069: What Event Organizers Look for in Speakers with Erin Smith

Do you have your eye on a conference or event that you really want to speak at? How can you get selected?

My guest today is Erin Smith, who runs the annual Entrepreneur Summit in Dallas, Texas.

We go behind-the-scenes into how event organizers select speakers, who they choose to pay and why, and what *not* to do as a speaker.

Erin shares what to include in your speaker submissions to get noticed and how to negotiate your speaker fee.

This conversation was very eye-opening for me and you’ll walk away with a new understanding of how to get selected to speak.

About My Guest: Erin Smith is the founder of The Starters Club, a place for entrepreneurs and new business owners to get on their feet and start making sales. Erin runs the annual Entrepreneur Summit in Dallas, Texas, and is the host of the Epic Live Events podcast. Erin has successfully run and sold two businesses and bought and sold real estate all across the country. She also loves dogs and has rescued a number of them.

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 and workshops at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.

Highlights:

• What running an event has done for Erin and her business
• What to do - and what *not* to do - as a speaker for an event
• What to include in your speaker submissions
• How to get invited to be a speaker
• How to get paid to speak and how to negotiate your fee

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/69

Check out Erin’s upcoming summit in Dallas on June 18-19, 2018: https://www.esummitevents.com/

Erin’s business The Starters Club: https://www.thestartersclub.com/

Erin’s podcast Epic Live Events: https://www.epicliveevents.co/

Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999.

Sign up for a Strategy Session at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/strategy.

Ready to create your signature talk and framework or sizzle reel? Email me at carol@speakingyourbrand.com or click here to schedule a call.

Say hi to me on Instagram and Twitter: @CarolMorganCox.

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Other Episodes Mentioned:

• Episode 59: Why You Shouldn’t Sell from the Stage - and What to Do Instead
• Episode 57: How to Use Simple Story Structure to Create Compelling Content
• Episode 61: Developing Your Own Framework

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