Innovation Women Newsletter #564

May 22, 2026

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up for Innovation Women here!

WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION?

Hi ala,

With almost four years of weekly recordings, summaries and chats, the Speaker Friend Friday sessions we have in the Innovation Women Green Room are a treasure trove of trend data.

We've been digging into this data and the first extract is a list of the top ten themes, translated into the most common questions asked during Speaker Friend Friday sessions.

Next Friday, we'll be answering all the questions, and more during our special Speaker Friend-a-thon. Bring your questions! Bring your friends, we'll be diving deep into the world of speaking and events. Check out the program below. RSVP today! And come to today's Speaker Friends session and we'll give you a little preview of the big event!

Bobbie and the entire Innovation Women team

MAY 29 SPEAKER FRIEND-A-THON

Join us for a special 11th Anniversary event - 11 hours of Speaker Friends! We're hitting all the time zones we can!

On Friday, May 29th, 2026, we'll be holding our first-ever Speaker Friend-a-thon, an 11-hour live Zoom experience from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM ET. It’s designed to bring our global community together for connection, collaboration and a whole lot of speaker support. (Bobbie’s note: And FUN! Don’t forget fun!) 

We’ll be talking about things like speaker compensation, building a speaking business, pricing, sizzle reels, authorship and more.  Everything related to public speaking! RSVP now!

EVENT MANAGER OR EXPERT?

SPEAKER FRIEND FRIDAYS

All are welcome!

Join us today (and every Friday) at 8:45 am ET for Speaker Friend Fridays on Zoom. You can also join us for West Coast Friendly Speaker Friends on the first Friday and third Friday of each month at noon ET/9:00 am PT. Click the links below to RSVP and add the recurring links to your calendar. (Everyone is welcome at these events. Bring a friend, even if they aren't a member.) Event organizers? You're welcome too!

Note: Regular programming will be interrupted on May 29, 2026 for our special anniversary Speaker Friend-a-thon.

MY SPEAKER LEADS IS OPEN!

My Speaker Leads is open for business again! (It has been running a waiting list for the last two years.) What is My Speaker Leads? My Speaker Leads saves professional speakers time and effort by providing a weekly list of leads most likely to convert to paid public speaking opportunities. Sign up today for 200-400 speaking leads every month. 

GET MORE SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES

We’re here to help you find EVEN MORE speaking opportunities.

Join Innovation Women founder and Speaker Friend Fridays host Bobbie Carlton, an industry veteran who has spent decades getting executives and experts onto high-visibility stages. You’ll get insider secrets and insights you can use immediately.

You know how speaking can drive business growth and dramatically boost your professional visibility, but do you know:

• What event managers, podcast hosts, and media are really looking for in speakers?
• How Innovation Women connects women and other underrepresented voices with speaking opportunities of all kinds?
• Ways you can uncover opportunities most others miss?

Plus, you’ll get a live tour of the Innovation Women speaking opportunity database, a look at our educational resources, and an introduction to our supportive online community. Where other organizations stop short of delivering the real goods, Innovation Women always gives you the inside scoop.

Please join us: Thursday June 18 at 12:00 pm ET

UPCOMING INNOVATION WOMEN WEBINAR

Align Your Voice 

Featuring Brienne Hennessy

June 3, 2026

12:00 - 1:00 pm ET

Voice is an integral asset as a speaker, yet most don’t know ways to keep it healthy & vibrant long-term. Brienne Hennessy, M.A., will provide evidence- & experienced based voice health and wellness strategies, plus playful exercises so that attendees learn key concepts about protecting their voice function, reducing strain, tune into embodied presence so their sound resonates with more speaking prowess, all of which benefits their communication and livelihood. The intention is to bring high-value interactivity with tangible takeaways for all attendees.

LIONESS MAGAZINE FEATURES

Lioness for the Female Entrepreneur is our digital magazine for women who are starting (or thinking about starting) companies. Get the latest news, tools and resources to launch and scale startups. This week you can read great articles like:

• The Top 10 Questions Speakers Ask & Answer
• Lead the Change, Keep the Team