Wendi McNeill is the founder of Charli Jane Speakers®, established in 2002 and
opening doors for speakers since 2002. She is a marketing and confidence coach and teaches speakers how to launch & grow their businesses to achieve a booked speaking schedule.
Charli Jane Speakers provides speakers with support, exposure, tools, tips,
speaking opportunities, and coaching programs to assist them in growing
their speaking business.
When it comes to Wendi’s clients, she is passionate and laser-focused on
how they can grow their speaking business to great success and fulfillment
levels. They work together on strategies to quickly & easily position
themselves as the top expert in their subject matter.
FWM: Share your background and the challenges you have faced.
I think I was born with a creative and entrepreneurial spirit. I started and ran
several businesses beginning when I was 17 until now (in my 56th year).
Some failures, some successes, and some may have been let go too soon.
No matter what, they all provided their fair share of learning lessons which I
draw on to help others manage their own learning curves to give them a
jumpstart by helping them know how to manage obstacles and plan for
success.
In 2002, I started Charli Jane Speakers to help Speakers, Authors, and
Coaches build their businesses and platforms. I love to teach and coach. That
is what I feel I am here to do – to teach and coach others to be successful and
balanced in their business and life. This probably stems from my raising,
teaching, and nurturing four daughters and being an entrepreneur myself.
I want everyone to be happy, successful, and impactful. I challenge those I
work with to boldly look deep within to define success for themselves because
success is not always what it may appear to be on the surface.
FWM: “It is never about what life has handed you but about how you create
your own life.” Explain
In other words, if you think you’ve been handed a bowl of lemons and you’re
doomed, that’s probably what will happen. As the old saying goes, take the
lemons and make lemonade. Those lemons don’t create the life you want.
They don’t define the person you are or the things you want to accomplish.
Only you can do that. It’s what you do with what you have that matters. So, it’s
a lot of getting out of your own way and changing your mindset to know you
can do anything. Also, it’s about understanding that even if you can do
anything, you don’t have to do everything. You need priorities, support,
passion and balance. Tell yourself so, and it will be – as long as you put in the
effort. I live by the idea that you get out of it what you put in. What I have
learned through my own life, and business, experiences is to get back up after
you fall, never quit, stay dedicated and focused. This is how you CREATE
your destiny, your legacy. I was determined to make those lemons into
lemonade and so much more, and I did.
FWM: You are a successful marketing and confidence coach. What are the
first steps to getting paid speaking opportunities?
I get asked this often, and it really does matter who the individual is and what
they are willing to bring to the process. I will say three things that set almost
everyone up to secure booked paid speaking gigs:
Niche yourself tightly. You might hear this a lot, but it couldn’t be more
true in this industry, and I have seen time and time again first hand the
payoffs of deeply diving into a very specific niche. Some think that being
a generalist and casting the widest net catches the most gigs, but this is
not the case. Planners trust experts and experts focus deeply.
Specialized speakers in a tight niche get the gigs. Period.
Consistency is Key. In everything you do, across the board, you must
be consistent. Consistency in branding and messaging. Consistency in
creating content is extremely important. You want to play the long
game. So the more consistent you are, the more you will build a strong
speaking platform that is solid and showcases you as the expert in your
field. This ultimately sets you up for paid speaking gigs without you
having to chase them down. Consistency builds presence and presence
builds trust. Trust builds success.
Always believe in yourself. Believe in your message and that you need
to share it to help others. Don’t give up – ever. Don’t second guess
yourself or your ability to get on the stage and reach those people you
are meant to reach. It’s not about polish, but it is about purpose. You
can learn to be a more polished speaker as you grow, but no one can
teach you your purpose. That comes from within and a higher place. If
you are being called to speak, then speak.
FWM: Tell us about Charli Jane Speakers® and how you are helping
speakers launch and grow their speaking business.
