Epic Success with Dr. Shannon Irvine

Episode: One Presentation Away: Colin Boyd’s Secrets to Transformational Speaking and Business Growth
Air Date: October 22, 2025
Host: Dr. Shannon Irvine
Guest: Colin Boyd

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. Shannon Irvine welcomes back acclaimed speaker and coach Colin Boyd, discussing his new book One Presentation Away. The episode dives deep into what makes public speaking a pivotal skill for business growth and transformation. Colin shares his philosophy on storytelling, the nuances between origin and conversion stories, the ways to structure presentations for maximum impact, and how speaking is an act of leadership and service. The conversation offers actionable strategies for business owners, coaches, and entrepreneurs seeking to leverage speaking for influence, trust, and revenue, regardless of their experience or platform.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Speaking Matters for Business Owners

• (03:45) Colin explains that speaking—whether on stage, in webinars, or at small events—instantly grants authority, connection, and leverage:

  • Authority: "There's an assumption that you wouldn't be up there if you didn't know what you were talking about." (03:53)
  • Connection: Extended speaking lets you build rapport and charisma.
  • Leverage: Speaking allows "one to many" selling and educating.

• Dr. Shannon's Testimonial: Implementing Colin’s structure in her own business transformed audience responses from passive appreciation to active inquiry: "People started... going in my DMs, emailing us, 'How can I work with you?'" (05:23)

2. The Power of Story: Origin Story vs. Conversion Story

• (06:35) Colin describes the distinction:

  • Origin Story: Shares background, builds familiarity, but may not inspire action.
  • Conversion Story: Builds emotional resonance and directly aligns with what you do for your audience, designed to make them see themselves in your story and desire the transformation you offer.

• Influence Mechanism:

  • "Story... goes past the conscious mind... and starts to, you know, embed or seed ideas without the audience even knowing." (06:54)
  • Therapists and world-class communicators use metaphor and story for deeper, lasting impact.

• Universal Emotions:

  • Share challenges and vulnerabilities so listeners relate emotionally, not just intellectually.
  • "Your story has nothing to do with you... you need to tell it with the intention of [the audience seeing] themselves in this story." (09:21)

• Three Questions a Conversion Story Answers: (11:33)

  1. Are you like me?
  2. Can you lead me?
  3. Is there a way I can do this also?

3. Storytelling in the Age of AI & the Modern Trust Deficit

• Content as Commodity:

  • "With the rise of AI, content... is becoming more of a commodity." (13:56)
  • What can’t be replicated: your unique story and authentic conviction.

• Building Trust:

  • "Conviction sells more than content... The person with conviction will win every time, hands down, because people feel that." (14:23)
  • In an age of skepticism, personal story and energy are trust-builders.

4. Who Can Be a Speaker? – Redefining the Stage

• (17:00-18:35) Colin empathizes with those afraid of public speaking, sharing his own journey from anxiety (joking he “wrestled an anaconda” with a mic) to embracing leadership.

• Speaking is not limited to large venues:

  • It’s any form of communicating your message to others: “Speaking for me is leadership... you're choosing to be a leader.” (18:09)

• Metaphor of Leadership:

  • Colin shares how stepping from the safety of the ‘peloton’ in cycling to the front, facing resistance, mirrors choosing to lead (and speak) in business.

• Validation from Dr. Shannon:

  • Even as someone nervous at first, repetition and impact made it rewarding: "There's nothing better than getting good at your craft so that people can get the transformation." (21:25)

5. Real-World Impact: Testimonies & Transformations

• (22:00) Colin recounts a client who, after intensive practice, spoke to 5,000 people, gained recognition from Tony Robbins, and landed major speaking opportunities.
  • "I've made millions of dollars, but nothing compared to that experience. And now he's hooked." (22:55)

6. The Three Types of Talks

Colin categorizes talks based on intention and context: (24:26)

1. Sharp Sell:
   • Direct call to action; pitch at the end (webinars, owned events).
2. Soft Sell:
   • Indirect CTA; book a call, download a PDF, or express interest (guest expert sessions, corporate training).
   • Example: “Happy sheet” generates leads, not direct sales.
3. No Sell:
   • Pure value (keynotes, guest events) designed so desire for your work arises naturally.
     • "The claps should turn into clients... a lady came up to me and gave me her physical credit card and she's like, 'Colin, I don't know what you sell, but I need to buy it.'" (27:26)

Key Insight: Regardless of format, design your talk for connection and audience action.

7. What It Really Takes to Make Six Figures in One Presentation

• Three Ingredients for Six-Figure Presentations: (29:21)

  1. Audience with a painful problem, capacity, and willingness to pay.
  2. Message that resonates and moves them to act.
  3. Irresistible offer aligned with their needs.

• Colin’s Story:

  • Moving from consistent $30–40K webinars to a multi-six-figure 3-part launch by scaling audience and refining offer/message.
  • "There is a level of tenacity... you have to knight yourself and say I am ready to make money from my presentation." (32:25)

• Dr. Shannon’s Experience:

  • Implementing these shifts led her to multiple six-figure launches, with the only change being how she told stories and structured her presentations.

8. Bonuses & Book Information

• 100K Presentation Vault:

  • Four in-depth interviews with students who broke the $100K/presentation barrier. Details on the specific moves and decisions that created huge growth.
  • Available by ordering through onepresentationawaybook.com and submitting your receipt number. (35:18)

• Other Bonuses:

  • Multiple resources to support readers in mastering the art and business of speaking.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Your story has nothing to do with you... You need to tell it with the intention of the audience seeing themselves in this story.” — Colin Boyd (09:21)
• “Conviction sells more than content... The person with conviction will win every time.” — Colin Boyd (14:23)
• “Speaking for me is leadership... you're choosing to be a leader.” — Colin Boyd (18:09)
• “There’s nothing better than getting good at your craft so that people can get the transformation.” — Dr. Shannon Irvine (21:25)
• “You have to knight yourself and say I am ready to make money from my presentation. I’m ready to be a speaker.” — Colin Boyd (32:25)
• “When you’re 90 years old... you’re not going to regret the shots that you took. You’re going to regret the ones you didn’t take.” — Colin Boyd (38:01)

Key Timestamps

• 03:45 – Benefits of speaking for business owners: authority, connection, leverage
• 06:35 – Storytelling: Origin vs. Conversion stories and their impact on conversion
• 11:33 – Three questions a conversion story must answer
• 13:56 – Story and conviction as the new competitive edge in the AI era
• 17:00–18:35 – Colin’s own struggle with public speaking and how it mirrors leadership development
• 22:00 – Client case study: from novice to major stage success
• 24:26 – The three types of talks (sharp sell, soft sell, no sell)
• 29:21 – The three essentials to a six-figure presentation
• 35:18 – Overview of bonuses included with the book
• 38:01 – Closing wisdom on living with no regrets and taking your shot

Final Thoughts

Colin closes the episode with encouragement:

“When you’re 90 years old, sitting on your rocking chair, looking back on your life, you’re not going to regret the shots that you took. You’re going to regret the ones that you didn’t take. And my encouragement for you is if you feel a calling in your heart to shift, share your message on a bigger stage and share your message with the world. Something that’s impacted you. Like, I feel like you don’t have a choice. It’s not like I should. You must, you must get on a stage and speak. Even if it starts small, it doesn’t matter.” (38:01)

For Listeners

• Order the Book: onepresentationawaybook.com for bonuses.
• Key Takeaway: Whether you’re just starting or scaling up, applying Colin’s storytelling and presentation frameworks can fundamentally change the trajectory of your business.