If you have asked the question "how to get a TEDx speaking slot" then this episode is for you.
Elaine Powell coaches passionate innovators, entrepreneurs and experts grow their authority, credibility and thought leadership, without wasting time and money on marketing and PR, (I can't believe I let her say that - ed), so they can enhance the human race and transform the world. Elaine explains the franchise model of TED, which was originally founded by Richard Wurman in 1984.
You can contact Elaine for me insights and advice at MindSpeakAcademy.
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The UnNoticed Entrepreneur is hosted & produced by Jim James.
1
00:00:00
Jim James: Welcome to this episode of the UnNoticed
00:00:02
Entrepreneur show.
00:00:02
Today, I'm delighted to have Elaine Powell who runs a company
00:00:06
called the mind speak academy, and apart from anything else she
00:00:10
helps people to get onto Ted welcome Elaine.
00:00:13
Elaine Powell: Well, thank you for having me, I'm really happy
00:00:16
to be here to talk all things
00:00:19
Jim James: TED.
00:00:21
Yeah.
00:00:21
Well, look, let's dive straight in because everyone loves Ted,
00:00:25
but no one knows how to get onto Ted.
00:00:27
Take us, take us through how it works and can anybody be on Ted
00:00:31
let's let's start with that.
00:00:33
Is it impossible to be on Ted?
00:00:35
Elaine Powell: No, it's not impossible, but I would say it's
00:00:37
one of those stages that are, it's a prestigious stage to get
00:00:41
on.
00:00:42
as such, it's like the, funnel there's many, many people who
00:00:47
come into the funnel, but only a few who will come out the other
00:00:50
end, because you know, it ultimately is about an idea
00:00:55
worth spreading.
00:00:57
Whoever has an interest to speak on the TEDx.
00:01:00
They really need to spend that time thinking about their idea.
00:01:05
And is it unique?
00:01:07
Is it innovative?
00:01:08
Is it something that they've been living for a long time?
00:01:12
So usually you'll find people who speak on the Ted or TEDx
00:01:16
stage are experts.
00:01:19
They're, scientists, they're authors predominantly been
00:01:24
living this idea for a while.
00:01:26
So it's not just a new idea that hasn't had done, you know, it
00:01:30
doesn't have much layers to it.
00:01:33
So can anyone get on the TEDx stage?
00:01:35
I'd say to some degree.
00:01:38
Yes, but it really does depend on the idea that you've come up
00:01:43
with.
00:01:43
So I feel everyone has an idea inside of them to some of them
00:01:47
aren't meant to be birthed.
00:01:48
Right.
00:01:49
Jim James: Okay.
00:01:50
Take us through then what's the between Ted and TEDx.
00:01:53
Elaine Powell: Yeah.
00:01:53
So Ted was born out in 1984, Richard Wurman, and another
00:01:59
gentlemen started it and it was a predominantly a conference.
00:02:03
That thought leaders, especially people around Silicon valley at
00:02:06
that time, because it was based in California.
00:02:09
they, they just brought together thought leaders who were
00:02:11
sharing, you know, new technology.
00:02:14
Cause it's, you know, Ted technology, entertainment and
00:02:17
design and.
00:02:19
It was, I think it was around 5 us dollars to attend for a
00:02:23
week and the thought leaders would speak up to 18 minutes and
00:02:27
it was a lot around networking.
00:02:29
As we know some of these events, it's not just the talk, it's the
00:02:31
networking, it's the people, you know, and then as time
00:02:34
progressed, people said, look, I, we want that Ted experience,
00:02:38
but we'd like it in our local city because we can't come all
00:02:41
the way to California.
00:02:42
We don't have that money.
00:02:44
So they set up TEDx, which is licensed, Ted TEDx events.
00:02:50
So a way to think about it is Ted is like, McDonald's.
00:02:53
And TEDx is a franchise.
00:02:55
TEDx are independent organizers who they're not really
00:03:00
affiliate, they're not affiliated to Ted.
00:03:03
They don't oversee them too much, but we have to follow the
00:03:07
blueprint, you know, as a TEDx curator for three years.
00:03:10
So I kind of went through that process of being the license
00:03:13
holder.
00:03:14
So that's the difference.
00:03:15
You're, you're more likely to get onto a Ted X then you
00:03:18
actually will on the Ted stage, unless you really have the most
00:03:23
outstanding innovation ideas, science that, you know, you can
00:03:28
back up with research science, Ted gets 25 applications a
00:03:34
year, yeah.
00:03:35
it's it's credibility.
00:03:36
I would love to be on the big stage, the great thing about it
00:03:40
though, is that, uh, very few will get invited on the big Ted
00:03:45
stage.
00:03:46
But if you are invited or you get to speak at a TEDx event, If
00:03:51
they deem if Ted as cause they they've watch all the TEDx talks
00:03:57
before they put it up on YouTube, just to fact check
00:04:00
everything.
