- How far in advance should we book?
- For a conference keynote, six months or more is typical — those calendars fill early, and the pre-conference design session works best with real runway. Leadership offsites usually come together faster. Virtual sessions are the most flexible and can sometimes happen within a few weeks. If your date is sooner than that, send it anyway. Sometimes it works, and I'd rather tell you than have you assume it's a no.
- How much do you customize the talk?
- Every engagement starts with a discovery call, and what I learn there changes the talk. The frameworks stay the same — that's the part that's been tested on a hundred thousand managers — but the examples, the language, and the specific problems I name come from your organization. I'm listening for what your leaders are actually dealing with on a Tuesday. It's never a template pulled off the shelf.
- How many people can attend?
- Conference keynotes have no practical ceiling — I've spoken to rooms of every size. Leadership offsites work well anywhere from a single executive team up to about a hundred people; the larger the room, the more the format shifts from practice to demonstration, which we'd talk through beforehand. Virtual sessions work for a leadership team or a full all-hands, whatever the headcount.
- Are copies of Good Authority included?
- With the conference keynote, yes — I like the room to leave with the book, so copies for the audience are usually part of it. For offsites and virtual sessions, say the word and I'll sort out a bundle for the team.
- Do you travel internationally?
- Sometimes. I'm selective about international travel, so it's worth a conversation rather than a yes or no — tell me the event and the date and I'll be straight with you about whether it works. Travel and lodging are billed at cost. When travel doesn't make sense, a virtual session covers a lot of the same ground.
- Can we record the session?
- Yes, for internal use — replaying it for people who couldn't attend, or keeping it in your leadership library. Public distribution is a separate conversation. Just flag that you'd like to record when we're setting things up so I can plan for it.
- How do I know if you're the right fit for our room?
- Ask me and I'll tell you honestly. My approach is practical and a little confronting — it treats leadership as personal growth work, which means the room does some looking in the mirror. If your audience is ready for that, it lands hard and lasts. If you're looking for a purely motivational hour that leaves everyone feeling good and changes nothing on Monday, I'm the wrong choice, and I'll say so rather than take the booking.
