Your Voice, Your Brand: Introducing Our Speaker Package

By Alanna Fairey

I am writing this blog post hours after speaking for the United Nation. Yes, THAT United Nations.

How did this come to be? 

Last year, I worked on a project through a fashion organization that I consult for, which connected two schools I previously attended: Nottingham Trent University and Humber College. The project was a huge success, and at the end of 2023, I was approached to talk about the project at UN75. As a fashion industry expert, I shared my views on proposed policy frameworks, fashion tech, and the power of collaboration, all of which I deeply care about.

Now that I think about it, my public speaking journey only really began in the last year and a half. These opportunities have ranged from guest lectures, workshop facilitation, and conferences for major organizations. 

While I’m very privileged to have been given so many of these opportunities, I’m not actively seeking public speaking gigs. All of the speaking I’ve done – including for the UN – I was sought out for. 

So many of our clients have told me their goal is to increase their speaking engagements, whether that be in-person or podcasts – but they don’t know how to start. 

I tried putting myself in their shoes, trying to imagine a reality where I didn’t have a network of people vouching for me as a speaker. Would I even know who to reach out to? What opportunities are actually out there? How could I pitch myself? Would I have the confidence to put myself out there like that? And, I realized I had no idea. And it became clear that the same could be said for our clients. 

 And that’s where our new Speaker’s Package comes in. 

Standout Service

What makes this new service such a standout package? There’s a few things.

Well, there’s two very big things, to be exact. 

First, we combined podcasting and speaker outreach to provide valuable practice opportunities for our clients. Since they’re not professional speakers and may lack experience, practice really does make perfect. Podcasting is an ideal platform for honing speaking skills, particularly in handling Q&A sessions, which can be a daunting aspect of public speaking for many. By participating in podcasts, clients receive valuable feedback that guides them in crafting their presentations and responses.

Second, we take on a much more personalized approach to speaker outreach, eschewing automated methods that can lead to spamming. Instead of buying lists and mass emailing, we curate speaking opportunities tailored to each of our client’s preferences and needs. Whether they prefer local events or are open to broader opportunities, we customize our outreach efforts accordingly. Our approach ensures every interaction is thoughtful and respectful, safeguarding our clients’ reputations and brand integrity.

By emphasizing personalized support and meaningful practice opportunities, we set ourselves apart from other services that prioritize quantity over quality. 

Our commitment to professionalism and genuine engagement resonates with both clients and event organizers, which will build authentic connections and opportunities for growth.

What to expect

For those not pursuing a career in professional speaking, the question remains: where to start? 

Our solution begins with helping them develop a speaker’s kit. Without such materials, it becomes challenging to evaluate potential speakers objectively. Therefore, the first step is to equip individuals with the necessary tools to present themselves effectively.

Next, we assist in networking and connecting with opportunities. While some people excel at building strong networks and seeking out speaking opportunities, many others struggle to navigate this process. Even those with extensive networks may not realize their potential as speakers or be considered for speaking engagements. 

Our role is to bridge this gap by facilitating connections and promoting individuals who wish to expand their influence and thought leadership through speaking engagements.

Know your team

The creation of a new package also means the promotion of two team members –– and the addition of another.

Two of my colleagues (and some of my favourite people)  Abbie James and Jermaine Cabalo (JC) were deservingly promoted to Speaker Booking Agent and Podcast Reachout Specialist, respectively.

Something we noticed very early on about Abbie? She is shameless, in the best way possible. She has no reservations about approaching people and asking questions, and we decided to leverage that to connect our clients with speaking opportunities. That shamelessness will also come in handy when it comes to reaching out to organizers and following up. First joining us as a writer, Abbie will still be leveraging her writing skills filling out individualized proposals, as opposed to a generic template. 

For JC, promoting him to Podcast Reachout Specialist was a no-brainer. Whenever we’d send him podcast interviews or insight interviews with clients to dissect, JC would listen to the *entire* thing, always expressing how much he learned from them. That genuine interest and curiosity is a strength, and it was an added bonus that JC also feels no reservations about reaching out to podcast hosts and pitching our clients with a very personalized pitch about the clients’ expertise and story. 

Joining our team as an advisor is Miranda Barrett, the Founder of Capacity to Scale, a key strategic partner bringing in extensive expertise in the world of global events and speaker preparation, selection, and value creation. While Miranda’s agency doesn’t handle outreach, which is where we excel, our collaboration makes us perfect complements rather than competitors.

In my *completely* unbiased opinion, we’ve got the dream team over here! 

Looking ahead

Although this service is still new, we expect many successes to celebrate, both from our clients and within our team.

Our goal remains to provide clients with services they can’t execute themselves, using tools and expertise they may lack internally. It's an exciting evolution for us, as we adapt to meet the changing needs of our clients and the evolving landscape of digital marketing.

Something I don’t think is a coincidence? I only started feeling confident about being a public speaker when I started working for Brand of a Leader.

At Brand of a Leader, we challenge our clients to recognize their greatness, to take ownership of their story and not to be afraid to use their voice. In order for me to authentically do that for our clients, I first had to recognize this in myself, otherwise it would just feel hollow. 

So, take it from me: Brand of a Leader has a remarkable talent of making you realize that you’ve got a story, and it’s worth sharing with others. 

Interested in this new package? Schedule a call with us here! 

Alanna Fairey is a Client Engagement Specialist at Brand of a Leader. She has a diverse background in fashion communications, branding, and writing. Connect with Alanna here.