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Only a tiny slice of speakers seems to land the best stages again and again and again, and it is not always the celebrities. I’m joined by Maria Franzoni, speaker advocate, coach, and former speaker bureau insider, to dig into what actually drives paid speaking engagements, repeat bookings, and higher keynote speaker fees. If you’ve ever wondered why brilliant talks still struggle to sell, Maria brings the agent’s-eye view that cuts through noise and gives you practical clarity.

We start with the story behind the strategist: growing up British Italian, learning to navigate culture and language, and inheriting a serious work ethic from parents who built stability through sheer persistence. That personal foundation matters, because the stage is never only about slides and scripts. We also talk openly about gender assumptions, what it means to choose a childfree life, and how those experiences shape confidence, boundaries, and message.

Then we get into the heart of it: Maria’s Bookability Formula and what the top 1% of bookable speakers do. We break down the four pillars the market rewards most: being relevant to a paying market, being known for one clear thing, being memorable to audiences and bookers, and being easy to find and easy to work with. We also explore the multiplier of value (ROI, outcomes, change) and the role of ego, which can help you step on stage but can also undermine trust if it grows too big.

If you want a sharper speaker positioning, a more commercial topic, and a clearer route to getting booked more often, this conversation gives you a grounded framework to act on. Subscribe, share this with a speaker friend, and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

He helped raise £225 million, worked punishing weeks, and then walked away from it all. Jon Kaye joins me in The Clearing to unpack the moment he stopped chasing the obvious definition of success and started rebuilding a life around creativity, community, and better questions.

We talk through Jon’s founder story in private equity: the risk of resigning with a pregnant wife, a new house, and no salary, and the life-changing power of one credible person saying “yes”. From there, the conversation turns to burnout, the decision not to launch “fund two”, and the radical reset of taking three young children out of school to travel the world for a year. If you’re thinking about career change, work life balance, or designing a second act, John’s honesty lands hard.

From his basement music studio packed with modular synthesisers and miles of cables, Jon explains why friction matters and why making things harder can lead to more original work, especially in a world flooded with AI content. We dig into his Unmastered newsletter ethos of thinking clearly, living deliberately, and creating without chasing, plus the community-first mission behind DO Radio, a live station you can’t pause or download by design.

If this conversation sparks something in you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review. What would you stop chasing first if you could redesign your life this week?

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

You can hear a whole philosophy of change hidden inside one simple move: Put the bike where you can see it. That is the kind of practical, human behaviour design we get into with Mike Coulter, a lifelong Creative who’s worked across advertising, helped shape projects at the DO Lectures, and now teaches tools for building 'Tiny Habits' that actually stick.

We start with the stories that made Mike: Growing up in Yorkshire, learning his dad’s rule for a good job, cutting his teeth at a local newspaper, then spotting the world of advertising and chasing it hard. Along the way we talk about the craft behind great creative work, why the best ideas often arrive away from the desk, and how places like Cornwall’s Camel Trail and the Atlantic can become thinking environments that support focus, calm, and better decisions.

Then we go deep on BJ Fogg, Stanford, the Tiny Habits Method, and what changed for Mike when he stopped trying to “motivate himself” and started making behaviours easier to do. We explore behaviour matching, prompts, ability, and the ethics of influence, plus why so many products win by serving people who already want the outcome. If you care about habit formation, productivity, mental health, marketing psychology, or simply building a healthier routine without burnout, you’ll leave with clear takeaways you can test immediately.

Find more of Mike’s work at https://www.habitualise.com, and if you enjoy the conversation, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s the tiniest habit you’re willing to start today?

Tune in next week for more stories from the clearing, and don't forget to subscribe and review wherever you get your podcast.

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening!