Unfiltered Sessions
Unfiltered Sessions Podcast
Raw. Real. Unfiltered.
Building a business isn’t just about numbers and strategy—it’s about long hours, sacrifices, and the relentless pursuit of something bigger than yourself. Unfiltered Sessions is where we strip away the fluff and talk about what it really takes to scale a business, balance life, and delegate like a pro.
From personal updates on the journey of growing my own business to candid conversations with entrepreneurs and industry experts, this podcast is about the real stories behind success—the struggles, the wins, and the lessons learned along the way.
If you're a business owner trying to do it all, wondering how to scale without burning out, or just looking for honest conversations about life and entrepreneurship, you're in the right place.
No filters. No sugarcoating. Just the truth about business, life, and the power of delegation.
Unfiltered Sessions
Mastering MEDIA PRESENCE to BOOST Speaking Bookings with Mitch Carson
Discover how to become a sought-after speaker with insider tips from Mitch Carson, a veteran with over 30 years of experience helping speakers, authors, and business owners land top media appearances. Mitch shares how professional branding and media engagements can boost your reputation and why being a published author is key to standing out in the competitive speaking world.
For newcomers, Mitch offers practical strategies to get booked on stages, including optimizing your LinkedIn profile, building a strong YouTube presence, and leveraging virtual events to enhance credibility. He also covers refining your elevator pitch and building your speaking portfolio through virtual appearances. Tune in for valuable advice on mastering the speaking circuit and elevating your career.
NOTABLE QUOTES
"You got to have a book. It legitimizes you." – Mitch
"Get on a trending topic, write a book, get covered in the press and the snowball effect kicks in." – Mitch
"Speaking today is both virtual and in-person live. Both are realities." – Mitch
"You can be specific about what message you're sharing on a specific podcast, talking to a specific audience." – Philip
"I was young at one time and I would very much appreciate when someone with a lot of experience would help me." – Mitch
"See what's trending. Wrap your message around that it's easier to get booked." – Mitch
“If you want a pro, hire a pro." – Mitch
"You have to start to be selective so you can be selected for the right things." – Philip
"Always ask for testimonials after you present." – Mitch
"If you want to be a pro, act like it, look like it…, and believe it yourself." – Mitch
RESOURCES
Mitch
Website: https://www.mitchcarson.com
Get Media Evaluation: https://getinterviewedguaranteed.com/meetwithmitch
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchcarsoninstantcelebrity
Philip
Digital Course: https://www.speakingsessions.com/digital-course
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamphilipsessions/?hl=en
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@philipsessions
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-sessions-b2986563/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealphilipsessions
What's going on, guys? Welcome back to the Speaking Sessions podcast. I've got Mitch Carson here. He has over 30 years of experience where he's helped hundreds of speakers, authors, coaches, consultants and business owners worldwide land TV and radio interviews, boosting their credibility instantly and aiding them to charge premium prices for their products and services. And as a television show host of the NBC Channel 3 Las Vegas, he knows what it has done for him and his clients. Mitch is also a celebrated professional speaker and closer who has spoken on stages in 63 countries and produced over 2,000 live events in 19 countries. He was a Home Shopping Network pitchman who knows how to sell anything and craft a unique message around any product, person or event. Lastly, he is a published author, with John Wiley and Sons and books published in six languages. And if that wasn't enough to say the incredible guests that I have on here today, I don't know what else to tell you. But, mitch, welcome to the show.
Speaker 2:Thank you. It's a privilege to be here. I love to always talk to other professional speakers in my craft.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and we were talking offline and we just kind of kept talking about so many things and there's just so much that we can unpack here today. We're probably going to have to do a part two, three and four as long as you're not out of the country. I know you're getting ready to go out of the country here pretty soon. So tell us, tell us about that real quick. I mean, that's that's one thing I think as speakers that want to get on stages, we of course want to get on a stage, but then we think about what's that next step? That international. So tell us about this speaking engagement you have coming up. That's international for you.
Speaker 2:Well, I produce events. I lived in Asia for 13 years. I was headquartered in Bangkok, but I ran events in Tokyo. Every month I ran an event, a speaking training, in Singapore and another one in Kuala Lumpur, malaysia, and then every six months in Dubai. Those were my primary markets and then, of course, the pandemic came around. I'm heading back to Singapore in about a month.
Speaker 2:Well, first I got to stop because I have another four-day speaking gig in Detroit, outside of Detroit, in a city called Troy, where I'm there interviewing new speakers who are turning professional and then, of course, selling them into the opportunity to to grow their career and elevate their brand through network television, and I mean branded network television ABC, nbc, cw, fox and the uh and NBC or CBS, CBS All right, I could get my letters there, and too many, that's yeah, because I work as a publicist here in Las Vegas, helping speakers and authors primarily that's my market and CEOs who want to build up their credibility. Because I know what you're asking me earlier and I'll I'll back into it a little bit more. What is it that gets people booked on stages? There is a formula to it. It's not how good you are. I'll give you an example. There is a fellow named blank I'm not going to say his name that attended one of my speak in Dubai events.
