Why Event Organizers Check YouTube Before Your Speaker Reel

Speaker Bureaus: How They REALLY Work

I got the chance to chat with Lacy at the BEATS conference and wanted to have a deeper conversation on what she’s seeing from running her speaker bureau, Elevated Events & Education. [https://elevatedeventsandeducation.com/] Let’s start with a couple bits of insider info. Lacy spends her days working with the Education Directors and committee members putting together events. Here’s what she’s picking up… * Event organizers are being influenced or overruled by volunteer committee members with strong opinions on speakers and topics * A speaker bureau’s most powerful move for its speakers isn’t pushing one speaker at a time…it’s being brought in to help plan the event That’s where Lacy loves to get involved, structuring the flow of an event, plugging in her roster of speakers. She’s able to fill in a piece many speakers miss… ensuring their style, tone and content fits the timeslot. Making their speaking session more effective for both speaker and audience. Now let’s get into the non-obvious insights… Agents SAY They Want More Tactical Content…The Reality is More Complicated “We’re in a big shift [where] the challenges are agents not having clarity of where they’re going with their business, how to move forward. How do they overcome the barrage of industry news that’s out there? So [the challenge is] getting agents to be really clear.” - Lacy Schuldt I take this as a symptom of the uncertainty we all feel. Lacy gave some more context on the topics that Ed Directors ask her for: * The role of the agent * How to better articulate agents’ value to consumers * Business development (sales and marketing) “Some of the hot ticket items we’re hearing about still is AI, but I’ll tell you that there’s a shift away from that…Another big one is like they want tangible takeaways, no more fluff. What do [agents] do? What do they go home and implement? Those are the things that I’m asked for the most.” Lacy pointed out that while agents always say they want tactical content, it often falls flat because… Many Speakers Are Missing the Bigger Picture “When [agents] have a scarcity mindset, they don’t know how to take those tactical things cause they’re going to take them like a fire hose and [think they’re] going to implement everything.” Lacy pointed out that as an industry, we need to take mental health a lot more seriously. Here’s one way she’s addressing it in her work with event organizers: “The first question I always ask is, ‘Tell me about your members and what they’re feeling right now’ ... People are going to remember a small amount of the information they’re told or they’re taught, but what they aren’t going to forget is how they felt.” If your session isn’t ‘in tune’ with the emotional state of that group of agents, your session will fall flat. You might even tick them off. (Just look at the recent commencement speeches where any mention of AI drew rounds of ‘Boos’). The same insight applies at a bigger level, to all the content you create…videos, podcasts, email newsletters, social posts, etc. If you want better results from ALL the content you create, start by understanding how agents are feeling right now. Want support to create your best content…consistently? Check out our https://getmicrofamous.com/Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy [https://getmicrofamous.com/]. From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed. Visit GetMicroFamous.com [https://getmicrofamous.com/] to learn more and schedule your Free Brainstorm Call. The Speaker Slot That Gets the Least Attention Might Be the Most Important “I talk about this with my speakers…that last 10 minutes, you have the opportunity to leave them in a very positive place. Give them a sense of hope because without hope we have nothing….People are going to remember a small amount of the information that they’re told or they’re taught, but what they aren’t going to forget is how they felt.” This is well-established science called the Peak-End Rule. We don’t judge experiences on the average or total sum of every moment. We remember how we felt at two points… * the most intense moment (the Peak) * The End (check out Daniel Kahneman and Barbara Fredrickson’s work for more on this). So the last speaker slot of an event rarely gets the attention it deserves, as does the actual closing minutes of the event. While you can’t control the closing minutes of the event, you can certainly control the closing minutes of your own session. Leaving agents in a positive emotional state at the end of your session will massively impact your speaker ratings and feedback. Considering how many bookings come from word-of-mouth among event organizers, a tweak to your session endings might generate several new opportunities a year. Want to go deeper? Click on the audio file for the full chat, or search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Lacy also shared more nuts-and-bolts advice for: * building relationships with event organizers * how