Recent Posts

Into America’s Wild: John Herrington’s Film Debut

“We were born to explore… Our curiosity moves us all”, booms Morgan Freeman’s signature voice over the trailer for MacGillivray Freeman’s IMAX film Into America’s Wild. This opening line’s notion perfectly encompasses the main themes of the upcoming film: exploring everything our beautiful country has to offer, inciting passion about the environment, and connecting with each other through the power of the outdoors. For the remainder of the trailer, scenes of rugged coastline, crystal clear glacial lakes, towering rock formations, and vast prairies flash by, giving a sweeping look of the cross-country adventure that is to take place within the film.

We are especially excited for this film because it follows one of our favorite speakers, Commander John Herrington alongside pilot Ariel Tweto and long-distance hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis as they trailblaze across America’s natural landscape. We personally think Commander Herrington provides the perfect addition to the narrative of the film, and his unique experiences traversing the country as well as experiencing the world from outer space give him a unique perspective and round out the film well.

We too are outdoor enthusiasts here at Key Speakers… and we are just a few days away from the film’s much anticipated release in IMAX theaters nationwide, so for today’s blog we thought we would share some of our team members’ favorite American destinations:

Zion National Park

Photo credit: Diliff

Events & Operations Manager Kelli says that Zion National Park in southwest Utah is her favorite American natural landscape because of the sheer natural beauty it effortlessly possesses. Kelli says what drew her in to visit Zion in the first place was the striking contrast between the greenery and the red rocks. Her favorite experience while she was there was completing Zion Narrows wading hike, a hike upstream in the Virgin River.

Big Sur

Ellee took this photo herself!

Ellee, Key Speakers’ Marketing Associate, loves to go on road trips in her free time—so she chooses Big Sur in Central California as her top American outdoors destination. “Big Sur” refers to the 70-mile stretch of coastline between San Simeon and Carmel Highlands, and is hallmarked for its sapphire waters, dramatic towering cliffs, remote beach waterfalls, and hidden coves. She reminisces about her trip: “Last November, a friend and I hit the road from Orange County and explored California’s Central Coast, and ended the quick road trip with spending some time in Big Sur. It was unlike anything I’ve seen before—and was totally not what I was expecting!”

The Green Mountains/The Adirondacks

The Adirondacks. Photo Credit: R khot

Executive Agent & Consultant Wendy couldn’t choose her favorite outdoors destination between the two mountain ranges she frequents most, the Green Mountains and the Adirondacks, located in Vermont and New York, respectively. She says these are her favorite locations because of the history intertwined with the landscapes, as well as the amazing things to do and see in the areas, like spending a day at Lake Placid or hiking the Appalachian trail. 

We hope we’ve inspired you to see the film at your local IMAX and get outdoors and explore our beautiful country!

Educators for Youth: Teachers we wish we had in school

Do you remember sitting in trigonometry class thinking: “How am I EVER going to use this in real life?” And… let’s keep it real. Unless you became an architect or engineer, you probably haven’t used trigonometry since high school.

Students past and present often emerge from the education system inadequately prepared for practical skills like personal finance, happiness and self-care, and networking/interpersonal communication.

Consider these hypothetical courses and imagine how well-equipped students would be in the workforce and their daily lives if THESE topics were taught in secondary school:

Subject: Budgeting and Personal Finance
Professor: Robert Kiyosaki
Financial literacy is crucial. Without personal finance skills, an assured and comfortable life is difficult to come by. A course on this topic would cover money management skills, obtaining and protecting assets, budgeting, and more. Robert Kiyosaki, whose book Rich Dad Poor Dad is considered to be one of the top personal finance books ever written. Kiyosaki has devoted his life’s work to making personal finance digestible and interesting, and so a class on this subject by him would undoubtably prepare students for whatever financial situation they will be faced with in the future.
Subject: Happiness and Positivity
Professor: Shawn Achor
Pursuing happiness and living a mindful life seems intuitive and unteachable—but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Experts agree that there are concrete ways and actionable steps to leading a fulfilling life, and psychology backs this notion up. A class about happiness and how to make positive change easier would explore the psychological basis of happiness and mindful living. Our pick for the ideal teacher for such a class is Shawn Achor. Shawn teaches positive psychology and the power of happiness, emphasizing how positive thinking impacts productivity for the better—an important lesson for anyone to learn.
Subject: Persuasion and Influence
Professor: Melinda Marcus
The ability to Influence others is a highly desirable art. From obtaining a raise, or encouraging others to support causes we care about. Persuasion and influence plays a much greater role in our lives that we might assume at first glance. Expert Melinda Marcus would be an incredible teacher for a class teaching various strategies to positively influence others… she already does so in her real-life presentations!

