Brands & Builders
The B&B Agency

Your expertise deserves a bigger stage.

You've built the knowledge. You've developed the expertise. Now it's time to put it in the rooms, on the stages, and in the conversations where it can make a difference.

Brands & Builders helps thought leaders pursue speaking opportunities, strengthen their positioning, and turn their expertise into greater visibility, meaningful relationships, and commercial opportunity.

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Rooms worth being in

  • Conference keynotes
  • Corporate & industry events
  • Association events
  • Private retreats
  • Panels & appearances

Research · Positioning · Pitching

The recognition moment

Being good at what you do is only part of the equation.

We work with emerging and established experts alike — and the same five frictions show up again and again.

They have expertise but lack access to the right stages.

They struggle to identify events that fit their positioning and audience.

They spend too much time searching for opportunities and figuring out whom to contact.

They want to move beyond unpaid visibility and pursue paid engagements where appropriate.

They want speaking to support a broader business, reputation, or thought leadership strategy.

None of this reflects a lack of ability.

It reflects time, access, and systems — which is exactly the part we take off your plate.

Our approach

Let's put your expertise in the right rooms.

Three stages, run in order, with a clear line between what we research and what we pursue on your behalf.

01

Position

We get clear on your expertise, audience, objectives, topics, and the opportunities genuinely worth pursuing.

02

Identify

We research relevant conferences, corporate events, associations, industry gatherings, and other appropriate stages — and qualify each opportunity against the criteria we agree on.

03

Pursue

Where pitching is included in the engagement, we support tailored pitching, outreach, follow-up, and opportunity tracking.

Research only, or research + pitching

Research-only engagements

You receive the researched opportunities and the information you need to pursue them yourself.

Engagements that include pitching

We prioritize opportunities, write tailored pitches, run outreach and follow-up, and track what happens next.

Your proposal states exactly which of these is included. We don't imply that every engagement includes outreach.

Who we work with

Expertise shows up in every stage of a career.

The work changes depending on where you are — the goal doesn't.

Emerging Thought Leaders

Ready to establish credibility and gain visibility.

Under-Recognized Experts

Experienced professionals whose expertise deserves wider recognition.

Established Speakers & Authors

Looking to expand their reach, target new audiences, and pursue better-fit opportunities.

Entrepreneurs & Executives

Wanting speaking to support brand authority, business development, and industry relationships.

Every engagement is assessed for fit — your readiness, positioning, objectives, and the scope we can responsibly deliver. Submitting an inquiry doesn't automatically mean we'll take it on.

What we help clients pursue

The kinds of opportunities we go after.

A speaking practice is more than one type of room. These are the engagements we research and pursue with clients.

Paid keynote engagements

Conference speaking opportunities

Corporate and industry events

Association and professional-community events

Faith-based speaking engagements

Where relevant to your positioning.

Private retreats and exclusive gatherings

Panel discussions and expert appearances

Strategic partnerships and collaborations

Opportunities vary by client fit, event requirements, availability, and organizer decisions. Nothing on this page is a guarantee of a booking, a fee, or a specific event.

Results & social proof

Documented client experiences.

The engagements we've worked on for clients — no invented numbers, and no logos we haven't been given permission to use.

Speaking

A Leadership Conference keynote at $7,000

Adrienne S.

Objective
Adrienne came to us with a target rate below what the opportunity in front of her was worth.
Our scope
We researched and qualified opportunities that matched her positioning, pursued a Leadership Conference keynote, and negotiated the engagement.
Outcome
A $7,000 keynote at a Leadership Conference for a pro athlete — she made back 3x her investment.
Why it mattered
The engagement landed higher than her target rate — evidence that the right opportunity, pursued strategically, moves the fee conversation and pays for itself.

$7,000 keynote

Inquire about agency services
Speaking Client anonymized

A church engagement at $2,000 per week

Christian client (anonymized)

Objective
A client pursuing faith-based speaking opportunities.
Our scope
We researched and pursued a church engagement that aligned with the client's positioning, as part of the agreed scope of work.
Outcome
A church engagement paying $2,000 per week.
Why it mattered
A faith-based example: engagements within church and ministry communities can carry meaningful, recurring compensation.

