Taylor is an interesting guy. He lives in an actual tiny house in Maui. Loves cacao tea. Totally reminds me of Hansel from Zoolander. He barely graduated high school. No college degree. Used to be a firefighter who was terrified of speaking to more than two people at a time.
And yet, here he is, with not just one but four TEDx talks under his belt. These talks have helped him build several businesses and land speaking gigs with companies like Lululemon, Disney, and Google. He now earns ten to twenty-five thousand dollars per gig.
In case you were wondering, yes, TEDx talks are still happening, pandemic and all. In-person events are opening back up; or you can do virtual, which is much less stressful. Think about it. You can film your talk, show it to friends, get feedback, redo certain parts, and edit it to perfection.
A luxury you obviously don’t have live on stage. Either way, your message is meant to reach millions. And TED talks make it possible.
Anyone can benefit from doing one. Employees, entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants, you name it. No good at public speaking? Never even given a speech before? Do your palms sweat and is your neck getting red and splotchy just thinking about it? Perfect. Do it anyway, says Taylor.
What’s bigger: your fear or your purpose? Exactly. With big ambitions come big fears. Like it or not, the anxiety you’re feeling is a necessary evil.
There are three parts to landing the one talk that changes everything. First and foremost, you must get clear on your idea. Jot down any topic that comes to mind. Look them over. Picture the entire world hearing this ten or fifteen minute talk. Which idea do they need to hear? Circle it.
Chances are, it came from the heart, right? There’s your winner. Second, come up with a catchy title. Don’t give the entire talk away. Instead, focus on building intrigue. Want a hack? Look up the most popular TEDx talks and model their titles.
Third and final, you have to get invited to speak at a live or virtual event. No mythical third party is going to tell you you’re ready.
You have to make it happen yourself. The TED team is looking for a great idea that you can clearly convey in one or two short sentences; the potential impact you’ll have on everyone who listens to your talk; and how coachable you are. With that in mind, send in quality applications to as many TED events as you can.
If you’d like Taylor and his team to hold your hand, keep you accountable, coach and guide you towards your first successful TEDx talk, check out his PurposeX program. He’s one hundred percent certain that if you follow the roadmap he lays out for you, you’ll land a TEDx talk. Sooner than later.
He doesn’t say how much PurposeX costs, but implies it’s in the several thousand dollar range. You’ll have to book a call with his team for the exact number and full details.
