Zoom Call – August 2025: Crystal Washington’s Speaker Business Blueprint

Full Transcript

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I think I got everybody.

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I’m gonna remove that one. I’m

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Even seeing some friends here.

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Hey, Robin. Crystal,

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Are you, You looking

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Good, crystal? Hi,

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how are you? I’m good. It’s so good to see you.

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To see you too. I really missed going to influence,

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but it sounds like everybody had a good time. It was

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Good, but everybody has to do what works

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for them at the time that it works for them.

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Yeah. So I’m, I’m off for strategic, uh, decision making.

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Hi, Sylvia.

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I’m glad you’re all, she’s From London.

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You said you’re in London right now? Yes. Oh,

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Sunny. Oh, Sylvia.

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It is great. This is like the day

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everybody’s been waiting for.

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Everybody’s very, very excited. Yes. Few

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Star power.

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Excuse me. You brought star power today.

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And like my best friend, I love as your star power.

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Yeah. Um, I will, uh, I’ll just start.

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I’m looking at a lot of people are, we’ve got a lot

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of people listening, uh, crystal, their, uh, their,

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their cameras aren’t on,

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but this is a, this is the best turnout

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we’ve had for our guest speaker.

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And like, I’m so honored.

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Like I just said, we were having lunch

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and I was at Crystal’s house

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and she’s, I said, Hey, would you ever talk to my group?

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And she said, of course. And man, I got on it right away.

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So, um, I’m gonna start off with our story

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because this is like so ingrained in me.

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Um, I had written a book with my daughter.

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So a lot of you talk about, I have this big thing

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where you start is not where you finish.

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When I started speaking, I spoke, I came from retail

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and I spoke on fashion, and my daughter Meredith,

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and I wrote this book called The Seven Women Project.

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And, um, hang on guys.

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I can’t, I was started to,

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I’m not gonna let your note takers in, so we’ll just,

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I’m removing your note takers.

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Sorry guys. All

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of these little things are popping up while I’m talking.

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Okay. I’m not gonna look anymore. All right.

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So, um, I’ve written this book, the Seven Women Project,

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and you know, how many of you have written a book, um,

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and how many of you’ve self-published it?

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So the interesting thing about it is,

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uh, it’s like your baby.

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So when you get this book done, you know,

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I had like all these books here in the house,

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and I think I had them for about a week.

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And, uh, a woman named Beverly Denver, who has, uh,

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an association and a magazine called Houston Business

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Magazine asked me to donate 200 books.

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I mean, I had not sold one book yet,

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and now you wanna take my babies away from me.

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And, um, I said yes, uh, because she was a friend, and

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because, um, I just knew that that was what I had to do.

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Who knew that Crystal Washington would be

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receiving the award?

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One of the awards at her banquet,

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and I think she’s got it right there.

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She’s, this is from 2010. And guess what they got?

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Everybody got a, everybody got a book.

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So this was on a Friday.

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I did not know Crystal Washington,

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but on Sunday, my, the Facebook back in 2010 blew up

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with this person named Crystal Washington telling the world

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how amazing this book was.

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And we sold hundreds of books.

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It was like the craziest thing that ever happened.

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I did not know her, but interestingly, kind

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of two random acts of kindness brought Crystal into my life.

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It, we didn’t really connect then,

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but we then met at a networking event.

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I don’t know if you remember this Crystal,

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and wait till I tell you what she said to me.

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She did not know me from Adam, and she was 23, weren’t you?

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23 at the time. And she said to me, you know, Karen,

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I read your book and I’ve been thinking

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if you gave every woman a Twitter account

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and Twitter tweeted like each

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of the seven women you could create, and listening to her,

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and I’m writing it all down,

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and I’m thinking, who tells somebody

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that they don’t know this Million Dollar idea?

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It was brilliant back then.

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Remember Crystal, and I didn’t do it

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because the book was really not what I was speaking on.

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It just took long, a long time to write it.

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But I fell in love with this person I didn’t even know

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because she told me something.

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She gave me something.

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And I don’t know how it moved from there,

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but soon we met for coffee.

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And I told her I wanted to learn about social media

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because she was a, she’ll tell you all of that.

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And she said, well, teach me a little bit about

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speaking and the affair.

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Our romance began, and that was in 2010.

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And in 2024, you were inducted into the Hall

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of Fame, you imagine.

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So that was 14 years. 14 years.

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And so I asked Crystal to share her journey.

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We didn’t have anything planned.

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What I’d like to do is make this an open forum with Crystal.

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She’s gonna talk, I will try

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to monitor it and raise your hands.

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But here’s what I want you to get.

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I want you to take out of this real, the real

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parts of the business.

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This is somebody doing it and just watching her journey

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and listening to her, and sometimes not being bogged down

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with all of the things that we hear that we have to do,

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and just begin to understand some of the process.

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Does that sound good with you? Crystal?

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Sounds perfect. Um, so thank you.

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And I just have to say, I’m super, super excited to be here

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with some of my, with my peers, uh, some of my friends,

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and then there’s new friends here too.

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So I’m excited to meet my new friends too.

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Um, but yeah, Karen are the stories.

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We remember the stories slightly differently, but,

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but for the most part, the same.

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The one part where we diverge

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after I gave you the Twitter, um, the Twitter advice,

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you said, who you did say, you said, who says this?

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Who gives people stuff like this?

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And I said, I don’t charge

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for everything that comes outta my mouth.

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I just wanna be helpful. Right?

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And Karen said, well, she said, I looked into you too

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after you, you know, sold all those books for me.

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She said, I looked, looked into you too.

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I went on your website. She said,

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and I see that you’re a baby speaker.

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She said, but I’m gonna turn you to a professional speaker.

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And I thought, you’re right, lady,

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because people, you know, people say all kinds of stuff,

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so you’re like, whatever.

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Uh, well, ta-da, she did it, right?

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And so, you know,

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I’ll tell you a little bit about my journey.

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I’m not attached to sharing any one particular

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thing with any of you today.

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I really want this to be driven by what you need to know,

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what’s helpful for you.

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Uh, so this isn’t the crystal show.

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I’ll sh again, I’ll share a little bit of the story

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where I think there might be pieces that are helpful.

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But please feel free, um, if it’s okay with Karen

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to either raise your hand or type in chat,

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and Karen, just interrupt me as we go along

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so we can make sure that we tackle those

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things as we go along.

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There are, um, no inappropriate questions.

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I don’t mind talking about, you know,

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money aspects, things like that.

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I’m gonna tell y’all some of the things I did, right?

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I’m gonna tell y’all some of the really dumb stuff I did

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too, so that maybe you can avoid it.

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Um, but I’m just, I’m here to serve.

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This is a no front zone. No one has to pretend.

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We’re just, we’re gonna be honest.

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Um, because the speaking business is,

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it’s a really interesting business, but it’s really strange.

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There’s nothing else like it.

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It’s like a cross between teaching and consulting

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and being an entertainer.

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And then some of us think we’re entertainers, but we’re not.

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It gets really bizarre, right?

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So, and then some people don’t understand it’s a business.

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So they’re worried about what’s on the stage

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or how I come across in this environment.

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Well get, if the back end is messed up, you,

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you, you’re gonna have problems.

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It’s not gonna work, right?

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So from the moment Karen said, I’m gonna teach you how to,

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you know, I’m gonna turn you into,

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uh, a professional speaker.

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We did meet up for coffee.

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And, uh, Karen even had started a small mastermind group.

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And Karen was the only one

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who was like a consistent speaker.

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All the rest of us were either baby speakers

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or there was a really, uh,

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there was a couple successful consultants.

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So it’s not that people didn’t have

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success in their own right.

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You know, I had a little marketing firm that won an award

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and was making money, but we wanted

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to become professional speakers.

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And Karen was the one,

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she was like our Harriet Tubman of speaking, if you will.

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It was kind of leading the charge.

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Um, and so we would have our, our regular meetings

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where we’d kind of meet up and eventually

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that mastermind kind of fell by the wayside

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because what we learned very quickly is,

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Karen’s an action person and I’m an action person.

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And sometimes people like to discuss

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things and marinate ’em.

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And, and Karen and I were just moving

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because we, we followed up.

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So I think my opinion,

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and Karen, feel free to weigh in, in the very beginning,

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there were three things that really helped me

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with, uh, speaking.

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And I recognize that I’m speaking to people in here

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that are brand new people

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that have been doing this for years.

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And some of you are my peers.

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You’re, you’ve been doing it just as long,

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you’re just looking for ways you can uplevel, right?

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So I respect everyone where we’re at.

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We’re all in this together. But the three things I think,

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especially for those of you that are maybe closer

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to the beginning that were helpful

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or retooling, is that, um, number one

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at a topic people were already searching for.

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So I started off talking about social

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media when it was very new.

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So you don’t have to convince people at the time when it’s

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new and people are trying to figure it out

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that they need someone who’s gonna speak on social media.

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It’s just a matter of convincing them that you are the one.

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It’s the difference between being a

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Sears back in its heyday.

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And, and so for instance, I’ll give you an example.

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Someone knows they need a vacuum. They will go to Sears.

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Your Sears, you’re just, it’s a matter of, hey, this,

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these are your vacuum choices.

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Come to me. You know, you need it.

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Maybe this vacuum versus being a kby vacuum salesman

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that shows up to someone’s door knocks

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and tries to convince them that they need a vacuum.

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So I have run into other speakers

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and some who’ve many have fallen up, uh,

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by the wayside over the years, who they did not have a topic

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that people knew that they needed.

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And so you can be super brilliant on a topic,

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but if no one wants it, good luck.

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So it’s like it’s creating a whole extra

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burden for yourself.

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Now, you can, my Grammy used to, uh,

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say she wouldn’t give us kids medicine.

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She would always give us Tylenol, ground up and honey.

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And so that’s kind of how you can present a topic,

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if maybe it’s not when people are automatically looking

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for the honey, is the topic they’re looking for.

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Figure out what you can embed your topic into

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that people are already looking for.

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So, number one, I had a topic

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people really were interested in.

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Number two, I had a great mentor

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who’s Karen McCullough, right?

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One of the other challenges I see in this business is

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that oftentimes we get shiny button syndrome

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or shiny person syndrome, or shiny organization.

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Patty’s, she’s not, ’cause Patty’s seen it, right?

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And so what happens is you’re listening to too many voices.

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Now, when I first started meeting up with Karen,

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and she was mentoring me, I’m helping with social media,

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but she’s definitely mentoring me on the speaking piece.

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’cause I had no idea what I was doing.

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Um, she had me join NSA Houston,

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and then she had me join NSA national.

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She’s like, if you’re serious, you,

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you have to do these things.

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This is not optional. Are you serious? Okay.

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But what happens is when you do that, you start

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to hear conflicting opinions, right?

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Because there’s so many ways

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to be successful in this business.

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And I always tell people when I share things

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that have worked for me, I share my way, not the way.

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So there’s, there’s many ways. But the challenge

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with this is, is that when we’re listening

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to too many voices, it’s like asking three different people

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for directions somewhere.

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You can’t combine their directions. That’s insanity.

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You’ll never get to where you’re trying to go.

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You kind of have to choose one.

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And so I would get other pieces of advice,

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but then when I’d meet with Karen,

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I would filter it through her.

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So if something kind of conflicted

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with the main direction she was giving me, no,

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you can’t stop by the world’s largest hairball

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or the greatest blah, blah, blah, along the route,

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you need to stay this way.

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I would stay that way. So I think finding that one voice,

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and you all are already in here, um, I know the power

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of Karen because I live the power of Karen.

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I would not be a professional speaker.

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I would not be at my level.

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I would not be award-winning the type

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of fees I get if I had not encountered Karen

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and if she hadn’t coached me along the way.

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So you all are in the best place.

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And, and I know that she, uh, helps with keynotes,

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but she’s just really good with filtering

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everything around the business.

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So number one topic people were searching for.

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Number two, I had a good mentor that as I was going

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through things, I could say,

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oh, well, I heard I should do this.

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And she’d be like, don’t, don’t do that.

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Oh, what about this? Okay, try that.

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The last thing, um, and this is more of an internal thing,

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but I’m a systems thinker naturally.

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So I’m someone who I always think about

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how do the pieces fit together?

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How can I set this up so it makes it work easier?

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How do I make this so that it’s smoother

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for clients or my team?

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So I’m always, that’s just kind of the way my brain works.

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But that works really well in business

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because you’re thinking about the back end of the business.

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So for me, it’s not

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that I didn’t care about my craft on stage

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and improving, I did things to improve.

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And, uh, Karen, DII memory unlocked,

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do you remember when we had the guy from Second City

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and he did like a, a private thing for us

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and our, um, our mastermind group?

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So, I mean, we, we did things to improve on stage,

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but I understood for me at least that the key

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to my success in this business would be very much, if not,

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if not more focused on the back end of the business,

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at least equal it.

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I had to be just as good in the back end

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of the business processes, making sure the money was right,

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making sure the legal was right, making sure I built a team,

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just as important as how I pop up on stage.

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Um, and then when I say stages, there’s more pieces too.

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It’s your presence on site.

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One of the things that Karen taught me was be early,

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you know, and,

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and just those, those principles that I needed to know

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and what that needed to look like.

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Um, and it’s so funny, Karen, I think about you now,

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every summer, my 14-year-old nephew, um,

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who I think a couple of you have met at Influence before,

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but my 14-year-old nephew,

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he interns with me now in the summer.

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So he flies to the different places.

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And he can recite this like, it’s nobody’s business.

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He, you know, he has his little professional shirt.

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He always says, um, to be earliest, to be on time,

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to be on time, it’s to be late.

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To be late is unacceptable, right?

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So these are principles that were kind

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of put into me by my mentor.

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And again, it’s not that I was a tardy person before,

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but just understanding for speaking,

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how to set yourself apart.

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All right? So now that I had those three things, the topic,

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the mentor, and the systems thinking,

365

00:14:14.195 –> 00:14:16.205

what really came next is trying to figure out

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how do you get the gigs right?

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Because at the end of the day, that’s

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what everyone’s trying to figure out.

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It’s not how do I show up on stage?

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Although for some people it is, right?

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But it’s how do I get the business?

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And, um, Karen came in super handy here too,

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because I was able to, you know, I, I reached out

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to her video person, she kind of, she got me started.

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She’s like, you know, you have to have a website.

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And I had a website, but it wasn’t it, it needed

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to be a speaker website.

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She made sure I understood the difference.

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Um, I needed to have a one sheet contrary

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to what other people were saying.

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Even then. And now there’s even more debate.

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Oh, they can just go online. Bull hockey.

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That’s one of the few things I’ll

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say where I’ll just say outright.

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I don’t agree with it. Because the reason you want a one

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sheet, something that can be downloaded on A PDF is

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that there are times where committees make decisions.

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And you wanna be able to attach everything

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that’s needed into one email.

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Where here’s the overview of who you are,

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here’s a link to my demo video.

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Maybe there’s, um, you know, testimonials,

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but link it in there so that they can just pass

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it around to everybody.

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Versus people going on your website looking for things.

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Because the, the unwritten communication here,

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or the, the not obvious communication is if you’re the one

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who makes it easy for them,

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and the other speakers just say, oh, go to my website.

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You’ll find these things. You are already sending a signal

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that you’re easy to work with.

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You’re already sending a seig signal

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that I think about you in this process.

404

00:15:36.305 –> 00:15:38.245

Um, so the website wasn’t the hard part.

405

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’cause I used to, for my marketing business that I had

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before I met Karen, we did websites.

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So creating a new website, not bad one sheet, um,

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had my first draft and Karen was like, me.

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All right? So cut out like 50% of that

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because I did what is normal there.

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I mean, there was no white space that that page was choking.

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It was so full. But I did what is normal for many of us.

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Um, and for those of you

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that have been in this longer, you’ve seen this.

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When you start out, you are, you’re trying

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to prove your wealth or your worth.

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So you’re trying to put every accolade you ever had since

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elementary school on that thing.

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I won this award. I’ve spoken to all 15 of these companies

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and, and, you know, I’m,

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I’m the fastest shoe laced tire in the West.

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Like, you put everything on there

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and she’s like, please, white space.

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It’s good crystal. And I’m like, ah,

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but will they know I’m valuable if I don’t mention it?

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She’s like, it’s, it’s fine.

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We’re just this, it’s just the overview.

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And it’s funny, now

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that I’ve accomplished more in the industry,

430

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I leave a lot more white space.

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There’s so much stuff that I could mention that I don’t,

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that when I talk to clients

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and I mention, they’re like, why isn’t on your materials?

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I’m like, well, y’all got the, the main stuff.

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00:16:47.405 –> 00:16:51.125

It’s, it’s okay. What happens is, is it’s

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because maybe sometimes in the

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beginning we don’t feel worthy.

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It’s kind of like, I hate to cross this line,

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00:16:56.645 –> 00:16:59.965

but it’s kind of like sometimes where you find people that,

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00:17:00.785 –> 00:17:02.685

um, date desperately.

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Does that make sense? Where you see they, so again,

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it’s not a problem with being single married.

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I have no opinion on any of that.

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Not being like politically correct.

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I mean, because I think everybody has

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a journey and I honor it.

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But when you find people that date desperately

448

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where they’re just like throwing everything at the person

449

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immediately and you’re like, you’re gonna run ’em away,

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the same thing can happen with our marketing materials.

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You throw at everything, but the kitchen sink, it,

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it feels desperate.

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So Karen gave me great advice,

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main highlights, make it easy.

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They’re gonna look over it, ha be secured, who you are,

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just the main stuff that you need.

457

00:17:33.625 –> 00:17:37.085

But the last one, um, the hard part was the video.

458

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And that’s where it got funny.

459

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So I reached out to Karen’s videographer

460

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and I was so proud of myself, y’all.

