Student Success Stories: Dale Wilsher

Here at The Speaker Lab, our goal is to help you get Booked and Paid to Speak. Our Student Success Stories share first hand experiences from our students of how they’ve booked paid speaking gigs and grown their businesses by applying the concepts they learned in our courses.

WHY TSL?

I’ve been speaking for 15 years to the faith-based space to women conferences and lots of mom groups. I basically got paid in Starbucks cards and potpourri. I heard Grant speak at a conference and he recommended the speaker calculator to determine how much you should charge as a speaker. When I checked it out I knew I needed The Speaker Lab so that I could stop getting paid in Starbucks cards and potpourri and start making real money as a professional speaker. 

Today I speak to audiences about understanding their strengths and finding their purpose so they leverage their time and talent and make a difference in this world.

HOW DID THE SPEAK FRAMEWORK IMPACT YOUR SPEAKING BUSINESS?

The SPEAK Framework really helped with clarification and validation to start. I had my own website and demo, so going through module 3 – Establishing Your Expertise and having Rick as my coach to walk me through those components, helped me solidify I was on the right path with both of those assets. 

Rick walked me through my website and helped customize some things to ensure I was set up to win. Remember, I was transitioning from faith-based to corporate, so I wanted that to be reflected in all of the marketing assets. Rick was really helpful in helping me achieving this. 

The templates for the emails and the frequency of the reach outs have been very helpful. In fact, I still use these a few years later in my speaking business. 

WHAT RESULTS ARE YOU EXPERIENCING?

My word for the year is breakthrough. So I’ve been waiting for my big breakthrough of 2023. One thing I did was write a check to myself for $15,000. I don’t charge $15k for my speaking fees, so I really didn’t know where this would come from.

Well, I recently booked my highest paying gig to date at $15k!! I’ll be doing a keynote at a leadership conference and I offered to do a workshop. I like to do that because I’m also a coach, so that allows me to have other services that I can offer people and therefore, work more closely with them to achieve their goals. Additionally, I get to know more people.

Going forward, I am going to write bigger checks! 

I started leaning into the start-up world but quickly discovered that it wasn’t for me. I think it’s really important as you build to test your market. See what you enjoy and what gains the most traction for you. 

Rick also helped me narrow down my industry, which was a challenge for me. I had some traction in the Chambers Executives statewide and then Association Executives. I am doing a bit more with female executives in healthcare and of course, I continue to speak at women’s and leadership conferences.

WHO WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO THE SPEAKER LAB?

Anyone who’s not making real money in speaking and wants to create a more viable stream of income from their speaking.

People like myself who are in other businesses but also want to get paid to speak. The Speaker Lab is so comprehensive I believe they can help anyone improve their business with speaking. 

Being around people who are or have done speaking like Rick and the other coaches who have gone before and can model what needs to be done was huge for me. So anybody who wants to speak, in any industry that needs structure, support, and accountability. If you’re coachable, I have no doubt The Speaker Lab will get you there. 

Want to know exactly what to say to land more paid speaking gigs?

We’ll send you the exact three emails you can send to conference planners and event organizers that lead to Grant Baldwin (our founder) booking over $2M in speaking gigs. 

Practical Advice and Strategies for Building Your Speaking Business

Training, case studies, and our best tips and tricks to help you find and book more paid speaking gigs than ever before.

Why Speaking is the Best Second Career
Introduction The idea of switching careers after a decade or more in one field is by no means a new one. As new industries enter the arena and the economy causes others to wane, you...
8 Objections to Starting a Speaking Business–And Why You Shouldn’t Let Them Stop you
Introduction Here at The Speaker Lab, we have taught many aspiring speakers how to launch a speaking business and scale it into a successful and sustainable brand. Streamlining the process of getting booked and paid...
9 speaking industry trends to watch in 2023.
9 Speaking Industry Trends to Watch in 2023. Each new year brings new challenges and opportunities for speakers. We’re already a couple months into 2023 and things are changing fast. While the outlook for many...
The Benefits of Being a Member of a Professional Speaking Organization
Introduction Speaking can be a lonely job. As you travel solo and speak for a new audience every time, the need for community is often pressing. Community also makes a big difference to your business...
10 Things They Don’t Tell You About Speaking
Introduction Some people think being a speaker is super glamorous. Some think it’s super intimidating. Well, it’s a little bit of both. Like many nontraditional professional fields, speaking is rife with misconceptions (we cover a...
How to Build an Audience as a Speaker
Introduction Every speaker needs an audience. For your message to have impact, people have to hear it. Preferably, lots of people! But when you’re just getting off the ground, it isn’t obvious how to build...
How to Negotiate Your Speaker Fee
Introduction  For many of us, public speaking is an incredibly important skill to hone, both professionally and personally. But all too often speakers don't recognize the importance of putting boundaries around this skill. That's why,...
How a TEDx Talk can boost your speaking career
Introduction  Is giving a TED Talk or a TEDx Talk on your bucket list? If so, it could truly be an amazing stepping stone to building your brand as a speaker and growing your speaking...
How to Make Effective Use of Body Language as a Speaker
Introduction No matter how well-crafted your talk is, poor body language can butcher the whole thing. We aren’t saying that to scare you, but to empower you to work on your body language alongside other...
The Speaker Lab Reviews
The Speaker Lab Reviews We are proud of the positive reviews we've received from our students, who have worked with The Speaker Lab to make their businesses more efficient, predictable, and profitable. See just a...