Wilene Dunn

This transcript has been edited for clarity, readability, and flow. Minor adjustments have been made to remove filler words and improve structure while preserving the original meaning and intent of the conversation.

Henry Harrison:
Well hello, Wilene. Thank you for joining our podcast.

Wilene Dunn:
Thanks, Henry. It’s good to be here.

Henry Harrison:
Welcome to Entrepreneurs, Business and Finance. You are an entrepreneur, you’re in business, and you deal with finance, so you’re a very interesting person and a friend. I’m very glad to have you on the show.

A little introduction: Wilene has a company called WCD Speakers. I met her through mutual friends when I was looking for development advice, counseling, consulting, and input as I began speaking. She helped me with all of that, and she still helps me bounce ideas around today, even though I’m not doing much speaking right now.

She has a very interesting business for many reasons, but one of them is simply thinking about all the people she gets to interact with from all walks of life—experts in their field who go out and educate people. It’s a fun and fascinating entrepreneurial venture, even if it certainly comes with challenges.

Would you like to start by sharing how you originally started that business? A lot of people want to start their own business, and they like hearing how others did it.

Wilene Dunn:
It’s a really fun story for me.

I was in a 22-year litigation support career that I was ready to leave. One day I was in my car, heading to yet another lunch meeting, and I said out loud, “I want a job I can do from anywhere and not sit in traffic.”

At that point, I had no idea people got paid to speak. I ended up in an organization that did staffing, and that gave me the outline for the kind of business I wanted to build.

Traditionally, bureaus work one way and agencies work another way. The agency model appealed to me because I could go find a speaker I really liked and wanted to put in front of certain audiences. That moved me into the development side of the business.

What was especially meaningful was that my manager in that business gave me a book by a speaker named Dana Steele. I read her book, called her, and then a year later I had the business I said I wanted—something I could do from anywhere and not sit in traffic.

It was amazing. I love the way life unfolds when we say clearly what we want. That’s how I ended up in this business.

Henry Harrison:
That’s a great story. I was referred to you, and one thing I discovered quickly is that there is so much involved in being a speaker that many people just don’t realize.

People think speaking is simply getting on stage, but in reality it’s running a business. There’s marketing, contracts, payroll—even if that just means paying yourself properly—website development, email marketing, and so much more.

I also know you help people publish books, which often goes hand-in-hand with speaking. Without the guidance of someone who has been through it, that learning curve can be a lot harder. Would you talk a little more about that part of what you do?

Wilene Dunn:
Absolutely.

We do a lot of consulting on speaker development. There are a couple of models in this business. One is more of a coaching or consulting model, where the speaker wants to do more consulting in-house for companies. That looks very different from someone who wants to be a keynote speaker.

The materials, the marketing, and the platform all need to be built differently depending on which direction someone wants to go.

Henry, when you and I worked together, we were looking at the keynote perspective—putting you in front of an audience, getting strong video, and starting to build your platform that way. At the time, you were also working on a book.

We didn’t end up doing the book together then, but now we have a writing course that helps authors and speakers who want to create a book they can take to audiences with them. That book becomes another source of income and another tool for credibility.

We take people through that whole process—from writing all the way to publishing on Amazon and helping them become an Amazon bestseller.

That’s been a really fun part of the business for me, especially when I’m working with someone who has the message but needs help figuring out their outline, chapter structure, and how to pull it all together.

On the speaker development side, we also help people hone their message and make sure it’s relevant in the current marketplace—something audiences want to hear and clients will hire for.

And like you said, getting your business set up as a speaker is so important. If you are a speaker, you are also an entrepreneur, especially if you’re on the consulting side. Your business has to be structured in a way that supports you, pays you properly, and allows you to grow.

Because this is the speaking business.

Henry Harrison:
That’s a really important point. The speaking business really means owning your own business.

There are so many ways to approach it. Some people do keynote speaking in front of large audiences, while others focus on smaller groups, corporate training, online sessions, consulting, or a mix of all of those.

The big-stage opportunities exist, but they’re usually harder to get, especially early on. There are many other ways to contribute and share expertise.

Wilene Dunn:
Exactly. And having a book helps support you as an expert, especially if you want to do more consulting inside a company with smaller groups or specialized expertise.

We work with consultants and trainers who also do speaking—both in person and virtually.

Then there are the larger personalities like Mel Robbins or Tony Robbins who produce major events. That’s not really the arena we work in. Our focus is more on the developing speaker—the person who wants to step into the speaking industry and grow.

We also have an event called Becoming Bureau Ready. It’s for people who are already speaking and want to increase their fees, visibility, and engagements.

At the end of that program, we put them on a large stage and professionally record their presentation so they have the materials needed to move toward being a true keynote speaker.

Henry Harrison:
I can speak from experience on how valuable that guidance is. When I first got asked to speak and had to put together a 45-minute presentation, it felt enormous.

Having someone to guide you through the process—message development, branding, travel, platform building—makes a huge difference.

Wilene Dunn:
That really is my passion—helping people achieve what they want to achieve.

One reason I stayed in this business after the pandemic, which was very tough for our industry, is because I believe people have a message.

If someone feels called to speak, I believe they are meant to share something valuable. We need people speaking from real experience—whether it’s business, leadership, recruiting, or personal growth.

I love helping people bring that message to the world.

Henry Harrison:
I know you do, and I experienced that myself. When someone delivers a message that impacts people’s lives, that’s powerful.

And you get to help make that happen for so many people.

I also know life isn’t only about business. You’ve had the opportunity to travel with your mother. Would you like to share a little about that?

Wilene Dunn:
Yes. We had a wonderful trip to France and Italy. My sister has a ministry in France, and we were able to visit her there.

It was especially meaningful because I had seen her life through photos for years, and then I got to experience it in person.

My mother had never been overseas before, and she was 85 at the time. It was very special to take that trip together.

And yes—if you ever get the chance to visit Paris and see the Eiffel Tower, it really is something special.

I also have five dogs, and they all “work” with me in the office every day—supporting entrepreneurs and speakers around the world.

Henry Harrison:
Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Wilene Dunn:
Yes—one more thing. I just launched my own book. I co-authored it with Dr. Renee Ostag, a physical therapist in Colorado.

We actually wrote the entire book remotely using Zoom and Google Docs, and then met in person for the first time at a book signing.

So I’d say to anyone: don’t count yourself out. You can absolutely build, write, and collaborate from anywhere.

The book is called Getting My Happy Back, and it focuses on how our minds and bodies communicate with each other.

Henry Harrison:
That’s terrific. Congratulations on the book. I know you’re always working on new ideas, and I’m excited to see what’s next.

And I should mention—you once offered to babysit a dog we don’t even have yet.

Wilene Dunn:
I didn’t say that exactly! But yes, I’d be open to helping—just not a really big dog.

Henry Harrison:
That says a lot about who you are. You’re a loyal friend and someone who genuinely enjoys working with people. That matters.

Wilene Dunn:
It absolutely does. I want to work with people I enjoy—and who enjoy working with me. You get further that way.

Henry Harrison:
That’s very true. Congratulations again on your book, and thank you for being on the show.

Wilene Dunn:
Thanks for inviting me. It’s good to see you.

Henry Harrison:
Good to see you too. We’ll talk soon. Have a great afternoon.

Wilene Dunn:
You too. Bye.