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Map Your Way Out of Expertville and Into Visionary Town

In a speaking industry overpopulated by experts, it’s time to stand out as a visionary.

Getting booked

On Stage

Public speaking

Thought Leadership

Ana

Melikian

Business Faculty

minute read

Published on

January 26, 2026

Onstage at Financial Executives International (FEI) in Arizona, delivering my new keynote: The 100-Foot AI Wave

You’ve done everything “right.” Your website displays a jaw-dropping sizzle reel. You post regularly on your polished LinkedIn profile. And you’re a networking machine.

And yet… The keynote stage still feels just a few inches out of reach.

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You’re not the only one asking why. But there’s good news: with a simple shift, you can tilt the spotlight towards you and earn more speaking invitations.

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The truth is, in a speaking world packed with experts, it takes more than just know-how to stand out. It takes a visionary idea.

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You see, experts deliver practical advice and strategies, current best practices, and helpful techniques (most of which are generally recognized and readily accepted). In short, they give how-to speeches.

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These “how-to” speeches are usually restricted to breakout sessions, workshops, and online webinars. They hardly ever land the keynote stage.

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Why? Well, expertise alone just isn’t enough to shine on the big stage. To regularly earn the keynote slot, you need visionary ideas: ones that challenge the status quo and change how people feel, think, and act.

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Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t be an expert in what you do. Expertise is one of the three important factors that increase your value as a speaker. Knowledge is key, but it’s time to uplevel the type of expertise you possess.

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You see, expertise is a spectrum that ranges from subject-matter expertise to visionary leadership. What we’re inviting you to do is move higher up the scale by developing visionary ideas.

Full Transcript

Don't

assume that a visionary can’t also share how-to information and helpful strategies. They do—but they also do more.

decide now to become a visionary speaker who changes how the audience feels, thinks, and acts.

It’s time to move out of Expertville.

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Let me be clear, the problem is not that you’re an expert. The problem is that we’re all experts. I’m a human potential expert. There are resilience experts, AI experts, gentle parenting experts, longevity experts, HR experts, inclusivity-in-the-workplace experts, social media experts—you get the idea. Experts are everywhere.

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And Expertville is massive. There are experts running around every corner, packed into crowded cafes, and waiting in long lines at the supermarket. And everyone shares their ten tricks and tips, the inside secrets of their industry, and the must-know strategy for success.

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Experts share how-to speeches like:

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15 Must-Know Tactics Smart Marketers Can Use to Succeed
Storytelling Supercharger: Master the Four Principles That Make Professional Services Content Unforgettable
Your App in Action: Five Tips to Improve Customer Experience

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In Expertville, it can often seem like no matter how hard you work or how much you hustle, you just can’t seem to rise above the noise. As Michael Port and Andrew Davis explain in their book, The Referable Speaker: “In Expertville, everyone is a commodity. No one is famous, and everyone is frustrated.”

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Expertise has been commoditized, and just like any commoditized product, it’s hard to get paid more by differentiating your expertise from everyone else’s in an overcrowded sector.

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But you can do something different. Something big, something bold. You can move to Visionary Town.

Don't

The Visionary Quest Matrix from Michael Port and Andrew Davis’s book, The Referable Speaker.

Visionary Town: the Place to Be

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If Expertville is overpopulated and overcrowded, Visionary Town is like a little gated community. Everyone knows your name. There’s space to create, grow, and explore new ideas.

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This is where most referable speakers live. (And Visionary Town isn’t exclusive to speakers. It's home to visionary authors, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders too.)

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People in Visionary Town spend their time questioning conventional wisdom. They form a new approach. They share ideas that challenge the way we think, change our worldview, and open our eyes to new possibilities.

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Visionary speakers share how-to-think speeches like:

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The Human Edge: Creating Unforgettable Content in an Era of Writing Robots. Instead of focusing on tips and tricks for using AI in the marketing sphere, keynote speaker Ann Handley is changing the way we think about robots and humanity entirely.
Community Is the New Currency. Justin Turner, Head of Thought Leadership at Reddit, has crafted a speech title that evokes mindset shifts from the get-go.
Best Team Ever®: The Surprising Science of High-Performing Teams. Keynote speaker and author David Burkus flips employee achievement on its head with his visionary Core Message: Talent doesn't make the team; the team makes the talent.

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Speeches like these are transformational—they change how audiences feel, think, and act.

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Visionary speakers don’t spend much time (if any at all) marketing their speech. Why? Because their speech is so effective, every time they deliver it they earn stageside leads: speaking invitations for future gigs.

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Sound nice? It is—and it’s absolutely within reach. Anyone can put in the work to craft a transformational speech that takes them out of Expertville and into Visionary Town.

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Your Map Out

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Making the move from Expertville to Visionary Town starts by asking questions and pushing the status quo. Many times, visionaries are the ones asking the questions that don’t yet have an answer. Inquiring is what leads to a quest to find a new way of thinking, a new hypothesis, and possibly, a better answer.

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This is the very first step of your visionary quest: your journey towards more purpose, fame, insight, and impact.

Don't

assume an answer or rush into a quick-fix solution.

begin your visionary quest by taking the time to research, ponder, and answer each of the questions below.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

“Take the express train out of Expertville ASAP because Visionary Town is where you really can change the world one speech at a time. HEROIC has developed phenomenal program[s] with exceptional attention to detail—if you show up and do the work, your results will be life-changing. No other program[s] could possibly rate as high as theirs for quality, faculty, and results.”

