Scott Greenberg - The Business of Speaking

Summary

Scott Greenberg is an expert in franchising companies. His goal is to help business leaders elevate their performance by focusing on the ways that they think, lead, and serve. For ten years, he was a multi-unit franchise owner at Edible Arrangements. Prior to that, he had been working as a professional motivational speaker. Being a franchise owner allowed him to gain hands-on experience. By implementing the concepts he had been sharing on stage, he was able to figure out which ones were most effective. Since then, he has returned exclusively to motivational speaking and now specializes in franchising, emphasizing the human element of business. He has also authored a book called The Wealthy Franchisee: Game-Changing Steps to Becoming a Thriving Franchise Superstar.

Key Takeaways

• In the world of franchising, many people are running the same businesses but getting different results. Scott's work is to uncover why this is. He has found that the human elements that top franchisees are able to bring to the table are what differentiate them from their competitors. 
• If you are serious about becoming a motivational speaker, it is imperative to take advantage of any opportunity you get to speak in front of others. Scott believes that learning the theories and techniques can only take someone so far. What is most important is putting everything into practice. 
• It is important to become a master in your subject so you're not just giving generic, cliche advice. This can only come from study and personal experience.
• Learn the business of speaking. Understand your customer base, marketing, and financials because, at the end of the day, this is what will help you become successful and have longevity in the speaking profession.
• Being vulnerable about your failures can be even more impactful than talking solely about successes. People want to know that they are not alone. Even if they don't get a roadmap to success, knowing that they're okay, can go a long way.

Memorable Quotes

• “Authenticity is really important as a speaker, but it’s not just authenticity with the audience. It’s being authentic with yourself.” - Scott Greenberg
• “People connect more with humans than with heroes.” - Scott Greenberg
• “You don’t need to succeed to be inspiring.” - Scott Greenberg
• "Clarity comes before confidence." - Charles Clark
• "[I've found that it] has to be my intention to slow down and be present to engage and find something I didn't recognize in life. I really feel like that's important for me." - Charles Clark

Episode Resources/Links

Scott Greenberg
Website: scottgreenberg.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-greenberg-1b17539/
Instagram: @scottcgreenberg
Twitter: @GreenbergScott

Charles Clark
Website: https://thecharlesclark.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesclarkusa/
Instagram: @thecharlesclark
Facebook: @thecharlesclark

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Transcript

00:00:12 Charles Clark 
Welcome to the Journey to Paid Speaking Gigs Podcast. 

00:00:15 Charles Clark 
I'm your host Charles Clark. 

00:00:16 Charles Clark 
Mental health and resilience speaker and today we are exploring the parallels of business and becoming a motivational speaker. 

00:00:23 Charles Clark 
I'm talking with Scott Greenberg and he is an expert in franchising and get this y'all franchising so I really feel like this is going to be a dope experience because in the speaking industry we are somewhat franchising ourselves where we are building our platform. 

00:00:38 Charles Clark 
And there's a proven way to get consistently booked speaking engagements. And if you really like what you hear today, check out the Journey to Paid Speaking Gigs Academy on my website at thecharlesclark.com/apply where you're going to learn everything that you need to know about creating a successful speaking business. Anyway, let's invite. 

00:00:58 Charles Clark 
Scott on to the show. 

00:01:00 Scott Greenberg 
So glad to be here. Thanks. 

00:01:01 Charles Clark 
Yeah, yeah 

00:01:03 Charles Clark 
Absolutely thank you for taking the time to to be a part of this podcast and just sharing your experience with the world. 

00:01:09 Charles Clark 
I just believe it's just a way for us to connect as speakers and to become a part of each other's family. 

00:01:15 Charles Clark 
So let the Thrive Tribe know a little bit about who you are. 

00:01:18 Charles Clark 
Who is Scott Greenberg? 

00:01:21 Scott Greenberg 
So I am a husband and father based in Los Angeles and I help business leaders. 

00:01:25 Scott Greenberg 
I'll elevate their performance by focusing more on the way they think, lead and serve. 

00:01:30 Scott Greenberg 
For 10 years I was a multi unit franchise owner with Edible Arrangements and so franchising became a bit of a special to me as a speaker. 

00:01:38 Scott Greenberg 
I had been doing professional motivational speaking. 

00:01:40 Scott Greenberg 
For 14 years prior to getting into that and so that business was a laboratory for me to test all the concepts I was sharing on. 

00:01:48 Scott Greenberg 
Stage and to figure out which ones were just ridiculous cliches and which ones actually worked. 

