169: Leveraging Free Speaking Engagements Into Bigger Opportunities with Angela Hosking

A question I get asked a lot is: How can I get paid to speak?

One of the best ways is to speak and present for free.

(This goes for both in-person and online presentations and trainings.)

Why speak for free?

• You build relationships with event organizers who can then recommend you or pay you to speak at future events.
• You get to know other speakers who recommend you for paid events.
• You can get video clips of you speaking to showcase your ability to deliver.
• You become more comfortable and confident with your material and delivery which results in you feeling more confident asking to be paid.

My guest today is Angela Hosking, who is a dynamic speaker and founder of Her One Tribe.

Angela was in our Monetize Your Speaking program last year and is currently in our mastermind.

In this episode, Angela and I talk about:

• Strategies she used to get her first free speaking engagements (that you can use too)
• The mindset shift Angela made
• How she used online summits and webinars to build her email list
• The opportunities that have come from the speaking she’s done, including ones she hadn’t anticipated
• What you can negotiate for when speaking
• Angela’s philosophy of taking small brave steps every day

Register for our upcoming FREE webinar "5 Types of Webinars You Can Do to Grow Your Business and Visibility" at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/webinar/.

About My Guest: Angela Hosking, MBA, MSN is on a mission to help women grow and develop confidence, enhance their inherent leadership skills and inspire them to boldly achieve their personal goals. Angela combines her 10+ years of Healthcare Executive Leadership experience with her expertise as a Women's Empowerment writer and author of “Woman on Top: Lead Like a Lady Boss” to deliver impactful workshops and motivational speeches. Angela is the owner and CEO of Her One Tribe, LLC where she hosts and coaches an online community for aspiring women to find education, inspiration and support with their fellow sisters.

About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals create their signature talks and gain more visibility to achieve their goals. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power: on stages, in businesses, on boards, in the media, in politics, and in our communities. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/169

Angela’s website: http://heronetribe.com/

Join our “Webinar Idea to Launch” LIVE online program: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/work-with-us/launch/

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Angela Hosking (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelalhosking/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 106: Get More Speaking Opportunities with a Powerful Personal Brand with Diane Diaz
• Episode 131: Pitching and Negotiating for Bigger Speaking Opportunities with Maureen Taylor [Confidence Series]
• Episode 151: Dream Big, Speak Big: Inspiration from Women Speakers [Goals & Planning Series]

Become Bookable Live Online Workshop - April 15, 2026
If you want to speak more but you’re not sure where to start or your efforts haven’t produced the results you want, I’m hosting a live online workshop called “Become Bookable: How to Get Speaking Invitations” on Wednesday, April 15th.

A lot of brilliant women assume they just need to pitch themselves more. But the real reason speakers get invited isn’t because they pitch harder — it’s because they’re positioned as bookable.

In this 3-hour interactive workshop live on Zoom, I’ll show you how speakers actually get invited — and help you clarify the positioning that makes event organizers say yes.

As a podcast listener, use the coupon code “Podcast100” to save $100 on your registration.

Learn more and register at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/bookable