00:04:02
deem your talk good enough, they'll put it on the big Ted
00:04:06
platform.
00:04:07
You know, ted.com, which only, I think currently has 3 talks.
00:04:13
And who knows, maybe there's like a hundred, 150 TEDx
00:04:17
talks, but only a very few get on that platform.
00:04:21
Jim James: Wow really.
00:04:22
So you've got to have gone through some significant
00:04:24
filters.
00:04:24
Now, how does that work though?
00:04:26
Just take us through the process.
00:04:27
If someone feels that they've lived a big idea and it's worth
00:04:30
sharing, what do they do, Elaine?
00:04:32
Because is it a web form?
00:04:34
Do you get approached?
00:04:36
Is it a nomination?
00:04:37
Elaine Powell: I tell you, Jim, it's not easy.
00:04:39
It really isn't.
00:04:41
I think the Ted organization hasn't made it easy.
00:04:45
They think they've made it easy for people who want to get on a
00:04:48
TEDx stage.
00:04:49
Cause you go to the Ted platform, ted.com.
00:04:52
You go to the menu bar at the top, and then you can have a
00:04:55
look at all the TEDx events that are happening throughout the
00:04:59
world.
00:05:00
That's where you start.
00:05:01
They have a date, but when you go and find the event on Google
00:05:07
sometimes event organizers haven't, haven't got a website.
00:05:11
Sometimes they, they haven't gotten the application open.
00:05:15
So a lot of research you have to do to actually find the event
00:05:20
that actually is opened for speakers.
00:05:22
Cause not all of them are opened for.
00:05:25
People too.
00:05:26
it's not always it, some have a year round rolling application.
00:05:29
Others.
00:05:30
They it's our events say for instance, the event next year is
00:05:34
in September.
00:05:35
They'll start promoting for speakers, eight months out from
00:05:39
when the event is.
00:05:41
So you kind of have to keep an eye out to when they're going to
00:05:43
start opening up applications.
00:05:45
Jim James: Or people come to you, I guess that's the whole
00:05:47
point, right?
00:05:47
With, with what you're doing at the Mind Speak Academy, you help
00:05:51
them to filter out and get to the.
00:05:53
To the TEDx they might want to apply for what do they have to
00:05:57
fill in?
00:05:57
Do they have to send a video of what they're going to present or
00:06:01
a concept?
00:06:02
Take us through what people have to have ready.
00:06:05
Elaine Powell: Yeah.
00:06:06
So because every application forms are all different, but
00:06:14
there are some key things that people will always ask for help.
00:06:18
Tell me your idea either in a sentence or 15 words or less,
00:06:24
and then the general next thing is can you give us some, give a
00:06:28
word count in 250 words or in 500 words.
00:06:33
Tell us more about your idea.
00:06:37
And then some may ask about your credibility.
00:06:40
Others will then ask about, your favorite Ted talk.
00:06:45
And then lastly, some of them will ask for a video, a one or
00:06:49
two minute video of you talking about your TEDx idea.
00:06:53
Jim James: so it sounds as though, although you say it's a
00:06:55
franchise, you know, McDonald's, wouldn't let its own local
00:06:59
restaurants make their menus and their burgers.
00:07:02
Quite their own ways.
00:07:03
It sounds like TEDx does.
00:07:04
So how do you prepare somebody then?
00:07:07
Elaine?
00:07:07
let's say they they've filled in the forms and they get an
00:07:11
acknowledgement do they some stage later and then they had to
00:07:14
prepare if they're chosen, how do they prepare for the.
00:07:19
Elaine Powell: Yeah.
00:07:20
So, I mean, Ted is very good.
00:07:21
They will give you all the ingredients.
00:07:24
A curator needs to run their event.
00:07:26
They give guidelines about how to pick speakers, how to work
00:07:31
with the speakers.
00:07:32
So they are good in that way.
00:07:34
And they do keep an eye out because if you'll jure like
00:07:37
McDonald's, if you start selling Curry, they're going to say,
00:07:40
hold on.
00:07:41
Your license is revoked, so that you know that there is a, there
00:07:45
is a process to go through.
00:07:47
so once you submit your application, because every event
00:07:52
is different, say for, in, in, in England, we might have about
00:07:56
60 TEDx events that they're, following the guidelines, but
00:08:00
they're all asking different questions when you apply some.
00:08:05
We'll put it in their writing, but if you're successful,
00:08:07
they'll get back to you.
00:08:09
So you may never hear, and then you go, oh, well, some will come
00:08:13
back to you and say, sorry, you haven't been successful this
00:08:16
year.
00:08:16
And then others will do either a long list.
00:08:20
They may pick 30 of the best ideas and then go through a
00:08:23
short list.
