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An invitation for aspiring, new and experienced professional speakers...
Map Your Blueprint to Success as a Professional Speaker at Speakers Academy
In Just 8 Sessions, Our Faculty of Established, Experienced Speakers Will Help You Chart Your Course to Speaking Success
NSA Illinois Speaker Academy
coming in Spring 2026
Want to do better presentations or programs? Set up a speaking business? Make more money as a speaker?
Get the answers at the NSA Illinois Speakers Academy.
Map Your Blueprint to Success with the
Reimagined Speakers Academy
Hear directly from our Co-Deans, Dr. Tish Thompson and Dean Heffta, as they share what makes the Speakers Academy a game-changer for aspiring and experienced speakers alike.
In just 8 dynamic virtual sessions, you’ll learn from a faculty of seasoned professionals who will guide you step-by-step to:
- Master your presentation skills
- Build and grow your speaking business
- Unlock new income opportunities as a speaker
This program is designed to give you the insights, tools, and strategies to chart a clear path to speaking success.
Learn the Business of Speaking - From Established, Experienced
Professional Speakers
Professional speaking is a lucrative—but challenging—profession. NSA Illinois’s Speakers Academy provides the resources you need to understand the business of speaking.
The faculty features dedicated, accomplished professionals who make all or part of their living as professional speakers. You’ll learn the speaking business from the inside out from professionals from USA & Europe who have spoken to audiences all around the globe.
Of course, we’ll show you how to enhance your presentation skills. But NSA Illinois’ Speakers Academy focuses on how to develop and market yourself to people at corporations, associations, and organizations who hire—and pay—speakers.
Speakers Academy will help you address core business issues as a professional speaker and answer your pressing questions, like:
- How do I position / differentiate myself?
- What topics will I speak on?
- How do I market myself to be a successful speaker?
- What sales techniques are most appropriate?
- Who are my core customers? Corporations, Non-Profit, Associations, Individuals, All of them?
- What streams of revenue can I generate? Keynotes / Workshops/ Online / Seminars / Social Media?
- How do I not run afoul of the IRS and avoid jail? (Sorry, that should read, How do I manage my business in a professional manner?)
- How do I become a more impactful speaker?
Speakers Academy is not just a great educational experience, it is also a fun program where you likely will meet many new friends.
If you’re an emerging or experienced speaker who’s ready to invest in taking your speaking business to a higher level, join the NSA Illinois Speakers Academy today!
Announcing the NSA-IL
Speakers Academy
Sessions are held VIRTUALLY on Saturday mornings from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (Dates TBD.)
Build your speaking business in just 8 sessions – with the guidance of established professional speakers!
Each session contains essential information, ranging from improving platform skills to marketing and running your business. Participants will get the tools they need to succeed as professional speakers.
Your 8-Session Roadmap to
Speaking Success
note: SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Session 1:
The Fundamentals of Building Your Speaker Business: Lessons from successful speaking professionals
A panel of all-star speakers joins to share key lessons and facilitate work sessions on building your speaker business.
Session 2:
Crafting Your Signature Talk: Cultivating a story that resonates with your audience
Learn insights from a hall-of-fame speaker on crafting your meaningful and memorable message.
Session 3:
Revenue Beyond the Stage: How products and services enhance your speaking business
Principles and practice from speakers who have built income models to expand their reach beyond the stage.
Session 4:
How You Show Up: Mastering the platform and your performance
Tools for increasing your impact through stage power, humor, and creative audience engagement.
Session 5:
Building Your Brand: The practices of developing an impactful reputation
Defining what makes you unique and the practices to get known, liked, and trusted in your market.
Session 6:
Get Booked: The strategies of predictable business development
Tools on getting booked and moving from Speaker to in the Business of Speaking.
Session 7:
Putting The Pieces Together: Insights and inspiration for your speaker journey
Program tool implementation and more “icing-on-the-cake” resources.
Session 8:
Delivering Your Signature Talk (In-Person Session)
Present an excerpt from your message to share your expertise and gather feedback from industry professionals.
Discover Why Graduates Rave About the NSA Illinois
Speakers Academy
When you register, you’ll receive a seat at this full-day, live and in-person speaker showcase, featuring exciting presentations by 10 elite professional speakers.
Meet Your NSA-IL Speakers Academy
Co-Deans
Speaker Academy is delighted to have two respected industry voices as Co-Deans – Laticia Thompson, Ph.D., and Dean Heffta, They will present the core syllabus of Speakers Academy each week.
These gifted speakers have decades of speaking experience and live “The Spirit of Cavett” by generously sharing their wisdom and hard-won lessons to support future generations of speakers.
About Laticia "Dr. Tish" Thompson, Ph.d.
Dr. Laticia (Tish) Thompson, PhD is the Founder and Chief Business Psychologist of Legacy Blueprint, LLC. A management consulting firm that teaches people how to play in the workplace sandbox respectfully and productively with each other. She is known for driving change in organizations that stick and creating a learning experience that’s fun, thought-provoking and capitalizes on the knowledge in the room.
