Grow Your Public Speaking Business

Wendi McNeill
  • 5.0 (10)
  • Marketing
  • Semimonthly

Hosted by Wendi McNeill, founder of Charli Jane Speakers® since 2002. Whether you’re just getting started or already on stage, this show gives you simple, practical steps to get booked: talk titles, one-sheets, pitching, finding real opportunities, and growing a speaking business that lasts. New episodes regularly, with the audio player and show notes for every episode at: https://charlijane.com/public-speaking-business-podcast/

  1. 6h ago

    #205 - I Sent AI a Picture of My Kitchen and Said, “What Can I Make With This?

    Wendi sent AI a picture of what was in her kitchen and asked, "What can I make with this?" Dinner came together from the context she gave, and it points to a big shift for speakers: an event planner may start with the event, not with a speaker's name. In this episode, Wendi explains why your online presence works as source material, not just marketing. In this episode: - Why Wendi handed AI the ingredients instead of searching for a recipe - How a planner can start with her conference theme, survey comments and goals - Why your online presence is source material, not just marketing - Why your homepage, bio, LinkedIn and directory profile should agree - How a specific testimonial and talk description beat a generic one - A momentum move for this week: the five-item folder for a planner Mentioned in this episode: Charli Jane Speakers Club: https://charlijane.com/charli-jane-speakers-club-2/  Take the Who Books Me? Challenge: https://charlijane.samcart.com/products/who-books-me-challenge  Join our free Facebook group for speakers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakthroughpublicspeakers Read the full post and the Q&A: https://charlijane.com/205

  2. Nov 1

    #204 - I Told Claude, “This Feels Like Just Another App.” Here’s What That Has to Do With Getting Booked.

    Wendi told Claude "this feels like just another app," and that one sentence was her whole design brief. In this episode, she shares why describing how something should feel is a skill event planners use too, and how to help them picture the room when they are deciding who to book. In this episode: - Why "this feels like just another app" was a useful brief - How planners describe the experience they want, not the topic - Why two speakers on the same topic can feel completely different in the room - How video, testimonials and talk descriptions show the experience you create - Why you don't need to invent a stage persona - A momentum move for this week: finish "What does it feel like to be in the room with me?" Mentioned in this episode: Build Your Bookable Talk Challenge: https://charlijane.samcart.com/products/keynote-outline Take the Who Books Me? Challenge: https://charlijane.samcart.com/products/who-books-me-challenge Join our free Facebook group for speakers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakthroughpublicspeakers Read the full post and the Q&A: https://charlijane.com/204

  3. Oct 25

    #203 - I Told AI I’d Rather Drive Around Chicago Than Through It. Here’s What That Has to Do With Getting Booked.

    Wendi and Mark like Chicago. They just don't like driving through it. In this episode, Wendi shares what happened when she asked Sage (aka ChatGPT) for a route that avoided the traffic, and why that same "best for what?" question shapes how event planners choose a speaker. Fit, not fame, is the point. In this episode: - Why the fastest route and the best route are not the same thing - Why "best leadership speaker" doesn't mean much without a room, a budget and a goal - How a planner's real criteria start showing up after "I need a speaker" - Why the "nots" in a planner's request are useful clues for you - How to show your fit with details about your audience, situation, style, outcome and credibility - A five-sentence exercise to try this week: "I'm an especially good fit when..." Mentioned in this episode: Charli Jane Speakers Club: https://charlijane.com/charli-jane-speakers-club-2 Take the Who Books Me? Challenge: https://charlijane.samcart.com/products/who-books-me-challenge Join our free Facebook group for speakers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakthroughpublicspeakers Get the event list looking for speakers here: https://charlijane.com/call-for-speakers/  Read the full post and the Q&A: https://charlijane.com/203

  4. Oct 18

    #202 - I Told AI I Wanted to Wear Shorts in January. Here’s Why Speakers Should Care

    Wendi wanted one thing this winter: shorts and a T-shirt in January, no coat required. She didn't know the right search terms for it, so she just told ChatGPT what she wanted and let the conversation sort out the rest. Turns out, that's exactly how a lot of event planners search for speakers too, and it changes what your website needs to say. In this episode: Why Wendi skipped searching for "RV resorts" or "snowbird communities" and just described what she wanted instead How event planners often describe their problem, not your topic name The difference between your topic (the label) and their problem (the search) Why phrases like "transformational leadership" may need translating into real, Tuesday-afternoon language A simple exercise to hear your expertise the way your buyer actually talks about it A small, one sentence fix you can add to your website this week Mentioned in this episode: The Speaker Positioning Suite: https://charlijane.samcart.com/products/speaker-positioning-suite  Take the Who Books Me? Challenge: https://charlijane.samcart.com/products/who-books-me-challenge Join our free Facebook group for speakers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakthroughpublicspeakers Read the full post and the Q&A: https://charlijane.com/202  Free list of events looking for speakers today: https://charlijane.com/call-for-speakers

  5. Oct 11

    #201 - I Asked AI Where to Eat. Here’s What That Has to Do With Getting Booked.

