Oct 29, 2020
How To Run A Successful Speaking Business With Your Spouse
James Taylor interviews Brenda Bence and they talked about How To Run A Successful Speaking Business With Your Spouse
In today's episode Brenda Bence they talk about How To Run A Successful Speaking Business With Your Spouse.
A Certified Global Speaking Professional (CSPGlobal), Brenda Bence speaks regularly at conferences, conventions, and corporate gatherings all around the globe. Presenting her eye-opening approach to the combination of leadership and branding, she helps audience members strengthen both their own self-leadership and leadership of others. With an MBA from Harvard Business School and 20 years of experience building mega brands for Fortune 100 companies, Brenda left the corporate world and founded Brand Development Associates International. Her husband, Daniel Jackman, joined the business five years after that. Today - 10 years later – BDA’s client list contains dozens of the world’s most recognizable corporations and spans six continents. How did they grow such a successful speaking business together – and still stay happily married? Brenda will share important steps that she and Daniel took to make sure that both their business and their marriage would not only survive - but thrive!
What we cover:
- How To Run A Successful Speaking Business With Your Spouse
- The three most important questions to consider before you and your spouse decide to work together
- The pilot in command mindset
- The "Golden Rules" for balancing marriage and jointly running your speaking business
Resources:
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Read full transcript at https://speakersu.com/how-to-run-a-successful-speaking-business-with-your-spouse-sl086/
James Taylor
Hi, it's James Taylor, founder of SpeakersU. Today's episode was first
aired as part of International Speakers Summit the world's largest
online event for professional speakers. And if you'd like to access
the full video version, as well as in depth sessions with over 150
top speakers, then I've got a very special offer for you. Just go
to InternationalSpeakersSummit.com,
where you'll be able to register for a free pass for the summit.
Yep, that's right 150 of the world's top speakers sharing their
insights, strategies and tactics on how to launch grow and build a
successful speaking business. So just go to InternationalSpeakersSummit.com
but not before you listen to today's episode.
Hey there, it's James Taylor and I'm delighted to be joined by Brenda Bence, a certified global speaking professional CSP global Brenda bent speaks regularly at conferences, conventions and corporate gatherings all over the globe, presenting her eye opening approach to the combination of leadership and branding. She helped audiences and members strengthen both their own self leadership and leadership of others. With an MBA from Harvard Business School and 20 years of experience building mega brands for Fortune 100 companies. Brenda left the corporate world and founded brand development associates International. Her husband, Daniel, Jacqueline joined the business five years after that, today, 10 years later, bdaas client list contains dozens of the world's most recognizable corporations and spans of six continents. How did they grow such as successful speaking business together and still stay happily married, Brenda will share important steps that she and Daniel took to make sure that both their business and America would not only survive, but thrive. It's my great pleasure to have Brenda with us today. So welcome, Brenda.
Brenda Bence
Oh, thank you, James. It's just a pleasure to be as part of
this.
James Taylor
So before we get out to share with everyone what's going on in your
world, just now what book current projects have your focus?
Yeah,
Brenda Bence
well, actually, you reach me here today in Thailand, I'm actually I
love to write near water. That's my thing. So I'm writing my next
book, and it will be coming out in January of 2018. Very excited
about it. And so it's a perfect time to just be by the water and
right.
James Taylor
So that's what I'm doing. Beautiful. And how did you get into this
world of speaking in the first place where it all began? For
you?
Brenda Bence
Yeah, well, actually, I left the big corporate world after 20
years, as you mentioned, and I decided I really wanted to find a
sweet spot between leadership and branding. And I wanted to be able
to deliver that in a multitude of ways, both in executive coaching,
as well as in professional speaking through books, etc. online
courses. So really, it was kind of natural, then ultimately, I went
and listen to someone talk about being a professional speaker. And
I thought, Okay, let's do that. So, so I've started that. And it's
really been that that simple. And it just took off from there.
