Speaker's Rider
First, thank you for having me! I’m excited to meet your group. I know you want an upbeat, high-energy presentation. So do I! As both an audience member and from up on stage, I’ve had lots of opportunities to see what works well and what doesn’t. To deliver you the best experience possible and to prevent glitches or misunderstandings, I’ve created this list of suggestions and requirements. Thank you for inviting me, and I look forward to working together to make your event fun, memorable, and impactful.
~Michelle
Here’s how to get the most when you feature Michelle Golden as your speaker. Please have the person responsible for the event actively confirm that you’ll make these things happen and that you accept these terms.
AV
- Michelle uses her laptop (MacBook Pro) and a remote control that she brings with her. She has her own VGA and HDMI adapters, just in case. Her presentation does not run on any computer but hers.
- Her computer needs to be at the front of the room with her, where she can access it to be most nimble. She often pulls up examples to share when her audience asks questions, or hops to areas of greatest interest to keep the room energized.
- AC power should be within six feet of the computer and the laptop must be set up within reasonable sight (no more than 5-7 feet) of the most distant point where she will be standing. It works best to have it on a low table rather than a podium.
- If sound output or external video is required, she’ll confirm this with you—please let her know when you need to know this by.
- For groups of more than 25 people, she needs a wireless lavalier microphone. She just can’t be as smooth with a wired, handheld, and won’t use a podium microphone. Please test sound on all areas of the stage for volume and for feedback–if they cannot be resolved, please advise her of “danger spots.”
- To have the highest-energy presentation, a single screen should be off to one side or well above the stage, not center stage because the presenter is the focal point and the slides are merely supplemental. Michelle can’t move around when she’s forced off to one side, unable to pass by the screen without obscuring it, so the session’s energy is much less than it could be.
- It’s critical to have a clear front-stage area. You’ll be really glad she’s not the sort of speaker who hides behind a lectern. A podium at the front of the stage (center or side) blocks your audience’s view of their speakers. And it’s really awkward to dodge. It also doesn’t work to have her stand behind or to the side of tables or props for your other sessions. If the front of the stage is full of stuff, she’ll have to stand on the floor which sorta precludes the reason you have a stage in the first place. Tuck furniture (except her small table) at least 5-6 feet from the front of the stage if you absolutely can’t remove it.
- Michelle loves to cooperate with your team on a tech check, preferably 20-30 minutes before she goes on stage. Hot swaps (resulting from back-to-back sessions with no break in between) are a recipe for disaster and they drain the audience’s energy, stress out the tech team, and worry the speaker. Please schedule a (minimum) 10-15 minute break before the presentation in order to switch equipment and clear the stage, if necessary.
- If we’ve agreed to permit recording the session, plan ample time to test sound pick up and to verify that the sound patch doesn’t interfere with the projection-output quality (sometimes an issue).
Scheduling & Logistics
- To create some anticipation for the session and to allow for AV setup and testing (discussed above) it’s best to schedule a break before Michelle takes stage.
- Also consider scheduling a break right after Michelle’s presentation. It helps facilitate that high-energy scrum at the front of the room for people who want to say “hey,” ask questions, and share their epiphanies. Plus, you get break-time conversation for people discuss what they just learned.
- Because she never wants to let you down as a result of wonky airline performance, Michelle prefers to arrive the night before. Please arrange or recommend a hotel that’s either at the venue or closer to the airport than the venue itself. She’ll need a nonsmoking room.
- Michelle would enjoy meeting with your executives prior to her speech. Dinner the night before is nice if travel permits. This interaction is helpful for personalizing the presentation for your group. Plus, she likes meeting nice people.
Slides and Handouts
- Michelle doesn’t convert her slides to anyone’s templates. Ever. Templates don’t distinguish one presentation from another. Michelle’s presentation slides are carefully designed to graphically supplement her verbal content; they don’t mirror the words in her speech. The alternative is that she’ll be fine presenting without slides.
- Michelle’s full slide deck is not available for download or to publish as notes or a handout. If you need an outline of the presentation for educational certification requirements, one can be provided on the day of the session.
- Michelle owns and retains all rights to her materials and content. Always. They cannot be reproduced or distributed.
Recordings and Photos
- Feel free to take photos before and during Michelle’s talk but please, no flash photography during the presentation.
- Unless we specifically agree (there is a price difference) you don’t have permission to record (audio or video), resell, or distribute Michelle’s talk.
- You agree that Michelle has the right to photograph the session, as well, and use photos online or in print.
Suggested Intro
Michelle Golden is a growth and profitability strategist. What she does best is show people how to think differently so they can solve really hard stuff. She’s president of Fore LLC and a former partner of a top 60 CPA firm. She’s named among Accounting’s Ten Most Powerful Women, Top 25 Thought Leaders, and 100 Most Influential People. She wrote Social Media Strategies for Professionals and is working on her second book on pricing. Find out why Michelle Golden is considered a rebel and a catalyst in changing the way professionals run and grow their firms. Today, let’s listen as she sheds new light on…
A nice, short intro like this is way better than reading Michelle’s full bio aloud. But if you’d like more facts, the bio has them.