About Dean Heffta
Dean Heffta is a leadership & communication speaker and trainer who helps leaders create more connected, committed, and courageous teams. His clients range from international Fortune 100 companies to family-owned farms. He is the co-author of “How We Connect: Using Process Communication Model to build healthy relationships.” Dean is the immediate past president of the Illinois chapter of the National Speakers Association and a current member of the National Speakers Association’s Chapter Leadership Committee.
Here is a look at our most recent (Spring 2025)
Speakers Academy Faculty
Guest Experts Include...
Steve Bollar, CSP, a.k.a. “Stand Tall Steve,” is an educational thought leader, former Superintendent of Schools, principal, author, and school culture and motivation expert. He is known for his quick wit, creative thinking, and humorous personality.
Steve has been identified as one of the Top 30 Global Gurus In Education. He is the author of the leadership book Stand Tall Leadership, school culture book Ideas, Ideas, Ideas! and is a co-author of the book series 10-Minute Classroom Starters.
Steve openly shares his knowledge, experiences, and creativity with others. He speaks to students, staff, and communities worldwide about thinking differently about schools, education, and life.
Stacey Hanke, CSP, CPAE was inducted into the National Speaker’s Association CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame in 2022, one of less than 200 worldwide members to hold this designation. This high-coveted title is a direct representation of her exceptional work in the speaking profession to the clients she has served for over 20 years.
She is the author of Influence Redefined…Be the Leader You Were Meant to Be, Monday to Monday® and Yes You Can! Everything You Need to Know From A to Z to Influence Others to Take Action. Her books provide practical and immediate skills and techniques that have given thousands the ability to enhance their influence, Monday to Monday®.
Stacey helps individuals eliminate the static that plagues communicative delivery — to persuade, sell, influence and communicate face-to-face with a clear message. Her client list is vast from the financial industry to the healthcare industry to government and everyone in between.
Jeannie Walters, CCXP, CSP is a customer experience speaker, trainer, host of the “Experience Action” podcast, and CEO of Experience Investigators. She is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) and a Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP).
She helps business leaders – from individuals to small businesses to Fortune 1000s – learn and apply customer-centric initiatives that benefit their customers, employees, and bottom line.
Organizations including Georgetown University, LinkedIn Learning, and the Online Marketing Institute, as well as companies like Zurich, SAP, Verizon, and Cisco, have trusted Jeannie to speak, educate, and consult.
Kelly Swanson, CSP, CPAE is an award-winning storyteller, comedian, NSA hall-of-fame inspirational speaker, Huffington Post Contributor, and cast member of The Fashion Hero television show airing on Amazon Prime. She is also the author of Who Hijacked My Fairy Tale, The Land of If Only, The Story Formula, and The Affirmation Journal for Positive Thinking.
Kelly’s wacky wit and powerful stories have charmed hearts and tickled funny bones for over 20 years. In addition to her role as a funny motivational speaker, Kelly teaches people how she does it by sharing what she has learned about connecting and engaging to have more influence in business, through the use of one tool – strategic storytelling.
She will be sharing insights on building your own powerful story to make an impact on your audience.
Christopher Carter is the communication skills expert who helps leaders build relationships. With an academic background teaching theater and communication, plus 30 years as a professional speaker, entertainer, and corporate emcee, Christopher gives leaders the tools they need to establish trust and credibility, build a powerful personal presence, and truly connect with their teams.
He has presented to thousands of associations, corporations, and universities, including: The Million Dollar Roundtable, Medical Group Managers Association, Government Finance Officers Association, Land Improvement Contractors Association, National Equipment Dealers Association, John Deere Equipment, ExxonMobil, United Airlines, and many, many more.
Jeff Rogers is the 2024 NSA national winner of “Last Story Standing,” an award-winning Television Host, Professional Emcee, Wall Street Journal & USA Today Best-Selling Author, and sought-after public speaker with 30+ years of experience engaging audiences.
Growing up, he had a built-in audience as one of eleven kids from an Irish-catholic family in Chicago and went on to become one of the youngest performers to be hired at the renowned Second City Theater (John Belushi was the youngest).
Jeff’s latest book is the international & Amazon bestseller The Playmaker Mindset: A Radically Fun Way To Build A Culture Of Teamwork And Instant Innovation. Jeff is the co-author of the Wall Street Journal & USA Today The Expert’s Cure and the Amazon bestseller Office Sportz! The Official Office Games Handbook.
Terry Brock, CSP, MBA, is an internationally recognized speaker and trainer in the areas of technology, the Internet and marketing. He has taught people from organizations such as Marriott Corporation, Avon Products, Michelin Tires, Caterpillar, National Education Association, the Federal Reserve Bank and many others. He is a regular columnist for business journals across America where his column, Succeeding Today, is carried regularly. He frequently appears on radio and TV and once interviewed Magic Johnson for American Express.