James Taylor
And in those early days of just moving from the corporate world
into the professional speaking world, who those early mentors or
role models here,
Brenda Bence
you know, I was one of the things I always recommend to early
professional speakers just starting out, get a coach. And I got a
couple of coaches early on in my career. The first one was Sandra
shrift sound, right? A wonderful woman out of California. And
actually then also, I worked with Lou heckler wonderful man,
fantastic speaker. And he really helped me shape my my business
terms of speaking what I wanted to achieve, know how, what it meant
to really be a professional speaker. So there's so many people
James, you know, we're, we're always giving back to each other.
This is such a wonderful community speakers are, we're always
giving back to everybody else. So I did the same, you know, I
always say pay it forward, because I felt so mentored and taken
care of in my early part of my career.
James Taylor
And but before we came on, on this, we were discussing how we can
make the topic of our conversation today. And we were talking about
the importance of our partners and growing up helping grow our
businesses and certain supporters. And, and this isn't something I
don't really hear or see talked about so much at conventions or
event. So I was really keen to talk about this, because we can do
this with the summit, we can go on some of those areas that which
aren't talked about so much. So when you you mentioned you can
start the business and you got going for the first five years on
your own. But then there came a point where you decided to bring
your spouse side to kind of come into the business together.
Tourism, what were those conversations around that time when you
were thinking about possibly coming together and working on the
business together?
Brenda Bence
Well, Daniel, my husband, Daniel Jackman was actually CFO of a
regional company. He had quite a big job and a 500 person
organization. So I was really trying to run the business by myself.
And I had a small team of people we were doing fine. But the
incremental growth was just that incremental those first five
years. It wasn't the kind of growth that I felt we could have. And
I realized that I was the bottleneck, James, because I was the one
right I was trying to manage all the people working with me
finance, accounting and all the various people I suddenly realized
all that time that I was spending doing that, which is not that I
didn't enjoy it, but it's just I'd rather be on the mic. I could be
on the mic or working with clients or connecting, I realized I was
the bottleneck. So I was talking to Daniel about it. And I just
said, I know that I'm the bottleneck here. And what I really neat,
what we really need is a good general manager to help with this
business. And that's when the conversation started, because I
realized I was married to him.
James Taylor
So what were those, what were those kind of if someone is listening
just now and just for transparency, my wife and I, we we've built
our business together since 2001. So So we've kind of gone through
that, and and, you know, sent to yourself as well. But if anyone
just now this thinking about bringing the husband wife partnering
with his significant other and kind of building the business
together, what are the questions that they should be asking of
themselves to know whether it's a good fit for them?
Brenda Bence
Well, it's a great question, James. And in many ways, I wish that
we had been asked those questions early on to I think this is
learning by fire sometimes, you know, people say you work with your
husband, how does that work? You know, but here's the point there,
I think there's three key questions you really want to think about
before you decide to work together. The first one is, what do you
want? What do you want to achieve? Really, like? What's the
intention of running the business together? Because it's not like a
nine to five job working together in this business. It's a
lifestyle choice. And so I always ask people, if you're struggling
to manage two careers, is it that you're managing vacation
schedules gets too complicated? Or is it you want freedom to spend
more time with your kids, that is not our situation, we don't have
children. But the first two were very real, we did struggle to
manage two careers, it's very difficult to find the time off, when
one person is busy in one job, then suddenly they move the other
person available. And it just was very challenging. And of course,
for our situation, the intention was to marriage to marry the
talents that we both brought, for which we realize were quite
synergistic. So and we need it simply the business needed a good
general manager, someone who could manage the put Daniel, post the
back office while I did the front office, and it worked really
well. So you have to ask yourself, what do you want to achieve?
