Speaking Business podcast

Maria Franzoni
  • 3.7 (3)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to Speaking Business Podcast hosted by former international Speaker Bureau Owner and Agent Maria Franzoni. Speaking Business Podcast is a practical no waffle no nonsense podcast packed with actionable advice for Speakers wanting to be more bookable and make more money. Maria is the hidden influence behind the careers of hundreds of successful speakers and a recognised Speaking Industry expert. For 23 years she worked in and ran leading speaker bureaus, she knows why clients really book speakers - and why they don't. Maria's guests are all personally invited by Maria, they are collaborators, clients, speakers and bookers, sharing their experience about how to succeed in the world of paid speaking. Topics covered in this podcast include how to: • Position yourself in a competitive market • Build your profile and market your services • Get listed with Speaker Bureaus • Charge higher fees • Close more deals • Grow your Speaking Business If you are a speaker and would like help to be more bookable and charge higher fees go to https://www.mariafranzoni.me/

  1. Joe Frankie III: The Five-Minute LinkedIn Drill That Got Him Clients in 15 Countries

    2D AGO

    Joe Frankie III: The Five-Minute LinkedIn Drill That Got Him Clients in 15 Countries

    My guest this week is Joseph Frankie III, a soldier, logistician, businessman, coach and author of LinkedIn: The Five-Minute Drill for Executive Network Success. Joe has helped more than 750 executives, veterans and students across 15 countries use LinkedIn more strategically, and in this episode we talk about why your LinkedIn profile is no longer just an online CV, it's your digital persona, your networking tool and, in Joe's words, your billboard when you're not in the room. We explore why senior professionals and speakers need to show up properly on LinkedIn, what people are missing on their profiles, how storytelling helps you become more searchable and memorable, and why your LinkedIn presence may be doing more heavy lifting than your website. Joe also shares how his military background shaped his coaching business, how he uses podcasts and LinkedIn commercially, and why speakers need to start with the end in mind if they want LinkedIn to support more bookings.

    25 min

  2. 2D AGO ·  BONUS

    You Might Also Like: The Oprah Podcast

    Introducing Douglas Stuart: “John of John” | Oprah’s Book Club from The Oprah Podcast. Follow the show: The Oprah Podcast As part of the 30th anniversary of Oprah’s Book Club, Oprah picks her 123rd selection: John of John by celebrated Scottish author Douglas Stuart. His other novels include Young Mungo and Shuggie Bain which won the prestigious Booker Prize in 2020. John of John is set in a small, fictional farming and textile town, Falabay, on an isle off northern Scotland where everybody knows everyone’s business. The story centers around three generations living under the same roof: a father, his son and the son's grandmother. The central theme to this enthralling book is the secrets these three so desperately hold on to: secrets from each other, from their neighbors and from the church. A love story at its heart, Douglas Stuart tells Oprah how he spent six years writing this book, spending 16 weeks researching the Outer Hebrides Isles on the northwest coast of Scotland talking to local people who inspired his 26 supporting characters. Oprah and Douglas Stuart are joined by an audience in New York City who enthusiastically read the book and have questions for the author. BUY THE BOOK! https://groveatlantic.com/book/john-of-john/ 00:00:00 - Welcome Douglas Stuart, author of “John of John” 00:03:01 - The setting of the book 00:04:05 - Where he found this story 00:07:30 - What Douglas needed to learn to write “John of John” 00:09:20 - Douglas describes “John of John” 00:11:43 - Oprah compares the book to Heated Rivalry 00:13:30 - An unexpected love story 00:17:40 - The conflict between father and son 00:20:40 - His writing process 00:25:55 - Father and gay son on “John of John” 00:30:30 - How man found acceptance of his son 00:34:20 - Feeling seen in a novel 00:38:27 - What Douglas wants the reader to feel 00:44:50 - Masculinity and the patriarchy 00:46:10 - The experience of growing up gay 00:47:20 - The end of the novel Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: Instagram Facebook TikTok Listen to the full podcast: Spotify Apple Podcasts #oprahsbookclub Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