The Event Planner Who Impacted Monica Lewinsky’s Life for the Better

Monica Lewinsky reflects on an act of professionalism and kindness

In our industry, focus is usually placed on the impact that speakers can have on their audiences, and never the other way around. Sometimes when the roles are reversed, we can clearly recognize that everyone involved in the events process, from the corporate executor to AV techs, is a human being just like us, and that we have the opportunity to impact one another in ways that reach beyond a scripted keynote.

Today we stumbled across an article published by People Magazine revealing a glimpse in to exactly just that. In the article, Monica Lewinsky recalls an instance with one of Key Speaker’s most loyal clients, Vince Valvo of American Business Media LLC. At the company’s 2014 event, the other event headliner (who brought with her a majority of the event’s sponsors) refused to participate due to Monica’s involvement. Instead of siding with this speaker, the planner had a courageous response and ultimately refused to disinvite Monica or discredit her expertise because of how her name was portrayed in the media years prior. Vince was an ally and stood up for Monica, showed her profound kindness, and made her feel supported.

Our industry is based on human connection—at the end of the day, let’s ensure that we act in the name of kindness and understanding because every individual is able to provide impact in far-reaching and sometimes surprising ways.

TikTok Crash Course for Event and Meeting Planners

Find out how to use TikTok to promote your event

Nothing makes you feel more out of date than a hot, new social media platform that you must adapt to learn to use. And if you’ve been on the internet lately—you’ve definitely come across such a platform that is as disruptive as it is hot and new—TikTok.

Let’s start with the basics. What even is TikTok? NBC News describes TikTok as a short form video app in which “users tap and hold to record a short video and can add music and visual effects.” TikTok videos can be funny, heartwarming, informative, or impressive. Users share everything from lip-syncing and singing clips, to stunts, behind-the-scenes footage, jokes and rants.

Because the content posted on TikTok is so diverse and wide-reaching, event and meetings planners can strategically utilize the platform to promote their event. The only obstacle to overcome is learning a new platform and that can be overwhelming.

So, without further ado… Key Speakers‘ resident Gen Z’er is here to give you a crash course on a few ways to effectively use TikTok to promote and share your event.

  1. Use the app to target a new demographic
    TikTok’s user base is primarily individuals in their teens and 20s. While teenagers likely won’t be interested in your corporate event… Young professionals under 30 who use the app may well be interested in attending. With TikTok’s audience growing exponentially every month, your next huge marketing demographic segment may be waiting to be discovered on the app. To find them, use relevant hashtags in your captions that are location or event niche specific.
  2. Create content that builds pre-event hype
    Use TikTok to share clips of your speaker’s sizzle reel (with their permission, of course!), ticket purchasing details, the planning process, and more to build momentum for your upcoming event. Keep your videos fun and fresh by using the latest trending songs and effects (take a scroll through the app’s For You Page to get a feel for what is popular).
  3. TikTok at your event! Designate an event TikToker to post event clips during and after the big day
    Share clips of your event to TikTok—and kill two birds with one stone by posting the videos to your other social channels! Pro tip: Designate someone on the team to handle filming and posting event TikToks. Bonus points for recruiting a Gen Z’er—they’ll ensure the content is of quality and is on trend.
  4. Use the video editing features, then save the videos and share elsewhere
    Have you made it this far into this post and are thinking that your target audience just simply won’t be found on TikTok? Have no fear! You can still utilize the app’s phenomenal editing features and then save the videos to be shared to the social channels your audience is on. There are simply so many fun and unique filters and effects to be used that can make your social media content shine and stand out—no matter what platform your target audience is primarily on.