$2,000 / week

Inquire about agency services
Speaking

A $1,500 engagement that opened doors

Natalie H.

Objective
Natalie was pursuing speaking opportunities that could open doors beyond the stage itself.
Our scope
We identified and pursued a speaking engagement that fit her positioning.
Outcome
A $1,500 speaking engagement — which also opened the door to future collaborations.
Why it mattered
The fee was only part of the value. The engagement created relationships that pointed toward future collaborations.

$1,500 engagement

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Visibility

On the same stage as Neil Patel

Mario V.

Objective
Mario was pursuing speaking opportunities that would raise his visibility alongside recognized voices in his field.
Our scope
We identified and pursued a speaking opportunity on a stage that featured Neil Patel.
Outcome
Mario was asked to host a workshop that placed him on the same stage as one of the top marketing thought leaders in the world, Neil Patel.
Why it mattered
The credibility and visibility of sharing a stage with a recognized name. Sharing a stage is not an endorsement or a personal relationship.

Shared stage — Neil Patel

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Visibility

Offered the same stage as Jennifer Lewis

Robin S.

Objective
Robin was pursuing speaking opportunities that would put them in front of a wider audience.
Our scope
We identified and pursued a speaking opportunity on a stage that featured actress Jennifer Lewis.
Outcome
Robin was offered a speaking slot on the same stage as actress Jennifer Lewis — she wasn't able to make the event, but the opportunity itself was secured.
Why it mattered
The offer is the door opening: the stage, the audience, and the relationship were secured. Sharing a stage is not an endorsement or a personal relationship.

Shared stage — Jennifer Lewis

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Speaking

A mental health conference stage

Tisse M.

Objective
A client pursuing speaking opportunities in the mental health space.
Our scope
We identified and secured a speaking opportunity at a mental health conference.
Outcome
Tisse spoke at a mental health conference, sharing the event with Nicole Byer, host of Netflix's Nailed It!
Why it mattered
The audience and the lineup matched her subject matter — the kind of room where the talk lands with the right people, alongside a host the audience already knows.

Mental health conference

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Speaking

A private retreat for a high-net-worth audience

Sara M.

Objective
A client whose expertise suited an exclusive, invitation-only room.
Our scope
We identified and secured a speaking opportunity at a private retreat.
Outcome
A speaking retreat for multi-millionaire founders at a private beach.
Why it mattered
Exclusivity and audience fit — the room matched the client's positioning rather than diluting it.

Private retreat

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Partnership Client anonymized

Opportunities that opened partnership conversations

Clients (anonymized)

Objective
Clients wanted speaking to do more than fill a calendar — to build relationships that could become partnerships.
Our scope
As part of the agreed scope, we pursued speaking opportunities whose audiences included potential partners and collaborators.
Outcome
Speaking opportunities that led to potential and confirmed partnerships and collaborations — including a partnership created in the tech charity space.
Why it mattered
We label these honestly: introductions and discussions are not the same as confirmed partnerships. One confirmed partnership was created in the tech charity space.

Partnerships & collaborations

Inquire about agency services
Credibility & experience

Experience across stages, industries, and communities.

Client Opportunities

Opportunities researched, pursued, or secured for our clients.

  • Inc. 500-related opportunitiesClient opportunity
  • SMB ExpoClient opportunity
  • BWE / bwenext.comClient opportunity
  • ICAN ConferenceClient opportunity
  • B2B Marketing ExchangeClient opportunity
  • UXBRI 2025Client opportunity
  • Quartz NetworkClient opportunity

Founder's Speaking Experience

Speaking and related engagements by our founder — separate from client work.

  • RBCFounder speaking engagement
  • City of TorontoFounder speaking engagement
  • United WayFounder speaking engagement
  • Toronto Social HousingFounder speaking engagement

Organizations are named as a matter of record to describe opportunities our clients and our founder have pursued. Their inclusion does not imply that they hired Brands & Builders, that every name reflects a direct client relationship, or that they endorse the agency.

