Don't just collect great ideas.
Leave with a plan to grow your business.
Kick Start Weekend is a two-day, interactive experience designed to help professional speakers, trainers, coaches, and consultants move beyond inspiration and into implementation. We need to have 20 people registered by July 30th to run this event. Read on and register today! A room block will be available in August.
We've assembled an exceptional lineup of thought leaders—Mark LeBlanc, CSP, CPAE, Scott Lesnick, CSP, Deborah Biddle, and Will Bowen, CSP—to share proven strategies for building and growing a successful speaking business. But what makes Kick Start Weekend different isn't just the speakers. It's what you'll do with what you learn:
- Learn from Industry Leaders
Gain practical insights and proven business strategies from nationally recognized Certified Speaking Professionals, including a CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame recipient.
- Turn Ideas into Action
Following each presentation, you'll participate in facilitated small-group discussions where you'll debrief the content, exchange ideas with fellow attendees, and identify practical ways to apply what you've learned to your own business. Inspired by the highly successful CSP Summit format, these conversations are intentionally designed to help you leave with actionable next steps, not just pages of notes.
- Ask the CSPs
Bring your questions to our interactive CSP Panel, where you'll hear candid advice, practical lessons learned, and business-building insights from multiple Certified Speaking Professionals. It's a unique opportunity to tap into decades of experience in an open, conversational setting.
- Build Momentum Beyond the Weekend
Learning shouldn't end when the event does. Discover the NSA-WI CSP Accountability Program, where you'll have the opportunity to continue implementing what you've learned with the support and encouragement of fellow members committed to growing their businesses.
- Connect with Your NSA-WI Community
One of the greatest benefits of Kick Start Weekend is the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with fellow speakers who understand your challenges, celebrate your wins, and inspire your next level of growth.
Attend Friday (9 to 5), Saturday (9 to 4), or experience the full two-day event. Lunch is included each day, and dietary accommodations will be provided.
Whether you're launching your speaking business, preparing for your next stage of growth, or looking for fresh ideas from some of the profession's most respected experts, Kick Start Weekend is designed to equip you with practical strategies, valuable connections, and the momentum to move your business forward.
When you leave Kick Start Weekend, you won't just have pages of notes. You'll have new ideas, meaningful connections, practical next steps, and the momentum to grow your business.
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Growing Your Business! When YOU Are the Business
with Mark LeBlanc, CSP, CPAE
What is the shortest path to your dream? Find out what you need to know and what you need to do – to fill your calendar with more of what you want. Would it surprise you to know your approach could be think like an artist and act like a business owner?
Hall of Fame speaker Mark LeBlanc will bring a treasure chest of insights, ideas, and a strategy or two for you to choose from. Our aim is for you to create a new starting line in the direction of your dream and make the next twelve months the best year of your life and work.
It will not be for the faint of heart. He will hold up a mirror to what you want and what you are willing to do in order to get more of what you want. With 43 years of experience, over two thousand presentations, seven books, and twenty-thousand business coaching hours—you will hear what you might never hear from anyone else. His first book, Growing Your Business is an underground bestseller and over eight hundred orders of fifty copies or more, he published the enhanced (25th anniversary) edition of the book that put him on the map and effectively became the catalyst for his incredibly career.
As a result of listening to Mark, people often share they are more focused, gain undeniable momentum, and have more impact and influence with the people they serve best. This is the experience you do not want to hear about from someone else. If you have heard Mark before, you know you are in for a treat.
On a professional note, in 2025, Mark was inducted as a Legend of the speaking profession by the Veteran Speakers Network in Washington, D.C. On a personal note, this past Summer he went on a short, five-hundred-mile walk across Spain—for the fourth time! You can find out more about Mark at www.GrowingYourBusiness.com.
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Planting Roots, Expanding Reach, and Growing Revenue
with Deborah Biddle
The speaking industry is evolving. Today’s most successful speakers don’t just deliver keynotes—they create integrated businesses that blend thought leadership, consulting, training, and long-term client relationships. But how can you grow that kind of business when life changes your location, the market shifts, or your clients are scattered across the Midwest and beyond?
Deborah Biddle, The People Culture Architect™, leads The People Company Consulting Group. She is a certified diversity practitioner, consultant, and speaker, who offers a personalized approach to helping her clients feel empowered, seen, and heard. With tailored workshops and consulting sessions, she is committed to helping organizations maximize belonging, productivity, and performance.