461

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So I’m married to an international photographer

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and you know, many of those really expensive, uh,

463

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cameras also have video.

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So he would come to my little event.

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So I’m speaking at, you know, ut and I’m in the auditorium.

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He takes a video, I’m doing a breakout at

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whatever luncheon in front of the little Hilton,

468

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um, little podium.

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He takes a video. So, and,

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and there’s a little, it’s miked up too.

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So I’m like, Ooh. So I contact her videographer

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and I’m like, I’m ready for a demo video

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because Karen taught me there’s three things you need

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for marketing the one sheet, the website, and the video.

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And I agree with her still to this day,

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those are three most important assets.

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And so, you know, I, I tell ’em, okay,

478

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I have all these videos already.

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I just need you to put it together. Make something magical.

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All right? So I don’t know why Karen

481

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and I have so much stuff or so many things in my life.

482

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Start on a Friday and then by Monday things shift.

483

00:18:32.065 –> 00:18:34.805

So I sent Mike all of my materials on a Friday.

484

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On Monday, Mike calls me

485

00:18:38.235 –> 00:18:39.815

and I’m like, oh, he must have worked the weekend

486

00:18:39.815 –> 00:18:41.175

and been impressed and saw my video.

487

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You know, I’m like, I’m like, Ooh.

488

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So Mike calls me

489

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and he goes, um, crystal.

490

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I said, yeah. He said, um, uh, uh,

491

00:18:53.775 –> 00:18:55.555

and he was like, he was struggling to get something out.

492

00:18:55.635 –> 00:18:57.715

I said, Mike, whatever you wanna say, just say it.

493

00:18:57.715 –> 00:18:59.595

You can’t hurt my feelings. I have black aunts.

494

00:18:59.775 –> 00:19:01.715

And he was like, uh, and so he started laughing

495

00:19:01.935 –> 00:19:05.395

and Julie was like, yep, see, we honest black eyes.

496

00:19:05.395 –> 00:19:07.435

They’re gonna tell you things. And he said, well,

497

00:19:07.495 –> 00:19:08.915

you said you wanna be a keynote speaker.

498

00:19:09.235 –> 00:19:11.835

I said, that is correct. He said, well, none

499

00:19:11.835 –> 00:19:14.515

of these videos are you on a keynote stage

500

00:19:14.655 –> 00:19:18.035

and you only attract the type of video that I put out there.

501

00:19:18.035 –> 00:19:20.835

I need you on a big stage. I said, huh.

502

00:19:21.415 –> 00:19:22.995

Now this is that systems thinking.

503

00:19:22.995 –> 00:19:25.515

Literally as he’s talking, I’m like, okay.

504

00:19:25.975 –> 00:19:28.235

And so what I’m gonna tell you I did is common now,

505

00:19:28.235 –> 00:19:30.275

but it was not, I’d never heard of anyone doing it.

506

00:19:30.375 –> 00:19:31.515

I’m just a problem solver.

507

00:19:31.695 –> 00:19:33.315

So I said, okay, Mike, gimme a moment.

508

00:19:33.375 –> 00:19:34.315

I’m gonna call you back in a few minutes.

509

00:19:34.315 –> 00:19:34.875

He said, what are you?

510

00:19:34.875 –> 00:19:36.875

And I clicked, not really click, but you get with the point.

511

00:19:37.195 –> 00:19:38.195

I like to pretend. All right.

512

00:19:38.195 –> 00:19:41.515

So then I call up one of my friends that managed a venue

513

00:19:41.515 –> 00:19:43.675

where I had just seen Brene Brown speak,

514

00:19:44.135 –> 00:19:45.355

and I think it can hold 400,

515

00:19:45.455 –> 00:19:46.675

600 people, something like that.

516

00:19:46.845 –> 00:19:48.955

She’s here in Houston. So I contacted her.

517

00:19:48.955 –> 00:19:51.795

I said, Hey, do you have anything going on Friday morning,

518

00:19:51.795 –> 00:19:53.195

like around 10 ish or something?

519

00:19:53.375 –> 00:19:55.435

She said, no. I said, how much would you charge me if I

520

00:19:55.435 –> 00:19:56.475

needed to rent it out for an hour?

521

00:19:56.895 –> 00:19:58.035

And she said, I wouldn’t charge it.

522

00:19:58.035 –> 00:19:59.035

I said, well, no, no, I don’t.

523

00:19:59.115 –> 00:20:00.395

I don’t want any hook hookups or anything.

524

00:20:00.395 –> 00:20:01.835

Nobody in trouble. She said, no, no.

525

00:20:01.835 –> 00:20:03.955

You’ve rented the space it spaces before. It’s fine.

526

00:20:03.955 –> 00:20:06.195

You can just come. All right, cool.

527

00:20:06.295 –> 00:20:09.035

So then I got on Facebook and I typed on here.

528

00:20:09.035 –> 00:20:10.795

I was like, okay, all the business owners that wanna learn

529

00:20:10.795 –> 00:20:13.155

how to use social media for business, I have an engagement,

530

00:20:13.155 –> 00:20:14.395

but only 10 tickets available.

531

00:20:14.535 –> 00:20:17.435

The first 10 people to respond, we’ll get tickets. Okay?

532

00:20:17.435 –> 00:20:19.355

So a few people responded, all right.

533

00:20:19.555 –> 00:20:21.275

I gave him the address. I called Mike up

534

00:20:21.275 –> 00:20:22.395

this maybe about an hour.

535

00:20:22.915 –> 00:20:24.955

I spoke to him earlier. I said, Hey, Mike, good news.

536

00:20:25.035 –> 00:20:27.315

I have a keynote on Friday at 10:00 AM He said,

537

00:20:27.315 –> 00:20:28.595

how does Jesse said, don’t ask questions.

538

00:20:28.595 –> 00:20:30.035

Show up. Here’s the address. Click.

539

00:20:30.715 –> 00:20:33.155

So he showed up, he videoed me.

540

00:20:33.155 –> 00:20:35.755

So when the people got there, even though the room fit,

541

00:20:35.755 –> 00:20:37.795

I don’t know about 600 people, I put them all

542

00:20:37.795 –> 00:20:39.075

around the room strategically.

543

00:20:39.075 –> 00:20:40.355

So I’d have different eye points.

544

00:20:41.385 –> 00:20:43.845

And then I had mic video it.

545

00:20:43.945 –> 00:20:46.325

And you can even find traces of this video in some places,

546

00:20:46.505 –> 00:20:47.725

and you’ll know you found it

547

00:20:47.725 –> 00:20:50.245

because, um, I was both young and stupid.

548

00:20:50.645 –> 00:20:53.325

I was wearing all black in front of an all black curtain.

549

00:20:53.755 –> 00:20:56.645

Okay? So not, yeah, I, no, right. Again, not smart.

550

00:20:57.275 –> 00:20:58.885

Yeah, it was, it was bad choice.

551

00:20:59.145 –> 00:21:01.395

But Mike was able to use that video.

552

00:21:02.055 –> 00:21:05.555

Um, within two weeks I got

553

00:21:06.515 –> 00:21:10.635

a call from Alcatel Lucent in France

554

00:21:11.215 –> 00:21:13.635

hiring me to Keynote in Dusseldorf, Germany,

555

00:21:13.985 –> 00:21:16.035

because they found my video on YouTube.

556

00:21:17.975 –> 00:21:19.595

So the video worked

557

00:21:19.595 –> 00:21:21.395

and I started getting bookings from that, right?

558

00:21:21.775 –> 00:21:23.635

So it was just having that

559

00:21:23.655 –> 00:21:25.795

and then also just not waiting for the opportunity.

560

00:21:25.865 –> 00:21:27.475

Like, like I said, now,

561

00:21:27.555 –> 00:21:29.595

I think sometimes chapters organize things like that.

562

00:21:29.815 –> 00:21:30.955

I’d never heard of that in my life.

563

00:21:30.955 –> 00:21:32.195

And I don’t even think that was common.

564

00:21:32.195 –> 00:21:34.155

That was just me just saying, okay, what I got.

565

00:21:34.695 –> 00:21:36.875

Um, I think that’s a good example

566

00:21:37.055 –> 00:21:38.675

of if you want something bad enough,

567

00:21:38.675 –> 00:21:40.955

you figure out a way to do it.

568

00:21:41.815 –> 00:21:45.595

And then even with the video itself, I knew somebody

569

00:21:45.595 –> 00:21:47.195

that knew how to optimize YouTube videos.

570

00:21:48.595 –> 00:21:51.575

He said he wanted to kind of get into consulting for it,

571

00:21:51.575 –> 00:21:52.575

but it’s just, he’d been doing it

572

00:21:52.575 –> 00:21:53.895

himself, kind of like playing around.

573

00:21:53.915 –> 00:21:56.135

And you know, this type of people that, they’re kind

574

00:21:56.135 –> 00:21:57.455

of experty, they’ve been doing it for a while,

575

00:21:57.455 –> 00:21:58.895

but they, they’ve never figured out how to charge.

576

00:21:58.915 –> 00:22:01.815

And I said, how much would you charge me to help me

577

00:22:02.415 –> 00:22:03.455

optimize this YouTube video?

578

00:22:03.795 –> 00:22:05.495

And this is Derek. Karen, I don’t know if you remember,

579

00:22:05.635 –> 00:22:06.655

Hey Derek, I remember.

580

00:22:06.875 –> 00:22:09.295

So this, but again, this is back then like in two, this is,

581

00:22:09.295 –> 00:22:10.335

yeah, 12 or something.

582

00:22:10.435 –> 00:22:11.495

And I said, how much you charge me?

583

00:22:11.495 –> 00:22:12.935

And he was like, oh, you know, you’re a good friend.

584

00:22:12.935 –> 00:22:14.375

Nothing. I just, I said, Nope,

585

00:22:14.375 –> 00:22:16.015

your new consulting rate’s two 50 an hour.

586

00:22:16.095 –> 00:22:17.295

I need one hour. Please. Said what?

587

00:22:17.555 –> 00:22:19.415

Now for us, it may or that may or may not be a lot,

588

00:22:19.415 –> 00:22:22.375

but for him, who’d never been paid for his own stuff, I,

589

00:22:22.375 –> 00:22:24.415

and that’s another principle that I think has helped me.

590

00:22:24.735 –> 00:22:26.735

I always believe in paying people and paying people well.

591

00:22:26.795 –> 00:22:28.415

And even if they undervalue themselves,

592

00:22:28.675 –> 00:22:30.175

I’m gonna pay them what I know they’re worth.

593

00:22:30.555 –> 00:22:32.975

And I think that’s part of why I get paid what I’m worth.

594

00:22:33.175 –> 00:22:35.015

’cause I am really, really serious about that.

595

00:22:35.315 –> 00:22:37.895

So Anyw who, part of the reason Alcatel Lucent found

596

00:22:37.895 –> 00:22:41.295

that video is because I paid Derek to help me optimize it.

597

00:22:41.315 –> 00:22:42.575

And so that’s what helped me.

598

00:22:42.635 –> 00:22:44.575

And this is before there was tons of SEO

599

00:22:45.175 –> 00:22:46.455

honestly with online videos.

600

00:22:47.035 –> 00:22:50.695

So that’s when I was kind of off to the races at that point.

601

00:22:51.255 –> 00:22:52.895

A lot of it was, you know,

602

00:22:52.895 –> 00:22:54.495

Karen brought me in to speak, to connect.

603

00:22:55.525 –> 00:22:57.505

She brought me in for one client event.

604

00:22:57.505 –> 00:22:59.745

Well, so she brought me in for a client event.

605

00:22:59.745 –> 00:23:01.225

So we shared a client, she had a client

606

00:23:01.335 –> 00:23:02.825

that wanted to help San F Francisco.

607

00:23:03.015 –> 00:23:05.105

Yeah. When we went to San Francisco together

608

00:23:05.125 –> 00:23:07.305

and got scared by a black dude in a bush

609

00:23:07.305 –> 00:23:08.385

that jumps out and scares people.

610

00:23:08.385 –> 00:23:12.945

It was, it was hilarious. But who, so, so, um, yeah.

611

00:23:12.945 –> 00:23:14.265

So we, she split a client

612

00:23:14.325 –> 00:23:15.865

and I learned things from her there

613

00:23:15.865 –> 00:23:16.905

where she would kind of help.

614

00:23:16.905 –> 00:23:18.905

Perfect. We did workshops together,

615

00:23:19.325 –> 00:23:21.505

and I had this one workshop I’ll never forget.

616

00:23:21.665 –> 00:23:25.665

I had this story, this childhood story I knew about me, uh,

617

00:23:25.665 –> 00:23:27.105

narrowing off my eyebrows

618

00:23:27.285 –> 00:23:28.905

and my mother getting ready to beat me.

619

00:23:28.905 –> 00:23:30.345

And it’s actually a hilarious story

620

00:23:31.495 –> 00:23:32.715

if you’re having drinks, right?

621

00:23:33.335 –> 00:23:35.075

So I’m telling this story in our workshop

622

00:23:35.135 –> 00:23:37.315

and people are dying laughing, right?

623

00:23:37.575 –> 00:23:39.395

And I’m like, I’m killing it.

624

00:23:39.735 –> 00:23:42.195

And afterwards, Karen said, crystal. I said, yeah.

625

00:23:42.295 –> 00:23:44.515

She said, don’t ever tell that story from stage again.

626

00:23:45.325 –> 00:23:49.225

I said, no. So the, the problem with the story was,

627

00:23:50.125 –> 00:23:51.625

it actually was a funny story,

628

00:23:51.805 –> 00:23:53.465

but it didn’t really illustrate anything.

629

00:23:53.575 –> 00:23:55.225

It’s not entertainment format.

630

00:23:55.645 –> 00:23:58.545

But I was open to hearing it and Karen knew that.

631

00:23:58.545 –> 00:24:02.055

And I remember at one point, um, she told me with my dress,

632

00:24:02.075 –> 00:24:03.095

she was kind of looking at everything

633

00:24:03.315 –> 00:24:05.735

and she said, crystal, you’re not dressing

634

00:24:06.285 –> 00:24:07.695

like you own the stage.

635

00:24:08.275 –> 00:24:10.455

And those of you who have actually seen me on big stage,

636

00:24:10.455 –> 00:24:11.935

you’re gonna find what I say funny next.

637

00:24:12.255 –> 00:24:13.815

’cause she was looking at me on all these different videos

638

00:24:14.275 –> 00:24:16.215

and you know, I, I’m wearing these little,

639

00:24:16.355 –> 00:24:18.335

little button down colorful shirts and stuff.

640

00:24:18.635 –> 00:24:21.135

And she said, crystal, uh, for the type

641

00:24:21.135 –> 00:24:22.095

of stuff you’re talking about technology,

642

00:24:22.215 –> 00:24:23.175

here’s what I think you should do.

643

00:24:23.955 –> 00:24:28.175

She said, um, all black, all black, really sleek,

644

00:24:28.385 –> 00:24:33.095

maybe three quarter sleeves suits, just more sleek.

645

00:24:33.245 –> 00:24:34.855

Look, this was on a Friday, y’all.

646

00:24:34.955 –> 00:24:37.055

You see how Fridays work that weekend?

647

00:24:37.415 –> 00:24:38.615

I was like, time to go.

648

00:24:38.715 –> 00:24:41.865

I’m at Banana Republic, public, public,

649

00:24:41.885 –> 00:24:43.145

I’m going through the store, look good.

650

00:24:43.325 –> 00:24:45.305

And yeah, I mean, I, it worked. It worked. Yes.

651

00:24:46.065 –> 00:24:49.065

I came back and I was like, Karen, on Monday when I talked

652

00:24:49.065 –> 00:24:50.585

to her, these are the outfits.

653

00:24:50.585 –> 00:24:51.625

Like, she’s like, oh, that was fast.

654

00:24:51.725 –> 00:24:53.465

I’m like, I’m not playing. So I think

655

00:24:53.615 –> 00:24:54.865

execution is important.

656

00:24:54.925 –> 00:24:58.865

You don’t have to be perfect. And then I think being willing

657

00:24:59.045 –> 00:25:01.385

to take correction from your mentor.

658

00:25:01.805 –> 00:25:03.785

Now I’m being very specific when I say from your mentor,

659

00:25:04.275 –> 00:25:07.225

other people had suggestions for me, and I did.

660

00:25:07.335 –> 00:25:08.745

They were stupid. I’m just gonna be honest.

661

00:25:08.745 –> 00:25:10.265

Some of them were stupid. I had a

662

00:25:10.265 –> 00:25:11.505

publicist who was a lovely woman.

663

00:25:11.605 –> 00:25:13.305

She was like, crystal, you need to straighten your hair.

664

00:25:13.305 –> 00:25:15.985

Because she was, I was doing a lot of TV at the time.

665

00:25:16.095 –> 00:25:17.945

It’s black woman too. So I mean, I’m not,

666

00:25:18.565 –> 00:25:20.385

but that’s an interracial situation.

667

00:25:20.385 –> 00:25:21.345

But she’s like, you need to

668

00:25:21.425 –> 00:25:22.505

straighten your hair and this and that.

669

00:25:22.685 –> 00:25:24.745

And she told me, for tv, you have to wear bright colors.

670

00:25:24.935 –> 00:25:26.465

Okay, now she knew what she was talking about.

671

00:25:26.665 –> 00:25:27.665

’cause this is somebody who had been

672

00:25:27.665 –> 00:25:28.545

in the business forever.

673

00:25:29.645 –> 00:25:33.825

So I had an alternate, um, wardrobe for my news.

674

00:25:33.985 –> 00:25:35.585

’cause Karen, you probably right, used to do, um,

675

00:25:35.685 –> 00:25:38.625

at least one news report, uh, a week.