Speaker 2:About eight, nine years ago I was producing an event. I had 38 speakers from around the world. Eight nine years ago, I was producing an event. I had 38 speakers from around the world. 19 countries attended. Four different continents came to attend this event, where they were able to showcase their skill for five minutes in Dubai and then another five minutes in Bahrain. It included coverage on network television in Dubai. Cnbc Arabia was the television network and Dubai One Television, which also covered them, and we had photography for them, because you need very good photography headshots, body shots all of that in order to be branded as a speaker. The objective was for people. None of the attendees were from Dubai. All of them were from outside, but we leveraged and piggybacked on the credibility and prestige of Dubai for all of these want-to-be, and some were already speakers in their native country but wanted to grow and go global and, as a result, they changed their lives.
Speaker 2:Many have gone on to become international speakers because when you show the proof, other countries are going to invite you. Now, if I went and only showed proof of speaking in Sri Lanka. Probably not the same credibility as Dubai. Probably not the same credibility as speaking in London. Not the same credibility as speaking in the U? S if you're outside of the U? S. So it works both ways. I've spoken in London many, many countries and when I showed my speaking proof sheet media sheet with the fact that I'm a multi-book author, I've been on television stations all over the world.
Speaker 2:When I spoke in Japan seven years ago to a crowd of 6,000 people, I was not only the featured keynote guy who got two cracks, I got to sell from the stage and I sold 800 grand in a 50 minute spot. Wow, and that's all because of my positioning. How did I earn that spot on that stage? That was my first time speaking in Japan and since then I've spoken 19 times in Japan. It's been a very lucrative country for me. How did I earn that spot? There are two things that I did Three of my students from my speaking mastery programs, which I only run Iran at that time, in Asia and in Dubai and those markets that I identified earlier. I haven't done it here in the US. I had multiple TV appearances. I'm a multi-book author. Three of my students who'd gone through my course recommended me to the producer they knew through a networking organization called BNI, business Network International, and they said he was our teacher and you ought to book him. And that's how I earned the spot. But my credentials were so loud compared to the other speakers I was the only one that had written a book right there.
Speaker 2:Any speaker who wants to go pro and what do I mean by pro?
Speaker 2:The one that makes money If you speak for Toastmasters, that's a great starting point. It gets you over the ums and yas and I know and you know and right, all those little verbal tics which they beat out of you, which they're great at. It doesn't train you to be a pro. It doesn't train you in the art and science of delivering a keynote and it certainly doesn't help you get to where you are selling. Pitch person on the stage, which is the highest level speaker, hardest job in the world, selling one to many, moving people to their wallets and surgically extracting their credit card. That is the ultimate salesmanship, because you are on fire in the fire right there and can you leap out of it with their wallets. That is the mark of a pro, and the pro gets paid for what he delivers. But in order to reach that level, the pinnacle of professional speaker, high level, I don't find it true that you need a designation from the NSA. Nsa is a great organization for professional speakers, mostly keynotes.
Speaker 1:National Speaker Association.
Speaker 2:Yeah, national Speaker Association. They're out of Dallas Great organization and I've spoken on many of their stages. They're about pros, pros. Most of the high-level keynote speakers have books. It's a, it's a calling card. You got to have a book. It legitimizes you. And it's so easy today to get a book written. And it doesn't have to be fancy, just has to be done. If you don't have a book, get one. That's how you get booked. When people ask well, how do I get what is? How many books have you written? Oh, I've got an ebook, buddy. When you get serious, call me. That's how you get serious. Write a book. I don't care if it's on basket weaving, okay, get something done, because you then are in a different classification immediately. And have you been?
Speaker 1:let me pause you right there there. So you just mentioned about it can be on basket weaving, so it can be just as long as we have a book. It doesn't need to be on topic with what we want to speak on. It is better than not.
Speaker 2:Of course it's better to have a book on your topic. That's common sense. But if you've written a book, guess how they'll publish you or an event producer like myself. I'm speaking because I won't even consider a professional who hasn't had a book written. I create events. I've got two different events I'm producing in singapore coming up here. I will have other speakers on stage. All of them are published authors. I don't. They don't even meet my criteria without it. They're not serious about the business of speaking without having a book. And that is the. This is my opinion.
Speaker 2:So if you look at the big name speakers out there of my generation I mentioned earlier how old I am you look at Les Brown, multi-book author. You look at Mark Victor Hanson, jack Canfield the biggest authors probably of the last 50 years. They wrote the chicken soup for the soul series 600 million copies sold. They're serious. They get big fees. Also, your fees go up if you have a book because you are a published author. If it's on basket weaving and you're talking about sales, let's just make that up. Sales copy Okay, but you still wrote a book. You still wrote a book. Is wrote a book. Is it the right book? No, but you've ticked the box and can you or should you? You got a should on yourself. If should, you write a book on sales uh, hello, hello, mcfly are absolutely on your topic, but it wouldn't hurt if you wrote another book unrelated.