Get your creativity going by checking out some notable companies’ TikTok accounts; our favorites are The Washington PostThe NBA, and The San Diego Zoo.

That’s it for our TikTok tips! TikTok is only continuing to grow—start posting about your events and meetings now and stay ahead of industry trends!

Reimagining the Conference Industry: What business conferences can learn from Comic Con

An Article by Duncan Wardle.

“How did I come to this?”

This is one of the very first lines in the 1999 cult classic film Galaxy Quest. It’s uttered by one of the movie’s main characters, Alexander Dane, an esteemed British Stage Actor who—much to his dismay—is best known for his role playing the alien Dr. Lazarus on the popular, kitschy sci-fi television show Galaxy Quest.

In this scene Mr. Dane, along with the rest of his castmates, are about to make their entrance at the annual Galaxy Quest Fan Convention. The room is what you’d expect for a 1990’s comic/sci-fi convention: bins of dusty comics and memorabilia, hand-painted banners hung askew, and rows of sad folding chairs holding a smattering of die-hard fans in hand-sewn costumes.

Needless to say, for this classically trained Shakespearian actor, this is not the fame he had envisioned…

While spot-on at the time, if Galaxy Quest had been made today, this scene would not have been possible. Comic and sci-fi conventions—led by the historic San Diego Comic Con International—are now a $5 billion industry. In fact, according to event ticketing giant Eventbrite, the world’s top conventions often draw in excess of 150,000 attendees a year, who collectively spend $15–$20 million on admission, and have an annual economic impact on their respective cities of $150 million or more.

But it wasn’t always this way. The reason the opening scene in Galaxy Quest is so funny is because it accurately depicts the state of sci-fi conventions at the time. In fact, when the San Diego Comic Con International opened in 1970, it was attended by fewer than 300 people. Today, this many people come through the doors within the first minute of opening. And companies everywhere are all cashing in on the growth in this industry. Sony, Amazon, AT&T, Snickers and many more have all spent big money to have a presence at recent Comic Con events.

This turnaround has been nothing short of remarkable. And it was only possible because the industry was willing to take an honest look at itself, realize it wasn’t working, and blow itself up to start fresh. By starting over with a model focused more on unique, engaging fan experiences, and less on showcasing rare comic books and panels discussing superfan minutia, the industry was able to quickly gain momentum with a massive new audience—and it’s been unstoppable ever since.

And it begs the question: can other conferences take a page out of Comic Con‘s playbook?

THE STATE OF CONFERENCES

I, for one, believe the business conference industry is ripe for similar disruption. Let’s see if this sounds familiar…

You (or your company) identify a key conference you’d like to attend, and proceed to drop thousands of dollars on flights, hotels, badges, per diems, and other miscellaneous expenses, just to get you in the front door. The conference arrives and you check in after an arduous day of travel, eager to take advantage of your free drink coupon at the opening night mixer.

The following morning, you wake up ready for a day filled with learning and opportunity. But instead, your day ends up looking something like this:

  • A hurried breakfast
  • The opening keynote, filled with plenty of ego-boosting, chest-beating rhetoric
  • A quick break (where you frantically try to catch up on emails)
  • The “Panel of Doom”—a cluster of industry folks answering generic questions (while much of audience continues to stay on top of emails from their seats)
  • A sponsored lunch (and what is now your 3rd or 4th sponsor pitch of the day)
  • The afternoon breakout session (likely the only place where you gain real insights and applicable knowledge that day—unfortunately it’s limited to just a single hour)
  • The closing keynote—more chest-beating mixed with a little inspiration to send you on your way
  • Oh, and the Q&A you were promised? The one where you could ask specific questions and leverage the insights and expertise of the speakers to create real innovation in your business. Well like always, the conference has run long, and the Q&A will need to be cut from the program.

