Q & A with Jeff Lohnes from Talent Bureau

Jeff Lohnes is the co-founder of Talent Bureau, a speakers, media personalities and celebrities’ booking service for events.

What marketing trends are coming down the pipeline?

The evolution and deeper understanding of how technology, innovation and disruption actually impact people. Narrowing down into how it affects small, family owned businesses. We’ll probably see legacy retailers and companies embrace digital advertising and community building.

The widespread acceptance and use of blockchain currency, like bitcoin, will likely follow the same path as Airbnb; it was a slow build but once it took off, it exploded.

If someone is aspiring to be a talent representative like you, what advice would you give?

Two key things:

• Honing your ability to focus and get rid of distractions.
• Be willing to work extremely hard.

What is the number one advice you can give to future speakers?

Think about the audience! What do these people need to learn and how can I overlap it with what I can teach them and talk?.

When you do this first, it pushes you to ask a lot of interesting questions like: Is this interesting? Do I have a good opening? Are people going to care about it?

These steps will help you deliver a great talk.

Which books and magazines would you recommend?

• Sapiens
• 13 ways to kill a community
• The Economist
• Globe and Mail
• Open by Andre Agassi

Which podcast would you recommend?

• Sick Boy
• Hidden Brain
• This American Life
• Serial
• Dirty John
• Someone knows Something

What’s the biggest advice you’ll give to a conference attendee?

Prepare in advance, know who’s gonna be there and who you will want to connect with. Keep your phone away and purposely engage with the speakers and the atmosphere.

Written by Claudia Palomino