Speaker 2:I have a friend who wrote a New York Times bestselling book on barbecue Barbecue, how to cook barbecue. And guess what he is? He's a marketer. He knows nothing about cooking, about barbecue. Here's what he did. It was a compilation book. He interviewed the top barbecue cooks, slash chefs from around the nation, put it together, promoted it under his name, and he knew marketing. And guess what? When I booked him on my stages, I introduced him as a New York Times bestselling author. Did it matter what book he wrote? He sold internet marketing strategies and kits and services. He was all about getting people in. Pay-per-click that was his area. Google AdWords and maybe Facebook ads that was his thing. Very good guy. But his book was on barbecue and he's a New York Times bestselling author. That was his thing. Very good guy, but his book was on barbecue and he's a New York Times bestselling author. He casually mentioned it, but I sold him to the audience to come and meet this New York Times bestselling author. Okay, he put butts in seats and it was completely unrelated and it was out of the country. It was in Freeport, bahamas, where I produced this event. Why did I pick him? Because he was marketable, the reason I put people on my stages as an event producer.
Speaker 2:Some of these people are gonna say, well, mitch, how do you get me? I said, well, have you written a book? If you haven't, then join my course on book writing. Okay, that's certainly a possibility. Whether you do or don't, I don't care. I don't need the money, I need somebody that's written a book in order to be considered. Then you got to have all the other elements. But this fellow wrote this book and he wrote the coattails of that.
Speaker 2:Because guess what New York Times bestselling author means? Let me take you right to the bottom line, to the math. You want to hear it? You guys ready? Yeah, look, you want to hear it? Oh yeah, 25 000. What am I talking about? 25 000 us dollars, benjamin's baby big ones.
Speaker 2:Because you're a new york times best-selling author, your fee as a keynote speaker automatically jumps to that it. It's not not auto, magically, it's automatically because you are a New York times bestselling author. No one can take away your Harvard diploma and it is the equivalent of a Harvard diploma. When you have a New York times bestselling book and if it's related to a current trending topic, my gosh, your feet could be much higher If you wrote a New York Times bestselling author on how to use AI as an example because it's a trending topic, a current one that's still trending and will be trending for a while it's not a fad and you wrote about how you can double triple your revenues and save 40% on your operating costs. And you wrote this book and you have all these case studies from big CEOs of Fortune 100 companies. How much do you think you would get booked for as a keynote speaker? Chevron Corporation.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'd probably say 50 to 100,000.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, yes, because and I hope I'm sharing some value for your listeners who are asking these questions I know I'm getting a little ahead of myself, but I think it's important. Get on a trending topic, write a book, get covered in the press and the snowball effect kicks in no, I mean, yeah, right there, I mean that's perfect.
Speaker 1:And part of what I wanted to go into was how can you get booked anywhere with little speaking experience? Is there anything else besides writing that book? You mentioned about having it at least look like and that's kind of what you were getting at, was, you know, does it look like you've been on stage? You have the pictures, do you have videos of you being on some kind of stage looking like a speaker, and then do you have a book of you being on some kind of stage looking like a speaker, and then do you have a book? If you have written a book now, we can market you that way, and it really kind of comes down to marketing yourself. But what else can we do if we don't have a lot of speaking experience or we don't have a lot of stage presence? How do we get booked on more stages? Is there anything else?
Speaker 2:that you would suggest. Sure sure. If somebody, let's start with the blank slate, anything else that you would suggest? Sure sure, let's start with the blank slate. You've got nothing. You just have a desire. You've graduated Toastmasters. You've competed in the local competition. You might have one or two on a regional basis. You now have perfected your craft. You're pretty good at getting your messaging out. For what is it? Five minutes or seven minutes? Yeah?
Speaker 2:five to seven typically Five to seven. Okay, you can't exceed that. Or then you get a public spanking or something. Yeah, okay, all right, that could go over well in New York. Okay, we're going to keep it straight. Those people got to start from ground zero. Here's the Ascension model I'll lay out because I get asked this question a lot and I know it. You could bonk me on the head in the deep sleep and I'd come out and give you the same model, so I know very clearly how to answer that.
Speaker 2:Fill up. Number one it's your LinkedIn profile needs to be all-star status. Number one because when you get booked, or when, before you get booked, they are going to use a verb called Google you, they will Google you and it might tickle or it'll hurt. Oh, yeah, that's good, I'm going to get booked. Or, ow, I'm deficient because my LinkedIn profile isn't filled out completely and doesn't state exactly what I do. Your elevator pitch needs to be down to a science. Okay, that's number one. I can go through all the elements of the LinkedIn profile, but maybe a subsequent podcast? That is number one. Number two your YouTube channel needs to be populated with videos.