00:08:25
Then they may get people in to interview.
00:08:28
The thing is all 60 events will do it all differently.
00:08:32
There's not one.
00:08:33
They're not following all the same process.
00:08:35
That makes it really hard.
00:08:37
Jim James: That does seem bit, a bit strange or make it easier to
00:08:42
get into one rather than the other?
00:08:44
And do you then need to apply to all 60, for example, because it
00:08:50
sounds like you might get rejected from one, but you might
00:08:54
get accepted by another, a bit like university clearing.
00:08:57
Elaine Powell: Yeah.
00:08:57
You know, I would always suggest, if you're not on a
00:09:00
program to help you sort of, you know, through this process apply
00:09:04
to first of all your local one, because it is it's meant to be
00:09:07
about community.
00:09:09
It's meant to make a difference to people who are living in that
00:09:13
area.
00:09:14
So look at the ones that are nearest to you, location wide
00:09:17
and yeah.
00:09:18
Apply to two or three with the same idea, or maybe you have,
00:09:23
you might apply with different ideas to different, TEDx events.
00:09:26
I know friend, applied to two events and I think three events,
00:09:32
two came back and said, yes, but it was on the same idea.
00:09:36
So she had to go back to the second one, they say, oh, my
00:09:39
first idea has been accepted, but I also have this other idea
00:09:43
which they accepted.
00:09:45
Jim James: So you can be on two TEDx talks.
00:09:47
It's not as though you can only do one TEDx and then you're
00:09:51
done.
00:09:52
Elaine Powell: Yeah, you can do as many as you want.
00:09:54
They just got to be all different ideas.
00:09:57
Jim James: Wow.
00:09:57
How interesting.
00:09:58
So what do you do then?
00:10:00
Let's say I've got my idea, approved.
00:10:03
And, then the work presumably has to start in terms of
00:10:07
preparing, because you've got the red circle carpet, you've
00:10:11
got 18 minutes, Elaine.
00:10:13
How do you help people to prepare?
00:10:15
Because it's quite a stressful moment to be on that.
00:10:19
Elaine Powell: It is, you know, there are some people who will
00:10:23
do a lot of the heavy lifting even before they've been
00:10:26
accepted.
00:10:27
So, you know, people I work with they'll have their idea, they'll
00:10:32
have their synopsis, they'll start writing their talk.
00:10:34
So that helps them even be a lot clearer about their idea and
00:10:38
what people can do afterwards.
00:10:40
But when you've also been accepted by a TEDx event,
00:10:44
Majority of them, but not always.
00:10:46
They'll give you a speaker coach and that speaker coach will work
00:10:50
with you for either three months or six months ahead of the
00:10:54
event.
00:10:55
Now, the thing you have to be aware of though, Jim, is that.
00:10:59
Each TEDx event.
00:11:01
Some people, it may be the first time they're doing it.
00:11:03
And so they're very new.
00:11:05
They don't, you know, they're just, they're in that learning
00:11:07
curve.
00:11:08
And therefore, sometimes they, they either don't have a speaker
00:11:11
coach, or they have people coach who aren't that experienced in
00:11:17
the world of speaking.
00:11:18
and then you've got the bigger event.
00:11:20
Who then have a speaker curation team who have a lot of
00:11:24
experience in helping you shift and mold your idea.
00:11:28
Jim James: Well, and do you pay to present because if you're
00:11:31
getting a coach, presumably there's a fee for that.
00:11:35
How does that work?
00:11:36
Elaine Powell: Yeah.
00:11:36
So everything about TEDx is voluntary.
00:11:39
It's a, it's a nonprofit organization.
00:11:43
So you do not get paid to speak on TEDx.
00:11:47
You don't pay to speak on TEDx, but, all of that process is it
00:11:52
is free.
00:11:53
It's just.
00:11:53
And time is the most precious commodity.
00:11:57
we do say that you must really have to put in 50 to 60 hours to
00:12:01
craft a TEDx.
00:12:03
So don't just think you could just write it and mend it a few
00:12:06
times and then that's It is a masterpiece.
00:12:10
So give it that time and respect that it deserves.
00:12:14
Now the reason people hire coaches like myself is that a
00:12:20
lot of people who are thinking of it, business-wise they see it
00:12:24
as a business investment that this is a.
00:12:28
Piece of intellectual property.
00:12:30
This is a product that once up there, so then you need to make
00:12:35
sure it is the best product ever.
00:12:38
It's going to sit on YouTube and opportunities are gonna come
00:12:42
your way.
00:12:43
you'll be able to leverage it for, you know, maybe it will
00:12:46
help you with a book.
00:12:48
Clients will come to you.
00:12:50
So sometimes people will pay to make sure.
00:12:53
It is the best possible because they see it as a business
00:12:56
investment, but you do not need to do that in order to get on
00:13:00
the TEDx stage.
00:13:01
It just makes your chances a lot easier.
00:13:04
Jim James: I say, and then in your own experience, what are
00:13:07
some of the sort of key.
00:13:09
You feel like learnings that Mind speak academy you have to
00:13:13
give to your, to your clients.
00:13:17
be sort of like two or three aspects of the coaching that are
00:13:21
recurring to you?
00:13:23
Elaine Powell: So, yeah, I'd say first and foremost, always
00:13:25
mindset.
00:13:26
Mindset is a big thing.
00:13:28
People think, oh, can I do this is my idea.
00:13:32
Good enough.
00:13:33
And she want to have, you know, you want to sort of internally
00:13:37
be confident that you are a thought leader.
00:13:40
have something credible to say.
00:13:42
I mean, I only work with people who.
00:13:46
I've spoken to, and then I can see that there's, w I, I can
00:13:50
help them win if I don't, if I don't see the, they can win with
00:13:54
this idea, or then they're not that confident, then I I'll
00:13:58
suggest they come back to me in a few years time.
00:14:00
So mindset, first of all, you, and you've also really got to be
00:14:03
in touch with your why..
00:14:05
Why you doing this?
00:14:07
You know, whether it's, a passion, it's from the heart,
00:14:10
because you want to make a huge difference.
00:14:12
because you know, I am a business as well.
00:14:14
I want to encourage to, you want to make a difference in the
00:14:18
world, but how are you going to make this legacy level?
00:14:21
Is there a strategy afterwards you can use to leverage this
00:14:26
talk.
00:14:26
That's going have you grow your business so you can employ more
00:14:30
people and we can make, you know, one of my taglines is that
00:14:34
I help people deliver presentations and TEDx talks so
00:14:38
that we can advance the human race and transform the world,
00:14:42
because it's ideas and the application of these ideas that
00:14:46
transforms people and it transforms the world.
00:14:50
So, you know, I feel like I'm up to a big game.
00:14:52
And when I'm working with these people or anyone who wants to
00:14:55
deliver a TEDx, talk your idea, you need to be really solid in
00:15:01
why you're doing it so that when it gets tough, you won't get
00:15:04
going.
00:15:05
Jim James: Right.
00:15:05
Yeah.
00:15:06
That's wonderful.
00:15:06
Elaine.
00:15:07
That's wonderful.
00:15:07
Yeah.
00:15:07
And you've given yourself a big mission there as well to help
00:15:10
transform the planet.
00:15:12
And many of those Ted talks of course, do include ideas that
00:15:15
are transformative.
00:15:16
Aren't they?
00:15:17
How do you, as a business person yourself get noticed, have you
00:15:21
done your own Ted talk?
00:15:22
And is that how you got into this?
00:15:24
Elaine Powell: Remember in 2011 here in the UK, we have the UK
00:15:28
riots.
00:15:29
And it affected a lot of the big cities and I was doing public
00:15:33
speaking workshops in schools.
00:15:35
And I kept on hearing the young people say, oh, well, we weren't
00:15:38
given a voice.
00:15:39
That's why we had to express ourselves that way.
00:15:42
And I thought, okay, I have a huge history of working with
00:15:46
young offenders and young people in public speaking.
00:15:49
Obviously I do public speaking TEDx, let me, let me run a TEDx
00:15:54
event for them to give them a platform to share their voice.
00:15:58
So that's what I did along with the Brit school.
00:16:00
And I ran that for three years and then stepped away for a
00:16:05
little while.
00:16:06
the past couple of years, I've been a TEDx coach for one of the
00:16:09
London events here.
00:16:11
And now I help people along with public speaking, which is my, my
00:16:14
area of expertise, to help people now get on the Ted stage
00:16:18
or TEDx, should I some have aspirations for the Ted?
00:16:22
Not that many because they never it's like.
00:16:25
Jim James: That's a big ambition,
00:16:26
Elaine Powell: I know.
00:16:27
Jim James: elaine Powell, if people want to find out more
00:16:29
about you and the mind speak academy and maybe to get onto
00:16:32
TEDx, if they've been living an idea for long enough where can
00:16:35
they find you?
00:16:37
Elaine Powell: Yeah, so they can definitely go to
00:16:38
MindSpeakAcademy.com and they can find me there.
00:16:43
Or you can come on to clubhouse and you may actually hear me
00:16:46
speak I'm in lots of the rooms around TEDx and public speaking,
00:16:50
or just find me on Instagram, look, Google my name and you'll
00:16:53
find me.
00:16:54
Jim James: Elaine Powell thank you so much for joining me on
00:16:57
the unnoticed.
00:16:57
I'd say you're working with my sister, Dr.
00:17:00
Shelley, James, so full disclosure.
