Why apply to give a TEDx talk?
It’s been a dream of mine to speak at TED. I love the idea of TED, the idea of ‘ideas worth spreading,’ how can we make a difference in our community and the world, and I think that whole premise makes a big difference.
A lot of the TED talks have really fundamentally changed how I do things and I’ve always thought it would be great to have that opportunity.
In a nutshell, what’s your topic?
It answers the question, what do you do when the predictable results that you’re creating in your life are not the ones that you want.
It’s to understand how people operate, how our brains operate that really prevents us or that keeps us locked into a pattern of creating the same results over and over again.
That’s on a personal level, but that also really addresses the societal issues. Why as a society or as a community do we keep producing the same results?
Why should people listen to you talk about this?
I worked with a friend of mine who had done people development organizations for 25 years, and together we were putting together a program called Make One Change.
The program ultimately never got off the ground but in the process I researched. … I spent 8 months looking for the best research-backed ways to go from the results you have to the results you want and understanding what prevents us from taking action.
For example, research says that it takes an average of 66 days to create a new habit and not the widely held belief of 21 days.
Describe the process of getting picked.
There’s an online application form that explains the theme for the event, which is ‘Think Again.’
The process was, does your talk, first of all, fit within that frame, and I thought that it did. … First you have to explain what you want to talk about.
Then you have to prove that you actually have the capability and wherewithal to deliver that and provide references. … And, once that’s done, you go through an interview process where the organizer will interview you, talk to you about the talk, understand exactly what it is and just determine, based on all the other applicants, whether or not you are in line with what they want to create.
Why do you think they picked you?
I’ve spent a lot of time on stage. In my former life, I performed professionally in musical theatre, so I’m very comfortable on stage and I’m also entertaining.
And I’ve been told that one of my talents is the ability to talk about complex ideas in a simple and lucid way to really help people to understand things.
