105: Tips for Speakers: From Negotiating Your Fee to Opening Your Talk with Mia Voss

Get ready for a whirlwind conversation on all things speaking! I guarantee you will learn something you didn’t know before.

For instance, do you have a walk-on song?

Don’t know what a walk-on song and why you need one? Definitely listen in to hear Mia’s and how to choose a good one.

If you do have one, let us know in the Speaking Your Brand Facebook group. (Join for free at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join.)

Want to hear what mine is? I share in the group the week this episode airs.

My guest is Mia Voss, who is a speaker, emcee, and brand ambassador, and we have a lot of fun - and we get real about things like gender pay parity for speakers - during this interview.

We talk about:

• How Mia seems like an unlikely speaker because of what happened to her in her 20s
• The work Mia does as an emcee and panel moderator
• Getting paid to speak
• The pay disparity between male and female speakers
• Asking and negotiating with event organizers on your pay
• What to do when you’re asked to be on a panel or speak at an event and there’s no diversity
• The importance of having a walk-on song
• What to wear when speaking
• How NOT to start your talk
• Ways to get the audience to tag you on social media

About My Guest: Brand Ambassador, Spokesperson, Social Storyteller, Speaker, Expert Interviewer; Mia connects brands and businesses to their most powerful buying market: Women. She's currently working with brands such as Collette Travel, Lexus, Toyota, BMW and more. Her engaging & energized style showcases businesses with authentic & engaging social content.

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

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/105

Visit Mia’s website at https://miaonthego.com.

Connect with Mia on Instagram and Twitter @miavossonthego.

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? Email me at carol@speakingyourbrand.com or click here to schedule a call.

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

Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts and leave a review!

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 63: Five Mistakes You’re Making in Your Presentations that Turn Off Your Audiences
• Episode 68: Getting Paid to Speak and Negotiating Speaker Fees
• Episode 70: Aligning Your Wardrobe with Your Brand with Jennifer Mackey-Mary
• Episode 71: Using Humor in Your Talks Will Get You More Speaking Gigs with Kathy Klotz-Guest
• Episode 101: Public Speaking Trends for 2019
• Episode 102: Getting Local Media and Publicity to Expand Your Visibility with Amanda Berlin

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