While it varies a touch, this is more or less the standard format that the conference industry has been using for decades. And even though attendees may still leave the conference inspired, motivated, and ready to change the world, by the following week when a co-worker asks, “How was that conference?” they are generally met with a blank stare. Because by that point in time, the attendee has already forgotten what happened at the event, and more importantly, what they learned.

Why? Because we’re not giving conference attendees tangible tools they can take and apply in their real lives.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. It’s time to take a page out of Comic Con‘s book, and refresh the stale conference industry.

DISRUPTING THE CONFERENCE INDUSTRY

There is a mountain of evidence that supports the fact that people learn best when they’re given the opportunity to actually apply the knowledge and the tools they’re learning. It’s no different than learning to use a hammer. Explain it and theorize it all you like, but at a certain point, you actually need to swing the hammer to get a true feel for how it works, and how it can be used in your life.

So, how might we apply this principle to the conference industry? How might we create more engaging experiences—a la Comic Con—and give attendees the tangible tools and skills they need to make conferences the most impactful learning experiences they can be?

As someone that attends and keynotes at countless conferences, I have a few ideas. Here are 4 ways in which I believe the industry can reinvent itself:

  1. Don’t Overpack Schedules
    One thing I continue to stress time and time again in my workshops and consulting is that lack of time is the biggest barrier to innovation. If you don’t allow yourself time to think, how can you possibly expect to come up with new ideas or expand your knowledge and skillsets?Unfortunately, the conference industry has fallen into the trap of believing that the best way to provide value for attendees is to pack every single second of their day with speakers and other programming. What you’re left with is a whole bunch of information that floats into attendees’ brains, but doesn’t have the time cement itself or be put to use.Conferences should focus on less, not more, letting their attendees actually retain what they’re learning, and walk away with a handful of quality ideas, tools, and insights they’ll actually be able to remember and use in their real lives.
  2. Create Opportunities for Guests to Engage Speakers
    I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen the Q&A session with speakers get cut short—or cut altogether—due to time constraints. Left to the end of the program, Q&A’s are the first casualty when a conference runs long (and when jam-packed with programming, they almost always do).Cutting the opportunity for attendees to engage with speakers is a shame, because speakers are the source of nearly all the valuable information being shared with attendees at a conference.To rectify this, conference planners should look for new ways to create engagement opportunities with speakers. For example, creating a Speaker’s Lounge, where speakers commit to spending a certain amount of time before and/or after their speech or panel. Attendees who are particularly drawn to an idea shared by a specific speaker can make it a point to go visit with them personally to talk more in-depth on the topic. You could even arrange it so that each speaker has a little space of their own within the room to host their impromptu, micro break-out session.Imagine the insights shared when you create hundreds or even thousands of additional interactions between industry thought leaders and conference attendees. No doubt the tangible, applicable knowledge learned would skyrocket!
  3. Immediately Put Lessons to Use with Moderated Workshops
    On that note, step three is actually putting this acquired knowledge immediately into action. There’s a reason that breakout sessions tend to be the most fruitful at conferences—it’s the only time during the event where you are applying what you’re learning.Instead of hour after hour of panels and speakers followed by a single breakout session, conferences should provide a moderated breakout after every single speaking block, allowing attendees to immediately discuss and reflect on what they just learned, and conduct real-world exercises that cement the lessons, and lay the foundation for actually using these acquired skill sets once attendees return home.
  4. Use Conferences to Solve Real Problems
    Speaking of breakout sessions, conferences should take advantage of the fact that they have collected a targeted group of thought leaders within an industry, and use these individuals to solve real-life challenges.Imagine you are attending a conference for Project Management Professionals taking place in Seattle. You spend the morning learning about how to leverage digital communication tools to drastically reduce the red tape involved with stakeholder approvals in the project management process.Now, as you head to your breakout session to discuss these strategies further, imagine your small group is given the task of using what you learned in the previous session to create new strategies to solve Seattle’s issues with homelessness. That instead of just talking about what you liked from the panel, you immediately put it to use to solve a real problem in the city you are in.Wouldn’t you leave a conference like this with a much greater understanding of the tools and strategies discussed, not to mention a renewed sense of purpose knowing that your work contributed to a real social good? I certainly would…

HELPING CONFERENCES SOAR

The conference industry is long overdue for disruption. Much like Comic Con and similar events have done over the last few decades, conferences need to take a long look in the mirror and discover new ways to engage with their attendees.