Speaker 2:Even if you don't have any speaking gigs, you have to reveal yourself and what you'll look like on camera, at a minimum, because speaking today is both virtual and in-person live. Both are realities. Five years ago it was all about in-person live. Both are realities. Five years ago it was all about in-person live. Now both are real, legitimate platforms. Even Tony Robbins does virtual events. I noticed Russell Brunson from ClickFunnels. He's doing his own version of some type of a speaking deal or I don't know what it is, but he's doing it virtually. He's not even doing it in person, he's doing it live, but it's in front of his computer. Sure, it'll be nicely done. He's a pro, he's a real pro and he'll do a good job. That is an arena as well. Have you been booked on any virtual events? And if you haven't produce one, it's a starting point because an event?
Speaker 2:Let me share with you the same psychology that goes into getting booked on network television, radio shows and or even written submissions to a newspaper or magazine, but I'm going to say television. Let's compare television to getting booked on a live stage, albeit virtual or in person live. What is it that the person who's booking you is thinking about? The? The knee-jerk reaction? Initially, philip is the incorrect one. Oh, will my audience resonate with this person. That's where their mind should be as a good booking agent for the producer because it isn't always the producer that picks the speakers. It could be the final decision is made, but the vetting process goes with Becky, who's then looking at all the potential submissions of speakers and she's looking at her.
Speaker 2:Primal instinct is will I have a paycheck next week if I book this guy? That's number one. It goes very primal. It's almost like Maslow's hierarchy of needs. It's hierarchy of covering one's buttocks Okay, number one. Number two on the Ascension is will this person embarrass me or make me look good to my boss? That's level number two. Then finally, level number three, which should be level number one but it's not. Number three is will this person connect with the audience and make us money or give us positive reviews, depending on what the objective is?
Speaker 2:I'm a money producing event. I'm not for charity, I'm all about making money. This is my business, producing events, one of my deliverables. So that is the ascension. And the same holds true for television. If I take one of my clients to get them on network television here in Las Vegas, philip, and this person isn't media trained and comes out and freezes like a deer in headlights on live TV.
Speaker 2:Can we make it up? Can we start over from scratch? The answer is an emphatic and loud, resounding no. You just embarrassed yourself. You've just cut your, you've lopped your head off. No, you just embarrassed yourself. You've just cut your, you've lopped your head off. You've humiliated me. My reputation is now in the gutter and I'm in deep shit because this is how I make my money. And they book people that I vet and train based on my reputation and their understanding that I would not ever let somebody go through my hands and fingers without training them fully before they go on to the big stage which is live television.
Speaker 2:There is no higher in the media ascension In the latter, tv is at the top. New York television is obviously number one, la is number two and then there's everybody else. But are the two print print? You know that harvard is new york, yale, which is probably number two, or mit, if you're an engineer, is la. When would you agree? And yeah, yeah, something like that. I it's. Then they're all the other colleges and they're all kind of mustered together. Yeah, there's some good ivy league schools, but there's only one harvard. There's only one new y. There's only one, new York. There's only New York Times bestseller. Amazon bestseller isn't even in the same stratosphere as New York Times, and that's the Ascension model.
Speaker 2:So if you're looking to get booked, are you an author? Are you an Amazon bestselling author? Are you a Wall Street Journal bestselling author? And, ultimately, ultimately, if you new york times best-selling author, call me, I can get you booked immediately. Those are the and if you've been on television or if you have a podcast today which has gained greater credibility over the years and in the beginning it was a joke. Now it's to be forced to be reckoned with. It's very legitimate, or I wouldn't be a guest on your show and other shows. It's a recognized, credible platform today and I think it's incredibly different than it was five years ago.
Speaker 1:I agree, and I think the SEO is just getting better and better on podcasts too, and now, with more people getting podcasts, you can be specific about what message you're sharing on a specific podcast, talking to a specific audience, and everything Kind of like what we were talking about offline as well, sure. So we started talking about this media, you know, getting in the the um hierarchy of how how media looks at you. But how do we start to build these relationships with journalists and media professionals so we can help get ourselves and our message out there more? Because the more credibility we get, the more exposure we get in different areas, the more likely they're going to pick us. Just like you said great LinkedIn profile. Are you existing on YouTube? Are you an author? If you've got the SEO, the search engine optimization, showing that you've been in this media, publication that one, the other, it starts to get better. But obviously we have to make those connections first in order to do that. So how can we start to build those relationships and connections to get with journalists and media professionals?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'll share that. I'm happy to share it. In order to get it, you've got to first handle what I mentioned of LinkedIn and YouTube, and if you are a published author, great, they all go together. It isn't one individual route. However, if you live in Greenville, south Carolina, and you want to grow your brand as a speaking coach, here's my counsel I would give you free consulting here. Another great thing about podcasts, by the way. As a speaking coach, here's my counsel I would give you Free consulting here.
Speaker 1:That's an example. Another great thing about podcasts, by the way. Yes, free coaching.
Speaker 2:I'm going to give you the free skinny on what I would do if I were you. I'm not trying to pull the senior I'm older than you card, but I want to share with you because you're a young guy and I like to help young people. I appreciate it.
Speaker 2:That's how we pay it forward. Young guy and I I like to help young people. I appreciate it's how we pay it forward and I was young at one time and I I would very much appreciate when someone with a lot of experience would help me for you. I don't know if you have a book yet I do.
Speaker 1:It might sit over motivation it's not cropped out in the picture here. But it's over. It's over, all right so you get.
Speaker 2:You got the box check. Excellent. All right, man, you're right on your. Then you're serious. Number two is your linkedin profile all-star status, and linkedin provides that designation. You know all of those elements. Do you have a youtube channel? I presume you do, because you're a professional podcaster and clearly I like what you're doing. I like your flag behind you yay, I'm a.
Speaker 2:Second is I would look at the newspapers in Greenville that are still in publication, the print newspapers. They're hurting and here's how you get in those newspapers to vie for a possible monthly or weekly editorial submission. Don't ask for money. What the objective is. If you start writing and then you ascend, it's all about ascension. And if you're able to write for your local rag, which we call it newspaper in Greenville, start there. Look at them. See who's writing the columns in your category it's obviously the business communication. You know HR might be applicable and see who's writing about that. Find a topic that isn't covered or see what is covered and then start commenting through email or through the blog about the person that's writing about your closely related topic. They might be employees of that newspaper or they might have a monthly column. Start commenting and interacting with this person. Create a relationship, much like you and I chit-chatted before we hit the record button today, build a relationship.
Speaker 2:If you do nothing and you submit something cold, they don't know you from Bob. You know the butt crack plumber. Okay, it's who are you? You've done nothing for me. What have you done for me lately? However, we're humans and, philip, now you and I have a relationship over the net.
Speaker 2:If I were to send you a proposal on something that we could collaborate on, you would be receptive because we've now interacted. I'm going to take this and spread it around to help celebrate and endorse what you're doing. So then, if I came back and asked for something from you I don't have anything in mind, I'm just showing this by example if I came back and asked for something from you I don't have anything in mind, I'm just showing this by example If I had something, you would be a whole lot more receptive to receive me. Yes or yes? Oh, yeah, yeah, of course, same holds true for the editor of the newspaper. Don't send something to her cold. That is a very immature way to approach an editor.
Speaker 2:Start commenting. Build up on the articles that are written. Find out who wrote the article on 10 things you need to know about selling and closing better If you're into sales, if you're after becoming a sales speaker, you know or leadership with the with the advent of AI, how do you lead better utilizing the latest tools of AI in your arsenal? Um, you know, you may have a great article on it, but if you see something in the area of somebody writing about the business environment, I would comment. The other place that I would go is, if you then do that, I would also show your podcast interviews being on your show or other shows and then send it to radio shows in your area. Because guess what they're looking for? Quality guests. And what are they looking for? People that are already proven. They can look at what you've done and whether or not you would embarrass them or build them up to their boss.
Speaker 2:The general manager of the radio station does not want to have a fool on the radio show, but if you could find out who the dj is or the show that's covering your topic in the greenville area, I'd reach out to the guy or gal that's doing that on the saturday afternoon show, which you could potentially be a guest on, and or or you can buy studio time. Radio shows are hurting, radio stations are hurting. For a few hundred dollars or less in most markets, you can get on a radio show and you can remotely or in studio interview and take photos inside that radio show to legitimize yourself and your credibility and claim it's the Philip Sessions public speaking hour and you've bought an hour. I'm giving you such gold in this tip. You've bought an hour and you have your wife come in with your little kids. Take a photo as a family. This is a family show, everybody's included. So they look. The kids are smiling, don't get them crying. The kids are smiling, your wife is happy.
Speaker 2:You take that branded photograph and it elevates who you are. You're an all-American guy with an all-American family here in Greenville and you're seated in the studio with the microphones, just like we have. You have studio mics which are on the arm, like we have, and you take those photos and you put it together as part of your media kit when you submit to get on speaking stages as a producer. If I see you behind a microphone in a radio station, do you think that helps or hurts your possibility of getting booked by me? Oh, it helps all day.
Speaker 2:I just gave you a golden tip Get on the newspapers in your local area. It's going to garner much more credibility, because then where we met the platform that we met, if you place those pictures on your platform of here you are in your radio show, does that help your podcast for quality? It draws credible people to you versus and you can then position yourself even higher. You use that on your web page. So that's. Those are two quick methods. I can go on and on and on, but those are the hacks I present do you like those?
Speaker 1:oh, yeah, I like those. Yeah, my gears are spinning already, thinking about where can I go to, who can I start talking to and everything like that. So yeah and utilizing linkedin to have my profile better, but then reaching out to these people that are journalists, they radio show hosts, whatever their title is and then building that relationship with them.
Speaker 2:Well, and if you inserted the photo of you being, all you have to do is buy one, one spot and they'll sell it to you for $200. Name it the Philip Sessions show. And you buy one off peak hour of time or half hour, they'll sell it to you, man, and you have a conversation with whomever. Or you do it as a solo, or they record it and they give you the MP3. It's another podcast session which you can solo, but you're in studio with those photos.
Speaker 2:Yeah this is gold, absolute gold. I charge a lot of money to give this advice, but I, like you. You got the flag. I decided I'm from a long line of military, so I saw that and I'd open me up and I'm sure your listeners will appreciate. Oh, you use that. You put that in the in the banner of your linkedin profile. Big difference, big difference. And you only have to do it once.
Speaker 2:If you like being a radio show host, which wouldn't be a stretch for you, it's essentially. You don't even have to do it live, do it recorded. They've got place, they got spots, they have pre-programmed and they're hurting for revenue right now. So if you come in I mean depending on how much bandwidth they have but you buy an hour or half hour. You name it the Philip Sessions secrets, something like that. It's your own. You show that, you have a podcast and you have a radio show. Wow, this guy's something. And he's written a book. Oh, and he's written articles in our local newspaper. Holy moly, I got to gotta book him. He must be the real deal. Are you wrapped in the tiffany box, philip, or do you have wrapping that comes from walmart?
Speaker 1:yeah, I think my my wife would like for me to have the the wrapping from tiffany's of course she would, and your credit card would reflect a negative yeah, interest rates, exactly Interest rates would apply.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh man, this is great. It's such great information right there, so much value. I appreciate you sharing that. I wanted to ask another question which I think is important for us what are the key traits of a highly successful professional speaker? I know you kind of teased at toastmasters. It's great for getting rid of the ums and the ahs for the words. But then you also mentioned to be that professional speaker of that speaker pro. You don't necessarily have to be an amazing speaker. You don't in too often and I've been guilty of that where I thought, man, I've got to be just so incredible. And then I've seen these paid speakers. I'm like they are not that great at speaking.
Speaker 1:That is now a message. That's pretty good stuff, but what are those key traits that great speakers have?
Speaker 2:Well, how about profitable speakers? I can answer Great speakers is a lot of training and doing it and getting coaching from people to perfect the craft of a keynote, to perfect the craft of being a platform pitchman that converts a high percentage of people in the room to move to buy whatever you're selling. Okay, those are different answers. If I'm to answer, what is, what are the traits or necessary habits and rituals of a successful speaker, one that makes 300K plus a year? I can give you that answer yeah, let's go with that.
Speaker 1:I think everybody wants to hear that. One more I got your attention, I knew I would but I'll sit up for this.
Speaker 2:I got to adjust myself in my chair. I had my very first Speak in Dubai event back in several years ago in Dubai I invited a speaker to come who was a former toastmaster, regional guy, competitor and didn't win anything but competed. And he was a professional speaker. He ticked all the boxes. He wrote a book. He came there for the media because he didn't have the media. He wrote a book. He was making about 300K a year but he was a very sound marketer and that's how he got the attention of me and my then partner at the Dubai event to get on our stage. We allowed him to sell his book to the people because these were all budding speakers, the exact market that I served to help them go to the next level with getting the media, which is a necessary asset to get on the high level stages. He then spoke and I'm in anticipation, my partner's in anticipation and we're waiting for this guy who's spoken. He's spoken quite regularly and he was making about 10 grand, sometimes 15, a keynote. He was a keynote speaker, not a salesman. That was his background because he was a former Toastmaster and he spoke. We gave him 30 minutes to talk about his journey, what he offered and his book, and we both looked at each other and out of a score out of one out of ten, I was generous with a five.
Speaker 2:He was underwhelming. Charisma nonexistent Stage presence, boring, monotone. Dull Delivered something. I think his topic back then was machine learning or it was pre-AI-ai. This was eight, nine years ago I I don't remember exactly what his topic was big data. It was big data. He spoke about big data and that was timely. You remember what I mentioned. He piggybacked on the trends. Use the trends, use google trends and see what's trending. Wrap your message message around that it's easier to get booked. He made money because he was topic specific.
Speaker 2:He was not hired because of his excellent speaking. He also branded himself getting on a TEDx stage. Does that help you get booked as a speaker? Maybe I've spoken on one TEDx stage. Will that help you get booked as a speaker? Maybe I've spoken on one TEDx stage. Will I do it again? No way. What for? I've already checked the box and I didn't get paid. Did it result in any extra speaking gigs for me? No, not at my level. Maybe it has for newer people, but for me it doesn't make a bit of difference. It's almost for some, unless you're on ted, which is the ultimate. Yeah ted I would accept, but another tedx, no. Why I'm not getting paid for what? And listen to some 25 year old coach me on how to speak at tedx, give me a break. That's what happened in kuala lumpur. It was a 22 year old college student said well, I think you ought to talk more about this. I said okay.
Speaker 2:I just sucked it up and did it. It was a different platform. I just laughed, you know, and I did it. I have that arrow in my quiver of being on a TEDx stage. Can it help, possibly? Some speakers say I'm a seven times TEDx speaker and for me I just it's a big yawn, doesn't mean anything to me. What have you sold? What have you converted? What stages have you been on? Not what TEDx stages Meaningless to me? Others might have a different opinion, all right.
