Have you ever felt a deep urge to share your story but held back because you thought you weren’t ready? You’re not alone. Many people hesitate to speak up, thinking they need to have all the perfect pieces in place. But what if I told you that you don’t need a polished story or a huge following to make an impact? Your story has the power to change lives, starting now.
From Humble Beginnings to Public Speaking Success
Let me share a bit of my journey. I came to the United States with $5, two shirts, and one pair of pants. I didn’t speak English, had no degree, and no followers. I started from the very bottom, working as a janitor, washing cars, and loading boxes. But I had a dream – to make a difference through my words. Today, I speak to thousands, commanding stages for major corporations like AT&T, Verizon, and even the United States Army.
The Power of Starting Now
You might think you need to wait until you’re ready, but the truth is, you’ll never feel fully prepared. Perfection is an illusion that holds us back. The key is to start where you are with what you have. Even if you think you haven’t crafted your story well enough or you’re too shy to speak, starting now is the first step to success.
Overcoming Fear and Embracing Your Story
Fear is a natural part of the journey, but it shouldn’t stop you. I was introverted and shy, yet I found my voice. Your story, no matter how imperfect it may seem, is a gift to others. The very thing you’re reluctant to share is often what will resonate most deeply with others. Your struggles, your triumphs–these are what people need to hear.
Your Message Matters
Imagine the impact you can have. There are millions of people out there who need to hear your story. They are struggling, facing challenges similar to what you’ve overcome. By sharing your journey, you provide hope and inspiration. Even if you start with just one person, that ripple effect can lead to countless lives being touched and transformed.
Practical Steps to Begin
Start Small: Begin by sharing your story with a friend or in a small group. This helps build confidence.
Use Available Tools: All you need is your phone and a tripod to create videos. The technology at your fingertips is powerful.
Embrace Imperfection: Your first few attempts might not be perfect, and that’s okay. Quality comes from quantity.
Connect with Others: Engage with communities and groups that share similar interests. This provides support and motivation.
Building Your Legacy
Think long term. Your story, your message, your courses, and your books are your legacy. They will continue to inspire and guide people long after you’re gone. Imagine your great-grandchildren picking up your book or watching your videos, learning from your experiences. That’s the lasting impact of sharing your story.
Take Action Today
Don’t wait for the perfect moment because it will never come. Start now. Your 10% effort could be 1000% for someone else. The world needs your story, your voice. You have the power to make a difference. Step out of your comfort zone, overcome your fears, and start sharing today.
If you’re ready to take the leap but need guidance, reach out to me. Visit renegodefroy.com and let’s connect. I want to help you transform your story into a powerful message that changes lives.
Remember, your story matters. Start sharing it today. Your journey to impact and success begins now.
Yes, the speaking industry has dramatically changed. It seems like everything is going virtual.
But, that doesn’t mean speaking is dead. There are way more opportunities today than ever. Motivation will never go away.
Now, everything on my calendar for live events has been cancelled because of social distancing. What I have going for me is coaching/consulting and virtual presentations through Zoom.
Of course, I don’t get paid 10K for a virtual presentation. But, the numbers add up. And other opportunities are surfacing.
Besides, I don’t have to get on an airplane. That’s beautiful! I was getting tired of jet lags anyway. I remember having four speaking engagements back to back.
One day I was on the West Coast and the next day I was on the East Coast. I was so exhausted and disoriented.
As of now, I’m working on packaging my knowledge as courses on relevant topics for the same companies I was presenting for. Online learning is exploding.
By the way, diversity is a hot topic these days. I’m getting a lot of requests for that topic.
You can quickly update your knowledge and tackle diversity. Read some books. Take some courses. There are also tons of videos on YouTube about it.
Just add your own personal experiences, insights, and observations. Everybody is recycling old information for years. Nothing is original.
Granted, you have to care about the topic. If not, you won’t feel it. Which means your listeners won’t feel it either.
Look, people are not looking an encyclopedia of knowledge. They are looking for engagement, connect, and a SIMPLE step-by-step framework to help them understand their problems, so they can take action.
