In this episode of Mic Drop, Josh speaks with Amy Eddy, a seasoned expert in the speaking industry with over 17 years of experience. Amy shares her insights on the evolving dynamics of the speaking market, including how companies are navigating trends like AI, innovation, and the renewed focus on business outcomes. Amy also gives listeners a behind-the-scenes look into the speaker-bureau relationship, offering valuable advice for speakers looking to stay relevant, build deeper relationships with bureaus, and adapt to client needs. Beyond her professional expertise, Amy opens up about her personal journey of growth and fulfillment, including the mission behind her nonprofit, iFlourish, aimed at empowering women to thrive in all areas of life.
Amy Eddy is a senior agent at BigSpeak Speakers Bureau, where she helps top keynote speakers connect with businesses and organizations across industries. With a deep understanding of market dynamics and the unique needs of clients, Amy has built a reputation for excellence in the speaking industry. In addition to her work at BigSpeak, Amy is the founder of iFlourish, a nonprofit organization focused on helping women navigate personal and professional challenges to live more fulfilling lives.
Market Shifts and Staying Relevant: Amy shares how the speaking market is evolving, with topics like AI and innovation taking center stage. She highlights how businesses are shifting focus from solely human-centered topics to more business-driven outcomes, showing speakers how to position their content to meet current demands without losing authenticity.
Speaker-Bureau Relationships: Amy offers practical advice on how speakers can build strong, lasting relationships with bureaus. She emphasizes the importance of consistent, relevant content and maintaining a balanced communication strategy to stay top of mind without being overwhelming. A key takeaway: make it easy for bureaus to champion you by sharing digestible, timely updates.
The Art of Personal Connection: Amy explains how face-to-face meetings, even something as simple as grabbing coffee with a bureau agent, can help speakers stand out. Building personal relationships, rather than relying solely on transactional interactions, helps speakers become the go-to choice for agents pitching clients.
Creating Impact Through iFlourish: Amy opens up about her personal path toward fulfillment and how that led to founding iFlourish, a nonprofit focused on helping women overcome feelings of being stuck in their personal and professional lives. She explains how the organization is designed to provide that initial spark of change, helping women find joy, meaning, and confidence in their everyday lives.
Learn more about Amy Eddy & BigSpeak:
Learn more about Josh Linkner:
ABOUT MIC DROP:
Hear from the world’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing tipping point moments, strategies, and approaches that led to their speaking career success. Throughout each episode, host Josh Linkner, #1 Innovation keynote speaker in the world, deconstructs guests’ Mic Drop moments and provides tactical tools and takeaways that can be applied to any speaking business, no matter its starting point. You'll enjoy hearing from some of the top keynote speakers in the industry including: Ryan Estis, Alison Levine, Peter Sheahan, Seth Mattison, Cassandra Worthy, and many more. Mic Drop is sponsored by ImpactEleven.
Learn more at: MicDropPodcast.com
ABOUT THE HOST:
Josh Linkner — a New York Times bestselling author — is a rare blend of business, art, and science.
On the business front, he’s been the founder and CEO of five tech companies, which created over 10,000 jobs and sold for a combined value of over $200 million. He’s the co-founder and Managing Partner of Muditā (moo-DEE-tah) Venture Partners - an early-stage venture capital firm investing in groundbreaking technologies. Over the last 30 years, he’s helped over 100 startups launch and scale, creating over $1 billion in investor returns. He’s twice been named the EY Entrepreneur of The Year and is the recipient of the United States Presidential Champion of Change Award.
While proud of his business success, his roots are in the dangerous world of jazz music. Josh has been playing guitar in smoky jazz clubs for 40 years, studied at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, and has performed over 1000 concerts around the world. His experiences in both business and music led him to become one of the world’s foremost experts on innovation. Josh
is the co-founder and Chairman of Platypus Labs, a global research, training, and consulting firm. Today, he’s on a mission to help leaders Find A Way™ through creative problem-solving, inventive thinking, and ingenuity.
