• LAUNCH YOUR DREAM
  • BE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER
  • STARTING OVER MIDLIFE
  • HAPPINESS THROUGH ACTIVISM
  • TRAVEL THE WORLD
  • GET HEALTHY & FIT
  • BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE
  • BRAVE LIVING
  • WRITE WITH US

8WomenDream

Dream Big Stories

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • CONNECT
You Are Here Home » LAUNCH YOUR DREAM » The Top Motivational Speaker Interviews: Meridith Elliott Powell #4

in LAUNCH YOUR DREAM

The Top Motivational Speaker Interviews: Meridith Elliott Powell #4

Last updated on October 16th, 2018 at 12:52 am

The U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics predicts the market for conferences in the U.S. alone is predicted to grow 44 percent between 2010 and 2020. That’s a lot of opportunity for motivational speakers if your big dream to be a top motivational speaker.

This article is professional speaker interview number 4 of my series “11 Top Women Motivational Speakers Share Their Best Advice” featuring motivational speaker, Meridith Elliott Powell.

For my “what it takes to be a motivational speaker” series, I cornered eleven of the most powerful women speakers, and I got them to share their best secrets on what catapulted them into public speaking stardom.

Each speechmaker in this series shares their best speaker business success advice. It’s important to learn the new rules of success today! Today’s interview is particularly auspicious because this speaker specializes in teaching how to attract more business.

I asked my speaker interviewees to each answer ten questions. Since their answers are so informative, I’ve broken each speaker and their responses down into individual pages because once I put their answers together here, it was too large of an article (10,000 words) to load on a device like a smartphone. This 4th interview is with Meridith Elliott Powell.

Top Motivational Speaker, Meridith Elliott Powell InterviewMeridith Powell was voted one of the Top 15 Business growth experts to watch by Currency Fair. She is an award-winning author, keynote speaker, and business strategist. You can read Meridith’s full bio on her website, here.

The Top Motivational Speaker Interviews – Interview #4 of 11:

Meridith Elliott Powell

Q-1: What made you want to be a motivational speaker?

A-1: I’m not sure I ever set out to be a motivational speaker but after doing it a few times, I wanted to “be a speaker” because it is so amazing to have an idea, craft it into a story and a speech, and share it with an audience and it touches, impacts and changes their life.

It Rocks!

Q-2: From the time you decided to become a motivational speaker, how long did it take for you to start making a living at it?

A-2: I worked for nothing for at least year; started making $250 to $500 a speech in year two then it took six years more to say the majority of my living comes from speaking.

Q-3: Name 3 things you are really great at as a motivational speaker.

A-3: Making people feel comfortable; taking a vision and creating the path of how to achieve it, and eating ice cream every day and not gaining weight.

Q-4: What was your biggest mistake in the business of being a paid public speaker?

A-4: My biggest mistakes:

Letting the fear of looking stupid to keep me from trying off-the-wall ideas.

Being everything to everybody.

Taking work that did not fit my expertise.

Waiting three years to truly get ‘real’ on stage – to get authentic – and tap into my humor.

And the list goes …

Q-5: What was the one thing you did right when you started as a motivational speaker?

A-5: I kept speaking even if I did not have a paid gig. I would speak everywhere and for everyone to get me to be more comfortable and confident on stage.

I also committed to writing and grasping the power that writing has in helping you find and deliver your voice.

I certainly lacked ego and I was open to learning from anyone, anywhere, any time! Best piece of advice I have gotten in this business came from a 62-year-old administrative assistant in St. Louis, Missouri.

Top Motivational Speaker Meridith Elliott Powell Website

Q-6: What do you think is the hardest thing about having a motivational speaking career?

A-6: How much confidence it takes to put yourself out there over and over again. This is simultaneously the hardest and most rewarding part of this business.

To be a successful speaker takes inner confidence; an inner strength. It’s tough to build but an amazing gift to yourself once you do.

Q-7: What is your favorite type of audience?

A-7: My niche is professionals in financial services i.e., banking, CPAs, and financial advisors. My favorite is the niche of female professionals.

Q-8: The motivational speaker business can be stressful. What do you do to stay sane?

A-8: Exercise, eat right, and laugh, baby, laugh.

I surround myself with amazing friends who have a great ability to laugh at themselves. We are funny and laughing at ourselves seriously keeps us sane.

Q-9: Motivational speaking takes a tremendous amount of work; how do you balance your personal life with your speaking career?

A-9: What? Ha, ha, ha! Oh sorry, I thought that was a joke! I work like a dog on the road and play when I am home. Don’t know that I ever achieve balance, but I LOVE my life!

Q-10: What advice would you give to women who have decided their big dream is to be a motivational speaker?

A-10: Look hard and find those people who truly want to help you, those that are open and willing to share.

Take risks, and listen to your inner voice.

Take the time to enjoy the ride that building a speaking business is.

And if nothing else find people you can laugh with – the key to success!

———-

Winning in the Trust and Value Economy: A Guide to Sales Success and Business Growth book on AmazonOn behalf of 8WomenDream and myself, I would like to thank Meridyth Powell for providing these generous answers to my ten motivational speaker questions.

I believe that women motivational speakers are worthy of recognition and celebration. I much appreciate Meridith’s time and assistance in getting her answers to me about her public speaking business and her work-life balance advice.

Thanks again, Meridith!

Kelly Swanson

Next Up: The Top Motivational Speaker Interviews - #5 of 11 Jessica Pettitt

Next Up: The Top Motivational Speaker Interviews – Interview #5 of 11 Jessica Pettitt

Previous The Top Motivational Speaker Interviews - Interview #3 of 11 Karen Eddington

Previous: The Top Motivational Speaker Interviews – Interview #3 of 11 Karen Eddington

[table id=4 /]

Tell your friends!

Filed Under: LAUNCH YOUR DREAM

Some of the posts on 8WD contain affiliate links or links to purchase products or programs from 8WD contributors. This means 8WD or the contributor may make a small commission if you make a purchase. The 8WD affiliate links help offset the cost of hosting this website and the contributor links help support the dreams of the contributor. Please check out the 8WD Legal Page for more details.

Thank you for your continued support!

« The Top Motivational Speaker Interviews: Karen Eddington #3
The Top Motivational Speaker Interviews: Jessica Pettitt #5 »

Check it out

  • LAUNCH YOUR DREAM
  • BE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER
  • STARTING OVER MIDLIFE
  • HAPPINESS THROUGH ACTIVISM
  • TRAVEL THE WORLD
  • GET HEALTHY & FIT
  • BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE
  • BRAVE LIVING
  • WRITE WITH US


The 8WomenDream Dream Tote Bag

About the 8WomenDream Tote Bag
US – 10oz Cotton
Dimensions (External Dimensions)
• Height – 18″ (45.72cm or 457.2mm)
• Width – 15″ (38.1cm or 381mm)
Handle Dimensions (Internal Dimensions)
• Length – 29″ (73.7cm or 736.6mm)

Recent Dream Stories

  • Winter Solstice Celebrations: What to Do With 1 Minute More?
  • Starting Over as a Single Mom Wasn’t My Big Dream
  • Warning: Big Dream to Be a Motivational Speaker Won’t Always Obey Your Plans
  • Dance to Relieve Stress to Focus on Your Big Dream
  • 6 Tips to Avoid Get Rich Quick Scams as a Public Speaker
  • A Dream to Spread MLK’s Message of Love
  • Best Goal Setting Advice that Actually Works
  • 8 Solstice Traditions for Focusing on Your Big Dream this Year
Catherine Hughes on Dealspotr
Catherine Hughes
@8WomenDream
Let’s collaborate
Powered by Dealspotr

Inspiration

8 WOMEN DREAM | COPYRIGHT All RIGHTS RESERVED © 2023 ·