The Red Circle: Chronicles of a TED Speaker

Giving a TED talk is a bucket list item for many.

It definitely was for me.

Over the past decade I’d applied many times to be a part of TED Conferences, and many times received no response. I’d tried changing my topics over the years, coming up with more innovative ideas and topics – all to no avail. Finally, this year in Spring I received a text message from an old high school colleague – we’d recently reconnected after more than 20 years.

“Hey Sarah,” he wrote, “the organizers from my TED talk are looking for Speakers and I thought you might be interested?”

I was ecstatic – several of my friends were TEDx Coaches, but I had always hesitated to prevail upon their good nature and ask them to coach me. My mantra was always: “succeed on your own merits!”

Admittedly, my pride had gotten in the way of my dreams before, but it wasn’t likely to evaporate any time soon.

“Yes, I’d love to speak to the organizers! Please connect me,” I replied excitedly.

I didn’t know where things would end up, but it was a chance at least to speak to ACTUAL TED Organizers.

For days I obsessed over ideas, wrote pitches, and wracked my brain for the perfect unique idea. I researched countless TEDx talks, reached out to other friends of mine who’d given a TED talk, and finally sacrificed my pride and asked my TEDx Coach friends for advice.

Just like that – the good wishes poured in, the well-meaning advice – everyone in my circle was overjoyed at the prospect of me giving a TED Talk and wondered why I hadn’t done one before!

Read Carmine Gallo’s book they said – Talk like TED

Watch Brene Brown’s Talk!

I realized that I had a tribe full of supporters cheering me on – and so I drafted my Talk outline, followed the guidelines sent over by the TED organizers, and crossed my fingers hoping for a positive reply.

TED talks need to be rare IDEAS meant for the global stage – there are a plethora of topics that are off limits, such as healing crystals and other pseudoscience concepts. Of course, there is the 18 minute limit, but there is also a strict structure for how your talk flows, from minute to minute.

Not only do you need a novel idea that the world needs to hear – but you need to have valid citations, current data and information, and subject matter expertise. You also need to get your outline approved, and then delivery almost EXACTLY the transcript that was approved - hence the importance of memorization!

A few weeks passed, and finally I got a reply from the Head Organizer – she wanted to meet and she had some questions.

I was nervous – I’d been a keynote speaker for 15 years, but a TED Talk? I knew what an honor it was to be on that red circle and I knew it was going to draw upon all my Performer and Communicator skills.

Finally we arranged a time to connect…..and the first words I heard were,

“I just don’t get your idea.”

My stomach dropped – I’d worked long and hard on this idea and I’d validated it with many TED speakers and coaches. I thought it was so clear?

I took a breath….calling on the theory of Ballistic Interruption, which ironically was exactly what my TED talk concept relied upon. I inhaled and calmly explained the science, the steps of neural programming, my expertise in my thesis work….and then I paused.

“I love it!” the organizer said.

Sometimes, our ideas are our own for so long, that we forget how to articulate them without all the fluff of industry specific terminology!

Now the real work began! Time to get my TED talk ready for the stage

For months I went back and forth with the organizers on my Talk Transcript. I attended rehearsals, heard feedback from other TEDx Speakers….revised….revised…and revised again.

7 days out from the big date I was still tweaking and perfecting – it absolutely HAD to be perfect.

When was I going to give another TED talk in my life?

Finally, the day came – my family was nearing being tired of hearing my Talk every single night multiple times. My son and partner could’ve probably given the talk themselves!

I paced back and forth after I was outfitted with my mic…..I stepped away from my wonderful guests, and the audience, and shut out all the noise and distraction.

The day was here – I’d gotten through all the refining, pitching, rehearsing and memorizing an 18-minute talk word for word. There was no teleprompter to save me if I froze, there were no cue cards.

It was just me, the big red circle, and 3 camera men recording.

This was it – my TED talk moment……

Stay tuned for the official release of my TED Talk “Ballistic Interruption: The Neuroscience of Resilience”

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