Learn more about Josh: JoshLinkner.com
SPONSORED BY AMPLIFY PUBLISHING GROUP:
Partnering with CXOs, keynote speakers, change makers, and other visionary leaders, Amplify Publishing Group (APG) is a leader in the hybrid publishing space with more than twenty years of experience acquiring, producing, marketing, and distributing books.
Passionate about ideas and voices that need to be heard, they're known for launching books that start engaging and timely conversations. At each turn, they have been at the forefront of innovation and have spearheaded a critical disruption of the publishing industry.
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ABOUT IMPACTELEVEN:
From refining your keynote speaking skills to writing marketing copy, from connecting you with bureaus to boosting your fees, to developing high-quality websites, producing head-turning demo reels, Impact Eleven (formerly 3 Ring Circus) offers a comprehensive and powerful set of services to help speakers land more gigs at higher fees.
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In Detroit, history was made when Barry Gordy opened Motown Records back in 1960. More than just discovering great talent, Gordy built a systematic approach to launching superstars. His rigorous processes, technology, and development methods were the secret sauce behind legendary acts such as The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.
As a nod to the past, Detroit Podcast Studios leverages modern versions of Motown’s processes to launch today’s most compelling podcasts. What Motown was to musical artists, Detroit Podcast Studios is to podcast artists today. With over 75 combined years of experience in content development, audio production, music scoring, storytelling, and digital marketing, Detroit Podcast Studios provides full-service development, training, and production capabilities to take podcasts from messy ideas to finely tuned hits.
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Amy Eddy:
I feel like I was stuck for the first 35 years of my life. I didn't know that I could think differently. I could learn to become an optimist. My finances can be better, my relationship to my body can be better, my relationship to the people around me, these things can get better, even if it's completely overwhelming and I don't know where to start.
Josh Linkner:
Hey friends, Josh Linkner here. Delighted to bring you season three of Mic Drop, the number one podcast for professional speakers and thought leaders on the show. We connect with experts at the top of the field unpacking their success to help each of us grow and thrive from elevating your artistry to booking more gigs. Mic Drop is designed to give you the tools and insights you need to reach the next level. Together we'll accelerate the path to growth, success, and most importantly, impact
ImpactEleven Sponsor:
The best keynotes, start movements and incite change. And when you couple an electrifying speech with a project that fuels audience engagement, the result is lightning in a bottle. What I'm talking about here is a book that's where our friends at Amplify Publishing Group come in With 20 plus years of experience and hounded by some of the industry's most renowned veterans, including bestselling author and global superstar, Mel Robbins, the team at Amplify knows not only how to produce a fantastic book, but how to leverage that book and make it work for you, your brand and your business. And Amplify not only knows books, they know the world of keynote speaking and thought leadership. Having published CEOs and executives, they take positioning into consideration at every step of the way. Whether you have a one line concept or a comprehensive outline, amplify is ready to work with you. Visit amplifypublishing.com/micdrop to schedule an exploratory call and receive an exclusive editorial one pager tailored to your concept. That's amplifypublishing.com/micdrop.
Josh Linkner:
In this episode of Bike Drop, I sit down with Amy Eddie, senior vice President at Big Speak, speakers Bureau, and a trusted partner to some of the biggest names in the speaking industry. With over 17 years of experience, Amy brings deep insights into what makes Speaker successful, how market trends shift, and the delicate dance between speaker and bureau relationships. In today's conversation, Amy shares the inside scoop on how speakers can proactively create demand and build trust with bureaus. The subtle, yet powerful art of staying top of mind without overwhelming your bureau partners, what most speakers get wrong about building long-term relationships, and perhaps the most important takeaway, what it really means to be an easy to recommend speaker in a hyper competitive marketplace. Whether you are a seasoned speaker looking to deepen your bureau relationships or just starting out, this conversation is packed with actionable advice on how to navigate the speaking world successfully. Let's dive in. Amy. Eddie, welcome to Mic Drop.
