What Matters?

Speaking Matters

Speaking Matters is a lecture agency that represents some of today’s most captivating speakers—experts who encourage thoughtful introspection and spark personal and societal change, who can inspire, invigorate, ignite—and even instigate a trip down a road you may not even have considered.

Explore the work of today’s thought leaders. Listen to the latest research on the science of happiness and leadership. Learn how to create lasting change in life and in the workplace. Examine the challenges of bouncing back from difficulty. We work closely with global corporations, trade associations, colleges/universities, special event organizers, community non-profits, and faith-based organizations to help ensure their lectures, seminars, workshops and special events matter.

Giving Voice Matters

C.J. Lonoff launched the agency in 2004 to promote access to speakers who have a distinctive take on our life and times, whose speaking matters. While we are hardwired to tell and listen to stories, not everyone has a platform for telling theirs. Speaking Matters broadened the reach of many whose voices deserved—and needed—to be heard more widely.

In the early years, we focused on issues-oriented speakers, including survivors of childhood slavery and human trafficking, domestic abuse and anti-war activists. More recently, our focus has shifted to the timeless topics of life flourishing, positive psychology, happiness, resilience, mindfulness, positive emotions and leadership.

Giving Back Matters

While Speaking Matters’ primary role is representing our coterie of speakers, we constantly look for new platforms from which to give back. We sponsor Grow Through It, a website that highlights personal stories of resilience—of growing through difficulty and bouncing back from adversity. We also launched Educating Girls Matters, a web-based resource focusing on the challenges of girls around the world. Currently, we are developing a project highlighting the life-changing nature of kindness through words and deeds.