Professional Speaker - Speaker Freedom Personal Development Employee Review

Job ads for speakers say average person makes six figures but that is not factually true. Average speaker there makes well under that, more like $50k. Some make little to nothing and go into debt trying to succeed there---many have gone that road. (Note high turn over of speakers is for a reason.) "Management" is making six figures but not the speakers. Then take into account that you are 1099, paying for your own insurance, phone, car, etc. And the pay becomes wose. No sick time, no vacation time, and now you get the picture of what you are really making. Many speakers have left the company broke trying to make it work. They say loudly and publicly at company events that the failures (including any financial ruins) of speakers who leave are due to poor integrity of those individuals. Integrity is the most overused word at the company, used to shame and place blame when someone fails to meet an objective. "If you were living in integrity you would have met your goals." The same people they hailed just months earlier to you as highly trained experts and models of success are now losers who lack integrity. Something about that just doesn't sit well and fails the smell test. We're not talking about one person. or two. or three. or four. or five, six, or seven. We're talking many people who have come and gone through the doors. The stats don't back their story line. You are working with people who are trained in the art of presentation and influence, and use it to manipulate. So beware. You are diving in shark infested waters. If you revisit the job ad claiming a six figure income, you'll notice the sentence is carefully worded to say average people in "our industry" (not average at that company). Word play, gray lines, and manipulation are a constant at this company. What you see in the ad is what you will get when you work there. You will get Rah Rah, smiles, and lots of encouragement too and, if you are making the living you want to while that happens, then fantastic! However most people were not able to provide for their families consistently, but the company was profiting from them regardless, so they keep encouraging them to stay a little longer, try a little harder, get back to "living in integrity"-- even at the personal financial peril of those people. Profit is good, but doesn't need to be done at the expense of people working on your behalf. The other thing to consider is that their business model is faulty and causes areas to burn out fast, which is another reason why they can't keep many speakers long term. They go into an area, sell training, and burn through that city, and then you have to leave that city or leave the company. This company has moments of greatness but they are overshadowed by a culture of manipulation, shaming, and focus on profitability for the owners above anyone else's best interest. That is not something that I can suggest to another person.