✅ Here’s a little secret that the top speakers would NEVER reveal to you
Most companies don’t really care that you are the definitive expert on the topic. They just want to check the box, so they don’t get sued. Do you see what I mean?
✅ Here’s what you need to do:
You need to learn about livestreaming and be a good presenter so you can look professional. After that, just start submitting proposals online.
As one of my mentors always says, “Just say yes. Then figure out how to deliver it.”
Thankfully, I had already mastered virtual presentations. I’m way ahead of many speakers who are not tech-savvy.
In fact, I’m now coaching a lot of speakers and executives on how to livestream properly. Thus, another income source.
✅ $128 Billion Dollar Industry
The reality is, the knowledge business is currently a $129 billion dollar industry. And it’s climbing. Heck, it’s probably going to eventually replace the school systems.
A lot of young people don’t want to go to college anymore. They just want to buy courses and rapidly master any skill.
When LinkedIn bought Linda.com, the largest educational platform online, and Microsoft bought LinkedIn, we should have known something was up.
Here’s an insight for you: Tell yourself this crisis is happening for you; not to you. That will give you the power to seize the opportunities available.
Somehow, God will make sure it happens for you. As you know, whatever you are saying to yourself is your reality. It’s a form of prayer. And every prayer is answered.
Simply put, decide to be a victor instead of a victim. That alone will force you to think of better ideas to make a difference in the world.
As I always say, the bigger the difference, the more money. Besides, it’s never about money. It’s about helping others solve their problems.
Money is only an indicator we are making a difference one way or another. It’s too bad most people tend to be obsessed over money.
In reality, money is just the effect of a cause. Even so, there’s a cause behind the cause the product money. That’s called mind. It’s where EVERYTHING is created.
What are you struggling with right now? Let me know.
Mike Tyson credits Cus D’Amato for changing his life. He said without Cus, he probably would not be alive today. Mike said “Cus told me I was going to be the world’s youngest boxing champion.”
What’s remarkable about the interview is when Mike said, “I believe everything Cus told me. Even if he were lying, I believed him.” Isn’t that powerful?
Every single one of us can be a Cus D’Amato for someone. You can literally call somebody right now and share some uplifting words that boost his or her confidence or self-esteem.
Mike Tyson is a household name who is massively successful. He has achieved what most can never achieve in a lifetime. His remarkable career as a global champion boxer and larger-than-life personality is something to emulate.
It should motivate us to step up our game in life. His boxing career should inspire us to put our nose to the grind to perfect our craft.
However, in spite of that, he still significantly credits a portion of his spectacular success to his coach and mentor, Cus D’Amato. What’s more impressive is the fact that Tyson said without Cus, he probably would have been dead. Incredible!
Cus D’Amato infused in Tyson the belief that he could achieve the impossible. He could be the youngest champion in history. Tyson believed every single one of his words.
What’s even more shocking is when Tyson said he would believe his mentor even if he told him a lie. Wow!
Hopefully, you are reading between the lines. That should be an indication for you about the power of words.
The impact you and I can have on another human being by simply using deliberate chosen words is incalculable.
The thing is, you have that and power. You can step into someone’s life and prophesize over them. Your conviction and confidence will make them believe you even if you were lying. Isn’t that mind-blowing?
I strongly encourage you to take this lesson from Cus D’Amato and apply it to your life. Be an elevator for someone. Cheer them on. Inspire them to greatness.
It doesn’t have to be someone you know. You do it for a total stranger. You do it for someone who is serving at a restaurant or in the valet parking.
Isn’t that what motivational speakers do?
Well, you are a motivational speaker. You are a thought leader. You are an influencer. Go be a Cus D’Amato for someone today!
How to charge more for your services. That’s the question I get asked a lot. The first answer is there’s no way I can tell you specifically how much you should charge for your services. But I can tell you this.
You are not trudging enough right now. You are underselling yourself. You have employees that you have to pay. You will have online services you have to pay. You have bills you have to pay.
Yet, you are not charging enough to make a great living in your business. If you double your fee, you are going to attract a totally different kind of client. You are not running a non-profit, are you? Are you a 501C3?