Speaker 2:Oh, I had a million views on YouTube on the TED. That's TEDx's views, not yours, right, and it doesn't translate to money. There are TEDx business coaches out there who are doing very well and they're selling a bag of lies. Oh, because of TEDx, I'm making and I was getting booked at $20,000 and $25,000 in a keynote. Show me the checks.
Speaker 2:I don't believe it. I think it's hogwash. I don't know any event producer of my caliber or anything would pay any attention to somebody being on TEDx. It doesn't garner the respect. What have you sold to what corporation? Where have you keynoted, with the proof assets, with the video footage to prove you've been there?
Speaker 2:Will it hurt you to be on TEDx? Not necessarily. Will it help you? Not necessarily Will it help you? Not necessarily If you're on TED, which is the big league of speaking in that arena, helps you tremendously. That's credible Because Bill Gates spoke there, tony Robbins spoke there. People of that level speak at TED.
Speaker 2:Tedx is like okay, I played Little League baseball. All right, you're not a major league player. You played little league. You didn't even make the high school team. Ted is major leagues. So those are those are my opinions and I'm probably pissing people off right now. Well, I just did a TEDx and my mom said I was great Good. Billy, did you make any money? No, but I made some nice contacts and I had 400,000 views of my Ted talk. Did you make any money? No, but I made some nice contacts and I had 400,000 views on my TED Talk. Did you make any money? Yes or no? No, but I can get on another. I was invited to another TEDx stage. Billy, did you make any money? No, but I'm going to then go speak at Toastmasters. Billy, did you make any money? You get my point. I could go on and on and on. If you want a pro, hire a pro. Show the proof of you being on corporate stages where you've been paid. Yeah, I'm sorry, billy darn billy.
Speaker 1:Billy just doesn't get it. I think a lot of us we want to just go get on any stage, we think it'll help, and you, you do have to be careful at the beginning. If you're trying to and I look at it as if you're trying to get that media cover to say, hey look, I'm on a stage, hey, I've done this, hey, I'm speaking here, great. But once you have some of that credibility that you've been on stage, you have the images showing that you are a speaker. You need to start being more selective. It's just like I mean, speaking is a business and too many people don't look at speaking.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they don't look at it like a business. Because if you have a business let's say we've talked about plumbing several times If you're a plumber at first, yeah, when you first start that business, you're taking any plumbing job, but after a while you know what you get. That call at two in the morning, somebody's pipe burst. You might stop taking that Is you know what? I'm not going to take that. Or, hey, you know what I'm not going to work on. And no offense to people in trailer parks, but people in trailer parks because those are going to be smaller jobs than if I go to million plus homes, million plus dollar homes, because those are bigger plumbing jobs. Those clients are going to pay more for that service and all these things. And you want to be able to grow your business. So you're going to be more selective of who you work with, so you're not also scattered out.
Speaker 1:So far, Same thing with speaking. You have to start to be selective so you can be selected for the right things. And then we've been talking about get paid more because of that, and that's ultimately what it is. Once you are honed in on this thing, then people can know okay, mitch is a guy I need to talk to you about getting on media appearances. Mitch is a guy I need to talk to you about getting paid more for speaking gigs. Philip's the guy that I need to talk to about refining my message.
Speaker 1:You yes sir, different people based on what they can do right you go to the dentist when you got a toothache.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if you. If you have a media deficiency, go to mitch. If you need messaging help, go to philip. You go to the specialist exactly go to where you can get help. You can't doing this alone. You know, is great. I've had. Here's the other one. Oh boy, I got a big mouth. But I don't care, at my age I'm I'm 64 and I like being blunt to the to the point. Yeah, I guess you've gotten that?
Speaker 1:yeah, and we need more of that in this world right now. There's been too much sugarcoating, not saying what we really mean.
Speaker 2:We need more of that all right, I'll be blunt because I have. I have. You know, I work out of choice, not out of necessity, so I can say what I say and suffer the repercussions accordingly. There are speaker training companies out there. Did I just say john maxwell? Oops, that put you know a thousand people in an audience, charge five grand. And then you're maxwell, john maxwell, certified speaker. Whoop-dee-doo, you're on, it's on the wall. And I have met so many of those that have come to me and said I'm a john wet maxwell certified speaker. I said, uh-huh, uh-huh.
Speaker 2:Where have you spoken on what stages? Well, I'm working on that. Where's your media kit? Oh, I'm working on that. How many books have you spoken On what stages? Well, I'm working on that. Where's your media kit? Oh, I'm working on that. How many books have you written? Oh, I've started on it.
Speaker 2:And where are you booking yourself as a John Maxwell certified speaker? What media do you have to support that? You are, in fact, an expert in your category. Oh, I'm coming to you because I want to do that. I said, okay, we can start there.
