Talent opens the door. Systems turn speaking into income.
👇 PLEASE READ THIS ALL THE WAY THROUGH 👇
There are several exciting updates in this issue that you’ll want to know about — including new resources, subscriber-only upgrades, and next steps if you’re serious about going from free to a fee.
A Note From Dr. Shana
I want to be very honest with you.
If you are still speaking for free more than you want to be, it’s not because you’re not talented, qualified, or impactful.
It’s because you don’t yet have the systems that support getting paid.
Most speakers wait until they “feel ready.”
Paid speakers build structure first.
And if your goal is to go from free to a fee, structure is not optional — it’s essential. And don't worry I am here to help you do it. Keep reading till the end.
Why Systems Matter (If You Want Consistency)
Let’s do a quick systems check.
Ask yourself:
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Do I have a repeatable pitch process, or do I pitch when I think about it?
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When someone asks my fee, do I feel confident — or uncomfortable?
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Do I have a clear booking process, or is everything manual?
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What happens after I speak — do I capture leads?
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Do I have a follow-up system with hosts and decision-makers?
If any of these are missing, you’re not behind —
you’re just missing infrastructure.
And infrastructure is what turns speaking into income.
This Week’s Bankable Speaker Tip
đź’ˇ If you want to go from free to a fee, build systems before you chase more stages.
Here’s where speakers get it backwards:
They try to get more opportunities before they have processes to support them.
Start with:
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One clear offer
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One pricing strategy
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One booking flow
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One after-the-talk system
Clarity creates confidence.
Systems create sustainability.
All of these systems are built inside of the Bankable Speaker Academy...keep reading!
10x Is Easier Than 2x – This Week’s Lesson
This quarter I’m intentionally revisiting
10x Is Easier Than 2x
One principle that applies directly to speaking:
“10x growth requires subtracting what doesn’t matter.”
Trying to “do a little more” of everything keeps speakers overwhelmed.
Bankable speakers decide:
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What activities generate revenue
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What systems remove friction
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What distractions need to go
You don’t need more hustle.
You need focus and structure.
4 Vetted Speaking Leads to Pitch This Week
Use these as target categories and tailor your pitch accordingly:
WBENC (Women's Business Enterprise National Council)
Location: Multiple + Salt Lake City, UT
Date: Multiple + June 15-18, 2026
Audience: WBENC hosts numerous programs and events for corporate and government representatives, women-business owners, and business leaders from across the United States for education, networking, and development opportunities. Our mission is to fuel the success of women-owned businesses. That means providing targeted and innovative educational programming aimed at helping women entrepreneurs develop as leaders and arming them with the tools and resources they need to grow their businesses.
Looking for:We strive to provide balanced programming that meets the variety of skill levels, interest levels, and perspectives of WBENC constituents, presented by quality speakers of the highest caliber who represent the diverse backgrounds and experience. Concerning honoraria, as WBENC utilizes educational conference sessions as a platform for innovation, ideas, and expertise we look for contributors who are willing to share their expertise without expectation of payment in the spirit of networking and recognition of invaluable contribution.
Deadline to submit: Not given so ASAP
HAABSE (Houston Area Alliance of Black School Educators)
Location: TBD
Date: July 10-11, 2026
Audience: Educators
Looking for speakers to focus on:
The theme for the conference is Exceeding the Standard: Redefining What's Possible in Education. The HAABSE professional development event will focus on five strands:
- Exceeding Instruction: Advancing Instructional Excellence
- Redefining Wellness: Reset and Recharge Wellness
- Redefining Leadership: Leadership that Elevates & Builds Capacity
- Exceeding in Advocacy: Advocacy Through Empowerment
- Exceeding in Achievement: High Impact Systems for High-Level Results
- Redefining Behavior Management: Effective Behavior Systems & Support
Deadline to submit:Feb 28, 2026
Security LeadHER Conference
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Date: June 15-16, 2026
Audience:
The Security LeadHER Conference celebrates the expertise and insight of women and their allies in security, and we take an intentional approach to selecting our speakers.
Looking for: (these sessions are unpaid but see below for paid opps info)
We are looking for informative and motivational presentations of topics such as:
- Strategies for Career Growth and Advancement / Gendered Norms of Leadership
- Negotiation Tactics / Promotions / Selling Your Ideas to Leadership
- Becoming a Leader / Navigating Your Career / Job Transitions
- Inspiring Change / Leading by Influence / Managing Up
- Effective Communication / Managing Workplace Relationships
- Work-Life Balance / Personal Wellness / Parenting & Caregiving
- Dealing with Bias / Managing Conflict
- Recruiting NextGen Women Leaders / Retaining Talent
Deadline to submit:Feb 28, 2026
Note: For information about paid keynote speaking opportunities, please contact info@securityleadher.org.
America's SBDC Conference
Location: Atlanta, GA
Date: Sept 26- Oct 4
Audience:
For 47 years, America’s SBDC has hosted its Annual Training Event for business advisors and SBDC network professionals. This national event brings together an average of 1,200 attendees and 50 sponsors each year from SBDCs worldwide for professional development that helps them grow as advisors and support the small businesses they work with. Attendees may be just beginning their careers with the SBDC or may have been assisting entrepreneurs for many years.
Looking for:
We aim to provide a comprehensive professional development experience for attendees of America’s SBDC Annual Training Event. We invite our workshop presenters to consider how their products, resources, methodologies, strategies, or tactics can empower our SBDC network.
Deadline to submit:March 6, 2026
Pro tip: Pitch outcomes, not titles.
New Resource: Speaker Fee Calculator
One of the biggest gaps I see is pricing confidence.
So I created a Speaker Fee Calculator to help you determine a realistic starting point for your speaking fees.
👉 Click here to access the Speaker Fee Calculator
Use it to:
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Stop underpricing out of uncertainty
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Prepare for fee conversations
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Understand what factors impact your rate
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Move from guessing to clarity
This tool supports your growth — it doesn’t box you in.
Where Systems + Accountability Come Together
If you’re realizing you’re missing pieces, this is exactly why I created
The Bankable Speaker Academy.
Inside, you get:
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A step-by-step process for building a bankable speaker business
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Systems for pitching, booking, and follow-up
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On-demand training you can implement immediately
And because you are already a Bankable Speaker Newsletter subscriber, when you join:
✨ You receive an automatic upgrade from Standard to Premium
That means:
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Direct access to me for check-ins
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Review and feedback on your speaker assets
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Live Q&A support
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Accountability so you don’t start and stop
All for ONLY $17 per month.
This is a subscriber-only benefit — and it’s my way of supporting you at a deeper level.
👉 Join The Bankable Speaker Academy
You don’t need another year of “almost.”
Almost paid.
Almost confident.
Almost consistent.
What you need is structure, accountability, and support.
If you’re ready to stop winging it and start building a speaker business intentionally, I’d love to support you inside the Academy.
Systems change everything.
And you don’t have to build them alone. This is your next level. Join us!!
—
Dr. Shana
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