to better package your sessions to get more bookings * what needs to be built before working with a speaker bureau Ask This: Are you giving agents a firehose of tactical content, trying to stuff as much ‘value’ as possible into your sessions or content? I’ve done it myself, and I see others making the same mistake early in their thought leadership journey. The sooner you focus on emotional impact, the better. You’ll start looking for stories, examples, exercises, games and themes. Elements that create emotional impact beyond the information you share. And that’s what the audience will remember. Quick Links & Resources Lacy’s speaker bureau - Elevated Events & Education [https://elevatedeventsandeducation.com/] About Lacy [https://elevatedeventsandeducation.com/about] Lacy’s Speaker Roster [https://elevatedeventsandeducation.com/meet-the-speakers] I had a blast chatting with Lacy at the BEATS event and in this conversation, her first podcast interview ever! She’s a great person to know in this industry, so reach out if you want a personal intro. Talk soon, -Matt Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous PS Here’s how we can help… Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy [https://getmicrofamous.com/] - We turn raw video into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed. From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. We start every client engagement by developing your ‘Signature Talk’ - So you have a message you’re excited to take to stages, guest interviews and all your content. Then we launch your flagship video show - supported by podcast and email newsletter, delivered with pro-quality and relentless consistency. We promote with short video clips and social posts on any platform where you’re active. Each month we give you research-based video title and topic ideas, scripts, outlines, even slides. Plus all the support you need to stay consistent, from email updates to strategy calls. So if you’re not putting out the quality of content…consistently…to become the thought leader you’re meant to be, let’s talk. Click here to learn more and schedule a Free Brainstorm Call. [https://getmicrofamous.com/] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rethoughtleaders.substack.com [https://rethoughtleaders.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Big Win from a Niche Community w/Geoffrey Long

There are tons of communities for lead gen and prospecting. Geoff has carved out a completely different niche. As both a lawyer and broker, he’s built RPro Academy [https://www.rpro.academy/] around content that is… * Hyper-specific * Hyper-local * Timely And through that, the community has found its One Big Promise: We help you get from contract to close. This is a perfect example of a ‘MicroFamous’ strategy, and I’m going to tie this into some odd examples from aviation and AI. So let’s dive into the… Non-Obvious Insights from our Conversation: Specialize in the Mundane “I’m a specialist in the boring stuff. You know, the code of ethics, the fair housing, the compliance, that’s where I made my specialty because I love it. And I feel like we found ways to make it interesting and engaging for people to attend.” - Geoffrey Long Not only has Geoff built a thriving community around the ‘boring stuff,’ he’s also limited the community to one state for now (Oklahoma). Being hyper-local allows Geoff to be hyper-specific. As a result, the community is completely unique, cutting through the noise, and spreading by word of mouth. It’s easy for agents and brokers to know if the community is for them, and it’s easy for members to recommend. Geoff avoided one of the most common traps in thought leadership…Going too BIG and broad early on. When you’re too big and broad, you can’t be hyper-specific.And your content sounds like everyone else’s.And you stay invisible. Real Engagement Comes from Real NEED “Part of the foundation of the community we created was [that] it’s actually fulfilling a need, not just a desire….When it can be framed in that way… it increases the value….It increases the engagement…” - Geoffrey Long I’ve seen many community builders struggle to create engagement. When a community is big and broad, members have a wide range of challenges. It’s hard for anyone to post something that will be interesting to all its members. That shows up as poor engagement. But in Geoff’s community, being hyper-local and hyper-specific creates its own engagement. Challenges drive members to post. Posts get natural engagement because other members face the same challenges. It’s a flywheel of engagement. When you get hyper-specific, it’s a lot easier to find the NEED…the unique challenges that bring a community together and create real engagement. Find the Emotional Need Behind the Practical Need “...most of the time it’s just confirmation, right? Like, I think I know the answer, but I would just like somebody else that I trust to confirm it for me. That’s like 90% of it…That gets so much comfort for people.” - Geoffrey Long Geoff found that his members actually