In this episode of Your Dream Business Podcast, host Teresa Heath‑Wareing talks with Lauren Davis, a marketing & brand consultant, about how public speaking can boost your business. Lauren shares her journey into speaking, offers a framework for deciding whether to say “yes” to unpaid gigs, compares keynotes vs. workshops, and shows how to make the most of events (think networking, pro photos/videos). A big emphasis is put on making sure speaking opportunities align with your values and business goals.

Key Takeaways

• Choose Speaking Gigs That Align with Your Values & Goals

Not every opportunity is worth taking. Lauren emphasizes evaluating engagements based on how well they match your personal values, the audience, and your long‑term business vision. Saying yes to misaligned opportunities can dilute your brand and effort.

• Weigh the Difference Between Keynotes, Workshops, Paid & Unpaid Gigs

Workshops and keynotes serve different purposes. Workshops might offer more interaction, learning, or depth, while keynotes often give broader visibility. Similarly, unpaid gigs aren’t always “bad”—they can offer exposure, networking, or content. But you need criteria (audience, promotion, platform) to decide whether the cost in time/energy is worth it.

• Maximize What Each Event Gives You

Treat speaking engagements not just as “one‑off gigs” but as opportunities. Get professional photos/videos, leverage them for marketing, build relationships with other attendees/speakers, and ensure organizers promote you well. These extras amplify the value of the speaking moments.

LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE

Connect with Lauren on Instagram, Linkedin, Website Freebie:

• 20+ Memorable Speaker Share Their Secret Tips
• 100+ Content Prompts For Speakers

Connect with Teresa on Website, (Grow, Launch, Sell), Sign up to Teresa's email list, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook

