I’ve been speaking since 2017, and there came a time when I was starting to get paid well for gigs.
I thought to myself “Wow, I think I’ve made it! Finally!”
The next week, I had an opportunity land in my inbox.
I got onto a call with the event host and after chatting about the gig, I asked “At this point, are you open to speaking about budget? My fee is $2000 for a speaking appearance like this”
The woman smiled sheepishly then said, “Oh I’m sorry, this is a volunteer role, I hope that’s something you’d consider”
I thought about it – It was a 30-minute speaking slot in front of 120 business owners, and it was going to be in a beautiful hotel venue.
So, I could have great professional photos and potential lead generation from the night.
I accepted to do the gig unpaid.
And guess what?
That ended up being one of my highest paid gigs yet.
After the event, I had two private clients sign up to get speaking coaching from me, as well as one other spin-off (highly paid) speaking gigs.
So, how did I decide that this gig was worthwhile?
What questions did I ask myself to make sure the gig would pay itself off?
What were my criteria for doing the gig unpaid?
Listen to the latest podcast episode of the Voice for Impact Podcast to find out! That’s where I share all my thoughts and advice on how to navigate this unpaid speaking world 🎧
