How do you get paid to speak?

That seems to be the common question people are asking me these days.

So, my goal for this week's newsletter is to help you understand how to get that going. 

I asked Gary Vaynerchuk’s booking agent this question years ago, and he broke it down into these two things. 

First, make sure you’re producing with your business. 

Every one of the 20-ish Vayner Speakers has done something inspiring in business or as an athlete. 

When you achieve something others want, it’s much easier to generate buzz among attendees and sell tickets. 

If your speaking fee isn’t pocket change compared to what you have done in business, then stop worrying about getting paid to speak and focus on building something special. 

The quickest way to get paid to speak is through your business; the clearer you can present what you do and why someone needs it, the more likely you are to get paid. 

For myself, I stopped waiting to get paid by conferences and started hosting events. It took me years to figure out how to monetize, but this year I made over $14,000 and $16,000 in profit from two of my bigger ones, and that was just from ticket sales. Upsells and business from that were not included with those numbers. 

Hosting events and selling tickets has helped me understand the value of what it takes to get a five-figure speaking fee from a conference or event. 

Second, get as much practice as you can with your messaging, so when you do get the right opportunity, you’re ready. 

This year, I’ve had 171 speaking engagements. 

92 paid and 79 unpaid. 

The unpaid ones included guesting on podcasts, getting my foot in the door with bigger companies like Subway, collaborative Instagram lives, open mics, and even paying for events that led to opportunities to speak. 

All of these have directly correlated to better execution for the ones that I was paid for. 

Speakers need reps, just like musicians, comedians, and actors. 

You will get rusty and be unprepared for bigger opportunities if you’re not working on your craft consistently. 

With that said, if you’re unsure how to practice or want help accelerating your path to paid opportunities, I’d recommend checking out my book, How to Become a Phenomenal Public Speaker, or joining an upcoming Speaker School Mastermind. 

For those who want to get things kick-started in 2026. I created a Black Friday Deal that gets you both the Stamford, CT (January 23rd & 24th, 2026) and Miami Beach, FL (March 20th & 21st, 2026) Speaker Mastermind for $1,000 off, and it ends Friday, 11/27, once Midnight hits!

This post was first published on the Warm Heart Life LinkedIn Newsletter on November 27, 2025.