Amy Eddy:
Thank you so much. It's always great to talk to you.
Josh Linkner:
Well, I'm, I'm pumped for our conversation and, uh, you and I were just chatting at the market dynamics of the industry are like shifting as they always are. And my first conversation today, I wanna talk about skinny jeans.
Amy Eddy:
Oh,
Josh Linkner:
Here's what I mean. Imagine that, that, you know, when skinny jeans are really popular, which I happen to think they look good. My wife Tia is wearing these skinny jeans, and all of a sudden, like, she's not wearing skinny jeans, she's wearing mom jeans. 'cause that the, the, the, the market dynamics have shifted. So if you were like the best skinny gene manufacturer on the planet, and you're trying to sell skinny jeans in a mom gene season, you're gonna struggle.
Amy Eddy:
Yeah.
Josh Linkner:
So, making the silly analogy come to life. I'm curious what you're seeing out there in the market. What are the market shifts, the market dynamics, what, what type of season are we in? And I mean that both for topics but also stylistic or even like, for example, are people focusing more on business outcomes versus less on some of the softer topics? So if you were gonna give us sort of a market sense right now, what, what, what, what's the flavor of the market today?
Amy Eddy:
Okay, I'm still thinking about jeans, so I get shift here. Um, it's so funny, Josh. So much of it is the same that it's always been, right? I started 17 years ago and change management was the big key word. And now it's ai, but really it's about change, right? It's what do we need to do? What do we need to do differently in order to stay relevant? So that's always the undertone. Um, but I love that there has been a shift over the last year or so about just helping our people recognizing that these are humans that work for this company and we wanna do something to help them be better humans. Um, and, you know, how do we innovate, which obviously is right up your alley. So I think it's funny that yes, there's trends and things do ebb and flow, but there's so much of it is just about how do we get people to make better decisions, make better habits, be more creative, and there's different taglines, but the underlying need that companies have is the exact same that it's always been. That's my take anyway.
Josh Linkner:
Yeah, I think it's a, there's a lot of truth in that. And I, you know, for, for those in the, in the speaking world, a lot of it is isn't like flip-flopping your topical expertise with the flavor of the week, but rather showing how your body of work is addressing the current needs in business today. Mm-Hmm.
Amy Eddy:
Yeah, no, I would agree with that too. I think
Josh Linkner:
Well, that's very sweet, you said thank you. I wanted to focus a little bit if, if we could, on the, on the Speaker Bureau relationship. Uh, there's a lot of mystery around that. A lot of speakers, you know, don't, don't really quite understand it. People are subject to making mistakes, even well-intentioned, they're not, they're not trying to be. Um, so hopefully we can dispel some of that. First I wanted to start with how do you think about the speaker's role in creating demand, even when they're working with bureau folks? In other words, if you figure the worst thing to do is a speaker sits back and says, I, my, my, my, uh, photo is on the big speak website, I can just sit back and wait for the phone to ring. Clearly that's not the right answer, but how do you view the speaker's role in creating demand, even if the ultimately that, that, that relationship's gonna be funneled through a bureau partner,
Amy Eddy:
Right? I say, depending on how much you wanna work, right?
'cause it reminds me of what they were sharing with me, what their needs are. Um, so I do think it's, and there's a balance too, because if you do that every day, you know, the agents are gonna tune you out, right? But how do you stay relevant and fresh without, you know, over exposing yourself and then just getting tuned out by everybody? Um, it's probably more of a, uh, an art than a science, right? Like music, um, there's not one specific recipe, but, um, the speakers that I have the most success with are the ones that make it easy for me to get to know them. Hey, Amy, I was, you know, here's an interview I just did. Um, you know, take a listen when you're in the car. Um, those easy, quick way, you know, we, I wanna read everybody's book, of course, but I feel like it would be impossible to read everybody's book every week. You know, several new ones are coming out. Um, but I think speakers need to, um, think creatively and make it easy for us.
