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How I pivoted from speaker to speaker agent
I will always regard Margaret Atwood as my hero.
Let me explain.
For many years in Canada I was a successful personal public relations consultant, speaker, and media guest on television and radio. I tried to find a speaker agent in Toronto who would represent me and negotiate my speaking contracts for me. Because of my visibility the bookings were coming to me, so I didn't need agents to find me gigs. All I needed was someone who could speak on my behalf, help me increase my fees, and make sure I was being treated with the respect due all speakers.
But nobody wanted to make 30% of my speaking income and maybe a commission on my book sales. I tried talent agents, publicists, and speaking coaches. I faced rejection, over and over. So... I learned how to represent myself.
However, two things happened to derail my career.
First, an intruder broke into my home which was also my business, Authors Bed and Breakfast. (I hosted authors like me who were staying in Toronto to promote their books on TV and radio.) After I helped police identify him, I was harassed and threatened with harm for months.
At police urging I gave up my business, left Toronto, and returned to the United States where I was an unknown with no reputation or credibility. The result was that I wasn't speaking at all. Now how was I, a single woman entrepreneur, going to earn an income?
Without invitations to appear or speak in public, I pivoted, recognizing that I could use my marketing savvy and contract negotiating skills to act as speaker agent for other speakers.
Then, I offered to help less experienced speakers generate higher fees so they wouldn't have to haggle for money, and I would take only a 15% commission, and not the standard 25-30%. Sadly, few speakers were willing to let me represent them. Of course, they didn't know me, but also they didn't want to give up a small portion of their fee to a stranger.
Out of nowhere, in 2003, an opportunity appeared to handle a significant speaking contract for poet and novelist, Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale). She and I had several Toronto colleagues in common who could verify my credibility and integrity; therefore, she trusted me to handle this event. As a result of my asking important questions about the event, I was able to increase her fee another 80% over what she had been receiving from her previous events.
Having Margaret Atwood on my client roster helped me acquire new clients and I shall be ever grateful to her.
But then in 2008, I had to put aside my career for ten years to care for aging parents, handle their estates consecutively, and restore two homes to sell. Now I have relocated to Florida to restart my business again.
Perhaps you, too, are starting over after the Pandemic with a plan to speak live or virtually. I can help by increasing your speaking fees over time. Let's start with a review of your most recent speaking contract.
Click to read the details: Contract Critique.