Transcript

Teresa: Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Your Dream Business podcast. I am, Teresa Heath-Wareing your host as always, and this week we have an interview and we're actually talking about. Something that was [00:01:00] so good. Well, every interview I have is so good. Like, I dunno why I just said that, but this, this is like a subject very close to my heart. We're talking about speaking. Now. If you are not a speaker and you don't want to be a speaker, you might be thinking, well, this episode's not gonna work for me. This, you know, this is not gonna be what I need to listen to. But the conversation that we had was so good and included so much that basically, I think people think of speaking as stood on stage. When speaking is when we talk about us and our business and we're connecting with people and we're having conversations. So I think there is so much that you can take from this episode, even if you don't wanna be a speaker. So let me tell you about who I'm chatting with. Today I'm talking with the lovely Lauren Davis. Lauren is a marketing and brand consultant that helps speakers and entrepreneurs establish a memorable personal brand resulting in Magnetic, easy for me to say engagement and lifelong clients. Lauren and I met because we were both doing sessions at Atomicon and I instantly [00:02:00] loved what she was saying and I instantly loved her take on things and. We actually talked, even though she has a lot of stuff to do with personal branding and becoming a personal brand. We use this entire conversation to talk about speaking because it's something that a Lauren helps with. Lauren helps speakers. Lauren is a speaker, and I just loved talking about it and talking about what it really is because people think that, well, there's so many misconceptions with speaking. People think a, you make a load of money from speaking. That is not always the case. And sometimes isn't the case. People think that when they speak, they want to get on the big massive stages. They don't wanna start small. I started very small and also they think they wanna be the next Mel Robbins or the next keynote, inspirational motivational speaker, and we talk about. So much good stuff in this episode about what it really is [00:03:00] like to be a speaker, what it can really do for your business. And like I said, even if you're not planning on being a speaker, I think it's definitely worth listening to this episode with Lauren. We chat about how you prep for speaking. We talk about different ways in which the way I prep, which is. Very different to the way other people prep. We talk about do you still get nervous and what that means, and if that's a good or a bad thing. And then we talk about what's the difference between a keynote talk and a workshop or a strategy style talk. And like I said, it's one better than the other. Then how you decide whether you want to speak somewhere or if someone asks you to speak whether it's worth being paid or not. She has a really good framework with some things that made me think so hard about this, and it was genius. Some of the stuff that she said about some of the questions you should be asking yourself or some of the things you should be looking at. When you decide whether to speak somewhere and [00:04:00] also if there's a budget or not a budget, because some places will not pay you. And we talk about this and how do you know whether you should speak for free or not speak for free. And she has a really great framework for this, which she's gonna take you through. So like I said, whether you wanna speak or not, Lauren is just the nicest person anyway. And like I said, I've had the pleasure of meeting her in person, having lots of conversations with her. I've been on Lauren's podcast as well. I just think this is a really cool conversation. Um, but if you do wanna speak or if you are a speaker and you wanna know more about it or you've started, then this is definitely, definitely gonna give you so much value. So, without further ado, here is the very lovely Lauren. Lauren, welcome to the podcast. Lauren: I am so happy we are finally doing this podcast. We have, we met one year ago today. No one needs to know, know when this is, but Teresa: no, we met Lauren: a year ago today, and we've been planning this podcast episode ever since. Teresa: Literally, and it was like. You had to change. I had to change. You had to change. I had to change. And it was like we finally get to the point where it's like, [00:05:00] yes, we're on the call. So we just had a really lovely catch up. So we've already been chatting for about half an hour, which I love. I know. And, and at some point we were like, no, we probably should get on with recording the interview next. So, but I am. So happy to have you on because we actually met at the at Atomic on in 2024. Where are we now? 25. Because you were doing, we both did a fringe event for Andrew and Pete to run Atomic on. Yes. And you were doing an event at the same time as me. And that was the first time we met. And then we went to the speaker dinner and we just hit it off and it was awesome. And. I'm really excited and I dunno whether I'm really excited to talk about this today's subject because I literally have just come off the back of coming back from Atomic Con 2025, which is where my voice sounds a little bit. 'cause it's a lot, right? Like you've been to the event, it's a big event. There's a a lot of people, it's a lot of fun. But boy is it exhausting. So, so I'm really excited that it's kind of strange that. That's how we met, and it's a year later, but, and the subject we're talking about. So what we're talking [00:06:00] about is being a speaker. So, yes. What I wanna start with is why should someone even consider being a speaker? If they are an online business owner, course creator, coach, membership owner, what? Why should they even consider it? Lauren: Oh, I love speaking as a visibility tool, and I know you talk all about visibility. Mm-hmm. But it is such a powerful way. To show people your personality. It's a powerful way to book your next speaking gig. It's a, it's a powerful way to bring people in at the top of your funnel. You know, if we're talking in marketing language, right? But if we're talking in non-marketing language, it's just a really great way to make a whole bunch of new friends all on the same day who are just going to be your cheerleaders and encourage you and check in with what's next and connect with you and. It is my favorite. It's absolutely my favorite way to become more known. Teresa: Did you, how did you get into speaking? That's something that people [00:07:00] ask me. I think when you get to a certain level of speaker, people wanna know the steps you took to get there. So how did you start speaking, or how did you even discover that was something you wanted to do? Lauren: I really, I will say that I really love being a, like a workshop speaker or a facilitation speaker, and so I am not like your typical speaker whose like desire is to be a keynoter, right? Mm-hmm. That's not really my, that's not my big desire, my big dream. But I do love the workshop side of it. And so when I first. Oh gosh. I realized this year I'm celebrating 15 years in business for myself, which is just Oh, wow. Absolutely bonkers. Yeah. Teresa: That is amazing. Lauren: Um, I knew it started in 2010. I never wrote down the date or anything, so I probably should just pick a date on the calendar and celebrate it. But in