Josh Linkner:
So smart. And that's, so that, that's sort of the upfront process. The next question I had for you is this, imagine you, you put, you, you reach out to a speaker to check availability, you give them a hold. So you're holding a date on the calendar. What are some best practices and even worst practices on how that speaker continue can support you in the sales process, but also not like annoy you and nag you about it either. So what, what should a speaker do? You get out, you held their data on the calendar. How should they interact with you? How frequently, how can they best support you at the same time, again, without annoying you,
Amy Eddy:
I mean, and I'm sure if you talk to five agents, you would get five answers, but I would say like, checking in every couple of weeks, I'm just as motivated to get this booking as you are, right? So know that I'm, I want to get this sold. Um, and it might not be you, right? I try to be really honest with my speakers. Hey, they're talking about you, Josh, and they're also asking me about a juggler and a swimmer, you know? So just so you know, this is our competition. Um, but checking in every few weeks and, and then again, Hey Amy, I just got this testimonial from a client in the same industry as you're told, you know, thought I would share this. Those quick and easy things that I can go, okay, got it. Yes, I can use this, this can help me.
Or give me an excuse to call the client and say, you know, Hey, the speaker just offered this testimonial or this video. Um, but know that we are motivated to get this done also. Um, and, and know that there's a lot of competition. And also, it's not uncommon too for us to get that phone call that says, sorry, the boss, you know, decided on hiring her friend, you know, who's a race car driver? Sorry Amy, you know, the whole thing fell apart,
And again, back to what you said earlier in one of your earlier episodes, you know, what are you creating lately? What have you written? What have you done, you know, that I can use and share. I feel like I keep saying the same thing over and over, but those are the ways that help me get to know my speakers so that I can pitch them better in the future. Um, and, you know, real, in that current phish that's on the line, obviously offering, um, a pre-decision call, I like to be protective of my speaker's time. So the last few years I've gotten more assertive about saying, I'm not gonna allow, I'm not even gonna ask the speaker to get on the phone with you unless we're down to the final two or three. Um, you know, I, when a client told me they wanna talk to 10 speakers before they make a decision, I just said no. And I might have lost that deal because of it, and I'm sure that some of those speakers would've been happy to do it, but I don't think that's a good use of my time or the client's time, and especially the speaker's time when, you know, they haven't honed in what they really want yet. But, uh, knowing that I can pull that, you know, out of my pocket when I need it, is really helpful. If I feel like the client's kind of stuck.
Josh Linkner:
Yeah. By the way, I think we all appreciate how, you know, you're, you're caring for your partners and your speakers, which is very kind of you. I thank you for that. So, one misconception that I heard loud and clear is that, you know, a speaker might have is like, oh, I'm gonna keep reminding Amy because she's probably, oh, she'll like, oh, thanks for that reminder. Now I'm gonna go call my client. I wasn't even thinking about this deal.
Amy Eddy:
Yeah, I think sometimes, I mean, it goes both ways, but sometimes they maybe don't realize, like you just said, we don't, we maybe don't have as much influence as we want to. Sometimes, sometimes we do. I have a handful of clients who I say, we need to just book Josh, and they say, okay, let's do it. Um, but that's a small, a very small group for me personally. It might be different for other agents, but for a lot of 'em, and, and you know, they're talking to several agents, right? Again, we try to do a good job to get the landscape of like, what is the competition here? How many other speakers are you talking to direct? How many agencies are you talking to? Um, a lot of times there's a lot more people competing for the business than any of us realize because the client either won't divulge or just doesn't understand, you know, that they can call one agency and get virtually anybody.
