Thomas Steele ⋅ Riverside, CA Steele Financial Group ⋅ 48 years experience

Ryan-glad to see you taking the big step. For public speaking at a low cost, look into Toastmasters. They are usually located in major cities, You will find the experience a 'safe-haven' for learning your craft with interesting and practical exercises to help make you a pro,

Best of luck and please EM me with your progress.

Drew Schildwächter ⋅ Wilmington, NC Salesforce ⋅ 8 years experience

Ryan: I've had the pleasure of meeting a few successful bloggers and speakers. One of the most successful ones, Dorie Clark, also has a couple of books that might be useful. I strongly recommend you take a look at her book "Stand Out" (abt 160 pages) for some best practices.

I would also start to follow people like Dorie on LinkedIn so that you can begin to study how they approach their business.

Best of luck.

http://www.amazon.com/Stand-Out-Breakthrough-Following-Around/dp/1591847400/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1447122236&sr=8-1&keywords=stand+out

Barron Evans ⋅ Ann Arbor, MI Customer Experience Change Management ⋅ 30 years experience

In addition to the previous sage advice, I'd encourage you to bring a personal 'POV' (point-of-view') to the blogging/speaking you'll be undertaking. That POV is what will distinguish you from others, even if you're addressing an everyday topic or current event. Having a unique POV that is yours alone acts as a compass to guide your thinking, e.g., a baseline framework. A very simple approach I've incorporated over the years is the 'Think/Feel/Do' model, e.g., what do I want my recipient(s) to think about as a result of my words; what feelings do I hope to evoke; what would I like them to do differently (if anything) as an outcome of my words.

Hope this helps guide you in your pursuits ... and thank you for your service to our country.

~BARRON

Pam Walsh ⋅ Allentown, PA Pam Walsh Executive Coaching ⋅ 30 years experience

Hi Ryan,
What an interesting career route you've chosen. I offer you three steps:

1. Identify in writing the specific area you will speak and/or blog about. This can be more difficult than it sounds. If you're like me, it sounds clear in my head but gets less clear when I try writing it own. For people to hire a speaker, they want a very clear description of your specific talking points. (Some people say, "Hey, I can talk about anything!" But those people don't get hired for actual money.)

2. Identify your audience(s). The more specific you are, the better. Thinking our audience is everyone is just not narrow enough to breed success.

3. Find a Toastmasters speaking group near you. At Toastmasters, you get to speak before a live audience, get feedback, and improve greatly before you start to book speaking
gigs.

When you have tackled the above, it means you are SERIOUS! I wish you great success, Ryan. Thank you for your service to our nation.

PS You might want to fix the typo in 'Professional,' in the header of this post :)

Jeanne Yocum ⋅ Durham, NC Tuscarora Communications, Ltd. ⋅ 30 years experience

Hi, Ryan,
Can you tell us what topics you will be blogging and speaking about? With this more information, I would be able to offer advice that is more specific to your situation. But in general, you need to carve out an area of speciality that makes you stand out in the crowded blogging and speaking fields. The more distinctive you are, the better your chances of success.

Best of luck to you,

Jeanne

Joe Paschall ⋅ Madison, AL nLogic, LLC ⋅ 26 years experience

Considering you are still in uniform, the best approach is to focus on building credibility in a civilian career concurrent with building a strong network and becoming involved in profesional organizations. Toastmasters is a good place to start honing the speaking skills and making useful contacts. However, the demand for your services as a public speaker will come when folks are interested in your experiences in your career.

Douglas Lavelle ⋅ Chatham, NJ Financial Services ⋅ 24 years experience

Ryan,
Many thanks for your service. I had read this and thought it may prove useful. Best- Doug
http://www.ethos3.com/2015/11/public-speakers-need-a-personal-brand-heres-how-to-build-yours/