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Feeling overwhelmed by your family's daily grind and looking for a way out? Welcome to "Dig the Well," the podcast that empowers you to build the life you deserve. Your hosts Vikki and John are top earners at Neora. Vikki is a # 1 best-selling author and John is a retired Los Angeles Police Officer. Together they’ve navigated family challenges, raised successful kids, and achieved financial freedom.
In each episode of "Dig the Well," they dive deep into the strategies and mindsets that can help you break free from the constraints of the traditional 9-5 lifestyle. They understand the unique challenges faced by stay-at-home moms and families who are juggling multiple responsibilities and struggling to find balance. Their mission is to provide you with the tools and inspiration you need to create additional income, gain more family time, and ultimately, transform your life.
Throughout their journey, they’ve had the privilege of working with renowned figures like Jack Canfield and Jeff Olson, whose wisdom and insights have greatly influenced their path to success. They’ve also celebrated significant milestones, such as raising two valedictorian children and supporting their son, an Olympic weightlifter on Team USA. These experiences have equipped them with valuable knowledge and practical tips that they’re eager to share with you.
"Dig the Well" is more than just a podcast; it's a community of like-minded individuals who are committed to personal growth and financial independence. Whether you're worried about your family's financial security, longing for more quality time with your spouse, or simply seeking a way to reignite your passions, this podcast offers actionable insights and real-life stories that can help you achieve your goals.
Our mission is to inspire you with the belief that if we can do it, so can you. We want you to feel empowered, educated, and ready to take control of your future. By tuning in to "Dig the Well," you'll gain the confidence and knowledge needed to break free from the daily grind and create a life full of possibilities.
So, if you're ready to transform your family's future and discover the greatness within you, join us on this journey. Subscribe to "Dig the Well" and start building the life you deserve today!
This is the EWN Podcast Network.
John:Ever wondered how you could turn your side hustle into a full time gig and spend more time together?
Vikki:Hi. I'm Vikki, a number one best selling author.
John:And I'm John, a retired Los Angeles police officer. Welcome to dig the well, where we help couples navigate the world of business.
Vikki:We've been married for thirty five years, and because we built a successful side business, John retired nine years earlier than he originally planned from the Los Angeles Police Department after twenty five years on the job. Now we spend more time together, and we want to help couples like you do the same.
John:Join us as we help you overcome common obstacles, and we show you how to make extra income without sacrificing family time.
Vikki:Ready to dig deep and build your well? Let's get started. Welcome back to dig the well. So excited to have you all here today. No matter what time you're listening, whether it's middle of the night for us in The US and you're listening somewhere else in the world, we're excited that you're here.
Vikki:And I'm alone, but not alone. I'm without John today because I have a very special guest that I have actually worked with. She is my speaking coach, and I asked her to be on our dig the well podcast for all of you entrepreneurs out there that maybe have thought about speaking and know and, you know, you've heard all the things that is the quickest path to cash. You've heard you know, you get your name out there. When you hold the microphone, you're the authority.
Vikki:All the amazing things. And I thought, why am I not having my speaking coach on our podcast? So I reached out to my really good friend, Lisa Reed. And Lisa is here with us today. Lisa, welcome.
Leisa Reid:Yay. Confetti coming down.
Vikki:I know. Right? Woo. But we're I'm so excited you're here, and I wanna do you justice, Lisa. You are such an amazing coach, mentor to so many, and you have your own, speaker network, and we'll get into that, I'm sure.
Vikki:But I actually wanna do you justice and read your bio. So Okay. Yeah. So everybody hang on tight. You're gonna learn something special about Lisa here.
Vikki:So, Lisa Reed is the founder of Get Speaking Gigs Now. In fact, she wrote a book about it. Lisa trains business owners who want to use public speaking as a revenue growth strategy. Clients work closely with her get their talk ready to rock, with her with their get get your talk ready to rock and build their speaking skills and confidence through the speakers training academy. Lisa has booked and delivered over 600 speaking engagements.
Vikki:That's not too shabby. I must say that's a lot. And she teaches our her clients all of the strategies she uses to get booked, stay booked, and monetize their talks. In this episode, she will share, oh, something juicy. Her number one secret she uses to get speaking gigs.
Vikki:So, without further ado, yay. Welcome, Lisa Reed, officially.
Leisa Reid:Thank you. I'm so excited to be on your show.
Vikki:I know. How fun. And I wanna be on yours. Real quick, let's jump into that. You have your own podcast with besties.
Vikki:Right?
Leisa Reid:Yes. It's called How I Met My BFF, And I cohost it with just like you cohost with your your partner in crime, I I cohost with my one of my childhood best friends, and we grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska together. We're still best friends even though we haven't lived in the same state since we were 18. And we interview other best friends, and they share about their friendship. I think the best friend friendship is one of the most powerful relationships a lot of us have in our life, and we wanna give it the credit it deserves.
Vikki:Yes. Oh, I love that. So I've gotta figure out I have a lot of best friends. Probably, it would Got be to one. I know.
Vikki:I gotta pick one. And then or John, but I don't know if you do husbands and wives as best friends.
Leisa Reid:We we don't discriminate. Discriminate. Best Best friends friends come come in in all all shapes shapes and and sizes. Sizes.
Vikki:That's awesome. That's awesome. Well, yes. And so you're familiar with the podcasting world. You're familiar with speaking, obviously.
Vikki:And, I've just been blown away by what you've taught me as an entrepreneur and how I can monetize my talks and how much speaking that you actually do do because, you know, guys, you know, John and I are very honest on this podcast that there are that you wanna be careful who you choose as your coach. There are so many coaches out there that we always say, Lisa, we say if you followed them home, you would not want the life they're living. Right? So the clearly, they're not, they may be just getting started is what I'm trying to say in their coaching field, and Lisa is not, you guys. Lisa Lisa has been doing this for years.
Vikki:How many years have you been in business?
Leisa Reid:I I started this company in 02/2017. I had started speaking in 02/2013. And if we keep rewinding the tape, if you're, you know I know we like to reference the eighties. I actually have my bachelor's and master's degree in speech communication when I when I was in college, like in the early nineties.
Vikki:Wow.
Leisa Reid:So fast track to I'm 40 years old. It's 02/2013. I finally decide to start speaking, but it was for on behalf of another company and I loved it. It was so fun because I would educate about mindset and how powerful that was and give people an experience of their thinking And then they would come and take workshops with that company and then their lives would change and I get to see all the exciting things that shifted in their life whether it's love or money or anything in between. And six months into that position, I started an organization which is now called the International Speaker Network.
Leisa Reid:And what I wasn't expecting was the members in the group to ask me for help all the time about when it came to speaking. I was like, well, I'm here to talk about personal development. They're like, but how did you get booked so much? How are you out there speaking all the time? What are you doing?
Leisa Reid:And I was like, well, I don't really have time to teach you a lot today. So I and then you know me as a speaker coach, but, like, that my company was born because of an organic need that I was seeing. And I was like, there's something I'm doing that other people just aren't getting it. They don't know how to do it. But I figured it out.
Leisa Reid:So Yeah. That's how I
Vikki:Oh, love. I love that. Well, first of all, I'm a Gen Xer too. Yay, Gen X. And yay, eighties.
Vikki:Yes. And and that's what oh, I really, really that's a juicy nugget. I really love knowing that you didn't necessarily just create your company. It came out of a need, in the marketplace, right, from other entrepreneurs. I love that.
Vikki:I love that. And so and now you've transformed to that. Right? That's what you do. Right?
Leisa Reid:And so I stayed with that company for a while because I loved it. I I still love the company until it got to a point and of course, we had COVID in the middle, which turned a monkey wrench into everyone's life.
Vikki:Yeah.
Leisa Reid:But that really unleashed my ability to speak more virtually, and I started realizing that I was holding back for my company it for respect out of the company I was working with. You know, I was always on the up and up with everything, and I always wanna make sure I'm I'm living with integrity. And it became clear that I was ready to make that leap into just, like, doing my whole thing. And it worked out. We all I always say we we did a conscious uncoupling because we you know, there's so much love, so much love on on both sides.
Leisa Reid:And Yeah. But when I finally was like, okay. I'm ready to do my own thing, it really took off.
Vikki:And Oh, that's awesome. And was that partly because International Speaker Network, like, helped you take off? Because so many people are already asking, so you kind of had clients right there. Or
Leisa Reid:I already had clients anyway. I honestly, Vicky, the very first time I went to a networking event and shared about the company, I got a client. This man ran after me in the parking lot. I didn't even have any cards or anything. I just stood up for, twenty seconds, sat down, didn't know anybody, walked know, it it ended.
Leisa Reid:I walked up to my car. This guy is, you know, like, wait. Wait. Don't leave. Don't leave.
Leisa Reid:And he's like, I need help. How much do you charge? And I was like, oh, I remember and of course, I didn't gasp in front of him, but internally, was gasping like, oh my gosh. How much do I charge? I don't know.
Leisa Reid:Yeah. And so that was my first client that I really started helping. I had already done some beta testing and written a lot of curriculum before that, but that was, like, my first, like, okay. I got my VIP client. Yeah.
Vikki:And you basically and and I've heard other like, Molly Mahoney, for example, she talks about that that if you've got somebody interested in your services, just give them a price. Just come up with something. Don't say no that you haven't, you know, done it before or what have you. So you were right there in the thick of it. Yeah.
Vikki:Did you say great. Did you say I'll get back to you on the price, or did you just pop up with something
Leisa Reid:there yet? I did say, oh, that's great. Let's let's schedule a time to talk so I can learn more about what you're looking because we're standing in the parking lot.
Vikki:Yeah.
Leisa Reid:And I said, let's I wanna hear more about what you're trying to do and how I can support you. So let's set up a call. So we set up a call, and then that gave me time to Yes. Get my ducks in a row. Totally.
Leisa Reid:Have to say looking back on that was really helpful because he was giving he had a prepared talk that someone his company had given him. It was like a, you know, templated talk. Oh, great. And then shared with me who his audience was gonna be, and we went through it and it needed a lot of changes. So I was really glad that he brought me in because there were some slides and things that were really awkward and not not gonna serve him very well.
