Grant Baldwin is the founder and CEO of The Speaker Lab, a coaching and training company that has helped tens of thousands of speakers launch and grow successful speaking businesses.
A dynamic entrepreneur, bestselling author, and seasoned keynote speaker, Grant has delivered nearly 1,000 presentations to over half a million people across 47 states and beyond. Under his leadership, The Speaker Lab has been named to the Inc. 5000 list four years running and has become a trusted industry leader for aspiring and experienced speakers alike.
In this episode, Chris and Grant dive into what it really takes to build a business and a life that lasts. From staying the course and avoiding burnout to finding joy outside of work, Grant shares lessons from over a decade of leading a multi seven-figure company with intention and purpose.
He opens up about the power of consistency, why hobbies matter more than hustle, and how building genuine relationships (not just networking) has shaped his journey.
This conversation is a masterclass in long-term thinking, leadership, and creating a business that supports the life you actually want to live.
In this Episode You'll Learn
- The importance of long-term thinking and staying the course
- How to keep things interesting when you’ve been doing the “same thing” for years
- The value of hobbies, rest, and sabbaticals (including why Grant got his pilot’s license!)
- Building authentic relationships that lead to opportunity
- Why success means creating a business that supports your life, not the other way around
Episode Timestamps
- 04:04 – The Journey of Building a Successful Business
- 06:11 – Maintaining Passion and Avoiding Burnout
- 15:44 – The Importance of Relationships and Personal Mastery
- 19:11 – Building Relationships: From Macro to Micro
- 19:25 – Networking Strategies: The Right and Wrong Approaches
- 20:14 – The Evolution of Social Media Engagement
- 21:14 – Intentional Relationship Building
- 23:58 – Hobbies and Pastimes: Finding Balance
- 30:08 – Living Like a Long-Haul Leader
Important Links and Resouces
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Thanks for listening to The Long-Haul Leader podcast. See you next week with more insights to help you lead with purpose, resilience, and impact.