Scott Carson’s First Stage: Tips for New Speakers and Building Your Audience

Welcome to another episode of My First Stage! I’m your host, Sara Lohse, and this is the podcast where I get up-close and honest with seasoned speakers about their very first moments on stage, how they navigated those early nerves, and the ways being in the spotlight transformed their lives and businesses. This week, I had an absolute blast talking with Scott Carson—aka “The Note Guy.” Scott is a real estate marketing pro who’s been speaking, teaching, and owning the stage for over 20 years. If you’ve ever felt that pit in your stomach at the thought of not filling your session or going live to crickets online, this episode will show you that everyone starts somewhere—and that sometimes, it’s the missteps that unlock your greatest growth. Meet the Guest: Scott Carson Scott Carson has been an active speaker, entrepreneur, and marketer for over 20 years, where he has carved out a niche in the real estate industry as "the Note Guy", where he is the real estate industry's premier expert on investing and buying distressed debt. He calls Austin, TX, home with his better half, Stephanie, and their cats. He loves helping new entrepreneurs with marketing and tactics to help them stand out from a noisy world! Here’s what Scott and I dove into in our conversation: Bombing on Your First Stage – Scott’s hilarious and humbling story of running out of material just 20 minutes into a 60-minute slot…and why it was the best thing that could’ve happened.Making Your Own Fan Club – How Scott uses humor, gadgets, and pattern breakers (sometimes inspired by Blue Man Group!) to warm up any audience—even when there isn’t one.The Business of Speaking – He reveals the behind-the-scenes economics of real estate stages, where selling from the stage is the norm and promoters expect you to “convert” 25% of the room.From Slides to Improv – Why learning to riff and roll with technical failures, bad audience fits, and “wrong room” moments is crucial—and why improv and comedy classes aren’t just for comics.Virtual Stages & Podcasts – Scott shares his strategy for using podcasts, webinars, and livestreams as everyday “stages” that build authority and reach (even when the live audience is your mom).Repurposing Content – His process for turning every talk or podcast into SEO-rich blogs, videos, and even a whole “Best of Scott Carson” podcast—plus how to help hosts see more downloads too!Building Your Email List – Smart, actionable ways Scott never misses a chance to connect with stage audiences (think QR codes, text opt-ins, and irresistible offers).Mindset Mastery – How to keep your energy high, your nerves in check, and why you shouldn’t worry about the “vanity metrics”—just focus on serving that one listener who needs your message. If Scott’s journey resonated with you, here’s what to do next: Share Your First Stage Story – I want to hear from you! Head to myfirststagepodcast.com and let’s connect.Subscribe & Review – If this episode inspired you, be sure to subscribe to My First Stage and leave a 5-star review (it means the world to us speakers and helps even more new voices rise up).Connect with Scott – Book a call or check out what Scott’s doing at talkwithscottcarson.com (but don’t you dare reach out without leaving me a review first)!Start Your Own Speaking Journey – Go live on your favorite platform, guest on a podcast, or repurpose your talks—remember, even a one-person audience is worth it. Thanks for tuning in to My First Stage. Catch you next week for more behind-the-scenes stories, practical tips, and all the inspiration you need to make your next stage your best one yet! [embed]https://youtu.be/5-ojHpKs4uY?si=DKF9X0_ZE5bUyJDP[/embed] Timestamped Summaries [00:00–02:41] – I introduce Scott Carson, and we immediately get into the power of a $10 Amazon fan club, sound boxes, and the art of not taking yourself too seriously on stage. [02:47–05:28] – Scott talks through the true story of his very first paid speaking opportunity: a real estate summit where he ran out of slides after 20 minutes, made one sale, and learned invaluable lessons about preparation (and bouncing back). [06:12–08:59] – How Scott developed the ability to riff, react, and keep audiences laughing—no matter what goes wrong. Improv classes, acting, and learning from stand-up comics made him a world-class improviser. [10:22–12:15] – The “shapes test” and other icebreakers Scott uses for “dry” audiences, plus tips for reading a room and breaking the ice when nothing’s going to plan. [13:26–16:18] – We share stage horror stories, including my own “wrong-room” moment, and Scott’s tales of speakers who simply walked out when they realized they weren’t right for the audience. [17:11–19:31] – Why speakers need podcasts as much as traditional stages; Scott’s formula for getting on 400+ podcasts, and how he leverages every appearance as a new business card (regardless of audience size). [20:52–24:06] – Tactical repurposing: How Scott recycles every appearance into new content, rewrites poor episode descriptions, and uses AI to create more reach from every single interview. [25:29–27:17] – Advice for “stage rookies”: Why you should start with lives, webinars, or guesting on small podcasts—and how even speaking to a few viewers can unlock new opportunities. [28:18–29:48] – Mindset for Going Live: How to show up with energy even if you’re speaking to crickets (“all it takes is one person” is the best mantra, courtesy of Gary Vee!). [31:03–32:23] – Why vanity metrics don’t matter—focus on real engagement, not just follower counts. [32:54–33:14] – Simple, effective ways to get your audience on your email list during live events (think QR codes and opt-in gifts) so you can keep nurturing those connections even after you leave the stage. [33:33–34:29] – Connect with Scott—and his parting advice for leaving five-star reviews (a win/win for every host and guest).