Love this, @Caroline Dowd-Higgins. Addressing burnout and building healthy, high-performing cultures is essential for long-term success.

Hey @Caroline Dowd-Higgins Look forward to meeting you! Wednesday, October 8th @ 1pm - 2pm Toronto time https://us06web.zoom.us/j/8622157820

Great to meet you here, @Caroline Dowd-Higgins Thrilled to have such a passionate and accomplished professional join the community. Excited to connect and collaborate!

Welcome, @Lillian Ogbogoh ! We're so glad you joined us and shared this introduction — what powerful and important work you’re doing. Helping women reclaim their voice and step fully into visibility is such a needed message, and your blend of NeuroChange, embodiment, and narrative justice sounds incredibly impactful. I know a lot of speakers here wrestle with imposter syndrome and “fitting in,” so your perspective is going to add a lot of richness to our conversations. Excited to have you with us and looking forward to seeing you shine in this community!

@Lillian Ogbogoh Absolutely love that. The fact that you’ve walked this journey yourself makes the support you’re offering even more powerful and relatable. Really looking forward to learning from you.

Hey @Sandi Boucher Great question Sandi, and the answer has shifted a lot over the years. There was a time when being represented by a speakers bureau was seen as the pinnacle of credibility — if you weren’t “in a bureau,” you were missing out on opportunities. Today, the landscape is different. With online platforms, social media, and direct outreach, many speakers now book their own events. This has made the role of bureaus less about being the only gatekeeper to opportunities and more about being a partner and resource. That said, there are still real benefits to being affiliated with a speakers bureau. A good bureau can: Provide professional training and coaching to help you refine your message, presence, and marketing. Offer resources and materials to make you more marketable to event organizers. Give you credibility and affiliation with a professional group, which can add weight to your positioning. Offer community and support, which is especially valuable in a career that can otherwise feel solitary. So while a bureau might not be the only (or even the primary) way speakers book engagements anymore, the added value comes in the support, guidance, and professional association. For many speakers, that combination makes the relationship worthwhile. Hope that helps!