49. Why the Business Model of Speaking is Broken

As an entrepreneur, I have dedicated my life and business to understanding, landing, and speaking on stages.  Now as a podcaster I have become passionate about keeping you up to date on what is happening in the industry and giving you the tools you need to succeed in an ever-changing world.  That is why I am excited to introduce you to one of the core members of my dream team, Blair Nichols. Blair is our Director of Stages and is in the trenches every day working with professionals from digital stages to physical stages. As someone who has already booked hundreds of stages in 2020, he’s got the inside track on what’s happening in our industry TODAY.  For us to get the upper hand as speakers and meeting planners (yes, I am including myself) we need to learn from someone who has the inside knowledge of what is working now, not someone giving us old models and old frameworks that worked in the past.  I am excited to announce that you will be able to glean from Blair not just today, but also moving forward! So, to serve you better, Blair is now the official co-host for Inside the Greenroom.  Here’s what we cover: Why we doubled down on digital stages How to cut down your road warrior mentality   Increase revenues, if you are losing keynote stages  How our stage agency is making an impact Diversifying your approach and why it’s important Pivoting to diversify your Portfolio  How you can continue to grow your events & grow your speaking business Why the business model of speaking is broken, and what you need to do to fix  Why speaking bureaus don’t work anymore Why Blair is passionate about stages Why Advance Your Reach is committed to what’s happening in stages tomorrow And much more!       Connect with Blair:   [email protected]      Connect with us: Facebook: ​​www.facebook.com/advanceyourreach Website:​​ advanceyourreach.com Email​: ​[email protected]   Episode Minute By Minute: 0:33 Why this episode is different 1:49 Why the “bureaus” model is broken 5:07 Meet Blair 6:12 Why Blair is passionate about our stage agency 9:38 The impact of our stage agency 11:42 We will always know stages “tomorrow” 13:33 The biggest things going on in the event space today 17:13 Don’t put your eggs in one basket 19:41 Understanding the power of digital stages 25:54 How COVID impacted the industry 28:08 Connect with Blair 29:53 Blairs closing thoughts   More About Blair : Blair Bryant Nichols is the Director of Stages for Advance Your Reach. He oversees the Stage Agency, connecting entrepreneurs and business owners with stages that will grow their business, and manages its community of meeting planners. After beginning his career representing hundreds of authors from Top 6 publishers, he moved into the management of founders, entrepreneurs, executives, authors, and celebrities. With various work streams, projects, and personal interests, acting as a Chief of Staff, manager, or agent. He has a deep expertise in developing speakers for corporate events, conferences, and other thought leadership opportunities, including internal and external communications. As a manager, coach and consultant he enjoys helping diverse individuals and/or socially-driven companies foster new strategies for operations, communications, business development and partnerships across all appropriate areas to further develop and enhance their bottom line and brand. He earned his M.B.A from UCLA-Anderson and a B.A. in Literature from American University.