What's the intention? I think that's the first question. The second
question, I would say is, are you as compatible in the workplace as
you are at home? It's a very important question. You know, the
reasons why you fall in love with someone James, and you know,
this, and then you marry them may not be the same characteristics
you want in a partner in business. So you really have to think
about that. And is there a generally good mix of skills between the
two of you? If so, fantastic. But if you like to do the same
things, well, how's that going to work out? If you both like to do
marketing and branding? Well, then who's gonna be doing the finance
and accounting? Right? So I think for Daniel night really worked
well, because he's finance accounting administration operations, it
it's good at that. I'm branding, I'm strategy, I'm marketing, I'm
client relationships, product development, it was a beautiful mix,
it was a very, very nice mix. But I really don't think it's always
right for every couple. So you have to really look at yourself and
say, What do we bring? What do we both bring? And are we as
compatible in the workplace as we are at home? And then the third
question I would ask is, can you manage the risk, you know,
especially if your other if your spouse is working at another job
already, and he or she is thinking about leaving that job to join
you and your speaking business, that means you're doing two things.
One, you're putting both of your career eggs in one basket, right
in your one business, but also financially, you know, when you're
not on the mic, as a speaker, you don't earn income? Well, unless,
of course, you have a thriving online business selling associated
products and books. But usually, most speakers don't make enough
from that to have a full time as a full time job speaking really
needs to be your full time job. And when you drop your spouse's
immediate salary, can you justify that? You know, can you justify
that? So that's a really important question to look at both
financially and from a career standpoint,
James Taylor
you went through that transition of kind of going from working big
business big corporates, to to small kind of just building it
gradually. And then obviously, Daniel went through that same thing
of like, 500 person business into being small. So I've always had
an interest in the, you know, the psychological side of that,
because that's, that's a big trends, regardless of whether someone
moves, it makes me lose a job. That's a transition, but going from,
you know, working in those larger organizations to being as much
small and building it yourself. That that's the challenge. What was
what was in your head and how did you cope with that? How did
Daniel cope with that?
Brenda Bence
Well, that's a great question. You know, you have two were both
MBAs. You have two MBAs. Yeah. Running, but we're used to being top
dogs in two big businesses. And suddenly, we're in, you know, the
room together, how do we manage this? Right? So I'm not gonna lie,
it wasn't easy. And I'll share with you some, some hints and tips
and some very key things we did once we started working together.
But you do have to ask those questions up front, too. You know,
Daniel, you know, his, I'm very blessed, he doesn't need to be out
in front. He doesn't like to actually be on stage that much,
although he does a fine job when he is. But he doesn't really like
that. And obviously, that's where my sweet spot is. So that works
together well, but we had to have those conversations. And for us,
honestly, it just became, it made so much sense, it made sense
financially, it made sense from a business perspective. And we just
had to recognize that the vision for the business was going to be
big, and we have to kind of hang our hat on that and get
comfortable that it wasn't going to be a lot of ego up front. And
that we were running this business together as partners. And
ultimately, it worked out fine. It wasn't easy. I'm not gonna lie.
I think at the beginning, it's a bit challenging. And there were
some real how tos that we picked up on once we did decide to work
together. And we'll
James Taylor
go through some of those hatches. Just as you're seeing this,
there's so many parallels. I know, when I started, my wife and I
started our business together. You know, we actually we did a
little bit of exercise, we, there was a great company that could
incite, who do kind of personality testing and all those, you know,
they do all the personality tests. And we actually went to one
together because we wanted to make sure because we knew as a
couple, we were very well you know, match and everything. But as
you say, in business that doesn't always know translate. So we
actually went through these, these kind of personality assessments
test to look at our different strengths and weaknesses and things.
And we were we were pretty fortunate and that we can recognize my
I'm most similar to you on being on stage in that way. And speaking
and marketing and selling I level that brand branding, whereas my
wife, Allison, she is well she's actually adjusting its trade. So
she's very used to being on stages in that context. But actually,
she's also an attorney, a lawyer. So she is amazing detail or which
I hate. So she's so we kind of have that kind of blend. And she's a
very good follow up detail type of person. And but even even with
us, we also recognize that there was some gaps between both of our
skill sets that we needed to fill in. And very early, we had to
bring in additional kind of one person, then it became a bit of a
team, just to plug those gaps that we just neither of us had,
particularly because it was just you just don't have even between
just two people, you just don't have those skills.
Brenda Bence
That's exactly right. No, there was a couple things we could we did
similar to you, after about one year of working together. And you
know, it was a tough, it was a challenging year, you know, again,
we're both going through massive transition, we decided to do take
a step further than what you mentioned, we actually hired a coach.
