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Cubicle to CEO

313. Charging $30K Per Keynote: A Fighter Pilot’s Playbook for Landing 20+ High-Paying Speaking Gigs a Year

Cubicle to CEO

Ellen Yin

Business, Marketing, Entrepreneurship

5.0580 Ratings

🗓️ 25 August 2025

⏱️ 51 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In less than six months, Michelle “Mace” Curran went from being a $20K speaker to commanding $30K per keynote—while scaling her speaking business to over 20 high-level engagements a year and crossing six figures in revenue. In today’s case study, Michelle briefs us on how she applied the tactical frameworks from her career as a fighter pilot to grow her speaking business with military precision, and the needle-moving decisions that made her 50% rate increase successful. Connect with Michelle: https://macecurran.com/ Get Michelle's Book 'The Flipside': https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/michelle-mace-curran/the-flipside/9781538768105/?lens=grand-central-publishing IG: @mace_curran Iconic business leaders all have their own unique genius. Take this quick 10 question quiz to uncover your specific CEO style advantage: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cubicletoceo.co/quiz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Post a screenshot & key takeaway on your IG story and tag me ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@missellenyin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoce⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠o so we can repost you. Leave a positive review or rating at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.ratethispodcast.com/cubicletoceo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

AI is incredible. They can teach you how to fry an egg and even write a poem, pirate style.

0:07.0

But it knows nothing about your work. Slackbot is different. It doesn't just know the facts.

0:14.0

It knows your schedule. It can turn a brainstorm into a brief and it doesn't need to be taught.

0:20.0

Because Slackbot isn't just another AI.

0:23.3

It's AI that knows your work as well as you do.

0:26.4

Visit Slack.com forward slash meet Slackbot to learn more.

0:30.4

You're listening to Kivocal to CEO, episode 313.

0:33.7

In less than six months, Michelle Mace Curran went from being a $20,000 speaker to commanding $30,000 per keynote, while scaling her speaking business to over 20 high-level engagements a year and crossing six figures in revenue.

0:48.8

In today's case study, Michelle briefs us on how she applied the tactical frameworks from her career as a fighter pilot

0:54.9

to grow her speaking business with military precision and the needle moving decisions that made

1:00.3

her 50% rate increase successful. Welcome to Cubicle to CEO, the podcast where we ask

1:09.6

successful founders and CEOs, the business

1:12.1

questions you can't Google. I'm your host, Ellen Yin. Every Monday, go behind the business

1:17.8

in a case study style interview with a leading entrepreneur who shares one specific growth

1:22.7

strategy they've tested in their own business, exactly how they implemented it, and what the results

1:28.7

and revenue were. You'll also hear financially transparent insights from my own journey

1:33.9

bootstrapping our media company from a $300 freelance project into millions in revenue.

1:52.2

Hey, Hey everyone, welcome back to the show. Today I'm joined by a very special guest, Michelle Mace Curran. She is a combat veteran, former fighter pilot, and only the fourth woman in

1:58.0

history to fly as a lead solo for the Thunderbirds, the U.S.

2:01.7

Air Force's elite demonstration squadron.

2:04.6

I know I am so impressed by your background, but what's really cool today about this case study

2:09.7

is Michelle's going to share how a lot of the skills that she learned from her military

...

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