Um, so it's hard. It's really, I mean, I think it's probably actually the same as for the speakers. It's really, really competitive. And a lot of times we feel like, hey, it's down to the final two and you know, it's Josh and, and one other, you know, that they're talking only to me about, and then we find out that, you know, they've been
Um, and they're just, they're easier for me to pitch. So another, you know, maybe tip for speakers is when you're in la figure out what agents are in LA and see if you can bring them breakfast or meet them for lunch somewhere. Um, and just have some FaceTime is so helpful. Um, again, we want to have read all of your books and watched all of your videos, you know, every week. And it's just not possible. But the ones who I've actually broken bread with are people that stay with me so that when I'm on the phone talking to a client and they're saying, you know, our team is struggling and the boss wants us to focus on the bottom line, and there's a culture issue and this other thing is going on. You know, who do you recommend? You know, I'm gonna think, oh, who did I have lunch with last week? And we had that great conversation about these very things,
Josh Linkner:
Such great advice. Um, and, and building on that, you, um, I, I have to imagine that you have your sort of go-to speakers. Uh, people that you just know are gonna do a great job. You could trust 'em, even if there's a little ambiguity, they're gonna be strong in any situation. And some of those aren't topical areas. You might say, oh, someone wants a sales leadership thing, Ryan Estes. Perfect. Someone wants an innovation thing. You know, maybe me or or Natalie Nixon or, or Duncan Warlow or someone that you've worked with in the past. But, um, my question is what do, when, when you've got those, that sort of inner circle of people that you know, you can count on those deeper relationships, what are some of the characteristics that those speakers have done over the years in addition to breaking bread with you to really deepen that relationship so you know that you can count on them, that you're, you know, you're, they're your go-to men and women.
Amy Eddy:
I, I thought of you yesterday, 'cause I was on a pre-decision call with a speaker, uh, from Impact 11 who I met at Impact 11. And, um, I, I don't always get on the pre or pre-event call the prep call, and I don't always join those, but I wanted to see how she showed up. 'cause this is my first booking with her. And there's just like a stamp on the speakers who have been through your program. They just show up in such a different way. It's so fun to watch and, um, like just, I can sit back and relax and go, okay, this one knows what she is doing, uh, because they've been through your program. So kudos to you for creating such a great way for people to learn how to do this well. Um, I think, you know, connecting individually, connecting personally is so great.
And again, there's a balance between showing up as a professional, but also connecting with a person as a human. Um, and they're just so thorough, you know, offering to sit in on other speaker sessions so that they know what was talked about the day before. Um, offering additional tools that can be helpful without being selly. You know, sometimes on those calls it just gets a little awkward because the speaker's like overselling themself or trying to sell, you know, longer, um, consulting work before the keynotes even happened. And sometimes it works great because they're in sync with what the client is asking for and interested in. And sometimes it just can sour that conversation a little bit, um, because they're overselling. So, um, again, I feel like it's kind of like an art to just be able to really read the room that you're, the virtual room usually that you're in and appreciate, you know, what they want.
Sometimes they just wanna go over the logistics and, you know, get off the phone. Um, and other times they wanna kind of sit and marinate on these topics and think about, yeah, how could we make this day actually impactful six months later? What could we do at this conference so that some of these concepts actually stick for the long term. Um, and I think, again, a lot of it comes down to who's this client? Where are they at right now? You know,
They do what they say they're gonna do. You know, I'm gonna send you this article after the call. And then they don't forget that they actually said they would do that, or I'll follow up with you, or I'm gonna offer this survey that you can send your attendees, um, and then go do it. I mean, it's so simple, but I think because we're all, we have so many balls in the air all the time, it's so easy to say in the moment that you can provide something and then go to your next call and forget to follow up. So, um, I love working with your speakers
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Josh Linkner:
As you were chatting just now, I was reflecting on it and it kind of struck me, it's almost like the, the speaker that's gonna win over the long term to to not only capture your, you know, attention and, and, and relationship, but also for, for clients, is is the one that's outward focused versus inward focused. If you're outward focused, you're service oriented, it's more like, what do I have to give rather than what do I have to gain? Hey, how can I show up and support you? How can I listen to your needs? How can I add more value? How can I follow up on making the commitments that IIII offered up and make sure that they actually happen? That's an outward focus. That's someone who's anchoring their attention on, on, on their client and their partner versus an inward focus. Well, I, they wanna hear my stories and I did this, and I get to do, I'm the speaker and you know, me, me, me, me, me and I, my, you know, there, there's always an exception to the rule.