00:01:53 Scott Greenberg 
So the business was there as another stream of income, but also as a place for me to learn more about leadership and to try out these concepts. 

00:01:59 Scott Greenberg 
And so I did that for 10 years. Now I'm back to exclusively full-time speaking and probably 70% of my audiences are franchises the other 30%. 

00:02:08 Scott Greenberg 
Are everything else and what I love about the franchise 

00:02:11 Scott Greenberg 
World is you have all. 

00:02:12 Scott Greenberg 
These people running the same businesses but. 

00:02:15 Scott Greenberg 
Getting very different results. 

00:02:16 Scott Greenberg 
And the thesis of my work is because of what they bring to it. 

00:02:20 Scott Greenberg 
Specifically the way they think lead and serve the human elements of business. 

00:02:24 Scott Greenberg 
So that's what I speak on and that really it's been a good ride. 

00:02:27 Charles Clark 
Wow wow, what an incredible story. 

00:02:30 Charles Clark 
See, I didn't even know that about you so I had a question prepared already, but I'm going to flip the script a little bit so so tell me tell me about your story of of really how you got into the speaking industry and what value did you see in starting that franchise? 

00:02:47 Charles Clark 
And then coming back to the speaking industry full time to to now do what you. 

00:02:53 Scott Greenberg 
OK, I'll try to address all of that. 

00:02:54 Scott Greenberg 
Yeah, so when I was a teenager or high school student I used to attend a lot of student leadership conferences and camps. 

00:03:01 Scott Greenberg 
And that's where I first saw motivational speakers and they just blew me away. I thought, wow, that's really cool, but didn't never considered it for myself. But I knew a lot of people in that world. And then when I was 22 

00:03:13 Scott Greenberg 
I was a graduate film student at New York University and was diagnosed with cancer. 

00:03:17 Scott Greenberg 
So I had to drop out and spend a year in chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and at the end of that and was successful. 

00:03:24 Scott Greenberg 
My treatment, a friend of mine was directing one of these leadership camps and said, hey, why don't you come and be our banquet speaker and talk about your experience and how it applies. 

00:03:31 Scott Greenberg 
To leadership, yeah. 

00:03:33 Scott Greenberg 
I thought it be fun. 

00:03:34 Scott Greenberg 
I thought it be a one off but that 1 presentation led to a few more. 

00:03:37 Scott Greenberg 
Invitations and my phones been ringing for almost 30 years, so it took a, you know, a few years, but eventually I was full time motivational speaker on resilience, overcoming adversity and leadership and that kind of evolved over time. 

00:03:51 Scott Greenberg 
But then I got to a point where I was starting to speak to some corporations and I was speaking to a lot of leaders about leadership. 

00:03:57 Scott Greenberg 
And the audience had a lot more experience actually doing it than I. 

00:04:00 Scott Greenberg 
Had and that always. 

00:04:01 Scott Greenberg 
Bothered me and so that's why I. 

00:04:02 Scott Greenberg 
Thought I need some more real world business. 

00:04:05 Scott Greenberg 
Experience so I can learn and have some credibility, and that's when I saw an Airline magazine. 

00:04:10 Scott Greenberg 
Ad for a franchise called Edible Arrangements. 

00:04:13 Scott Greenberg 
So Long story short, I got into it did for 10 years and then I started changing my material and then I started getting phone calls from franchises asked me to come and speak to their franchisees about what they can do to perform better, and so what I learn from my 10 years of doing it and for many years of working by their systems is what makes. 

00:04:30 Scott Greenberg 
Top franchisees better than everyone else, and it really is all those human elements. 

00:04:35 Scott Greenberg 
So even my book is really a personal growth book. 

00:04:37 Scott Greenberg 
Disguised as a business 

00:04:39 Scott Greenberg 
Book, because I think those personal growth those human elements are really the the differentiator among high performers and everyone else. 

00:04:47 Scott Greenberg 
So franchising I just have some credibility 'cause I've done it, but it's really a microcosm of everything else where lots of people are doing the same thing. 

00:04:54 Scott Greenberg 
But some people are outperforming everyone else. 

00:04:56 Scott Greenberg 
All my work is about explaining why that is. 

00:05:00 Charles Clark 
I, I think that's so true because we all want to stand out. 

00:05:03 Charles Clark 
We don't want to be average in what we do. 

00:05:05 Charles Clark
We we want to create a thriving business like so for you my my question would be like when did you know for sure like hey this is uh, this is exactly what I want to do for my life I want to be on the stage impacting businesses impacting people. 