00:17:02
That's how we met.
00:17:02
And I'm happy that she's got your guidance.
00:17:05
Thank you for helping her to share her ideas about lights.
00:17:08
So thank you so much the show today.
00:17:10
Elaine Powell: Thank you for having me, Jim.
00:17:11
Thank you.
Jim James: Welcome to this episode of the UnNoticed
00:00:02
Entrepreneur show.
00:00:02
Today, I'm delighted to have Elaine Powell who runs a company
00:00:06
called the mind speak academy, and apart from anything else she
00:00:10
helps people to get onto Ted welcome Elaine.
00:00:13
Elaine Powell: Well, thank you for having me, I'm really happy
00:00:16
to be here to talk all things
00:00:19
Jim James: TED.
00:00:21
Yeah.
00:00:21
Well, look, let's dive straight in because everyone loves Ted,
00:00:25
but no one knows how to get onto Ted.
00:00:27
Take us, take us through how it works and can anybody be on Ted
00:00:31
let's let's start with that.
00:00:33
Is it impossible to be on Ted?
00:00:35
Elaine Powell: No, it's not impossible, but I would say it's
00:00:37
one of those stages that are, it's a prestigious stage to get
00:00:41
on.
00:00:42
as such, it's like the, funnel there's many, many people who
00:00:47
come into the funnel, but only a few who will come out the other
00:00:50
end, because you know, it ultimately is about an idea
00:00:55
worth spreading.
00:00:57
Whoever has an interest to speak on the TEDx.
00:01:00
They really need to spend that time thinking about their idea.
00:01:05
And is it unique?
00:01:07
Is it innovative?
00:01:08
Is it something that they've been living for a long time?
00:01:12
So usually you'll find people who speak on the Ted or TEDx
00:01:16
stage are experts.
00:01:19
They're, scientists, they're authors predominantly been
00:01:24
living this idea for a while.
00:01:26
So it's not just a new idea that hasn't had done, you know, it
00:01:30
doesn't have much layers to it.
00:01:33
So can anyone get on the TEDx stage?
00:01:35
I'd say to some degree.
00:01:38
Yes, but it really does depend on the idea that you've come up
00:01:43
with.
00:01:43
So I feel everyone has an idea inside of them to some of them
00:01:47
aren't meant to be birthed.
00:01:48
Right.
00:01:49
Jim James: Okay.
00:01:50
Take us through then what's the between Ted and TEDx.
00:01:53
Elaine Powell: Yeah.
00:01:53
So Ted was born out in 1984, Richard Wurman, and another
00:01:59
gentlemen started it and it was a predominantly a conference.
00:02:03
That thought leaders, especially people around Silicon valley at
00:02:06
that time, because it was based in California.
00:02:09
they, they just brought together thought leaders who were
00:02:11
sharing, you know, new technology.
00:02:14
Cause it's, you know, Ted technology, entertainment and
00:02:17
design and.
00:02:19
It was, I think it was around 5 us dollars to attend for a
00:02:23
week and the thought leaders would speak up to 18 minutes and
00:02:27
it was a lot around networking.
00:02:29
As we know some of these events, it's not just the talk, it's the
00:02:31
networking, it's the people, you know, and then as time
00:02:34
progressed, people said, look, I, we want that Ted experience,
00:02:38
but we'd like it in our local city because we can't come all
00:02:41
the way to California.
00:02:42
We don't have that money.
00:02:44
So they set up TEDx, which is licensed, Ted TEDx events.
00:02:50
So a way to think about it is Ted is like, McDonald's.
00:02:53
And TEDx is a franchise.
00:02:55
TEDx are independent organizers who they're not really
00:03:00
affiliate, they're not affiliated to Ted.
00:03:03
They don't oversee them too much, but we have to follow the
00:03:07
blueprint, you know, as a TEDx curator for three years.
00:03:10
So I kind of went through that process of being the license
00:03:13
holder.
00:03:14
So that's the difference.
00:03:15
You're, you're more likely to get onto a Ted X then you
00:03:18
actually will on the Ted stage, unless you really have the most
00:03:23
outstanding innovation ideas, science that, you know, you can
00:03:28
back up with research science, Ted gets 25 applications a
00:03:34
year, yeah.
00:03:35
it's it's credibility.
00:03:36
I would love to be on the big stage, the great thing about it
00:03:40
though, is that, uh, very few will get invited on the big Ted
00:03:45
stage.
00:03:46
But if you are invited or you get to speak at a TEDx event, If
00:03:51
they deem if Ted as cause they they've watch all the TEDx talks
00:03:57
before they put it up on YouTube, just to fact check
00:04:00
everything.
00:04:02
deem your talk good enough, they'll put it on the big Ted
00:04:06
platform.
00:04:07
You know, ted.com, which only, I think currently has 3 talks.