I'm sure there's some famous people that, that get booked fine by being me focused, but, but for those of us mem mortals that wanna have a long-term career, hopefully you're doing it for the right reasons too. 'cause you're doing it. 'cause you wanna give, I mean, this, this is really an industry of generosity and service and, and, and contribution rather than one that you're, you're constantly taking. But all those things, if you just simply put that mental model on, am I doing this to what do I have to give versus what do I have to gain? If you're leaning on the give side, I think ultimately the funny enough, you end up gaining more because you get more bookings and a longer career. Is that, is that, is that summary summarizing it? Okay.
Amy Eddy:
Totally. Yep, totally. And like you said, those big name celebrities who just, you know, here's my three page writer and I need puppies in the green room. And I mean, there is a demand for that, right? There are clients who want that experience for their events and, um, and we book them, you know, when
Josh Linkner:
Well, thank you. I mean, that's, that's a fun way to go through the world where you're not worrying about what you're being taken from you, but rather how you could contribute. And then my experience is that that just, it ends up coming back to you even better than if you were trying to be greedy in the first place. So it's a win on all fronts. So, zooming out, I was gonna chat a little bit more about the industry. You mentioned you've been, uh, in the, as a professional for 17 years, lots of lots of change. I'd love you to just characterize the difference, almost like what's different pre covid and post covid. So obviously coming into Covid, we weren't even on Zoom calls. I mean, a lot's changed since then, but how, what, what's different in the industry today than it when it was in January of 2020?
Amy Eddy:
Oh, that's such a great question. I think people are more comfortable doing things differently. You know, we, I don't know how it was for you, but for us, like the bookings just stopped
Most speakers aren't gonna charge more, invite the lower level and entry level, um, employees to join in and to listen to what Josh has to say, because something's gonna spark for a few of 'em, right? And it's gonna help catapult them into their, um, growth. So, you know, why not consider that? And, um, they don't always say yes, surprisingly, but I feel like there's just, there's more. Um, yeah, we're more comfortable trying it in a different way and thinking about, you know, how this event, um, like what success looks like for this event. So that's been fun.
Josh Linkner:
Yeah, I totally agree. And it also seems that people are a little bit more warm and casual. It sort seems like the formality of business melted away. And I, I hate to be in the, in the suit and tie business right now because, uh, not only are people dressing less formally, you know, the, the world is a little bit more, more casual and warm, which I really appreciate. So kinda keeping that continuum moving forward. I know you, you and your colleagues at Big speak, uh, Barrett and Ken, who are very forward looking, very tech savvy, et cetera, um, are really on the front lines of, of change and transformation as our industry continues to grow and evolve. If you have get your crystal ball out and you're looking into the future, what do you think the things are gonna look like in five years? How, how will that affect the way people buy and sell speeches, the way they're delivered, um, types of people in the industry, even? How, how do you think, uh, the industry's gonna look a few years from now?
Amy Eddy:
Oh my gosh, I don't know.
Josh Linkner:
Like a hologram.
Amy Eddy:
Yes, yes, yes. That was like a new thing that you could do for conferences. And I asked Jonathan, I said, you know, is this gonna put you out of business? You know, aren't you worried that the speaker won't even need to travel anymore? Um, that was the hot new thing, and it did not take off at all, right? At least not yet. Maybe it will in the future, but I remember that was the hot new technology that could have really disrupted or changed the conference industry and it didn't in the slightest. So part of me thinks that, you know, some things probably won't change as much as we think that they will. Um, buyers are definitely gonna get a lot more savvy. Um, but I still imagine, you know, there's gonna be people who aren't gonna wanna just talk to a bot about making a $50,000 recommendation, right?
