Thrive Loud With Lou Diamond

What really happens behind the scenes of the professional speaking world—and why do so many aspiring speakers hit a wall before ever seeing the spotlight?In this episode of Thrive Loud, host Lou Diamond welcomes back speaker coach and manager Li Hayes to unveil the truth behind building a thriving speaker business and getting to the coveted main stage.Li Hayes pulls back the curtain on the realities of the speaking industry: from why “just getting gigs” is a myth, to the gritty work and knowledge required to succeed, and the kinds of speakers the industry actually needs. She reveals the origin story of her game-changing “Path to the Main Stage” podcast, a platform created to democratize inside knowledge for emerging and established speakers alike—no gatekeeping, no half-answers.Li and Lou dive into:The real difference between agents and managers—and why most emerging speakers are asking the wrong questionWhy the best professional advice often comes from co-host conversations, not just interviewsThe newest tre