How Dierdre Turned Her Passion Into Purpose and Found the Structure to Share It With the World
For most of her life, Dierdre Wolownick has lived at the intersection of creativity, curiosity, and courage.
She’s a musician, educator, writer, and adventurer, fluent in eight languages and deeply passionate about helping others reach their full potential. But when it came to turning her speaking dreams into a structured, sustainable business, Dierdre knew she needed something more.
“I’m a language person. I speak eight languages and have taught five,” she says. “But the business side of speaking is the opposite side of the brain, and I’ve struggled with that for years. I needed help with structure, and that’s exactly what The Speaker Lab does so well.”
Finding the Right System
After decades of teaching and performing, Dierdre had already been speaking to audiences of all kinds — from bookstores and schools to climbing gyms and corporate groups. Her message was always the same: anyone can accomplish their dreams with the right plan.
Her talks, and her book, center around one key idea: dreams don’t happen by accident; they happen by process.
But while she could teach others how to pursue their dreams, she realized she needed a clearer plan for her own speaking business.
“I’ve been an educator for over 44 years, so I recognize good teaching techniques,” she says. “The Speaker Lab’s framework is organized, structured, and easy to remember. That’s exactly what good teaching should be, and I appreciate that deeply.”
A Method That Works
When Dierdre joined The Speaker Lab, she dove into the program without hesitation.
“None at all,” she laughs. “I knew I was in the right place.”
She quickly found that what she needed wasn’t more inspiration, it was execution. The Speaker Lab gave her the step-by-step “how” she’d been missing: from prospecting and tracking outreach to building a process she could repeat.
“Prospecting was eye-opening for me. I understood the concept, but The Speaker Lab gave it structure—what to do, in what order, and how to keep track of it all. Keeping track was always my biggest challenge, and now I finally have a system.”
That system started paying off. Over the past few months, Dierdre has booked and delivered a number of gigs including keynotes for multiple chapters of the California Writers Club, a feature at the Las Vegas Book Festival, and a book signing at Basecamp Outfitters.
The Speaker Lab helped her refine her approach and strengthen her delivery, turning her natural passion into professional momentum.
“It’s helped me not just know what to do, but how to approach it,” she says.
Impact That Lasts
To date, Dierdre has spoken at nearly 95 events, and each one reaffirms why she does what she does.
“When people come up after a talk and say, ‘I had no idea’ or ‘Thank you,’ there’s nothing that compares to that,” she says. “That sense of making a difference is what keeps me going.”
For Dierdre, The Speaker Lab didn’t just help her grow as a speaker. It gave her a framework to sustain her impact and continue doing the work she loves for years to come.
“My book is a step-by-step ‘how-to’ for pursuing a dream—not an inspirational book, because people who seek this already have the inspiration,” she explains. “They just need the process. The Speaker Lab has been that process for my speaking business.”
Paying It Forward
When she’s not speaking or writing, Dierdre participates in Gig Getters meetings at The Speaker Lab, soaking up insights and sharing her own experiences with other speakers in the program.
“They’re fascinating,” she says. “I love hearing what others are doing and learning little pieces from them. It’s all valuable—you just have to take the time to absorb it and put the pieces together.”
Asked who she would recommend The Speaker Lab to, Dierdre doesn’t hesitate.
“Anyone who is struggling to get out there and speak, or who wants to become a speaker, would benefit,” she says. “There are so many inspirational programs out there, but people who have a dream already have inspiration. What they need is the how. The Speaker Lab teaches the how. That’s why I love it.”
From Dream to Plan
Dierdre’s story is proof that you don’t need to choose between creativity and structure. With the right tools and guidance, they can work hand in hand.
Her mission now is simple: help others see that any dream, no matter how bold, can become reality with the right plan.
And thanks to The Speaker Lab, she now has the framework to share that message with audiences around the world.