Service pathways

Two ways to work with us.

Start with the research, or add pitching support. Scope and fees are set in a tailored proposal — we don't publish fixed packages or promise outcomes.

Research

Speaking opportunity research

For thought leaders who want relevant, researched opportunities and the information needed to pursue them independently.

You receive a researched, qualified set of opportunities matched to your positioning, audience, and goals — with the detail required to act on them.

  • Event details and positioning notes for each opportunity
  • Submission requirements and deadlines
  • Relevant contacts where publicly available
  • Fees or compensation information where verifiable
  • Links to official sources

We don't promise private contact information or undisclosed speaker fees.

Start an inquiry
Research + Pitching

Speaking opportunity research + pitching

For thought leaders who want additional support pursuing the opportunities we identify.

Everything in the research pathway, plus hands-on support pursuing the opportunities — as specified in your proposal.

  • Opportunity prioritization
  • Customized pitches written for each target
  • Outreach to organizers
  • Follow-up and relationship management
  • Opportunity tracking as responses come in

Pitching is not a guarantee of acceptance, bookings, or compensation. Organizers decide who they book.

Start an inquiry
How working together works

From inquiry to momentum.

A clear, unhurried path — you always know what happens next.

  1. 01

    Submit an inquiry.

  2. 02

    Complete an initial fit assessment.

  3. 03

    Attend a discovery conversation if appropriate.

  4. 04

    Receive a tailored proposal.

  5. 05

    Review and accept the scope, agreement, and payment terms.

  6. 06

    Complete onboarding.

  7. 07

    Begin research and/or pitching.

  8. 08

    Track progress through a private client workspace.

An inquiry doesn't automatically guarantee acceptance as a client. Fit, readiness, positioning, and available scope all shape whether we take an engagement on.

Start an inquiry
Questions

Frequently asked questions.

Straight answers — including the ones about what we can't promise.

No — and no one can. We position you, research and qualify opportunities, and (where it's part of the engagement) pitch on your behalf. Organizers make the final call on who they book.

No. We pursue paid opportunities where they fit your positioning and negotiate fees on the engagements that move forward. Compensation always depends on the organizer, the event, and the agreement you accept.

Research deliverables may include relevant contacts where they are publicly available, along with deadlines, submission requirements, and links to official sources. We don't promise private or non-public contact information.

Yes. We work with emerging thought leaders as well as established voices. Fit is assessed on your expertise, positioning, readiness, and the scope we can responsibly deliver.

Yes. Established speakers and authors often come to us to expand their reach, find new audiences, and pursue better-fit opportunities than the ones they're already being offered.

Yes. The research pathway is research only — you receive the opportunities we find and the information you need to pursue them yourself. Pitching is included only when it's part of the agreed scope.

We complete an initial fit assessment. If it looks like a fit, we invite you to a discovery conversation. Submitting an inquiry doesn't guarantee acceptance as a client.

Scope and fees are set in a tailored proposal after the discovery conversation, based on your goals, the services included, and the work involved. We don't publish fixed packages because engagements aren't fixed.

Yes. Where an engagement is in progress, priorities, progress, and deliverables are tracked in a private client workspace you can access.

We research opportunities across industries and regions, and we'll tell you honestly which ones fit. What's appropriate depends on your positioning, audience, goals, and availability.

Your next stage could change the trajectory of your brand.

Let's explore where your expertise belongs and what it could make possible.

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Apply

Apply to work with B&B.

Tell us about your expertise, your goals, and the opportunities you're hoping for. We read every inquiry personally.

  • We complete an initial fit assessment.
  • If there's a fit, we invite you to a discovery conversation.
  • You receive a tailored proposal with scope, fees, and terms.

Your information is stored securely and used only to assess and respond to your inquiry. Submitting an inquiry doesn't guarantee acceptance as a client.

This helps us scope the right proposal. It doesn't commit you to anything.

We review every inquiry personally. Your information is stored securely and used only to assess and respond to your inquiry.