Accelerate Your Speaking Skills & Business at the 2012 NSA Convention!    

     Hey, hey, hey aspiring and professional speakers! Are you ready to accelerate your transformation to a new or better business? Then, rev your engines and point yourself toward Indianapolis for the 2012 NSA Annual Convention July 14-17 in Indianapolis.

     Acceleration doesn't mean "speeding everything up," which often slows the process of improvement. To accelerate your path to a thriving business and a successful career, you need to be more productive-do the RIGHT things with greater effectiveness and consistency. You need to harness your resources (horsepower) and put your plan in gear!

     What's so great about NSA national is that they have assembled a "Pit Crew" of extraordinary experts to help you tune up your skills, business model, product offerings and marketing efforts, so you can gain greater traction in your business! The 2012 NSA Convention will primarily focus on helping speakers get better, get bigger and get booked. There will be special programs for seasoned speakers, aspiring speakers and even the children of speakers!

     Register before May 16 to take advantage of the very best rates. Next best rates end June 20. So, seriously take a look at your calendar now and register ASAP! For a full schedule and toregister go online or call NSA at (480) 968-2552. See you in Indy!

Click here to view a video about the conference!

"Standing in awe of being near so many of the writers and speakers

I had learned so much from over the last 25 years of my life, and finding out that they

were just regular people who loved sharing ideas and stories to

make our lives better and more meaningful."

~ Allyson White Lewis   

Congratulations!!

to Shirley T. Burke and Yvonne Ortega for earning their way

to National NSA membership.

Congratulations on a job well done.

What's so great about National? They are, of course!

     Cathy Lewis has been named one of the Influential Women of Virginia for 2012 by Virginia Lawyer's Weekly. She has also been named one of the three Best Radio Personalities in Eastern Virginia by the readers of Virginia Living. The May edition will reveal who was number 1, 2 and 3. Congratulations, Cathy!
     Congratulations to John Lewis whose new book The Explanation Age: The New Language of Business published this spring. This is where "organizational learning is centered in the boardroom, not the classroom." When you see John next, ask him about this book, his upcoming speaking engagements, and why 2012 continues to be an amazing year for him.  

     It was bound to happen. Business owner for 30 years, author, spokesperson and NSA Virginia member Dona Storey became the centerfold in April 2012's "Speaker" Magazine for the National Speaker's Association. Her pin-up article? "The World's Biggest Customer: How to Cash in on Government Contracts."

     Dona's article is generously filled with success tips to help get you started. Her stories share her path of entry into government contracting. She debunks myths and share the staggering $467 billion dollar figure that the federal government spent in contractors in its fiscal year 2011. And, as a result of this article, the demand for her services as a speaker keep coming in.

     Read more...

View the April Speaker Magazine.

By Ron Chapman, CPLP

     We had another great ProTrack session on April 20. Nhat Pham of Successwerks presented on the latest social networking techniques for speakers. Nhat is a ProTrack graduate who jump started his business to where he is now speaking at various events and clients across the country. We were fortunate he was able to fit us into his busy schedule.

Tools of the Trade: What's Your Tablet Type?

How to Pick the Right Tablet for Your Personality

     Overwhelmed by technobabble? We've got you covered! Tech's Appeal with Jennifer Jolly helps make technology less frustrating and more fulfilling, so you can get more out of it and get on with your life!

     Jolly says: At least a dozen times a week, someone asks me about buying a tablet. Inevitably, their one main question is, "Should I get the no-frills $499 version of the newest iPad or the fully loaded $829 model?" (By the way, we're talking about the latest iPad, the device we all keep calling the "iPad 3," even though Apple's gone all Prince/Artist-Formerly-Known-As and is just calling it the "iPad.") Anyway, my response is always to ask a few questions back that help me zero in on their particular tablet traits: Why do you want a tablet? What will you use it for? How much money do you want to spend? And what kind of smartphone and laptop do you already have?

     Continue reading...

• May 18 - Negotiate and Read Body Language: How to Negotiate to Get What You Want - Guest speaker Greg Williams
• June 15 - June Workshop - ** Speaker Idol will be held after the workshop at 1 pm! **
• July 16-18 -  NSA National Annual Conference, Indianapolis, IN

       Please note: As we strive to have the highest caliber of speakers, with that comes last-minute changes at times. Therefore, speakers and topics are subject to change. Watch your email for details on these meetings. Click here to view details about these events.