Let me tell you the secret, which is so painfully obvious, but almost nobody ever does.
Make friends with other speakers by meeting them in person. Honor them by studying their content, and practicing what they preach— before you ever ask for a favor.
And asking for their time is a favor, even if it’s “5 minutes to pick your brain”.
GaryVee doesn’t accept “free ride” offers from and to the airport because he values the time that could be spent working on his phone and making calls, instead of an hour of captive attention.
Be a student of the game, before being too quick to make it all about you, the exotic sports cars you take pictures in front of, or the other things you do to puff up your appearance.
Make it about the folks you respect and you’ll find that they will invite you to events, make introductions you never could have imagined, and do things beyond what you ever could have asked for.
The most successful people are dying to give back, but find so few people who actually are servant leaders, who have interests truly beyond themselves.
And then you’ll find that the best public speakers do it because they care for others, not because they seek glory for themselves.