As a long-term industry insider, I provide resources and learning programs,
from courses to my signature Club, that are proven to help speakers launch
and grow their businesses. I have also been connecting speakers with
commission-free speaking opportunities through the Charli Jane Speakers
Club since 2005. I love every minute of it, especially the community we have
built. Here at Charli Jane Speakers, we are so blessed to work with an
incredible group of talented, compassionate people who do what it takes to share their stories, expertise, and knowledge with the world to help others
improve their lives and make the world a better place.
FWM: Take us through the process of working with you.
People can get started in several ways depending on their needs and where
they are in their own speaking journey. I work with brand new speakers who
have made the decision to start all the way to seasoned, successful speakers.
For those not ready for the Club, we have many course kits that can help
them start to build their speaking business and give them the confidence to
move forward to put themselves out there by submitting proposals and landing
gigs. I do take on one-on-one coaching clients during the year, but am usually
booked up well in advance. I love this aspect of what I do so much, that I
incorporate coaching into every level of service and interaction that I provide.
FWM: You offer a plethora of resources. Tell us about tools, tips, and
speaking opportunities on your website and FB group.
The Charli Jane Speakers Club is my signature Club and provides speaking
leads each week to members, a fantastic community of speakers, templates,
tools, and coaching with myself. I also offer courses so subscribers may learn
at their own pace. My template library is filled with everything a speaker needs
to create gig-winning marketing pieces on their own, but for those who want a
more professionally guided process, I also offer one sheet design packages for
anyone, they don’t have to be a member of the Club. My online directory is a
highly searched tool trusted by planners. I often tell beginning speakers that a
page in the directory and an eye-catching onesheet is really all they need to
get started and get in front of planners. I also have resources to help build
their platforms using social media, course delivery, group coaching, and more.
The goal is to create multiple streams of revenue for solid success.
FWM: What do you enjoy the most about coaching?
Connecting with people worldwide has been a joyous journey for me. It’s hard
to put into words. I’ve been doing this for over two decades, and the people
I’ve met from all walks of life and the amazing friendships that have been built
are priceless.
When it comes to the professionals I work with, I am very passionate and
laser-focused on how they can grow their speaking business to levels of great success and fulfillment. We work together on strategies to quickly & easily
position them as the top expert in their subject matter. The results are
success, financial freedom, and limitless lifestyle choices. My primary
objective is to help speakers/experts properly position themselves so they can
get found easily, fill their speaking schedule, and increase their income to
meet their goals and achieve their dreams. Also, by developing multiple
income streams, I show them how to rely on more than speaking fees to
sustain their businesses.
FWM: Can you share a powerful story of how Charli Jane Speakers®
changed someone’s life and testimonials?
Traci Brown, a body language expert, keynote speaker, and champion
athlete, joined us and said: “I’m really getting value from the leads. I’ve
booked almost $15k of gigs from it since I joined this summer! Keep up the
good work!”
“This is our one-year anniversary as a member of Charli Jane. Thanks to you,
we combined business and vacation with a trip to Sydney, Australia, for my
wife and me. Fabulous experience. Thank you!” – Laurence J. Stybel, Ed.D. –
Stybel Peabody Lincolnshire | Board Options, Inc.
Monica Wofford, a nationally acclaimed speaker, author, and trainer,
said: “Wendi, your information, efficiency of dissemination, and thorough
coverage of what a speaker needs is impressive. My kudos to you for the
work that you have done to make this happen, along with the team you lead!”
Shortly after I joined the Charli Jane Speakers club, I landed one of the
biggest speaking engagements of my career!” Loretta Love Huff – President
of Emerald Harvest Consulting
FWM: What will speakers gain as a result of your program?
Right off the bat, I hear how many speakers gain confidence and clarity of
purpose. Many others re-gain time and energy as they learn how to focus on
what gets results and let go of what doesn’t. When they put in the long-term,
sustained and consistent effort to follow the path I’ve laid out for them, most
will achieve a successful speaking business which comes with the fulfillment.
of knowing that they are touching and changing lives worldwide daily.