00:04:13
And who knows, maybe there's like a hundred, 150 TEDx
00:04:17
talks, but only a very few get on that platform.
00:04:21
Jim James: Wow really.
00:04:22
So you've got to have gone through some significant
00:04:24
filters.
00:04:24
Now, how does that work though?
00:04:26
Just take us through the process.
00:04:27
If someone feels that they've lived a big idea and it's worth
00:04:30
sharing, what do they do, Elaine?
00:04:32
Because is it a web form?
00:04:34
Do you get approached?
00:04:36
Is it a nomination?
00:04:37
Elaine Powell: I tell you, Jim, it's not easy.
00:04:39
It really isn't.
00:04:41
I think the Ted organization hasn't made it easy.
00:04:45
They think they've made it easy for people who want to get on a
00:04:48
TEDx stage.
00:04:49
Cause you go to the Ted platform, ted.com.
00:04:52
You go to the menu bar at the top, and then you can have a
00:04:55
look at all the TEDx events that are happening throughout the
00:04:59
world.
00:05:00
That's where you start.
00:05:01
They have a date, but when you go and find the event on Google
00:05:07
sometimes event organizers haven't, haven't got a website.
00:05:11
Sometimes they, they haven't gotten the application open.
00:05:15
So a lot of research you have to do to actually find the event
00:05:20
that actually is opened for speakers.
00:05:22
Cause not all of them are opened for.
00:05:25
People too.
00:05:26
it's not always it, some have a year round rolling application.
00:05:29
Others.
00:05:30
They it's our events say for instance, the event next year is
00:05:34
in September.
00:05:35
They'll start promoting for speakers, eight months out from
00:05:39
when the event is.
00:05:41
So you kind of have to keep an eye out to when they're going to
00:05:43
start opening up applications.
00:05:45
Jim James: Or people come to you, I guess that's the whole
00:05:47
point, right?
00:05:47
With, with what you're doing at the Mind Speak Academy, you help
00:05:51
them to filter out and get to the.
00:05:53
To the TEDx they might want to apply for what do they have to
00:05:57
fill in?
00:05:57
Do they have to send a video of what they're going to present or
00:06:01
a concept?
00:06:02
Take us through what people have to have ready.
00:06:05
Elaine Powell: Yeah.
00:06:06
So because every application forms are all different, but
00:06:14
there are some key things that people will always ask for help.
00:06:18
Tell me your idea either in a sentence or 15 words or less,
00:06:24
and then the general next thing is can you give us some, give a
00:06:28
word count in 250 words or in 500 words.
00:06:33
Tell us more about your idea.
00:06:37
And then some may ask about your credibility.
00:06:40
Others will then ask about, your favorite Ted talk.
00:06:45
And then lastly, some of them will ask for a video, a one or
00:06:49
two minute video of you talking about your TEDx idea.
00:06:53
Jim James: so it sounds as though, although you say it's a
00:06:55
franchise, you know, McDonald's, wouldn't let its own local
00:06:59
restaurants make their menus and their burgers.
00:07:02
Quite their own ways.
00:07:03
It sounds like TEDx does.
00:07:04
So how do you prepare somebody then?
00:07:07
Elaine?
00:07:07
let's say they they've filled in the forms and they get an
00:07:11
acknowledgement do they some stage later and then they had to
00:07:14
prepare if they're chosen, how do they prepare for the.
00:07:19
Elaine Powell: Yeah.
00:07:20
So, I mean, Ted is very good.
00:07:21
They will give you all the ingredients.
00:07:24
A curator needs to run their event.
00:07:26
They give guidelines about how to pick speakers, how to work
00:07:31
with the speakers.
00:07:32
So they are good in that way.
00:07:34
And they do keep an eye out because if you'll jure like
00:07:37
McDonald's, if you start selling Curry, they're going to say,
00:07:40
hold on.
00:07:41
Your license is revoked, so that you know that there is a, there
00:07:45
is a process to go through.
00:07:47
so once you submit your application, because every event
00:07:52
is different, say for, in, in, in England, we might have about
00:07:56
60 TEDx events that they're, following the guidelines, but
00:08:00
they're all asking different questions when you apply some.
00:08:05
We'll put it in their writing, but if you're successful,
00:08:07
they'll get back to you.
00:08:09
So you may never hear, and then you go, oh, well, some will come
00:08:13
back to you and say, sorry, you haven't been successful this
00:08:16
year.
00:08:16
And then others will do either a long list.
00:08:20
They may pick 30 of the best ideas and then go through a
00:08:23
short list.
00:08:25
Then they may get people in to interview.
00:08:28
The thing is all 60 events will do it all differently.
00:08:32
There's not one.
00:08:33
They're not following all the same process.
00:08:35
That makes it really hard.