Vikki:Oh, that's awesome. That is awesome. So note to all the entrepreneurs listening, you know, just go for it and take that breath. It's almost like you took a breath when you said, hey. Let's jump on a call.
Vikki:It gave you time to think about everything. I love that. But you didn't say no, and you didn't shy away from it. You stepped up and and brought it to the table when you met with them. I really, really love that.
Leisa Reid:There's a chance for digging into the weeds on this. It was just kinda fun. I don't usually share this part, but it's not because it's a secret. It's just it doesn't usually come up. But I had my website up within let's see.
Leisa Reid:I I bought my URL, had the website up maybe in a week or two, like dialed in. I didn't worry about like, I mean, I created some kind of logo that would work for now, colors that would work for now. I just picked something. Right? Yeah.
Leisa Reid:And then I was consistent with it throughout. But the first thing I did for that website is I created a webinar. Oh. And so it would grab people's email and I had something free to offer. And I did that before I paid for any branding, before I had a business card, anything because I thought, well, at least then there's something to collect emails and there's something there.
Leisa Reid:And I think sometimes people get so caught up and it has to look perfect. You can always change it later. Yeah. You can change all that later. It doesn't have to be perfect when you're just starting out.
Leisa Reid:And I think sometimes people can get stuck in that step thinking it's gotta look a certain way. Totally. And you might not know what it's gonna look like because you haven't evolved or developed as a as a person, as a business owner until you've gone through a few clients and trials and tribulations.
Vikki:Totally. I love that. Yeah. Definite that's smart. And, you know, I still need to work on that.
Vikki:I still don't have an opening video on our website that would grab the emails, and I keep hearing that over and over. And so I need to go back and do that.
Leisa Reid:So you don't have a a any kind of freebie or opt in or giveaway or anything like that? Doesn't have to be a video.
Vikki:Well, now I do. We have this new facial scanning tool. So that's gonna be a fun opt in. But, but no. I I know.
Vikki:I'm sad to say. I mean, I have things that I offer when I speak, but I don't have them on our website. Isn't that crazy?
Leisa Reid:Yeah. I love and so crazy. I mean, little intermission here for for your company. But Yeah. You sent me that.
Leisa Reid:It was so easy to do. And I think it was so helpful because you instantly see if for you know, if you're tuning in, just tuning in, we're talking about this new like facial I don't know what you call it. Scan?
Vikki:Scan. Exactly. Yeah.
Leisa Reid:And then so you just look into your phone. Now we all have one. Yeah. You click on the thing, put maybe put your email in. And Yeah.
Leisa Reid:That's it. Take the picture and then it shows you. So you gotta have a little bit of self esteem here if you're gonna do It's gonna show you, like, if you are dry or you have wrinkles or, you know, different things on your face, but it's so helpful Yeah. And easy. I think it was absolutely.
Leisa Reid:That's a no brainer to put on your Right.
Vikki:So I'm that's what I'm gonna do next. So thank you. Yeah. Thank you for that. And, and most people that listen know we're with Neora.
Vikki:We don't like that's not the focus of our podcast. But yeah. So that's exciting. Thank you. I know.
Vikki:It's fun. It is fun to have something like that. So that's note to self for everybody listening, have some type of an opt in that you can create your and I know you're big on lists. And I don't know if we should go down that road right now, but you're really big. And you partner with Infinite List.
Vikki:Right? Haven't you? Mhmm. Yeah.
Leisa Reid:Yep.
Vikki:Yeah.
Leisa Reid:Yeah. And I mean even before that, think it's just there's certain if you thought of like and I I'm gonna use the metaphor for starfish, but there's probably more arms or legs that we need to consider. But there are just different components that are really important when you're starting your own business. And when you're new, you might think, oh, no big deal. I only have 20 emails or what.
Leisa Reid:But just think, you gotta think, well, in five years, am I gonna only have 20 emails? No. You're you wanna create up an a pathway for them to come in. And I know that that's easier said than done, but what's nice is that once you have it set up, you can just reuse that same system for years and years and years. So Yeah.
Leisa Reid:There's lots of different tricks. I think that's a a healthy part of building a business.
Vikki:Right. Definitely. And I'm learning more and more about that. I really between you and me, Lisa
Leisa Reid:We're getting recorded right now.
Vikki:I know. I know. Yeah. And the rest of the world. Yeah.
Vikki:I oh, I for years now, I thought email was gonna go down the toilet. I really did with, you know, social media and all these messenger apps, but it's not. Like, they are saying, don't don't ever, lose sight of how important your email list is. Yeah. Even after all these years, it's kinda crazy.
Vikki:So, anyway, I don't know if you ever thought that or have you always
Leisa Reid:thought I mean, there's you know, now nowadays, I'm like, oh, I probably should have gotten people's phone numbers because now you can do texting services. Some people prefer that. There's all different ways you can make the cake, if you will. Yeah. But you want to be in that owner mentality versus renter mentality.
Vikki:Yes.
