Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Tim David, Founder of Get Speaking Gigs, located in Lakeville, MA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I show speakers how to book high-paying corporate gigs from scratch - even if they don't have a "corporate-sounding" topic. And no, it does NOT require robotic, mind-numbing cold-prospecting to go from 0-$10K in 90 days.
Tell us about yourself
I was a professional magician doing over 300 gigs a year - THEN I HAD KIDS. I needed something that would allow me to work less. Unfortunately, I dropped out of college to do magic. I started over with no degree and no "real job" work experience. Professional speaking allowed me to earn three TIMES the income while only doing less than 10% of the gigs. Better still, instead of "tricking" people, I was teaching them. Once I figured out the business of speaking (yes, it IS a business), I began having some legitimate successes.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
- Being named the 2012 Top Mentalist in North America? Definitely not. The organization was suspect in their ranking methods, and the competition wasn't exactly a vast field.
- My TEDx talk? Nah. I'm embarrassed by my performance and even more embarrassed by the number of views.
- Booking over $1 Million worth of speaking gigs? Nope. Events come and go. That's not much in the way of a lasting legacy.
- Being featured in hundreds of major media outlets - including that time a CNN correspondent named me the 9th best motivational speaker in the world? VERY cool - but ultimately, it's a vanity metric.
- Writing six books and being published by Penguin Random House? Now we're getting somewhere. I'm really proud of this one. But if I'm being honest - some of those books flat-out FLOPPED.
- My biggest accomplishment is, hands-down, GetSpeakingGigs.com. By helping speakers share their stories and their messages with the world, I get to witness a huge ripple effect. I've helped people, and it's incredible. But helping people to help people? THAT'S my biggest accomplishment.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Getting over the illusion of perfectionism. I never assign completed tasks to my coaching clients. Instead, I always say, "Get me your shitty first draft." Oh, and taxes. I hate taxes.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- If you're going to network, then do it from the front of the room with a mic in your hand. EVERYONE wants to connect with the speaker.
- Clear beats clever. Quality beats quantity. Invest in your messaging before you ever invest in anything else. In a noisy world DROWNING in information - clarity is your top priority.
- Be brief.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.getspeakinggigs.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getspeakinggigs
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timdavidmagic/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TimDavidMagic
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timdavidmagic/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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