Danielle Mulvey

Keynote Speaker, Podcast Host, Entrepreneur

Start right now. First, consider what’s commonplace and readily accepted in your area:

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What is the conventional knowledge around your topic?
What is your position?
What do you disagree with? Why?

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Next, investigate the problems your industry faces—specifically, the timeless problems:

‍

What problem does your speech solve?
What problems do typical "solutions" in your industry leave unresolved?
How is your solution similar to or different from others?
What is the deeper problem hiding behind surface-level problems?

‍

Now, dive into the typical expert advice that you either flat-out disagree with or simply feel isn’t 100% right:

‍

Why does that advice bother you?
What is preventing that advice from working?
Where did that advice originate?
What do you believe that is contrary to what most people in your industry think? Why do you believe this?

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Any of these questions could be the spark that ignites your visionary quest and ultimately leads you out of Expertville and into Visionary Town. But you’ll have to put in the work to thoroughly research and ponder the answers to each and every one.

Don't

You don’t have to do it alone. Get visionary help crafting your speech and developing your Core Message in GRAD | Speech Writing Mastery.

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You’ll master the repeatable process for ideating, structuring, and writing transformational speeches. The HEROIC Writing Faculty will challenge you, push you, and cheer you on as you turn your best ideas into a high-impact speech.

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This is the program that can help you take your speech from good to visionary.

You Have What It Takes to Make the Leap

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Nothing will have a bigger impact on your referability and your ability to reach the people you want to help than making the leap out of Expertville and into Visionary Town.

‍

You can map your way out—you have the expertise, the strategies, and the ideas. That’s your starting point. The questions above are your compass.

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As you embark on your visionary quest and craft a speech that challenges conventional wisdom and inspires a new way of thinking, you’ll wade through new ideas, cross uncharted intellectual territories, and begin a visionary adventure.

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Along the way, little by little, your speech will become more referable. More impactful. More visionary. As a result, you’ll find more and more speaking opportunities—and you’ll secure your residency in Visionary Town.

Don't

|

Helpful Links

Craft a referable speech.

GRAD

|

Speech Writing Mastery

Learn the repeatable process for ideating, drafting, and creating a transformational speech packed with visionary ideas that make a real impact.

Learn more

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

It’s time to move out of Expertville.

‍

Experts share how-to speeches like:

‍

15 Must-Know Tactics Smart Marketers Can Use to Succeed
Storytelling Supercharger: Master the Four Principles That Make Professional Services Content Unforgettable
Your App in Action: Five Tips to Improve Customer Experience

‍

Expertise has been commoditized, and just like any commoditized product, it’s hard to get paid more by differentiating your expertise from everyone else’s in an overcrowded sector.

‍

But you can do something different. Something big, something bold. You can move to Visionary Town.

Dont

Visionary Town: the Place to Be

‍

If Expertville is overpopulated and overcrowded, Visionary Town is like a little gated community. Everyone knows your name. There’s space to create, grow, and explore new ideas.

‍

This is where most referable speakers live. (And Visionary Town isn’t exclusive to speakers. It's home to visionary authors, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders too.)

‍

Visionary speakers share how-to-think speeches like:

‍

The Human Edge: Creating Unforgettable Content in an Era of Writing Robots. Instead of focusing on tips and tricks for using AI in the marketing sphere, keynote speaker Ann Handley is changing the way we think about robots and humanity entirely.
Community Is the New Currency. Justin Turner, Head of Thought Leadership at Reddit, has crafted a speech title that evokes mindset shifts from the get-go.
Best Team Ever®: The Surprising Science of High-Performing Teams. Keynote speaker and author David Burkus flips employee achievement on its head with his visionary Core Message: Talent doesn't make the team; the team makes the talent.

‍

Speeches like these are transformational—they change how audiences feel, think, and act.

‍

Sound nice? It is—and it’s absolutely within reach. Anyone can put in the work to craft a transformational speech that takes them out of Expertville and into Visionary Town.

‍

Your Map Out

‍

This is the very first step of your visionary quest: your journey towards more purpose, fame, insight, and impact.

Don't

assume an answer or rush into a quick-fix solution.

begin your visionary quest by taking the time to research, ponder, and answer each of the questions below.

Danielle Mulvey

Keynote Speaker, Podcast Host, Entrepreneur

Start right now. First, consider what’s commonplace and readily accepted in your area:

‍

What is the conventional knowledge around your topic?
What is your position?
What do you disagree with? Why?

‍

Next, investigate the problems your industry faces—specifically, the timeless problems:

‍

What problem does your speech solve?
What problems do typical "solutions" in your industry leave unresolved?
How is your solution similar to or different from others?
What is the deeper problem hiding behind surface-level problems?

‍

Now, dive into the typical expert advice that you either flat-out disagree with or simply feel isn’t 100% right:

‍

Why does that advice bother you?
What is preventing that advice from working?
Where did that advice originate?
What do you believe that is contrary to what most people in your industry think? Why do you believe this?

‍

Don't

You Have What It Takes to Make the Leap

‍

Nothing will have a bigger impact on your referability and your ability to reach the people you want to help than making the leap out of Expertville and into Visionary Town.

‍

You can map your way out—you have the expertise, the strategies, and the ideas. That’s your starting point. The questions above are your compass.

‍

Don't