about 20 16, 20 17. I started going to lots of conferences and meeting a lot of speakers and getting to know [00:08:00] them, and in my hometown I had started a non-for-profit for local business owners and small business owners, and I would gather them once a month to have networking events. I would speak to them. So we'd have 40 to 50 business owners show up. I'd speak to them. I would teach them something, or I'd bring in a speaker from either slightly out of town or a speaker from our local community to talk. So I started really studying what they were doing. I started. Studying what the speakers at these conferences were doing, and I started putting together that really the essence of a speaker on stage. What they're really doing is building this community and building a network, and that is the same thing that local business owners need to do. So then I started going to these conferences, meeting speakers and saying like, will you come back to my. City. I live in Rockford, Illinois, which is the second biggest city in Illinois. And I would say come, come back to Rockford, which is not necessarily a [00:09:00] major city that people go to all the time. Come to Rockford and come speak to this conference of small business owners for 250 people. And I would host these conferences. They would rival the type of conferences that were at, like these big conferences, right? But they were all for small local business owners. So then I got really. Nerdy about how do you plan a conference? What kinds of of speakers are conference owners looking for? Like how do you book the right speaker for the right event? Because I had to make sure that these speakers, when they came in. They weren't expecting a bunch of marketers. They were going to be talking to small business owners. So I really got this really well-rounded education through life of planning and hosting my own conferences, speaking and hosting my own meetup events that were really professional and, and really, really cool and dynamic with so many different types of businesses in them. And then also speaking myself as I got to know more speakers, as I got to know more personalities. [00:10:00] Having them say, Hey, can you come speak to us about. About this organization that you run or about your personal branding and marketing business or mm-hmm. About the record store that I used to own, you know, like building a legendary local business. They started asking me to kind of talk about these things and that's really how I sell into the speaking orbit, I would say. Mm-hmm. Because it was, it was not just one thing. It wasn't just like, oh, here, let me have a chance to get on stage, or I didn't apply for one. Yeah. One speaking gig and then I got on stage. It was just, um, a whole bunch of different universes coming together to put me in the right place at the right time. Teresa: Okay. I love it. So there's a few things that you brought up that I wanna touch on. Yes. So, first thing I wanna ask, which I think lots of people are going to wander about is do you get nervous? And how do you get over that nerves thing? Because I think when you, if you are not a speaker. And even if you want to be, I mean, some people just straight up don't wanna be, and if they don't wanna be absolutely fine, [00:11:00] great. I think if you are listening to this and you don't wanna be a speaker, I don't think this is gonna be an episode that you think, oh well this is a waste of time. Because I think what you're doing as a speaker is you're making those connections. You are presenting yourself, you're doing all these things. So I think you're definitely still gonna get stuff from it. But I think the nervous thing or the, I would be too scared. So does that ever bother you? Have you ever had that to, to worry about? Lauren: Oh my goodness, yes. Every time. No, I will, I'll say that. I know that, you know, we, we've heard the statistic a lot. Like speaking is one of the number one fears. Mm-hmm. Like, aside from dying or something like, I don't know what the real statistic is, but it's, it's pretty high up there. I, I'm here to tell you that I've spoken like maybe a hundred times and I never not get nervous. That is very true. I always shake a little in the beginning. I always have that nervous moment. It does get better with practice and when you know your material front and back and you have, you have [00:12:00] practiced it, don't I procrastinators unite out there? I understand. I am A DHD. It's so easy to procrastinate till the last minute, but you have to. That will help you. Okay. It's not just mindset stuff. Rehearsing really, really helps. And then the second thing is I always take a second, go in the the bathroom or wherever if I have micd up and make sure you turn the mic off. Yeah, Teresa: yeah. Sat in the bathroom and then you, and then I go in Lauren: there and I start and I try to. Imagine and visualize how people will feel after I give the talk. Mm-hmm. So I visualize the impact that I might make if I do a good job. If I help people, what will they walk away with? What kind of action will they ha will they take after my talk? Like how will it affect them? Will they come up to me and they'll say like, oh, that was so good. Thank you so much for helping me with this. That really helped. So I start to try to imagine the impact it'll make. And I also tell myself if I can walk away from this event [00:13:00] helping, you know, at least half the room feel like they can do something that they couldn't do before, that is 100% worth it to me. Teresa: Yeah, totally. So one thing you just said, and then I'm gonna go back to another thing you said previously that I wanna touch up. Yes. You talked about practicing. So Andrew and Pete, who obviously we both know 'cause of Atomic on. Lauren: Yeah. Teresa: Andrew said to me, me a few days before the event, how's your rehearsing going? And I was like. Rehearsing Andrew, do you not know me right, because I now, it's not that I don't practice, I do, but my practicing looks different maybe to someone else's. So I remember, I dunno if you know Mike Morrison. So he's has a company called Membership Geeks. And when he talks, and we had a conversation, Mike and I, about this, and basically when he speaks, he writes a script, a full proper script. He then reads the script verbatim, records himself. Listens to it as he sleeps and he delivers it verbatim. What like, I mean, [00:14:00] your face, Lauren says it all, but like literally that I could not do. If I can practice like that slide come next, that I'll probably talk about that at this point. Then we move into this bit. So practice can look so different, can't it? 'cause I would do that whereas Mike is literally doing it verbatim. So is yours more like on my side or Mike's side? Lauren: Oh my gosh. Okay. Yeah, mine is more on your side for sure. So actually, you know what? It's really interesting. I'm a little bit of both. So I generally script out most of my talk and, and then I kind of put that script inside the notes of my slides. So that way if I need a little reminder, I can kind of, as I'm rehearsing, I can look at the notes of my slides. Mm-hmm. I have another speaker that I work with a lot who prints out the slides, prints, you know, with a printer, and then writes bullet points underneath each slide for them to remember, because writing it down physically helps them [00:15:00] remember what they want to talk about on that slide and remembers the story that they wanna talk about....