676

00:25:38.705 –> 00:25:40.745

I used to have a weekly segment in Houston even.

677

00:25:41.445 –> 00:25:43.545

Um, so I did that hair. I wasn’t gonna touch that.

678

00:25:43.605 –> 00:25:46.225

I’m like, lady, I’m, and then I had other speakers say,

679

00:25:46.225 –> 00:25:47.665

you need to wear heels ’cause you’re short.

680

00:25:48.165 –> 00:25:50.425

I’m five one. No amount of heels is gonna make me not short.

681

00:25:50.525 –> 00:25:52.505

All it’s gonna do is make me have hurt feet on stage.

682

00:25:52.565 –> 00:25:55.425

I’m not doing it. So I, I did have some more people tell me,

683

00:25:55.425 –> 00:25:57.665

you need to, you know, it needs to be more rehearsed.

684

00:25:57.815 –> 00:25:59.345

Well, people actually like me

685

00:25:59.345 –> 00:26:00.465

because I’m more conversational.

686

00:26:00.675 –> 00:26:03.305

Right? Right. So you, you have to know

687

00:26:03.305 –> 00:26:04.825

what your magic sauce is.

688

00:26:05.525 –> 00:26:08.025

And again, choose maybe one mentor

689

00:26:08.325 –> 00:26:10.745

or if you have multiple, like I had the woman, the one

690

00:26:10.745 –> 00:26:12.705

who I had for PR was brilliant.

691

00:26:13.145 –> 00:26:14.625

I just wasn’t gonna let her touch my hair.

692

00:26:14.925 –> 00:26:17.705

So you kind of have to, and that was me being funny.

693

00:26:17.865 –> 00:26:19.625

I just knew she was wrong. Um,

694

00:26:19.725 –> 00:26:21.745

and I didn’t mind leading in that way

695

00:26:21.985 –> 00:26:23.825

’cause it wasn’t as common to have my hair at the time.

696

00:26:24.405 –> 00:26:26.585

Um, so I think just having good counsel

697

00:26:26.645 –> 00:26:28.545

and knowing when to take advice and when not to,

698

00:26:28.805 –> 00:26:29.985

and not getting bogged down

699

00:26:29.985 –> 00:26:32.385

because I see so many speakers who got stuck over the years

700

00:26:32.655 –> 00:26:36.385

because they just had too many sources coming

701

00:26:36.385 –> 00:26:37.465

from too many places.

702

00:26:37.925 –> 00:26:40.225

And they’re trying to take in all this advice

703

00:26:40.225 –> 00:26:41.945

and do it, and it’s overwhelming.

704

00:26:42.845 –> 00:26:46.565

Um, so then Karen, she does a keynote

705

00:26:46.625 –> 00:26:48.245

for this organization called Connect.

706

00:26:48.615 –> 00:26:51.885

Their events are for event planners the following year,

707

00:26:51.885 –> 00:26:52.885

because they’re connected to her,

708

00:26:52.885 –> 00:26:54.045

they’re seeing her newsletters, she

709

00:26:54.045 –> 00:26:56.125

and I do stuff together, they bring me in.

710

00:26:56.515 –> 00:26:58.045

That was a launching point for me

711

00:26:58.195 –> 00:27:01.765

because everybody in the audience was event planners.

712

00:27:02.145 –> 00:27:04.085

And so some of them brought me into their events

713

00:27:04.665 –> 00:27:06.925

and I, I can actually trace a good section

714

00:27:06.945 –> 00:27:09.765

of my business from three events that came from there.

715

00:27:09.765 –> 00:27:12.925

Because for the longest time, over 90% of my business

716

00:27:13.465 –> 00:27:16.565

was financial, um, building and real estate

717

00:27:17.105 –> 00:27:18.885

and then, uh, hospitality.

718

00:27:19.025 –> 00:27:20.445

And it’s from three events.

719

00:27:20.685 –> 00:27:22.365

I just, I would show up and do a good job

720

00:27:22.745 –> 00:27:24.005

and then you get spin from it,

721

00:27:24.055 –> 00:27:25.445

those additional things, right?

722

00:27:25.945 –> 00:27:28.685

And so one of the biggest keys to my business growing,

723

00:27:28.885 –> 00:27:30.605

I think has also been the fact

724

00:27:30.605 –> 00:27:32.205

that when I show up, I do a good job.

725

00:27:32.505 –> 00:27:33.805

But it’s not even just showing up.

726

00:27:33.805 –> 00:27:35.245

It’s how the business shows up.

727

00:27:35.785 –> 00:27:38.125

We have Regina Baker with us today.

728

00:27:38.405 –> 00:27:39.725

Regina’s my business manager.

729

00:27:40.225 –> 00:27:43.445

She started off as my virtual assistant years ago,

730

00:27:43.985 –> 00:27:46.685

but she runs the whole back end of the business now.

731

00:27:46.745 –> 00:27:49.405

Regina also comes up with ideas for the business

732

00:27:49.785 –> 00:27:51.685

and she manages Now there’s a team of us.

733

00:27:51.685 –> 00:27:52.845

So it’s not just me and Regina.

734

00:27:53.265 –> 00:27:55.525

We have Faye, who’s the client relations manager,

735

00:27:55.535 –> 00:27:56.565

think internal sales,

736

00:27:56.565 –> 00:27:58.045

but she’s kinda like a fairy godmother

737

00:27:58.045 –> 00:27:59.085

that makes people feel special.

738

00:27:59.865 –> 00:28:03.325

We have, uh, Jessica Tinner who does logistics.

739

00:28:03.425 –> 00:28:05.645

So she does a lot of things Regina used to do.

740

00:28:06.185 –> 00:28:08.605

Uh, we have Gustav who’s actually at Kenya.

741

00:28:08.785 –> 00:28:09.845

He does the social media.

742

00:28:10.585 –> 00:28:13.045

We have my husband who is an employee of the company.

743

00:28:13.265 –> 00:28:16.325

He flies, uh, on about half of my events with me,

744

00:28:16.925 –> 00:28:20.085

specifically those that have really intricate or cool setups

745

00:28:20.315 –> 00:28:21.965

because he’s a photographer.

746

00:28:21.985 –> 00:28:24.845

So I get really good quality videos and photos.

747

00:28:25.345 –> 00:28:27.925

And then lastly, um, our sixth person, our,

748

00:28:27.925 –> 00:28:29.645

sometimes y did I do that?

749

00:28:29.645 –> 00:28:32.725

I think I did that right, is uh, Braylin our summer intern,

750

00:28:32.815 –> 00:28:34.125

who’s my 14-year-old nephew.

751

00:28:34.505 –> 00:28:36.445

So when he’s with me, CJ doesn’t come,

752

00:28:36.665 –> 00:28:39.245

but he takes all the photos that Faye needs

753

00:28:39.245 –> 00:28:41.645

for thank you cards that Gustav needs for social media,

754

00:28:41.945 –> 00:28:43.605

and he uploads those through our systems.

755

00:28:44.505 –> 00:28:45.765

So Crystal, stop for a second.

756

00:28:46.635 –> 00:28:49.685

Tell them the progression of how you started with Regina.

757

00:28:50.035 –> 00:28:51.485

Tell them like where you were,

758

00:28:51.485 –> 00:28:53.365

because a lot

759

00:28:53.365 –> 00:28:56.485

of times people bring too many people in too soon.

760

00:28:57.145 –> 00:28:58.565

So kind of go through

761

00:28:58.565 –> 00:29:00.765

that quickly if you, if you don’t mind. No,

762

00:29:00.785 –> 00:29:01.785

Not at all. Okay. So I

763

00:29:01.785 –> 00:29:03.365

started off having virtual assistants

764

00:29:03.365 –> 00:29:04.445

and I didn’t start with Regina.

765

00:29:04.565 –> 00:29:05.845

I had to kiss some frogs first.

766

00:29:05.985 –> 00:29:07.005

Oh, right. There’s some

767

00:29:07.005 –> 00:29:09.285

Strange people, uh, piece of advice.

768

00:29:09.545 –> 00:29:11.725

Um, you know how we all know people

769

00:29:11.725 –> 00:29:12.725

that maybe they’re outta work

770

00:29:12.725 –> 00:29:14.045

or they, they’re having a rough time in

771

00:29:14.045 –> 00:29:15.165

life and they just need a chance.

772

00:29:15.185 –> 00:29:17.285

You know that? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don’t hire them.

773

00:29:17.655 –> 00:29:20.365

Don’t hire. That’s not it. That’s not it. That’s not it.

774

00:29:20.505 –> 00:29:22.565

That’s not, it’s a, it’s a business, not a charity.

775

00:29:22.735 –> 00:29:24.725

Learn from me. ’cause I made some very

776

00:29:24.725 –> 00:29:25.965

strange, uh, decisions.

777

00:29:26.465 –> 00:29:28.405

But when I finally, and, and,

778

00:29:28.425 –> 00:29:30.405

and actually, I mean the last two people I had

779

00:29:30.405 –> 00:29:32.045

before Regina were actually very good at their jobs.

780

00:29:32.075 –> 00:29:34.045

They just had personal things that pulled them out.

781

00:29:34.065 –> 00:29:36.485

But I, I, I did, I was blessed to work some great people.

782

00:29:36.485 –> 00:29:38.845

But Regina started in, she was doing all things logistics

783

00:29:38.875 –> 00:29:40.245

because part of my policy

784

00:29:40.425 –> 00:29:43.525

or one of my central business beliefs is if you’re a

785

00:29:43.645 –> 00:29:45.245

business owner, you have to focus on revenue

786

00:29:45.295 –> 00:29:46.565

generating activities.

787

00:29:47.025 –> 00:29:48.325

If you do any activities

788

00:29:48.325 –> 00:29:50.205

that are not revenue generating activities,

789

00:29:50.785 –> 00:29:52.845

you’re overpaying for those things.

790

00:29:53.705 –> 00:29:56.765

So if your time is worth $250 an hour

791

00:29:56.765 –> 00:29:58.445

and you can figure out what your time is worth based on

792

00:29:58.445 –> 00:30:01.125

how much you’re paid for your consulting or your speaking

793

00:30:01.185 –> 00:30:02.965

or your coaching, I know you have different types

794

00:30:02.965 –> 00:30:03.965

of business structures.

795

00:30:04.035 –> 00:30:05.725

Most of, you’re doing some keynoting obviously

796

00:30:05.845 –> 00:30:08.645

’cause you’re with Karen, but whatever your hourly rate

797

00:30:08.645 –> 00:30:11.085

would be based on that, ask yourself if it makes sense

798

00:30:11.785 –> 00:30:14.005

to manage your own calendar for that same rate.

799

00:30:14.225 –> 00:30:17.605

Or if it makes sense to run a report for that same rate.

800

00:30:17.605 –> 00:30:19.405

There’s stuff that has to be done in your business

801

00:30:19.405 –> 00:30:21.605

that’s necessary, but you doing it

802

00:30:21.625 –> 00:30:22.965

is actually stealing from your business.

803

00:30:23.065 –> 00:30:25.805

You should pay someone that maybe charged a little less.

804

00:30:25.805 –> 00:30:27.405

Doesn’t mean they’re inexpensive, uh,

805

00:30:27.405 –> 00:30:30.125

because Regina is, uh, super well paid for what she does.

806

00:30:30.545 –> 00:30:31.925

Um, actually my whole team is, they’re,

807

00:30:31.925 –> 00:30:33.005

they’re paid more than what I think is

808

00:30:33.165 –> 00:30:34.205

probably standard for what they do.

809

00:30:34.905 –> 00:30:38.845

But that way I can focus on revenue generating activities,

810

00:30:38.845 –> 00:30:40.005

which for me are closing sales.

811

00:30:40.105 –> 00:30:41.645

So having those sales calls with clients,

812

00:30:41.715 –> 00:30:44.045

when you’re talking about what you can build for them

813

00:30:44.145 –> 00:30:46.165

and how you see the keynote going or listening

814

00:30:46.165 –> 00:30:47.885

and you’re kind of reflecting them back at themselves,

815

00:30:48.075 –> 00:30:49.285

getting that contract

816

00:30:49.425 –> 00:30:52.205

and developing IP are the two things, in my opinion,

817

00:30:52.205 –> 00:30:53.285

that are revenue generating.

818

00:30:53.905 –> 00:30:55.365

And so, and I learned that.

819

00:30:55.445 –> 00:30:57.205

I had another mentor that was a marketing mentor

820

00:30:57.385 –> 00:30:59.645

before I met Karen and the PR person.

821

00:30:59.945 –> 00:31:03.725

And he just, he changed my thinking about time and

822

00:31:03.725 –> 00:31:05.965

and how you leverage other people’s time.

823

00:31:06.385 –> 00:31:08.525

So that’s, I pulled that into the business too.

824

00:31:08.865 –> 00:31:09.925

So start off with Regina.

825

00:31:09.985 –> 00:31:11.965

And Regina and I probably worked together

826

00:31:12.025 –> 00:31:13.365

and Regina have to correct me,

827

00:31:13.385 –> 00:31:14.685

but probably about seven years.

828

00:31:15.435 –> 00:31:19.445

Well no, we had Rose right before the pandemic and then

829

00:31:19.515 –> 00:31:21.925

because the pandemic rose left.

830

00:31:22.225 –> 00:31:25.445

Um, but I wanna say Regina

831

00:31:25.445 –> 00:31:26.765

and I worked together probably about seven years

832

00:31:26.765 –> 00:31:28.005

before we brought in Faye.

833

00:31:28.505 –> 00:31:29.885

And Faye is internal sales.

834

00:31:29.915 –> 00:31:31.725

What I realized we really need to focus on

835

00:31:32.375 –> 00:31:35.205

delighting the customers we already had, staying top of mind

836

00:31:35.205 –> 00:31:36.885

with them so they’ll make more referrals

837

00:31:37.425 –> 00:31:38.845

and just making ’em feel special.

838

00:31:39.025 –> 00:31:43.285

So she sends out client gifts to show you the magic effect.

839

00:31:43.995 –> 00:31:46.645

Last summer I had an event, I show up with Braylin

840

00:31:46.645 –> 00:31:49.765

and I, the client sees me, I’m like, ah, so I’m going over

841

00:31:49.765 –> 00:31:51.885

to huggers, you know, I’m getting there for AV check.

842

00:31:52.185 –> 00:31:54.925

She runs to me, hugs me tight and starts crying.

843

00:31:55.945 –> 00:31:56.925

So Bralyn, my little

844

00:31:56.925 –> 00:31:58.205

nephew’s looking at me like, what’s happening?

845

00:31:58.345 –> 00:32:02.365

I’m like, oh hey. And she just is sobbing.

846

00:32:02.365 –> 00:32:05.845

She said, crystal, thank you so much you

847

00:32:06.025 –> 00:32:07.365

and fan Regina.

848

00:32:07.795 –> 00:32:10.565

When my father died, that frame

849

00:32:10.565 –> 00:32:14.365

that you all sent me about fatherhood, I put his picture in

850

00:32:14.365 –> 00:32:15.805

that frame and that’s the frame I have

851

00:32:15.805 –> 00:32:16.965

by my bed every night.

852

00:32:17.015 –> 00:32:18.765

Thank you so much.

853

00:32:19.325 –> 00:32:22.445

I didn’t even know her father passed away. That’s Faye.

854

00:32:23.025 –> 00:32:26.285

You get it. So like Faye is in there, she’s watching

855

00:32:26.285 –> 00:32:29.565

what happens on social media if Jess or Regina

856

00:32:29.565 –> 00:32:32.285

or I in are meeting, she, a lot of times she’s listening in

857

00:32:32.285 –> 00:32:33.805

and she’ll make notes on different things

858

00:32:33.825 –> 00:32:34.845

to remember for later.

859

00:32:35.345 –> 00:32:37.285

So she’s her job. She’s like a fairy godmother.

860

00:32:37.285 –> 00:32:39.005

Right. Um, and you,

861

00:32:39.615 –> 00:32:40.955

She went through a lot of training though.

862

00:32:40.955 –> 00:32:43.555

Didn’t you take her to hire Faye?

863

00:32:43.555 –> 00:32:44.675

Didn’t she have to go through,

864

00:32:45.965 –> 00:32:47.305

did you put her through some training?

865

00:32:47.775 –> 00:32:49.905

Well, yeah, no, I mean, and it’s internal training, right?

866

00:32:49.905 –> 00:32:51.905

So she had to know how to use those different systems.

867

00:32:52.325 –> 00:32:53.945

So she had to learn how to use e speakers,

868

00:32:53.945 –> 00:32:55.745

which Karen told me in the very beginning,

869

00:32:55.745 –> 00:32:57.265

the first influence I needed to get that.

870

00:32:57.725 –> 00:32:59.745

That’s my event management system that I use

871

00:32:59.805 –> 00:33:00.985

to make sure my event’s in order.

872

00:33:01.525 –> 00:33:04.745

Um, then I have a customer relationship management system,

873

00:33:05.025 –> 00:33:08.785

A CRM, doesn’t matter which one you use, we use speaker flow

874

00:33:08.945 –> 00:33:10.465

’cause it integrates with Speers.

875

00:33:10.885 –> 00:33:13.065

Um, and we also use Asana for project management

876

00:33:13.065 –> 00:33:15.705

because there’s some things that are not client related

877

00:33:15.845 –> 00:33:17.505

or event related, but still need

878

00:33:17.505 –> 00:33:19.425

to happen on a regular basis in your business.

879

00:33:19.885 –> 00:33:21.745

So Faye did go through a lot of training, right?

880

00:33:21.805 –> 00:33:26.745

So she was up next then we had after Faye Gustav from Kenya.

881

00:33:27.445 –> 00:33:29.865

So that was a whole process on figuring out

882

00:33:29.865 –> 00:33:30.945

the best way to work with him.

