Introduction: What Most Speakers Get Dead Wrong

If you're grinding through free talks, chasing followers on social media, or waiting to be “discovered,” thinking that’s the path to becoming a highly paid speaker — you’re not alone.

That’s what most aspiring speakers believe.
And it’s dead wrong.

You’ve probably been told that if you just keep showing up, stay visible, and get good on stage, the $10K gigs will come.

But the truth?

The top-paid speakers — the ones earning $10K to $25K per keynote — aren’t the best performers.
They’re the best positioned.

They didn’t get there by being charismatic, famous, or lucky.
They got there by doing the opposite of what most speakers are taught.

Because here’s the part no one tells you:

The most highly paid speakers don’t earn the big bucks because of their talk.
They earn it because of what comes after:

● The business
● The brand
● And most importantly, the infrastructure that the talk drives people into

This Playbook reveals the five strategic shifts that separate high-earning speakers from everyone else.

These aren’t vague tips or motivational fluff.

They are real strategies used by 750+ TEDx speakers we’ve worked with at LEADR —

Many of whom have gone on to land stages at Google, Harvard, Lululemon, Disney, the United Nations, and more.

And listen — I don’t just teach this stuff…

I’ve lived it.

Many years ago, I was a broke firefighter with massive debt and a message I couldn’t get out of my head.

I had:

But I figured out how to land my first TEDx talk…

And that one talk changed everything.

Since then, I’ve spoken at Harvard, the United Nations (four times), Disney, KPMG, Lululemon, and Google.

My talks have been viewed millions of times and opened doors I never imagined:

More importantly, I founded LEADR — and we’ve helped hundreds of people do the same.

Kevin Breel

"Confessions of a Depressed Comic" — TEDxKids@Ambleside

Over 4 million views, 250+ paid speaking gigs, a feature on The TODAY Show, and a six-figure book deal.

Eli Nash

"Escaping Porn Addiction" — TEDxFortWayne

6M+ views, major podcast features, and a partnership with NBA champion Lamar Odom — all after reframing a vulnerable message the right way.

The point is: THIS WORKS.

And in the pages ahead, I’ll show you: