This live, virtual group workshop series is for emerging speakers who've landed a few gigs and are ready to take their speaking careers to the next level, but aren't sure what to do next.
LIVE ONLINE COACHING | INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY | EXPERT SUPPORT
You're tired of winging it, but aren't sure what to do next.
Tired of "winging it" when it comes to your speaking career? So many speakers I work with have the fire and the skills with dynamite talks that resonate deeply with their audiences, but they lack the infrastructure and the systems to achieve a viable revenue stream when it comes to speaking.
This 8-week course takes the guesswork out of all of that.
Your Program Structure
For 8 weeks inside The Business Behind the Mic, you will participate in live meetings, group exercises, and homework facilitated by me, a speaking industry veteran, to build your roadmap and engine towards an active speaking career with more opportunities to speak.
Course Modules
Week #1:
Tuesday, September 8th,
11 - 12 pm ET
Group kickoff
call
We'll review expectations set for ourselves and for each other, share our speaking goals, and dream a little.
Week #2 / Module #1
Tuesday, September 15th,
11 - 12 pm ET
Elevated
branding
This class is the foundation for a professional speaker brand. It sets the stage to get you paid on stage! A can't miss.
Week #3 / Module #2
Tuesday, September 22nd, 11 - 12 pm ET
Develop your Signature Talk
You'll learn how to identify and package topics that you speak naturally and passionately about in a way that's attractive to event planners with group exercises and a homework assignment to write a Talk Title & Description we'll review together in the next class, even if you've already started one.
Week #4 / Module #3
Tuesday, September 29th , 11 - 12 pm ET
Lock in Sales Strategy
Our goal is to get you paid on the best stages possible with your ideal customers in the audience. This class teaches you where to find those viable opportunities and how to pursue them in an organized and intentional way.
Week #5 / Module #4
Tuesday, October 6th,
11 - 12 pm ET
This class takes the guesswork out of reaching out to speaking opportunities and helps you put your best foot forward.
Pitches, Pricing + Proposals
Week #6
Tuesday, October 13th
There will be no meeting this week because you are working on specific homework that’s been given related to previous weeks.
Week #7 / Module #5
Tuesday, October 20th,
11 - 12 pm ET
General business infastructure
At this point, you'll have the necessary foundation built to be confident putting yourself out there. But a viable speaking career requires thinking like a business owner. In this session, you'll learn the shit nobody tells you about being a paid speaker (that I'll tell you).
Week #8
Tuesday, October 27th,
11 - 12 pm ET
There are certain things you must know if you're going to get on bigger stages. In this final week, you'll learn how to get booked.
How to get hired
Business Behind the Mic is for you if:
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You’ve done at least 5 gigs and know your message resonates.
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You’re ready to stop trading your time for a free lunch and start commanding professional fees that reflect your value.
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Your Marketing needs work; you feel a pang of "speaker envy" when you see others with polished one-sheets, sleek websites, and clear niche topics.
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The business side of your speaking career feels like a black hole: You love being on stage, but you have no system for finding leads, sending professional proposals, or tracking your outreach.
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You can talk about a lot of different things, but you realize that to get booked, you need a Signature Talk that makes you the go-to expert.
After these 8 weeks,
you will have:
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a refined, visible brand as a speaker
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items checklist for an optimal branded Speaker One Sheet PDF
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clarity about your target audiences
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completed Signature Talk title and description to pitch immediately
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list of 10+ relevant, viable speaking opportunities to apply to
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email pitch templates to use for best outreach
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confidence that you are putting your best foot forward when submitting speaker proposals
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best practices for navigating the speaking industry with courage and ease
You can keep throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks, but I know you want more for yourself.
I want more for you, too.
Hi, I'm Ashley.
There's a purple sticky note on my desk that reminds me of MY WHY. It says, "more women need to be behind the mic."
I've spent the last 15 years helping leaders and founders navigate the speaking world and build businesses around their individual brands, all the while learning how to find my own voice, speak up, and be heard as a speaker myself.
MY WHY is the reason I've built this online workshop series. There's too much ambiguity and not enough systems in place for women building businesses around their speaking careers.
It's time your voice is heard. Don't let the business of speaking be an obstacle.
Here's to getting more time behind the mic,
Business Behind the Mic is $1,750 total.
This is less than the commission you’d pay a speaker bureau on just one entry-level keynote.
You'll pay more for a single, professionally edited 3-minute speaker sizzle reel.
This is a tax write-off and business investment.
Cost Comparison
If you were to hire experts for each of these modules individually, here is what you would realistically spend in today’s market:
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Brand Elevation: Hire a Brand Strategist ($,2500)
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Develop Your Signature Talk: Hire a speechwriter/story consultant ($3,500)
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Pitching & Proposals: Hire a business consultant ( $1,200+)
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Sales Strategy: Buy a sales training program ($2,000)
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Navigate the speaking industry and avoid years of costly mistakes: (Priceless)
that totals $9,200+
Cynthia Carey, former PR at Kelly
“Ashley played a key role in coaching our executives on how to show up online with authenticity, influence, and purpose."
Kjessie Essue, Co-founder
“Ashley is truly the most amazing speaker's agent. She walked me through all the steps I didn't know I needed to better position myself as a speaker."
Beth Baker, Owner
"If you need someone who is equal parts hype-woman, human caffeine shot, and gentle-but-effective ass-kicker...talk to Ash."