NSA Carolinas upcoming events

Speaker Academy 2026 (August 29, 2026)

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Step Into the Spotlight: NSA Carolinas Speakers Academy 2026

You’re not just building a talk, you’re building a business, a brand, and a platform that gets you paid.

If you’re ready to turn your message into momentum, the NSA Carolinas Speakers Academy is your fast track from potential to professional. Designed for aspiring and emerging speakers, this high-impact cohort experience gives you the structure, strategy, and support to grow with confidence and get real results.

Why This Academy Works

This isn’t theory. It’s transformation.

You’ll walk away with:

A clearer message that resonates
A roadmap for building a profitable speaking business
The confidence to show up and stand out
A community that continues long after the program ends

What Our Past Participants Say

“Before Speaker Academy, I felt lost as a new speaker. Within weeks, I had clarity, momentum, and a supportive network of fellow speakers cheering me on. NSA Carolinas gave me the confidence and community I needed to grow my speaking business.” — Julie Messina

“The Academy gave me the structure and confidence I needed to elevate my message and my business.”
— Mary Elizabeth Murphy, CPCC, ORSCC

“I sharpened my message, strengthened my strategy, and found a community that truly understands the journey.”
— Ali Ingersoll

Program Highlights

You’ll build your speaking foundation step by step with each experience intentionally designed to connect and compound so you leave with a clear path forward.

Session 1: Foundations of Professional Speaking

- Date: August 29, 2026 | Time: 10:00 AM - Noon (Remote)
- Gain a solid foundation in the essentials of a successful speaking business and sharpen your storytelling skills to use in your high-impact presentation video and beyond.

Session 2: Coaching and Roundtable

- Date: September 12, 2026 | Time: 10:00 AM - Noon (Remote)
- Participate in a cohort roundtable with opportunities to explore your personalized progress and next steps discussion.

Session 3: Brand Positioning and Marketing

- Date: September 26, 2026 | Time: 10:00 AM - Noon (Remote)
- Learn how to identify your niche, craft your message, and build a powerful marketing plan—while creating marketing funnels that consistently generate and convert leads.

Session 4: Coaching and Roundtable

- Date: October 10, 2026 | Time: 10:00 AM - Noon (Remote)
- Participate in a cohort roundtable with opportunities to explore your personalized progress and next steps discussion.

Session 5: Building Your Speaking Business - Presentation Video

- Date: October 25, 2026 | Time: 10:00 AM - Noon (venue TBA, special venue in the North Myrtle Beach)
- Present a segment of your signature speech in front of colleagues. This will be professionally video-taped and given to you for your future use. Delivering in front of other NSA Carolina members and provides a chance for feedback and support. Options are available for you to purchase video editing services.

Session 6: Protect Your Voice: IP Strategies & Contract Tips For Speakers

- Date: November 7, 2026 | Time: 10:00 AM - Noon (Remote)
- Your expertise is your business—learn how to protect it. This session covers the essentials of speaker proposals, contracts, and intellectual property, along with practical tips for safeguarding your content, negotiating favorable agreements, and building a sustainable, profitable speaking business.

Session 7: Mentorship and Roundtable

- Date: November 21, 2026 | Time: 10:00 AM - Noon (Remote)
- Participate in a final cohort roundtable with opportunities to explore your personalized progress and next steps discussion.

Session 8: Plan & Activate for the Future of Your Business

- Date: December 5, 2026 | Time: 10:00 AM - Noon (Remote)
- Powered by neuroscience strategies that elevate your presence and impact on stage, we'll close out the academy by customizing your actionable business plan to move your speaking business forward

Why Choose the NSA Carolinas Speakers Academy?

Many programs can teach you the fundamentals of speaking. What sets the NSA Carolinas Speakers Academy apart is the level of personal attention and ongoing support you'll receive throughout the program.

We intentionally keep each cohort small so every participant has meaningful access to Academy leaders, guest speakers, and fellow learners. Whether you're working in small groups or participating in Q&A sessions with experienced professionals, you'll have plenty of opportunities to ask questions, receive personalized feedback, and get guidance that's relevant to your own speaking goals and business.

