If you're planning an showstopping event, Mel Robbins is a fantastic choice. She's got presence, energy, and the track record to prove it, which is exactly why she's one of the most in-demand speakers around. This sometimes means her availability is limited and higher fees can be commanded.
If you love what she brings and want more room in the budget, there's a great Mel Robbins look-alike route worth exploring. The PepTalk booking team suggest you look at entrepreneurs and creators as alternative speaker choices to Mel Robbins. It's a different category with the same kind of presence and energy, a real story behind every talk, and often much more flexibility on fees.
These are founders, athletes, creators, and business builders with a real following and a real story. Speaking is one of several things they do, which changes the economics completely.
Because they're practitioners first, they bring an energy and urgency that's hard to match. They're still building, still learning, still testing ideas in the real world, and that comes through on stage. The audience believes them because they've got real skin in the game.
Sara Blakely, the Spanx founder, brings relatable, down-to-earth founder energy. She's funny, self-deprecating, and talks about failure in a way that lands because she's actually built a multi-billion pound company.
Interested in booking Sara? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
Payal Kadakia, the ClassPass founder, has the same appeal: grounded, accessible, and her story of building from nothing moves an audience without needing production around it.
Interested in booking Payal? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
Lewis Howes operates at scale and brings high-octane energy, sitting in that sweet spot where he's influential and still approachable. Motivational with real substance behind it.
Interested in booking Lewis? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
Jesse Itzler is an entrepreneur, author, and storyteller with a warm, engaging presence. He tells stories about building businesses and pushing limits in a way that feels like you're genuinely talking to someone you know.
David Goggins brings a different flavour entirely. Former Navy SEAL, cult following, intense presence. The appeal is pure authenticity and an incredible story.
Interested in booking David? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
Marie Forleo bridges creator and coach. Energetic, accessible, with a strong personal brand built independently. She feels like someone who's figured something out and wants to share it.
Interested in booking Marie? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
Alex Lieberman is a creator and entrepreneur with a massive following and a sharp take on business and media. He's accessible and insightful, with a real understanding of how modern businesses actually work.
Molly Grantham has natural charisma and real chops, with a warm, approachable presence that connects with an audience.
Gary Vaynerchuk is a serial entrepreneur, six-time New York Times bestselling author, and early investor in Facebook, Uber, and Coinbase. He brings huge energy and a practical, no-nonsense take on business, brand, and attention, with the authority of someone who has built companies in real time. A brilliant fit for audiences who want ambition and real-world insight in equal measure.
Anne Mahlum is a social impact entrepreneur and CNN Hero who founded the non-profit Back on My Feet and built solidcore into an $88M fitness business. Her story of scaling ventures with purpose lands with real credibility, making her a strong choice for events that want grit, heart, and genuine business results.
Expect a more collaborative approach. They might want more flexibility on timing, may bring their own producer, and will often shape the talk around your audience rather than deliver an off-the-shelf keynote. That's the founder mindset in action. You get someone genuinely invested in the outcome. These speakers typically charge $15,000 to $150,000 depending on the speaker and event size. Some are more flexible on regional events or special circumstances — working with a booking agent like PepTalk allows you to explore these options.
If you want proven presence, genuine credibility, and an energy that registers, this category delivers. Reach out to the team at bookings@getapeptalk.com or call +44 203 835 2929. We represent several speakers in this space and can help you narrow down based on your audience and what you're trying to achieve.
