DAY 19: Build Support, Not Burnout -- Hiring the Right People to Grow Your Speaker Brand

Shana Lewis

Jan 25 • 21 Day Challenge Daily Tasks

Actions to take:

Listen to Day 19 Audio Lesson
Read Day 19 Post
Complete the tasks and reply to post

Good morning and welcome to Day 19.

At this stage of the challenge, the issue is no longer effort or motivation.

👉 It’s capacity.

You’ve been pitching. You've been showing up. You've been building systems.

Now it’s time to talk about support—because no bankable brand is built alone.

✨ Today’s Bankable Speaker Truth

The people you hire should make you money.

Support is not an expense. It's an investment.

Why This Matters

Many speakers:

stop pitching because they’re overwhelmed
disappear online because consistency slips
lose leads because follow-up falls through
delay growth because “I’ll do it myself for now”

Hiring support isn’t about building a big team. It's about protecting momentum.

Who Speakers Typically Hire First (and Why)

You do not need all of these at once. You build support in stages.

1️⃣ Virtual Assistant (VA) – Most Common First Hire

This is usually the best first hire for speakers.

What a VA can help with:

researching speaking opportunities
sending pitch emails
tracking follow-ups
scheduling meetings
updating your CRM
organizing Google Drive assets

Your VA can literally:

👉 research

👉 email

👉 follow up

👉 and set meetings for speaking pitches

That’s exactly how I use mine.

That’s all she does for me—and it keeps my pipeline moving.

Estimated Pay Range:

$5–$10/hour (international VA)
$15–$25/hour (U.S.-based VA)

➡️ This hire buys back your time and increases opportunity flow.

2️⃣ Social Media Manager (or Content Support)

What they can help with:

scheduling posts
repurposing speaking clips
managing consistency
organizing content calendars

Estimated Pay Range:

$300–$800/month (basic execution)
$1,000–$2,500/month (strategy + execution)

➡️ This hire protects your visibility.

3️⃣ Research & Outreach Support

(This can be the same VA or a specialized role)

What they can help with:

finding aligned events and organizations
identifying decision-makers
managing weekly pitching rhythms

➡️ This hire supports income generation directly.

Where to Find Help

You have more options than you think:

Fiverr – task-based or starter support
Upwork – ongoing VA and research roles
Pineapple – pre-vetted VA support

You can also:

look for college students who need internships
tap into your first degree of separation(someone you already know who has these skills)

Sometimes the right hire is already in your network.

💰 “But How Will I Pay Them?”

This is the most common concern—and it’s valid.

Here’s the reframe:

You don’t hire everyone at once. You start with the most needed role, at a rate you can work with.

If they are doing their job well:

they help you stay consistent
they free you to focus on revenue
they help generate more opportunities

Which means:

👉 they make you money

👉 you reinvest

👉 you grow

That’s how businesses scale.

🔎 Speaker Support Readiness Check

Answer honestly:

☐ I pitch consistently every week

☐ I follow up on every lead

☐ My CRM is always up to date

☐ My content is posted consistently

☐ My inbox doesn’t overwhelm me

☐ I have time to focus on strategy

If you checked 3 or fewer, support is no longer optional.

How to Decide Who to Hire First

Ask yourself:

What drains my energy the most?
What do I keep delaying?
What directly supports income or visibility?

Start there.

You don’t hire to look successful. You hire to stay in motion.

⏱ TODAY’S ACTION (15–30 MINUTES)

Today:

Identify the one role you need most right now
Take the next 7 days to write down all the tasks you complete in your business. And then determine which one task you would delegate immediately
Decide where you’ll look for support
Choose a starter budget you’re comfortable with

That’s it.

POST BELOW USING THIS FORMAT

The role I need most right now is __________.One task I would delegate immediately is __________.Getting support would help me __________.

Then reply to one other person’s post with encouragement or insight.

Tomorrow, we’ll focus on the backend forms and structures you need in place—so the work you’re doing now continues to pay off.

Support isn’t weakness. It's strategy.

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