On Learning How to Be a Super Connector: Meet David Knapp-Fisher

Have you ever wanted to share your knowledge on the big stage? If so, David Knapp-Fisher is the guy you need to know! David created his dream job after discovering how much he loved chatting about personal development with individuals who were seeking to better their lives and their work.

We spoke with David about why it's so important to stick to a schedule when you're just starting out, and he shared his tips for how to get better at networking and building your personal brand — a vital skill for small business owners and freelancers everywhere.

Take it away, David!

Name: David Knapp Fisher

Business: David Knapp-Fisher

Started: September 2014 

How did you create your awesome job? 

I'm an inspirational speaker. I share information at conferences on how people can support themselves in achieving their goals. I always knew I wanted to be a speaker, and I love to talk to groups about personal development. I've also become a bit of a super connector! 

I'll share a good example of this: It recently dawned on me that whenever I wanted to learn something, I sought out the people who were already experiencing it. 

One of my goals is to volunteer in Africa, so I read a book about doing just that and it turns out the author lives halfway between Los Angeles and Vancouver, where I'm based. We arranged to meet and became friends, so she gave me some advice and I supported her. One of her dreams was to do a TED talk. I had given one myself, so I went to the producer and helped link them up. 

I've also started a Meetup group called Inspired Victoria where I connect people so they can support each other in whatever their passion projects are. We've only been going 10 months, but we have 800 members. I've met athletes, entrepreneurs and all kinds of people through doing this. 

What has been the biggest surprise for you so far after starting your own business? 

I don't think I was prepared for quite how much work it is! It's a lot more than I thought it would be.

I'm a really good speaker, but that's only a tiny piece of what I do. I've learned that I have to be a great connector and also be very patient. I gave myself 12 months to make this work and I'm almost two-and-a-half years in now. 

I've also been surprised by how many people say they want to have a great life, but do absolutely nothing about achieving this. I've had to learn to be patient with that. For example, we have 800 members in our Meetup group, but only about 10% show up. At first, it annoyed me that 90% of the people in our group don't respect what we do enough to follow through. But, I've chosen to flip it on its head and say at least I get 80 cool people show up! 

Is there anything you would have done differently when you were just starting out?

I would probably adhere to a schedule a lot sooner. I've been a bit loosey goosey with planning. I used to say, “I'll get to that tomorrow.” But now, I have a pretty firm routine and that's helped a ton. I wake up in the morning and I know what I’m doing that day. 

Talk us through a typical day in he life of David!

When I get up, I always plan my mornings so I can write and work out at the gym. Sometimes if I'm home with my son I hang out with him, but I don't book appointments in the morning. 

I only organize three appointments a week and limit them to the afternoons. I discovered that if I didn't do that, I'd get to the end of the week and have no work done! I'm in the middle of writing a book and it should have been finished four months ago. 

How do you go about setting prices for what you offer? 

Recently I've been doing tons of high-profile pro-bono work to make contacts, as that's where the paid work comes from. I'm MCing a huge conference and speaking and teaching at Canada's largest social media camp soon! 

Generally, I set the fee per speaking gig. I'm doing my first full-price gig a week tomorrow in Winnipeg, Canada. For a keynote speech, the industry standard is about $5,000–$10,000, but I judge it on the group that’s asking. The most I've charged is $3,000. 

How did you go about developing a personal brand? 

Having a personal brand is a huge part of what I do, which is why once the book is done I'm retooling my website. The biggest thing I make sure of as a brand is to show up and support people. My name is synonymous with being the guy who does that. 

What would you most like to learn from our community of small business owners and self-employed professionals?

I would like to meet like-minded people who walk their talk. That's really important to me, particularly at this point in my life and my career. I want to be part of a community of people like myself who do what they say they're going to do. Integrity is vital to me. 

Now, it's time to share *your* story!

Are you a super connector like David, or an expert at networking? 

If you have tips to share below about your own journey to becoming self-employed or launching your own small business, we want to hear them

below. :-)