883

00:33:31.045 –> 00:33:32.785

And he’s super passionate about what he does.

884

00:33:33.485 –> 00:33:35.785

Um, and it brought in a different generational element too,

885

00:33:35.785 –> 00:33:40.545

because here I am, you know, I’m the millennial, um, Regina

886

00:33:40.805 –> 00:33:43.625

and Faye, I think you all would be considered like baby

887

00:33:43.655 –> 00:33:45.265

boomers, Gustav,

888

00:33:45.445 –> 00:33:48.905

I’m pretty sure he’s a generation younger than me in Kenya.

889

00:33:49.085 –> 00:33:50.185

So we’re pulling him in

890

00:33:50.185 –> 00:33:51.745

and figure out the best way to work with him.

891

00:33:52.525 –> 00:33:56.385

Um, after Gustav, CJ entered the business

892

00:33:56.865 –> 00:33:58.785

’cause he would unofficially go from time to time.

893

00:33:58.965 –> 00:34:02.425

But um, we decided, well, I’m gonna be transparent.

894

00:34:03.335 –> 00:34:06.155

Our CPA decided that my business needed

895

00:34:06.155 –> 00:34:07.955

to hire CJ to help with taxes.

896

00:34:08.175 –> 00:34:10.995

And I was like, Ooh, so while we’re doing this,

897

00:34:10.995 –> 00:34:12.635

let’s create systems around here.

898

00:34:13.135 –> 00:34:15.035

So he still has his own, yeah,

899

00:34:15.035 –> 00:34:16.155

he still has his own business.

900

00:34:16.215 –> 00:34:18.315

But on paper this works really.

901

00:34:18.315 –> 00:34:19.355

And it’s not just paper either.

902

00:34:19.395 –> 00:34:20.595

I mean the business actually pays him,

903

00:34:20.775 –> 00:34:22.315

but we, yeah, we, we work this out.

904

00:34:22.315 –> 00:34:23.635

So then CJ’s incorporated,

905

00:34:23.655 –> 00:34:25.595

and then Jess is the last one we pulled on this

906

00:34:25.595 –> 00:34:26.955

year to back up Regina.

907

00:34:27.115 –> 00:34:28.395

’cause what we realized is we needed someone

908

00:34:28.415 –> 00:34:31.195

who is trained on every piece of the business.

909

00:34:31.735 –> 00:34:34.995

So Jess has, she had to sit with training for Regina,

910

00:34:35.055 –> 00:34:36.795

so she knows e speakers in and out

911

00:34:36.795 –> 00:34:37.915

and she does a lot of things on there.

912

00:34:38.055 –> 00:34:41.595

She had to sit with Faye so she can use speaker flow in

913

00:34:41.595 –> 00:34:42.715

and out talk dot.

914

00:34:43.095 –> 00:34:44.955

She had to get the systems from Gustav.

915

00:34:44.955 –> 00:34:46.235

So if Gustav gets sick

916

00:34:46.235 –> 00:34:48.675

or goes away, she can post for him too.

917

00:34:48.775 –> 00:34:51.755

So she’s the one who had to do the most training

918

00:34:51.815 –> 00:34:54.835

to understand everyone so that if anyone is sick,

919

00:34:54.835 –> 00:34:57.475

takes a vacation or whatever, she can jump in.

920

00:34:57.475 –> 00:34:58.955

And she’s already been tested once this year.

921

00:34:58.955 –> 00:35:01.115

Regina was on vacation for a week and just killed it.

922

00:35:01.795 –> 00:35:02.975

So Crystal, tell everybody,

923

00:35:03.215 –> 00:35:05.655

’cause I, I know the, the complexion here.

924

00:35:06.205 –> 00:35:09.295

Tell them what you did when you started with e speakers,

925

00:35:09.395 –> 00:35:10.655

why you used e speakers.

926

00:35:10.915 –> 00:35:12.695

Oh, okay. So Karen told me I needed to use it

927

00:35:12.695 –> 00:35:15.055

and she showed me that it has something called activities on

928

00:35:15.055 –> 00:35:16.215

it, which are like tasks.

929

00:35:16.755 –> 00:35:18.495

So here’s the brilliance of E speakers.

930

00:35:18.755 –> 00:35:20.095

If you think about a speaking event,

931

00:35:20.435 –> 00:35:22.095

and I would love for you all, you can put this in chat

932

00:35:22.555 –> 00:35:25.535

for a one single speaking event to go, well

933

00:35:25.915 –> 00:35:29.055

how many action items do you think you need to do

934

00:35:29.055 –> 00:35:30.135

for that event to go well?

935

00:35:30.275 –> 00:35:32.975

So what I mean action items, send contract, receive deposit,

936

00:35:33.675 –> 00:35:38.325

um, have a client call schedule flight just in chat,

937

00:35:38.325 –> 00:35:39.325

just put a number, whatever.

938

00:35:39.325 –> 00:35:40.565

And there’s no right or wrong. Our

939

00:35:40.565 –> 00:35:41.725

numbers aren’t actually gonna be the same.

940

00:35:41.905 –> 00:35:43.485

But for you, if you were to guess for you,

941

00:35:43.705 –> 00:35:45.725

how many individual action items need

942

00:35:45.725 –> 00:35:47.645

to happen for it to go smoothly?

943

00:35:49.595 –> 00:35:51.525

Okay, Karen, what kind of numbers are you seeing?

944

00:35:52.005 –> 00:35:55.045

I don’t see any, do I not have my chat? Huh?

945

00:35:55.185 –> 00:35:57.445

Oh, okay, I got on now.

946

00:35:58.425 –> 00:36:03.325

Uh, 22 50, 25. 25, 25. Eight 40.

947

00:36:04.105 –> 00:36:05.565

So we go from eight to 50.

948

00:36:06.235 –> 00:36:08.085

Okay. Yeah. And, and it’s gonna range.

949

00:36:08.265 –> 00:36:10.885

Now for me it’s about 30, a little bit more,

950

00:36:10.885 –> 00:36:12.045

but about 30, 30.

951

00:36:12.225 –> 00:36:14.005

So here’s the brilliance of e speakers.

952

00:36:14.545 –> 00:36:16.965

If you are to create a list for all your events, okay,

953

00:36:16.965 –> 00:36:18.245

so let’s say for any one event,

954

00:36:18.745 –> 00:36:20.165

you know you’re gonna send the contract

955

00:36:20.665 –> 00:36:21.725

and you’re gonna need the deposit.

956

00:36:21.825 –> 00:36:25.285

And let’s say 30 days before the event, you book a flight

957

00:36:25.705 –> 00:36:28.485

and then 15 days before an event you do this.

958

00:36:28.485 –> 00:36:30.045

And the day after you send a thank you letter

959

00:36:30.105 –> 00:36:32.685

and maybe 60 days out you schedule the client call.

960

00:36:32.685 –> 00:36:35.885

There’s all these things that need to happen post-contract,

961

00:36:36.475 –> 00:36:37.765

pre-event, post-event.

962

00:36:38.265 –> 00:36:40.205

If you’re to write it out that way, 30 days

963

00:36:40.205 –> 00:36:42.525

before event, 10 days after contract, just write each

964

00:36:42.525 –> 00:36:44.005

and every one of those 30 or

965

00:36:44.005 –> 00:36:45.525

however many action items for you out.

966

00:36:45.955 –> 00:36:47.445

This is why e speakers is brilliant

967

00:36:47.785 –> 00:36:49.685

and has a feature where you can actually

968

00:36:49.785 –> 00:36:50.805

put that in their system.

969

00:36:51.075 –> 00:36:52.885

This has to happen these many days out. This.

970

00:36:53.425 –> 00:36:56.005

And then what happens is when you put in a new event,

971

00:36:56.855 –> 00:36:59.245

it’ll fill it in with the right dates

972

00:36:59.505 –> 00:37:00.525

for all of those things.

973

00:37:01.305 –> 00:37:04.085

And so what happens is every day, well I,

974

00:37:04.205 –> 00:37:05.325

I wanna, I wanna keep it simple.

975

00:37:05.545 –> 00:37:08.605

So if you log into e speakers, you can see all the things

976

00:37:08.605 –> 00:37:10.125

that are due today and in the future.

977

00:37:10.825 –> 00:37:13.045

Now you can also assign those things to different people

978

00:37:13.385 –> 00:37:15.685

but not free in each individual event.

979

00:37:16.045 –> 00:37:17.125

I mean, for that first list,

980

00:37:17.155 –> 00:37:18.565

this needs to happen within this time.

981

00:37:18.785 –> 00:37:19.805

Regina would handle this.

982

00:37:19.805 –> 00:37:21.005

This needs to happen within this time.

983

00:37:21.235 –> 00:37:23.285

Jess will handle this. Now let’s be clear,

984

00:37:23.285 –> 00:37:25.365

when I first started this, it was just me.

985

00:37:25.465 –> 00:37:27.285

So they were all my responsibility,

986

00:37:27.285 –> 00:37:28.325

everything was Crystal, right?

987

00:37:29.145 –> 00:37:30.965

But here’s the beauty of this system

988

00:37:31.025 –> 00:37:33.365

and why I really appreciate it, Karen, for teaching me this.

989

00:37:33.525 –> 00:37:34.605

’cause she’s the one who showed me this.

990

00:37:35.625 –> 00:37:38.405

If you are only doing five events per year,

991

00:37:39.105 –> 00:37:41.605

you might be able to keep track of those things, um,

992

00:37:41.625 –> 00:37:43.045

on an Excel sheet or

993

00:37:43.045 –> 00:37:44.965

with sticky notes or, or however you’re gonna do it.

994

00:37:45.045 –> 00:37:45.965

’cause I’ve heard everything. People do

995

00:37:45.965 –> 00:37:46.765

it all kinds of different ways.

996

00:37:47.425 –> 00:37:51.685

But if you’re doing 25, 30, 40, 50 events per year,

997

00:37:52.395 –> 00:37:55.005

keeping track of all those things on the dates they need

998

00:37:55.005 –> 00:37:57.125

to get done, it’s not possible.

999

00:37:57.225 –> 00:37:58.525

You are going to let things slide.

1000

00:37:58.985 –> 00:38:02.045

So the way our system works now is every morning e speaker

1001

00:38:02.135 –> 00:38:04.685

sends fa a list of all the things due today

1002

00:38:04.705 –> 00:38:06.725

for all the upcoming events for her.

1003

00:38:07.385 –> 00:38:10.765

Regina gets a list, I get a list, Jess gets a list.

1004

00:38:11.105 –> 00:38:13.725

And then what’s also Beau beautiful about it is let’s say

1005

00:38:13.725 –> 00:38:15.725

that someone is sick today or on vacation.

1006

00:38:15.955 –> 00:38:17.845

Well we know they’re gone. So we go check their list

1007

00:38:17.905 –> 00:38:19.885

and we take care of the things that they were supposed to.

1008

00:38:20.345 –> 00:38:22.205

So one of the other things that’s really helped me in my

1009

00:38:22.445 –> 00:38:25.525

businesses, and I’ve heard this, we, we had one

1010

00:38:25.525 –> 00:38:26.805

of the top three speakers bureaus.

1011

00:38:27.385 –> 00:38:30.405

Regina, do you mind sharing what she said, what she said

1012

00:38:30.405 –> 00:38:33.115

to you about, do you mind unmuting yourself?

1013

00:38:34.465 –> 00:38:36.085

Or she might not even be handy to do that.

1014

00:38:37.585 –> 00:38:39.045

One of the speakers bureaus recently

1015

00:38:39.045 –> 00:38:40.285

told her, oh, go ahead Regina.

1016

00:38:41.715 –> 00:38:44.245

Okay, so which one? Because they all share

1017

00:38:45.265 –> 00:38:48.245

The one who said about us being the most organized.

1018

00:38:49.255 –> 00:38:50.555

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

1019

00:38:50.615 –> 00:38:54.155

So she was saying that she had never seen anything like that

1020

00:38:54.215 –> 00:38:56.235

before where we were

1021

00:38:56.295 –> 00:38:59.515

so organized it took a lot off of them.

1022

00:39:00.355 –> 00:39:03.075

Absolutely. So we were providing things to them

1023

00:39:03.495 –> 00:39:07.915

and asking for things from them in a timely manner,

1024

00:39:07.915 –> 00:39:12.595

which made the event super successful for the,

1025

00:39:13.055 –> 00:39:15.395

you know, for the bureau as well as the client.

1026

00:39:15.945 –> 00:39:17.035

Yeah, thanks Regina.

1027

00:39:17.215 –> 00:39:20.675

The CEO of one of the other bureaus who, who all on here.

1028

00:39:20.675 –> 00:39:22.995

Was it the last influence raise here for the last influence?

1029

00:39:23.735 –> 00:39:25.435

Do you remember the uh, the uh, panel

1030

00:39:25.435 –> 00:39:26.755

that they had on stage with the speakers?

1031

00:39:26.755 –> 00:39:29.075

Bureaus? One of those people, I’ve actually worked

1032

00:39:29.075 –> 00:39:30.475

with all those bureaus, but one

1033

00:39:30.475 –> 00:39:32.275

of the people on the stage took me aside

1034

00:39:32.275 –> 00:39:33.795

and said, I just wanna share something with you.

1035

00:39:34.405 –> 00:39:35.995

Every week we have a weekly standup

1036

00:39:35.995 –> 00:39:38.435

where all our salespeople go over all the contracts

1037

00:39:38.435 –> 00:39:39.955

that they’ve signed and we talk about any

1038

00:39:39.955 –> 00:39:41.155

issues that might rise up.

1039

00:39:41.155 –> 00:39:42.155

Things we have to be aware of.

1040

00:39:42.575 –> 00:39:43.595

The meetings were so long

1041

00:39:43.755 –> 00:39:44.875

’cause we have 12 salespeople

1042

00:39:45.185 –> 00:39:47.315

that we decided a couple months ago

1043

00:39:47.315 –> 00:39:49.955

that there’s probably about, you know, six

1044

00:39:49.975 –> 00:39:52.075

or so speakers that honestly we don’t have

1045

00:39:52.075 –> 00:39:53.835

to go over their stuff ’cause they’re just so organized.

1046

00:39:54.175 –> 00:39:56.755

So whenever their name comes up, we just say, okay, great.

1047

00:39:56.825 –> 00:39:58.635

Next. He said, you’re one of those six.

1048

00:39:58.895 –> 00:40:02.115

He said, because we know every time you show up,

1049

00:40:02.455 –> 00:40:03.795

you text us when you arrive,

1050

00:40:04.415 –> 00:40:06.035

the event goes well, the clients are happy.

1051

00:40:06.055 –> 00:40:09.235

You send us a talka.report before you get on the plane out.

1052

00:40:09.255 –> 00:40:10.635

So we know how everything went.

1053

00:40:11.575 –> 00:40:13.835

So I share that to say, I, I’ve even had direct clients,

1054

00:40:13.835 –> 00:40:16.315

state Farm one time hired us at the last minute

1055

00:40:16.535 –> 00:40:17.555

and the client said, you know,

1056

00:40:17.555 –> 00:40:18.755

crystal, we hired you years ago.

1057

00:40:18.895 –> 00:40:22.075

And I was like, I know. He said, so we brought you back.

1058

00:40:22.075 –> 00:40:23.115

He said, not. He said,

1059

00:40:23.115 –> 00:40:24.235

you’re a great speaker, don’t get me wrong.

1060

00:40:24.255 –> 00:40:25.995

He said, I’m me honest. We had a speaker pull out

1061

00:40:26.455 –> 00:40:29.035

and we were like, who’s the easiest speaker to work with

1062

00:40:29.035 –> 00:40:31.555

who we know could just come in here and just kill it?

1063

00:40:31.695 –> 00:40:35.075

And it was you, your systems are so on point.

1064

00:40:35.655 –> 00:40:38.555

I’m sharing this with you Karen, as you talk about kind of

1065

00:40:38.555 –> 00:40:40.515

how the back end of our business works is

1066

00:40:40.515 –> 00:40:41.715

that we have clients that work with us.

1067

00:40:41.855 –> 00:40:43.075

Yes. ’cause I’m good on stage,

1068

00:40:43.415 –> 00:40:45.835

but honestly I think some of ’em, it’s just

1069

00:40:45.835 –> 00:40:47.795

as much about the fact that we’re gonna make their lives

1070

00:40:47.825 –> 00:40:49.435

easy and they love it.

1071

00:40:49.585 –> 00:40:50.955

Yeah. We’re gonna be super organized

1072

00:40:51.305 –> 00:40:53.315

When you’re, when you are partnering

1073

00:40:53.535 –> 00:40:56.355

and you’re giving them what they don’t even know they need

1074

00:40:56.425 –> 00:40:57.955

because it’s on your list.

1075

00:40:58.495 –> 00:41:00.755

So you are automatically sending them your photograph,

1076

00:41:00.755 –> 00:41:02.715

you’re automatically sending them the marketing blurb

1077

00:41:02.715 –> 00:41:04.955

before they ask you’re, you are asking

1078

00:41:05.095 –> 00:41:07.875

for the hotel confirmation, you are ahead of it

1079

00:41:07.875 –> 00:41:09.075

because of e speakers.

1080

00:41:09.465 –> 00:41:12.155

That was the thing that really I think saved my life.

1081

00:41:12.415 –> 00:41:14.435

And then at the end of the year to do your taxes,

1082

00:41:14.925 –> 00:41:16.595

everything is in e speakers.

1083

00:41:17.135 –> 00:41:18.835

So you already have all of that there.

1084

00:41:18.895 –> 00:41:20.755

So I don’t wanna promote e speakers,

1085

00:41:20.755 –> 00:41:22.555

but it it, it was a lifesaver.

