BEFORE YOU SAY “I WANT TO SPEAK FOR A LIVING”

Recently, I attended The Speaker Awards ceremony – an event filled with professional speakers.

The winner of Best Speaker of the Year made a good point. In his acceptance speech, he said there’s a big difference between liking the idea of being a professional speaker and liking the reality of it.

Many people dream of being on stage and inspiring audiences. But they don’t always think about what the job actually involves: being alone at airports, preparing talks in hotel rooms, missing family time, dealing with delays and logistics. That’s not the part you see on LinkedIn.

If you want to become a professional speaker, here’s one of the best things you can do: talk to someone who’s done it. Ask what they love about it. But also ask what they wish they had known before they started.

Every job has a backstage. Speaking is no different.

Before you commit to the spotlight, take a look behind the curtain.