7 Speaking Opportunities to Market Your Holistic Business
Oct 02, 2025
How do you feel about speaking to promote your holistic business?
Speaking is one of the best ways to find clients, but many practitioners avoid public speaking at all costs. While it may take you out of your comfort zone, it’s certainly a skill that can be developed. Speaking isn’t about being salesy or the loudest voice in the room; it’s about sharing your knowledge in a way that helps others.
I was always the ‘shy one’ – put the spotlight on me and I’d freeze. I’d go bright red, and even remembering my name was challenging, let alone sharing anything of interest.
As an introvert, I believed I wasn’t cut out for speaking. However, I also knew that if I wanted to succeed, I had to find the courage to take the first step. It’s taken a lot of work, and more than a few tears but I’m constantly improving and now I actively look for opportunities to speak.
The number of platforms available to speak from has dramatically increased with the advancements in online technology. There are more opportunities than ever to share your knowledge, from in-person events to online - distance and time are no longer barriers if you want to reach larger and different audiences.
When I lived in rural Wales, a turning point for me was being able to take my speaking activities online. I could reach a much larger audience and save a huge amount of time and money. Now that I'm in Suffolk, I can do more in-person events, but online will remain my focus for speaking due to its accessibility.
Start Small
If the idea of public speaking doesn’t fill you with joy, start small and grow from there. You’ll build confidence as you go, and you’ll start to develop your own style. You’ll get a deeper understanding of your topic, the type of information your audience relates to, and the questions they have. Practice will help you to communicate what you do effectively and build better relationships in the process.
When I started out speaking, I held small in-person talks for groups of up to 10 people. As I grew in confidence, these increased in size and went online and I now talk at events and conferences and offer my talks to relevant community groups, most of which are online which suits me perfectly!
Pick One Topic
When you start on your speaking journey, pick one topic that relates to your favourite client and your approach. Make sure it’s something that adds value and that people would want to make the time for. The more often you deliver talks, the more refined and impactful they will become. Starting with one topic will help you to really hone your message, and your delivery – the aim is to get known as the expert on that topic.
Here are seven speaking formats you can explore, whether you're just starting out or ready to take centre stage:
Free Talks
This can be something you organise yourself or opportunities within your community. They’re a great way to demonstrate your expertise for people to get to know you. Places you can run talks include community groups, networking groups, professional associations, local businesses, and exhibitions – basically, anywhere your ideal clients can be found.
Consider health and wellbeing groups, menopause support groups, fitness groups, mother and baby groups, or healing circles - anywhere your ideal client is already gathering.
Your talks need to be useful and informative to the people attending rather than a sales pitch on your services and products.
Social Media Lives
Social media allows us to run live sessions and talks. They can be on an ad-hoc basis but if you can, run them regularly at a consistent time. That way, your audience will begin to learn when you’ll be speaking and can join you.
The major social media platforms encourage their users to do live videos. These reach a much wider audience than static posts or pre-recorded videos.
And to make the most of your efforts, you can also save your live videos and repurpose them as videos, stories, reels, or social media posts.
Run Workshops
Workshops are a great option for practitioners and provide a taster of what you do. It’s a great way to introduce your approach to clients who aren’t ready to commit to working fully with you.
They can be run to peer groups, such as friends who are interested in learning kitchen remedies. Or create a workshop for a group of individuals with a common problem such as ways to stop insomnia.
Workshops can provide an additional income stream for your business as well as promote your services.
Speak at Conferences
Conferences are a great way to raise your profile within your area of expertise. They’re also a great way to get in front of large groups of people at once who have a common interest. Whilst you’re there to provide value to the members, many organisers will allow you to promote your business to their members too.
Webinars
Technology has allowed small businesses to easily host and manage webinars as part of their marketing. Platforms like Zoom are a great way to run talks and classes online easily and with a limited budget. They’re also a great way to reach a much wider audience than your local area.
Podcasts
Podcasting is huge now and is accessible to listeners on the go. Whilst you can create your own podcast (which will help you develop as a speaker), it does take a lot of work and commitment. If you’re not quite ready for that right now, you could be a guest on appropriate podcasts. Being interviewed is a great way to share your experience and promote your business.
If you decide to approach a podcast, ensure you listen to a couple of episodes first, so you know it’s a good fit. When you approach the host, let them know how you can help them and the value you’ll provide their audience.
Join a Speaking Group
There are groups such as Toastmasters who help members hone their speaking skills and confidence. Many also provide a platform for you to speak to where you can share your expertise. Check out what's available in your local area and give it a go as it will boost your confidence and you'll get expert feedback which will help you to create better experiences for your audiences.
You don’t need to be confident to get started, just curious and willing to try.
Conclusion
Whichever route you choose, speaking can help you connect more deeply with your audience and grow your business with integrity.
Speaking is one of the ways my clients are successfully finding clients for their holistic businesses. It's a great way to build their profile and find clients faster than many other marketing activities. If you haven’t tried this as part of your marketing strategy, it is a good one to consider.
