Mark Agnew looked perfectly set up for a speaking career.
A world-first expedition in the Arctic.
Headline coverage from the BBC and ITV.
More than 200 media features worldwide.
Surely, the speaker bookings would just roll in now… right?
“I genuinely believed that being in the news, plus being good on stage, would be enough,” Mark says.
“I assumed the speaking career would take care of itself.”
It didn’t.
Despite the media exposure and a powerful personal story, Mark quickly realised something many speakers discover the hard way: visibility does NOT equal viability.
“I was a good speaker,” he says, “but I was a very average businessman.”
The uncomfortable gap no one talks about
Like many experts with a compelling story, Mark found himself asking difficult questions.
- If everyone knows me, why aren’t they hiring me?
- Why do my talks land emotionally but not lead to re-bookings?
- Why does being busy on socials not translate to being busy on stage?
“I had to confront the fact that a big story doesn’t equal a clear value proposition,” Mark says.
“Organisations don’t buy you or your story. They buy solutions to their problems.”
That realisation marked a turning point.
So what actually drives speaking business success?
Mark began seriously investing in learning the commercial side of speaking, skills he admits he had underestimated.
“I had to learn how to define the business problem my keynote solves for an organisation, how to handle an enquiry, what to include on my website, and just as importantly, what to leave out,” he says.
The big breakthrough came when he joined the MainStage Speaker Business Academy, working closely with its founders and coaches Michael Arnot and Marty Wilson CSP.
“That’s where everything clicked,” Mark says.“Honestly, I’d still be floundering without their guidance.”
Instead of leading with adventure, Mark learned to lead with relevance.
From ‘great story’ to ‘clear solution’
“Now I can clearly articulate the problem I solve,” he explains.
“I build resilient teams that view change and growth as an exciting challenge, not just an obstacle to overcome.”
That clarity changed everything, from sales conversations to his website to how his keynote was positioned and sold.
The results: momentum with meaning
Since making that shift, Mark’s speaking career has transformed:
- He has delivered keynotes across Asia and Europe, with US bookings confirmed for 2026.
- He has secured repeat bookings from organisations including Google, BNP Paribas, Mars, and Daiichi Sankyo.
- He has published a best-selling book and received industry recognition, including European Adventurer of the Year.
But for Mark, the biggest win is not the accolades. It is sustainability.
“I know where my next bookings are coming from,” he says. “I understand my pipeline. I have relationships, not just one-off gigs.”
Because as Mark’s journey shows, real impact happens when a great keynote meets a great business model.
MainStage: Not just theory, but experience from BOTH SIDES of the stage
What makes Mark’s story particularly telling is that MainStage Speaker Business Academy was never created from theory, trends, or just one speaker’s opinion.
Its founders often say one great speaker can, of course, pass on their hindsight, but they also pass on their mistakes and their blind spots.
MainStage was built from decades of lived experience on both sides of the speaking industry, including hard-earned lessons, expensive mistakes, and an unwavering belief that speakers deserve better.
Michael Arnot: The Buyer’s Lens
Michael Arnot has spent his entire professional life in events, first running an event management business in the UK, then as the principal of two global speaker bureaus.
That perspective matters. Michael has sat where most speakers never will, on the buying side of the table.
His insight is simple, but often confronting. Speakers fail when they focus on what they want to say, and succeed when they understand what buyers need to see.
For years, Michael coached speakers to align their marketing, messaging, and sales with what decision-makers actually value: relevance, clarity, risk reduction, and outcomes. MainStage became the formalisation of that philosophy, a bridge between brilliant speakers and the commercial realities of the industry.
Marty Wilson: A Painful Route to Success
Marty Wilson’s entry into professional speaking was all rocks and diamonds.
A former Australian Comic of the Year, Marty transitioned into keynote speaking in 2009, earning a standing ovation for his first keynote and then, by his own admission, completely stuffed it up for four years.
Comedy had taught him that if you’re awesome on-stage, word will spread and big fees would follow.
Speaking does not work like that. There is no circuit. No automatic progression. No guarantee that being great on stage translates to being booked.
That painful gap between talent and traction became Marty’s motivation, to save other speakers from repeating his mistakes.
A Speaker Business That’s Built to Last
Michael and Marty came together in 2018 with a shared goal: to help speakers build profitable, sustainable businesses, not just impressive highlight reels and a following on Tik Tok.
Since then, their methodology has earned international awards, and the Academy has grown to include respected faculty such as branding expert Lauren Clemett and twice Hall of Fame speaker Tim Gard CSP, CPAE.
MainStage exists because its coaches have seen what happens when speakers are left to figure it out alone. Talented professionals undercharge, burn out, or quietly leave the industry.
Their work is not about hype, hacks or shiny objects. It is about viability, integrity, and sustainability.
And that is why stories like Mark, Kim and Donna matter. Not because they are extraordinary, but because with the right guidance, they are repeatable.
