***Exciting News***

Born and raised in Vegas, in this city you learn quick…that when the stakes are high, you play to win. That’s the spirit here…

I’ve launched my new speakers agency, High Stakes Speakers and have agreed to terms with my first two clients.

1. George Chanos, the former Attorney General of Nevada and Chairman of Capriotti’s Sandwich / Wing Zone food chain’s.

2. Ryan Hollins, Former 10-year NBA veteran, ESPN Analyst, and current color commentator of the Houston Rockets.

Why this and why now?

Almost a decade ago, when I got sober, I was thrown into the events and personal development space with ZERO experience.

A mentor gave me his stages and threw me up there to “figure it out.”

That fire forged me.

Ten years later, after 300+ stages and countless lessons, I’ve seen firsthand what works and what doesn’t.

We had already agreed to terms for the new speakers I will represent, but speaking in Orlando last week didn’t confirm this path, it cemented it.

As I walked the halls of the Rosen Shingle Creek, talking with other successful speakers, I was experiencing in real time what was already laid as foundation for what will be built with High Stakes Speakers.

The vision further confirmed.

I’ve experimented with a lot of different models in the last 10 years…coaching, courses, consulting. They were good, but they weren’t my best suitor.

Speaking is.

This is.

I LOVE be around high performers, I love to use my gifts in the space that I can solve a real problem in a way that doesn’t feel like work.

I love to sell people I believe in.

I’ll do 10 x more for others what I will do for myself.

That’s why I’ve created High Stakes Speakers.

The whole offering/model changes here.

I’m elevating voices that matter when the stakes are high.

Vegas style high stakes!

George brings elite legal, business, and leadership wisdom earned at the top from experience in the boardroom few are lucky to see.

Ryan brings the mindset of reinvention, teamwork, and resilience from the NBA to broadcasting to business.

These are the types of voices that organizations need today and I am going to make sure their voices are heard at scale.

Whether it’s a keynote that inspires a full audience, a workshop that drives tactical change, a mastermind that sparks fresh thinking, or an executive retreat that resets leadership teams…

I’m coming.

And I’m coming with all I’ve got to support my clients.

And here’s the part that matters most…

Even as I build this new agency, my mission here doesn’t change.

I’ll keep sharing the simple follow-up approaches and perspective shifts that you’ve come to expect from me.

Why? That’s my responsibility.

Follow-up is how doors get opened, trust gets built, and deals get done.

It’s how I’ll grow this agency.

And it’s the same discipline that fuels everything I share with you because follow-up isn’t what we do, it’s who we are. It’s an identity. (you’ve heard that before 😉)

High Stakes Speakers is the next chapter, but follow-up will always be the through line.

This isn’t some side project either, this is IT!

I married my wife because she was THE ONE, this is THE ONE for me in business.

The goal is simple: to make High Stakes Speakers the place organizations turn when the pressure is on and the moment matters most.

Thank you for being part of this journey and reading this every week.

Buckle up, because we’re about to “LET IT RIDE” when the stakes are highest!

Manny “That Follow Up Guy” Vargas

PS. Do you book speakers for your events or know someone who does? Let’s connect. George and Ryan are locking in dates, and I’d love to see if there’s a value fit for your next event.