Chapter 1: No Following, No Mic Skills, No Problem
Why Being “Good” On Stage Is Overrated
You’ve probably seen them…
Speakers who absolutely own the stage.
Their delivery is flawless.
Their timing is perfect.
Their confidence is magnetic.
And yet somehow…
They’re still doing free gigs.
Meanwhile, someone else—less polished, less theatrical, maybe not even a strong speaker—is:
- Landing five-figure keynote deals
- Getting booked out for months
- Turning one talk into a flood of leads
So what gives?
Let me introduce you to Suzanne Adams.
She wasn’t a professional speaker.
She wasn’t internet-famous.
In fact, before her first TEDx talk, she had never spoken on stage at all.
She was a former broker with a powerful personal story and a deep desire to help people step into their highest potential.
She just didn’t know how to frame it or how to get anyone to care.
But once she got clear on her message and positioned it properly, everything changed.
She landed her TEDx talk, and that one video became the launchpad for everything that came next:
- Book sales
- Podcast interviews
- TV features
- A thriving coaching business focused on quantum physics, energetics, and women’s empowerment
Today, she’s been featured on Fox, NBC, The Huffington Post, and has worked with over 5,000 professionals around the world.
But it didn’t start with:
- A viral moment
- A decade of stage time
- Or being the most charismatic speaker on the TEDx stage
It started with alignment and positioning.
The Performance Myth
The truth is:
Being “good” on stage isn’t what gets you paid.
We’ve been conditioned to believe the speaking industry is a meritocracy:
“If you’re engaging enough, dynamic enough, and confident enough… the gigs will come.”
Not only is that belief outdated, it’s actively costing you opportunities.
Event organizers aren’t looking for the “best” speaker.
They’re looking for the right messenger.
They’re not hiring you to entertain.
They’re hiring you to amplify a mission, message, or cause.
Your charisma might get applause.
But your alignment gets you booked—and paid.
What Actually Matters to Event Organizers
When a decision-maker is evaluating you for a paid opportunity, here’s what they’re actually thinking:
- “Will this speaker make us look good?”
- “Will they reinforce the values we’re promoting at this event?”
- “Will our audience walk away inspired and aligned with our theme or mission?”
They’re not counting your followers.
They’re not comparing your voice to a major headliner.
They’re looking for message–market fit.
Strategic Positioning Over Performance
Your job isn’t to be the best speaker in the room.
It’s to be the most relevant one.
Strategic positioning means stepping into the role of a partner, not a performer.
It means shaping your message to make your audience—and the people hiring you—feel like you’re advancing their cause.
When you do that, you stand out instantly from the sea of speakers trying to impress.
You become someone who helps them look good.
This is the #1 thing that gets you rebooked, referred, and well-paid.
Chapter 1 Exercise
Write down your core message in one sentence.
Then, underneath it, answer this question:
“How does this message support a mission larger than myself?”
If you can’t answer that clearly, you don’t have a speaker message yet.
You have a personal story.
And don’t get me wrong—a personal story is powerful.
But in order to get paid, you need to bridge the gap between what you care about and what they need to hear.