I was coaching this young lady, and she said to me… the same question I get asked by a lot of entrepreneurs that I coach. She said, Rene, I feel like I’m not making the money I should be making.
So, how much you think I should charge for my services. It’s the same answer. I don’t know! Because it’s different for different kinds of people. What I told her, is it something I said earlier?
You need to double your fees. You are not charging enough. The reality is there are so many people doing exactly what you are doing. They’re providing the same kind of service you are providing. Let’s say you are charging five thousand dollars.
They are charging a hundred thousand dollars. Does that mean they are 100 times better than you? No. Money is energy. If you want more money, you want to raise your energy. You want to attract different kinds of people.
You want to raise your energy. Have you ever entered a room full of millionaires and billionaires? I have. You want me to tell you what’s the difference? The difference is huge.
The energy level is way up are there. Let me give you an example of the energy level.
You see, if you go to Wal-Mart right now, you take an item that is… I don’t know. Ten dollars. You take that same item. You go to Saks Fifth Avenue or one of the high-end boutiques. You put it there. You cannot ask for ten dollars. Why?
People will not buy it because the people who go to Saks Fifth Avenue, they don’t pay ten dollars for this kind of item. If it’s 10 dollars, something is wrong. They will pay a hundred dollars or two hundred dollars for the same item that you have at Wal-Mart.
What is the difference? The difference is the energy level.
Saks Fifth Avenue, a high-end store, has a different kind of energy that attracts a different kind of person. And when they get there, they don’t argue with you. They don’t give you a hard time. They just buy it.
When your price is low, people who have a lot of returns. If you go to Wal-Mart to see the lion when you try to return something. I mean, it’s a long line. And they have carts after carts after carts pile with stuff that people are returning.
You don’t see that at Saks Fifth Avenue. Do you see my point now?
If you raise your prices, you’re going to have less aggravation. You’re going to attract a different kind of people in your business. If you are still thinking about how to raise your prices for your services.
I want to show five ways to do so. And once you start focusing on those five ways, you will double or even triple your prices instantly. Number one. Think of the law of association.
If you associate yourself with people who have a high energy level, your energy level automatically is going to go up and you’re going to attract the right people in your business.
You’re going to be able to double or even troupe all your fees. It’s that simple. I remember I was speaking at an event for Mark Victor Hansen. I don’t know if you remember Mark Victor Hansen.
He is the guy who created Chicken Soup for the Soul. Remember those books? If you’re old enough. They were all over the bookstores, right? Him and Mark, Mark, Victor Hansen, and Jack Canfield.
He invited me to keynote a conference for him in L.A. The name of it, I believe, was Maga speaking empire. And they told me to put a package together to sell at the event because back then it was like a big sales pitch.
I put some packages together, about three packages. One of them was ten thousand dollars. I know I was not going to sell that many, but the five thousand dollars in the middle was very enticing.
And I had one for twenty-five hundred dollars.
Sure enough, I sold a bunch of packages for five thousand dollars and twenty-five hundred dollars.
There was one lady who bought that ten thousand dollar package. Do you want to know why she bought it? She said to me, “Rene, I don’t need it. I already have the money. I’m doing extremely well.
She said, you know, I buy it. I said no. She said, “I want you to take me to the green room and introduce me to some of the speakers in there. And you don’t have to worry about delivering anything.”
I already gave your assistant a credit card. Let me give you another example. I had lunch with a guy who was pretty high up in the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce many years ago. About ten or fifteen years ago.
He said to me, Rene, I’m going to share a secret with you and don’t tell anybody. He said, if you joined the chamber at the 500 or a hundred dollar level, it’s not a good thing.
Because you will get invited to meetings where a bunch of people who are struggling, they have business cards.
They are asking each other business, but they have they don’t have much to offer you.
That’s the kind of people you’re going to vibrate with. That’s the kind of energy level. There’s nothing wrong with that.
If you’re talking about those big fees that you are in the speaker range, I would suggest you join the five thousand dollar level. That is the ambassador level.
