244. Why I Don’t Cold Pitch (And How I Actually Book Stages)

“Heather, how in the world do I book more stages?!" It’s the #1 most asked question I get from you all. You see the advice everywhere—research, send a million cold pitches, fill out every speaker application you can find. But what if that whole approach just feels…exhausting and not quite right for you? So what if you didn’t have to cold pitch… and could still land stages?Well, that was the question I set to answer for myself years ago when I realized that pitching was not my jam.And today I’m pulling back the curtain on exactly how I do it. You’ll hear:Why cold pitching doesn't align with how I’m wired (and might not work for you either)The difference between transactional and transformational relationships The two types of speaking business models (hint: knowing yours matters)My “Warm ‘Em Up” strategy — how I turn cold contacts into warm relationships and hot opportunities (think: dating for your biz)How to nurture these connections and build a sustainable ecosystem of referrals and invitesThis episode is a real, no-BS look at how I’ve built my speaking career by focusing on real connections. My hope? It gives you permission to stop following “shoulds” and start building a speaking strategy that's 100% YOU. EPISODE  SHOW NOTES👇https://heathersager.com/episode244Send me a note📣 WORK WITH HEATHER  → https://heathersager.com/📧  Get the Hint of Heather NEWSLETTER → https://heathersager.com/newsletterConnect on Social:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theheathersager/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathermsager/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HeatherSagerSUBSCRIBE & REVIEWIf this episode hit home, I'd be so grateful if you took a second to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more people find the show.  Thanks for tuning in to the Hint of Hustle podcast! See you next week!