Building a speaking business isn't about chasing gigs it's about compounding trust. In this conversation, Dave shares how content, patience, and positioning turned his work as an organizational psychologist into a full-time speaking career.

We talk about why books still matter, how YouTube became a silent lead generator, and why answering the same client questions over and over is actually the smartest content strategy. You'll hear why speaking for free can be a smart trade (if you get video), how to think about keynote fees realistically, and why momentum takes years, not weeks.

If you're trying to build a speaking business that lasts without burning out or begging for attention this episode is your long game playbook.

Timestamps:
00:00 — Cold Open & Intro
04:28 — From Academia to the Stage: Making the Leap to Speaking
06:16 — Why Books Became the Ultimate Business Card
06:56 — Inbound Only: Letting Content Do the Selling
08:08 — How Many Speaking Gigs Is "Enough"?
09:35 — Structuring a Keynote for Real Impact (Not Inspiration Fluff)
12:36 — Speaking Fees Explained: From Honorarium to Five Figures
15:34 — Associations vs Enterprise Clients: What Actually Repeats
17:49 — Why YouTube Beat Podcasting for Lead Generation
18:33 — The Mistakes That Killed Early YouTube Growth
20:44 — Long-Form vs Shorts: What Actually Brings Clients
26:44 — One Action Speakers Can Take Right Now
31:42 — The Long Game: Compounding Trust Over Time

Links:

Guest: David Burkus
Website: davidburkus.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus
Instagram: www.instagram.com/davidburkus
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@DavidBurkus