Ask Me Anything:
A Live, Unfiltered Q&A with
2x Hall of Fame Speaker,
Tim Gard, CSP, CPAE
📅 February 26 2026⏰ 9:30am AEST 💻 Zoom
A unique one-off opportunity to get real-world answers about the Speaking Business from one of the most respected speakers in the world...
HOSTED BY MainStage:Â
THE ONLY PROGRAM HE HAS EVER ENDORSEDÂ đź‘Š
What you can ask (nothing is off-limits)
- How to build a sustainable speaking career
- Building a profile that gets bookings, not just fans
- How to navigate plateaus and pivots
- A successful speaker’s policy on fees,
- Working with speaker bureaus,
- The importance of your positioning
- How to stay relevant as the market changes
- Mistakes, missteps, and lessons learned the hard way
Why this session is different
This is not a keynote.
It’s not a training.
And it’s not a polished “success story” talk.
This is a live, open Ask Anything Q&A with Tim Gard – who is a 30 year NSA Member, two-time Speaker Hall of Fame inductee and one of the most commercially successful professional speakers in the world.
No slides.
No pre-approved questions.
No scripted agenda.
Just honest answers.
Why this is rare
Tim is extremely selective about where he shows up.
In fact, MainStage Speaker Business Academy is the only speaker program Tim has ever endorsed — and the only place he speaks this openly about the real business of professional speaking.
He hasn’t just put his name to MainStage.
He has joined as an on faculty coach.
That’s why this session exists.
It’s not a public appearance.
It’s a conversation inside a room he trusts.
On this call you will learn:
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What makes a real difference over the long term in a professional speaking career — and what most speakers waste time obsessing over.
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How elite speakers think about fees, positioning, relevance, and longevity when the market shifts.
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How to make better strategic decisions about what to say yes to, what to walk away from, and where to focus next.
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These are the kinds of questions speakers usually ask:
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backstage
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over dinner
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or years later, wishing they’d known sooner
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This session brings those conversations forward.
Why we’re hosting it
At MainStage, we’re focused on one thing:
Helping speakers build real, durable speaking businesses — not just better talks.
Tim’s thinking aligns deeply with how we approach the industry:
- clarity over hype
- substance over shortcuts
- and honesty about what actually works
This session isn’t about copying Tim’s path.
It’s about learning how someone at the very top thinks.
Who this session is for
This session is for you if:
- you’re serious about speaking as a profession
- you want perspective, not tactics
- and you care about building something that lasts
It’s especially valuable if you’re:
- questioning your next move
- navigating growth or transition
- or tired of surface-level advice
Live details
- Format:Â Live, interactive Q&A
- Guest:Â Tim Gard
- Hosted by:Â Marty & Michael
- Access:Â Limited seats (to keep it genuinely interactive)