have two needs. * remove obstacles between contract and closing * get trusted confirmation and reassurance In this ‘trust apocalypse’ we live in…where people struggle to trust their own decisions… Confirmation and reassurance are rare. And that makes them valuable. The kind of value you can build a scalable community around. Example: One of our agency clients hosts The Flight Department Show. He might be the only expert in the world on compensation for business aviation departments (fleets of private planes for big companies and wealthy families). One of the reasons pilots and mechanics buy his compensation reports is for confirmation and reassurance. They want a trusted opinion on whether staying in business aviation is a good financial decision. They don’t want to look stupid to their spouse or partner. That’s the real emotional need. Want support to create your best content…consistently? Check out our https://getmicrofamous.com/Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy [https://getmicrofamous.com/] service.From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed. Visit GetMicroFamous.com [https://getmicrofamous.com/] to learn more and schedule your Free Brainstorm Call. You Can Create Massive Advantages by Doing What Your Competitors are Unwilling To Do Last week OpenAI claimed their new AI model just solved an unsolvable math problem. Mathematician Thomas Bloom had this to say… “[the AI’s] success here echoes previous achievements: it often produces the most surprising results by persevering down paths a human may have dismissed as not worth their time to explore, combining superhuman levels of patience with familiarity with a vast array of technical machinery.”- Thomas Bloom In other words, AI solves ‘unsolvable’ problems…Partly by doing what humans are unwilling to do. There’s a version of that in the thought leadership space. Last week Craig Grant shared how speakers tried outsourcing the hard work of their speaker proposals to AI. But more than that, there’s also a desire to outsource the hard thinking and hard choices to AI. Which creates big opportunities for those willing to do what others won’t. In Geoff’s case, it was choosing to build around his strengths, even in the ‘boring stuff,’ and choosing to build one state first. Those are hard choices. They take patience and long-term vision. But RPro Academy is living proof that when you do the hard stuff behind the scenes…the results show up in easier sales. Want to go deeper? Click on the audio file for the full chat, or search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Ask This: What are you willing to do that your competition isn’t? A few weeks ago I shared some tactics to make your content more rare and valuable. Getting hyper-specific. Weaving in authentic stories. Developing and sharing proprietary data. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are many ways to win by doing what others are unwilling to do. Quick Links & Resources RPRO Academy [https://www.rpro.academy/] About the Academy and Geoff [https://www.rpro.academy/about] I had a blast chatting with Geoff, both at the BEATS conference and recording this conversation. He’s very thoughtful and strategic, which carries over into the community he’s building. If you’re hosting a show and need a fantastic guest, reach out and I’m happy to make a personal intro! Talk soon, -Matt Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous PS Here’s how we can help… Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy [https://getmicrofamous.com/] - We turn raw video into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed. From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. We start every client engagement by developing your ‘Signature Talk’ - So you have a message you’re excited to take to stages, guest interviews and all your content. Then we launch your flagship video show - supported by podcast and email newsletter, delivered with pro-quality and relentless consistency. We promote with short video clips and social posts on any platform where you’re active. Each month we give you research-based video title and topic ideas, scripts, outlines, even slides. Plus all the support you need to stay consistent, from email updates to strategy calls. So if you’re not putting out the quality of content…consistently…to become the thought leader you’re meant to be, let’s talk. Click here to learn more and schedule a Free Brainstorm Call. [https://getmicrofamous.com/] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rethoughtleaders.substack.com [https://rethoughtleaders.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Insights from BEATS Conference w/Craig Grant

I caught up with Craig last week and we covered a wide range of takeaways: * The one thing Craig would change about the event * BEATS’ unique approach to taking care of speakers - a big contrast to the limits and restrictions of other events * How the 3 keynote speakers surprised him over the course of the event But for the newsletter, I want to zero in on… 3 Surprising Ways Speakers Disqualified Themselves Craig wanted to make speaker selection as neutral as possible for the BEATS event. So he and his team did two things… * released an RFP (request for proposal) * formed a committee to review speaker submissions (a group of association staff and speakers called the ‘Sound Board’) Committee members reviewed 150+ speaker submissions, with many submissions being reviewed by multiple members (over 1,000 individual reviews). The process uncovered some fantastic speakers. I’ve been featuring them on this platform for the last few months. But when all the data was in, they revealed some critical mistakes speakers made in their submissions. AI-Written Submissions & Session Titles Referring to feedback from the committee members, Craig said… “Some of the feedback we got was ‘a lot of AI.’ And a lot of ‘written by AI.’ I’m hearing that more and more throughout the industry, we’re just seeing so much stuff that you didn’t write and it’s pretty obvious right away, or you’re not [an expert in] this topic, but you’re trying to squeeze it in there to be hot. I think a lot of that stuff…got weeded out pretty quickly.” - Craig Grant In one of the speakers-only sessions, one committee member said that 7 speakers submitted the exact same session title. Another committee member pointed out that many titles were 8-12 words long, way too long for a good session title. As I was listening in that session, I jotted this note to myself, “AI is being used without enough editing and human intervention.” Not Reading the RFP “Speakers…whine about not getting picked for events, and they don’t read an RFP. An example….Our event is very clear. It’s for association staff and speakers. But the amount of people that submitted their real estate classes to it? Yeah. Those got weeded out immediately. You didn’t read the RFP. You didn’t…pay attention to the audience.” Not Following Directions “We were really clear on our RFP. You have to submit (with your topic)...a video of you speaking. And that way the people on the Sound Board can at least see your skills. And the amount of people who either did not submit a video or gave us a Dropbox link. And we told them…it has to be a public link [where] somebody can click and watch. You know what I mean? …But again, the amount of people who just did not follow the directions and read that. They definitely got hurt because we told our Sound Board, ‘If [speakers] didn’t follow the instructions, ding them in their score.” Now…I could end the newsletter with a lesson like…“Sometimes, there are no shortcuts. You just have to do the work.” But that’s not the whole story. You could just as easily use AI to… * Coach you on writing - so you sharpen and condense your session titles and outlines without using AI-writing * Review the RFP and list all key requirements * Check your final submission to ensure every requirement is met Using AI in this way would actually prevent mistakes that disqualify you from the stages you want. Click on the audio file for the full chat, or search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or Hit Reply and tell me what you’re seeing…what are some other reasons speakers don’t get booked at real estate events? Steal This: Hire a videographer for your next speaking gig. It’s more affordable than you think. Many speakers who submitted for BEATS were eliminated for lack of video. Even when you speak at big events, the staff videographer is focused on the event. When you hire someone, they have one job…getting the best possible footage of YOU. Quick Links & Resources BEATS Conference [https://beatsconference.com/] BEATS Alliance [https://beatsconference.com/beats-alliance] Craig’s website [https://craiggrant.info/] Connect with Craig on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/CraigGrantRETI] or Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/craiggrant1/] Craig and his team really did a fantastic job with BEATS. If I hadn’t known it was just Year 2 of their team running the event, I would never have guessed. What I didn’t know was that Craig had his own speaking gigs the weekends before and after the event. So massive thanks are in order! I appreciate him taking time to come back and share some insider info. All the best, -Matt Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous PS When you’re ready, here’s how my team can help… Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy [https://getmicrofamous.com/] - We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed. From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. We start every client engagement by developing your ‘Signature Talk’ - So you have a message you’re excited to take to stages, guest interviews and all your content. Then we launch your flagship video show - supported by audio podcast and email newsletter, delivered with pro-quality and relentless consistency. We promote with short video clips and social posts on any platform where you’re active. Each month we give you research-based video title and topic ideas, scripts, outlines, even slides. Plus all the support you need to stay consistent, from email updates to strategy calls. So if you’re not putting out the quality of content…consistently…to become the thought leader you’re meant to be, let’s talk. Click here to learn more and schedule a Free Brainstorm Call. [https://getmicrofamous.com/] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rethoughtleaders.substack.com [https://rethoughtleaders.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

‘Don't Weaponize Your Niche Against Yourself’

If you’ve followed the launch of Natalie’s new show, Leadership That Shines [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadership-that-shines-podcast/id1881064548], you might not know that the brand (and company behind it) was created 10 years ago. During that time, here are just a few career highlights… * Speaker, facilitator and coach * Director of Community Growth at KW * President of the Colorado Association of REALTORS® (2023) * RISMedia Real Estate Newsmakers and SP 200 Watchlist (2023) But Natalie could feel that something was missing. And a question came up… Am I building something that will actually be relevant in 10 years? A very powerful question, but that’s just scratching the surface, let’s dive into the… Non-Obvious Insights from our Conversation: Choosing a Niche Feels….Dangerous “As you’re identifying your niche, it’s also important to not turn it into a weapon against yourself. So weaponizing your niche against yourself, which is something that I did. When you find that niche and then you feel like you’re pigeonholed…and that’s not the case…” - Natalie Davis That quote unlocked something I hadn’t been able to articulate in 10 years of working with coaches, speakers and authors. Why does choosing a niche feel like a prison sentence? A cage you can never break out from? Because that choice triggers our nervous system. We know we’re going to weaponize our niche against ourselves. Deep down we believe that once we choose a niche, we’re stuck. It’s going to feel restrictive at some point. Anything we try outside that niche puts our reputation at risk. If that niche doesn’t work, it’s not a test or an experiment…it’s a failure. With all the guilt and shame that comes with that label. So our nervous system protects us from future guilt and shame….by avoiding the choice entirely. Better to stay in the safety of generality. But as Natalie points out… You Are Never Limited to One Niche “Just become the expert within that space and then look for the opportunities that open up as a result. Not letting the discovery of your niche feel like a pigeonhole because it’s not. There are more opportunities out there…but just get really good at something first.” Let’s say you become a ‘household name’ in one niche…One kind of agent loves you and everything you put out…That doesn’t mean you’re invisible to all other agents. Agents talk to each other. So do event organizers and show hosts. Breaking out of a niche happens organically, which is how it happened to Natalie… “Almost two years ago, I started to see an increase in a need and the requests that I would actually receive from clients about challenges that they were seeing within their leaders. Up and coming leaders…losing potential leaders within the organization… And so realizing that I had a solution to the pain points…but I was just sitting on them and not really sharing them. That’s the thing that keeps you up at night…” Want to launch a video show or podcast? Check out our Done-for-You Production & Strategy [https://getmicrofamous.com/] service. We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed. From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. Click here to learn more [https://getmicrofamous.com/]. Create Content for Your Next step…Not Your Past “I’m definitely in a space where I’m creating for the next step I’m taking…not for where I am today or where I’ve been the last decade. It’s making sure I’m building something that will actually be relevant in 10 years, right? That’s the biggest thing…Can I continue to do this for the next 10 years ahead?” A great niche hits a sweet spot. Big enough to be profitable…small enough that you instantly stand out. And ideally, a niche you can serve happily for 10 years. One of my favorite mentors spent almost a decade coaching business owners in a bunch of industries. Then he stumbled onto executive recruiting, and fell in love with the industry. He customized his coaching and his content to attract them. He happily spent the next 3 decades of his career serving them. He became the default coach for the biggest recruiting network in the world. At one point he coached the #1 and #2 firm owners in the network …at the same time. Yet other types of coaching clients came in organically. He happily chose a niche, made no efforts to break out, and even he couldn’t contain the referrals and word-of-mouth. Choosing a niche isn’t about restricting yourself. It’s about making a few things crystal clear to the market… * who you serve and why * how you can help them * who you