Leisa Reid:Where if you have 40,000 followers on Instagram and they shut you down for whatever reason or any of the, you know, I'm not picking on Instagram, any of the sites can shut you down. Yeah. Just even by mistake, unintentionally, it just happens.
Vikki:Yeah.
Leisa Reid:You are starting all over again if you have not figured out a way to get those people off. So that's renting. You're renting space there.
Vikki:Yeah. Yeah.
Leisa Reid:Not a bad strategy, but you just wanna make sure you add that safety net so you're owning
Vikki:the space. Smart. Yeah. Super super duper smart. Alright.
Vikki:So let's switch gears. Let's chat back to speaking on, get your talk ready to rock. I know that was one of the first things I did with you. I bought your program, and so it was much more than just get your talk. But that was part of it.
Vikki:And that was I feel like that was the first thing we tackled.
Leisa Reid:Yeah. So what
Vikki:Yeah. You got to
Leisa Reid:know me. But Yeah. People will start in the speakers training training academy. And the first thing that we do when you enroll is we schedule your time with me where and it's a get your talk ready to rock session. And that is where we literally give birth to your brilliance like we did with you, Vicky.
Leisa Reid:Even if you have a couple different business ideas, even if you've got a few different things going on, we figure out, okay, what's the what's the quickest way to cash? What's the one that's gonna light you up? What's the one that makes the most sense? Which one do we wanna start with? We gotta make those decisions.
Vikki:Yeah. I love that.
Leisa Reid:Other things. Like, you do multiple things. Right. But now you you had a starting point. Right.
Leisa Reid:And so we decide. And in that session, you get and I'll say it in the order people think it's gonna go, your title, your description, your learning points, and your call to action. Right? Because those are the bones of any talk that a business owner would need. Right?
Leisa Reid:You wanna make sure you're not just doing this for funsies. I mean, it is fun to speak, but you're doing this because you want a revenue generating strategy that you can use over and rinse and repeat and rinse and repeat.
Vikki:Yeah.
Leisa Reid:But we go backwards. We start with a call to action, then we fill in like, okay, what's the talk gonna be about? Then we write the the learning points, then we write the description, then we write the title. Right? So it's like it's like this backwards thing.
Vikki:And I that helped me so much because I think you're right. Most people trying to figure out their own talk on their own go from start to fit you know, title, like, exactly what you said. And when you did that with me, I was like, oh my gosh. This is brilliant. Now I see.
Vikki:Now I like, beginning with the end in mind in a sense. Right? That they did it. Personal development teaches that. But, yeah, who thought in a in a talk?
Vikki:You did. Lisa Reed did. That is really cool. And and in your academy, do you give them, multi I know you do with me, but I don't know if I got special treatment. Do you give them, like, three talks, or is it really you just want them to pick one talk at first, and then you can have them have a few other talks?
Vikki:How does that work?
Leisa Reid:Great question. And I'm very chameleon like with whoever I'm working with. So it really it's not so important for my agenda what happens. I really wanna make sure that I'm giving each client I work with what is gonna help best for them. So there's structure and there's content and there's guidance, but then it's also this this mesh like flexibility based on the person's business model, personality, how long they've been in business, how savvy are they, how quick are they working, do they have a team to support them.
Leisa Reid:There's all these different components that are going to come in play. If someone with me is really newer in business and maybe a little more timid or is a little more slow paced, which is totally fine. I everyone works at a different pace. I kinda work at like 90 mile an hour pace, but I can slow down.
Vikki:Yeah.
Leisa Reid:Then I'm probably gonna say we're gonna stick with one talk and just really get that down and practice that one and use that one as the front burner. Right. But, Vicky, like, you had already spoken in front of thousands of people. You are a leader in your organization, not just a leader to, like, 10 people. You're a leader to Yeah.
Leisa Reid:Exactly. Thousands of people.
Vikki:Right.
Leisa Reid:Right. You're used to that spotlight. You're used to speaking. It just was in we were just basically kind of taking a a complimentary avenue.
Vikki:Right.
Leisa Reid:And then you're used you yeah. So I think it was for you easier to grab on to like, okay. What if I'm in front of this audience? What if I'm in front of this audience? And you also had your book coming out, so you were branching into that world and were a little like, ugh.
Leisa Reid:Like, I'm really comfortable over here, but how does it work over here?
Vikki:Exactly. So you helped me you held my hand with all of that and showed me it's gonna be a piece of cake. Let's just map it out.
Leisa Reid:Yeah. It's so exciting to see, like, you speaking in front of different groups that you can share about the police wife journey and that also you can share about your business journey. And I'm just, like, so excited when I see that. Yeah.
Vikki:I know. I know. It's it is really cool. And that and you working with you and I hope this helps all of you guys listening. When you've got a great speaker, coach, and trainer, and all the things that Lisa is, you it gives you confidence because she as she's working with you, you're gaining confidence.
Vikki:But then I knew when I was asked to do a talk with Wendy Wendy, Barr. And and she said, well, what? And I said, well, what do you think your audience wants to hear about? And she said, well, what about the your face? Like, showing your face on camera because that's what you do.