00:05:19 Charles Clark 
So that they can create a thriving life. 

00:05:23 Scott Greenberg 
The first real motivational presentation I ever gave it went really well and there is that feeling you get on stage, it's. 

00:05:32 Scott Greenberg 
It's it's a thrill. 

00:05:34 Scott Greenberg 
There's the nerves beforehand, there's the excitement when it's going well, the beautiful sound of laughter for jokes, the look in their eyes when you're saying something that you know is meaningful. So I'd love to tell you that it's just this burning passion of just helping people. 

00:05:48 Scott Greenberg
That's a huge part of it. 

00:05:49 Scott Greenberg 
But admittedly, the performer in me also enjoys the experience of being on stage and being able to perform and any speaker tells you otherwise is lying. 

00:05:58 Scott Greenberg
That's part of it. 

00:05:59 Scott Greenberg
There's plenty of ways of helping people where the spotlight isn't on you, so for me, I enjoy the performance aspect of it. 

00:06:05 Scott Greenberg
I went to film school so I could be a storyteller, but I found that motivational speaking. 

00:06:10 Scott Greenberg
Was a way I could tell stories, but also help people and those two things combined were exciting. 

00:06:15 Scott Greenberg
So from the very beginning, once I had the opportunity to do it, and it went 

00:06:18 Scott Greenberg
Well, I've been chasing that feeling ever since, and more often than not I get it. 

00:06:23 Scott Greenberg 
Some presentations go better than others, but it's it's it's. 

00:06:26 Scott Greenberg 
It's a thrill, and I certainly hope I have a lot of years left of life. 

00:06:30 Scott Greenberg
But if tonight or the last night I ever get to go to sleep and I'll never wake up again, I will go. 

00:06:35 Scott Greenberg 
To sleep without. 

00:06:36 Scott Greenberg 
Regret feeling like I've done something meaningful and so I just want to do that. 

00:06:39 Scott Greenberg 
As long as. 

00:06:39 Scott Greenberg 
I can. 

00:06:40 Charles Clark 
Oh yeah, you know, I think the the audience that listens to this podcast there there's someone in that same boat where I want to do what makes me come alive. I want to share my story. I want to impact people's lives. 

00:06:53 Charles Clark 
And I, I think, just your testament to you doing that and showing up. 

00:06:57 Charles Clark 
It gives them hope and inspiration, you know. 

00:07:00 Charles Clark 
So I just want to just ask you, you know if you could say anything to that individual who's listening who might be listening, what would you say to them to to help them get started into to getting on that stage and feeling that feeling that you have. 

00:07:15 Scott Greenberg 
As you know, authenticity is really important as a speaker, but it's not just authenticity with the audience, it's being authentic with yourself. 

00:07:24 Scott Greenberg 
Like really being clear about what your goals are and why, why you're doing it. 

00:07:28 Scott Greenberg 
I hear speakers who just talk about. 

00:07:30 Scott Greenberg 
I just want to go out and make a difference. 

00:07:32 Scott Greenberg 
The way people made it very altruistic. 

00:07:34 
And I just. 

00:07:35 Scott Greenberg 
Don't buy it if you want to do it, make a living. 

00:07:37 Scott Greenberg 
It's because there's also something in it for you, whether it is. 

00:07:40 Scott Greenberg 
A sense of fulfillment, whether it's filling your ego, whether it's needing approval from other people, whether it's wanting to make money, and I don't judge anybody for any of those motives. 

00:07:48 Scott Greenberg 
It's still ultimately going to help people, so that's fine, but at least be honest with yourself about why you're actually doing it, so you're not pretending otherwise. 

00:07:58 Scott Greenberg 
But then I would say to someone who's starting. 

00:08:01 Scott Greenberg 
Out is just get in front of any audience. 

00:08:03 Scott Greenberg 
You can don't even worry about charging money for it. 

00:08:05 Scott Greenberg 
Just get experience in front of a group. 

00:08:07 Scott Greenberg 
You can read 100 books on swimming, but it's not the same thing as jumping in the water and going for it, and that is professional speaking. 

00:08:14 Scott Greenberg 
So at some point you just got to get it and do it, but then you also have to become an expert in your subject matter and some of that comes from just a lot of personal experience. 

00:08:24 Scott Greenberg 
So if you're a straight out motivational speaker. 

00:08:28 Scott Greenberg 
You know? 

00:08:30 Scott Greenberg 
Go ahead and try to climb a mountain or run a marathon, or just have some wild and crazy experiences that you can draw from. 

00:08:37 Scott Greenberg 
Set yourself to do things. 

00:08:39 Scott Greenberg 
Where you are probably going to fail so you can speak about what that's like, but get some real life experience that you can draw from but also study other people. 

00:08:47 Scott Greenberg 
Really get it. 

00:08:48 Scott Greenberg 
Become a master in your subject. 

00:08:50 Scott Greenberg 
So you're not just repeating the same cliches like Charles I learned from my employees. 

00:08:55 Scott Greenberg 
They don't care that there's no I in team. 

00:08:57 Scott Greenberg 
That's ridiculous cliche. 

00:08:59 Scott Greenberg 
That's like this comment on spelling. 

00:09:00 Scott Greenberg 
So I had ran a business. 

00:09:02 Scott Greenberg 
In fact, that what is it they actually do care about like keep it real and get away from the cliches that only comes from studying a personal experience. 

00:09:10 Scott Greenberg 
Then the third thing I would say is. 

00:09:12 Scott Greenberg 
Learn the business of speaking because it's one thing to do it. 

00:09:15 Scott Greenberg 
But if you want to make money doing it well, then you need to understand the customer base and the marketing and the financials behind it and so that's that's important. 

00:09:25 Scott Greenberg 
So yeah, those would be sort of my immediate responses to people who are starting out. 

00:09:29 Charles Clark 
Yeah, I absolutely love that comment. 

00:09:32 Charles Clark 
Of doing something like, don't just talk about something that you believe in, but go out there and experience. 

00:09:40 Charles Clark 
Go out there and and test the waters. 

00:09:42 Charles Clark 
Because honestly, you know, people can get information from a book, right? 

00:09:46 Charles Clark 
They can get information from You Tube, but they want to hire you because of something that you have done in your life. 

00:09:53 Charles Clark 
That allows them to connect with you and that authenticity right that that just bridges that gap and allows you to do business with people. 

00:10:00 Charles Clark 
I I love that, you know. 

00:10:01 Charles Clark 
You talk about. 

00:10:03 Charles Clark 
Say it again. 

00:10:05 Scott Greenberg 
I was just going to say I really appreciate your comment. 

00:10:08 Scott Greenberg 
They want to connect and honestly I think people connect more. 

00:10:11 Scott Greenberg 
With humans than with heroes. 

00:10:14 Scott Greenberg 
So if I hear a speaker get up and he shares his Super Bowl ring or her Olympic gold medal, or some story of huge success, it's like OK, it's nice. 

00:10:23 Scott Greenberg 
But when I hear someone get up and they talk about their failures. 

00:10:26 Scott Greenberg 
And they're they're vulnerable. 

00:10:28 Scott Greenberg 
Well and yet there they are on stage that that to me is much more inspiring. 

00:10:33 Scott Greenberg 
'cause now I can connect with that and so I always tell people, never be the hero of your own story. 

00:10:38 Scott Greenberg 
And if the story ends with you succeeding, still emphasize what you had to overcome and how it's difficult. 

00:10:43 Scott Greenberg 
Keep yourself rooted in the human experience. 

00:10:46 Scott Greenberg 
You don't need to succeed in order to be inspiring. 

00:10:49 Scott Greenberg 
It's just the fact that you tried and that you're authentic. 

00:10:51 Scott Greenberg 
I think that's what really makes a difference for people much more so than just bragging about how great you were and how great your attitude was and how you never gave up. 

00:10:59 Scott Greenberg 
You know? 

00:11:00 Scott Greenberg 
Yeah, that's just not the true authentic human experience. 

00:11:03 Charles Clark 
So so true, because you know the reason why people hire us is because. 

00:11:07 Charles Clark 
They're experiencing some type of conflict there. 

00:11:11 Charles Clark 
Their life is not Peaches and cream. 

00:11:12 Charles Clark 
They don't have it all together. 

00:11:13 Charles Clark 
And nobody does. 

00:11:14 Charles Clark 
So when we come in, we're coming from a place of humility. 

00:11:19 Charles Clark 
Not that I know how to do this, but I've been through some things that I want to share with you, how you might be able to get through it yourself. 

00:11:28 Scott Greenberg 
Yeah, and also ultimately I think the one thing. 

00:11:30 Scott Greenberg 
That they want more than anything else, the audience. 

00:11:33 Scott Greenberg 
Yeah, isn't the instruction on how to succeed, even though they'll say that's what they want. 

00:11:37 Scott Greenberg 
I think what people want the most is to know that. 

00:11:39 Charles Clark 
They're OK, yeah, yeah. 

00:11:41 Scott Greenberg 
That they're not alone. 

00:11:42 Scott Greenberg 
But even if you don't give them road map to success. 

00:11:44 Scott Greenberg 
But let them know you're on the path. 

00:11:46 Scott Greenberg 
You're OK if you're struggling. 

00:11:48 Scott Greenberg 
That's OK, I struggle too. 

00:11:50 Scott Greenberg 
So you're normal and you're not alone. 

00:11:52 Scott Greenberg 
Even if they don't know a pathway to success, just knowing. 

00:11:55 Scott Greenberg 
That they're OK. 

00:11:57 Scott Greenberg 
Uhm, for most people is enough. 

00:11:59 Scott Greenberg 
They want that much more than anything else that's. 

00:12:01 Scott Greenberg 
Why when we? 

00:12:02 Scott Greenberg 
Can share our vulnerability and our fears that we still have. 

00:12:06 Scott Greenberg 
I think that's much more powerful for creating connection rather than talking about how awesome we are. 

00:12:12 Charles Clark 
Yeah, that that's so good man. 

00:12:14 Charles Clark 
Thanks for sharing that you I I really feel like you have a cool niche. 

00:12:17 Charles Clark 
You know franchise keynote speaker in in the business in the business world? 

00:12:21 Charles Clark 
Where does most of your bookings come from, and what value are you providing? 

00:12:26 Charles Clark 
The individuals who are who are at that at that event. 

00:12:32 Scott Greenberg 
So my bookings come from a variety of sources. 

00:12:34 Scott Greenberg 
They come from repeat business or spinoff. 

00:12:39 Scott Greenberg 
Someone will see me speak and they're a member of another organization. 

00:12:41 Scott Greenberg 
They spread the word. 

00:12:43 Scott Greenberg
There's a number of speakers bureaus who I work with. 

00:12:45 Scott Greenberg 
I'm fairly active in social media, especially LinkedIn the last couple of years. 

00:12:50 Scott Greenberg 
I've gotten a lot of business from my book. 

00:12:52 Scott Greenberg 
So most speakers who've written a book will say, I wish I wrote my book years earlier. 

00:12:57 Scott Greenberg 
And that it certainly is the case for me. 

00:12:59 Scott Greenberg 
It has helped to, you know, advice. 

00:13:01 Scott Greenberg 
I got early. 

00:13:01 Scott Greenberg 
On in my career was don't be a generalist. 

00:13:04 Scott Greenberg 
Don't speak all things to all people. 

00:13:06 Scott Greenberg 
Choose a niche. 

00:13:07 Scott Greenberg 
Whether it's a very narrow topic or focus. 

00:13:08 Scott Greenberg 
On a very narrow market. 

00:13:10 Scott Greenberg 
So for me it was easy to focus on franchising, 'cause I had that experience and that credibility. 

00:13:15 Scott Greenberg 
And so I wrote. 

00:13:16 Scott Greenberg 
A book specifically. 

00:13:16 Scott Greenberg 
For that group, even though 90% of content is relevant to all groups, by focusing on that niche, it makes it easier for me to be a bigger fish in that smaller pond. 

00:13:25 Scott Greenberg 
And so I've been able to get the good living doing it. But you know, 30% of my presentations are every 

00:13:30 Scott Greenberg 
Other industry, yeah, so I certainly can do that, but I think focusing on a niche has helped. 

00:13:35 Scott Greenberg 
And, you know, franchising has been. 

00:13:36 Scott Greenberg 
A good one. 

00:13:37 Scott Greenberg 
There was another part to your question, though you'd ask me how I get my bookings, but what was the? 

00:13:42 Scott Greenberg 
Other part the other question what? 

00:13:43 Charles Clark 
Value do you provide to people on when you're there? 

00:13:49 Scott Greenberg 
I aspire to help. 

00:13:50 Scott Greenberg 
People number one walk away knowing that they're normal and. 

00:13:53 Scott Greenberg 
That they're OK. 

00:13:54 Scott Greenberg 
But I also. 

00:13:55 Scott Greenberg 
Hope to give people more awareness of what they bring to their own lives, their own business. 

00:14:01 Scott Greenberg 
And ask themselves, are my being an asset to my business or a liability? 

00:14:05 Scott Greenberg 
So I want them more aware of their own mindset of the way they lead and the way they serve, understanding that the human elements matter. 

00:14:12 Scott Greenberg 
So I give them tools on how to not be positive, but how to be clear and objective on how to embrace change. 

00:14:20 Scott Greenberg 
I give them tools. 

00:14:21 Scott Greenberg 
To how to be more effective for recruiting, managing and inspiring employees by elevating their lives and not just. 

00:14:28 Scott Greenberg 
Instructing them on how to work and then I give them tools for elevating the customer experience because customers remember less what they get and more how they feel so if we can elevate their emotions as we deliver our products and services. 

00:14:41 Scott Greenberg 
They're more likely to tell others and want to come back so value. 

00:14:44 Scott Greenberg 
I give us how to build your business by focusing on the human elements that are really the. 

00:14:49 Scott Greenberg 
Main differentiator. 

00:14:50 Charles Clark 
Clarity comes before confidence, right? 

00:14:53 Charles Clark 
And that's what it that's what you're providing for people. 

00:14:56 Charles Clark 
You're giving them the clarity to be confident and the adversity that they're facing in business 

00:15:01 Charles Clark 
To just just continue to. 

00:15:03 Charles Clark 
Thrive I I love that. 

00:15:04 Charles Clark 
Part you have a book that's called the wealthy franchisee. 

00:15:08 Charles Clark 
The game changing steps to becoming a thriving franchise superstar. 

00:15:13 Charles Clark 
If you were to build a thriving speaking franchise designed to help individuals to become a paid speaker, what would be that number one? 

00:15:21 Charles Clark 
Strategy for longevity. 

00:15:24 Scott Greenberg 
Uh, always be selling. 

00:15:27 Scott Greenberg 
Understand that look, I love what I do I I don't know that I would choose something different, but it's a flawed business model in that we're constantly hunting down the next presentation. 

00:15:38 Scott Greenberg 
Yeah, So what that means is that. 

00:15:41 Scott Greenberg 
We always need to. 

00:15:42 Scott Greenberg 
Be letting people know the value that we can provide. 

00:15:44 Scott Greenberg 
Always cultivating new relationships. 

00:15:46 Scott Greenberg 
And we always need to be selling because we can be having a really great year. 

00:15:51 Scott Greenberg 
But if we don't start planting seeds now, we're not going to be able to harvest anything next year. 

00:15:55 Scott Greenberg 
So I would love to be able to just give speeches and do nothing else, but most of my time is spent on the business side of it. 

00:16:02 Scott Greenberg 
Marketing, building relationships, follow up phone calls. 

00:16:05 Scott Greenberg 
It's not something I like. 

00:16:06 Scott Greenberg 
Or enjoy, but if I want to keep working, it's something that I just have got to do. 

00:16:10 Scott Greenberg 
It's not what people think about when they fantasize about being a motivational speaker, but I spend a lot more time like on the phone on social media and on airplane. 

00:16:20 Scott Greenberg 
Than I do on stage. 

00:16:21 Scott Greenberg 
That's the reality of a life of professional speaking. 

00:16:24 Charles Clark 
Tell me about the airplane man, you know I, I'm traveling and you know, sometimes the. 

00:16:29 Charles Clark 
If you're riding on Spirit, no shade to Spirit, but you know their their their seats are stiff. 

00:16:36 Charles Clark 
How do you? 

00:16:37 Charles Clark 
How do you? 

00:16:37 Charles Clark 
How do you adjust after getting off the plane? 

00:16:39 Charles Clark 
The jet lag, you know you got a routine for that to just. 

00:16:43 Charles Clark 
Shake it off. 

00:16:44 Scott Greenberg 
Well, it might not be Spirit, you just. 

00:16:46 Scott Greenberg 
Might be very bony. 

00:16:47 Scott Greenberg 
Where you see something. 

00:16:49 Scott Greenberg 
Yeah, yeah look, that's. 

00:16:51 Scott Greenberg 
The life that's what you sign on for. 

00:16:53 Scott Greenberg 
You know it's it's like, uh, a very common day at work. 

00:16:56 Scott Greenberg 
I'm doing this next week. 

00:16:57 Scott Greenberg 
I'll I'll have a five and a half hour flight to the East Coast. 

00:17:00 Scott Greenberg 
I'll give a one hour presentation and then you know six hour flight back to the West Coast. 

00:17:05 Scott Greenberg 
I mean, they'll be, you know. 

00:17:06 Scott Greenberg 
Stay at a hotel the night before. 

00:17:08 Scott Greenberg 
But I spend a lot more time on those planes than I do on stage. 

00:17:10 Scott Greenberg 
That is the life of a professional speaker. 

00:17:13 Scott Greenberg 
And you just you develop your habits, you endure it, you read, you watch movies you you know, try not to go crazy with all the difficult things that go on with their travel. 

00:17:22 Scott Greenberg 
But you know, it loses the excitement and novelty goes away very quick. 

00:17:26 Scott Greenberg 
It's hard and you just. 

00:17:28 Scott Greenberg 
Have to adapt to it. 

00:17:29 Charles Clark 
Yeah it it's and and also honestly. 

00:17:33 Charles Clark 
You have to charge for that part too. 

00:17:34 Charles Clark 
That travel and being away from your family, you're considering all those things. 

00:17:39 Charles Clark 
It's like so when you get those gigs or those requests to speak for lower fee, you're like, no, I don't know where that's five hours here and there, and you know, I gotta do the travel. 

00:17:48 Charles Clark 
What's kind of like your thought process on that. 

00:17:51 Scott Greenberg 
It you know it's a choice. 

00:17:52 Scott Greenberg 
And yes, I've missed out on a lot of family functions or retreats with friends. 

00:17:57 Scott Greenberg 
Friends wedding, you know, a a number of things. 

00:17:59 Scott Greenberg 
Now I make a point when I'm home to really be home, I feel like I'm proud that I think I've been a pretty active father in the lives of my kids, and I'm certainly with you, know, cell phones and FaceTime. 

00:18:08 Scott Greenberg 
It's easier to you know, stay connected, but I've missed out. 

00:18:11 Scott Greenberg 
On a lot. 

00:18:12 Scott Greenberg 
Yeah, but but there's a a positive side of that as well, but that's not for everyone and whenever. 

00:18:17 Scott Greenberg 
People contact me for mentoring or want to learn about professional speaking. 

00:18:21 Scott Greenberg 
I paint a very realistic picture of that piece because you need to make sure that it's worth it for you to to do that. 

00:18:27 Scott Greenberg 
So so for me what I've missed out on is much more of a sacrifice than the hours on the plane. 

00:18:34 Scott Greenberg 
Yeah, it's it's. 

00:18:35 Scott Greenberg 
It's the being away and so you just you, you make a choice. 

00:18:38 Scott Greenberg 
It's a sacrifice. 

00:18:39 Scott Greenberg 
The alternative is to go, you know, be home. 

00:18:41 Scott Greenberg 
But go into an office every day with a job that I hate working for someone who I don't like. 

00:18:45 Scott Greenberg 
I mean it could. 

00:18:46 Scott Greenberg 
Be that so when I'm home though, I really try to be active and present. 

00:18:50 Charles Clark 
Yeah, that that's definitely one of my intentions to. 

00:18:53 Charles Clark 
To be in the room, right to to be present. 

00:18:57 Charles Clark 
If I'm talking to you, I'm not looking at my my text messages. 

00:19:02 Charles Clark 
You know, I'm not on my computer, but let's engage. 

00:19:05 Charles Clark 
Let's just be in this room today. 

00:19:07 Charles Clark 
So and that's a really hard thing for me. 

00:19:10 Charles Clark 
Because, you know, my my DNA is to get the best. 

00:19:14 Charles Clark 
Right in, and there's nothing wrong with getting the best out. 

00:19:16 Charles Clark 
Of life but. 

00:19:17 Charles Clark 
I always find that in pursuit of this best, since always aspiring to get to the next big thing. 

00:19:23 Charles Clark 
So that has to be my intention to slow down and to to be. 

00:19:27 Charles Clark 
Present to engage and to maybe find something that I didn't recognize in life. 

00:19:33 Charles Clark 
I really feel like that's important for me. 

00:19:37 Charles Clark 
My last question for you before we go if you could ask any speaker any question, who would that speaker be and what question would you ask him? 

00:19:53 Scott Greenberg 
The first answer that comes to mind is a political figure and I try to stay away from religion and politics and all things speaking, but this one political figure. 

00:20:04 Scott Greenberg 
Uhm, just an unbelievable order, just excellent at at. 

00:20:10 Scott Greenberg 
At what they say and how they say it. 

00:20:14 Scott Greenberg 
And I would love to get a sense by talking to them of how much of it is like actually practicing speaking skills and how much of it is their connection to what they're saying. 

00:20:22 Scott Greenberg 
Yeah, I'd love to have that conversation, not get into their specific politics, but how that influences themselves as a speaker. 

00:20:30 Scott Greenberg 
But again, I don't want to. 

00:20:31 Scott Greenberg 
Name them because I don't want to be. 

00:20:33 Scott Greenberg 
Doing anything that might create distance between me and potential audiences. 

00:20:37 Charles Clark 
I understand for sure that's a that's a great. 

00:20:39 Charles Clark 
That's a great observation, because when they're when they're traveling right, they they have to know what they're talking about. 

00:20:47 Charles Clark 
And sometimes you can see them kind of fumble over some things because they just had a tough travel week, but that is a very interesting question. 

00:20:57 Charles Clark 
Because it's always changing and you know one of the things I do know, I. 

00:21:01 Charles Clark 
I know some writers who work with some political figures. 

00:21:05 Charles Clark 
And So what part of that is is scripted versus, you know, heart knowledge and just flowing? 

00:21:11 Charles Clark 
Because I do believe that there's like a a dichotomy between all of that and and that creates this authenticity. 

00:21:19 Charles Clark 
But but maybe you look at like you know, Martin Luther King Junior when he? 

00:21:25 Charles Clark 
Wrote his uh his I have a dream speech like what part of that I know. 

00:21:30 Charles Clark 
He wrote it the night before, but what part of that? 

00:21:32 Charles Clark 
Was just straight from the heart. 

00:21:35 Scott Greenberg 
Well, my understanding is he had. 

00:21:35 
I it. 

00:21:37 Scott Greenberg 
Some prepared remarks and then abandoned the remarks and then went back to the I. 

00:21:42 Scott Greenberg 
Have a dream material which I guess he had done somewhere before. 

00:21:44 Scott Greenberg 
But the difference is that day he was feeling it and. 

00:21:47 Charles Clark 
Yeah yeah, yeah. 

00:21:48 Scott Greenberg 
And there was there was the flow, right? 

00:21:51 Scott Greenberg 
So it was being present in the moment and knowing what his heart really wanted to say. 

00:21:56 Scott Greenberg 
And then it just it. 

00:21:58 Scott Greenberg 
It came alive. 

00:21:59 Scott Greenberg 
I'm not even sure that he could recreate that the next day if he wanted to. 

00:22:04 Scott Greenberg 
It's like things had to align. 

00:22:05 Scott Greenberg 
It was a magical moment. 

00:22:08 Charles Clark 
So true, that's that's so real right there. 

00:22:11 Charles Clark 
I I want to go on and on, but look before we go, where can the Thrive Tribe find you? 

00:22:16 Scott Greenberg 
My website is www.scottgreenberg.com "berg" and I'm showing my age by saying WWW at the beginning, but it's scottgreenberg.com "berg" and you can also find me on all the major social media places. 

00:22:33 Charles Clark 
This was epic. 

00:22:34 Charles Clark 
I can't wait to go behind the scenes in a couple of seconds. 

00:22:37 Charles Clark 
Thank you so much. 

00:22:38 Charles Clark 
Scott, for hopping on the Journey to Paid. 

00:22:40 Charles Clark 
Speaking Gigs podcast. 

00:22:41 Scott Greenberg 
My pleasure, thanks for having me. 

00:22:43 Charles Clark 
Alright tribe, I hope you enjoyed the discussion with Scott. 

00:22:46 Charles Clark 
Here are a few major takeaways from the session. 

00:22:48 Charles Clark 
1. prioritize authenticity. 

00:22:50 Charles Clark 
This will help guide you and give you a clear purpose in the process. 2. Know the business aspects of speaking, such as customer base, marketing, branding. 

00:22:58 Charles Clark 
This will help establish a name for yourself. 

00:23:00 Charles Clark 
3. your niche. 

00:23:01 Charles Clark 
Don't be afraid to stand out from the rest of the crowd. 

00:23:04 Charles Clark 
So share your failures because that can help connect you with your audience in an authentic way. 

00:23:10 Charles Clark 
I hope you enjoyed today's episode. For more content like this, follow this podcast, and if you're a speaker or aspiring speaker and you want to know the ins and outs, or maybe you want to be a part of a community who's making an impact, making a difference using your voice, even if it shakes then follow this podcast. 

00:23:25 Charles Clark 
You can also follow me at thecharlesclark on all social media platforms. 

00:23:29 Charles Clark 
I'll see you guys on 

00:23:30 Charles Clark 
The next episode, peace.