Betsy is a 25-year veteran of broadcast news, spending most of her career in electronic journalism with the CBS Radio network as a reporter and news-anchor. In 1997 Betsy took a turn for the greener and launched one minute segments on KCBS called EcoTalk. The environmental feature grew from one minute to one hour and local to national in 2004 when the program was picked up by the Air America Radio network.

In fall of 2006, Betsy’s program became the first green show to go to a daily, prime-time format, breaking new ground and signaling the start of what she terms, the “eco-evolution”. Betsy is passionate about spreading the Green gospel through mainstream media outlets and on the speaking circuit.

In this interview, Betsy shares her impressions of the National Speakers Association Pro-Track program and discusses some of the choices we can all make to help the environment. There are valuable links as well as archives of Betsy’s past radio shows on her website http://www.ecotalk.net.

To listen, click on the podcast icon below.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:15 — 1.9MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Nan Amish spoke this weekend at the NSA Northern California Pro-Track seminar on Marketing for Speakers, Trainers and Consultants. As a professional speaker, she takes a systematic approach to bringing her products and services to her customers, focusing on the market segments most likely to benefit from her services, which are both willing and able to pay for them.

In this brief extract from a full day seminar, Nan discusses various aspects of self-promotion for speakers, including the need for collateral tools such as Web Sites and One Sheets, the role of Advertising and PR as well as Sales. She concludes by discussing the value of good old fashioned print media such as the humble postcard in reaching potential clients.

To listen, click on the the podcast icon below.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:18 — 1.9MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Seth Godin, author of The Dip spoke in Santa Clara last night. He’s a masterful public speaker as well as an awesome entrepreneur and thought leader.

I can recommend dipping into his blog for his take on a range of ideas.

This brief extract from his talk captures the flavor of The Dip: recognizing the power of being the best in the world at what you do and resisting the temptation to quit before you get to be the best.

Click on the podcast to hear Seth speak.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:28 — 1.3MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Feleciai is a member of the National Speakers Association 2007 Pro-Track class. She recently launched The Power of Beauty – an image management company offering education, events and products. Her goal is to help women understand the power of their personal and professional image. She is dedicated to delivering message about The Power of Beauty in a fun and exciting way via workshops and seminars.

When Feleciai is not helping women look and feel their best she is helping individuals reach their dream of home ownership in the San Francisco area as the as the owner a residential real estate brokerage company. Prior to entering the world of real estate and image management she was a hairstylist and brand manager for such companies as RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, Pepsi Cola and Brown Forman beverages.

She spoke to me about her target market as an image consultant to women of color, her plans to develop her speaking business and how Pro-Track is helping.

To listen, click on the podcast icon below.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:56 — 1.8MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Professional speakers and information brokers of all kinds can leverage their knowledge into tips booklets and related information products for marketing, motivating and making money.

Paulette Ensign, the Tips Booklet Queen, is the world’s leading expert on the writing, publishing and marketing of tips booklets. She has a full-service website, Tips Products International, filled with proven processes to help anyone create a booklet.

Paulette has sold well over a million copies of her own tips booklet, 110 Ideas for Organizing your Business Life, in 4 languages and various formats, without spending a penny on advertising. Her website hosts over 300 booklets written by others on topics as diverse as 70 Tips To Welcome Your Newly Adopted Cat Into Your Life to 115 Essential Tips For Effective Presentations.

I caught up with Paulette at a seminar she gave in Sacramento this week. Click on the podcast link below to hear her share how she got started in this business and what is involved in producing a tips booklet.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:32 — 1.3MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Anyone starting out in the speaking business faces the challenge of finding people willing to pay for their services.

Carolyn Millet created a successful speaking business from scratch 12 years ago when she noticed some High School graduates who lacked social graces and decided to do something about it. Her Junior Manners Cotillion now serves the San Francisco Bay Area and helps young people acquire the social skills that will make their transition into adult society an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

Click on the podcast link below to hear Carolyn’s frank and humorous description about how she started out. Marvel at the commitment and determination with which she undertook the challenge of starting a successful speaking business.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:37 — 2.6MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Speaker Bureaus are an important way for Professional Speakers to market their services.

