Welcome to another episode of My First Stage! I’m your host, Sara Lohse, and I’m so excited to bring you a conversation direct from the NSA Influence Conference floor. Each week, I sit down with speakers and leaders to find out how they broke into the business, discovered their message, and built lives around sharing...
Welcome to another episode of My First Stage, where I sit down with public speakers to dig into the messy, funny, and inspiring stories behind their first moments on stage—and the lessons that changed both their businesses and their lives. Back at the NSA Influence Conference, I had the absolute pleasure of connecting with Kevin...
Welcome back to My First Stage! On the last day of the NSA Influence Conference I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with the incredible Julie Holmes. If you’re looking to level up your speaking business, land paid gigs, or just muster the courage to watch your own “game tape,” this episode is packed...
This week’s guest is someone who brings a totally unique angle to the speaker circuit. I had the pleasure of chatting with Sami Kinnison, the powerhouse organizer of TEDx Fayetteville and host of the Be Freaking Awesome podcast (co-hosted with her mom—how cool is that?). If you’ve ever been curious about what it really takes...
This episode, I had an absolute blast chatting with Josh Troche—and trust me, his first stage story is as raw and relatable as it gets. From a COVID-induced crash landing on his speaking debut to building authority through podcasting, Josh Troche’s story is a must-listen for anyone wanting to get better at speaking and presenting....
If you thought you needed to wait until adulthood to start making waves as a public speaker, Dr. Mickey Fitch-Collins’ story is going to blow your mind. As the youngest professional bass fisherman in the United States—at just 14—Mickey wasn’t just catching fish; she was captivating audiences of all ages (including a roomful of curmudgeonly...
Welcome back to another episode of My First Stage! I’m your host, Sara Lohse, and this is the show where public speakers get real about the nerves, the triumphs, and the truly unforgettable moments that shaped their journeys. This week, I sat down with the incredible Jessica Gruber—and trust me, her story is as relatable...
Welcome to another episode of My First Stage! Today’s conversation is a powerful, heartfelt, and often hilarious reminder of why vulnerability matters when we step onto any stage. We’re live at the NSA Influence Conference, and I’m thrilled to introduce someone whose first stage story is inspiring, real, and genuinely unforgettable. Meet the Guest: Cathy...
Welcome to another episode of My First Stage! I’m your host, Sara Lohse, and this is the podcast where I sit down with public speakers to get real about how they got started, how they landed their first stages, and how speaking helped transform their businesses and lives. This week, I had the delight of...
Welcome to another episode of My First Stage—the show where I sit down with seasoned public speakers to uncover the origin stories behind their first speaking gigs and how they leveraged those moments to fuel their businesses. This week, I had the pleasure of welcoming Billy Sammons to the show. Billy’s journey is one of...
