Grant Baldwin's Blog » Speaking

The Power Of An Audience

Grant — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:24:32 +0000

As a youth speaker, I’ve seen a lot of different audiences. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some that just woke up and drain the life out of you and some of that have had too much caffeine and everything in between.

And while the speaker is the person at the front with the microphone, the audience really has a lot of power over how the “show” may go. I’ve seen this first hand in what I do, but I’ve also had two different experiences recently as an audience member that amplified this fact.

A few weeks ago I went to a Harlem Globetrotters basketball game. It was in an arena that seats somewhere around 10,000, and it was about half full. If you’ve ever seen the Harlem Globetrotters put on a show, you know it can be very entertaining and highly interactive. But this crowd was dead. There was no energy in that arena at all. Sure the Globetrotters did their part to engage the crowd and put on a good show but the crowd was lifeless. And as a result, it tainted the overall experience.

Last week my wife and I attended an improv show in New York City. It was hyped like the next big thing but we got to the theater only to discover we were one of only 20 people in the entire audience. So the show starts and if you’ve ever been to an improv show, you know it’s based on audience interaction and participation. Well, this audience wasn’t participating. I felt bad for the performers…it was like pulling teeth to get feedback or suggestions from the audience. And again, as a result, the show was very lame.

But the interesting thing was that while the performers in each setting did their job and worked hard at it, the “show” itself was mediocre due in large part to the audience. Even though the audience is not on stage and not performing, an energetic and engaged audience would have created a completely different “show” in both experiences.

Speakers, artists, performers all feed off the energy of the crowd. The more energy there is, the better the show will be.

My 2009 Highlights…

Grant — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:50:11 +0000

As we wrap up 2009 and begin to turn the page towards 2010, I know a lot of people are happy to leave this year behind them. And while it has been an unusual year (the economy, housing market, bailouts, Speidi, Susan Boyle etc), it’s always a good thing to pause and reflect back on the past year. Sure there were some low points, but I’m confident everyone had some great moments as well.

Here were a few of the highlights for me from 2009…

Moving into our new house back in March
Building a fence at the new house (a labor of love)
Going to Hawaii with my hot wife and no kids (she couldn’t keep her hands off me)
Traveling through a true blizzard in North Dakota
Being named to GO Magazine’s “20 Under 30″ list
Taking my girls on trips to Chicago (twice), St. Louis, and Dallas
Completing several puzzles with my daughter
Being able to speak at NPC several times
Attending the Home Run Derby with my Dad
Taking a cruise to the Bahamas with my hot wife (she still couldn’t keep her hands off me)
Driving a convertible around Yosemite National Park
Visiting the Baseball Hall of Fame with my Dad
Ordering a 2nd printing of my book Reality Check
Doing the opening keynote at the BPA National Leadership Conference
Both my sister and sister-in-law got married (and my daughter made a lovely flower girl)
All the time spent at the pool over the summer with my girls
Creating the student money website www.BrokePiggy.com

Here are some additional stats from my travels and speaking schedule from this year…

55 Events
134 Presentations
73,000+ People Spoken To
51,000+ Miles Traveled
19 State Spoken In
61 Nights In Hotels

As I was going back through my calendar, I could recall so many of the places I was able to go, the students and teachers I was able to meet, and am once reminded how fortunate I am to do something I love.

What about you? What have been some of your highlights from 2009?

BrokePiggy LIVE in Perry, Oklahoma

Grant — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:48:51 +0000

Yesterday, I had the honor of hanging out with some great students in Perry, OK to discuss entrepreneurship and personal finance.

We discussed investing, savings, banking, spending, credit cards, career choices, taxes, and a plethora of other things related to the world of money. It was a great event, and I know the students got a lot out of it.

If you’re looking for someone to teach your students about personal finance or entrepreneurship, let me know (grant@brokepiggy.com). Get more information about our money program here and be sure to check out our student money site, BrokePiggy.com.

New Speaker Training & Coaching Opportunity

Grant — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:42:14 +0000

By now some of you have already seen that I will be offering a unique training/coaching opportunity for a select group of 10 new speakers starting in 2010.

I love helping other speakers get going in this business, and I know this program will really allow me to offer my best training to others. In addition to covering the nitty-gritty of running a business as a speaker (contracts, fees, bureaus, websites, marketing, etc), it will also include personal one-on-one coaching, so I can help you develop YOUR brand and message.

Participants won’t get a “one-size-fits-all” mentality. I’ll be able to personally work with you in an individual coaching setting.

Of course this opportunity isn’t for everyone. It’s only for those who are truly passionate about speaking and want to know how to make a living doing something they love.

We are limiting it to only 10 people and only 6 of those spots are left. In just a few short days, 4 spots have already been snatched up, so if you want in on this, now’s the time to do it. We’ll get started in January and the program will last the entire year!

For more information, you can check out http://www.grantbaldwin.com/coaching. If you’ve got any questions about if this would be right for you or about what we’ll be covering, just shoot me an email at grant@grantbaldwin.com.

More Knowledge Isn’t The Answer To Your Problems

Grant — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:00:20 +0000

Yesterday, I attended a full-day motivational seminar that featured several big-name speakers. It was a fascinating environment to me. There was probably 10,000 people in the arena and the speakers did a good job creating a “go, fight, win” atmosphere for the audience (of course, a lot of it was “go, fight…buy my product and I’ll tell you how to win” but that’s a different post for a different day!).

Attending conferences are great shots in the arm and can provide wonderful motivational boosts. But I couldn’t get past a simple observation (not just with this event but even with the events I speak at)…

You can clap, cheer, and applaud the ideas presented and the person presenting them. You can take pages of notes and memorize fancy quotes (wow, that rhymed). You can get all the information and knowledge in the world BUT…

It doesn’t mean squat if you don’t do anything with it.

And truth be told most people in that arena won’t do anything different. I’ll tell you a little known secret about motivational speakers that we don’t want you to know: we can’t change your life. Speakers may be good at giving you the knowledge and the ideas, but only you can prevent forest fires. Wait, that’s not right…

You’re the person who has to be responsible to implement the changes. It’s never easy or pleasant, but it’s necessary.

I want your opinion on this…why is it so darn difficult to make personal changes even when we know it will make our lives better?

How I Handle My Business Income

Grant — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:00:22 +0000

When you’re self-employed, you have to learn how to handle your income in a slightly different way compared to a “normal” job. In a “normal” job where you receive a consistent paycheck, everything is basically taken care of for you. They subtract out your taxes, insurance, retirement, etc. and you get to keep what’s left over.

But whether you’re 100% self-employed or you’re just doing some freelancing on the side and making a little extra cash, it’s important to know how to handle your income. So I thought I’d share what works for me and how our system is set up. Sound good? Here are the steps I take…
1. Let Excel do the math – When I receive a check (books sales, speaking fee, etc), I first put the numbers into an Excel spreadsheet that tells me how I need to distribute that money.

2. Subtract out expenses – Are there any expenses directly tied to that check? For me, it typically involves travel expenses that I’m being reimbursed for. Other expenses may include printing, shipping, etc. A lot of freelancers and small-business people skip this step and have no way to pay off their expenses. Sometimes I may get a check and half of it actually needs to go to expenses. It would be tempting to pocket that half, but I have to be diligent in reimbursing myself for expenses.

3. Pay tithe (10%) – As a Christian, I pay a 10% tithe on all my income. I choose to pay it on the gross amount (after direct expenses but before taxes). Obviously, this step would depend on your belief system, but it is something that is important to me.

4. Pay taxes (25%) – Taxes can destroy a small business if you’re not careful. I transfer 25% of the net check to a high-interest online savings account (I use HSBC Direct). Then once a quarter I empty that account into my business checking account and pay my estimated quarterly taxes for the year. I hate doing it, but if you don’t stay on top of this, your end-of-the-year taxes will eat your lunch.

5. Business account (15%) – Any small business or freelancer should be setting aside money out of each check to help fund the business. You should have a separate business checking account from your personal accounts. I use this account to pay my speaking coordinator, marketing expenses, design fees, shipping, etc…anything and everything related to the business.

5a. Printing account – I self-publish my book “Reality Check” so whenever I sell books from my current inventory, I set a little of the profits aside to build up a reserve for the next printing. My initial printing was 2,000 copies which costs several thousand dollars. I know I will be printing more soon (actually in the next month or so), so it’s important to make sure the money is there for the next time around.

6. Personal savings account (50%) – After everything else has been subtracted out, the remaining amount goes in our personal savings account. So as you can see, I get to keep only HALF of the check amount! We try to keep a month’s worth of “salary” (I’ll explain in the next point) within this account, so we’re always essentially a month ahead on our bills. This helps us balance out the ebbs and flows of our income. Sometimes this account is nearly empty (slow season) and sometimes it’s packed (busy time of year). Any time this account has enough in it to cover one month’s salary, we take anything above that and put it in our emergency fund (another HSBC Direct account online that we keep 4 months worth of expenses in) or our Roth IRA.

6a. Pay ourselves a salary – We create a monthly budget for our home and have set up a “salary” for ourselves. So twice a month, we pay ourselves out of the savings account listed above. Again, the point of this is that it helps balance out the highs and lows of our income. It would be tempting to spend more money when you have it, but you have to prepare for those slow seasons when you’re not raking in the cash.

So that’s how we handle our income from the business…any questions?

How To Stay Connected When You’re Away

Grant — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:00:31 +0000

I got a question on my blog yesterday about my travel schedule and how I stay connected with my family while I’m gone. She asked specifically how my wife handles being home with two little girls while I’m bouncing around the country doing cool stuff. Good question!
Whether you’re a youth speaker or you just travel for your job, here are some tips to stay connected with those back home:

Limit Your Time Away - This has been a particularly busy week for me as I will be speaking in 3 states and am gone 5 nights. I’m rarely gone this much. Most of the time, I’m not gone more than 5-7 nights a month. As an example, I will be speaking in 8 events in October and am only gone 3 nights. Most of the time when I’m gone, it’s only for a night here or there. Find a balance of nights away not only that you’re comfortable with but that your family can work with as well.

Keep In Contact While Away – When I’m traveling, I call and text my wife constantly throughout the day to talk with her and our daughters. We also use Skype for free video chat. We probably talk more than most people, but I want to stay connected with what’s going on at home, and I want them to feel connected with what’s going on with me.

Bring Them Along - A few times each year, my girls will get to tag along on trips. It makes them feel a part of what I do. Although my girls are too young to really sit down and listen to me speak, they do enjoy tagging along and staying in hotel rooms where we get to “bouncey on the beds and make a pile of pillows” (their words!).

Make Your Time Home Matter - One of the most important things is when you are home, be home. Make that time count instead of just planning for your next trip. Be fully present with your family and those you love the most.

Lots Of Travel Next Week

Grant — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:53:13 +0000

Next week will be one of the busiest travel weeks I’ve had in a while. Sometimes events just fall in a row and you end up having to go from one to the next. It makes for a whirlwind week, but I always hate being gone from my family for that long. Here’s what next week entails…

9 Presentations
3 States (Michigan, Illinois, California)
8 Flights
4 Hotels
3 Rental Cars
6,000+ miles
4,000+ students
1 Packed Week!

I’ll keep you updated throughout the week (usually via Twitter). Come along for the ride!

New BrokePiggy LIVE Program For Students!

Grant — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:30:13 +0000

I’m really excited to announce a new program to educate students about money and personal finance called BrokePiggy LIVE! It is a relevant one-day program that partners with high schools and other youth events to teach students about personal finance in a way that makes sense to them! One of the best parts…BrokePiggy LIVE is actually two programs in one!

A high-energy and entertaining 45-minute assembly/keynote
An interactive and more in-depth workshop (up to 3 hours) for a smaller group of your students.

You can download more information about the program here or visit our new page on the BrokePiggy.com website. If you’re interested in bringing BrokePiggy LIVE to your school, conference, or other student event, click here or email us at info@brokepiggy.com.

National BPA Conference in Dallas

Grant — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:56:10 +0000

I’m totally pumped about tomorrow night…I will be speaking at the opening session of the BPA (Business Professionals of America) National Leadership Conference in Dallas!

This event was actually supposed to take place back in early May but due to the swine flu scare, it was moved to now.

My wife and daughters will be tagging along for this event as well, so it’s always nice to have them around.

This will be one of the largest events I’ve spoke at so far, so I’m pretty stoked about it. For updates about how the conference is going, be sure to follow me on Twitter.