Creating Your Speaker Website: Jessica Gruber on Building a Sticky Site and Conquering Her First Stage

Welcome back to another episode of My First Stage! I’m your host, Sara Lohse, and this is the show where public speakers get real about the nerves, the triumphs, and the truly unforgettable moments that shaped their journeys. This week, I sat down with the incredible Jessica Gruber—and trust me, her story is as relatable as it is inspiring, from white-knuckling her way through her early speaking experiences to owning main stages and shaping the way professionals approach networking.Let me introduce you to Jessica Gruber. She’s not just the founder of Buzzworks—a website development company specializing in “sticky” websites that keep audiences engaged—but also the COO of Success Champion Networking, home to the famous Badass Business Summit. Jessica Gruber brings a wealth of wisdom when it comes to connecting, communicating, and building a personal brand both online and onstage.What We Talked AboutHere’s a quick look at our conversation and all the nuggets of real-world advice Jessica Gruber shared:Her Reluctant First Stages: From an impromptu 60-second spot to a nerve-racking, script-reading debut that was live and national.Facing the Fear: How terror and trembling turned into a drive to grow, and why every public speaker has to “rip off the Band-Aid” somewhere.From Shaking to Success: The journey from anxious 30-second pitches in living rooms to commanding four sessions at a major summit.Designing Engaging Experiences: Jessica Gruber’s unique approach—why moving audiences and creating experiences make speeches memorable and actionable.The Power of Networking: How leveraging connections (especially in podcasts) can open doors to bigger stages and new opportunities.Repurposing Speaking into Content Gold: How podcasts become potent social proof and powerful content for business growth.Website Wisdom for Speakers: Immediate, actionable tips on what to put on your website to attract your ideal stages and showcase your expertise.Inspired by Jessica Gruber’s journey, here’s what you can do next:Share Your First Stage Story – I love hearing from listeners! Head to myfirststagepodcast.com and tell me about your own first (or funniest) speaking moment.Connect with Jessica – Want to learn more about sticky websites, powerful networking, or upcoming speaking gigs? Find Jessica Gruber on LinkedIn, visit successchampionnetworking.com, or stop by buzzwks.com to schedule a chat.Subscribe & Review – If this episode made you laugh, cringe, or feel braver, hit that subscribe button, leave a review, and let me know what you’d love to hear next!Take the Stage (in Any Form) – Whether it’s a podcast, a panel, or your next Zoom meeting, say “yes” to the scary, new, or unexpected. Every stage is a place to grow.Thank you so much for joining me and Jessica Gruber today. Keep showing up, learning, and embracing your firsts—and I’ll see you on the next My First Stage!Timestamped Summaries[00:00-01:12] – I introduce Jessica Gruber’s impressive roles with Buzzworks and Success Champion Networking, and she jumps right in, ready to talk about all things “stage fright” and professional growth.[01:13-02:37] – Jessica Gruber shares her first BABS (Badass Business Summit) experience: a surprise one-minute stint on stage that turned her “white-knuckle” moment into a career milestone.[02:39-04:04] – We rewind to her actual first-ever stage, a fundraising event gone awry, and why you sometimes have to admit those first experiences are rough.[04:26-05:12] – We talk all things anxiety: shaky hands, supportive (and not-so-supportive) peers, and the universal dread of public speaking at any age.[05:26-07:03] – Jessica Gruber opens up about her speaking quirks, swapping words (and calling her mom a “cheap ass” on stage!), embracing the mess-ups, and why nervousness never fully goes away.[07:05-09:08] – From trembling at a 30-second pitch to facilitating a multi-session summit, Jessica Gruber tells us how she learned to lean into the discomfort to level up professionally.[09:09-10:27] – We dive deep into audience engagement: why giving people a “why” and a goal leads to real transformation, and the three essential questions every speaker should pose.[10:40-11:46] – Jessica Gruber lays out her playbook for upcoming summit sessions, built around shifting mindsets from “need” to “build” and creating richer, more strategic networking experiences.[12:15-13:53] – We get down to “Networking 101”—how simply being willing to ask, “Who do you know with a podcast?” can open doors (like how she ended up on this very episode!).[13:54-15:27] – We discuss how podcasts provide social proof, repurposable content, and big traffic boosts—along with stories of why getting your website right matters when the audience finds you.[16:13-17:40] – Jessica Gruber wraps up her web wisdom by sharing what should always be in the first ten words of your site, plus whether or not you should split your speaker brand from your business site.[18:03-18:23] – Where to find Jessica Gruber online, get in touch, and how you can connect for more sage advice.