Join the Speaker Academy Now
“I joined the Academy several years ago because I wanted to speak more confidently in front of the professional athletes I work with. The whole experience opened my eyes to what was possible for me and other speakers! I got introduced to world-class speakers and programming that blew my mind. And as the year progressed, it helped me build the confidence to start my own speaking business. Today, my speaking business is thriving, and I owe it all to the Speakers Academy and the instructors. If you are thinking about joining, I would encourage you to do so. You won’t regret it!.”
-Cindra Kamphoff, PhD, NSA-MN President, 2021-22
“It was October 2014 when I decided to pursue my professional speaking career and start a bank consulting business—at the same time. A friend recommended that I join the National Speakers Association, so I started my research. The following year on October 2015 I joined the Speakers Academy. It was the right decision. My biggest takeaway was when they asked us the question: “Why do you speak?” “What is your message that you want to share with the world?” But they not only asked us the question, they helped us answer it too. I was trained in community banking, not in public speaking, even though I had been speaking for about fifteen years. The instructors shared tools, methodologies, and tips to improve ourselves as speakers, but also taught us how to run the “business of public speaking.” I am grateful to NSA and to the Speakers Academy. If you’re looking for a place to improve yourself as a speaker and also to maximize your business opportunities, I encourage you to invest in yourself and attend the Speakers Academy.”
-Marcia (“Marci”) Malzahn, NSA-MN Past President, 2020-21
“I joined the Speaker Academy in 2015 to develop the skills I needed to grow my speaking and training business. The Speaker’s Academy helped me get clear on my message, my marketing plan, and gave me the confidence I needed to really ramp up my business. One of the best parts of Speaker Academy was having an accountability partner. We still meet every month to share our goals and mastermind together. Today, I have a thriving speaking and training business thanks to the Speaker Academy and NSA.”
-Liz Uram, NSA-MN Past President, 2019-20
WHY JOIN THE NSA?
It is simple. There are 2 things that the NSA will help you do.
- Build a better business.
- Become a better speaker.
Every piece of education that the NSA offers, everything that is spoken from the stage and everything that is focused on, is going to tie back to helping you be a better speaker or build a better business.
There are four primary ways that members do this within NSA.
- COMMUNITY. First and foremost is the community. Speakers and individuals within the NSA community have helped each other build their business and level up as a speaker. As members, you get community through your local chapters, attending national events, through online forums, discussion boards, and other virtual and live discussions.
- CONTENT. The NSA offers online content, digital content, content at conferences, and content that individual chapters offer.
- CONNECTION. Connections with potential technology providers, coaching, training, publishers, and suppliers that support the NSA and help you with the tools that you need to be a better speaker and build a better business.
- CREDENTIALS. The NSA has credentials to support your success. The Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), The Council of Peers Award for Excellence (CPAE) Speaker Hall of Fame. And the “The Cavett Award”.
As you will see in the visual, the woven and cross sections resemble how every speaker that comes to NSA is at a different point in their journey. It intertwines. One may come in for the community and find value in the content. Others may come to NSA for the content and get the value out of the connections and the credentials. It is not a linear journey.
We are dedicated to supporting you in becoming a better speaker, and building a better business.
This is the NSA way!
Speaker Academy
🎉 Enrollment Now Open!
NSA Minnesota Speaker Academy: 2026/2027 program now open for registration!
SPEAKER ACADEMY READY TO SPEAK MORE AND EARN MORE?
- Are you an aspiring speaker who doesn’t know where to start?
- Have you done speaking engagements for free but would like to start charging for them?
- Has your speaking career stalled and you need to “reboot”?
- Do you already speak often and want to become smarter about running your speaking business?
NSA Minnesota is proud to offer comprehensive educational programming designed to teach the business of professional speaking.
NSA MN IN PERSON SPEAKER ACADEMY PROGRAM
Ready to Speak More and Earn More? Enrollment for the 2026–2027 NSA MN Speaker Academy is officially OPEN!
📍 In-Person Academy Details
Location: Base Camp 6202 Bloomington Rd, Fort Snelling, MN 55111 Room: Page A
Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Class Dates:
• Monday, October 5, 2026
• Monday, November 2, 2026
• Monday, December 7, 2026 – Virtual Night (class online)
• Saturday, January 9, 2027 - Speaker Academy Deep Dive in Person class (6 hour class to deep dive work) Time/Location TBD More details to come on this exciting day!
• Monday, February 1, 2027
• Monday, March 1, 2027 – Virtual Night (class online)
• Monday, April 5, 2027
• Monday, May 3, 2027
💰 Pricing
• Early Bird (through August 1, 2026): $1,395
• Regular Pricing (after August 1): $1,695
Limited to 25 participants — once full, a waitlist will begin for following year.
🎓 What’s Included
- 30+ hours of in-person class assistance/participation (this calss is NOT video recorded)
- NSA member benefits during duration of the class at NO cost.
- Participation to all NSA of MN Chapter meetings at NO cost.
- Video recordings and access to NSA of MN vault of information.
- Bonus sessions and content from additional guest speakers.
- Option to participate in a Speaker Reel Filming event in Twin Cities that showcases
you speaking on stage for up to 10 min. (Additional cost but with Speaker Academy
discount and extra perks. Date is TBD 2027)
🚀 What You’ll Learn
• Craft your signature story, brand, and business model
• Build a meaningful speaker network and peer community
• Explore books, podcasts, and content creation for your platform
• Understand your niche and navigate the professional speaking world
By joining the NSA MN Speaker's Academy, you will:
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DEVELOP your unique craft, your signature story, your brand, an elevator speech, story-telling skills, your business model.
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NETWORK with others who are walking the same speaker journey path and can offer valuable insights, tools, support, and friendships to flourish over the years!
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LEARN HOW TO hone your topic, write and self-publish a book, launch a podcast, create and use video effectively, and digitally market your business.
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BECOME CLEAR about the competitive market landscape, identify how parts of your path and approach are unique, and assess your level as a professional speaker so you can determine your own road ahead
👥 TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SPEAKER ACADEMY
Attend one of our informational meetings or contact Speaker Academy Dean Krista Ryan at [email protected]
The head facilitator for the 2026-2027 Speaker Academy is Dr. Jermaine Davis. To learn more about Jermaine, please visit https://jermainedavis.com/
Co-Facilitator Nan Gesche. https://nangesche.com/
Co-Facilitator Krista Ryan. https://www.kristaryan.com/
Additional homework is required. Individual work done outside of scheduled class time is estimated at between 2-6 hours per month.
*The Speaker Academy is designed for people committed to building their business. Make the decision to join carefully, as there are no refunds or transfers.
✅ ARE YOU READY TO SIGN UP?
If you are ready to take this journey with the Speaker Academy, feel free to sign up here! SIGN UP HERE