    Wendi was driving through Wisconsin and asked ChatGPT where to grab food and a beer, no business name, just a description of what she wanted. That little moment got her thinking about how event planners might be doing the exact same thing when they look for speakers. In this episode, she breaks down what that shift means for how speakers get found, and what it takes to actually get chosen once you are. In this episode: - Why Wendi asked AI for a restaurant instead of searching Google, and what happened next - How event planners may describe a need instead of searching a speaker's name - Why vague phrases like "I inspire people" leave AI and humans with nothing to work with - What "Built to Be Found" really means for your website, bio, and talk titles - Why being found is only half the job, and what helps move a planner toward a yes - A simple exercise to see if your online presence gives enough clues about you Take the Who Books Me? Challenge: https://charlijane.samcart.com/products/who-books-me-challenge  Join our free Facebook group for speakers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakthroughpublicspeakers  Read the full post and the Q&A: https://charlijane.com/201 List of events looking for speakers: https://charlijane.com/call-for-speakers/

  6. Sep 6

    #200 - Can AI and Event Planners Clearly Understand What You Speak About?

    You may know exactly what you speak about, but can a planner who has never met you understand it in seconds? Wendi explains why broad topics are difficult to evaluate, the four pieces planners need to see, and a five-second test that reveals whether your speaker message is as clear as you think it is. Show notes: Why broad topics name a category but not necessarily a fit The four things planners need to understand quickly How public content helps humans and AI tools interpret your expertise Why specificity does not trap you in one niche forever Where your central speaker message should appear The five-second speaker-page test A simple sentence for clarifying audience, problem, and outcome Explore both paths inside the Charli Jane Speakers Club at https://charlijane.com/charli-jane-speakers-club/. Begin with STAGE if your foundation needs clarity, then move into the Get Booked path when you are ready to pursue opportunities. Our Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakthroughpublicspeakers

  7. Aug 30

    #199 - How Event Planners Are Finding Speakers in the AI Era

    In this episode: How AI tools can compress an event planner’s early research What search tools need to understand about your speaker business Why an SEO plugin cannot fix vague positioning Why discoverability does not replace pitching and follow-up Five practical checks for your speaker presence How the challenge has changed from Yahoo and Google in 2002 to AI search today Explore both paths inside the Charli Jane Speakers Club: https://charlijane.com/charli-jane-speakers-club/ If enrollment is closed, join the waitlist to hear when the doors reopen. Join our Facebook group here.https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakthroughpublicspeakers  Speakers needed here: https://charlijane.com/call-for-speakers Companion blog post is here. https://charlijane.com/199

  8. Aug 23

    #198 - The Speaker One-Sheet That Actually Gets You Booked

    Episode Title: The Speaker One-Sheet That Actually Gets You Booked Your speaker one-sheet shouldn’t be a résumé squeezed onto one page. It has one job: help an event planner quickly understand who you are, what you speak about, and why you’re worth a closer look. In this episode, I’m breaking down what makes a speaker one-sheet actually work and what to keep, what to cut, and how to make the right information stand out without overwhelming the person reading it. In This Episode: Why most speaker one-sheets are built for the speaker instead of the event planner The three things a planner needs to understand quickly Why more credentials don’t always make a stronger one-sheet How curated credibility can be more powerful than listing everything you’ve ever done Why one clear call to action makes you easier to book A simple way to review your current one-sheet with fresh eyes Free Resource 🎁 Grab my free 20+ Events Looking for Speakers list and discover real speaking opportunities you can start exploring now. 👉 https://charlijane.com/call-for-speakers/ Ready to Get Booked? Inside Charli Jane Speakers Club, we help you build speaker assets, find the right opportunities, and create a repeatable system to get yourself in front of event planners. 👉 https://charlijane.com/charli-jane-speakers-club/

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5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Hosted by Wendi McNeill, founder of Charli Jane Speakers® since 2002. Whether you’re just getting started or already on stage, this show gives you simple, practical steps to get booked: talk titles, one-sheets, pitching, finding real opportunities, and growing a speaking business that lasts. New episodes regularly, with the audio player and show notes for every episode at: https://charlijane.com/public-speaking-business-podcast/

Information

  • Creator
    Wendi McNeill
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    203
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2002-2026 Charli Jane Speakers®, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Grow Your Public Speaking Business

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