Vikki:You're helping people just feel more confident about how they look with your products, blah blah blah. And I went, oh my gosh. And so we came up with show your face, build your empire as my talk. But I was so confident because what I learned from you in my police wife journey talk, you know, from the sleepless nights to 6 figures and all that good stuff. So yeah.
Vikki:I mean, it's been a huge blessing to have you in my life. I'm so glad I just jumped in. Like, we didn't really know each other. We networked, and I heard you speak even, like you said, not very long, at some of our meetings, and I thought she knows her stuff. I never told you this, but I thought she knows her stuff.
Vikki:I'm just going with her. Like, whatever the almost whatever the price is. But A million dollars. Yeah. Exactly.
Vikki:But not not exact not quite. But you know what I love? Yeah. I was yeah. But what I love is that in your, your academy and let me get the title of it right.
Vikki:It's funny. I'm not always
Leisa Reid:training academy.
Vikki:Academy. All the recordings are there, so I can go back and watch, you know, an episode that maybe I need polish on or help with over and over again. That's what I love too. So, and you would remind me of that because I would ask you questions. Well, have you
Leisa Reid:have you watched? About them. And there's not a million modules. I I was like, yeah. I had this one coach who I didn't know very well or I didn't know her at all, which was probably a mistake of me enrolling with her.
Leisa Reid:But she had this library of of courses. It was like hundreds, Vicky. And I thought I'm so overwhelmed. Like, I don't have time to go through hundreds of modules. Like, you just break it down like, give me the things that I actually need.
Leisa Reid:Yes. I don't wanna waste my time. And so that's how I do it too. I'm like
Vikki:Yeah.
Leisa Reid:This is the general education of, like, use speaking to get business. Watch these modules. You could put them on double time if you want. Yeah. I don't care.
Leisa Reid:I agree. Start to educate yourself. Yeah.
Vikki:And in fact, I think I wanna go and freshen up again because I know I didn't watch them all.
Leisa Reid:That's okay.
Vikki:Should've, but that's what's so nice that they're there. And I agree because I'm in a course right now. It's a big mastermind, and it there's lots of great stuff, and I'm not complaining at all. I'm but there's so much that I do. My brain kinda shuts down where
Leisa Reid:Yeah.
Vikki:It didn't wasn't the case with you at all. It was like, there's information there. I can look when I need it. I should go and order all those kind of things, but then it's there. Yeah.
Leisa Reid:To be fair, I because I come from a teaching family and a teaching expertise, I know that people learn in different ways. So that's why I actually layer the way I work with people in different ways. So yes, there's modules that you could watch and hear or watch or hear if you want. They also have one on one time with me, so then there's that, like, no. I just need time with her and I need her to listen to my situation.
Vikki:Yeah.
Leisa Reid:And then we have a small group component so that you get ideas from other people. They also have access to our international speaker network. And then finally, they have access to me through Voxer. So when something happens unexpectedly that's not scheduled on the calendar, they can say, hey, I've got this issue. I've already Voxxed with several of my clients today, and that just means it's like a walkie talkie style thing.
Leisa Reid:And that's helpful too. I had a guy tell me he's he's he's like my number one fan right now. He's so great. Wonderful. Wonderful client.
Leisa Reid:And he before he decided to join the Speakers Training Academy, he's like he we had had a Zoom call. And he emailed me. He's like, are you real or are you AI? I was like, wow. If you think I'm AI after having a Zoom call with me, how did you get fooled before because it's getting scary.
Leisa Reid:Right? It's getting like people can really look like a real person.
Vikki:Yeah.
Leisa Reid:I said, no. I'm I'm real. So if there's any doubt out there, like, I am a real person. I'm a real girl. And I really have a heart for helping people.
Vikki:Yeah. I know. And I everybody can tell that. And, also, you're funny. You guys, what you don't know, Lisa did some did a stand up comedy, not too long ago.
Vikki:What? Six months ago or maybe?
Leisa Reid:This year. Yeah. It was January. Yeah.
Vikki:That was are you gonna do any more stand up comedy?
Leisa Reid:You know, you're not the first person to ask me. It is not on my radar right now. I have to tell you, it did take up like, were talking about taking up some of your your brain power. It did Yeah. Take up some of my brain power as I was writing and practicing and it was really, really fun.
Leisa Reid:I thought about taking a comedy writing course, which I'm happy to that's still on the burner one day. It's in the crock pot, I guess. It's slow cooking because I do have some other things that are taking precedent right now, but I do enjoy making people laugh. Yes.
Vikki:Oh, I know. It's awesome. You are so funny at our what you guys don't know, Lisa and I are together at EWomen Network Orange County, our chapter. And Lisa is our, EWomen Foundation coordinator, which she helps us with our raffle, and now we're adding an auction. It's very cool.
Vikki:But you are so funny. I feel like you're the highlight. You don't even know I think you know you're funny, but I don't think you know how much we appreciate it as a chapter. Because everybody at the tables are chuckling at the fun things you say. It's hysterical.