You probably will get a call from somebody to invite you for a barbecue on a weekend at the in the backyard of the CEO of IBM, of Microsoft, of U.P.S., of Federal Express or whatever big company.
That’s the kind of invitation you will get. Why? Because you are an ambassador and you join the five thousand dollar level.
That’s the law of association. That’s what you have to associate yourself with those kinds of people to raise your energy level.
Number two, you need to raise your confidence level. You have to be confident when you ask for your fee. I remember when I went to ten thousand dollars for a keynote, the first call I got was from a place in Canada called Fort McMurray.
And if you’re from Canada, you know, they have a lot of money because they have a lot of oil. It’s a huge oil industry. They are close to Alberta, I believe.
When they asked me for my fee, I said ten thousand dollars. And immediately I said, is that within your budget? And I was ready to make some concessions or to negotiate my fee because I didn’t have that level of confidence to ask for ten thousand dollars.
And I remember the lady said, oh, sure, no problem.
She said, just bill us… bill us separately for your expenses. Because at ten thousand dollars, when you leave your house, you start charging the client for everything.
The limousine, the parking at the airport, or whatever it is. If your confidence level is low, you will not have the courage to double your fee or to triple your fee. It’s going to be very hard for you.
Number three, create the illusion of everywhere. Here’s what I mean by that.
Let’s say, I go to Facebook right now and I see you; your video. You are talking about whatever service you provide or you are giving people a behind the scenes look at how you do what you do.
And I switch to go to Microsoft and I see you again. I go to YouTube and I see you again. I go to CNN dot com. I see you again. I’m thinking like, wow, you are everywhere. But the reality is, you are not everywhere for everybody. You are everywhere for me. You are targeting me.
You know what that’s that’s called that’s called retargeting. Have you ever heard of something called behavioral response marketing? Well, it’s the same thing. It’s the illusion of everywhere.
What that is, is I can put a video on this video. I can Market or promote it on the Internet or Facebook or YouTube.
I put something in it and I say, hey, when people reach twenty-five percent of this video, I want you to create a separate audience for me right there. That’s on Facebook. Same thing for everywhere.
I want you to… when somebody watches the video for 10 percent, create an audience for me or 50 percent create an audience for me at this point based on this behavior. You watch my video for twenty twenty-five percent of my video.
I have another video that I want to show you because. Hey, you. Some kind of interest. Number four. That’s a quick one. You need to work on your brand, your personal brand at the end of the day, people will buy from people.
They will buy from you based on your brand. They will want to vibrate at your energy level because of your personal brand. That’s what I’m saying. Who you are as a person.
They want to connect with you. So that’s why you have to work on your personal brand as the person who is out there speaking on behalf of your company.
That’s why they need a face to communicate with. They are not communicating with your product. They are not communicating with your services. They just want a person to connect with. That’s called personal branding. Who you are as a person.
Finally, number five, be the definitive expert in your field, as the definitive expert in your field.
You want to start teaching. You want to start teaching little known facts that the market doesn’t know about your industry.
You start taking people behind the scene and show them how you do what you do. Your process. And then suddenly they start seeing you as THE go-to person.
The definitive expert. Another way to do so is to really attack the gurus. Yes, expose them. A lot of gurus out there. They all sort of like false gurus.
And when I say false gurus, you’ve seen them. You’ve seen people say a bunch of nonsense in your industry. And, you know, they don’t make sense. They are misleading people.
Be the one to take charge, to disseminate that kind of information.
How the gurus are misleading them. The moment you start showing people how the gurus are doing it wrong, immediately they see you as the expert. Your trust and credibility go way up there.
This is how you get to charge more for your services.
Add more speaking dates on your calendar this year
How is your speaking business going? Are you booking any gigs for this new year? Chances are, you may not be booking that many. Why?
I have had many conversations with some of my buddies who were very hot in on the speaking circuit. Now, they are not getting that much traction. I know exactly what they are talking about. The game has changed dramatically. All of us speakers can feel the pinch.
Without going into too many details, let’s say the people you would expect to see on the stages today are remarkably different. I know a guy who’s commanding 150, 0000 dollars for one keynote. He wears a t-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes. And he curses a lot. That’s just one example out of so many.
