@Shana Lewis need clarity on this one? Was just asked to speak in Austin at a realtor’s group meeting at $500 sponsor level to cover lunch. 45 minutes to speak. Can make & offer plus sell merchandise. Expected number 50+ is their usual. The woman inviting me is so sure they need my content & will buy?🤷🏽‍♀️ I have so many questions...travel, not paid! Etc. I got 2 yesterday. No fee but can offer. This part gets exhausting when you are trying to get paid. 🫩 Really don't want to start incurring these expenses.😫 Thoughts anyone? 🤔

Actions for today: 1. Listen to Day 9 Audio Lesson 2. Read today's post 3. Complete Day 9 tasks and reply to post Good morning and welcome to Day 9. If you pitched yesterday and haven’t heard back yet—this is expected. If you did hear back—great, keep reading. Today is about what separates speakers who get booked from speakers who stop too soon: Follow-up. Silence is not a no. Follow-up is not annoying. This is part of the process. ✨ Today’s Bankable Speaker Truth Follow-up is part of the pitch. Silence is not a rejection. Read it out loud. What Today Is About Most cold pitches do not get immediate responses. That does not mean: - you did something wrong - your pitch was bad - you should move on immediately It means you need a system. Today we’re setting expectations for: - follow-up timing - how many times to follow up - how to stay organized - what your goal is when someone responds 🛠 TODAY’S TASK (15–30 MINUTES) Today you will: 1. Set a 7-day follow-up rhythm 2. Decide how you will manage pitching emails 3. Prepare for responses without rushing them You are not sending follow-ups yet unless enough time has passed. ⏰ FOLLOW-UP EXPECTATIONS (KEEP THIS SIMPLE) For cold pitches, expect: - little to no response right away - to follow up every 7 days - to send up to 5 emails before archiving the contact That’s normal. That’s professional. Simple Follow-Up Rhythm - Day 0: Pitch sent - Day 7: Follow-up #1 - Day 14: Follow-up #2 - Day 21: Follow-up #3 - Day 28: Final follow-up After that, archive and move on. 📧 ORGANIZATION TIP: CONSIDER A DEDICATED PITCHING EMAIL To keep things clean and avoid missed responses, you may want to create a separate email just for pitching, such as: - [email protected] - [email protected] This helps you: - track conversations easily - keep follow-ups visible - avoid losing responses in a crowded inbox

Actions to take: 1. Listen to Day 2 Audio Lesson 2. Read today's Post 3. Complete Day 2 Task by replying to this post Good morning and welcome to Day 2. Yesterday, you took stock of your speaker business and identified what may be missing. For many of you, message clarity showed up as one of the gaps—and that’s exactly where we’re going today. Before you can pitch confidently, follow up clearly, or get paid consistently, people need to understand what you actually do and why it matters. Clarity is not about being fancy. Clarity is about being understood. Clarity comes before confidence. ✨ Today’s Bankable Speaker Truth I don’t need a perfect message. I need a clear one. Read it out loud. What You’ll Learn Today A bankable message answers three simple questions: - Who do I help? - What problem do I help them solve? - What changes because of my work? - When this isn’t clear, pitching feels awkward, introductions feel long, and opportunities get missed—not because you’re not qualified, but because your message is doing too much. Today, we’re simplifying. This message will become the foundation for: - Your pitches - Your bio - Your content - How people refer you We’ll refine it over time. Today is about starting strong, not finishing perfect. 🛠 Your Day 2 Task (15–30 minutes) Complete this sentence: I teach __________ (audience)solve __________ (problem)so they can __________ (result). Then answer these two questions for yourself: 1. Where could I pitch this message? 2. Is this a problem people or organizations would pay to solve? Post Below Using This Format My bankable message is: I teach __________ solve __________ so that they can __________. After you post, reply to at least one other person’s post with encouragement or clarity. Sometimes hearing your message reflected back helps it land. I’m in the room with you—let’s keep building. __________________________________________________________________________________

Actions for today: 1. Listen to Day 8 Audio Lesson 2. Read today's post 3. Complete Day 8 tasks and reply to post Good morning and welcome to Day 8. Today is a big day—not because you need a yes today, but because you are officially stepping into action. You’ve done the preparation: - You clarified your message - Defined the problem you solve - Identified where your audience is - Researched real opportunities - Set clear pitching goals - Prepared your pitch assets Now it’s time to start building the habit of pitching. This is not about perfection. This is about execution. ✨ Today’s Bankable Speaker Truth Action builds confidence. Consistency builds bookings. Read it out loud. What Today Is About Pitching is not a one-time activity—it’s a weekly business practice. Success today is not measured by responses. It's measured by how many pitches you send and track. This is the beginning of something you will repeat weekly. 🛠 Today’s Task (15–30 minutes) You will send pitches today. Your goal is 5–10 total pitches, using any combination of: - first-degree outreach - cold outreach - RFP submissions Track every pitch in the Pitches Plan tab. Start With Your First Degree of Separation Your first-degree connections are people who already: - know you - trust you - work in or are connected to places where you could speak This is not a hard pitch. Your goal is simply to: - let them know you are a speaker - share what you speak about - ask if they know of opportunities or can connect you First-Degree Email Template Subject: Quick Update + Speaking Hi [Name], I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to reach out because I’ve stepped into speaking more intentionally and wanted to make sure you knew what I’m doing. I currently speak on [your topic / problem you solve], specifically teaching [audience] how to [outcome]. If you happen to know of any upcoming events, organizations, or teams that bring in speakers—or if there’s someone I should connect with—I’d appreciate being pointed in the right direction.

Actions for today: 1. Listen to Day 7 Audio Lesson 2. Read today's post 3. Complete Day 7 tasks and reply to post Good morning and welcome to Day 7. Up to this point, you’ve done the clarity work that makes pitching possible. Today, we prepare the assets so pitching doesn’t feel stressful, rushed, or intimidating. This is not Pitch Day yet. This is design day. Strong pitches—especially for RFPs—require clear, ready-to-go information that makes it easy for someone to say yes. And I want to say this clearly: You do not have to have already given the talk to prepare these materials. You are building readiness, not waiting for permission. ✨ Today’s Bankable Speaker Truth Preparation builds confidence. Confidence accelerates opportunity. Read it out loud. What You’ll Learn Today Most pitch requests and RFPs ask for the same core information. When you prepare it once, pitching becomes faster and easier. Today, you’re building the foundation for your signature talk—something you can reuse across audiences and refine over time. 🛠 Your Day 7 Task (15–30 minutes) Today, your goal is to start creating your pitch assets—not perfecting them. ✅ Pitch & RFP Readiness Checklist Use this checklist to prepare what you’ll need for Pitch Day. Core Pitch Assets ☐ Talk / Workshop Title ☐ Session Description (what the talk is about) ☐ 3–5 Learning Objectives (what the audience will gain) ☐ Problem addressed & outcome delivered Experience & Credibility ☐ List of places you’ve spoken before(this can include workshops, trainings, webinars, panels, classrooms, churches, internal sessions, etc.) ☐ Links to previous talks or speaker reel If you don’t have video yet, here are a few easy options: - Record a 3–5 minute video using Zoom or your phone - Use a microphone so the audio is clear  Suggested mic: https://amzn.to/4bgXAsj - Speak through your topic and at least one key point of your talk - Production quality does not matter—clarity does