Vikki:So I just I wanted to tell you that publicly that we just love you. And it's it's funny what, let's talk about humor a little bit Yeah. When it comes to talks. Because I know talks need to be serious, but is there do you factor that in with certain people or certain talks where you wanna encourage, the speaker to add some humor?
Leisa Reid:Not necessarily. It's so personal. Right? Yeah. And I think when we force something that doesn't feel natural, especially from stage, you're already nervous.
Leisa Reid:You already got all this vulnerability, so there's no requirement. You don't have to be funny. You can be funny. You can be serious. You can be light.
Leisa Reid:You can be deep. And I'll I'll even give an example. One of my clients, her focus was on grieving. She had created this product for grieving and a service and and such like that. And great speaker.
Leisa Reid:She had already been out there speaking about something completely different when we came when our worlds collided. But she was nervous because she thought, don't know if I can what if I cry on stage? What if people are sad? And is that okay? Like, does anyone wanna hear what I have to say?
Leisa Reid:And so when we did the Get Your Talk Ready to Rock session, we figured out, yes, absolutely. Everybody goes through loss. Everybody goes through grief in some way. It's just not exactly the same way. And we don't know necessarily how to deal with it sometimes.
Leisa Reid:Like if someone in the work like an employee or a coworker or someone has a tragedy, it can feel awkward for some people to engage. And so once we figured out like how it made sense for her, she ended up getting a $10,000 keynote Woah. Yeah. So it's like, yes. People still need to hear about death even though that might not be funny.
Leisa Reid:Right. And Right. It's also okay to be funny about it. It if it matches the person and the personality and it's appropriate and all those things. I had another client who is very very data driven, very data driven.
Leisa Reid:And he works in a big industry, like oil and gas industry. And his slides he showed me his slides. They're gorgeous. Like, I mean, he is up an amazing PowerPoint slide generator. I'm blows mine out of the water.
Vikki:Uh-huh.
Leisa Reid:But each slide was so dense. And I said, I I like, would people even understand what this is like? It's just like 27 slides in one slide. And like any of these concepts could be like a full talk. So like, how are we gonna like break this up?
Leisa Reid:And I had seen his talks before and he was he's he's got a sense of humor. I said, where's can we bring some of that humor that you naturally have? And he said, well, I have I like board games. I'm like, perfect. Well, maybe you could share a little bit about your board games.
Leisa Reid:And and so he said, yeah. I actually have a spreadsheet. And he had this very intense, like multiple columns outlining his I said, of course, you have this. This makes perfect So my point is that you don't have to be anything other than you.
Vikki:Yeah. Yeah.
Leisa Reid:But we wanna just, like, take parts of our personality that will fit and then know when to adapt a little bit, but still be ourselves, and that's what I'll help you with. So like I said, no no two talks have I ever created are the same because no two clients are the same.
Vikki:Yeah. And I'm I'm that I thank you for answering that question because I've heard so many times, like, add humor because it it's it's relaxes the audience or whatever. But I agree not always is it appropriate and it should come naturally in all those things and not forced. Yeah. Yeah.
Vikki:I think when we
Leisa Reid:we, like, can it, it can sound a little, like, memorized or Right. When I'm funny in my talks, it is not memorized. It is usually and I wish I could remember the funny stuff I said. That's the problem is that I don't to write it down. So
Vikki:Same. My husband and kids say I'm funny, and I'm like, how am I funny? I'm not trying to be funny. But who knows what it just comes out. But it's not the same humor as you.
Vikki:I see that you're funny. I still don't get why I'm funny, but maybe it's self deprecating. Who knows? I don't know. Yeah.
Leisa Reid:I think your your humor is more in your your modesty somehow. Maybe. Modest in your humor.
Vikki:Yeah. That's probably it. But okay. So PowerPoint, I didn't wanna forget. Now that you since you brought that up about your data guy.
Vikki:You you that you helped me with that too, I remember, as part of your course. It's like you taught all of us in that group session. I remember chatting about it, but also you gave us, like, the basics of power like, guys, you've got to have a clean PowerPoint. Right? And you just let's just said make it basic.
Vikki:And I thought that was such good advice because like you said about the other guy with all the data, it's so much in one slide. It's better to keep it cleaner and more concise. Don't you agree?
Leisa Reid:Yeah. It's it's it's really the best way I can say is it's an accessory. So, like, you can walk out of the house without your jewelry, but you're not gonna walk out without, like, a shirt, you know, something. Your shirt and pants. Shoes.
Vikki:Yeah. Exactly. Yeah.
Leisa Reid:So Yeah. You can even get away without shoes. But, yeah, you you wanna be you wanna have clothes on. So yeah. And it's an it's accentuate what you're talking about.
Leisa Reid:It's not what you're talking about.
Vikki:Right. Right.
Leisa Reid:We say PowerPoint. We could it can be Canva. It could be Right. Prezi. It could be Yeah.
Vikki:Yeah. Yeah.
Leisa Reid:All the different.
Vikki:What do you use? Do you use is it Google Slide? What do you I forgot what
Leisa Reid:you use. I've used Google Slides for certain reasons, but I prefer PowerPoint because it has more capabilities than Google Slides. Right. And I've explored with Canva. I wish Canva and PowerPoint would talk to each other more, but I understand their competitors.