1086

00:41:23.055 –> 00:41:24.595

No, I do, I do, I tell people

1087

00:41:24.865 –> 00:41:26.755

because there’s no tool that’s close to it.

1088

00:41:26.955 –> 00:41:28.995

I I tend to be technology tool agnostic.

1089

00:41:29.075 –> 00:41:30.795

I te tell people to use the tool that’s best for them,

1090

00:41:31.215 –> 00:41:32.275

but right now there’s nothing

1091

00:41:32.275 –> 00:41:34.000

that replaces e speakers very well.

1092

00:41:34.145 –> 00:41:35.805

You can use whatever CRM you want.

1093

00:41:36.005 –> 00:41:38.685

A lot of us use, um, speaker flow

1094

00:41:38.755 –> 00:41:41.845

because it’s a NSA kind of affiliated product

1095

00:41:41.985 –> 00:41:43.365

and it talks with e speakers,

1096

00:41:43.625 –> 00:41:45.245

but you could use other CRMs,

1097

00:41:45.465 –> 00:41:47.245

you could use other project management.

1098

00:41:47.245 –> 00:41:50.885

We use, um, Asana, some people use, um, but Basecamp

1099

00:41:50.885 –> 00:41:52.485

or the it, yeah, it’s whatever.

1100

00:41:52.785 –> 00:41:55.205

But e speakers I think is the one at this point

1101

00:41:55.205 –> 00:41:56.525

that doesn’t really have competition.

1102

00:41:56.745 –> 00:41:58.645

And so we get to ask ourselves, um,

1103

00:42:01.205 –> 00:42:03.345

do we want to just be a professional on the stage

1104

00:42:03.345 –> 00:42:05.025

or do we wanna be a professional in both places?

1105

00:42:05.235 –> 00:42:07.345

Which I’m gonna pause for a moment to take questions,

1106

00:42:07.345 –> 00:42:08.865

but that kind of reminds me of one other thing.

1107

00:42:08.865 –> 00:42:12.305

When it comes to professionalism, I really strongly suggest

1108

00:42:13.975 –> 00:42:16.985

that we consider, um, paying for the tools we need

1109

00:42:16.985 –> 00:42:18.105

to be successful.

1110

00:42:18.885 –> 00:42:20.385

But I also, I don’t believe in overpaying.

1111

00:42:20.385 –> 00:42:23.505

But what I mean by that is I know speakers that, again,

1112

00:42:23.505 –> 00:42:25.105

people that have been caught in place, they’re, you know,

1113

00:42:25.105 –> 00:42:26.665

they’ll come on the Facebook group and stuff.

1114

00:42:26.665 –> 00:42:29.905

They’re like, oh, does anybody know a free PDF converter?

1115

00:42:29.945 –> 00:42:31.745

I have a contract. You need to, why?

1116

00:42:32.005 –> 00:42:33.425

Why are you not just paying Adobe?

1117

00:42:34.335 –> 00:42:36.115

If you wanna be paid a decent amount,

1118

00:42:36.225 –> 00:42:38.715

there’s certain tools you have to pay for, right?

1119

00:42:38.855 –> 00:42:40.795

So that’s my little soapbox piece.

1120

00:42:41.255 –> 00:42:44.115

Um, but I also believe in not overspending.

1121

00:42:44.255 –> 00:42:45.355

So for instance, in speaking,

1122

00:42:45.795 –> 00:42:49.555

I started my marketing business, uh, I wanna say with $125.

1123

00:42:50.075 –> 00:42:51.595

I never put any more money into that business.

1124

00:42:51.705 –> 00:42:53.395

What happened was, as the business made money,

1125

00:42:54.195 –> 00:42:56.715

I would put more money back into, but it, it regenerated.

1126

00:42:56.715 –> 00:42:58.875

Does that make sense? My speaking business was a

1127

00:42:58.875 –> 00:43:00.115

spinoff of that marketing business.

1128

00:43:00.265 –> 00:43:01.275

I’ve never put more of my

1129

00:43:01.275 –> 00:43:02.635

own personal money into this business.

1130

00:43:02.875 –> 00:43:04.995

I take what’s generated, reinvest it,

1131

00:43:04.995 –> 00:43:06.995

and once I could, I started paying myself as well.

1132

00:43:07.775 –> 00:43:09.755

I’m sharing that to say that even though I’m talking about

1133

00:43:09.755 –> 00:43:12.915

paying for tools, I would also suggest for anybody

1134

00:43:12.915 –> 00:43:15.435

that’s newer, don’t do what some speakers do,

1135

00:43:15.455 –> 00:43:16.475

and they’re just, they have money.

1136

00:43:16.475 –> 00:43:17.675

Maybe they have a corporate career

1137

00:43:17.735 –> 00:43:19.355

and they’re like, okay, I can afford

1138

00:43:19.355 –> 00:43:21.595

to spend $20,000 to start this business.

1139

00:43:21.935 –> 00:43:24.435

Why would you do that? You’re gonna overspend on things.

1140

00:43:24.435 –> 00:43:26.355

You’re not even have your topics down yet.

1141

00:43:26.655 –> 00:43:29.675

So I would just say also just I, again,

1142

00:43:29.695 –> 00:43:32.715

my way is not the way, but get the tools you need,

1143

00:43:33.175 –> 00:43:34.755

but don’t overspend

1144

00:43:34.755 –> 00:43:37.475

because there’s no shortcut to the success it’s gonna take.

1145

00:43:37.495 –> 00:43:39.515

It takes years to get where we wanna be, wherever that is.

1146

00:43:39.515 –> 00:43:40.635

And some of you have been in here for years

1147

00:43:40.635 –> 00:43:41.715

and you’ve seen your business grow.

1148

00:43:41.935 –> 00:43:43.755

So, you know, it it, this is a journey.

1149

00:43:46.055 –> 00:43:48.115

So any questions you wanna ask Crystal?

1150

00:43:50.035 –> 00:43:52.655

Um, crystal, I was wondering, have you checked out the

1151

00:43:53.995 –> 00:43:57.255

epe CRM that they just started up with? High level.

1152

00:43:57.995 –> 00:43:59.135

So I’m familiar with it.

1153

00:43:59.275 –> 00:44:01.735

I’m, I’m really super cool with Joe and Dave.

1154

00:44:02.775 –> 00:44:05.255

I know they have it and I won’t look into it.

1155

00:44:05.555 –> 00:44:08.735

And here’s why. There has to be a financial benefit

1156

00:44:09.635 –> 00:44:11.335

to me switching CRMs.

1157

00:44:11.555 –> 00:44:14.015

And what I do know is it doesn’t have any features

1158

00:44:14.045 –> 00:44:15.495

that Speaker Flow doesn’t have.

1159

00:44:16.035 –> 00:44:17.295

So then why would I switch?

1160

00:44:17.595 –> 00:44:19.095

I’m, it could be cheaper,

1161

00:44:20.265 –> 00:44:23.805

but not enough for me to have to pay for the conversions

1162

00:44:23.825 –> 00:44:25.045

to have to retrain my people.

1163

00:44:25.305 –> 00:44:26.565

So I’m open to new things,

1164

00:44:26.985 –> 00:44:30.605

but there has to be some type of benefit to me doing that.

1165

00:44:30.705 –> 00:44:31.685

So again, I I’ve talked

1166

00:44:31.685 –> 00:44:32.845

to ’em about it, they were super excited.

1167

00:44:32.845 –> 00:44:33.845

Like, we got a CRM now,

1168

00:44:33.845 –> 00:44:35.045

and I’m like, that is great for y’all,

1169

00:44:35.535 –> 00:44:36.535

Right?

1170

00:44:36.545 –> 00:44:38.725

I’m gonna be hanging out with a,

1171

00:44:38.725 –> 00:44:40.765

tailoring them over at Speaker Flow on that aspect. Speaker

1172

00:44:40.765 –> 00:44:41.885

Flow, speaker flow is upset.

1173

00:44:41.885 –> 00:44:43.365

They’re upset about it, but we’ll go.

1174

00:44:43.365 –> 00:44:45.845

That’s another whole, yeah, they’re upset. None of

1175

00:44:45.845 –> 00:44:46.965

It has anything to do with me, but I

1176

00:44:47.085 –> 00:44:48.845

I I get All of that on their end. Yeah.

1177

00:44:49.185 –> 00:44:50.605

So Keep gimme my technology.

1178

00:44:51.525 –> 00:44:54.335

Sylvia? Yeah. Crystal, I just was curious.

1179

00:44:54.595 –> 00:44:58.175

Um, if you use Toko dot for every single keynote you do

1180

00:44:59.345 –> 00:45:01.275

just about, you do just about and, and,

1181

00:45:01.295 –> 00:45:03.035

and could you enlighten us on, you know,

1182

00:45:03.195 –> 00:45:05.075

I still get a little s is it, what’s the word?

1183

00:45:05.575 –> 00:45:06.835

Not squeamish, but squi.

1184

00:45:06.865 –> 00:45:08.395

Like, you know, just a little bit, like,

1185

00:45:08.395 –> 00:45:11.795

I have a 1500 person keynote I’m doing in a few days in

1186

00:45:11.795 –> 00:45:14.555

Vegas, and I, I, I didn’t, you know, I sort

1187

00:45:14.555 –> 00:45:15.835

of chickened out on on,

1188

00:45:15.945 –> 00:45:17.995

because I always let my meeting planners know

1189

00:45:17.995 –> 00:45:19.115

that I’m gonna do it in advance

1190

00:45:19.115 –> 00:45:20.315

because I don’t want any surprises.

1191

00:45:20.355 –> 00:45:21.635

I I let them know exactly.

1192

00:45:22.275 –> 00:45:23.355

I just love some of your language

1193

00:45:23.355 –> 00:45:25.355

or your words around, like how you introduce that.

1194

00:45:26.235 –> 00:45:27.235

I, I use it,

1195

00:45:28.195 –> 00:45:30.075

I use it a little bit differently than how most people do.

1196

00:45:30.075 –> 00:45:31.555

Like I know Rel talks about, you know,

1197

00:45:31.555 –> 00:45:32.915

do it this way and you present it this way.

1198

00:45:34.635 –> 00:45:36.155

I believe we’re serving our audience

1199

00:45:36.495 –> 00:45:38.355

and so I’m not gonna make it the crystal show.

1200

00:45:38.495 –> 00:45:41.395

I’m just not. So the way I do it is I take the,

1201

00:45:41.695 –> 00:45:42.955

is okay, let me ask this.

1202

00:45:42.955 –> 00:45:44.475

Who all is familiar with Talk Dot?

1203

00:45:44.475 –> 00:45:46.355

Can you raise your hand if you’re familiar? I

1204

00:45:46.355 –> 00:45:47.635

Think everybody is Okay.

1205

00:45:47.635 –> 00:45:49.595

Just about everybody. If not, their homework is

1206

00:45:49.595 –> 00:45:51.355

to look it up, but it’s an audience rating system

1207

00:45:51.655 –> 00:45:53.715

and you have a QR code that it generates for you

1208

00:45:54.055 –> 00:45:55.835

and they can rate you and they can download something.

1209

00:45:56.255 –> 00:45:58.995

So what I do is I have it generate the little QR code for me

1210

00:45:59.655 –> 00:46:00.675

and you know,

1211

00:46:00.675 –> 00:46:03.395

where it says talk a dot on it on the bottom corner.

1212

00:46:03.555 –> 00:46:06.235

I cut that off. I’m, they’re not paying me to advertise.

1213

00:46:06.575 –> 00:46:08.395

And then at the top where it says, you know,

1214

00:46:08.505 –> 00:46:10.915

rate Crystal, I cut that off.

1215

00:46:10.915 –> 00:46:12.195

This is not about rating Crystal.

1216

00:46:12.495 –> 00:46:14.875

So now I have a QR code, it goes on the slide

1217

00:46:15.095 –> 00:46:16.275

and then I put my own title.

1218

00:46:16.495 –> 00:46:19.235

Uh, sometimes I’m giving them, I have a workbook

1219

00:46:19.345 –> 00:46:20.755

that accompanies some of my talks

1220

00:46:20.775 –> 00:46:23.355

or I might give them notes for a copy of the presentation

1221

00:46:23.455 –> 00:46:27.525

for notes for the Future Ready Playbook, click here.

1222

00:46:27.745 –> 00:46:28.765

So I’m on the, and

1223

00:46:28.945 –> 00:46:31.085

and, um, Elizabeth McCormick does,

1224

00:46:31.225 –> 00:46:32.605

who all knows Elizabeth McCormick?

1225

00:46:32.605 –> 00:46:33.845

She’s a brilliant speaker.

1226

00:46:34.425 –> 00:46:38.085

Um, she flew, um, I forgot what kind of helicopter

1227

00:46:38.785 –> 00:46:40.565

in the milit Black Hawk bad.

1228

00:46:40.565 –> 00:46:42.045

This is a bad woman. She’s amazing.

1229

00:46:42.545 –> 00:46:44.085

But she actually helped me in an event

1230

00:46:44.105 –> 00:46:45.885

and she made a suggestion about my presentation.

1231

00:46:46.015 –> 00:46:47.765

Again, being open to

1232

00:46:48.365 –> 00:46:49.685

constructive criticism from the right people.

1233

00:46:49.785 –> 00:46:51.965

So Elizabeth’s my peer, Elizabeth’s great.

1234

00:46:52.185 –> 00:46:54.685

So there’s certain people I’m like, okay, so what I do now

1235

00:46:55.305 –> 00:46:57.085

is rather than putting that talk.at the end,

1236

00:46:57.645 –> 00:47:01.165

I actually put it about 75% of the way through.

1237

00:47:01.395 –> 00:47:03.045

Okay? So I’m giving them whole, all this meat,

1238

00:47:03.045 –> 00:47:04.485

and I said, okay, everybody, I told you at

1239

00:47:04.485 –> 00:47:05.525

the beginning, you don’t have to take notes.

1240

00:47:05.625 –> 00:47:06.645

Here’s what you’re gonna do. Take

1241

00:47:06.645 –> 00:47:07.805

out those phones you’re addicted to.

1242

00:47:07.805 –> 00:47:09.205

I have a little joke about it, blah, blah, blah.

1243

00:47:09.515 –> 00:47:10.565

Take a picture of the screen.

1244

00:47:10.995 –> 00:47:12.125

This is how you’re gonna get a copy

1245

00:47:12.125 –> 00:47:13.365

of the download of the notes or whatever.

1246

00:47:13.385 –> 00:47:15.885

Now it’s gonna ask you about three questions, uh,

1247

00:47:15.885 –> 00:47:18.205

before then I’d love if you answer those, uh, honestly.

1248

00:47:18.265 –> 00:47:19.405

And then after that, you’re

1249

00:47:19.405 –> 00:47:20.485

gonna be able to download the notes.

1250

00:47:20.585 –> 00:47:22.205

I’m gonna give you 60 seconds or

1251

00:47:22.205 –> 00:47:23.925

however many seconds I talk, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

1252

00:47:23.925 –> 00:47:24.965

They’re getting off their phone. So

1253

00:47:24.965 –> 00:47:26.005

it’s not about rating me.

1254

00:47:26.065 –> 00:47:27.725

I’m not like, rate Crystal, tell me what,

1255

00:47:27.795 –> 00:47:28.965

it’s a great gift to find out.

1256

00:47:29.145 –> 00:47:30.525

No, this is how you get your stuff

1257

00:47:30.985 –> 00:47:32.525

and it’s gonna ask you a couple questions.

1258

00:47:33.845 –> 00:47:35.305

And then they submit.

1259

00:47:35.485 –> 00:47:37.945

And you know, they have the ability if they, um, they,

1260

00:47:37.945 –> 00:47:39.585

if they hire for speakers, they put that in,

1261

00:47:39.585 –> 00:47:41.385

or if they wanna refer you, they put that in too.

1262

00:47:41.925 –> 00:47:43.625

Um, but yeah, that’s how I do it.

1263

00:47:43.625 –> 00:47:45.865

So I don’t, I don’t know anyone else who does it my way,

1264

00:47:46.165 –> 00:47:47.745

but again, Elizabeth saw me do it

1265

00:47:47.945 –> 00:47:49.585

and she was like, Ooh, instead

1266

00:47:49.585 –> 00:47:51.065

of doing it at the very end, put it here.

1267

00:47:51.245 –> 00:47:52.585

And then what happens is I’m able

1268

00:47:52.585 –> 00:47:54.265

to end on this high note with the story.

1269

00:47:54.605 –> 00:47:55.905

So it’s not about that either.

1270

00:47:56.085 –> 00:47:57.625

So it doesn’t mess up the ending.

1271

00:47:57.645 –> 00:47:59.985

It leaves them high, it still gets me the feedback,

1272

00:48:00.085 –> 00:48:01.185

and it gets ’em their download.

1273

00:48:01.925 –> 00:48:03.505

That’s great. Great advice.

1274

00:48:03.605 –> 00:48:05.705

Uh, crystal, I’ve always been worried about

1275

00:48:05.765 –> 00:48:08.465

how do you put it, but you, the way you do.

1276

00:48:08.465 –> 00:48:10.065

It’s really great. Thank you. You

1277

00:48:10.065 –> 00:48:11.065

Are welcome. Yeah, because I, I

1278

00:48:11.065 –> 00:48:12.265

mean, I do think we have to think about

1279

00:48:12.265 –> 00:48:14.665

how we serve our clients, and I never want it.

1280

00:48:14.825 –> 00:48:18.545

I I never wanna be cheesy, you know, so and so.

1281

00:48:18.545 –> 00:48:20.145

No, I, I don’t tell my clients I’m gonna do that.

