Social Media Decoded – How Entrepreneurs Actually Get Speaking Opportunities

Host: Michelle Thames
Date: March 13, 2026
Episode Theme: Strategies for entrepreneurs to land speaking engagements through visibility, relationships, and referrals.

Episode Overview

In this episode of Social Media Decoded, Michelle Thames demystifies how entrepreneurs and business owners actually secure speaking opportunities. She emphasizes that the process isn’t as exclusive as many imagine—big platforms and speaker bureaus aren’t prerequisites. Instead, Michelle offers actionable strategies rooted in content creation, relationship building, and leveraging referrals. Drawing from personal experiences, she provides insights that empower listeners to start attracting speaking invitations through their online presence and real-world connections.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Myths Around Getting Booked as a Speaker

• Many believe you need a huge following or a speaker bureau to get booked.
• Reality: Most speaking gigs come from “relationships, visibility, conversations, and people seeing your expertise online” (01:18).

2. The Three Main Ways Entrepreneurs Secure Speaking Gigs

Michelle breaks down the three primary avenues entrepreneurs use to land speaking opportunities:

a. Visibility Through Content

• Consistently share your ideas and expertise online.
• Over time, your name becomes associated with certain topics.
• “People start associating you with certain topics… and eventually someone watching your content might think, ‘we should have her speak about this’” (02:14).

b. Rooms and Relationships

• Physically show up at events and conferences.
• These spaces allow people to experience your “energy in real life… hear how you talk… see how you think… and lead conversations” (02:52).
• Sometimes the person next to you is the one booking speakers (03:02).

c. Referrals and Word-of-Mouth

• One opportunity leads to the next.
• “Speaking tends to compound. One stage leads to another stage, one introduction leads to another introduction, and visibility spreads through networks” (03:20).

3. Real-World Stories: Visibility in Action

PowerTable Live Example

• Michelle found a speaking opportunity via Threads by responding to a post and engaging with the event host.
• The host resonated with Michelle’s shared content and perspective:

  “She saw my perspective online and the things I was sharing. They resonated—how I think about visibility, business, and building community. And I believe that that led for my invitation to speak” (04:05).

Alma Mater Invitation (Northern Illinois University)

• Someone saw Michelle’s content on LinkedIn and invited her to speak at her alma mater.
• Highlights the power of online conversations and their ripple effect:

  “They saw conversations I was having around visibility and entrepreneurship. And that visibility opened the door to an opportunity to come back and speak at the place where my own journey started” (05:02).

4. The Layers of Visibility

• Opportunities emerge from varied sources: social media, referrals, real-life rooms.
• Unified theme: “People need to see your expertise somewhere. They need to know what you stand for. They need to know what you talk about. And when that happens, opportunities start finding you” (05:34).

5. Unpopular Truth: You Don’t Need a Speaker Bureau

• For most, opportunities stem from visibility in relationships—not formal agencies:

  “You do not need a speaker bureau to get on stages… Most speaking opportunities come from people seeing your ideas, from people experiencing your energy, from someone saying your name in a room” (05:59).

• Take action: Don’t wait to be discovered. Put yourself out there where your expertise can be seen.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “There’s this belief that you need a speaker bureau or some huge platform… But honestly, that’s not how a lot of speaking opportunities happen.” (01:03)
• “One stage leads to another stage, one introduction leads to another introduction, and visibility spreads through networks.” (03:20)
• “When entrepreneurs understand this, they stop waiting to be discovered. They start putting themselves in spaces where their expertise can be seen.” (06:25)
• “Because the reality is, people book speakers they already trust, and trust is built through visibility.” (06:52)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:03 – Debunking myths about how speakers are booked
• 02:14 – Visibility through content
• 02:52 – The power of rooms and relationships
• 03:20 – Referrals and word-of-mouth explained
• 04:05 – Personal story: PowerTable Live opportunity via Threads
• 05:02 – Being invited to speak at her alma mater through LinkedIn connections
• 05:34 – The layers and compounding nature of visibility
• 05:59 – Unpopular truth: You don’t need a speaker bureau
• 06:25 – Encouragement to take initiative and show up

Takeaways for Listeners

• Focus on sharing your ideas and expertise publicly—online and in-person.
• Invest in building relationships at events and within your communities.
• Value every speaking engagement, no matter how small, as it can lead to more.
• Don’t wait to be ‘discovered’—actively seek opportunities to be seen and heard.
• Trust is the real currency, and it is built through repeated, authentic visibility.

If you enjoyed this episode, Michelle encourages you to connect, leave feedback, and share your own stories about landing speaking opportunities.