Speaker 2:I just asked you the questions of where you haven't got the fill in. Got to have a speaker reel, got to have testimonials of you speaking, so your event producer is comfortable hiring you. What are you going to do for your event producer? Not what you think you're going to do for yourself. Their reputation, their dollars are on the line and you have to bring clients in. It's all about. It's a business. If it's a nonprofit and they don't care. Okay, if you go to the local rotary, which is a place to start and record every event you speak at, there are ways of working at, as B roll footage can show the versatility of where you've spoken. You can take some pictures of them after and always ask for testimonials after. You present 100% of the time those are necessary in order to get to the next level. You have to build these proof assets very quickly.
Speaker 2:Have great photography of you on stage. Have very good photography of you in poses. I believe you saw my one sheet with professional photography before you booked me realize. Okay, he's the real deal. I don't look. Look like it.
Speaker 2:Today. We're on a Saturday. I'm casual. I'm about ready to go to Pilates class at you know well, not for a little bit, but a little later. I'm doing that because I'm comfortable today, for during the week or we were on a professional stage. I'd be in a suit, with an appropriate tie, french cuffs. My shoes are shined. I looked the part, be the part.
Speaker 2:If you want to be a pro, act like it, look like it, be perceived, but as you are, and believe it yourself. Believe it yourself. It starts here. Say okay, am I a professional speaker? I will be getting paid very soon and I have to have all of these assets lined up. Go speak at the Lions Club, the local chamber, do something that can be delivered at a lunch and learn. Have somebody record you and the very important this is a gold in ticket as well Get the money shot.
Speaker 2:What's the money shot? You speaking to the crowd, it's not from you getting a photo in the back, it's somebody taking the photo behind you with the crowd at the appropriate moment, giving you applause. Why? Okay, here's how you get an applause every single time you speak, even if you're talking to a group of proctologists, which I have spoken in front of before and I made asshole jokes If you have everyone in the crowd, say ladies and gentlemen, please stand up and applaud yourselves right now. I applaud you and you start applauding. They're going to be. They're going to be seals. Oh, they're going to make the sound and start applauding. That's how you guarantee an applause Every time you speak.
Speaker 2:Have the photo taken behind off to the side about 45 degrees, where you're applauding the people, and you've got that shot. It can be on video and you use that. Still, you've got what is called the money shot. That's in everything. I have a money shot from when I was in Japan with 6,000 people and I instructed the translator have them all stand up. Japan with 6 000 people and I instructed the translator have them all stand up. Everybody stand up and applaud yourself for enduring my one hour presentation today. I want to thank you for and I start applauding guess what the japanese did? They complied.
Speaker 2:They do as they're told yeah you just have to lead them correctly yeah and you get that shot of everybody going oh you.
Speaker 1:You saying that reminds me I've got a. I've got a buddy that he had made a bet with a friend that he would get a standing ovation at the end of his speech and that's what he did. He had everybody stand up at the end and start clapping for I forgot what exactly he said, but but same thing. He's like see, I got the standing ovation or no. He had to do something, stand up like some kind of exercise, and then they were still standing and then he was finishing, so they, they clap for him at the end. So it wasn't like he said hey, stand up, you know, as we close out, or something.
Speaker 1:But yeah, right, got a kind of similar thing there. Very funny, but but very true. I mean, that's a powerful shot right there and, like you said, I agree it's the money shot, being able to see the audience, who all have you spoken to. And it has to be off the side, it can't be right behind you, because that could be any generic person's head, unless you've got a very uniquely shaped head, or you got that big bald spot in the back, or something that's distinguishable.
Speaker 1:It needs to be.
Speaker 2:You want the side profile of you. You want about 45 degrees with the crowd. That's the optimal money shot, and then the video can pan, which is part of your b-roll. Yeah, but you keep clapping until the b-roll, until the guy gives you the thumbs up. This is what I conduct in my speaking mastery, which is limited to 20 people, which I produce in Asia, and I'm going to go back and deliver. They're all going to have a standing ovation before they leave. It's manipulated. Yes, I'm there to support my students and that's how you can make the seal sound or not.
Speaker 1:I would not suggest that from the stage, but you do, you, I guess. At the end of the day, freedom to speak however you want, at least in the United States for now. So but, mitch man, this has been so awesome. I've had a lot of fun just having a conversation here. If people want to follow you see what you got going on understand what it looks like to be a pro speaker with a pro LinkedIn profile, all the places you're at where's the best place for them to start connecting with you?
Speaker 2:Well, they can go to my site, mitch Carsoncom. I presume you'll place that in the show notes so people can look. Okay, mitch Carsoncom is my website. When people come to look at me, my LinkedIn profile, mitch Carson official and that's my LinkedIn profile. And if you want to get in media in Las Vegas, this is my shameless plug and you are interested and willing to invest. It's not free. I'm not free, but I don't charge what New York publishers charge or PR agents. If you want to get on network television, get interviewed, guaranteedcom forward slash, meet with Mitch, set up a free media evaluation. That's where we can discuss you and your speaking career and what it'll take, media wise, to get you to getting booked.
Speaker 1:Awesome. Well, Mitch, once again, thank you so much for being a part of the podcast and sharing your tremendous value. You're welcome.