Some good places to start? Don’t over pack schedules. Create opportunities for guests to engage speakers. Immediately put lessons to use with moderated workshops. And use conferences to solve real life problems.

These four ideas are just a starting point. All of us that attend conferences should do our part to start thinking about ways in which we could derive more value from the events we attend, and share this honest feedback with event producers. The more we make it clear that we are ready for change, the more likely we are to see it happen.

Conferences are a wonderful way to make connections and share ideas, so let’s be sure they don’t go the way of the dusty comic bin. Let’s start brainstorming today, and come up with new ideas to help this industry soar.

The Expert

This article was written by Duncan Wardle. Duncan helps companies make innovation part of their DNA. He is an engaging and interactive keynote speaker who applies his creative talents and unconventional methods to help companies and individuals get to those breakthrough ideas that lead to extraordinary results. With his acclaimed keynotes, workshops, and ideation sessions, Duncan will empower your organization with the skills needed to consistently drive innovation, giving your company the edge it needs to compete in today’s time of disruption.

Diversity: Black Female Motivational Speakers

FIND THE PERFECT AFRICAN-AMERICAN/BLACK FEMALE SPEAKER FOR YOUR SPECIFIC EVENT TYPE

Key Speakers Bureau is proud to work with a range of speakers who are diverse in identity, background, and expertise. It is our aim to host a speaker roster that champions diversity and elevates the voices of experts of all kinds. In this post, we’d specifically like to focus our attention on the African-American/Black female speakers on our roster.

We understand that the needs of your event are nuanced and definitely not one-size-fits-all. Whether you are organizing a nonprofit/NGO fundraiser, academic symposium, corporate meeting, or political discussion, we can help you decide on and book an African-American/Black female speaker that will suit your event’s needs. From fighter pilots, life coaches, political commentators, poets, activists, to scientists—Key Speakers can connect you with the best in any industry.

Keep reading to see our top curated picks for African-American/Black female speakers who are sure to help you accomplish the organizational goals you have set for your next event.

TO MOTIVATE AND INSPIRE YOUR AUDIENCE:

Looking for a speaker that will light a fire within your audience’s hearts and minds? Trying to motivate personal and professional growth and development? Look no further than these inspiring ladies:

  • Laila Ali Boxing champion, role model, lifestyle brand CEO, daughter of Muhammad Ali
  • Valorie Burton Certified personal and executive coach, skilled in training audiences to thrive in the face of challenges

FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENTS:

Planning an event that celebrates Black History? These speakers, who combine historical discussion with commentary on the present and the future, are sure to convey their message effectively to your audience:

  • Ilyasah Shabazz Civil-rights advocate, professor and author, Child of Malcom X
  • Bernice King Child of Martin Luther King, Jr., author and advocate

FOR EVENTS FOCUSED ON WOMEN:

If your event is women-focused in theme and scope, we can help you curate the perfect speaker who is adept and knowledgeable in women’s issues and ideas:

  • Jackie Jaynor-Kersee Three-time heptathlon gold medalist, regarded as the World’s Greatest Female Athlete
  • Tererai Trent International advocate for women’s empowerment and quality education

TO SPEAK ON TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION:

These speakers are incredibly knowledgeable on various scientific endeavors and themes. If you book one of them—prepare to be blown away by their expertise!

