In a format inspired by the TV show Inside the Actors Studio, five bestselling authors/professional speakers will share how they built their careers at the “Speak and Get Paid” masterclass from 9 am to 4 pm, Thursday, November 5, 2026, at the UCLA Alumni Center in Westwood, California.
The tuition is $247, and there is an early bird price of $197 before October 15 (includes parking). Register here.
Inside the Actors Studio is an American talk show that premiered on Bravo in 1994, aired for 22 seasons, and was hosted by James Lipton until 2018. The show deliberately used a slower pace in the interviews as compared with a typical celebrity interview, thus capturing an in-depth conversation.
At the UCLA event, the James Lipton-style moderator will be Hall of Fame speaker Patricia Fripp, CSP. CPAE, first female president of the National Speakers Association and author of Deliver Unforgettable Presentations.
Here are the five interviewees that Fripp will grill for their insider secrets on the business of professional speaking:
Vocal coach to the stars, Arthur Samuel Joseph, author of Vocal Power and Vocal Leadership.
Hollywood storytelling expert, Michael Hauge, author of Writing Screenplays That Sell and Storytelling Made Easy.
Stand-up comedy star, Judy Carter, author of The New Comedy Bible and Making Money Being Funny.
Hall of Fame speaker, Mark LeBlanc, CSP. CPAE, author of Growing Your Business and Never Be The Same.
Marketing with a book expert, Henry DeVries, former Forbes columnist and coauthor of the international bestselling book, How To Close A Deal Like Warren Buffett
Each of the five authors will speak for 10-15 minutes, then be interviewed by Fripp for 30 minutes, and then participate in an audience Q&A for 10-15 minutes.
Each of the six participants has a solid background to draw upon.
Carter is an American comedian, author, and motivational speaker known for teaching people how to use humor to reduce stress and turn life challenges into punchlines. Oprah Winfrey said, “Judy Carter can show you how to make your sense of humor pay off.”
Carter has starred in four HBO specials, written books including The New Comedy Bible and The Message of You, and been featured on over 100 television shows.
DeVries is a freelance business journalist, ghostwriter, and bestselling author who gives keynotes and conducts workshops on how to persuade with a story. He is a founding partner at Indie Books International. He is the coauthor of the international bestseller, How To Close A Deal Like Warren Buffett, wrote a weekly column for seven years for Forbes online, and now also serves as a senior writer with the California Business Journal. His work has been praised by bestselling authors/professional speakers such as Ken Blanchard, Marshall Goldsmith, and Jeffrey Gittomer.
While he was a dean at UC San Diego, DeVries booked speakers for the university like Elon Musk, Al Gore, and the Dalai Lama. He has been a ghostwriter, co-author, and editor of more than 300 business books (including 20 of his own). On a personal note, he is a baseball nut; he has visited 44 major league baseball parks and has three to go before he touches ‘em all.
Fripp is an award-winning speaker, author, sales presentation trainer, and in-demand speech coach. Her speech-coaching clients include corporate leaders, celebrity speakers, well-known sports and media personalities, ministers, and sales teams.
Meetings and Conventions magazine named Fripp “One of the 10 most electrifying speakers in North America.” Steven Covey’s Executive Excellence magazine calls her “One of the top 50 consultants, trainers, speakers, authors and professors who cover the Seven Dimensions of Excellence.” Kiplinger’s Personal Finance named her speaking school the sixth best way to invest $1,000 in your career.
Hauge is an American story consultant, author, and lecturer who works with writers and filmmakers on their screenplays, novels, movies, and television projects. He is on the board of directors of the American Screenwriters Association and the advisory board for Scriptwriter Magazine in London.
Hauge has coached writers, producers, actors and directors on projects for Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lopez, Kirsten Dunst, Charlize Theron and Morgan Freeman, as well as for every major studio and network. Will Smith said, "No one is better than Michael Hauge at finding what is most authentic in every moment of a story."
Joseph was hailed by Forbes as the world's foremost authority on the power of the human voice. His trademarked and proprietary method, Vocal Awareness, is designed to provide useful and pragmatic life mastery and vocal skills. A renowned speaker and teacher, his career in the entertainment industry has included students ranging from Oscar winners such as Sally Field and Angelina Jolie to enduring on-screen stars such as Sylvester Stallone, Pierce Brosnan, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
A few of Joseph’s many corporate clients have included the NFL Network, FOX Network, ESPN, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Tony Robbins said about Joseph, "I was able to learn an incredible amount about my voice and about how to have great impact with more pleasure and less pain."
LeBlanc is a Hall-of-Fame speaker, renowned business expert, past president of the National Speakers Association, and founding partner/chairman of Indie Books International. He has authored or co-authored seven business books, including his underground bestseller, Growing Your Business, now enhanced for this 25th anniversary edition.
On a personal note, LeBlanc recently came back from Spain, where he went on a short, 500-mile walk for the fourth time.
The event is sponsored by PR/PR Public Relations and Indie Books International.
Henry DeVries is a former Forbes online columnist who is the chief book strategist at Indie Books International. He has ghostwritten, co-authored, or edited more than 200 business books, including his international bestseller, How to Close a Deal Like Warren Buffett.
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