On Thursday night, a small but enthusiastic group of PSASA members gathered to learn from Nikki Bush. An award-winning speaker and author, Nikki brought years of experience and a generous heart for the speaker community to the room.
The evening centred on a practical question: how do you create a speaker showreel when you’re starting out and don’t yet have video footage of yourself on stage?
Nikki showed us how to begin with what we have. She encouraged speakers to take photos whenever the opportunity arose: at all events and talks, in interesting places, and with people they met along the way. She then walked us through her formula for turning those images into a showreel, using captions that communicate what we speak about and the message we want people to remember.
Positioning mattered as much as the photographs. Nikki asked everyone to consider how they portray themselves, so that the showreel feels authentic. She brought this to life by showing how her own reel has developed over the past ten years.
We were fortunate to have Nikki’s son, Ryan, in the room too. He was on hand to answer the technical questions about putting a reel together, while Nikki welcomed questions throughout the session. Everyone received a workbook to take away and use when making their own showreel.
Gail Friend captured the value of the evening beautifully:
“Nikki shared such great value from her wisdom and experience. She showed us why a speaker needs a showreel for potential clients and how to make one with photos and powerful taglines, even when you don’t yet have video footage. We received a workbook to take away and make our own. It was extremely valuable. Thanks so much, Nikki!”
It was an interactive, engaging evening. Everyone left better equipped to put together a showreel for their speaker business.
Written by:
Mandy Herold