00:08:37
Jim James: That does seem bit, a bit strange or make it easier to
00:08:42
get into one rather than the other?
00:08:44
And do you then need to apply to all 60, for example, because it
00:08:50
sounds like you might get rejected from one, but you might
00:08:54
get accepted by another, a bit like university clearing.
00:08:57
Elaine Powell: Yeah.
00:08:57
You know, I would always suggest, if you're not on a
00:09:00
program to help you sort of, you know, through this process apply
00:09:04
to first of all your local one, because it is it's meant to be
00:09:07
about community.
00:09:09
It's meant to make a difference to people who are living in that
00:09:13
area.
00:09:14
So look at the ones that are nearest to you, location wide
00:09:17
and yeah.
00:09:18
Apply to two or three with the same idea, or maybe you have,
00:09:23
you might apply with different ideas to different, TEDx events.
00:09:26
I know friend, applied to two events and I think three events,
00:09:32
two came back and said, yes, but it was on the same idea.
00:09:36
So she had to go back to the second one, they say, oh, my
00:09:39
first idea has been accepted, but I also have this other idea
00:09:43
which they accepted.
00:09:45
Jim James: So you can be on two TEDx talks.
00:09:47
It's not as though you can only do one TEDx and then you're
00:09:51
done.
00:09:52
Elaine Powell: Yeah, you can do as many as you want.
00:09:54
They just got to be all different ideas.
00:09:57
Jim James: Wow.
00:09:57
How interesting.
00:09:58
So what do you do then?
00:10:00
Let's say I've got my idea, approved.
00:10:03
And, then the work presumably has to start in terms of
00:10:07
preparing, because you've got the red circle carpet, you've
00:10:11
got 18 minutes, Elaine.
00:10:13
How do you help people to prepare?
00:10:15
Because it's quite a stressful moment to be on that.
00:10:19
Elaine Powell: It is, you know, there are some people who will
00:10:23
do a lot of the heavy lifting even before they've been
00:10:26
accepted.
00:10:27
So, you know, people I work with they'll have their idea, they'll
00:10:32
have their synopsis, they'll start writing their talk.
00:10:34
So that helps them even be a lot clearer about their idea and
00:10:38
what people can do afterwards.
00:10:40
But when you've also been accepted by a TEDx event,
00:10:44
Majority of them, but not always.
00:10:46
They'll give you a speaker coach and that speaker coach will work
00:10:50
with you for either three months or six months ahead of the
00:10:54
event.
00:10:55
Now, the thing you have to be aware of though, Jim, is that.
00:10:59
Each TEDx event.
00:11:01
Some people, it may be the first time they're doing it.
00:11:03
And so they're very new.
00:11:05
They don't, you know, they're just, they're in that learning
00:11:07
curve.
00:11:08
And therefore, sometimes they, they either don't have a speaker
00:11:11
coach, or they have people coach who aren't that experienced in
00:11:17
the world of speaking.
00:11:18
and then you've got the bigger event.
00:11:20
Who then have a speaker curation team who have a lot of
00:11:24
experience in helping you shift and mold your idea.
00:11:28
Jim James: Well, and do you pay to present because if you're
00:11:31
getting a coach, presumably there's a fee for that.
00:11:35
How does that work?
00:11:36
Elaine Powell: Yeah.
00:11:36
So everything about TEDx is voluntary.
00:11:39
It's a, it's a nonprofit organization.
00:11:43
So you do not get paid to speak on TEDx.
00:11:47
You don't pay to speak on TEDx, but, all of that process is it
00:11:52
is free.
00:11:53
It's just.
00:11:53
And time is the most precious commodity.
00:11:57
we do say that you must really have to put in 50 to 60 hours to
00:12:01
craft a TEDx.
00:12:03
So don't just think you could just write it and mend it a few
00:12:06
times and then that's It is a masterpiece.
00:12:10
So give it that time and respect that it deserves.
00:12:14
Now the reason people hire coaches like myself is that a
00:12:20
lot of people who are thinking of it, business-wise they see it
00:12:24
as a business investment that this is a.
00:12:28
Piece of intellectual property.
00:12:30
This is a product that once up there, so then you need to make
00:12:35
sure it is the best product ever.
00:12:38
It's going to sit on YouTube and opportunities are gonna come
00:12:42
your way.
00:12:43
you'll be able to leverage it for, you know, maybe it will
00:12:46
help you with a book.
00:12:48
Clients will come to you.
00:12:50
So sometimes people will pay to make sure.
00:12:53
It is the best possible because they see it as a business
00:12:56
investment, but you do not need to do that in order to get on
00:13:00
the TEDx stage.
00:13:01
It just makes your chances a lot easier.
00:13:04
Jim James: I say, and then in your own experience, what are
00:13:07
some of the sort of key.
00:13:09
You feel like learnings that Mind speak academy you have to
00:13:13
give to your, to your clients.