Another hallmark of the Academy is our Capstone Roadmap. Rather than simply teaching concepts, we help you build a personalized plan for growing your speaking business. From your first class through graduation in December, you'll develop practical strategies, identify your next steps, and leave with a clear roadmap to continue building momentum long after the Academy ends.

Who This Is For

Aspiring speakers ready to get started the right way
Emerging speakers who want more consistency and income
Experts, coaches, and leaders ready to translate their expertise into a speaking platform

Whether you're starting from scratch or refining your approach, this program meets you where you are and helps you move forward faster.

Investment in Your Growth

Early-Bird Pricing (Register by July 20, 2026):

Members: $600 (includes a renewal for a one-year membership to NSA Carolinas, normally $165/year!)
Non-Members: $750 (includes a one-year membership to NSA Carolinas, normally $165/year!)

Regular Pricing (after July 20, 2026):

Members: $725 (includes a renewal for a one-year membership to NSA Carolinas, normally $165/year!)
Non-Members: $875 (includes a one-year membership to NSA Carolinas, normally $165/year!)

Ready to Transform Your Speaking Career? Register now!

Your enrollment includes:

All live zoom sessions
Keynote speaking opportunity with professional raw video footage
Templates, tools, and curated resources
A built-in network of peers for collaboration
Plus: NSA Carolinas membership (new or renewed)

Ready to Build a Speaking Career That Gets Results?

Stop figuring it out alone.
Start building with a proven path, expert guidance, and a community behind you.

Apply / Register Now and take your next step toward the stage.

2nd Saturday Meetup - Greater Raleigh - November 2026 (November 14, 2026)

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 14:00:00 GMT

NSA Carolinas is committed to serving and building the Professional Speaker Community throughout North Carolina & South Carolina. In that spirit, we host ‘2nd Saturday’ Regional Meetups to foster connection, community, and collaboration.

These Meetups are regionally located, wherever a volunteer member Champion commits to hosting. A remote option (via Zoom) is also available.

GREATER RALEIGH (in-person)

Time: 9:00am - 10:00 am

Venue: Echo, 404 Hunt St. Suite 500, Durham, NC 27701

Area Champion: Eve Keil (evehannahkeil@gmail.com)

NSA Carolinas is here to help you knock it out of the ballpark, and hit a home run in your Professional Speaker business. See you at our next 2nd Saturday!

Want an in-person 2nd Saturday location closer to you?
Get in touch with us about being a champion so you can help host and pick the location!

2nd Saturday Meetup - Virtual via Zoom - November 2026 (November 14, 2026)

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 14:00:00 GMT

REMOTE (virtually)

Time: 9:00am via Zoom

(Zoom link will be included in the registration confirmation and reminder emails).

Area Champion: Anagha Agte (anaghaagteexecoach@gmail.com)

NSA Carolinas is here to help you knock it out of the ballpark, and hit a home run in your Professional Speaker business. See you at our next 2nd Saturday!

Want an in-person 2nd Saturday location closer to you? Get in touch with us about being a champion so you can help host and pick the location!

2nd Saturday Meetup - Winston-Salem - November 2026 (November 14, 2026)

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 15:00:00 GMT

These Meetups are regionally located, wherever a volunteer member Champion commits to hosting. A remote option (via Zoom) is also available.

WINSTON-SALEM (in-person)

Time: 10:00am - 11:00am

Venue: Panera Bread, 970 South Main Street, Kernersville, NC 27284

Area Champions: Sherman Transou (srtransou2@gmail.com), Dr. Diana James (diana@secretstairs.com)

NSA Carolinas is here to help you knock it out of the ballpark, and hit a home run in your Professional Speaker business. See you at our next 2nd Saturday!

Want an in-person 2nd Saturday location closer to you? Get in touch with us about being a champion so you can help host and pick the location!

2nd Saturday Meetup - Greater Charlotte - November 2026 (November 14, 2026)

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 15:30:00 GMT

These Meetups are regionally located, wherever a volunteer member Champion commits to hosting. A remote option (via Zoom) is also available.

GREATER CHARLOTTE (in-person):

Time: 10:30am - 11:30am

Venue: Charlotte Mecklenburg Library - SouthPark Regional Branch, 7015 Carnegie Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28211. Note: (Location is 2nd floor, room 216 - Teen Study Room)

Area Champion: Craig Collin (craig@laughwithcraig.com)

NSA Carolinas is here to help you knock it out of the ballpark, and hit a home run in your Professional Speaker business. See you at our next 2nd Saturday!

Want an in-person 2nd Saturday location closer to you? Get in touch with us about being a champion so you can help host and pick the location!

Speaker Development Series: From Goals to Growth: Turning Speaking Ambitions into Measurable Results (November 18, 2026)

Wed, 18 Nov 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Join us every third Wednesday for the NSA Carolinas Speaker Development Series, designed to help you build a thriving, ethical speaking business.

Speaker Development Series

Most speakers know where they want their business to go, but far fewer have a clear way to tell whether they’re getting there. In this practical one-hour session, you’ll learn to look at your speaking business through a measurement lens: where your time goes, what’s worth tracking, and how to set goals you can actually verify. You’ll learn the difference between KPIs and OKRs, how to spot metrics that look impressive but tell you nothing, and how to write strong objectives with measurable key results. This is a hands-on session, so it’s best to join from a computer so you can participate fully.

You’ll learn how to:

Define what success looks like for your speaking business by turning broad ambitions into clear, measurable outcomes
Distinguish between KPIs and OKRs and know when to use each to monitor business performance versus drive growth and change
Identify meaningful leading and lagging indicators to track progress, adjust early, and translate annual goals into focused 90-day action

Check out our Speaker:

Kim Poremski is the founder of Agile Prowess, where she helps leaders and organizations close the gap between effort and results. One of a select group of Certified Scrum Trainers® worldwide, she brings 30+ years of experience across IT, product management, and organizational change, working with Fortune 500 teams in banking, finance, healthcare, insurance, and retail.

On stage, Kim shares better ways of leading others and ourselves by revealing the patterns that hold people, leaders, and teams back and the practices that move them forward. She has delivered keynotes and workshops at regional and national events, served as emcee for the 2023 Global Scrum Gatherings in Portland and Amsterdam, and delivered the closing keynote at the 2025 Scrum Gathering in Banff, Canada.

Kim is a member of the National Speakers Association (NSA), NSA Carolinas, Charleston Women in Tech, and Scrum Alliance. She lives in Charleston, SC.

You Won't Want To Miss This!

2nd Saturday Meetup - Virtual via Zoom - December 2026 (December 12, 2026)

Sat, 12 Dec 2026 14:00:00 GMT

REMOTE (virtually)

Time: 9:00am via Zoom

(Zoom link will be included in the registration confirmation and reminder emails).

Area Champion: Anagha Agte (anaghaagteexecoach@gmail.com)

NSA Carolinas is here to help you knock it out of the ballpark, and hit a home run in your Professional Speaker business. See you at our next 2nd Saturday!

Want an in-person 2nd Saturday location closer to you? Get in touch with us about being a champion so you can help host and pick the location!

2nd Saturday Meetup - Greater Raleigh - December 2026 (December 12, 2026)

Sat, 12 Dec 2026 14:00:00 GMT

These Meetups are regionally located, wherever a volunteer member Champion commits to hosting. A remote option (via Zoom) is also available.

GREATER RALEIGH (in-person)

Time: 9:00am - 10:00 am

Venue: Echo, 404 Hunt St. Suite 500, Durham, NC 27701

Area Champion: Eve Keil (evehannahkeil@gmail.com)

NSA Carolinas is here to help you knock it out of the ballpark, and hit a home run in your Professional Speaker business. See you at our next 2nd Saturday!

Want an in-person 2nd Saturday location closer to you?
Get in touch with us about being a champion so you can help host and pick the location!

2nd Saturday Meetup - Winston-Salem - December 2026 (December 12, 2026)

Sat, 12 Dec 2026 15:00:00 GMT

These Meetups are regionally located, wherever a volunteer member Champion commits to hosting. A remote option (via Zoom) is also available.

