Ep 72: Build the Speaking Career Only You Can Deliver with Michael McQueen

May 12, 2025

72: Build the Speaking Career Only You Can Deliver with Michael McQueen

Most emerging speakers waste years trying to follow someone else’s blueprint. This conversation is your permission to scrap the script and build something that actually fits you.

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Most emerging speakers waste years trying to follow someone else’s blueprint. This conversation is your permission to scrap the script and build something that actually fits you.

In this episode, futurist and global keynote speaker Michael McQueen drops insight after insight on what it really takes to build staying power in the speaking business. He peels back the curtain on reinvention, relevance, momentum, stubbornness, and how to hold your space like a pro, even when imposter syndrome is knocking. 

We’re talking rich lessons learned in school halls, corporate boardrooms, and international keynotes, all wrapped in hard-earned wisdom and practical advice.

If you’ve ever wondered how to spot your next breakthrough, stop shape-shifting to fit into someone else’s box, or grow a speaking business with real depth and longevity, this one’s going to land hard. 

There’s zero preaching. Just an honest, expansive conversation between two speakers who have seen the storms and know what it means to stay the course.

If you’re in the thick of building your speaker-led business and wondering if you’ve got what it takes to go the distance, this conversation is exactly what you need. You’ll walk away with clarity, direction, and a renewed respect for the slow burn of mastery. 

WHAT YOU’LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE:

  • How observing patterns, not predicting them, can position you as a thought leader (3:56)
  • Resisting change and what actually works to shift your mindset (7:33)
  • How clinging to what worked yesterday could be what tanks your future (11:37)
  • How to evolve your brand without chasing every shiny object and the gut checks that matter more than market trends (14:04)
  • Why listening is your most underused speaking skill / How to use offhand comments, unexpected questions, and passing moments as lightning rods for your next book, keynote, or reinvention (16:57)
  • What it takes to make the leap from “relatable” to “credible” (21:15)
  • Storms, doldrums, and survival mindset
  • The financial, personal, and emotional fallout of 2020 and what Michael learned about stillness, waiting, and resilience (27:34)
  • A deeply personal story about loss, legacy, and what it really means to follow through, even when it’s hard (34:37)
  • How to turn pre-stage nerves into powerful presence
  • The unexpected mindset shift that top speakers use to transform anxiety into audience impact (44:41)
  • Growing a speaking business by breaking the rules, trusting your voice, and building a career that is fully, unapologetically you (47:04)

QUOTES

“We’ve often had this idea that the leader is the most certain, the most resolute. There’s a difference between conviction and that sense of rigid certainty, where you’re unable to think, unable to open up and consider alternatives.” – Michael McQueen

“The moment that I shift that focus off me to the audience and how I’m adding value and helping, the nerves don’t entirely disappear, but they become manageable. And the energy the nerves create becomes productive energy rather than crippling energy.” – Michael McQueen

RESOURCES

 

ABOUT MICHAEL MCQUEEN

Michael McQueen understands what it takes to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.

Recently ranked #12 among the world’s top futurists, Michael is widely recognized for having his finger on the pulse of change, helping clients ranging from Google to Toyota and Mastercard navigate uncertainty and stay ahead of the curve.

A bestselling author of 10 books, Michael’s latest release was named by Malcolm Gladwell and Adam Grant as one of the top five must-read new leadership books. He is a sought-after media commentator, with his insights regularly featured in Forbes, The Guardian, and CNN.

Having presented to over 500,000 people across five continents since 2004, Michael is a familiar face on the international conference circuit, sharing the stage with Bill Gates, Mel Robbins, and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. 

Formerly named Australia’s Keynote Speaker of the Year, Michael has also been inducted into the Professional Speakers Hall of Fame.

 

WHERE TO FIND MICHAEL MCQUEEN

 

WHERE TO FIND JACQUELINE BROOKER

To connect and learn more about creating a Speaker Driven Business connect with Jacqueline on LinkedIn. You can also follow Jacqueline on Instagram or join the private Facebook group

Join the Speak More Collective.