In this engaging and practical session, Deborah shares her real story of moving during the pandemic while maintaining and growing a successful dual business in speaking and consulting. From staying connected with Wisconsin clients to expanding into new markets in Illinois and across the region, she highlights what it takes to stay visible, credible, and connected—no matter where you are.
This program provides speakers with a roadmap to turn their expertise into a flexible, scalable business that extends beyond their ZIP code. If you’re ready to expand your influence, diversify your income, and build a practice that gains recognition—not just locally but regionally and nationally—this session is for you.
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7 Success Secrets Only Top Speaking Pros Know
with Will Bowen, CSP
Why do more than 9 out of 10 aspiring speakers walk away from the high-paying, exciting career of professional speaking every year? They don't know the seven secrets all top speaking professionals have learned and mastered-the key aspects of the art, business, and content of professional speaking.
- Movement: Attract and keep every audience’s attention, engagement, and enthusiasm.
- Mindset: What you say to yourself is more important than what you say to the audience. Own the room by owning your own mind.
- Prospect: In less than one hour and for free, find thousands of prospects eager to hire you.
- Systems: A simple, automated infrastructure that turns suspects into prospects and then turns prospects into high-paying clients.
- Profitable: Professional speeches must provide a solution to one of two problems. Solve these problems and event planners have to hire you!
- Construction: Every great speech takes the audience on a journey from trust, to anxiety, and finally to a practical solution.
- Focus: Avoid “Shiny Object Syndrome.” Follow a proven plan and don’t get side-tracked by the countless distractions that present themselves.
Will Bowen is the visionary behind the Complaint Free® movement, inspiring millions to transform complaining into empowerment. Over 15 million people across the globe have embraced his 21-Day Complaint Free Challenge, transforming mindsets, workplaces, and relationships.
Will's message has earned him features on The Oprah Winfrey Show, NBC's Today, People, Forbes, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, Chicken Soup for the Soul—and beyond.
He holds the prestigious CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) designation and is a sought-after keynote speaker and trainer for organizations worldwide. His past clients include household names like Volvo, Kimberly-Clark, and The Million Dollar Roundtable.
Will is also a prolific writer; all five of his books have become international bestsellers, translated into dozens of languages and read by millions. His talks are equal parts inspiring, humorous, and transformational—designed to help leaders and teams reduce negativity, boost productivity, and cultivate a culture of what's possible. To learn more or bring Will to your organization, visit WillBowen.com.
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The Successful Speaker's Sales Funnel:
Turning RFPs, Referrals, and Follow-Up Into More Business
with Scott Lesnick, CSP
This is a 12-month, no-days/weeks-off (yes, there is freedom and flexibility) look at how I built and sustain a six-figure speaking business using more than 6,000 RFPs, referrals and staffing and follow-up systems. I'll share what actually converts leads into bookings, from picking up the phone to email campaigns, and open the floor for attendees to trade what's working in their own businesses or where they need assistance.
Scott Lesnick is a global keynote speaker renowned for his memorable presentations. Scott captivates audiences worldwide with his engaging style. He is a sought-after author, having published both a memoir titled Kidjacked – A Father’s Story and a critically acclaimed book titled Lifejacked: Life Lessons on Leadership.
Scott's expertise is recognized by his esteemed Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation from the National Speakers Association. Currently there are only 650 full-time speakers with this distinction worldwide.
In addition to his accomplishments as a speaker and author, Scott has made significant personal achievements. He recently presented at TEDx, sharing his insights and inspiring audiences. Also, Scott has completed the equivalent of running twice around the planet, covering an astounding distance of 50,000 miles!
Prior to his speaking career, Scott spent 24 award-winning years leading sales teams at Shaw Industries, a Fortune 500 company under the Berkshire Hathaway umbrella. This extensive experience in sales leadership provides him with practical insights and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by professionals.
Scott is a graduate of The University of Miami, Florida. His passion for sharing his story and leadership lessons has left a lasting impact on his audiences, earning him a reputation as a dynamic and influential speaker.
With his diverse background, engaging storytelling ability, and wealth of knowledge, Scott brings a unique perspective to his keynotes, leaving attendees inspired, motivated, and ready to take their leadership skills to new heights.
See Scott in action. Watch his TEDx talk.
