How to Become a Paid Expert and Sell From the Stage

The Social Media Takeaway - Louise McDonnell

In this episode of The Social Media Takeaway, I sit down with Debbie Allen, one of the highest paid speakers in the world, and an internationally recognized market positioning expert who has built and sold multiple million-dollar businesses.

At 19, she bought into her family’s business...now she’s spoken in 28 countries. We chat about what it takes to stand out in saturated markets and turn your expertise into income.

Debbie talks about how to create speaking topics that SELL, help you identify your ideal target market that will pay you top dollar, and share valuable resources to help you launch your professional speaking business.

This conversation is packed with honest, practical strategies, perfect for coaches, consultants, speakers, or anyone ready to shift from 1:1 hustle to scalable, expert-led business models.

You’ll also learn:
✅ Why paid speaking isn’t always the best path and what to do instead
✅ How to reverse engineer your offers to drive sales
✅ The #1 mistake people make when selling from stage
✅ Why now is the time to double down on live events
✅ How to build brand authority and use social as your virtual stage

Whether you want to book more stages, host your own events, or finally position yourself as the go-to expert in your niche…this episode will show you how to do it the smart, strategic way.
SHOW CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction to Debbie Allen
00:43 Debbie's Entrepreneurial Journey
03:24 Transition to the Speaking Business
04:10 Mastering Market Positioning
05:51 Secrets of Speaking and Selling from the Stage
10:43 Leveraging Social Media and Live Events
12:57 Common Mistakes and Trends in Speaking
17:05 Debbie's Gift and Final Thoughts
Connect with Debbie!
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbieallenspeaker/
Grab your FREE COPY of her latest bestselling book Expert Positioning HERE!

FREE MASTERCLASS - I highly recommend checking out her free event:

Paid Speaker Marketing Machine with Debbie Allen

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to my podcast because more like this is on the way!
If you'd like to book a call to see how I can support you head over to my website here. www.sellonsocialmedia.academy/hello
My 2025 Social Media Content Planner & Guide is now available! Packed with 400 content prompts, expert tips, and $377 worth of free resources to help you save time and get results in 2025.
Grab your copy now on Amazon!
Amazon UK
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Chapters

1. Introduction to Debbie Allen (00:00:00)

2. Debbie's Entrepreneurial Journey (00:00:43)

3. Transition to the Speaking Business (00:03:24)

4. Mastering Market Positioning (00:04:10)

5. Secrets of Speaking and Selling from the Stage (00:05:51)

6. Leveraging Social Media and Live Events (00:10:43)

7. Common Mistakes and Trends in Speaking (00:13:37)

8. Debbie's Gift and Final Thoughts (00:17:45)