  3. Building a Profitable, Aligned Speaking Business with Elliot Kay

    APR 23

    Building a Profitable, Aligned Speaking Business with Elliot Kay

    In this episode of Speaking Business Podcast, I'm joined by Elliot Kay, speaker, entrepreneur and CEO of The Speaker Awards and Speaker Summit. We talk about how to build a speaking business where everything works together, from keynote speaking and training to coaching and industry platforms, so that your positioning is aligned rather than all over the place. Elliot also shares the thinking behind his new keynote and book, Watch Me, why personal stories are landing so strongly right now, and the difference between speaking from a healed scar rather than an open wound. We also get into the business side of speaking, including habits, timekeeping, productivity, managing a five-hour workday, staying out of overwhelm, getting better commercially, and why speakers need to pay more attention to what is actually left after they've been paid. We also talk about The Speaker Awards and Speaker Summit, the gap Elliot set out to fill, why recognition matters, how awards can open doors, and what makes the summit different for speakers who want insight, access and practical value. It's a lively conversation packed with useful lessons for speakers who want to grow a credible, profitable business.

    30 min
  4. From Fraud Examiner to Speaker Coach with Jenn Espinosa

    APR 9

    From Fraud Examiner to Speaker Coach with Jenn Espinosa

    In this episode, I'm joined by speaker coach Jenn Espinosa, whose route into speaking was anything but obvious. Before building her business, Jenn worked as a certified fraud examiner, using data, investigations and insight into human motivation to uncover where things were going wrong. Today, she helps speakers, coaches and consultants turn their message into something the market will actually pay for. We talk about what it really takes to build a speaking business, especially if your topic doesn't naturally fit into the obvious corporate boxes. Jenn shares how she helps clients shape their message for the right market, why so many speakers stay stuck on low fees, how to handle fee conversations more confidently, and why trying to speak on everything usually makes you harder to book, not easier. She also talks openly about how she gets work, why she believes speakers need to learn how to sell themselves, her thoughts on bureaus, the tools she uses in her business, and why she still believes in doing some things the old-school way. There's plenty in this conversation for speakers who want to become more commercial, more focused and more bookable.

    26 min
  5. What speakers can learn from journalists to become visible, credible and easier to book with Jon Card

    MAR 12

    What speakers can learn from journalists to become visible, credible and easier to book with Jon Card

    In this episode, I'm joined by Jon Card, former business journalist for The Guardian, The Times and The Daily Telegraph, and founder of Full Story Media. Jon shares what makes someone interesting to the media, how speakers can turn their expertise into quotes journalists actually want, and why being media-ready has far more crossover with being speaker-ready than many people realise. There's a lot in here for speakers who want to raise their profile without turning PR into a full-time job. We also dig into the parallels between media and speaking: credibility, clarity, story, readiness, and the fact that the people who get picked are often the ones who show up well, say yes, and make life easy for the person doing the choosing. If you want more visibility for your speaking business, this conversation will give you practical ideas you can act on straight away.

    28 min
  6. Sustaining High Performance & Building a Speaking Business with Anna Hemmings

