SOAR TO SUCCESS / Feature Article Ed Rigsbee has been a professional speaker for over 30 years. He learned early that he had to find the right decision maker and then sell himself to the associations that were looking for a speaker for their meeting. He now helps other speakers find their ideal clients and book speaking engagements. He is involved in a variety of associations and has learned himself by doing and being involved. “I got into association management about 20 years agowhenwe started the Cigar PEG charity, which is connected to the National Speakers Association. Because I am the executive director, I have become involved in the American Society of Association Executives.” One day every week he hosts a Zoom call with Association and Society CEOs, which allows them a place to talk about issues they are facing in their organizations. He also hosts a zoom call for speakers that helps them sell their services to associations that may need a keynote address, or speaker for their meeting, or convention. If that isn’t enough as the Chief Executive of the Cigar PEG Philanthropy through Fun Charity he oversees fund raising efforts and event coordination. “Today, I’m running an association CEO group, a speaker’s group that wants to sell to associations and the Cigar PEG group all via Zoom calls.” A big part of his life over the past 23 years has been the Cigar PEG Charity which he cofounded with Grant Doyle in 1999. The first Cigar PEG party was held during the National Speakers Association (NSA) convention in San Antonio. They raised $900.00 that was donated to NSA Foundation and earmarked for the Professional Speaker Benefit Fund. Charitable events and auctions conducted by the group has continued to generate funds.
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