The Speakers Group

What The Speakers Group does

The Speakers Group, Inc. is a privately held thought leadership studio founded by Shawn Ellis in Nashville in 2003 and currently operated from the Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area. The company delivers two flagship keynotes — Choose Your Ending™ and Radical Adaptability — both built around the trademarked 5 C's Framework (Calm, Clarity, Courage, Confidence, Community), and serves enterprise event planners across industries including financial services, healthcare, aerospace and defense, insurance, manufacturing, and government. Client logos include Lockheed Martin, Freddie Mac, BlueCross BlueShield, Unum, Bridgestone, Toastmasters International, and Microsoft's and Disney's audiences via represented speakers.

The core product is human-delivered keynote speaking by Shawn Ellis at $15K-$25K per domestic program, supplemented by a 1:1 coaching program called Stand Out and Speak for emerging speakers and a two-tier Speaker Finder referral service (free Direct and $99 Managed). Supporting brand assets include the Better Life. Better Business. podcast, a published book (Mastering the Moments), and an extensive SEO-driven blog and city-specific landing pages targeting the Columbus, Nashville, Chicago, and Cincinnati markets. The company maintains no proprietary technology platform and does not list any AI/ML capabilities.

The business model is service-based and founder-centric: revenue is generated through per-engagement keynote fees, selective referral commissions or managed-service fees, and undisclosed coaching engagements. Distribution is direct via website contact forms, phone (614) 285-6171, and email, with organic content marketing and referrals driving inbound demand. In 2024 the company formally transitioned away from operating a full-service speakers roster, repositioning as a thought leadership studio under single-founder ownership with no external investment, no parent company, and a headcount of 1-10.

Name

The Speakers Group

Legal name

The Speakers Group Inc.

Website

https://thespeakersgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Speakers Group is a privately held thought leadership studio that delivers Shawn Ellis's branded keynotes on change and adaptability, provides 1:1 coaching for emerging speakers, and offers curated speaker referrals to enterprise event planners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Keynote Speaking Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Speaker, Program & Abstract Management Services (THAHACAI)

Keywords

• Keynote speaking services
• Speaker bureau referrals
• Executive coaching programs
• Thought leadership consulting
• Corporate event speakers

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Keynote Speaking Engagements: Primary revenue stream from Shawn Ellis delivering keynote presentations at corporate events, conferences, sales kickoff meetings, and leadership retreats. Fee range of $15,000-$25,000 for domestic programs.
2. Speaker Referral Services: Connecting event planners with trusted speakers from their network. They receive inquiries and make referrals, potentially earning referral fees or commissions from placed speakers.
3. Coaching & Advisory Services: The 'Stand Out and Speak' program offers 1:1 strategic coaching for emerging and evolving speakers to clarify their brand, story, and positioning.
4. Speaker Finder Managed Service: $99 fee for event planners who want TSG to manage speaker proposals on their behalf, hiding direct contact information from speakers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Speakers Group is a thought leadership studio that delivers keynote presentations by founder Shawn Ellis on change, resilience, and adaptability; provides 1:1 coaching through the Stand Out and Speak program for speakers seeking to clarify their message; and operates a curated Speaker Finder referral network that connects event planners with trusted keynote speakers outside bureau contracts.

Product overview

The Speakers Group is a thought leadership studio that operates as a platform-plus-services model. The core offering centers on two flagship keynote presentations by founder Shawn Ellis: the 'Choose Your Ending™' keynote and the 'Radical Adaptability' keynote, both built around his proprietary 5 C's Framework. The company supplements its speaking services with the 'Stand Out and Speak' one-on-one coaching program for emerging and evolving speakers, and a curated speaker referral network for event planners. Supporting brand extensions include the 'Better Life. Better Business.' podcast and Shawn Ellis's book 'Mastering the Moments.' The company was founded in 2004 and has evolved from a traditional speakers bureau to a thought leadership studio focused on elevating voices through keynotes, coaching, and strategic referrals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Choose Your Ending™ Keynote A flagship keynote presentation delivered by Shawn Ellis that helps audiences reframe change as a creative act, identify what is holding them back, and make one brave choice that unlocks momentum and growth. Targeted at corporate event audiences and leadership teams.
• Radical Adaptability Keynote A practical keynote delivered by Shawn Ellis that presents the 5 C's Framework — Calm, Clarity, Courage, Confidence, Community — to help leaders and teams lead through uncertainty and create thriving organizational cultures. Aimed at enterprise leadership and sales kickoff audiences.
• Stand Out and Speak Coaching Program A one-on-one strategic coaching engagement led by Shawn Ellis that helps emerging and evolving speakers develop a magnetic speaker identity, client-facing keynote titles and messaging, and supporting materials including one-sheets, website copy, and demo scripts. Targeted at speakers and executives seeking to elevate their thought leadership.
• Speaker Finder Service A speaker referral service offering two tiers: Speaker Finder Direct (free, sharing of direct contact info) and Speaker Finder Managed ($99, where TSG manages speaker proposals and protects client contact information). Targeted at event planners seeking speakers outside their existing network.
• Mastering the Moments Book A published book by Shawn Ellis titled 'Mastering the Moments: A Journey of Endings, Beginnings, and the Space in Between' offering practical guidance on navigating life's transitions with resilience, clarity, and purpose.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 transformative keynotes delivered in 15 weeks for major organizations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• BigSpeak Speakers Bureau: BigSpeak is a full-service speakers bureau representing motivational and business keynote speakers for corporate events. Directly comparable to The Speakers Group's original bureau model and its current speaker referral function.
• The Lavin Agency: The Lavin Agency is a boutique speakers bureau representing authors, thinkers, and business speakers for corporate and association events. Closely aligned with TSG's speaker referral and curated bureau positioning.
• Leading Authorities: Leading Authorities is a Washington, D.C.-based speakers bureau providing keynote speakers for corporate, association, and government events. Comparable in customer base (enterprise, associations) and service model.
• Harry Walker Agency: Harry Walker Agency is one of the oldest and largest speakers bureaus representing prominent figures for paid speaking engagements. Directly comparable category, though at a larger scale than TSG.
• Premiere Speakers Bureau: Premiere Speakers Bureau represents keynote speakers for associations, corporations, and meetings. Overlaps with TSG's core speaker referral and matching service for event planners.
• Keynote Speakers International: Keynote Speakers International is a speakers bureau representing business, motivational, and leadership speakers for corporate events. Direct competitor in the same speaker-booking category.
• Executive Speakers Bureau: Executive Speakers Bureau is a bureau focused on leadership, diversity, and business speakers for corporate and association audiences. Comparable in target market, service model, and fee tiers.

Broad incumbents

• Creative Artists Agency (CAA) Speakers: CAA's speakers division represents high-profile talent for paid speaking engagements. A broader, incumbent player in the same space, competing for the same marquee keynote bookings at the premium end of the market.

Others

• National Speakers Association (NSA): NSA is the trade industry body for professional speakers, providing CSP certification and industry recognition referenced in TSG's represented-roster history. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.

Regional players

• Eagle Point Speaker Booking Agency: Eagle Point is a speakers bureau serving primarily U.S. event planners with keynote speakers. Similar service offering and geographic focus, making it a regional-category comparable for TSG's domestic bookings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheSpkrsGroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/thespeakersgroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Speakers Group