  • Joan Higginbotham Former NASA astronaut who can share stories from her time in space as well as discuss topics related to STEM
  • Crystal Washington Washington is known for her ability to take complex technology topics and make them humorous, easy to understand, and accessible for everyday professionals and small-business owners, across generations. Whether talking about her crazy technology missteps or how to combine online with offline customer interactions to build relationships, audiences relate to her practical, non-tech jargon approach to using tech to make us all more efficient, effective, and connected. At the end of each program, attendees walk away with items they can immediately implement.

For Prospective Speakers: Tips to Help You Break into the Industry

If you’re a keynote speaker new to the circuit and don’t know where to start to get your name out there… look no further! Here we’ve compiled a few tips from our expert speaker agents on how to make yourself present on every bureau’s radar and break into the industry:

1. Establish a basis of credibility as a speaker. We know that you are credible and established in your respective field, but the speaking industry is a whole other beast. Prep and establish yourself by: joining a local TEDx conference, enrolling in a program like 3 Ring Circus. Bonus points for writing a book!

2. Gather all the materials that a speakers bureau will be looking for. Bureaus are more likely to be interested in listing you on their roster if all of your information is presented straight from the get-go:

  • Short bio: It is important that you define yourself as more than a “public speaker”. It is more ideal to be a public speaker as a result of some other greater accomplishment or knowledge base. The short bio is your chance to sum your expertise in a few sentences. Tell us why we should suggest you as a speaker to our clients.
  • Long Bio: Expand on details you introduced in your short bio. This is not a resume and not a list of all the fortune 500 companies you’ve spoken with—we prefer a third person narrative of what makes you unique.
  • Headshot: It’s best to provide two options. Attach one horizontal and one vertical photo so bureaus can decide which option looks best on their website.
  • Videos: Be sure to send us at least two videos which show at least one uninterrupted minute of your speaking style. Please no over the top demo videos; we find that less is more. Also, make sure your videos are “bureau-friendly” and unbranded, AKA no personal website links or phone numbers on the video or in the video description, please.
  • Speech Topics: Define and refine your different areas of expertise. It is a good idea to include key takeaways and target audience.
  • Publications: Include a brief list of books, if any, that you’ve authored or co-authored. We love to include Amazon links on our speaker’s web pages so that our visitors can purchase your books.
  • Fee and travel details: Finally—please include your speaking fee (and be sure to specify if your quoted fee is net to you or commissionable). Also please detail your travel information; don’t be shy about listing your requirements (Do you require first-class travel or is coach acceptable? Do you have any specific hotel preferences? Or do you simply prefer a travel buyout?) It is a better route to state your requirements up front rather than request them later on. IMPORTANT: Your standard speaking fee should be based on the quality of the service provided, rather than the planner’s budget. It is seen as inappropriate to ask what the budget is before stating your honorarium.

3. Make sure you understand the difference between a speakers bureau and a speaker agency or management company.

  • speakers bureau serves as a resource for event planners, our clients. The bureau reaches out to collaborate with the speaker who meets (and hopefully exceeds!) criteria set forth by our client and the objectives for their event. The relationship is a partnership, in which both the bureau and speaker are focused on the common goal of bringing satisfaction to the event planner and attendees; and producing a smooth and successful event. Bureaus work with a wider range of speakers, on a case by case basis—as an open relationship.
  • speaker agency or management company is more so speaker-oriented. Management companies focus efforts on cultivating the speaker’s materials and stirring up engagements and press. They have a roster of exclusive speakers who they represent and are actively marketed to planners. Speakers bureaus work hand in hand with management companies and are often referred to synonymously. But from a speaker’s perspective, they are quite different.

4. Check out this video on how to become a keynote speaker.

So, have you established your credibility, gathered your materials, understood the role of a bureau, and now you’re ready to take the next step? Send an email to speakers@keyspeakers.com with your materials and introduce yourself! We are not always looking to add new speakers to our roster, but we will always circulate your info around our office to see if we have a need for your specific niche in our speaker repertoire. We’re excited to hear from you.