You know, I'm a coach, too. So I know the benefits of having a
coach. Yeah. And so we decided, let's bring in a coach. So we hired
a coach had a beautiful one day off site, just the coach and myself
and Daniel, it was a super smart action to take it was a big aha, I
think for a lot of a lot of couples that we talked to who are
saying they're thinking about doing this, when I say hire a coach,
they're like, Ah, ha, ha, that's a good idea. But what that did was
a lot of to do a number of things. One was to have an aligned
vision. And that was really key. She asked us some powerful
questions around what success looks like. And we did it separately,
I had my idea of success. He had his idea of success. And what did
each person how did each person See it? And then how do we see it
together? And through that exercise, James, we had remarkably
similar visions. And so whenever I talk to young couples or couples
who are thinking about doing this, I'll say, what's your vision? Is
that the same as your spouse's, so you need to have that
conversation and that we did that. And then secondly, it changed
what you just said, understand each other better. We also did
individual style assessments with that coach, to help us better
understand our work habits and behaviors, and just little things,
you know, it's funny now, at the time, the things that used to
drive us nuts about each other, now that we kind of go up, I get
it, okay, it's fine. For example, Daniels very much a night owl.
Well, I happen to be a really a morning person, like a really surfy
happy morning person, one of those people that you hate to have
around in the morning, probably. But by the time Daniel makes it to
the office, in the morning, I've been there three to four hours,
I'm ready to rock and roll, let's address some issues. Well, he
just needs some coffee, you know, and I get that and similarly at
night, when Daniel has all sorts of work to do things that he wants
to talk about, because he's, you know, he's a late afternoon kind
of guy, I'm tired. So we compromise and we talk about things in the
late mornings and early afternoons. So you know, things like that
you just have to learn each other's styles, what works and what
paths
James Taylor
work that essentially I mean, I my top is on creativity and, and I
speak a lot about like finding that those optimal times view from a
creative sense. You know, when you're When you're at your peak
there, and I'm just saying, I've never actually thought about that,
in terms of, I know my time is probably more similar to yours. I'm
more than morning I kind of have a morning thing and then I
actually have a kind of nine 9pm till midnight thing and then
afternoons I do my calls and do do the things which may be pushing
me less in that way. Whereas Allison, is the opposite way. I like
even more like do you like your husband like Daniel was and, and
it's it's kind of finding those kind of crossover periods when
you're, you're both on in that place.
Brenda Bence
And it's respecting each other, and us respecting each other's
nothing's good, nothing's bad, nothing's right, nothing's wrong, it
just is. And so you have to learn to expect that. And actually, it
works fine. You know, it works fine. We kind of play tag team, when
I'm tired at night, I hand it over, and he works on it the morning,
I take it back over, so it works fine. So there's another thing
that I think is really key that we kind of discovered during that
coaching session together. And that was that you're in the business
of speaking, you're not a speaker in business. To me, there's a big
difference to them, we both really agree on that it is a business.
So for us, you know, we are a business people first, and then I'm a
speaker, and then he's a partner or whatever. So if you want to
succeed, and let's face it, we're the product when we're speakers,
the best speakers really understand that we are in the business of
speaking. Now, the beauty of that was we had two business leaders
that were in the business by two MBAs, you know, really well versed
in business. I mean, what a tremendous asset, right? And we wanted
to really leverage that to the max. And so our coach really helped
us to think about how we could do that. And obviously, the answer
is to divide and conquer James and play to your strengths. And
think about what each person brings to the table. And I mentioned,
Daniel is really good at finance, accounting, IT systems on
marketing, branding, plant relationships, etc. And those synergies
are fantastic. So how could we leverage them the best? Well, what
we decided to do was pull together a system we call pilot in
command. And you know, on any plane, you may or may not know this,
but there's always two pilots at least. And there's always one
that's called the pilot in command. What that means is, the pilots
can discuss things back and forth. But ultimately, if there's a
crisis, or something has to happen, there's one pilot in command.
So what we decided to do is split the business up into the various
parts, and each of us would be pilot in command for that particular
part. So for example, if it's finance, accounting, contracting,
Daniel's very good at legal as well, that type of the keys, pilot
and command, another words, we'll discuss it, we'll have a
conversation, and we usually agree, but if we can't or cannot
ultimately agree, he is the pilot in command for that, and he will
take the lead and just make that final decision. Likewise, if it's
something related to me, product development, client relationships,
marketing, or branding, we'll discuss it always discuss it. But
ultimately, if we don't agree, then I will be the pilot in command
for that particular topic. And that's how we decide to make
decisions. And it works really well. It works really well.
James Taylor
That doesn't. That's that's an interesting subtlety there. Because,
you know, you sometimes hear I've heard that that the analogy of
the copilot used before, and I never kind of quite got it in that
way. Because the way the way you've described because always felt
like with a co pilot, well, there's always one person in charge.
And then there was the copilot, there was like two co pilots in
that way. So you mentioned that that phrase like pilot in command,
that person has ultimately no command of that particular part of
the of the business. That's, that's interesting, because that's
because often when I think about pilots, I think about commercial
pilots. actually don't think about like, for example, we had Rob
Waldo Waldman, when your fellow speakers on the summit, and then
they'll often have a lot at the front, maybe the pilot, and you'll
have a navigator, you'll have a navigator and you'll have a weapon,
for example, they they're different, completely different roles
that they're fulfilling, but they know each of them who is in
command of that thing. So that's for me, actually, what you've just
said, there is a subtle batch of a powerful shift in my thinking,
All
Brenda Bence
right, thanks. Yeah, no, it really is about that. Because we are co
pilots. In fact, we have a wonderful photo of ourselves. Well, I
think for our 15th wedding anniversary, we've got into a pilot's
chairs, we sat side by side and took a great photo of us both being
co pilots, right, both of us put their hand on the main, you know,
the stick the driver, but but the point is, ultimately, when it
comes to those decisions, we have to have one pilot in command for
each of those areas. And that works great.
James Taylor
I'm interested in because you obviously, part of the role of being
a speaker is you're traveling a lot you're you're going from this
conference to this conference. And I'm wondering what kind of what
ground rules Did you establish in the early early years as you were
going to building what do you do now? So that you can still see
each other frankly, cuz you know, I, you know, my wife, Jessie, and
she's on the road a lot. And I'll be speaking as when we've, we've
kind of worked out our own kind of way of doing it. So, so works
for us. But what did you guys work out?
Brenda Bence
Yeah, well, one of the nice perks, obviously, of working with your
spouse is that you actually get to travel together with the
business we have where we travel extensively. And so normally, to
be honest, normally I travel with an assistant, I always travel
with an assistant, but sometimes if it works, he will travel with
me. And we usually do it for around three things, there's three
different types of situations where we'll have him travel with me,
first, if it's a strategic business opportunity, maybe there'll be
buyers in the back of a room, he can connect with them while I'm
speaking. One of our clients just adores Daniel. And so every time
they have me come back to speak at their annual conference, they
always say, bring along Daniel bring along Daniel. So you know,
he's, he's just really well loved. And so he helps keep that
relationship going. So that's an example of when he travel. The
other is think and benefit from cost savings, if some reason we
decided to, maybe I'm speaking at a conference where it's more for
visibility than incomes, give come along, because you can stay in
the same hotel room and save money on that front. But then also he
can make make some connections and that type of thing. And then
thirdly, obviously, to add in a holiday, you know, we want to have
some fun. And if it's a place to work, maybe Daniel hasn't been or
we haven't been together. Last year, I spoken at a conference, a
corporate gathering. And we've never been to the Taj Mahal, either
one of us. I've been to India many times, but never the Taj. And so
it was in Delhi as a speaking engagement, we said, dun, dun, let's
go. So we actually got done, I got done speaking in the afternoon,
went right, got up at two in the morning, drove to the three and a
half hour drive to Taj and got a photo as with some companies at
530, right in front of cars with another single person near but
there was an awesome experience. And that's the kind of thing let's
face it, we're in this business for a reason, right? To have the
flexibility to have fun to enjoy ourselves and our business
together. So it was perfect.
James Taylor
So you start working together? What advice would you give to people
who are now couples are now starting to build their business
together to ensure not only the the they have, you know, successful
in building their business together, but actually successful,
ensuring that their marriage also thrives?
Brenda Bence
That's a really important question. James. Look, you know, one of
the things we early on, we talked about with how do we separate
business and personal lives, that's really important, because when
you're running this business, let's face it, it's kind of a 24.
Seven, situation with any entrepreneurship running a business,
small business. So you have to come to an agreement when you will
talk about business and when you won't, you know, some couples, you
know, for driving to the we have two offices, one downtown one in a
home, actually, we have one in our home. So do you drive to your
office together? If so, is that work time? Or is that personal
time? All right, getting clear on that as a one example, we, when
we're working out of our home office, we have a very nice, fully
equipped home office, it's on a separate floor from our living
quarters. And our we have an assistant that works there with us.
And she's actually so she'll have lunch with us every day, she
actually asked us not to talk business at lunch. So that's a good
reminder, you know, things like that, we have to just be really
cautious about that. So finding the separation between business and
personal. I think the way to help do that, too, is the second point
I have here, James to share with you is give yourself space. You
know, I've always said the secret to a successful marriage is
separate bathrooms. I agree with you on that. Yeah. And the secret
to success of our working together has been separate offices,
separate working spaces, you know, some people can do it. We know a
couple of very good couple, they've been working together for
years, and they sit in the same room every day and work together. I
admire that that's not us, we know ourselves and we prefer
otherwise. So really thinking about that. So just as a couple of
thoughts about how to make sure you really know when it's business
and when it's personal, and how to separate in when necessary.
James Taylor
I mean, that is is so fundamental. I mean, we we actually have a
home here in the UK that we have, we actually have a on our
property, we have a separate office building, which I'm speaking
from today. And we talk business in here. We do all our stuff
there. But actually when we go over to the house, with exception we
were talking about stuff in the living in the kitchen and having
discussions there. We don't really we have quite quite a strong
divide. And there's often I'll make a note of something I'll write
it down and I'll bring it in when we're actually and and that's
just true. You know that that works for us. But that's not to say
that that works works for everyone, but I agree there's that
there's that sense of ensuring that you have that space in your
life. Otherwise, it could just completely absorb you and your
marriage, your worksite.
Brenda Bence
What's so important is so so I think if you had thought that I
have, it's not so much about, it's more about respecting and
honoring the spouse and the role that the spouse play in this
business. You know, one of the things some of the things we've also
done, not just for business and for the marriage, but both of us
get into mastermind together. speakers have a lot of masterminds
speakers have a lot of conferences, we have even this one, right,
international speaker summit, we have all these opportunities for
self development. But we have to think about us as a pair us as a
team, and how are we developing as a team in the business. So we
have the mind, when other in the face of people who are similar,
like they're working with relatives, working with spouses, that's
really important to reach out and have that kind of support.
Another thing I say is make sure your spouse is active in the
industry to if if he or she wants to, for example, been very active
in the industry. He's engaged in our local Asia Pacific Speakers
Association. And in fact, funny, everybody is a member. But of
course he's not. He's not the first. So he's been asked several
times. And he's really good at it. People really enjoy learning a
lot from how he manages the back office, but making sure your
spouse is active issue. I think that's really key. It's not just
about the speaker, that's, that's really fun.
James Taylor
Well, I mean, this has been so fascinating, just kind of hearing
about the relation building your business with your partner, I want
to kind of come on to maybe some of the some of the more mundane
things. I spoke about travel a little bit earlier. But what is in
your speaker bag, what is in that bag that you carry with you to
all of your speaking engagements that you never leave home without,
there's always packed in and pretty much always ready to go.
Brenda Bence
Well, I have a one day of 510 days to test ready to go. Okay, so
they're ready to go as much as you know why spend all that time? I
think so? Well, I think there's a few things. One that makes some
people laugh is I always carry a pair of balls. And at the end of
the day, I'm standing on your feet, I sit down and roll them
underneath my feet look fantastic. It's like homemade foot massage.
So I'm not going to take along, I also put along gym clothes, even
if you open because you know what it is you open up there in the
suitcase, she passes my gym clothes, that's a good reminder, I
gotta get up, I've got to get out there and surfing, I've got to
get out there, even walk around the block, whatever. And I'll carry
super healthy snack to like vegan snack bars, things like that. I
try not stare at you careful as I travel so much internationally.
But getting caught with and I've gotten caught with an apple going
into the United States forgot to get people on the plane and you
gotta be careful, even like thrown in the slammer for that. Same
with raisins and Australia caught one during Australia into
Australia carrying razors they do not take kindly to that they have
to be a little cautious. But I like to take my healthy food with me
healthy food and a pair of golf balls. and simple.
James Taylor
But that's I know you and I were to discussion before about like
obviously you'll fly in the day before two days before your your
speaking engagement. And and and this is not the same for every
speaker I speak to but in your case you don't like doing the the
meet and greet thing of that often happens the evening before when
everyone's kind of getting together. There's drinks with restaurant
somewhere that drinks at a bar, you're not keen on that.
Brenda Bence
I don't I consider it part of my most important instrument is
throat care, right? I've got to take care of my voice. That is if I
don't have that I'm not earning a living so and now if I don't earn
a living that means a lot of people in our company don't are
living. So that's really a sense of responsibility I have so I
don't join the night before now. I don't drink alcohol the night
before. I don't like being loud rooms where you have to yell at
some What a beautiful way to destroy your voice the night before
speaking engagements. So cops are great about it. I tell them that
if you want they want to know that I'm protecting their voice.
They're very understanding if there's something night after I'm
speaking, let's go out let's have some fun. And there's totally
respectful of that. I've never had a problem with it. But I do I've
done throughout the night before. Yeah, not turn up for drinks.
James Taylor
And you you also gave me a great tip which I've started doing now
and one is what because whenever I travel, often if my wife's
traveling with me She always has a humidifier.
Brenda Bence
For for the room, either the little small ones that you can get
just insured depending on where you're traveling in the world. And
I know you and I have spoken about you know the power and you told
me a tip you said actually many hotels now we'll have them
available and you can just call ahead and ask them to do have it in
the room. And Paula had I asked for humidifier Now remember, I'm
basing Singapore humid all the time or come to Thailand a lot with
little place in Thailand. I'm in hot, humid environments all the
time. So for me has humidifier in dry places I knew Denver or Seoul
or places like that where it's really dry and winter time.
Absolutely co-head, let them know you're welcome humidifier.
Actually many hotels, you call up the shop, they'll have a huge
amount of problem, letting them know that you need a certain level
of humidity. It's good about that. Yeah,
James Taylor
I used to give me another great tip, which was something you do
whenever you check into your hotel room, you basically empty the
minibar or have it have the minibar empty before for you in the
room. And you go out and you just go out to the liquor store
somewhere, or have your system go out and you just stock it with
fresh fruit, water, healthy stuff, basically.
Brenda Bence
I don't even dump it out myself. Usually I call in advance and ask
them to have it empty by the time I show up. Because you know, you
just come off with long flight that snicker bar looks awfully and
do that, right? So no actually call in advance and ask them to
clean out the menu bar. I show up and they're still there build
they'll come right away and claim it out. Actually, it's not that
unusual. I think most people must be doing it. Because when I ask
usually they go right away. Okay, no problem, and they clear it
out. So
James Taylor
what about any online resources or tools or apps you find useful
for yourself as a speaker, as you're traveling all the time, you're
out there marketing and selling and and supporting the many leaders
that you work with as well in in business? Are there any online
resources or tools apps that you find particularly useful? Do
you
Brenda Bence
know not so much apps, I'm a big fan of Well, I do certain things
like offer clones, which is like a scanning technology where I can
scan receipts, for example, that I've taken and send them to the
accountant right away, it gets taken care of, I can have my expense
report ready. By the time I have little things like that I'm very
helpful for office when I use a lot. I also am on TripAdvisor, I
actually have about 120,000 readers on TripAdvisor. So I'm a lot of
going in on that. It's a great way to find out the nearest x the
restaurant, the nearest you know, hotel, whatever, that's kind of a
nice thing to do. But the other thing that I do is actually I I
like to do in exercises. So there's some great, not much app,
YouTube videos on how to do real good and room exercises, without
needing to have a lot of materials. You know, your use, you get
real creative with what you have use your suitcase. It's up and
down and do your there's a lot that you can do. And there's
literally fun things out there like that. If you know, you know
what it is like in the morning, your day have a big difference. You
fake it and run into people looking horrible. In the mornings as
she went to the gym. Let's face it, right? It's not exactly the
image we have a bunch of hurt. So often I'll just do those in romex
just grabbing you do with some fun, do some tricep gets on the
bathtub, things like that. You'd be surprised what you do when you
make shift with it. It's fun for or order trainer, a hotel to the
personal trainer, she's going to work. You're working on your
James Taylor
next book just now as well. And and that's why sometimes if people
know sometimes the signal get a little bit constrained and
everything because to the power of the web we are you're in
Thailand, today I'm speaking to you from Scotland, the Highlands of
Scotland. So you sometimes have to kind of bear with these things.
But I want to ask you a question about a book, what would what
would be the one book that you would recommend to people to read
out read and it could be related to speaking. Or it could be
related maybe to your topic you speak out which is that the
interconnection between branding and leadership?
Brenda Bence
Well, for stickers like that, I'll just say one of my latest books,
called leading new and it's about the power of worship, and to lead
ourselves effectively. That said, I have a, you know, an offer I
want to offer to the speakers listening with this, that I have a
book that I created called smarter brands without breaking the bank
chains. And this is when I started out this business, I went from
having big pockets millions of dollars to run the about literally a
billion dollar business because that's what I did. I was in the
corporate world, to suddenly, you know, not empty pockets, but I
didn't want to spend all my hard earned cash and savings, building
my business. So actually, when I took all those learnings that I've
had from all these years, working with big businesses and building
big brands, find them to individuals, myself, the leader, help
other people do the same for smarter branding without breaking the
bank. Super simple, pretty short. It's really packed full of
information and all those great learnings How do you lie to
ourselves as owners of small businesses?
James Taylor
I've got a final question for you, Brenda. Let's imagine you woke
up tomorrow morning, and you had to start from scratch. So you have
all the tools of your trade or the knowledge that you've acquired.
You have thankfully, you have your husband with you, as well. So
used to the deal to get there. But you know, no one, no one knows
you, you have to restart. How would you restart?
Brenda Bence
First thing I would do is the first thing I did when I started this
business, pick a lane, pick a lane. You know, as a speaker, too
many people talk on the same topic. And it sounds like there's a
lot of overlap. But it doesn't have to be that way. Pick a lane
meaning find your positioning in the market that's unique to you
and a specific need, both functional and emotional, that you can
meet, and then get, just dive into it. You know, live it, breathe
it, eat it, that is your specialty, that's your passion, love it
and live it. And that kind of shine to clients get it. They sense
it, they love it, too. And they'll follow and they'll hire you
again and again.
James Taylor
Well, Brent has been an absolute pleasure speaking to you today.
Thank you so much for coming on the summit and sharing your
knowledge and your wisdom. It's really been fascinating, just
having this this conversation today. And we're going to have all
these links here. We'll have a link to your site as well. So we
will be able to go on there and find out more about you and and
your other products and programs you have obviously have your
executive coaching that you do as well. But thank you so much. I'm
gonna let you get away. continue writing on your book finish that
book. I look forward to reading it when it's released.
Brenda Bence
Hey, thanks, thanks. It's a great time to talk with you today. I
appreciate very much all the best. And
James Taylor
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