1282

00:48:20.175 –> 00:48:22.625

Like I, and I’ve never had a client complain about it,

1283

00:48:22.625 –> 00:48:24.985

because one of the other things is when it’s up there,

1284

00:48:24.985 –> 00:48:26.545

especially when I’m giving them the playbook,

1285

00:48:26.755 –> 00:48:28.745

which is a type of workbook, I have a foresight,

1286

00:48:28.845 –> 00:48:29.945

uh, workbook.

1287

00:48:30.305 –> 00:48:32.185

I even tell them, you know, if you wanna copy this workbook,

1288

00:48:32.185 –> 00:48:33.385

it plugs in with this presentation.

1289

00:48:33.385 –> 00:48:35.385

You download it here, said, surprise, surprise.

1290

00:48:35.385 –> 00:48:37.345

There’s no upsell. I don’t sell this anywhere.

1291

00:48:37.485 –> 00:48:38.585

I’m not trying to put you in a club.

1292

00:48:38.665 –> 00:48:41.585

I don’t even have a club. I just developed this for my talks

1293

00:48:41.845 –> 00:48:45.185

so you can start actually implementing what I said.

1294

00:48:45.445 –> 00:48:47.785

So the fact that it’s not attached to me selling anything,

1295

00:48:47.925 –> 00:48:49.865

and they don’t get emails from me selling anything,

1296

00:48:50.535 –> 00:48:52.065

I’ve never had any complaints on that.

1297

00:48:54.155 –> 00:48:55.385

Thank you. Good advice.

1298

00:48:56.085 –> 00:48:58.305

So I wanted to just have a quick follow up on this one.

1299

00:48:58.405 –> 00:49:01.825

Uh, uh, crystal. So usually you send you a slides ahead

1300

00:49:01.825 –> 00:49:02.985

of time to the client.

1301

00:49:03.295 –> 00:49:07.025

Nope. Uh, and what if you don’t on your end? Oh, okay.

1302

00:49:07.725 –> 00:49:08.905

Or sometimes they ask me

1303

00:49:08.965 –> 00:49:10.425

to send my presentation ahead of time

1304

00:49:10.425 –> 00:49:11.585

to review. Okay. Nope.

1305

00:49:12.165 –> 00:49:15.145

No. Now let me let, I’m, I, now I,

1306

00:49:15.265 –> 00:49:16.545

I have a opinion on this,

1307

00:49:16.605 –> 00:49:18.905

but again, keep in mind what I tell you is my way,

1308

00:49:18.905 –> 00:49:22.625

not the way, in the beginning, I would get more of that.

1309

00:49:22.795 –> 00:49:24.905

Right? Okay. Because depending on,

1310

00:49:24.905 –> 00:49:26.145

and I’m not saying that’s where you’re at.

1311

00:49:26.285 –> 00:49:28.265

You, I, you could be getting 60,000

1312

00:49:28.325 –> 00:49:29.465

per engagement, I don’t know.

1313

00:49:29.725 –> 00:49:31.945

But for me, my experience was I got more of

1314

00:49:31.945 –> 00:49:33.585

that when I was under 10.

1315

00:49:33.935 –> 00:49:35.505

Then when I got to 10, I got a little bit less.

1316

00:49:36.085 –> 00:49:39.425

Now I get that occasionally not for review. It’s very rare.

1317

00:49:39.425 –> 00:49:41.425

Now, if someone wants to review my slides, like, oh,

1318

00:49:41.425 –> 00:49:43.865

we wanna review to see if, I always say,

1319

00:49:43.925 –> 00:49:44.985

oh, no problem at all.

1320

00:49:45.285 –> 00:49:48.105

If you want a collaborative fee, like I, you know,

1321

00:49:48.105 –> 00:49:48.985

what you paid for

1322

00:49:48.985 –> 00:49:50.145

was for me to actually do the presentation.

1323

00:49:50.145 –> 00:49:51.745

If you wanna collaborate, I’m happy to do that.

1324

00:49:52.055 –> 00:49:54.265

It’s just 5,000 or 10,000 extra.

1325

00:49:54.685 –> 00:49:56.945

No one ever takes me up on this. They’re like, oh, oh, okay.

1326

00:49:56.945 –> 00:49:58.865

No, that’s fine. Or when they’re like, oh,

1327

00:49:58.865 –> 00:50:00.865

we want our AV team to get it ahead of time.

1328

00:50:01.425 –> 00:50:03.945

I don’t use Keynote and I don’t use PowerPoint.

1329

00:50:04.345 –> 00:50:06.025

I use something called beautiful ai.

1330

00:50:06.215 –> 00:50:08.985

What we have learned is that when we send that over

1331

00:50:08.985 –> 00:50:10.905

to clients ahead of time, over the last few years,

1332

00:50:11.395 –> 00:50:12.625

about a quarter to a third

1333

00:50:12.625 –> 00:50:15.265

of them will not follow our very clear directions.

1334

00:50:15.265 –> 00:50:17.705

Like there’s something that we put in there, like in bold

1335

00:50:17.725 –> 00:50:19.065

and red, do not do this.

1336

00:50:19.645 –> 00:50:22.425

And a 25% to 30% of ’em would do it,

1337

00:50:22.525 –> 00:50:24.705

and the file wouldn’t work, and their AV team freaks out.

1338

00:50:24.885 –> 00:50:26.905

So what we tell them now is Crystal does not send her

1339

00:50:26.930 –> 00:50:27.970

her presentation ahead of time.

1340

00:50:28.295 –> 00:50:29.605

She’s gonna load it when she gets there,

1341

00:50:29.605 –> 00:50:30.925

it’s gonna take her less than five minutes.

1342

00:50:31.305 –> 00:50:34.125

She comes with a Mac version, she comes with a PC version.

1343

00:50:34.145 –> 00:50:35.605

So I literally travel with a key chain

1344

00:50:35.605 –> 00:50:39.405

that has it in both versions and never have any problems.

1345

00:50:39.405 –> 00:50:40.885

We tell them, not only do I have it here, here,

1346

00:50:41.195 –> 00:50:42.965

it’s on my laptop and it’s in the cloud.

1347

00:50:43.185 –> 00:50:45.685

So when they understand there’s all these backups in place,

1348

00:50:46.235 –> 00:50:47.485

they tend to be more relaxed.

1349

00:50:47.505 –> 00:50:50.565

But again, if you wanna review it outside of, I mean, I,

1350

00:50:50.685 –> 00:50:52.645

I submitted a presentation yesterday for review.

1351

00:50:52.865 –> 00:50:56.205

If it’s legal and compliance, like with a financial services

1352

00:50:56.205 –> 00:50:57.645

or healthcare organization, right?

1353

00:50:57.905 –> 00:50:59.685

You have to. So that is what it is.

1354

00:50:59.945 –> 00:51:02.965

But if it’s just marrying them over the association

1355

00:51:03.025 –> 00:51:04.485

of table makers that,

1356

00:51:04.845 –> 00:51:06.965

’cause she has a secret desire to be a speaker,

1357

00:51:06.965 –> 00:51:09.685

and she thinks she can fluff up your slides, cool, Mary,

1358

00:51:09.755 –> 00:51:11.565

5,000 more dollars, we can make it happen.

1359

00:51:11.625 –> 00:51:12.765

You want me to send you an invoice?

1360

00:51:14.115 –> 00:51:16.885

I like that. I like that a lot. Well,

1361

00:51:16.885 –> 00:51:18.405

Thank you for that advice, uh, crystal.

1362

00:51:19.505 –> 00:51:21.805

But do what works for you. I’ll also tell you

1363

00:51:21.805 –> 00:51:24.125

that sometimes when you send your slides in advance,

1364

00:51:24.915 –> 00:51:26.125

they never even look at them.

1365

00:51:26.305 –> 00:51:27.525

And you get there and they don’t.

1366

00:51:27.665 –> 00:51:29.045

So nine times out of 10,

1367

00:51:29.155 –> 00:51:30.765

they’ve not even looked at your slides

1368

00:51:30.865 –> 00:51:32.165

and the sound doesn’t work.

1369

00:51:32.585 –> 00:51:34.245

So I would rather be in control.

1370

00:51:34.365 –> 00:51:35.925

I think that that’s really good advice.

1371

00:51:36.625 –> 00:51:38.725

Um, if you do something for the government, they’re gonna,

1372

00:51:38.725 –> 00:51:40.765

they wanna look many times they wanna check out the

1373

00:51:40.765 –> 00:51:42.485

slides or healthcare. You’re

1374

00:51:42.485 –> 00:51:43.485

Right. And see for

1375

00:51:43.485 –> 00:51:44.805

me, I don’t really do much government

1376

00:51:44.805 –> 00:51:47.885

because I also require all my payment upfront. Right.

1377

00:51:48.065 –> 00:51:50.005

Period. There’s no exceptions.

1378

00:51:50.465 –> 00:51:53.525

Um, so they pay 50% to hold the date.

1379

00:51:53.605 –> 00:51:55.445

I don’t call a deposit. I learned that years ago.

1380

00:51:55.445 –> 00:51:56.845

Hold the date from Brian Walters.

1381

00:51:56.885 –> 00:52:00.885

I call it an initial payment that covers research.

1382

00:52:01.265 –> 00:52:05.765

And, um, how do we, we say research and slide development.

1383

00:52:06.585 –> 00:52:07.845

And then the second half is

1384

00:52:07.845 –> 00:52:09.085

for me showing up and delivering.

1385

00:52:09.275 –> 00:52:11.125

That way if they cancel for some reason

1386

00:52:11.345 –> 00:52:12.565

and they don’t wanna reschedule within

1387

00:52:12.565 –> 00:52:15.245

that 360 day grace period, we give ’em, they can’t just say,

1388

00:52:15.245 –> 00:52:16.845

oh, well you should give us the deposit back.

1389

00:52:16.845 –> 00:52:18.645

You haven’t done anything. No, no. There’s no deposit.

1390

00:52:18.705 –> 00:52:20.805

That’s not that Word’s not on any of our stuff.

1391

00:52:21.195 –> 00:52:24.365

This covered this and you’ve paid for this.

1392

00:52:24.955 –> 00:52:27.245

That is brilliant. Brian Walters

1393

00:52:27.395 –> 00:52:28.395

Guys do that. That

1394

00:52:28.395 –> 00:52:31.245

is brilliant. So you call it what?

1395

00:52:31.715 –> 00:52:33.125

Initial payment? Initial

1396

00:52:33.125 –> 00:52:36.325

Payment that covers slide development research.

1397

00:52:36.825 –> 00:52:39.525

Mm-hmm. I think that’s brilliant. Mm-hmm.

1398

00:52:42.175 –> 00:52:44.875

Uh, mark, you’ve got your hand up and then we’ll go to Carl.

1399

00:52:46.005 –> 00:52:47.535

Yeah. Question about assistance.

1400

00:52:48.335 –> 00:52:50.135

I have someone that’s doing accounting stuff

1401

00:52:50.135 –> 00:52:51.375

for me, which is working out great.

1402

00:52:51.475 –> 00:52:52.815

Mm-hmm. I’m,

1403

00:52:52.995 –> 00:52:55.655

I’m too busy doing all this other stuff that don’t want to do anymore.

1404

00:52:55.795 –> 00:52:58.375

So what is your advice to actually take the step

1405

00:52:58.375 –> 00:53:00.295

to hire somebody and what would you have them?

1406

00:53:00.855 –> 00:53:02.975

I know it’s non-revenue producing stuff,

1407

00:53:03.035 –> 00:53:06.575

but how to make that jump in a, in a quick and easy fashion?

1408

00:53:07.065 –> 00:53:08.655

First, you have to be organized first.

1409

00:53:08.935 –> 00:53:10.295

’cause a lot of people hire assistants

1410

00:53:10.295 –> 00:53:11.695

before they know what they want them to do.

1411

00:53:12.395 –> 00:53:14.935

Um, two, you actually have to have the systems in place

1412

00:53:14.935 –> 00:53:16.055

before you hire the person,

1413

00:53:16.365 –> 00:53:19.015

because the person who works the system is not the person

1414

00:53:19.115 –> 00:53:20.175

who develops the system.

1415

00:53:20.635 –> 00:53:23.495

And so you might have to hire a project manager just

1416

00:53:23.495 –> 00:53:25.565

for a couple weeks to set up e speakers

1417

00:53:25.565 –> 00:53:26.925

or to set up speaker flow

1418

00:53:26.985 –> 00:53:29.725

or maybe just, you know, if you have a good speaker friend

1419

00:53:29.725 –> 00:53:31.965

that uses those things, you offer them something

1420

00:53:31.965 –> 00:53:33.285

or refer them a piece of business

1421

00:53:33.285 –> 00:53:35.525

and say, in return, can you help me by setting this up?

1422

00:53:35.905 –> 00:53:37.485

But the person who works it is typically

1423

00:53:37.485 –> 00:53:38.605

not the person who sets it up.

1424

00:53:38.945 –> 00:53:41.125

If you’re looking for that person, you know, there’s places

1425

00:53:41.125 –> 00:53:42.565

where you can go online to find people.

1426

00:53:42.665 –> 00:53:45.405

But if I can just, this is just my honest advice,

1427

00:53:45.405 –> 00:53:47.485

just from watching, if you’re a member

1428

00:53:47.485 –> 00:53:49.885

of the National Speakers Association, which if you’re not,

1429

00:53:49.885 –> 00:53:52.605

you should be ask them if they have an assistant

1430

00:53:52.605 –> 00:53:54.445

that needs some more bandwidth,

1431

00:53:54.555 –> 00:53:56.725

just find someone who’s already working on speakers,

1432

00:53:56.725 –> 00:53:59.285

because it’s a lot easier if you go for a random va.

1433

00:53:59.295 –> 00:54:01.205

First off, some people are gonna tell you,

1434

00:54:01.345 –> 00:54:02.965

go overseas, go to India.

1435

00:54:03.465 –> 00:54:04.845

Go to Philippines. Now, it’s not

1436

00:54:04.845 –> 00:54:06.005

that the people there are not incredible,

1437

00:54:06.545 –> 00:54:09.135

but they’re gonna be less expensive.

1438

00:54:09.135 –> 00:54:10.015

But you’re gonna have to tell them

1439

00:54:10.015 –> 00:54:11.135

everything that you have to do.

1440

00:54:11.315 –> 00:54:13.415

You’re gonna have to explain the business again, not

1441

00:54:13.415 –> 00:54:14.455

that they’re not brilliant, they are,

1442

00:54:14.595 –> 00:54:16.695

but for this particular purpose, it’s not what you wanna do.

1443

00:54:16.755 –> 00:54:20.415

So my suggestion would be find another speaker and say, hey,

1444

00:54:20.995 –> 00:54:22.135

or just in one, any,

1445

00:54:22.135 –> 00:54:24.055

there’s many different bulletin platforms,

1446

00:54:24.055 –> 00:54:25.255

email lists within speakers.

1447

00:54:25.255 –> 00:54:26.855

Anybody have a, a VA

1448

00:54:27.125 –> 00:54:29.495

that needs another, uh, needs another speaker.

1449

00:54:30.755 –> 00:54:33.945

That’s the easiest way I find. Thank you. Mm-hmm.

1450

00:54:35.285 –> 00:54:36.385

Uh, Carl, you were next.

1451

00:54:37.485 –> 00:54:39.505

Hey, crystal. Thank you, Karen.

1452

00:54:40.935 –> 00:54:43.955

Hey, crystal, I wanted to know how you got from, um, sort

1453

00:54:43.955 –> 00:54:46.115

of, I mean, I can sense that you’re sort

1454

00:54:46.115 –> 00:54:47.795

of a systems analytical person,

1455

00:54:47.895 –> 00:54:51.515

but also a high energy creative presence

1456

00:54:51.535 –> 00:54:54.635

and force, you know, and so I’m just, I’m just curious

1457

00:54:54.695 –> 00:54:56.475

how you, how you transitioned

1458

00:54:56.475 –> 00:54:59.195

or how you made a shift from sort of deep thinking,

1459

00:54:59.555 –> 00:55:03.635

overthinking maybe into being just more in free flow and,

1460

00:55:03.855 –> 00:55:05.635

and out there with less of a care.

1461

00:55:06.285 –> 00:55:07.315

Karen helped with that

1462

00:55:07.705 –> 00:55:09.555

because I remember at one point

1463

00:55:10.095 –> 00:55:12.275

we had done something together and I had all these facts

1464

00:55:12.295 –> 00:55:14.035

and figures and it was very technological.

1465

00:55:14.095 –> 00:55:16.675

And there were, there were charts and signs

1466

00:55:16.975 –> 00:55:18.475

and Karen was like, crystal.

1467

00:55:19.135 –> 00:55:20.435

And I’m like, and I’m killing it.

1468

00:55:20.435 –> 00:55:21.915

People’s like, you’re so smart afterwards.

1469

00:55:21.915 –> 00:55:24.475

You’re so brilliant. Woo. So again, that great feedback.

1470

00:55:24.475 –> 00:55:25.515

So I’m like, I’m killing it.

1471

00:55:25.935 –> 00:55:28.075

And Karen, I can’t remember exactly what you said,

1472

00:55:28.095 –> 00:55:32.235

but she said something along the lines of, if you design,

1473

00:55:32.265 –> 00:55:34.955

like if you design for peasants, you eat like a king

1474

00:55:35.655 –> 00:55:37.155

for king like peasants or something like that.

1475

00:55:37.245 –> 00:55:39.435

She’s like, keep it simple. She’s like, not,

1476

00:55:39.435 –> 00:55:40.755

she’s like, I’m not saying dumb it down,

1477

00:55:41.975 –> 00:55:43.595

Eat the kings that eat with the peasants. Yeah.

1478

00:55:43.595 –> 00:55:44.635

She was like, make, make, eat

1479

00:55:44.635 –> 00:55:45.955

The peasants that eat with the kings.