Michael Soon Lee, CSP, spoke to the Pro-Track meeting last Saturday about the advantages and disadvantages of registering with a Speaker’s Bureau. These Bureaus come in all sizes – from those that deal with the famous to those that will work with the speaker who is starting out.

Michael used to manage a Speaker Bureau. Click on the podcast below to hear him share some of his insights and experience.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:14 — 1.5MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

I’m pleased to report that ‘Professionally Speaking’ is available as a podcast in iTunes. Here’s how to find it:

Open iTunes and choose ‘iTunes Store’ then search for ‘Ian Griffin’ to find the Professionally Speaking podcast and hit Subscribe to receive regular updates.

I’m also listed on Podcast Alley {pca-f771c3467b53e71e4556c2edecd0844c}
(Which required me to post the claim tag above on my blog – hope it works….)

As well as on Yahoo Podcasts and Podcast Ready.

I had no idea there were so many great podcast directories out there! If, like me, you are getting more and more of your information from podcasts (which I listen to in at the gym, in the car and while walking the dog) then regular searches of these sources of info will pay off, big time. Believe me, you won’t find this many options on commercial radio or television.

My current playlist favorites include:

• Killer Innovations, HP’s irrepressible CTO, Phil McKinney shares his insights into what makes innovation happen.
• Start The Week Plummy accents and barbed wit combine in this wonderfully cultured BBC Radio 4 discussion forum.
• The Onion Radio News Doyle Redland anchors this quick dose of headline humor.
• This American Life Ira Glass’s quirky PBS radio show tells the story of real people in an unreal world.
• The Wizard of Ads Roy H. Williams works wonder with words.
• Letter to America Hipsters Jett Loe and Wayne Ordinary American take Belfast, Northern Ireland, by storm.
• Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders from the Stanford Technology Ventures Program dishes the inside scoop from the movers and shakers in Silicon Valley.
• Polyamory Weekly Tales from the front of responsible non-monogamy from a pansexual, kink-friendly point of view.

OK, OK, so I put that last one in there to see if you were paying attention! But seriously, podcasts are a great way to keep current with special interests of EVERY kind!

Enjoy!

Associations across America spend millions on meetings and events.

Dr. Bill Wittich, incoming NSA Northern California President, shared his expertise Saturday on how professional speakers can market themselves to Associations. Bill spoke on the panel of experts at the St Patrick’s Day Pro-Track meeting.

Click on the podcast link below to hear Bill tell us why Associations are such a lucrative market and his secrets for networking your way into a speaking engagement.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 4:50 — 2.2MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

The National Speakers Association Northern California Newsletter goes out monthly to over 600 subscribers. Each month we profile one of the Pro-Track training group. This month I’m breaking new territory by including a podcast of an interview I recorded to supplement the written profile.

Pro-Track Profile: Nannette Carroll

Nannette Carroll approaches all management challenges as communication opportunities. For over 20 years, her upbeat management seminars have helped participants use their process skills to discover root causes for people problems. With this knowledge, managers can implement lasting solutions. Her background as Director of Management Development/ Training for a Fortune 100 gives her a uniquely helpful perspective on aligning process, project and people management.

Nannette sets high standards for achievement while creating a fun, supportive, collaborative environment for participants in both workshops and speaking engagements.

As well as being a member of the National Speakers Association she is active in the California Writers Club and has a book coming out soon.

Nannette and I talked in a rather noisy hotel lobby during a break in the Pro-Track Saturday training on March 17, 2007 – St. Patrick’s Day!

Podcast Note: The opening and closing royalty free music is from a track called Games by the band Sour Monkey found on the Public Music Project website.

Click below to hear my interview with Nannette Carroll.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:24 — 2.9MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS