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• Speaker Academy Informational Session

  • When
    Monday, September 21, 2020
  •  
    7:00 PM - 8:00 PM (CDT)
  • Location
    via Zoom

  Register

  Do you have dreams of being a professional speaker, and are curious about how this all works? Are you already speaking and wondering about the next step? Please join the Speaker Academy faculty at our information meeting.

  • Learn about NSA-MN Speakers Academy program.
  • Find answers to your questions about the next step to help you meet your speaking goals.
    
  • Meet other aspiring and professional speakers who are also looking to learn and grow.

  If you are interested, but unable to participate, contact Speaker Academy dean Robin Kellogg for more information.
  

  Although there is no charge for this event, your RSVP is required.
  

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• Chapter Meeting: How to Write Winning Proposals for Speakers

  • When
    Thursday, October 15, 2020
  •  
    5:30 PM - 7:00 PM (CDT)
  • Location
    Zoom

  Register

  Guest Speaker: Ed Tate, CSP, WCPS
  
  How to Write Winning Proposals for Speakers

  Speakers are losing tens of thousands of dollars by underpricing themselves. And worse. They make mistakes that kill the deal. In this program, you will:
  

  • Learn how to Win 75% + of the deals!
  • Earn what you are worth and more!
  • Discern during negotiations, what to take away, when to stay and when to walk away!
  • Discover a tool that flushes out the real objections to your proposal and what to do about it.
  • Ascertain the phrase that pays! What to say to learn the actual budget, when they won’t tell you.
  • Ask the "time-saver" questions that will help you rapidly qualify an opportunity and avoid chasing prospects that are not real.
  • Shed price-shoppers immediately.
  • Teach your clients and prospects on how to pay your full fee in advance.
  • Understand how to present your proposal: in-person, online, or on the   phone.
  • Upgrade the deal and earn triple your fee.
  • Know what to say when:
  • • They ask, “How much?”
    • They tell you, “We're a non-profit.”
    • They ask you to cut your fee.

  And much more!

  Ed Tate is an award-winning international keynote speaker, trainer, author, executive, and motivational movie star. Worldwide he is known as “The Speaker Who Energizes, Educates and Entertains.” To date, he has spoken professionally in 50 states, 25 countries and on five continents.

  Ed won the “American Idol of Public Speaking”; becoming the 2000 World Champion of Public Speaking – Toastmasters International’s most prestigious speaking award among its 352,000+ Global members. In 2008, Ed earned the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP).

  Ed’s success in business has spanned more than two decades. For 14 years, he was a successful national account executive selling over $500 million in products and services to corporations and entrepreneurs throughout the United States. He co-created two business units that produced over $1.25 billion in revenue.

  Since 1998, Ed has been principal of Ed Tate & Associates, LLC, a professional development firm that provides keynote and endnote presentations and workshops, as well as in-person and do-it-yourself tools and expertise on winning high-stakes business presentations..
  

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• Chapter Meeting: Stop Waiting for the Phone to Ring!

  • When
    Thursday, November 12, 2020
  •  
    5:30 PM - 7:00 PM (CST)
  • Location
    Zoom

  Register

  Guest Speaker: David Avrin, CSP, Global Speaking Fellow
  
  Stop Waiting for the Phone to Ring! How to survive the toughest speaking environment in history and go get the gigs you want
  
  

  Here is the uncomfortable truth: Most speakers starve. Making money as a paid speaker is NOT about: Following your passion, living your truth, sharing your authentic self, lighting someone's fire, Blah, blah, blah...
   
  Getting hired (and paid) to speak, IS ABOUT using your knowledge, passion, skills and experience to solve a problem an organization is willing to pay to solve…and then marketing the heck out it!  (If you follow your passion and speak your truth as well…all the better!)
   
  In this candid, no-holds-barred session, successful international speaker, David Avrin CSP, Global Speaking Fellow, will share the outbound marketing and sales strategies and tactics his team uses to pitch him to organizations and meeting planners around the world. From researching lists and crafting pitch letters, to CRM systems, virtual staff and strategic follow-up, David will show you how he and his team survived the downturn and work to fill his calendar with paid speaking gigs.
  
  About the Speaker
  One of the most in-demand customer experience and marketing keynote speakers and consultants in the world today, David Avrin delivers wisdom to clients and audiences. With a surprisingly relatable, conversational and very entertaining style, David delivers profoundly insightful and hard-hitting content to business audience across a broad range of industries and categories.

  His message and timely lessons on creating, delivering and promoting competitive advantages have been enthusiastically received by audiences around the world.

  A former CEO group leader, and executive coach with the world’s largest chief executive organization, David has worked with thousands of CEOs and business leaders on their business brand, customer experience and competitive advantages. David Avrin is the author of the celebrated marketing books: It’s Not Who You Know It’s Who Knows You! and Visibility Marketing! His latest customer experience book: Why Customers Leave (and How to Win Them Back) was named by Forbes as “One of the 7 Business Books Entrepreneurs Need to Read.”
  
  

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• Chapter Meeting: Turning Your Content to Cash

  • When
    Thursday, December 03, 2020
  •  
    8:30 AM - 10:00 AM (CST)
  • Location
    Zoom

  Register

  Guest Speaker: Molly Wendell, CSP, MBA
  
  Turning Your Content to Cash: What do you know that you can turn into an online product?

  You know who is buying online courses. Your customers. Maybe you’ve been thinking about creating some type of online product – a course, a membership site, some group coaching. But the time just wasn’t right. You weren’t ready. Here’s the truth. You will never be fully prepared and ready to build an online product. It’s the kind of thing you just have to start. But how?

  In this session we’ll talk about what it takes to build your online product. Most importantly, we’ll get you started… so that you can be that much closer to finishing! And if you don’t have an online product to sell, no worries. Your customers will find someone else who does.
  
  About the Speaker
  Whether Molly Wendell is on stage as a keynote speaker, facilitating an executive retreat, teaching leaders how to be better (online and in person), or hosting her own podcast, she always has one end goal in mind: to challenge your mindset and get you to say: "I never thought it about it like that!"

  (And she’ll get you up on your feet saying it, too – fun is a non-negotiable part of her process.)

  After spending nearly twenty years in the strategic trenches of Fortune 500 and Inc. 5000 companies, nobody knows leaders – and their people – better than Molly! That’s why she’s committed to helping executives and teams achieve their organizational goals by aligning their vision with their people – so they can be better together.

  With her team-first approach to leadership alignment, Molly is the authority for leaders who want to go from good to great, and want to know how to bring their people along for the ride. She shows them that there’s value in getting unstuck in the way “it’s always been”, and taking a new approach to solving problems. She serves as the accountability partner they didn't know they needed, the sounding board for ideas that need an implementation plan and the ultimate relationship builder between them and their team – so they can propel their people toward total alignment, as a collective community. Molly holds an MBA from the University of California-Irvine, and a BS in Marketing from San Diego State University.
  

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• Chapter Meeting: How to Build a Speaking Empire

  • When
    Saturday, January 09, 2021
  •  
    8:30 AM - 10:00 AM (CST)
  • Location
    Event may be virtual. We continue to evaluate the safety of in person meetings.

  Register

  Guest Speaker: Jeffrey Hazlett, CPAE
  
  How to Build a Speaking Empire

  These days, it’s about more than just speaking. You need to leverage every aspect of your brand and your platform to be successful. Jeffrey Hayzlett, CPAE® Speaker Hall of Fame inductee, shares everything: how he amplified his books, podcasts, television show and speaking to a new level, creating a peer-based executive network and media group.

  Jeffrey opens the kimono and shares: 
  

  • how he books 150+ keynotes a year
  • how he landed a prime-time television show
  • the power of the podcast
  • how book publishing is changing
  • how he leverages every show and every speech to get more events and more speeches
  • how he uses social media accounts for most of his leads and bookings
  • how he leverages his branding for the best positioning
  • how he turned a TV show into a Global Business Network

  That is just some of it, because the biggest thing he will do is answer any and all questions you may have about how he does things: what works and what has failed miserably.

  Jeff will show you EVERYTHING: marketing samples, marketing plan, contracts, tweets, social media activation worksheets, anything and everything.
  He doesn’t have all the answers or the 'right' way to do things. But what he does works for him and he is glad to share how he does it. If there is something you can borrow or learn from, that is great!
  
  About the Speaker
  Jeffrey Hayzlett is a primetime television host of C-Suite with Jeffrey Hayzlett and Executive Perspectives on C-Suite TV, and business podcast host of The HERO Factor Podcast on C-Suite Radio. He is a global business celebrity, speaker, best-selling author, and chairman of C-Suite Network, home of the world’s most trusted network of C-Suite leaders. Hayzlett is a well-traveled public speaker, former Fortune 100 CMO, and author of numerous best-selling business books including: The Hero Factor: How Great Leaders Transform Organizations and Create Winning Cultures; Think Big, Act Bigger: The Rewards of Being Relentless; Running the Gauntlet; and The Mirror Test. Hayzlett is one of the most compelling figures in business today and is in five business hall of fames including Speaker Hall of Fame, Sales and Marketing Executives, Business Marketing Hall of Fame, Direct Marketing Hall of Fame, and the Industry Award of Distinction from the National Association of Quick Printers. 

  As a leading business expert, Hayzlett is frequently cited in Forbes, SUCCESS, Mashable, Marketing Week and Chief Executive, among many others. He shares his executive insight and commentary on television networks like Bloomberg, MSNBC, Fox Business, and C-Suite TV. Hayzlett is a former Bloomberg contributing editor and primetime host, and has appeared as a guest celebrity judge on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice with Donald Trump for three seasons. He is a turnaround architect of the highest order, a maverick marketer and c-suite executive who delivers scalable campaigns, embraces traditional modes of customer engagement, and possesses a remarkable cachet of mentorship, corporate governance, and brand building.
  

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• Chapter Meeting: Still Standing. Still Smiling.

  • When
    Thursday, February 11, 2021
  •  
    5:30 PM - 7:00 PM (CST)
  • Location
    Event may be virtual. We continue to evaluate the safety of in person meetings.

  Register

  Guest Speaker: John Kriesel
  
  Still Standing. Still Smiling

  Lessons to be Learned Listening to John Kriesel:

  • Challenges -- Everybody faces adversity. It doesn't matter the size or scope of your challenge, it is the attitude that you bring to the table that will help you overcome that adversity and it will make you a stronger person.
  • Acceptance -- You can't begin to resolve your challenge until you accept it. John lost his legs and two buddies in Iraq explosion. Rather than wallow in self-pity, he resolved to live his life to the fullest and to make the best out of his second chance at life.
  • Plan -- Develop a plan to overcome your challenge, make it into an opportunity. When told he might not walk again and would be hospitalized two years, John doubled his physical therapy regimen, working himself to exhaustion. He walked out of Walter Reed Medical Center nine months later.
  • Humor -- In his darkest moments, John found time to laugh. Always a lighthearted guy, he discovered laughter and not taking yourself too seriously are powerful medicine in any endeavor.
  • Support -- Nobody does it alone. Friends, family and people you don't know will help but you need to accept their help. Success is a team sport. John’s army buddies, medical staff in four hospitals, family, and scores of people, many he never met, got John up on his new feet.
  • Share -- Use your success to help others and you help yourself. The greater your success, the more you will enjoy sharing it by helping others beat their challenges, no matter how big or small those challenges may be.

  About the Speaker
  If Dr. Norman Vincent Peale was writing his incredibly popular book, The Power of Positive Thinking, today he would need to add a separate chapter on John Kriesel.

  In 2006 Kriesel was nearly blown to shreds by a 200 pound roadside bomb in the parched sands of Iraq, but battlefield angels in army uniforms kept him breathing long enough to reach a field hospital. He died three times and was shocked back to life. Somehow he survived through four hospitals, 35 surgeries and months of recovery. He lost both legs and suffered numerous other major injuries, but it was the loss of two close friends that hurt the most.

  The guy who wasn’t supposed to survive and was told he probably would be in a wheelchair the rest of his life walked out of Walter Reed Army Medical Center after nine months. Working with author Jim Kosmo, Kriesel reveals his motivational story in Still Standing: The Story of SSG John Kriesel, winner of eight national book awards.

  Four years after his near-death experience in Iraq Kriesel became a civilian marketing employee with the Minnesota Army National Guard and in 2012 was named Director of Veterans Services for Anoka County. He also is a part time host on KFAN Sports Radio and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. He was elected to the House in 2010 after a vigorous campaign where he was told he could not win in his district. He personally visited several thousand homes in all weather conditions and literally wore out the socket in one of his prosthetic legs. He won. After tours of duty in Kosovo and Iraq and a lengthy medical recovery Kriesel’s family wanted to spend more time with him and he chose not to run for re-election.

  As a legislator he was anything but a quiet freshman challenging even his own party and frequently speaking his mind. “Kriesel’s honesty is a breath of fresh air at the Capitol,” declared the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. In addition to serving veterans in the Twin Cities and being a frequent voice on KFAN’s Power Trip Morning Show, he continues to share his upbeat, motivational message with businesses and organizations throughout the United States.
  

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• Chapter Meeting: Humor Me

  • When
    Friday, March 12, 2021
  •  
    8:30 AM - 12:00 PM (CST)
  • Location
    Event may be virtual. We continue to evaluate the safety of in person meetings.

  Register

  Guest Speaker: Lisa Mills
  
  Humor Me: 5 Keys to Mining Comedy Gold

  For many, just thinking about developing comedy will make them want to breathe heavily into a paper bag. I get it! The good news is that everyone is funny. The bad news is that often it’s not on purpose. (Womp, womp. Tip your server. I'll be here all week.)

  However, I want you to know that there are secrets to making a room full of people laugh that do not require years of being on the road as a stand-up comic. Absolutely anyone can find the funny -- on purpose -- using these key secrets.

  If you thought that there was little or no hope for your sense of humor or comedy writing, I'm here to dispel that myth. Join Lisa for this session where you will discover how to take your keynote from blah to brilliant using five keys for mining comedy gold.
  
  About the Speaker
  Lisa Mills is an award-winning, 100% clean comedian, keynote speaker, and author. Her acting debut was working alongside network television’s favorite military gal Catherine Bell on the Lifetime Channel’s hit show, Army Wives.

  As an in-demand keynote speaker, she is known for her message of “Transforming Ordinary into Extraordinary: Using the power of connection and the art of engagement to impact, inspire, and influence.” Her always funny, laser-sharp wit has been featured on the Lifetime Network, NOW Network, Netflix, the Dove Channel, Dry Bar Comedy, and iHeart Radio.

  She resides in Atlanta, GA and can be seen headlining venues throughout the country while touring and promoting her latest book, Lord Did I Really Shave My Legs For This?
  

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• Chapter Meeting: The Million Dollar Tipping Point

  • When
    Saturday, April 10, 2021
  •  
    8:30 AM - 12:00 PM (CDT)
  • Location
    Event may be virtual. We continue to evaluate the safety of in person meetings.

  Register

  Guest Speaker: Bill Cates, CSP, CPAE
  
  The Million Dollar Tipping Point

  What does it take to build a speaking-centered business that generates $1M+ of annual review?  How do you multiply your best clients and build multiple streams of income?

  Bill Cates, CSP, CPAE will help you discover how to:
  

  • Acquire more high-value speaking, training, and/or coaching clients.
  • Use video to create high-dollar programs for corporations.
  • Turn corporate programs into online learning systems you can license for recurring, high-profit revenue.

  Even if you don’t aspire to generate $1M of annual revenue in your speaking-centered business, this session will deliver guiding principles, big strategies, and proven tactics to help you grow your business (that’s just right for you).

  As a founding member of NSA’s Million Dollar Speakers Group and a member of the NSA Board of Directors, Bill Cates knows the speaking business through and through. This not-to-be-missed program will help speakers at all levels grow their businesses.
  
  About the Speaker
  Bill Cates is a hard-working, successful speaker and business owner. Bill is a founding member of NSA’s Million Dollar Speakers Group and has sustained a 7-figure speaking business by becoming extremely focused with his business. 
  Bill is the author of five books:  Unlimited Referrals, Get More Referrals Now, Don’t Keep Me a Secret, Beyond Referrals, and Radical Relevance, as well as a number of corporate video training programs licensed by companies around the world.
  In addition to being a Certified Professional Speaker, Bill was inducted into the Professional Speakers Hall of Fame in 2010.

  Bill’s referral system has been featured in Success Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and Entrepreneur Magazine.  And his own business success has been featured in Money Magazine. Bill doesn’t just talk about what it takes to be successful in this business – he’s actually done it! 
  

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