anyway at my current job, so I take 5%-10% percent of my income and put it towards different things in my community, give it to schools, give it to sports teams in my community, but it’s nice to have a couple extra money to get other things. I just bought a new car and that’s awesome.
Though it’s not even about the money for me, it’s about the impact. Seeing the speakers that came before me and like Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and people that were doing so much for the community–I see that and I was thinking, “I could do that,” and now, it may not be the whole audience, but just having one student say they’re impacted is what it’s all about.
Even though I started with the education realm, it started to expand where CEOs are coming and talking to me and asking me about my leadership skills and what I would recommend.
I’m talking to people who have million-dollar companies, and they’re asking me to come speak or be on this podcast.
I’ve been able to meet some great people too as well and it’s just like, “Dang, I really have an impact on people.” Just one person, one kid, one CEO, one leader, and they have an aha moment? That’s what I love the most.
Totally – the money is one thing but knowing that the work you’re doing is significant is a whole other thing. And you can’t really put a price on that.
What’s your new normal these days? How would you say your life has changed since doing The Speaker Lab?
I’ve always been a guy that’s got a list of 60 things that I’m gonna get done every single day in different areas of my life, so I’m learning Spanish, painting, and playing chess every day. I read 100 books a year, so this is just something that I added to it to the point where now my car ride is learning time.
So I’m going back through The Speaker Lab. I’m going back through the program again. I’ll be calling my schools now because I’m always on the move. I’m always going from place to place. I’m on the road for at least an hour so that’s just learning time now, where it’s time for me to do my outreach.
I’m just finding ways to bundle in time for The Speaker Lab, and yeah it’s been great. Now I have something to listen to on top of the other marketing podcast and stuff that I listen to.
And we have so much content in there. You could listen for, I don’t even know how long it would take to listen to everything!
Yeah, I love listening to that because to me, I learn more by doing, you know what I mean?
So the first time I went through The Speaker Lab, I met with a coach and he was like, “Hey, you could slow down and make sure you do it right.” But I’m like a person that’s got to get done, and then if it’s wrong, I’ll redo it.
I get better by doing it. So I listen to those interviews because I like hearing from people who’ve already done it.
And now I’m picking little things. That’s how I got that idea of just calling it, because I was picking the brain of somebody who’s already done it.
Yes, that’s why we always encourage people to get in front of their coaches, because the coaching team is all speakers themselves. It’s such a nice thing that they can actually tell you what’s really working in their day to day.
And then those group calls, as you mentioned, being in a community of speakers where there’s maybe 40 people on the call who are out in their own communities working to build their speaking business–everyone has nuggets of wisdom to share.
Those can be really inspiring calls.
Absolutely. And even with doing that and having that community, I’ve had people reach out to me asking, “Can you help me? Can you break down how you’ve been doing this?”
I tell them, “This is how I do my daily routine” and they just love to just hear what I’m doing so I’m just glad to be able to help somebody else as well.
That’s awesome, Carlos. Well, what would you say to someone who’s maybe on the fence about doing the program themselves and who would you recommend to do The Speaker Lab?
I’m a big storyteller, so we’ve all been swimming before. A lot of times when people are trying to go swimming, say, it’s a hot summer day.
Water’s a little cold, they dip their toe in and it’s a little chilly…Then they may go for their foot, then their knee…I say just jump straight into the pool.
I just get wet real fast and I get used to the temperature. So that was my idea when I came to The Speaker Lab.
If you’re thinking about just being on the fence and dipping your toe in, I can say it’s definitely worth the investment because if you’re paying that money, you are going to work your behind off. That was me – I was like, “I’m getting through this because I’m paying all this money.” So that’s how I look at it.
I would recommend it not just for people who want to be in the speaker realm, but for coaches and consultants too.
I have a coaching business where I’m teaching leadership and marketing and branding, and what I do is when I’m speaking on stage, and I’m sharing that content, it puts me as an authority in that industry.
So when you’re an authority in your realm, you can use the speaking gigs, and sell books or sell something else too. And that’s something I learned from Dean Kennedy, but The Speaker Lab put it all together and simplified it for me.
100%. Yeah, all the things can go together. We have a ton of coaches and consultants as well. So you’re spot on. That’s awesome, Carlos. Well, thanks so much for sharing congrats on the success you’re finding. Is there anything else you want to share while we’re on the call?
I spoke at a mental health summit recently, and one of the speakers there said, “You can move fast alone or you can move further together.”
So when I think of that quote in my life, I know I was moving kind of fast. But you can only get so far by yourself. It’s important to invest in mentors, but not even just mentors. The real meat and potatoes is in the community. Seeing other people do it–that’s what’s gonna get you further along in your business.
I totally agree. You’ve left me with a lot of good wisdom today. So thanks so much, Carlos.