Recently I got to speak with Racheal Cook of The CEO Collective and Promote Yourself to CEO podcast. She shared so many nuggets of wisdom (including how to find speaking opportunities) that I’m so excited to share with you all.

Racheal serves women entrepreneurs who run service-based businesses who are ready to sustainably scale, without sacrificing life, family, health, or themselves. How did she get into this “life first” mindset and business? By experiencing the harsh “work first” mentality throughout her education and career — and realizing she didn’t want that for her future.

In this episode, Racheal and I talk about where The CEO Collective came from, finding the best speaking opportunities for your biz, the value of niches, and more!

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RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Find speaking opportunities through building relationships

The CEO Collective wasn’t always what it is today.

Racheal explained that, after experiencing burnout and questioning her career, she found an opportunity to launch her own business. It began as Yogipreneur, where Racheal helped yoga teachers with the business side of their studios and services. Her clientele expanded to include a variety of businesses…which brings us where we are now.

One factor that helped Yogipreneur evolve into The CEO Collective? Discovering a niche.

Racheal jumped on every virtual speaking opportunity she could early on. She networked as much as possible and got to know the players in her space. And she found that in a room full of yoga teachers, she was the only one talking about business. So she became the go-to expert speaker on that topic, providing value to others in her industry.

In short, Racheal looked at what was happening in speaking (people using early communication tools to host virtual events) and figured out how to get involved (connect with and support the people in that space).

Whether it’s virtual or in person, that’s where you’ll find your speaking opportunities: through your relationships. Don’t neglect ‘em, people. It’s key to becoming a successful speaker.

How to make room for speaking in your business

I’ve heard a lot of business owners say that they’re not sure how to make room for speaking in their business. Their calendar is already full and they’re falling behind on tasks. How can someone prep their biz so that speaking works from the start?

When you’re the CEO, you have to spend your time wisely on higher-value activities for your business, Racheal says. That includes visibility and sales, two crucial aspects of your biz that you should always spend time on.

That also means firing yourself from lower-value tasks that others can do, like answering emails, scheduling, bookkeeping, and so on. Get support from systems, workflows, automations, and a team. Don’t do everything by yourself!

Choose speaking opportunities based on values and niche

As you move forward on your speaker journey, you’ll come across speaking opportunities that may not be the right fit. Or you may have to choose between several different ones. We can’t say yes to everything, right? So how do you pick the right ones?

For Racheal, she recommends not focusing on audience size (even though other people say you should). For someone who serves a specific type of client, audience size isn’t as relevant as alignment.

Do the people in the audience share the same values as your brand? Someone who’s all about hustle culture would be a bad fit for The CEO Collective, for example.

Also, focus on niches. Yep, we’re talking about niches again because they’re so useful. Racheal has found a lot of opportunities on podcasts with small communities and niche topics because they’re looking for specific, relevant content that you can provide.

So, remember that popularity doesn’t equal profit. Don’t discount smaller audiences — and embrace the niches!

Show up and start sharing

Racheal and I ended our discussion by touching on being perfectionists and overachievers and how that can affect gaining visibility for your business. It’s different for everyone, of course, but it all boils down to being brave and striving for excellence — not perfection, as we’re conditioned to believe.

Just show up and start sharing. Go out there and do your thing, y’all.

Want more from Racheal? Check out her free training: The 90 Day CEO Operating System. You’ll learn five essential elements for sustainably scaling your business.