Three quick tips for improved work-life balance AND productivity that can be implemented RIGHT NOW

Insights gathered from Key Speakers’ roster of leading authorities on stress & life balance

It’s a common misconception that in order to have a comfortable work-life balance, we need to sacrifice our productivity. In reality, this notion couldn’t be further from the truth. The elusive goals of “work-life balance” and “peak productivity” actually are more intertwined than you would think! Read on to discover three tips for achieving your highest potential and leading a balanced lifestyle in the process that you can implement TODAY.

Insights gathered from Key Speakers’ motivational speakers roster of leading authorities on Stress & Life Balance.

1. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY—AND ORGANIZE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY AROUND WHAT IT TELLS YOU

Some of us just aren’t morning people, and that is OK! Studies show that genetically and evolutionary, our body clocks are all different. Mammals and early humans learned to sleep only when other members of their tribe were alert and able to keep watch, so each adult member in the group had widely different sleep schedules. So, if you’re a chronic snooze-button hitter… thank your ancestors and genes.

So, what can you do to work with your circadian rhythm instead of fighting it? Organize your work patterns around what your body is telling you. If you know your mind isn’t clear until at least 10 AM, start your morning with smaller, less thought-intensive tasks. As a Navy SEAL motivational speaker, David Rutherford goes over this kind of stuff. If you do happen to be a morning person (lucky you!) get to work early and crank out the hard stuff early in the day. Working intuitively with your body leads to less stress overall and a more productive workday—which leads to a more balanced life.

2. DON’T FORGET TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR MIND

We all know and are reminded the importance of taking care of our bodies through diet and proper nutrition, but what is habitually forgotten in wellness discussions is the proper care of our minds and mental health in the workplace. Consider practicing mindfulness throughout your workday. Commit to scheduling a short midday break every single day to check in with how you’re feeling and analyze any feelings of anxiety or self-doubt. Take it one step further and consider educating yourself in meditation and breathing techniques.

If you feel like your company’s culture is not conducive to a mindful working environment, try bringing in an expert like Pandit Dasa to show your team the benefits of practicing mindfulness in the workplace. Mindfulness is proven to improve work-life balance, improve productivity, and reduce stress. A lot of healthcare speakers go over this.

3. BE REALISTIC IN YOUR PURSUIT OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare? Try to be like the tortoise on your journey to work-life balance and peak productivity. Realize that lifestyle shifts take time, and that drastic changes are proven to not last. Remember that New Year’s resolution to go to the gym five times a week that didn’t make it past February? Our point exactly.

Commit to smaller positive lifestyle changes. It may not be feasible to work five hours less a week, but it is feasible to put your laptop down when you get home from work and banish yourself from Outlook from the hours of 5pm-8am.

Moreover, realize it is realistic that a certain level of stress will always be a factor in your life. Speaker Dave Caperton explains how to have a healthy understanding of stress and how to embrace it in order to lead a more balance and fulfilled life.

These tactics and mindsets can help you begin a new chapter of your life right now—a chapter of skyrocketing productivity and improved work-life balance.

From the Key Speakers Bookshelf, with Love: A round-up of some of the best books we’ve received

Here at the Key Speakers office, we love receiving free things (we’re only human and gifts ARE our love language!)

Generally, we receive a lot of books… except for that one time we were sent cod liver oil—thanks Chris Johnson 😉. At first, when we used to unwrap books from our speaker friends, we’d of course be thankful, but eventually the book would become a desk accessory and gather dust.

But recently, we’ve enjoyed an idealistic shift. Personally, the dog days of summer have called for engaging reads. Professionally, our company has been trying to up our marketing ante, and we realized we had resources right at our fingertips, in the form of the know-how of some of our favorite speakers on brand development.

We realized how unique it is that we are able to be looped in with the world’s leading minds on every topic under the sun. As a keynote speakers bureau, we serve as a link between experts and our clients, and we feel especially fortunate to be play a role in providing our clients with a chance to be exposed to such a wealth of knowledge and expertise.

Even though we believe that there’s nothing quite like the medium of lecture and presentation, and that this knowledge and expertise is best shared in real-life settings, we understand that hosting a speaker can be expensive. Books, however, can serve as another sometimes more accessible link between experts and their audience.