don’t serve The market is noisy. The more specialized you can be, the more specific you can be in your content. And the more easily you can cut through the noise. Want to go deeper? Click on the audio file for the full chat, or search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Natalie also shared… * How being a deliberate late adopter isn’t a liability…it’s a positioning strategy that’s kept her from building a career on someone else’s trend * How she measures impact and success…in a way that’s far more sustainable than chasing millions of views * What an audience remembers…and it’s not your signature framework * How publicly admitting what you won’t teach creates a credibility signal most speakers avoid Or Hit Reply and tell me what you’re seeing, who’s putting out great content for agents? Who is dominating an interesting niche in real estate? Steal This: Natalie is testing both Substack and a LinkedIn newsletter. Early results show more feedback and engagement on LinkedIn. And that’s with real estate agents not being known as super active on LinkedIn. The simplest subscriber growth tactic Natalie found wasn’t a funnel or a paid ad…it was sharing her LinkedIn newsletter on Facebook. Quick Links & Resources LeadershipThatShines.com [http://leadershipthatshines.com] - Learn about Natalie’s story, speaking, coaching, etc. Leadership That Shines - Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadership-that-shines-podcast/id1881064548] Reignite Resilience - Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reignite-resilience/id1695353822] Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliesdavis/] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lovejoyandnatalie/] Thanks so much to Natalie for a fun, fast-paced conversation! I really enjoyed the energy and enthusiasm, and we covered a LOT in such a short time. If you’re running a podcast or video show and need a guest, I’m happy to make an introduction! Talk soon, -Matt Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous PS When you’re ready to launch your own show, here’s how we can help… Done-for-You Production & Strategy [https://getmicrofamous.com/] - We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed. From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. We start every client engagement by developing your ‘Signature Talk’ - So you have a message you’re excited to take to stages, guest interviews and all your content. Then we launch your flagship video show - supported by audio podcast and email newsletter, delivered with pro-quality and relentless consistency. We promote with short video clips and social posts on any platform where you’re active. Each month we give you research-based video title and topic ideas, scripts, outlines, even slides. Plus all the support you need to stay consistent, from email updates to strategy calls. So if you’re not putting out the quality of content…consistently…to become the thought leader you’re meant to be, let’s talk. Click here to learn more and schedule a Free Brainstorm Call. [https://getmicrofamous.com/] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rethoughtleaders.substack.com [https://rethoughtleaders.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Why Event Organizers Check YouTube Before Your Speaker Reel

Some of the biggest opportunities come from doing the opposite of everyone else in the industry. In the world of real estate speakers, especially in the association space, Matthew Rathbun is a great example. He stopped doing free gigs for exposure, stopped doing cold outreach to associations and event organizers, and went ‘all in’ on creating content for agents first. Here are the results: * Thriving YouTube channel with 5k subs * Runs roughly 3-4 webinars and 4 in-person sessions per month * Booked nearly a year in advance(He’s also speaking at the BEATS conference [https://beatsconference.com/], April 19-22nd in OKC, which I’m attending). That’s on top of his ‘day job’ as Executive VP of a multi-office brokerage with 200+ agents. He’s been named Instructor of the Year at multiple levels, and also consulted for associations and franchises on speaker selection and previously served as an education director. Which means he has direct experience on both sides of the booking process. So here are the… Non-Obvious Insights from our Conversation: Event Organizers Want to See the ‘Real’ You “Before I would ever recommend a speaker, I go look at their YouTube channel. If they don’t have one, it’s almost a ‘Eh, maybe not this person.’ I’ll go to Instagram. I want to see video of them sharing the real version of them, not the stage version that we all have.” - Matthew Rathbun I’m betting as event organizers and education directors get younger, that shift becomes the default. Long-form YouTube videos show your real personality…FAR more than a tightly edited speaker reel. So while capturing footage of you speaking on stage is important, for many event organizers, it’s no longer the first thing they check. They also want to know if you can potentially help ‘put butts in seats.’ If you have a brand, a niche topic, an audience…you become part of the value proposition of the event. A reason for agents to register. Does that mean you need a household name and millions of views? No. MicroFamous, from my book [https://a.co/d/04ZHqf1S] to my Done-for-You service [https://getmicrofamous.com/], is based on the idea that… It’s better to dominate a niche than be the 17th runner up in a bigger space. Multiple speakers I’ve talked to have said the same thing. It’s way easier to get booked when you specialize in a niche topic. Content Creates Attraction. Cold Outreach Rarely Does. On connecting with event organizers, Matthew says, “If it’s somebody who’s not paying attention to my type of content online already, introducing them as a cold call isn’t going to get the energy I need.” Matthew is playing the attraction game. His YouTube channel, podcast and newsletter work together to create a warm audience. Agents already understand what he’s about, so there’s already a connection when he walks onstage. Event organizers come to him, which puts him in a very different (and powerful) position. “I posted a video basically saying, “Hey MLS’s, the reason we’re having these aggregator wars is because the MLS hasn’t innovated…Sure enough, an association director said, ‘Can we reshare this?’ I’m like, Hell yeah!” When decision makers share your content organically, you attract speaking opportunities without direct outreach. Ready to launch your own show, build real influence and dominate your niche? Check out our Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy [https://getmicrofamous.com/] We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed. From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. Click here to learn more at GetMicroFamous.com [https://getmicrofamous.com/]. Many Speakers Have a Massive Blindspot…the ‘Connective Tissue’ Around Their Key Topic “If you’re speaking about AI, that’s great. But if you don’t understand basic marketing concepts and basic business planning principles, the AI is just a fun toy you can play [with]. So it doesn’t make it more meaningful.” Matthew shared an eye-popping story from a recent event. The speaker, who specialized in AI, got an audience question about fair housing and using AI to write ads. The speaker’s response? ‘Don’t worry, the AI won’t let you create anything dangerous.’ Matthew knew from experience that was incorrect. AI doesn’t have reliable guardrails like that yet. When Matthew vets speakers, he vets them not just for expertise in their primary topic, but for whether they understand what their topic connects to. An AI speaker who doesn’t know fair housing is a liability. Want to go deeper? Click on the audio file for the full chat, or search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Steal This: Matthew gave a killer tip. When you get booked, say, ‘Hey, I’m going to build an extra class in here. The fee stays the same, but you’re going to have another instructor in case someone cancels.’ Schedule conflicts or last-minute issues with speakers can put event organizers in a jam. That extra ‘backup’ class positions you to be the hero. Quick Links & Resources Matthew’s website [https://www.matthewrathbun.com/] Matthew on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/matthew_rathbun] Matthew’s YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@MatthewRathbun] Matthew’s podcast Meet the Moment [https://podcast.rebinstitute.com/] (Co-hosted with Kimberly Allard) The conversation was a blast, turns out we both have homeschooling in common…always fun to stumble across random commonalities like that! Matthew was a fantastic interview guest so if you’d like to feature him and want a direct intro, hit Reply and I’m happy to make the connection! -Matt Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous PS Here’s how we can help… Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy [https://getmicrofamous.com/] - We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed. From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. We start every client engagement by developing your ‘Signature Talk’ - So you have a message you’re excited to take to stages, guest interviews and all your content. Then we launch your flagship video show - supported by audio podcast and email newsletter, delivered with pro-level quality and relentless consistency. We promote with short video clips and social posts on any platform where you’re active. Each month we give you research-based video title and topic ideas, scripts, outlines, even slides. Plus all the support you need to stay consistent, from email updates to strategy calls. So if you’re not putting out the quality of content…consistently…to become the thought leader you’re meant to be, let’s talk. Click here to learn more and schedule a Free Brainstorm Call. [https://getmicrofamous.com/] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rethoughtleaders.substack.com [https://rethoughtleaders.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]