They're still, they, they might go do their research, kind of like buying a car. People go do their research, but most people still don't buy a car online. I know you. Well, maybe that's not true. I don't know what those new stats are, but it's like at some point it's like, okay, I wanna go talk to another human and share with them everything that I learned myself and then reconfirm with another person. Is this a good decision? Is there anything that I haven't thought of yet? Um, so I think those, those personal relationships are probably gonna be more and more important, you know, between speakers and agents, between agents and companies, um, and speakers and their direct clients too. Just the, the personal relationship, you know, getting back to the basics of having lunch together,
Josh Linkner:
I couldn't agree more. And, and frankly, I'm really optimistic. I mean, obviously the industry will change and evolve, but in, in a, in a hybrid or virtual world, we're all on zooms all day. There's some things you can do great remotely, but, but there's also some things that really do require presence. And so I think the art of, of a live session, you know, where you're, you're with somebody, you're, you're, you're, you're right there in the same room. Um, I don't think it's going away. And I think if anything, the need for that is being emphasized in this world of, of disruptive technology. So I'm really bullish on our industry. I think we're gonna continue to thrive for, for decades to come. You know, uh, words and ideas delivered in a meaningful way. Ha have, have driven progress in human nature since, you know, since the stone age.
And I think they continue, uh, will, will continue, uh, we'll, we'll continue to make an impact even though, uh, things around around that will, will evolve. So I wanna, you know, as we're kind of winding our conversation down, shift, shift a little bit more personal, uh, you can do a lot of things. You're a wildly talented professional. You could do sales in any industry. You're super articulate and bright, um, and you choose to stay in this industry, and I know you're doing it. Sure, sure, there's an economic thing, but, but I know you're, you're passionate about it. I wanna understand from you, Amy, what, what drives you? What do you love about this industry? Why are you fired up about it again? 'cause you could be selling anything, but you choose to stay in this.
Amy Eddy:
That's a great question. I kind of fell into the industry, and for a long time it was really demotivating because I was literally talking about the best in the NBA, the best in business, the best, you know, in sports and looking at these people and thinking, I'm never gonna be in the NBA and I'm never gonna create the next Netflix, you know, woe is me. And then, um, I had that moment, um, kind of where I realized, you know, my life is actually pretty great on paper. I, and I, I need to learn how to, like, start with that, you know, appreciate what's already here. So I started consuming all of this content. I started with Sean Aker's book, his first book, um, and then I read the next one, and then I read the next one. And then I started listening to podcasts, and I realized like there's all of these great people out there who, um, are, their life is different because just at from the very basic level, the way they're looking out, you know, the, the glasses that they're wearing are different color than mine, and I can learn how to do that too.
Um, and I feel like I'm still on that path. I'm, I'm not there yet, but, um, it was kind of an awakening for me to realize, you know, I don't have to be that pessimistic person who always can find what's wrong with every situation. Like, I wanna be more like these speakers that I'm on the phone with all the time, and what can, what can I do to help them rub off on me even just a little bit? So I think that's probably what's kept me here is realizing like, I need this, I I want my life to be better and my, um, perspective to be better and have more joy and fulfillment. I want my sales to be better too, but I also just wanna be more grateful for what is already in front of me. And working with the likes of you every day has been really good for me. I feel like it's been like
Josh Linkner:
That's such a great perspective. I totally agree. I mean, you could be selling french fry technology, you know, some big deep fryers and you could make a good living or whatever, but that may not be helping the world, and you're not necessarily growing as a human being as a result of it. On the other hand, you still can make a great living, but, but you're, you're learning and growing your own personal development is happening as a result of it. And you know that the, the, the product that you're out there selling is gonna be a net positive in the world. So that's a, that's a, I feel the same way. It's a, it's a treat I learn every day from, from fellow speakers and thought leaders. And to be able to contribute out into the world is really, is really the main driving force here. As we wrap up our conversation, I, I wanted to shift gears and, and so you founded a nonprofit called I Flourish. You're helping women thrive in all areas of their lives. I'd love for, if you wouldn't mind, just tell us a little bit more about that. What's your vision and what drew you to pouring your heart into this important mission?
