145 Invent Your Own Path – Thom Singer

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There are many pathways to becoming a professional speaker. Today’s guest shares why you should invent your own path and reveals lots of practical tips to boost your speaking career and stand out from the crowd.

Thom Singer has an eclectic background working in sales, marketing, and business development roles for Fortune 500 companies, law firms, and entrepreneurial ventures. He is a professional master of ceremonies, motivational keynote speaker, and the author of twelve books on the power of business development, networking, entrepreneurship, legal marketing, and presentation skills. He also serves as the host of the popular Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do” podcast. Thom regularly speaks at business and association conferences around the United States and beyond, and has presented to over 600 audiences during his career as a speaker. He lives in Austin, Texas, where he and his wife are the parents of two highly spirited daughters.

We’ll explore:

  • Why it took several years for Thom to make the transition into full-time speaking.
  • What Thom believes makes a good speaker.
  • Thom’s preparation process for speaking.
  • How to try out new material to see if it relates to an audience.
  • How to decide whether to speak for free, and the value of speaking at small, local events.
  • The importance of knowing your audience before you speak to them.
  • Why you should never wing it, run long, or fail to ask how the client wants you to dress for the event.
  • Thom’s do-over moment.

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