WINSTON-SALEM (in-person)

Time: 10:00am - 11:00am

Venue: Panera Bread, 970 South Main Street, Kernersville, NC 27284

Area Champions: Sherman Transou (srtransou2@gmail.com), Dr. Diana James (diana@secretstairs.com)

NSA Carolinas is here to help you knock it out of the ballpark, and hit a home run in your Professional Speaker business. See you at our next 2nd Saturday!

Want an in-person 2nd Saturday location closer to you? Get in touch with us about being a champion so you can help host and pick the location!

2nd Saturday Meetup - Greater Charlotte - December 2026 (December 12, 2026)

Sat, 12 Dec 2026 15:30:00 GMT

These Meetups are regionally located, wherever a volunteer member Champion commits to hosting. A remote option (via Zoom) is also available.

GREATER CHARLOTTE (in-person):

Time: 10:30am - 11:30am

Venue: Charlotte Mecklenburg Library - SouthPark Regional Branch, 7015 Carnegie Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28211. Note: (Location is 2nd floor, room 216 - Teen Study Room)

Area Champion: Craig Collin (craig@laughwithcraig.com)

NSA Carolinas is here to help you knock it out of the ballpark, and hit a home run in your Professional Speaker business. See you at our next 2nd Saturday!

Want an in-person 2nd Saturday location closer to you? Get in touch with us about being a champion so you can help host and pick the location!

Speaker Development Series: The Other Side of the Table: An Executive Director's Take on Hiring Speakers (December 16, 2026)

Wed, 16 Dec 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Join us every third Wednesday for the NSA Carolinas Speaker Development Series, designed to help you build a thriving, ethical speaking business.

Speaker Development Series

Rich Phaneuf, Executive Director of AENC, spends his career sitting on the other side of the speaker selection process — deciding who gets booked and why. In this session, Rich shares what actually works (and what doesn't) when speakers pitch, apply, and show up for association audiences, then opens the floor for a hot-seat Q&A where you can ask him directly about your own positioning, pitch, or approach. Come ready to learn what meeting planners wish speakers understood — and to get real-time feedback on your own game.

Check out our Speaker:

Rich Phaneuf graduated from Central Connecticut State University in 1992 with a B.A. in Psychology. During his time at Central, he was a student-athlete on the Division I Varsity Baseball Team and a member of Psi Chi, the national honor society for psychology majors. He graduated with distinction, ranking in the top 5% of psychology majors nationwide.

Since 2016, Rich has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Association Executives of North Carolina (AENC), an organization dedicated to advancing the professional development of staff across more than 240 associations in the state. In addition to leading AENC’s educational mission, he represents the association community as a liaison to the North Carolina General Assembly and the Office of the Governor of North Carolina.

Rich has been deeply engaged in governance and service throughout his career, having served on the Board of Directors for five organizations. His leadership has included two years as Chairman of the Board for Harrells Christian Academy, a private K-12 school serving over 500 students. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the Association Leadership Coalition (formerly Association Societies Alliance) and is slated to assume the role of Board President in July 2026.

You Won't Want To Miss This!

NSA 101: Maximizing your Membership with NSA Carolinas (January 07, 2027)

Thu, 07 Jan 2027 15:00:00 GMT

Are you ready to unlock the full value of your NSA Carolinas membership?

Whether you’ve just joined or you’ve been with us for years, this interactive session will help you get the most from your chapter experience.

NSA 101: Maximizing Your Membership with NSA Carolinas
Thursday, January 7, 2027
10:00–11:00 AM ET
Virtual | Free for Members

In this FREE virtual orientation, you’ll discover:

The exclusive perks and resources available to every NSA Carolinas member.
Practical tips to maximize your membership and accelerate your speaking career.
An inside look at our thriving community of speakers across the Carolinas.

This session is designed for all members, new, seasoned, or somewhere in between. It’s the perfect chance to connect, learn, and make sure you’re taking advantage of everything NSA Carolinas has to offer.

After registering, you’ll receive the Zoom link in your confirmation and reminder emails.

Don’t miss this chance to maximize your membership, connect with fellow speakers, and step fully into the benefits of NSA Carolinas!