    FEB 26

    Sustaining High Performance & Building a Speaking Business with Anna Hemmings

    What does it really take to achieve and sustain high performance when the pressure never lets up? In this episode, I'm joined by two-time Olympian, six-time World Champion and Britain's most successful female kayaker, Anna Hemmings. Since retiring from elite sport, Anna has built a leadership and performance consultancy, working with organisations that want to stay at the top of their game year after year. We explore what changed for her after winning her first World Championship title, why the second one brought even more pressure, and the mindset shift required to keep raising the bar when everyone else is chasing you down. Anna shares how working with a sports psychologist shaped her approach to confidence, preparation and controlling the controllables, and how a career-threatening illness forced her not to "bounce back" but to bounce forward. For speakers, there's plenty here on building a serious business. Anna talks openly about how 50% of her work now comes from speaker bureaus, how long that took to build, and what changed when she improved her positioning, materials and fees. We discuss moving from one-off keynotes to longer-term client relationships, offering workshops and coaching beyond the speech, and why clarity of positioning is what brings repeat bookings. We also cover continuous learning, accreditation, tools such as CRM and LinkedIn, and why your content needs to resonate with the audience rather than simply tell your story. If you want to build a speaking business that is credible, sustainable and positioned at the top end of the market, there are some powerful lessons in this conversation .

    25 min
  7. Shut Up, Move On: Building a Speaking Career That Lasts with Paul McGee

    FEB 12

    Shut Up, Move On: Building a Speaking Career That Lasts with Paul McGee

    In this episode of the Speaking Business Podcast, Maria Franzoni is joined by Paul McGee, widely known as The Sumo Guy. Paul shares the real story behind building a long, sustainable speaking career, from losing his corporate job through ill health to becoming a bestselling author and one of the UK's most recognisable keynote speakers. They explore how S.U.M.O. (Shut Up, Move On) became a memorable and commercially viable framework, how Paul has kept his material relevant for over three decades, and why mindset, humour and practicality still matter more than slick performance. Paul also talks openly about fees, when speaking for low or no fee can make sense, how to judge success beyond audience applause, and what new speakers often misunderstand about turning passion into a paid business. An honest conversation about longevity, relevance, and what it really takes to stay bookable in a crowded speaking market.

    34 min
  8. How to use webinars to grow your speaking business with Simone Vincenzi

    JAN 29

    How to use webinars to grow your speaking business with Simone Vincenzi

    In this episode of the Speaking Business Podcast, Maria is joined by Simone Vincenzi, sales consultant, speaker, co-founder of GTeX and co-founder of the Speaker Awards. Simone shares how he built his speaking career by creating his own stages when none were available, starting with weekly events that became his training ground. He talks candidly about how necessity has shaped his business model, from live events to webinars, and why webinars are one of the closest things a speaker can get to a live speaking gig. You'll hear why webinars are not just a marketing tactic but a core speaking asset, how they differ from stage presentations, and how speakers can use them to generate clients, build community, and secure paid speaking engagements. Simone also explains how he uses webinars as a showcase for event organisers, the tools he relies on, and why simplicity, pace and preparation matter more than production. This episode is packed with practical insight for speakers who want more control, flexibility and commercial return from their speaking business. Connect with Simone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simone-vincenzi/ Website: https://gtex.org.uk/ Free Webinar Training: https://growingtogetherexponentiallyltd.webinargeek.com/get-clients-with-webinars-2?cst=website Webinar Conversion Kit - Create your webinar presentation: https://webinarconversionkit.com/

    27 min
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Ratings & Reviews

3.7
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to Speaking Business Podcast hosted by former international Speaker Bureau Owner and Agent Maria Franzoni. Speaking Business Podcast is a practical no waffle no nonsense podcast packed with actionable advice for Speakers wanting to be more bookable and make more money. Maria is the hidden influence behind the careers of hundreds of successful speakers and a recognised Speaking Industry expert. For 23 years she worked in and ran leading speaker bureaus, she knows why clients really book speakers - and why they don't. Maria's guests are all personally invited by Maria, they are collaborators, clients, speakers and bookers, sharing their experience about how to succeed in the world of paid speaking. Topics covered in this podcast include how to: • Position yourself in a competitive market • Build your profile and market your services • Get listed with Speaker Bureaus • Charge higher fees • Close more deals • Grow your Speaking Business If you are a speaker and would like help to be more bookable and charge higher fees go to https://www.mariafranzoni.me/

Information

  • Creator
    Maria Franzoni
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    249
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Maria Franzoni
  • Show Website
    Speaking Business podcast

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