274: The Key to Booking More Speaking Engagements with Sarah Lynn Wallace

Speaking opportunities are increasing as more events and conferences are returning to in-person and organizations are looking to bring in trainers.

Now is the time to get prepared and take action.

This is exactly what our guest, Sarah Lynn Wallace, has been doing as she’s been going through our Thought Leader Academy this year.

Sarah has booked several speaking and training engagements, including paid ones.

I asked Sarah to come on the podcast and have a conversation with our lead speaking coach, Diane Diaz, to talk about what has been effective for her in booking speaking engagements.

Sarah has a unique take on the marketing and visibility work she does with her clients, which you’ll hear about as well.

Diane and Sarah talk about:

• Why Sarah decided to focus on thought leadership in her business
• Feeling stuck in the expert trap and not differentiating herself
• The strategies Sarah has used to book more speaking engagements, including paid ones (at higher fees!)
• Sarah’s experience in our Thought Leader Academy
• How your Enneagram archetype number can influence your speaking style

Join our Thought Leader Academy and make the shift from expert presenter to sought-after speaker and thought leader: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/

About My Guest: Sarah Lynn Wallace is host of the Enneagram MBA podcast, certified Enneagram coach, workshop facilitator, speaker, and visibility consultant with over 13 years of experience in relationship management and sales, working with government agencies like the EPA and companies including Big Ass Fans, MindBody software, and adidas Outdoor. Women running a business or in a business hire Sarah to use the Enneagram to help them know, like, and trust themselves, so that they can get visible with a brand that clients and other stakeholders know, like and trust.

About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. This episode is hosted by our lead speaking coach Diane Diaz. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories, voices, and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/274/

Sarah’s Enneabrand course = https://www.enneagrammba.com/enneabrand

Download our FREE workbook on how to position yourself as a thought leader: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/guide/.

Join our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/

Schedule a consult call with us to talk about creating your signature talk and thought leadership platform: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/contact.

Connect on social:

• Diane Diaz on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianediaz
• Sarah Lynn (guest) on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlynnwallace/
• Sarah Lynn (guest) on Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/enneagrammba/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 156: Visibility Strategies That Get You Noticed with Janice Gassam, Ph.D.
• Episode 227: How We Pitch & Prep for Speaking Gigs with Carol Cox and Diane Diaz
• Episode 245: How to Get Selected as a Speaker by Event Organizers with Sarah Soliman

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