So, we’ve been working through those books on our shelves and would like to share a round-up of some of the best books we’ve been sent. (Our reading stock is growing thinner… hint hint)

  1. The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity by Byron Reese is an accessible journey that is easy-to-follow, yet doesn’t spare technical details and in-depth analysis. Reese provides a walk-through of humanity’s relationship with technology and where we are headed now.
  2. Fearless Success by John Foley provides a clear blueprint for performance and personal development at the highest level, illuminated with stories from Foley’s impressive career as a Blue Angel Lead Solo Pilot.
  3. Crisis Ready by Melissa Agnes is a must-read for anyone who is interested in protecting their business and brand (so… everyone!). Things can and will always go wrong—and Melissa Agnes realizes this and provides a way to feel less afraid of crisis, and perhaps even embrace it.
  4. Nikki Stone‘s engaging, original, and fun book When Turtles Fly: Secrets of Successful People Who Know How To Stick Their Necks Out will inspire you to have a hard shell, soft inside, and be willing to stick your neck out.

Why Should You Work With A Speakers Bureau?

To put it simply, a speakers bureau is your one-stop resource for booking and managing talent for your event. We do the heavy lifting so you don’t have to. Our industry connections, research capabilities, and dedicated and knowledgeable booking agents ensure that you’re getting the biggest bang for your buck, and that the speaker’s message and personal brand perfectly aligns to your event objectives.

Here are 5 specific reasons you should book a speaker using a speakers bureau.

  1. We vet the speakers so you don’t have to. Working with a diva is an event planning nightmare! Luckily, speakers’ bureaus are more than qualified to give an objective third party’s insight on the right speakers to book and who to avoid. Having an ally on your side who is familiar with the industry goes a long way.
  2. We take care of the nitty-gritty contractual details. Leave the fine print to us so you can focus on other aspects of your event. Key Speakers mediates and absorbs some contractual risks so you don’t have to sign your life away.
  3. We provide a comprehensive service that takes the guesswork out of hiring a speaker. With our highly communicative booking model, you’ll never be left in the dark with the status of your hired speaker. We pride ourselves with a quick response time and always keep you updated on all new developments concerning your event. We are always up for a briefing call so everyone is on the same page, too. Our agents are personable (after our morning coffee!) and are willing and able to do whatever it takes to secure a fantastic speaker for your event.
  4. We have industry connections. Not to name drop… but we know people. It’s our job to connect you to who’s who in the industry. Working with a celebrity has never been so easy.
  5. We work for YOU. Not the speakers… not talent agencies… we are a resource for you and always ensure that your needs come first.

So, now that you know WHY you should work with a speakers bureau, here is HOW to work with us.

Keep reading to understand our Speaker bureau’s booking process.

  1. Browse our website for speaker ideas and inspiration.
  2. Web Inquiry: Give us a call or submit a quick inquiry with the event date, location, budget and theme so that we can research and develop speaker recommendations for your specific needs.
  3. Proposal: Your agent will put together a proposal based on available speakers suited for your event. No speakers sparking your interest? We are happy to go back to the drawing board.
  4. Research: Our team will follow up with your potential speaker pool to check availability, and get your fee quote.
  5. Firm Offer Form: Submit a firm offer to your favorite speaker, and once approved, the contracts are drafted using information from the firm offer form.
  6. Agreements: Once the client and speaker agreements are signed we will return to you an executed copy. Your event coordinator will act as speaker liaison and help to manage the remaining details up until the event.
  7. Conference Call: Get acquainted with your speaker and discuss program objectives to align goals.
  8. Logistics: An event coordinator will check in with you to compile a handy reference sheet for the speaker to use during travel to your meeting or event, gain approval for promotional materials, and address any planning questions which arise. Your agent will remain available to ensure everything is on track for the big day.
  9. It’s GAME TIME!
  10. We welcome any and all feedback and hope to work with you again soon!

Contact our Speaker Bureau for a free brainstorming session!