1480

00:55:46.325 –> 00:55:48.955

She’s like, just make it more digestible.

1481

00:55:49.015 –> 00:55:50.995

So I have a little Karen on my shoulder

1482

00:55:51.455 –> 00:55:52.595

at all times in this business.

1483

00:55:53.255 –> 00:55:56.155

So just remembering, and it, and it helped

1484

00:55:56.155 –> 00:55:58.555

because I realized the most important thing when we get off

1485

00:55:58.555 –> 00:55:59.915

the stage, well for me, I’ll speak for me,

1486

00:56:00.185 –> 00:56:01.475

it’s not if people think I’m smart,

1487

00:56:01.475 –> 00:56:02.675

it’s if they feel that they’re smart.

1488

00:56:03.175 –> 00:56:04.955

If after something that seemed complicated,

1489

00:56:04.955 –> 00:56:06.275

they’re like, I get it.

1490

00:56:06.275 –> 00:56:08.235

That isn’t that, that’s not that complicated at all.

1491

00:56:08.335 –> 00:56:11.635

And now I’m actually known for taking complex topics

1492

00:56:11.855 –> 00:56:13.675

and translating it into normal speak.

1493

00:56:14.175 –> 00:56:17.755

So there was a process, Carl, I thank you for recognizing

1494

00:56:17.755 –> 00:56:18.875

that that had to have been the case.

1495

00:56:19.135 –> 00:56:20.395

And it was just having a good mentor

1496

00:56:20.655 –> 00:56:22.795

and being open to direction from her,

1497

00:56:23.265 –> 00:56:24.525

not necessarily all other people.

1498

00:56:24.725 –> 00:56:25.605

’cause I said, I get a lot of,

1499

00:56:25.605 –> 00:56:26.685

I’ve gotten a lot of feedback.

1500

00:56:27.625 –> 00:56:30.085

Uh, have you, do you all know who Bruce Turkel is?

1501

00:56:30.745 –> 00:56:32.845

Yes. He likes to tell a story.

1502

00:56:32.935 –> 00:56:35.725

After I spoke at Influence, um,

1503

00:56:36.205 –> 00:56:38.165

a few years ago, I’m off stage.

1504

00:56:38.225 –> 00:56:39.725

I’m heading somewhere. And I,

1505

00:56:39.845 –> 00:56:41.005

I did a pretty good job on that one.

1506

00:56:41.005 –> 00:56:42.285

It’s rare that I say that, but I’m like,

1507

00:56:42.285 –> 00:56:43.445

I, I, I killed on that one.

1508

00:56:43.785 –> 00:56:45.605

I’m walking out, he’s walking with me. We’re talking.

1509

00:56:45.615 –> 00:56:47.365

Bruce is also another wonderful friend.

1510

00:56:47.825 –> 00:56:50.005

And this other gentleman, which some speakers will do,

1511

00:56:50.155 –> 00:56:52.325

came up to me and he said, oh, that was good.

1512

00:56:52.325 –> 00:56:55.765

But I have one piece of advice. You one suggestion.

1513

00:56:56.105 –> 00:56:57.405

And Bruce loves to tell this story.

1514

00:56:57.405 –> 00:56:58.405

He said, I’ve never seen anything like it.

1515

00:56:58.685 –> 00:57:00.445

I looked at him and I said, no, thank you.

1516

00:57:00.585 –> 00:57:03.405

And I kept walking and Bruce bust out laughing.

1517

00:57:03.405 –> 00:57:05.645

He said, I’ve never, he said, the man looks so confused.

1518

00:57:05.645 –> 00:57:08.085

He didn’t know what to do with that. So be open to advice,

1519

00:57:08.145 –> 00:57:09.485

but know when you don’t need it too.

1520

00:57:09.955 –> 00:57:11.925

When speakers do that to you that you don’t know,

1521

00:57:12.075 –> 00:57:13.325

usually they’re trying to feel better

1522

00:57:13.325 –> 00:57:14.765

for not being in the position you were in.

1523

00:57:14.835 –> 00:57:17.165

It’s not usually constructive. So

1524

00:57:18.535 –> 00:57:19.585

Carl knows that.

1525

00:57:19.625 –> 00:57:21.905

I tell him, I tell Carl the truth.

1526

00:57:22.455 –> 00:57:25.305

Yeah. And it’s important to have someone, um, one

1527

00:57:25.305 –> 00:57:28.345

of my other mentors in, in personal life, she always says,

1528

00:57:28.345 –> 00:57:29.665

you know, you need people who love you enough

1529

00:57:29.665 –> 00:57:30.745

to tell you when your slip is showing.

1530

00:57:31.395 –> 00:57:34.595

Right. I love this.

1531

00:57:34.815 –> 00:57:35.835

Um, real quick,

1532

00:57:35.835 –> 00:57:38.795

before I get to the other two, I just got a text from Regina

1533

00:57:39.455 –> 00:57:40.515

and she said Faye

1534

00:57:40.515 –> 00:57:42.675

and Regina are teaching the back end

1535

00:57:42.675 –> 00:57:44.235

of the business in October.

1536

00:57:44.975 –> 00:57:46.595

So I will talk with Regina

1537

00:57:46.695 –> 00:57:48.155

and I’ll get that out there to you

1538

00:57:48.215 –> 00:57:50.355

and maybe, um, we can work something out.

1539

00:57:50.355 –> 00:57:53.275

This is so exciting. So much is coming right now to me.

1540

00:57:53.275 –> 00:57:54.635

People are hearing that we’re doing this.

1541

00:57:55.175 –> 00:57:56.315

Um, and I’m getting a lot

1542

00:57:56.315 –> 00:57:58.035

of people wanting to come talk to you guys.

1543

00:57:58.135 –> 00:58:00.355

But this is great because Fay and Regina,

1544

00:58:01.185 –> 00:58:02.185

They’re incredible. Yeah,

1545

00:58:02.185 –> 00:58:03.435

they are. To

1546

00:58:03.435 –> 00:58:04.835

Tell you, this is exciting me, crystal.

1547

00:58:05.075 –> 00:58:06.475

I hope it’s getting all of you excited.

1548

00:58:07.065 –> 00:58:08.675

It’s getting me excited again to,

1549

00:58:08.675 –> 00:58:09.875

to be more honest with you.

1550

00:58:10.265 –> 00:58:11.435

Well, and I’ll share one quick thing

1551

00:58:11.435 –> 00:58:12.795

before we go to Brittany and Diana,

1552

00:58:12.975 –> 00:58:15.315

and I’m okay to stay over slightly if you need me to.

1553

00:58:15.315 –> 00:58:16.795

Karen. FYI I’m okay with that.

1554

00:58:16.795 –> 00:58:18.315

They’ll, they’ll, they’ll stay as well. Yeah,

1555

00:58:18.695 –> 00:58:19.695

I’m, I’m okay with it. Okay.

1556

00:58:19.695 –> 00:58:22.985

Um, to tell y’all how incredible Regina

1557

00:58:22.985 –> 00:58:25.985

and Faye is one of the pieces, as a result

1558

00:58:25.985 –> 00:58:28.185

of me having all these systems in place, you know, mark,

1559

00:58:28.265 –> 00:58:29.585

I know you talked about expanding to have them.

1560

00:58:30.385 –> 00:58:32.825

I take the whole month of December off every year.

1561

00:58:33.085 –> 00:58:34.585

So this will be my fourth year doing it.

1562

00:58:34.585 –> 00:58:37.505

When I say I take the whole month off, I unplug.

1563

00:58:37.585 –> 00:58:39.985

I have a landline that I use for business and a cell phone.

1564

00:58:40.085 –> 00:58:41.705

The cell phone goes off, the landline

1565

00:58:41.705 –> 00:58:42.865

is unplugged from the wall.

1566

00:58:43.505 –> 00:58:46.305

I shut my laptop, I take, uh, my email,

1567

00:58:46.565 –> 00:58:47.705

uh, app off of my phone.

1568

00:58:48.185 –> 00:58:50.305

I do not take a single client call.

1569

00:58:50.745 –> 00:58:52.505

I do not check a single email.

1570

00:58:52.985 –> 00:58:54.825

I say no to all speaking events.

1571

00:58:55.205 –> 00:58:56.425

So you might be thinking, okay, well

1572

00:58:56.425 –> 00:58:57.425

what happens if someone calls

1573

00:58:57.425 –> 00:58:58.665

or someone wants to go to contractor

1574

00:58:58.665 –> 00:58:59.985

bureau, bureau contracts?

1575

00:58:59.985 –> 00:59:02.505

You, my team runs the entire business the month of December.

1576

00:59:02.855 –> 00:59:05.225

They only call me if there’s an emergency

1577

00:59:05.565 –> 00:59:07.065

or if they’re getting, they’re being asked

1578

00:59:07.065 –> 00:59:08.625

to quote something that’s so outside of

1579

00:59:08.625 –> 00:59:10.625

what I normally do, they’ll call me.

1580

00:59:10.785 –> 00:59:12.705

I think I wanna say this last December,

1581

00:59:12.785 –> 00:59:14.865

I don’t think I spoke to them at all the December before.

1582

00:59:14.945 –> 00:59:17.545

I think Regina and I spoke for maybe 10 minutes

1583

00:59:17.545 –> 00:59:19.985

because they needed a quote for me to go to Australia

1584

00:59:20.365 –> 00:59:22.045

to do like multiple day workshops,

1585

00:59:22.045 –> 00:59:23.325

which is not something I normally do.

1586

00:59:23.905 –> 00:59:26.645

So having the right systems and team in place.

1587

00:59:27.065 –> 00:59:30.725

Oh, and when I came back from my vacation this December,

1588

00:59:30.725 –> 00:59:31.805

when I came back in January,

1589

00:59:32.645 –> 00:59:35.325

I had six signed contracts from folks I’d never spoken to.

1590

00:59:35.325 –> 00:59:36.325

These were things that weren’t even

1591

00:59:36.325 –> 00:59:37.285

on the books when I left.

1592

00:59:37.705 –> 00:59:39.085

And then one that was waiting

1593

00:59:39.085 –> 00:59:40.485

to come back they had already sent out.

1594

00:59:40.825 –> 00:59:42.485

So that’s the power of having a good team.

1595

00:59:44.885 –> 00:59:46.175

Okay. Uh, Bri, I think

1596

00:59:46.175 –> 00:59:47.495

it’s Brittany. Brittany are you’re next.

1597

00:59:48.045 –> 00:59:51.415

Yeah. Thanks. This is really fun and very informational.

1598

00:59:51.475 –> 00:59:52.815

So thanks Crystal and Karen.

1599

00:59:53.275 –> 00:59:54.495

Um, I just went

1600

00:59:54.495 –> 00:59:56.615

to checked out the e speakers thing while you guys were kind

1601

00:59:56.615 –> 00:59:58.815

of talking about it and I saw that they have a directory.

1602

00:59:58.955 –> 01:00:01.055

I’m just curious, what are your thoughts on these sort

1603

01:00:01.055 –> 01:00:02.135

of speaker directories?

1604

01:00:02.395 –> 01:00:03.775

Do you feel like something comes of it?

1605

01:00:03.795 –> 01:00:06.375

Is it worth paying the fee to have a listing up there?

1606

01:00:06.405 –> 01:00:07.575

Like, I’m a brand new speaker

1607

01:00:07.915 –> 01:00:08.975

and just trying to kind of figure

1608

01:00:08.975 –> 01:00:10.055

out how to get going on this.

1609

01:00:10.155 –> 01:00:11.815

So what do you think of those kind of directories?

1610

01:00:12.195 –> 01:00:14.495

So most speaker directories are garbage. Okay.

1611

01:00:14.635 –> 01:00:18.895

So I would say 99.99% of them e speakers, the director,

1612

01:00:18.895 –> 01:00:22.175

is just a bonus for the fact that I use it as the backend

1613

01:00:22.175 –> 01:00:23.175

to run my whole business.

1614

01:00:23.835 –> 01:00:26.255

Um, but what you do need to understand about their directory

1615

01:00:26.255 –> 01:00:27.655

that’s a little bit different is

1616

01:00:27.655 –> 01:00:28.895

that there’s some speakers bureaus.

1617

01:00:28.895 –> 01:00:30.975

If you go to their website and you search for speakers,

1618

01:00:30.995 –> 01:00:32.495

it looks eerily like e speakers.

1619

01:00:32.715 –> 01:00:35.135

And so what happens is e speakers has a partnership

1620

01:00:35.165 –> 01:00:36.295

with some of the bureaus

1621

01:00:36.505 –> 01:00:39.455

where their website is actually using a white labeled

1622

01:00:39.455 –> 01:00:41.415

version of E speakers where they go

1623

01:00:41.415 –> 01:00:43.815

and they check off the speakers they want to bleed through.

1624

01:00:44.115 –> 01:00:45.615

So many of them will go quarterly

1625

01:00:45.615 –> 01:00:47.375

or whatever looking if there’s any new speakers they

1626

01:00:47.375 –> 01:00:48.415

need to add, click through.

1627

01:00:48.875 –> 01:00:52.215

If you do not have a presence on E speakers, then

1628

01:00:52.215 –> 01:00:53.255

that means there’s certain bureau

1629

01:00:53.255 –> 01:00:54.575

websites you can’t appear on.

1630

01:00:55.555 –> 01:00:57.095

So that they’re a little different.

1631

01:00:57.435 –> 01:00:59.375

Now, some people complain, they’re like, oh, I pay

1632

01:00:59.375 –> 01:01:01.575

for E speakers and I don’t get any business from it.

1633

01:01:02.205 –> 01:01:05.095

Well, two things. One, I don’t care if I get zero business,

1634

01:01:05.155 –> 01:01:06.175

I’m paying the highest rate.

1635

01:01:06.175 –> 01:01:07.255

I, it’s like 80 bucks a month.

1636

01:01:07.355 –> 01:01:08.655

It runs the whole back end of my business

1637

01:01:08.655 –> 01:01:10.055

and it lets me take a whole month off

1638

01:01:10.075 –> 01:01:12.775

and things run Well, they could triple their fee.

1639

01:01:12.875 –> 01:01:14.855

I’m still paying for it. During the pandemic,

1640

01:01:14.885 –> 01:01:16.615

they sent out this email saying they were gonna give a

1641

01:01:16.775 –> 01:01:17.935

temporary discount to all the speakers

1642

01:01:18.055 –> 01:01:19.055

’cause they know we’ve been hit so hard.

1643

01:01:19.335 –> 01:01:20.535

I emailed Joe back and said,

1644

01:01:20.535 –> 01:01:22.295

don’t you dare, I’m happy to pay full price.

1645

01:01:22.305 –> 01:01:24.775

Y’all are killing it. That’s one thing.

1646

01:01:25.235 –> 01:01:27.695

Two people do get business from them. How do I know I do.

1647

01:01:27.835 –> 01:01:30.135

Now that doesn’t happen all the time, but usually every

1648

01:01:30.135 –> 01:01:32.775

couple of years or so I’ll get a booking.

1649

01:01:33.035 –> 01:01:34.935

But even if it’s only every two to three years,

1650

01:01:35.035 –> 01:01:37.015

it more than pays for what I pay for it.

1651

01:01:37.155 –> 01:01:39.335

But even if I had to pay for it, I’d still pay for it.

1652

01:01:39.715 –> 01:01:41.095

So e speakers is a little different.

1653

01:01:41.375 –> 01:01:44.495

I would say 99.99, nine 9% of any other directories

1654

01:01:44.495 –> 01:01:45.935

that come up to you as a speaker

1655

01:01:45.935 –> 01:01:47.215

saying, Hey, pay to be listed here.

1656

01:01:48.225 –> 01:01:50.985

I absolutely would not, but e speakers is.

1657

01:01:50.995 –> 01:01:54.185

Thank you. Good advice. Yeah, thank you. Yeah.

1658

01:01:55.775 –> 01:01:56.355

Oh, Diana,

1659

01:02:00.545 –> 01:02:01.005

Hey Crystal.

1660

01:02:01.425 –> 01:02:04.605

Um, Diana here. I remember doing a breakout session

1661

01:02:05.425 –> 01:02:07.645

at AME in Houston and you were a keynote,

1662

01:02:07.705 –> 01:02:09.405

and I was like, ah, that would be so great

1663

01:02:09.405 –> 01:02:11.045

to one day be up on that stage.

1664

01:02:11.065 –> 01:02:12.165

And you just killed it.

1665

01:02:12.165 –> 01:02:13.165

You were so funny

1666

01:02:13.265 –> 01:02:14.605

and engaging, lots

1667

01:02:14.605 –> 01:02:16.285

of interactive stuff for the audience to do.

1668

01:02:16.505 –> 01:02:18.845

So it’s so cool to like be one now

1669

01:02:19.065 –> 01:02:22.085

and be mentored by Karen, just like she mentored you.

1670

01:02:22.705 –> 01:02:24.125

And so my question for you is,

1671

01:02:24.125 –> 01:02:28.285

when you’re developing your ip, whatcha doing to

1672

01:02:28.945 –> 01:02:30.165

be at the forefront, right?

1673

01:02:30.225 –> 01:02:32.765

Be on the cutting edge of what’s happening in technology.

1674

01:02:33.075 –> 01:02:34.685

Like what are you developing yourself?

1675

01:02:34.785 –> 01:02:36.365

Do you do your original research?

1676

01:02:36.435 –> 01:02:38.925

Like, are you compiling other people’s research?

1677

01:02:39.195 –> 01:02:42.285

Like how can we as speakers stand out in our own fields?

1678

01:02:42.825 –> 01:02:44.925

Um, and not just regurgitating what’s out there,

1679

01:02:44.985 –> 01:02:47.405

but really putting our stamp on things.

1680

01:02:48.165 –> 01:02:49.645

I don’t know if I have a system for you,

1681

01:02:50.305 –> 01:02:51.645

but I’ll explain to you the chaos.

1682

01:02:51.675 –> 01:02:54.605

That is how I do it. So I read it insane amount

1683

01:02:54.605 –> 01:02:56.405

of information every single day.

1684

01:02:56.785 –> 01:02:58.525

So I’m subscribing to a lot

1685

01:02:58.525 –> 01:03:01.765

of different newsletters, a lot of new sources.

1686

01:03:02.245 –> 01:03:04.805

I, there’s global ones I look at regarding technology.

1687

01:03:05.345 –> 01:03:07.525

That’s number one. So I am amassing information.

1688

01:03:07.785 –> 01:03:10.205

Number two, the way my brain works is I tend

1689

01:03:10.205 –> 01:03:11.805

to look at things and try to figure out

1690

01:03:11.825 –> 01:03:14.045

how can I bastardize this or what am I not seeing?

1691

01:03:14.625 –> 01:03:15.965

So oftentimes there’s technology

1692

01:03:15.965 –> 01:03:18.885

that’s being introduced one way that frankly, I realize,

1693

01:03:18.915 –> 01:03:20.645

wait a minute, if they turned it this way,

1694

01:03:20.915 –> 01:03:21.925

that would make more sense.

1695

01:03:22.225 –> 01:03:23.885

And oftentimes the way a piece

1696

01:03:23.885 –> 01:03:25.245

of technology is released is not

1697

01:03:25.245 –> 01:03:26.845

how it ends up being used in the long run anyways.

1698

01:03:27.425 –> 01:03:29.645

So it’s a combination of me taking in a lot of information

1699

01:03:30.105 –> 01:03:31.765

and then I just really sit with things

1700

01:03:31.785 –> 01:03:33.285

and try to figure out what makes sense.

1701

01:03:33.305 –> 01:03:34.365

And I observe people a lot.

1702

01:03:34.445 –> 01:03:36.885

I learned that from Karen to really make time

1703

01:03:36.905 –> 01:03:38.605

to just watch people and just kind

1704

01:03:38.605 –> 01:03:39.845

of see where the trends are.

1705

01:03:40.465 –> 01:03:42.645

Um, but I’m also somebody, I, I take courses.

1706

01:03:42.825 –> 01:03:45.885

I’m a lifelong learner. I just enrolled in school again.

1707

01:03:46.105 –> 01:03:47.485

So now I’m getting my master’s in

1708

01:03:47.485 –> 01:03:48.845

foresight, which is what speakers study.

1709

01:03:48.845 –> 01:03:51.525

I’ve already done coursework at U of H

1710

01:03:51.605 –> 01:03:52.925

for foresight, but I was like, you know what?

1711

01:03:52.925 –> 01:03:54.125

Let’s do it. And it’s not

1712

01:03:54.125 –> 01:03:55.565

because my clients care, they don’t.

1713

01:03:55.825 –> 01:03:57.765

But I like to be super sharp

1714

01:03:58.465 –> 01:04:00.005

and this will enable me

1715

01:04:00.005 –> 01:04:01.445

with the network I’m building globally

1716

01:04:01.705 –> 01:04:02.805

to even be more on top

1717

01:04:02.805 –> 01:04:04.005

of all the changes that are happening.

1718

01:04:04.365 –> 01:04:05.765

’cause you probably noticed changes happening faster.

1719

01:04:06.265 –> 01:04:10.445

So I don’t thematic answer. It’s just, uh, yes, read a lot.

1720

01:04:10.945 –> 01:04:12.405

But what I like about what you do,

1721

01:04:12.405 –> 01:04:15.765

because I, I study you now Crystal, I, I watch you

1722

01:04:15.785 –> 01:04:20.165

and I you are a futurist and you talk about technology,

1723

01:04:20.425 –> 01:04:23.725

but you talk about it in, in a conversational way

1724

01:04:23.725 –> 01:04:25.565

where everybody in the audience, not everybody,

1725

01:04:25.565 –> 01:04:27.565

but the audience understands what you’re saying.

1726

01:04:28.225 –> 01:04:30.245

So it’s not like you are a futurist

1727

01:04:30.265 –> 01:04:32.565

and you’re talking to the, you’re talking at this level.

1728

01:04:33.205 –> 01:04:36.525

I think your brilliance is that you take these ideas

1729

01:04:36.905 –> 01:04:38.645

and then you make them yours,

1730

01:04:39.105 –> 01:04:40.885

and then you kind of have a conversation

1731

01:04:40.955 –> 01:04:43.365

with the audience getting them to understand.

1732

01:04:43.465 –> 01:04:46.125

And I think that that is the biggest difference I see

1733

01:04:46.125 –> 01:04:47.645

with you and so many speakers.

1734

01:04:48.855 –> 01:04:51.535

I think also, once you get your research, Diana, you know,

1735

01:04:51.535 –> 01:04:53.095

really sit with it and don’t be afraid

1736

01:04:53.095 –> 01:04:54.535

to disagree with popular opinion.

1737

01:04:55.115 –> 01:04:57.535

Um, so there’s a lot of things where, you know,

1738

01:04:57.535 –> 01:05:00.015

people like Metaverse, there are people running out.

1739

01:05:00.015 –> 01:05:01.135

And I had clients that were like,

1740

01:05:01.135 –> 01:05:03.295

should we be buying real estate at the Metaverse?

1741

01:05:03.315 –> 01:05:05.815

And, and there were companies that have spent hundreds

1742

01:05:05.815 –> 01:05:07.255

of thousands of dollars, not millions

1743

01:05:07.255 –> 01:05:09.055

of dollars on virtual property.

1744

01:05:09.355 –> 01:05:12.855

And I, I remember telling everybody why that was stupid and,

1745

01:05:12.875 –> 01:05:14.375

and not because I don’t like it.

1746

01:05:14.605 –> 01:05:16.895

Like literally why that wouldn’t work in terms of,

1747

01:05:17.000 –> 01:05:19.525

of human psychology, unless you’re appealing to gamers,

1748

01:05:19.525 –> 01:05:21.085

people whose brands are already trained to

1749

01:05:21.085 –> 01:05:23.325

that people are not putting on VR headsets,

1750

01:05:23.325 –> 01:05:24.725

which gives people, um,

1751

01:05:24.785 –> 01:05:26.685

it messes up your equilibrium within a certain amount

1752

01:05:26.685 –> 01:05:28.685

of time and just living there instead.

1753

01:05:28.705 –> 01:05:30.925

So don’t Google Plus, I remember telling people that

1754

01:05:31.035 –> 01:05:32.445

that social network’s not gonna make it.

1755

01:05:32.445 –> 01:05:35.085

And what guy Kawasaki’s, I don’t care what he said.

1756

01:05:35.585 –> 01:05:39.405

So don’t be afraid once you know what, you know, to not, not

1757

01:05:39.405 –> 01:05:42.085

to be disagreeable, but to tell the truth, like, oh, mm-hmm.

1758

01:05:45.975 –> 01:05:47.025

Well, this was great.

1759

01:05:48.015 –> 01:05:51.845

This has been, I I I I’m watching everybody.

1760

01:05:51.845 –> 01:05:53.005

They’re all, they’re all

1761

01:05:53.005 –> 01:05:54.285

with you on everything that you say.

1762

01:05:54.905 –> 01:05:58.045

Uh, Carl, is that your hand up? Yes.

1763

01:06:00.195 –> 01:06:01.935

I’m sorry, Karen. You didn’t, didn’t mean you

1764

01:06:01.935 –> 01:06:03.495

to stop your thought.

1765

01:06:04.275 –> 01:06:05.575

So Crystal, how do you, um,

1766

01:06:06.075 –> 01:06:07.335

how do you tell people the

1767

01:06:07.335 –> 01:06:08.535

future’s gonna be friendly for them?

1768

01:06:08.595 –> 01:06:11.055

You know, they’re not gonna just be replaced

1769

01:06:11.155 –> 01:06:14.195

by, you know, technology.

1770

01:06:14.915 –> 01:06:16.075

I don’t tell them that. I

1771

01:06:16.075 –> 01:06:17.235

don’t tell them the future’s friendly.

1772

01:06:17.715 –> 01:06:20.115

I tell them the possibilities. The future isn’t real.

1773

01:06:20.815 –> 01:06:22.675

Um, for something to be real, by definition,

1774

01:06:22.735 –> 01:06:23.875

it has to exist in the present.

1775

01:06:24.415 –> 01:06:26.315

Um, and the future also can’t be predicted

1776

01:06:26.625 –> 01:06:29.595

because the future doesn’t exist until it’s the present.

1777

01:06:29.975 –> 01:06:32.275

And so what’s happening is we’re looking at alternate

1778

01:06:32.275 –> 01:06:33.395

future possibilities.

1779

01:06:33.695 –> 01:06:36.275

And so I give people the possibilities based on this.

1780

01:06:36.275 –> 01:06:38.075

This is likely where this goes. If you do this,

1781

01:06:38.075 –> 01:06:39.195

this is likely where this goes.

1782

01:06:39.545 –> 01:06:40.595

This is what you can do

1783

01:06:40.595 –> 01:06:43.715

to future proof against these different possibilities.

1784

01:06:44.145 –> 01:06:45.475

It’s not my job to lie to people

1785

01:06:45.475 –> 01:06:46.635

and tell them things I don’t know.

1786

01:06:46.975 –> 01:06:48.795

So I, I don’t, I’ll,

1787

01:06:48.795 –> 01:06:51.075

and I’ll tell people, no one knows this piece right here,

1788

01:06:51.075 –> 01:06:52.115

but this is what we do know.

1789

01:06:52.115 –> 01:06:54.235

This is where this is headed. This is what you got.

1790

01:06:54.735 –> 01:06:57.115

How can you be prepared whether this happens or not?

1791

01:06:57.295 –> 01:06:58.315

That’s more my approach,

1792

01:06:58.575 –> 01:07:00.435

and I think people appreciate the honesty

1793

01:07:00.435 –> 01:07:02.675

of someone not lying to them. Right,

1794

01:07:03.525 –> 01:07:04.525

Right.

1795

01:07:06.045 –> 01:07:07.555

Thank you. Yeah, you’re welcome.

1796

01:07:08.355 –> 01:07:10.315

I, I hope you weren’t looking for comfort, Carl. I don’t,

1797

01:07:11.855 –> 01:07:12.855

No. I should have framed my

1798

01:07:12.855 –> 01:07:13.395

question differently,

1799

01:07:13.395 –> 01:07:16.315

because obviously I left a, it didn’t come off

1800

01:07:16.315 –> 01:07:17.795

as super powerful,

1801

01:07:18.495 –> 01:07:20.275

but uh, you know, your response was very

1802

01:07:20.515 –> 01:07:21.835

powerful. Good job. No, no, no,

1803

01:07:21.865 –> 01:07:22.865

It’s fine. Just wanna make sure you’re

1804

01:07:22.865 –> 01:07:23.955

good. Uh, you know,

1805

01:07:24.405 –> 01:07:25.755

let’s hope Carl, I have hope

1806

01:07:29.275 –> 01:07:32.885

I don’t Anybody else,

1807

01:07:33.185 –> 01:07:34.445

or should we wind it down?

1808

01:07:34.445 –> 01:07:35.885

Because this has been amazing

1809

01:07:36.025 –> 01:07:39.045

and we’ll have the, uh, we’ll have the video, I’ll have it,

1810

01:07:39.045 –> 01:07:41.565

uh, the audio, um, and the video in a couple of days.

1811

01:07:41.665 –> 01:07:43.285

But this has been so great, crystal,

1812

01:07:43.835 –> 01:07:46.005

crystal, this was perfect.

1813

01:07:47.145 –> 01:07:48.505

I just talking from your heart,

1814

01:07:49.685 –> 01:07:51.665

and I think that everybody’s got things that they wanna do.

1815

01:07:51.665 –> 01:07:52.745

I love the hearts going up.

1816

01:07:52.985 –> 01:07:56.425

I think that you all should sit with this for a while

1817

01:07:56.525 –> 01:07:58.705

and begin to think about what your next steps are.

1818

01:07:58.935 –> 01:08:01.385

Because I think, and I think listening to this again

1819

01:08:01.385 –> 01:08:02.745

and again, will really be great.

1820

01:08:03.445 –> 01:08:05.345

And listen to Karen. I’m not even saying that

1821

01:08:05.345 –> 01:08:06.545

to be like literally y’all.

1822

01:08:06.745 –> 01:08:08.745

I don’t think you all realize they don’t

1823

01:08:08.745 –> 01:08:10.025

Use me enough. And I’m not

1824

01:08:10.025 –> 01:08:12.585

Someone who blows smoke when it comes to people.

1825

01:08:12.765 –> 01:08:15.285

I’m really not. I’m a super, like, honest person,

1826

01:08:15.465 –> 01:08:19.565

but Karen’s an incredible resource just in terms

1827

01:08:19.565 –> 01:08:21.045

of just running things past her.

1828

01:08:21.145 –> 01:08:23.285

So as long as it’s within her boundaries,

1829

01:08:23.425 –> 01:08:24.925

please utilize her.

1830

01:08:25.115 –> 01:08:27.645

Just, she is an incredible force.

1831

01:08:28.075 –> 01:08:29.685

Well, if you just run things by me

1832

01:08:29.745 –> 01:08:31.125

and let me think a little bit, but,

1833

01:08:31.265 –> 01:08:33.965

but pe people just, um, I’m being honest.

1834

01:08:34.065 –> 01:08:35.245

You guys don’t use me enough.

1835

01:08:35.905 –> 01:08:39.205

I’m actually thinking about changing, um, in, in a month

1836

01:08:39.205 –> 01:08:41.165

or two where you get a little bit more time with me

1837

01:08:41.465 –> 01:08:44.605

and I’m opening it up more because I feel like you’re busy.

1838

01:08:45.185 –> 01:08:47.125

But that this is what I wanna do

1839

01:08:47.345 –> 01:08:50.125

and maybe the next big idea will come from just us talking.

1840

01:08:50.745 –> 01:08:52.365

But I can’t make that idea.

1841

01:08:52.505 –> 01:08:54.805

If you only give me 15 minutes every three months,

1842

01:08:55.365 –> 01:08:58.205

I don’t know you, but some of you are very consistent

1843

01:08:58.385 –> 01:09:01.485

and I know you, and once that consistency starts, I,

1844

01:09:01.685 –> 01:09:02.765

I think I could really help.

1845

01:09:04.315 –> 01:09:07.235

I see things like, I see, but you know, what was the movie?

1846

01:09:07.355 –> 01:09:09.715

I see the future, but see things in you

1847

01:09:09.905 –> 01:09:11.235

that maybe you don’t see.

1848

01:09:11.335 –> 01:09:12.835

And I think that that’s my gift.

1849

01:09:13.435 –> 01:09:15.355

I do see people’s brilliance. Mm-hmm.

1850

01:09:15.495 –> 01:09:17.875

And I do see where an audience will be attracted,

1851

01:09:18.295 –> 01:09:20.275

but I, I need to know you a little bit better.

1852

01:09:22.045 –> 01:09:24.785

Anyway, that’s my pitch. But I love you Crystal.

1853

01:09:25.415 –> 01:09:26.945

Love you, Karen. I love you guys.

1854

01:09:27.055 –> 01:09:29.625

Karen’s my speaker, fairy godmother, so I’m glad to be

1855

01:09:29.975 –> 01:09:32.945

with you, Karen, and apparently my speaker fairy

1856

01:09:33.605 –> 01:09:35.305

God brothers and sisters, so yeah.

1857

01:09:36.725 –> 01:09:39.865

Bye everybody. Bye. Thank you. Care. Thank you.

How she built a thriving speaking career from scratch—with systems, strategy, and smarts.

Foundations of Her Success

Hot Topic: Crystal started with social media—when it was new and everyone needed it. She picked a topic event planners were already searching for.
Mentorship: She chose one mentor (Karen McCullough) and ignored outside noise. “You can’t follow 5 GPS systems and expect to arrive.”
Systems Mindset: From day one, she focused on the back end—contracts, processes, follow-up, and team delegation—not just the speech.

Must-Have Speaker Assets

Speaker Website – Clean, client-facing, built to convert.
One-Sheet – A shareable PDF that’s committee-friendly.
Demo Video – Crystal rented a big room, staged an audience, filmed her own talk, and landed her first internationalgig from that footage.

Tools She Swears By

eSpeakers – Automates 30+ event-related tasks, from contract to follow-up. Team members get daily to-do lists.
SpeakerFlow (CRM) – For managing leads and post-event outreach.
Asana – Used for internal projects and team workflows.

Team & Delegation Philosophy

Don’t try to do it all. Delegate tasks that don’t generate revenue.
Team includes: business manager, client care, operations support, social media, and her videographer husband.
Pays team members well—even when they undervalue themselves—because professionalism matters.

Client Experience = Her Secret Weapon

Her team tracks client birthdays, life events, and sends personalized gifts.
One client cried on-site after receiving a bereavement gift—sent because a team member noticed something on social media.
Bureaus LOVE her—one said she’s among the top 6 most organized speakers they work with.

Talkadot Strategy

Uses a QR code ¾ through her keynote (not at the end) to offer a free playbook or notes.
Framed as a gift—not a sales tool.

Growth & Revenue Tips

Karen got her into Connect (a high-level meeting planner event), which sparked years of booked business.
She reinvested profits, avoided flashy spending, and kept her overhead lean.
She moves fast: when she decides to do something, it gets done—now. Crystal-isms (Truth Bombs)

“Don’t get advice from people who haven’t built what you’re trying to build.”
“Repeat business is won in your systems, not just on stage.”
“If you want to stand out, get your backend right.”