In this episode of The Power Table Podcast, Taylor Smith makes a controversial case: the advice that you should always get paid to speak is quietly costing most entrepreneurs revenue and opportunity. There is a version of speaking that pays a few thousand dollars and ends the moment you walk off stage, and there is a version that pays you for years. Taylor breaks down the difference, and pulls back the curtain on exactly how she makes this call as the host of Power Table Live, including who gets paid, who doesn't, and why.

Taylor walks through the three kinds of speaking, paid, unpaid, and pay-to-play, and explains why the common ranking of "paid is best, unpaid is settling, pay-to-play is desperate" is completely wrong. She gets into the real math behind why asking for a speaker fee can cost you tens of thousands of dollars in lead generation on the back end, and shares two personal stories, including one unpaid talk to a room of 30 people that has generated over $30,000 in revenue to date.

If you are a founder who speaks, or wants to start speaking as a visibility and growth strategy for your business, this episode will completely change how you evaluate every stage you are offered.

In this episode, we cover:

• The critical difference between speaking as a job and speaking as a business owner
• Why your content alone is rarely worth a speaker fee, and the real reasons event hosts can't always justify paying you
• What event hosts are actually providing in exchange for an unpaid stage, including trust transfer, promotion, and audience access
• How Taylor decides when to pay speakers at Power Table Live, and the two specific scenarios where she does
• Two real stories of unpaid speaking opportunities that generated over $30,000 and over $100,000 in revenue
• The exact questions to ask before saying yes to any stage, paid or not

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Grab your ticket to Power Table LIVE 2027: https://www.thepowertable.co/conference

Join The Power Table Mastermind: https://www.thepowertable.co/mastermind

I love speaking on your podcast or at your event! Details here: https://www.taylorsmithonline.com/speaking

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In this episode of The Power Table Podcast, Taylor Smith breaks down exactly why the premium, high-caliber clients you want aren't showing up — and it almost never has anything to do with your skill set or what you actually offer. It comes down to positioning, and the way you're speaking to your audience might be quietly repelling the exact clients you're trying to attract.

This episode is a complete breakdown of buyer psychology — what makes an entry-level buyer say yes, what makes a premium buyer mentally check out, and the specific shifts you need to make to start attracting the higher-tier clients you actually want.
Taylor walks through real examples from her own content, the exact objections each type of buyer is working through, and why pain point marketing — the thing that works so well on beginner buyers — is often the single biggest reason advanced buyers walk away.

This episode also gets into why your credibility doesn't just affect a premium client's results, it affects their reputation, and why that completely changes what you need to lead with in your marketing.

If you're a founder who has the offers, has the clients, and has the results, but can't seem to get the higher-paying, more advanced clients to say yes — this episode was made for you.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why pain point marketing converts entry-level buyers and repels premium ones
• The real objections entry-level buyers are working through (fear and money) vs. what premium buyers are actually protecting (trust and time)
• Why an entry-level buyer asks "am I good enough for this result" while a premium buyer asks "is she good enough to deliver it"
• The specific checklist premium buyers run before deciding to invest, including testimonials, case studies, and accurate numbers
• Why underpricing is actively repelling the premium clients you want, not attracting them
• The tactical shifts to make starting today, including putting your prices on your website and stopping the discounts before anyone even asks

Grab your ticket to Power Table LIVE 2027: https://www.thepowertable.co/conference

Join The Power Table Mastermind: https://www.thepowertable.co/mastermind

I love speaking on your podcast or at your event! Details here: https://www.taylorsmithonline.com/speaking

Send me a DM on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepowertable.co/

Join our FREE Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thepowertable

In this episode of The Power Table Podcast, Taylor Smith pulls back the curtain on one of the biggest launches in her business to date including the strategy, numbers, mistakes, lessons, and behind-the-scenes decisions that led to a $114,264 sales day and a $139,707 launch.

Rather than sharing vague launch advice or inflated revenue claims, Taylor walks through exactly what happened, how the launch was built long before cart open, and why most launches fail before they ever begin. From reverse engineering the goal to creating demand over a 12-month period, this episode is a transparent look at what it really takes to create a high-performing launch.

Whether you're preparing for a launch this fall, selling a coaching offer, hosting an event, or simply trying to understand how sustainable business growth actually works, this episode will give you practical insights you can apply immediately.

In this episode, we cover:

• The exact strategy behind a $114K sales day and $139K launch
• Why demand is built months before a launch—not during it
• The difference between sales generated and cash collected (and why it matters)
• How market research, audience alignment, and offer positioning impact conversion rates
• The biggest lessons Taylor learned about launching, leadership, and increasing her capacity as a CEO

Grab your ticket to Power Table LIVE 2027: https://www.thepowertable.co/conference

Join The Power Table Mastermind: https://www.thepowertable.co/mastermind

I love speaking on your podcast or at your event! Details here: https://www.taylorsmithonline.com/speaking

Send me a DM on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepowertable.co/

Join our FREE Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thepowertable