Leisa Reid:So I, you know, I get it.
Vikki:I know.
Leisa Reid:I love designing in Canva, but then when I create it, then when I translate it to PowerPoint, it doesn't always work. So I have No. I have still hard for me to pull away from PowerPoint because I just all my stuff's already in there and I'm used to it. But with with when I have a new client now, I'll usually say, let's look at Canva because then you can whip up something a little quicker. They've got all the nice templates.
Leisa Reid:And PowerPoint has them too, but Canva just makes it really easy.
Vikki:And so many people use Canva, especially women. Now it's, easy if you're speaking in an event that probably the a lot of times the presenter of the event, it uses Canva. I know I do with e women. So it is super helpful.
Leisa Reid:You just have to make sure. Those are things that you don't wanna take for granted. You wanna at any time you're speaking out that you're not gonna be using your own computer, wanna make sure that you have checked all the boxes and you know Yeah. Everything's in place for you to give your talk.
Vikki:Yeah. I know. You guys, what you don't know about Lisa is she's so, like, cut you cover everything, Lisa, from the the basics of you need to have this cable, that cable, extra cables, you know, extra batteries, extra room you know, the remote for your, you know, for your PowerPoint, you know, all the things. And I think that's so helpful because I don't think a lot of other peach people teach all of that, than all the way to the talk. Yeah.
Vikki:You're just like you you really have it all were you a girl scout?
Leisa Reid:Yeah. I well, no. But I but I will say what helped me is giving hundreds of talks in person well before the well before the pandemic happened. Right. Because now most of my talks are virtual.
Leisa Reid:You have you don't have to worry about half the stuff when it's virtual. I mean, it's so much easier to me. It saves you so much time. I'm such a fan of speaking virtually. But when you're in person, you don't always know what you're walking into.
Leisa Reid:You don't know if the equipment's gonna work. You're relying a lot on did they bring this? Did they bring that? Do they have this? Do they expect me to have that?
Leisa Reid:So you need to do some prep beforehand, but then also be prepared for all of that to be wrong.
Vikki:Yes. Yes. I am. Because I was a girl scout, so it's like be prepared. So I've always brought extra boy scouts too, I guess.
Vikki:I've always brought extra like, I travel a lot for Neora, and I fly here, fly there, and I'll check with the host. Are you gonna have the laptop? Will you have the projector? You know? But you're right.
Vikki:I'll walk in, and they don't have it. Or
Leisa Reid:Or the person who was supposed to bring it was sick or whatever or it broke or who knows?
Vikki:Exactly. So I always bring I overpack, but I would much rather for my sanity have it all with me. Yeah. I know.
Leisa Reid:You and I are similar in that. It's like, I'd rather just have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
Vikki:Yes. Exactly. It's extra work on our part to pack it, to plant, and all that. But if you have a checklist like everybody should, you know, you're good. You're golden.
Vikki:Exactly. Yeah. So this has been been amazing. I know we haven't talked about hardly. And, oh, the number one secret, we've gotta have you share.
Leisa Reid:I'll share it really quick. Okay. So secret. One of the questions I would get asked why I named my company the way I named it, getspeakinggigsnow.com if you wanna go there, is because people would always ask me how do you get so many speaking gigs? Yeah.
Leisa Reid:And one of the things I solutions I found out was completely organic. It was someone who was in my network Mhmm. Which is now called the International Speaker Network. She and I started referring each other speaking engagements. And we would do this just like any I would like, anytime you have a referral partner.
Leisa Reid:But we were able to sustain that through the pandemic, through her moving across the country, through all through post pandemic. Like, we still meet, and we've been doing this for over ten years. Wow. And she is somebody that I consider a speaker soul mate. And that is someone who really, you know, it speaks the similar frequency as you, someone you know, like, and trust, and someone who speaks to the same audience as you but isn't your competition.
Leisa Reid:Like, they're not speaking on the exact same thing. Yeah. And then people go, well, where would I find a speaker soulmate? And that's one of the activities we do at the International Speaker Network because I know how valuable that is. If you just find one or two, maybe three, you don't need a ton of speaker soulmates.
Leisa Reid:Just the two or three, you will save yourself from all that soul sucking cold calling that people don't wanna do. So that's why I say it, you know, if you go to the International Speaker Network, find your come join and find your speaker soul mate. It's I don't we didn't share the name of that. But Yeah. The it's ispeakernetwork.com if you wanna join that.
Leisa Reid:And that I'm, like, I'm telling you, like, that's what I still use. I do not cold call for speaking, and I still speak about forty, fifty times a year.
Vikki:Wow. That's amazing. And it's just from let me just clarify in my brain and maybe some others. So it's those speaker soulmates that they tell you, hey. I'm speaking here.
Vikki:I think you'd be a great fit. Is that what what you're saying?
Leisa Reid:Or It's that simple. It's that simple. But it's so it's one of those things that's it's simple, but not easy in the sense that you still have to make the relationship. You still have to commit to that person Yeah. And invest in the relationship and then follow through.
