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Elena Herdieckerhoff is an award-winning serial entrepreneur and successful TEDx Speaker with over 3 million views on YouTube. Elena is the CEO of Red Dot Stage, a TEDx speaker coaching company that specialises in helping visionaries land, craft and deliver viral TEDx talks. She is a storyteller at heart and firmly believes that great TEDx Talks can shape our conscious awareness and create a foundation for progress, change, and innovation.
How TEDx can start a career on public speaking
Elena used to run a cosmetics business. But one day, at some point, she decided to leave that behind and start doing business coaching in order to help her fellow entrepreneurs to succeed. As a coach one of her wishes was to do a TEDx talk. And following that wish she finally decided to apply for a TEDx event in Paris. And she made it. On May 21, 2016 she gave her talk “The gentle power of highly sensitive people” and did it basically without any previuos preparation as speaker. This way she accomplished her dream and, just speaking from the heart, she started a successful career that continues until these days. That shows the power of TEDx talks.
Who is good a TEDx speaker
Elena believes that the best TEDx speaker is that one who shows true authenticity and passion to their audience. It’s that one ready and willing to show who really is and that is able to take people into a journey and make them feel interested and excited about her talk or story. Even without having any previous training or experience.
TEDx in times of covid-19 pandemic
As a consequence of the pandemic around the world, TEDx had been in a pause for several months. But it came back. Elena tells us a little about how, with the use of new technologies, TEDx is getting ready to launch new formats of talks all around the world. In this way, in 2021 TEDx will show us a new and more sophisticated facet in its conferences around the world. The times forced all of us to change and to adapt and TEDx is no exception.
The power of TEDx talks
Who should speak in a TEDx Talk? Contrary to what most people think, Elena’s philosophy is that everybody has an idea or story that is worth sharing to the world. No matter if you’re an entrepreneur, if you’re done or not any speaking gig in your life, you can speak in TEDx. It’s about believing in yourself and that your idea is meaningful and it needs to be shared. You have to decide what is the thing that will be your legacy to the world, what is the thing you’d love to contribute to the collective. Define this and let’s do it.
Identifying a great idea for TEDx
First of all, your idea has to be something in what you are versed or have deep knowledge or expertise, not necessarily academic, can be also practical or by experience. You have to feel you have a new point of view about it.
Once you identified your possible idea, have to look about other TEDx talks about that topic to know if there is someone else talking about the same thing. In case someone does, can you find a different angle? Something that is unique to you about that thing.
Share your idea with few people you know and get some feedback to get validation, and take note about how they react and feel about your idea. Do they like it? Are they curious?
The Red Dot Stage process for a TEDx talk
First you have to find your idea.
Second, write your idea of speech. Do a script.
Third, show your talk script to a TEDx organizer.
Fourth, do the TEDx application process. (and have patience)
Fifth, get ready to deliver: memorize, rehearse your talk, you have to internalize the talk.
Sixth, do a marketing campaign for your TEDx Talk.
Related: TEDx 10th Anniversary, Time to Organize Your Own?
Favorite quotation
“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. ” — Anaïs Nin
Recommended book
Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda
Routine to Shine
Create a morning routine. Elena prefers to start the morning with a mix of drinking juices for the body and meditation for the mind. That routine brings her energy and clarity of the mind for the rest of the day.
Links
Red Dot Stage TEDx coaching: https://www.reddotstage.com/
Elena’s website: https://www.elenaherdieckerhoff.com/
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