Behind every successful speaking business is a glaring prerequisite that is all too often overlooked by aspiring speakers: speaking. It sounds obvious, but for many speakers, it can be tempting to think, “I’m already comfortable on stage. That’s why I’m doing this professionally, so why do I need to learn about getting better?” Others might feel like following public speaking podcasts or blogs makes them seem less confident, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
In fact, French philosopher and satirist Jean de la Bruyere even went so far as to say: “There are certain things in which mediocrity is not to be endured, such as poetry, music, painting, public speaking.” In other words, as a professional speaker, your job isn’t just to deliver compelling content. It’s also to live your message and always work to get better, just as you urge your audiences to do.
Considering this goal – and the fact that the best speakers don’t simply settle for being “good” on stage – the following article highlights six public speaking podcasts for you to check out in the coming year. That way, you take your speaking skills from “acceptable” to “exceptional.” Plus, in improving your speaking skills, you’ll also have another way to outshine your competitors.
At the very least, we can agree that sounds like a “win,” right? 🤷♀️
Time to Shine Podcast with Oscar Santolalla
First of our public speaking podcasts is the Time to Shine Podcast. Hosted by author and speaker Oscar Santolalla, Time to Shine is one of the newer podcasts in this list. Since it launched in 2014, it’s climbed to more than 150 episodes, shining light on the various aspects of running a speaking business including overcoming a fear of public speaking, finding speaking opportunities, and standing out from other speakers. To hear him tell it, “In every interview, our guests bring their inspiring personal stories, and share with you their best practices, recommended books and other amazing resources. We discuss public speaking, communication skills, storytelling, rhetoric, presentations, and more.”
In sharing these stories, Santolalla has featured a number of well-known speakers in the podcast. A few of the most renowned names include Patricia Fripp, William Hung, and Christoffer Weiss.
Additionally, as he’s based in Finland, Santolalla makes a point of featuring speakers from around the world rather than solely from his locale. This makes the topics of Time to Shine episodes incredibly diverse and the viewpoints much more varied than most podcasts managed from within the U.S. A few of my personal favorites are listed below.
Suggested Episodes of Time to Shine
- Connect Quickly with a Challenging Audience with Jamie Smart
- The Power of TEDx Talks with Elena Herdieckerhoff
- Five Steps to Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking, and Shine! with Sandra Zimmer
- Unconventional Ways To Practice Your Talk with Ivan Wanis Ruiz
- Emotion Gets Connection Into Motion with Simone Heng
Listen to Time to Shine Now
The Speaker Lab Podcast with Grant Baldwin
Number two in our list of public speaking podcasts is The Speaker Lab Podcast. Hosted by speaker and former youth pastor Grant Baldwin, The Speaker Lab, as a whole, is all about resources. In Baldwin’s words,
“I’m just a normal dude. No crazy backstory, no celebrity following. I had a message to share and a dream to make it happen, and ten years and thousands of paid presentations later, I’m happy to say I did. Today, I still travel and speak, but I spend most of my time working with The Speaker Lab to create resources that I wish I had when I was starting.”
In pursuing this goal, The Speaker Lab has grown to include a wide range of speaker-specific content. Besides the podcast, Baldwin offers online courses and training programs to help speakers kick off their businesses. He also offers 1:1 and group coaching sessions for speakers looking for a hands-on approach.
On the flip side, as far as free content goes, The Speaker Lab Podcast is a regularly updated and reliable source of content in the speaking industry. As one of the longest running podcasts in this list, it features experts from across industries to provide a holistic view to starting a speaking business. To get you started, five of my favorite episodes are listed below.
Suggested Episodes of The Speaker Lab Podcast
- Public Speaking versus Corporate Speaking with Ryan Avery
- How to Speak On Cultural Diversity and Inclusion with J. Israel Greene
- How to Tell Stories That Stick with Kindra Hall
- How To Diversify Your Speaking Income Right Now with Neen James
- Focusing on Your Speaking Topic with David Newman
Listen to The Speaker Lab Podcast Now
Technically Speaking with SpeakerFlow
Moving on, third of our public speaking podcasts is – surprise! – Technically Speaking! As the newest podcast in this list, Technically Speaking was created by our founders, Taylorr Payne and Austin Grammon in October 2020 as a way to share additional content about the “business” side of the term “speaking business.” This includes managing your sales systems, ensuring predictable revenue month over month, and building your business in a way that will scale.
According to Austin, specifically, “Everything we do is based around this idea that if speakers want a sustainable business, they need a clear roadmap to get there… everything is designed to empower speakers not just to be a person that goes to an event and entertains an audience. They’re also empowered to be skilled business owners that create predictability for themselves and enjoy it along the way, the same way we do at SpeakerFlow.”
With this mission in mind, Technically Speaking hosts a variety of speakers, asking how they created predictability for themselves. Among our previous guests are several coaches from this list, including Grant Baldwin and David Newman.
We’re also always looking for new guests for upcoming episodes. So, if you’d like to appear on Technically Speaking and share your insights into the speaking experience, drop us a line! 👍
Suggested Episodes of Technically Speaking
- The Secret to Success? Love The Process. with Grant Baldwin
- The Power Prospecting: Everything You Need to Know with Sam Richter
- An Inside Look Into A Bureau’s Perspective with Maria Franzoni
- The Journey of a Million-Dollar Speaker with Simon T. Bailey
- What It Takes To Be A 7-Figure Speaker with James Taylor
Listen to Technically Speaking Now
The Speaking Show with David Newman
Fourth of our public speaking podcasts is The Speaking Show. Managed by speaker and marketing expert David Newman, The Speaking Show is similar to the two previous podcasts in that it centers around building a speaking business as well as becoming a better speaker. He also manages several other supporting content channels besides the podcast. These include individual or organization-wide programs, focused on what he calls “MMA” or “money-making activity.”
Overall, Newman’s Do It! Marketing programs are a deep dive into promoting yourself as a professional speaker. Through his trademark cut-to-the-chase speaking style and years of experience, Newman’s podcast is – like our own Technically Speaking – about action.
According to Newman, in The Speaking Show, he and his guests “talk about strategies, tactics, and tools to help you grow your speaking business from 5 figures to 6, from 6 figures to multi-6 figures, and perhaps even to 7 figures if you’re willing to put in the hard, focused, strategic work that THAT takes. I know because I’ve done it.”
Below are a few particularly informative episodes, if you’d like to learn more.
Suggested Episodes of The Speaking Show
- A Mind for Sales with Mark Hunter
- Success Redefined with Meridith Elliott Powell
- What High-Fee Speakers are Doing Right, Wrong, and Crazy with Ellen Melko-Moore
- Marketing Message Blueprint with Iman Aghay
- Speaker Growth Strategies with James Taylor
Listen to The Speaking Show Now
The Public Speaker with Lisa B. Marshall
Number five in our list of public speaking podcasts is The Public Speaker podcast. Although it’s no longer active, The Public Speaker was managed by business coach – and speaker herself – Lisa B. Marshall until 2016. Over its eight-year run, it was downloaded over 16 million times and nominated twice for the People’s Choice Podcast Awards, once in 2013 and once in 2016.
According to Marshall, “Don’t let the name [of The Public Speaker] fool you–it’s about helping you communicate better in tricky situations both at work and at home. It covers a wide range of topics from better meetings, to better webinars, to better LinkedIn recommendations, to introducing yourself, to ending a speech, to wedding toasts, etc.”
In short, while many of the podcasts in this list are specifically for speakers, looking to improve, The Public Speaker was created for a broader audience. This makes it a worthwhile listen for anyone looking to improve their speaking skills, from CEOs to students.
Today, The Public Speaker remains available on Marshall’s website as well as the various streaming platforms listed below. Compared to the other shows listed above, Marshall’s episodes are much shorter, making them a quick and convenient source of valuable information, even for the busiest aspiring speakers. Check out the episodes below to see for yourself!
Suggested Episodes of The Public Speaker
- How to Express Anger in a Healthy Way
- Want to Add Humor to Your Speeches?
- How Rate of Speech Impacts Diplomacy
- How to Influence When You Have No Authority
- Don’t Stand Behind the Lectern
Listen to The Public Speaker Now
The Primal Presenter with Scott Schwertly
The last and final entry in our public speaking podcasts list is The Primal Presenter (formerly The Presentation Scientists podcast). Originally published as the “Ethos3 Podcast,” The Primal Presenter is hosted by Scott Schwertly, founder of the presentation design and training company Ethos3 at the time the podcast was published. In each episode, he shares his knowledge of public speaking with the research behind his business’s success.
Essentially, this means that The Primal Presenter focuses on the science behind public speaking. This includes topics like the cadence, length, and tone of a successful speech. It also incorporates non-verbal communication, such as body language. That way, for listeners of the podcast, you can rest assured that you’re commanding attention with both your physical presence and speaking skills.
Unlike many of the podcasts in this list, The Primal Presenter is relatively new and has fewer than 50 episodes on the books (as of the time this is being written). These episodes are, on average, some of the shortest in this list. In fact, with most less than 10 minutes long, they’re yet another podcast full of useful, easy-to-digest content. Below are five of my favorite episodes of The Primal Presenter if you’re ready to dive in.
Suggested Episodes of The Primal Presenter
- Learning & Growing
- Making Decisions with a Clear Heart & Mind
- Preparing To Endure Hell
- Practicing Responsiveness
- Choosing An Inner Circle Wisely
Listen to The Primal Presenter Now
Hopefully, with this list, you’re able to get more comfortable on stage in the coming year, or – if you’re already a speaker – improve even more, so you can stand out from the speaker crowd.
For more information about public speaking podcasts, check out our previous list. Alternatively, if you’re interested in starting a podcast for speakers yourself, visit our guide, “Why You’re Losing Money By Ignoring Podcasts (And How To Change That).”