Leisa Reid:But when you do that, you get paid. Yeah. It's worth the it's worth so much. It's so valuable. We're talking hundreds and hundreds of speaking engagements, Vicky.
Leisa Reid:Wow. And I don't understand why people don't just do that. I'm like, it works. How do I know? It's been working for over ten years I've been doing this.
Leisa Reid:Wow. It's not like a brand new idea, but you gotta be in the room to where you can meet those other speakers. And finally, like, where is my soulmate? And it it's kinda like friendship. Like, you can have best best friends, you can have good friends, you can have acquaintances.
Leisa Reid:Same thing.
Vikki:Like Mhmm.
Leisa Reid:Yes, I have my core speaker soul mates and I have also other people who refer me and I refer them, but we're not maybe as dialed in as that two or three people that I work with. And then I have other people who also refer and I refer. You know what I mean?
Vikki:So Yeah. Totally.
Leisa Reid:People get so, like, hung up on, like, doing it exactly right. I'm like, well Yeah.
Vikki:Yeah. Exactly.
Leisa Reid:You do it pretty much like how I'm saying it. You just start to build it. It will happen. Yeah. Exactly.
Leisa Reid:Even imagine.
Vikki:Awesome. And so all of Lisa's information is gonna be in the show notes, but I wanna invite you to join us. I'm part of International Speaker Network. Yeah. ISN.
Vikki:And it's the first Tuesday of every month that we've had. It's on Zoom. Mhmm. And Lisa does an amazing job, you guys. We do breakout rooms that you train on something, so you're always learning something.
Vikki:You meet other people. Every time you don't always do the Excel spreadsheet every time, or do you?
Leisa Reid:We do a spreadsheet every time, but it's just it'll be a different it depends on what activity we're doing. So it just changes slightly.
Vikki:Yeah. And so what that is, everybody puts their information in and answers a couple questions, but then we have all we we all have access to that. And I've gotten leads from that for our podcast. I'm interviewing a guy I met on ISN at ISN, and there's gonna be many, many more, but, so many other connections. And so join us, and that'll be in the you said you can you say the name one more time of the website to
Leisa Reid:signnetwork.com. So instead of international, we just Right.
Vikki:I speakernetwork.com. Yeah. And I encourage you come. It's such a and you could join for the year. Right?
Vikki:Isn't it a yearly
Leisa Reid:What we do is it's 99 for the it's 99 to join and then $20 a month, and that just continues on. So Yeah. You don't have to you're not locked into amount of time. Some people have been with us for years.
Vikki:Yeah.
Leisa Reid:You don't have to leave. Yeah.
Vikki:Exactly. And I've even gotten you know, if you speak, but you also have another business. I've gotten Lisa, just so you know, you know, people have purchased Neora from me. They're like, what's that magic filler stuff? I need it.
Vikki:And here we are, honestly. Yeah. I mean, so it leads to if you have multiple income streams, which you know at at Dig the Well, we're all about having multiple income streams. So, yeah, you guys have to check it out. Alright.
Vikki:Was there any last thing? I thought I'd toss it back to you one last time. Anything we didn't discuss, or do we
Leisa Reid:hit everything? Talk for hours. But I will say this for anyone who's listening. If you were thinking you kind of had caught yourself suffering from perfectionitis or comparisitis or not enoughness, which are three of the big illnesses we can suffer from as entrepreneurs.
Vikki:Yeah.
Leisa Reid:And you think, gosh, I really wanna move from that one to one trading time for dollars mentality and shifting into a bigger revenue generating strategy. Speaking is certainly an amazing way to do that. And if that speaks to you, no pun intended, but seriously, yeah, reach out to me.
Vikki:Yeah. Love it. Thank you, Lisa. This has been such a joy, and the crowd goes wild.
Leisa Reid:Lisa, that's so Oh my god.
Vikki:Thank you so much. It's been so much fun having you on, and I can't wait to see oh, what? One more thing.
Leisa Reid:To say Yeah. How they could get tips. I'm so sorry.
Vikki:Yes. No. Please do. Please do.
Leisa Reid:Five free tips you get to get more speaking gigs now. It's available at getspeakinggigsnow.com/tips. My apologies. No. For everybody.
Vikki:Oh, okay, you guys. Make sure to get go there. Getspeakinggigsnow.com. Right?
Leisa Reid:Slash tips.
Vikki:Yes. Oh, sorry. Slash tips. That's important. And it'll be in the show notes too.
Vikki:So and it's a book. Get her book, you guys. It's such
Leisa Reid:a good book.
Vikki:Things. Yeah. So many things. Alright. Have a fantastic day.
Vikki:We will see you next time on dig the well. Bye for now. Thanks for joining us on dig the well.
John:We hope you feel empowered and ready to take on new challenges.
Vikki:Remember, if we can do it, so can you. Keep learning, keep believing, and going after your dreams.
John:And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who needs a little inspiration or maybe a nudge in the right direction.
Vikki:Help us grow this community of go getters. Together, we can achieve greatness and get back to family.
John:Thanks for listening, and let's keep digging the
Vikki:way.