00:13:17
be sort of like two or three aspects of the coaching that are
00:13:21
recurring to you?
00:13:23
Elaine Powell: So, yeah, I'd say first and foremost, always
00:13:25
mindset.
00:13:26
Mindset is a big thing.
00:13:28
People think, oh, can I do this is my idea.
00:13:32
Good enough.
00:13:33
And she want to have, you know, you want to sort of internally
00:13:37
be confident that you are a thought leader.
00:13:40
have something credible to say.
00:13:42
I mean, I only work with people who.
00:13:46
I've spoken to, and then I can see that there's, w I, I can
00:13:50
help them win if I don't, if I don't see the, they can win with
00:13:54
this idea, or then they're not that confident, then I I'll
00:13:58
suggest they come back to me in a few years time.
00:14:00
So mindset, first of all, you, and you've also really got to be
00:14:03
in touch with your why..
00:14:05
Why you doing this?
00:14:07
You know, whether it's, a passion, it's from the heart,
00:14:10
because you want to make a huge difference.
00:14:12
because you know, I am a business as well.
00:14:14
I want to encourage to, you want to make a difference in the
00:14:18
world, but how are you going to make this legacy level?
00:14:21
Is there a strategy afterwards you can use to leverage this
00:14:26
talk.
00:14:26
That's going have you grow your business so you can employ more
00:14:30
people and we can make, you know, one of my taglines is that
00:14:34
I help people deliver presentations and TEDx talks so
00:14:38
that we can advance the human race and transform the world,
00:14:42
because it's ideas and the application of these ideas that
00:14:46
transforms people and it transforms the world.
00:14:50
So, you know, I feel like I'm up to a big game.
00:14:52
And when I'm working with these people or anyone who wants to
00:14:55
deliver a TEDx, talk your idea, you need to be really solid in
00:15:01
why you're doing it so that when it gets tough, you won't get
00:15:04
going.
00:15:05
Jim James: Right.
00:15:05
Yeah.
00:15:06
That's wonderful.
00:15:06
Elaine.
00:15:07
That's wonderful.
00:15:07
Yeah.
00:15:07
And you've given yourself a big mission there as well to help
00:15:10
transform the planet.
00:15:12
And many of those Ted talks of course, do include ideas that
00:15:15
are transformative.
00:15:16
Aren't they?
00:15:17
How do you, as a business person yourself get noticed, have you
00:15:21
done your own Ted talk?
00:15:22
And is that how you got into this?
00:15:24
Elaine Powell: Remember in 2011 here in the UK, we have the UK
00:15:28
riots.
00:15:29
And it affected a lot of the big cities and I was doing public
00:15:33
speaking workshops in schools.
00:15:35
And I kept on hearing the young people say, oh, well, we weren't
00:15:38
given a voice.
00:15:39
That's why we had to express ourselves that way.
00:15:42
And I thought, okay, I have a huge history of working with
00:15:46
young offenders and young people in public speaking.
00:15:49
Obviously I do public speaking TEDx, let me, let me run a TEDx
00:15:54
event for them to give them a platform to share their voice.
00:15:58
So that's what I did along with the Brit school.
00:16:00
And I ran that for three years and then stepped away for a
00:16:05
little while.
00:16:06
the past couple of years, I've been a TEDx coach for one of the
00:16:09
London events here.
00:16:11
And now I help people along with public speaking, which is my, my
00:16:14
area of expertise, to help people now get on the Ted stage
00:16:18
or TEDx, should I some have aspirations for the Ted?
00:16:22
Not that many because they never it's like.
00:16:25
Jim James: That's a big ambition,
00:16:26
Elaine Powell: I know.
00:16:27
Jim James: elaine Powell, if people want to find out more
00:16:29
about you and the mind speak academy and maybe to get onto
00:16:32
TEDx, if they've been living an idea for long enough where can
00:16:35
they find you?
00:16:37
Elaine Powell: Yeah, so they can definitely go to
00:16:38
MindSpeakAcademy.com and they can find me there.
00:16:43
Or you can come on to clubhouse and you may actually hear me
00:16:46
speak I'm in lots of the rooms around TEDx and public speaking,
00:16:50
or just find me on Instagram, look, Google my name and you'll
00:16:53
find me.
00:16:54
Jim James: Elaine Powell thank you so much for joining me on
00:16:57
the unnoticed.
00:16:57
I'd say you're working with my sister, Dr.
00:17:00
Shelley, James, so full disclosure.
00:17:02
That's how we met.
00:17:02
And I'm happy that she's got your guidance.
00:17:05
Thank you for helping her to share her ideas about lights.
00:17:08
So thank you so much the show today.
00:17:10
Elaine Powell: Thank you for having me, Jim.
00:17:11
Thank you.
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