Terry will be speaking about “All Things Tech and AI for Speakers.” You’ll discover:
- Latest tech info for Speakers
- How AI can grow your business
- Overcome fear and embrace ever-changing tools.
Learn more about Terry and what he’ll be sharing here.
Ed Rigsbee, CSP helps speakers understand how to get business with associations. Ed is the President of Rigsbee Enterprises, Inc., established in 1981. He is obsessed with helping individuals and organizations to both receive and give more return on investment (ROI) in everything that they do. He primarily helps associations to elevate business relationships from ordinary to extraordinary; in service, results and profitability. Ed is the originator of the “Member ROI Valuation Process” and term, “Member ROI-Centric Organization.”
Ed will be speaking about “Getting Booked with Associations.” You’ll discover:
- Secrets to getting booked with Associations
- Spin off potential from Associations
- Understand the Association / AMC universe
Conor Cunneen is an Irishman, happily exiled in Chicago where he says “the Guinness is good, the people are friendly and he has been force-fed more corned beef and green beer than he ever had in Ireland!”
As an Irish immigrant, he is a very proud recipient of the President’s Gold Medal for Volunteer Service for the work he does with job seekers.
He is also an in-demand keynote speaker, facilitator, author, consultant, award-winning humorist and master of ceremonies to associations, corporations, and healthcare.
Kevin E. O’Connor, CSP, CEC is an experienced executive coach, consultant, and professional speaker, as well as an author and lecturer.
His expertise focuses on career development, the challenges of leadership, business relationships, successful communication and the effectiveness of teams.
He specializes in working with professionals, particularly technical professionals, who have been promoted to leadership positions where they now lead their former peers. He has a proven track record within the healthcare sector for transforming outstanding physicians to extraordinary physician executives.
Bonus Workshop
How to Craft Your Signature Talk
Your signature talk is the presentation you want to be known for as soon as someone hears your name. It’s a way to position yourself as an expert – and sell your products, services, and yes, additional speaking engagements.
Creating a powerful signature talk is so much more than speaking about a subject you’ve mastered. To do its job — winning the hearts and minds of your audience, as well as influencing the meeting professionals who will hire you — your signature talk must be carefully structured.
During this half-day virtual workshop, taught by Speakers Academy Co-Deans IrishmanSpeaks-Conor Cunneen and Kevin O’Connor, CSP, you’ll discover:
- Critical elements that your signature talk must include to be effective
- How to use your signature talk to stand apart from other speakers in your space
- Secrets to structuring your signature talk so you can repurpose the content, while keeping the material fresh and customized to each audience
- Tips for incorporating humor into your signature talk (even if you don't think you're funny)
- Best practices for grabbing - and holding - your audience's attention
- A successful signature talk is never fully finished. Successful professional speakers are always looking for ways to update and strengthen their signature talks to make them more memorable, meaningful, and mesmerizing.
- And much more!
But the hardest step is getting the first draft of your signature talk written. During this hands-on workshop, Kevin and Conor will guide you step-by-step through the process of drafting your signature talk. You’ll walk away with a solid start — and a clear plan to finish your draft and continue developing your presentation.
More Rave Reviews
9 Videos
Speakers Academy
Dates / Times / Location
Dates:
- Session 1: Saturday, TBD
- Session 2: Saturday, TBD
- Session 3: Saturday, TBD
- Session 4: Saturday, TBD
- Session 5: Saturday, TBD
- Session 6: Saturday, TBD
- Session 7: Saturday, TBD
- Session 8: Saturday, TBD
Times:
Each sessions will be from 9:00am to 1:00pm.
Location:
All sessions will take place on Zoom.
“Can't Make a Session?”
No problem! You’ll receive a recording so you can stay caught up. And if needed, Kevin O’Connor will meet with you before the next session to answer any questions you have.
You’ll also have the option of attending a make-up session anytime within the next year.
Frequently Asked
Questions
No problem! You’ll receive a recording so you can stay caught up. And if needed, Kevin O’Connor will meet with you before the next session to answer any questions you have.
You’ll also have the option of attending a make-up session anytime within the next year.
Speakers Academy covers a lot of valuable material, and the speaking industry is always changing. Many of our graduates take the program more than once to keep developing their skills.
You may review the program one time for a steeply discounted reviewers fee within 5 years of attending Speakers Academy for the first time.
If you have reviewed the program already and/or if you first attended Speakers Academy for full-price more than five years ago, you are welcome to participate again. However, you will not receive the reviewers rate.
You will gain tips on performance. However, the bulk of the curriculum focuses on the business of speaking.
The bulk of the program focuses on the business of speaking. However, you will do some speaking during the program (for example, practicing introductions).
As a capstone project, you will have the opportunity to deliver a 5-minute presentation to your peers and select NSA Illinois guests.
Your Future Is
Waiting!
We host Speakers Academy only once (at most twice) a year. Don’t put off your participation until “later.” Join the VIP Notification List now so you can grab your spot as soon as the doors open again.
Questions? Contact Christy Moore at 847-991-0772 and Christy.Moore@nsa-il.org.