Why Speakers Struggle To Get Paid Speaking Gigs
Here’s a short list of the kind of people getting the speaking gigs today: Politicians, celebrity bloggers, youtube stars, highly controversial figures, retired executives, TED speakers, scientists, college and university professors, etc.
Do you see yourself on that list? Probably not. I know I’m definitely not on it. Does that mean we should give up? The answer is NO!
That means we need to change our approach. The old ways we used to get speaking gigs don’t work anymore.
Meeting Planners Won’t Talk To You
Do you remember when we used to pick up the phone and talk to a meeting planner? Guess what? They don’t want to talk on the phone anymore. In fact, they don’t want to find them. They want to find you.
I have booked so many engagements and never talk to the client until I get to the speaking venue. Here’s the kicker: After I give the talk and get a standing ovation, they still don’t take my call. I have to send an email.
So, stop chasing meeting planners or speakers bureaus. They are running away from us. They are ignoring us. Now, I’m not mad. People are busier than ever. They are turning off advertising and promotions. If anything smells like a pitch, they will ignore you. That’s why we are paying extra to block the ads.
The Good News For New And Veteran Speakers
The good news is, there are more opportunities today than ever. The meeting industry is not disappearing. We are, first and foremost, social animals. We must meet and socialize.
We badly need more encouragement and inspiration. We are more worried, confused, uncertain and disturbed. Here’s an eye opener for you?
There are 7.7 billion people on this planet. So many of those would never, ever listen and pay attention to me or any of the above speaker types I mentioned above. They want to hear from you and only you.
They don’t about my story from a poor village in Haiti. They don’t’ care about anything I have to say. They only care about what you have to say. They just want to connect with you. Why?
It’s because your star is lined up with them. It’s because your story and life are almost precisely the same as theirs. I’m talking about millions out of the seven billion people. Here’s the best part:
1,000 People at $1,000 = $1,000,000
You don’t need millions. You only need to resonate and connect with 1,000 people who would pay you $1,000 to make one million dollars. You can get that with speaking, coaching, consulting, digital products, etc. Do you see my point?
Simply put, you only need to uplift and make a difference in the lives of one thousand people. The rippling effect could be huge since each one those individuals will, in turn, touch other lives.
All it would take is for you to capture their attention. To do so, you authentically speak from your heart to theirs. You tell your truth to resonate with your potential fans and inadvertently repel all those who are not aligned with your truth.
How To Get Event Planners To Pay Attention To You
Create the right content that grabs attention. Did you know that attention is the most priceless currency today? That’s right! It’s extremely difficult to get others to notice. This is a noisy world. So many people are yelling and begging for attention.
You must create content that resonates with a group of people who are going through what you have been through. People who connect with you and want to learn from you!
Start creating videos like this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTAqYoz43nQ to upload to Youtube. And share your truth using the right keyword that would cause Youtube to show your video to your potential tribe. Oh, you don’t like being in front of a video camera? No problem.
Believe it or not, in the future, audio will be the #1 medium to connect with your fans. Here is why:
Every home will have an Amazon Echo with Alexa or Google Home or Siri. People will no longer use their hands to type. They will speak and ask their questions. It’s like someone wakes up and say, “Alexa, how to do I increase my daughter’s self-esteem?” Bam! You have a video or a podcast about that.
Or while in conversation with a single mother she mentions her struggle with raising a teenage daughter. Bam! You tell her I have a video or podcast about that subject. Am I making sense to you?
Did you know that you can create a Podcast right now for free using your smartphone? It’s ridiculously simple! In fact, let me know if you want me to share some tips about with you. This post is already too long to address that.
Think about it this way: Most people don’t have time to sit and watch videos. They want to listen while cleaning the house, driving or exercising.
In conclusion, that’s the new way meeting or event planners will stumble upon your content on social media or online. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any questions.
As I mentioned to you before, do pay attention to what I am doing on Youtube and elsewhere. Pick up the clues and model success. Watch this video. Leave a comment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTAqYoz43nQ