Amy Eddy:
Oh, thanks for asking. I think thinking back to that time when I, you know, was standing there realizing, actually I didn't complete the story for you, but I stood alone. I was standing alone in my bedroom, and I, the thought just kind of popped into my head out of the blue, I only feel happy if I've had two glasses of wine. And, you know, I had two healthy little kids and a good job, and a husband who had not left me. And we live in this beautiful town, and I thought, like, I have got to figure out a way to change this. This is not okay. Um, so I think fast forward to putting on the first I flourish. I wanted to help other women who feel, feel that stuckness and like, something's wrong, but I don't even know what to do. I feel like I was stuck for the first 35 years of my life.
I didn't know that there, I could think differently, you know, that I could learn to, to become an optimist. I didn't even know that that was a thing. Um, so I think the underlying purpose of the conference is to help other women get, take that first step and realize, okay, this really sucks, and I actually can do something about it. And there's hope that my finances can be better, my relationship to my body can be better, my relationship to the people around me. Um, these things can get better, um, even if it's completely overwhelming and I don't know where to start. So, um, I, I, that's what it's about. It's about kind of getting that initial spark. I mean, I think like a keynote, right? A, a great keynote is a spark for people. It doesn't necessarily immediately change their life, but it might spark something that leads to a conversation that they have with their boss or with a friend. And, you know, it's a, it starts to snowball. Um, and I think when all of us are on and running with what, in whatever direction, you know, we're supposed to go, the world is better, we're more fulfilled, the people around us are more fulfilled. It's a total domino effect.
Josh Linkner:
It's a really cool gift that you're giving to the world. How can people learn more about that if they wanna attend, if they wanna contribute, sponsor, et cetera. Where, where should they go to learn more?
Amy Eddy:
Um, go to, I flourish SB on Instagram for updates and to reach out. Thank you for asking.
Josh Linkner:
Amazing. Well, Amy, thanks for your leadership in the, in our industry. Thanks for your contribution today. Um, thanks for really pouring your heart into making the world a better place. Yeah. We have economics to take care of for our family. Yes, there's nothing wrong with that, but we're also really, as you mentioned, we're really trying to create impact. And you're doing that through the speakers that you book, through the relationships that you cultivate, and of course that your, your amazing work at I Flourish. So thank you again for joining me on Mic Drop.
Amy Eddy:
A total pleasure. Thanks for having me, Josh.
Josh Linkner:
I just love Amy. She is a true gem in our industry. With her candid, no nonsense advice, she gave us a clear playbook on what it takes to build lasting partnerships in the speaking industry. From making it easy for agents to recommend a speaker to listening and being outwardly focused, she highlighted some incredibly simple, yet often overlooked aspects of being a trusted go-to professional. One thing that really stood out was her emphasis on relationships over transactions. It's not just about landing the next gig, it's about making it effortless for the people around you to advocate for you. If you really want to grow your business, take a cue from Amy, show up, stay relevant, and always add value. I also loved how she reminded us of the power of generosity and service. At the end of the day, the most successful speakers aren't the ones chasing every dollar.
They're the ones delivering true impact and making every interaction count. So whether you're gearing up for your next big keynote, or just brainstorming your next strategy to grow your practice, keep Amy's advice in mind. Be the speaker that everyone loves to work with. Thanks for tuning in, and here's to your next mic drop moment. Thanks so much for joining me on another episode of Mic Drop. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Google podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows. If you love the show, please share it with your friends, and don't forget to give us a five star review. For show transcripts and show notes, visit mic drop podcast.com. I'm your host, Josh Linkner. Thanks so much for listening. And here's to your next mic drop moment.