Don’t think you have a unique idea for a TEDx talk? I call Bullsh*t

“There are no new ideas”

I’ve heard that so many times - and I call BullSh*t.


You haven't applied to TEDx because you think you don’t have anything new to say.

You don’t have a cutting-edge piece of technology and you're not out there solving world hunger.

So?

It doesn't mean you don't have an idea worthy of that stage.


TEDx is not just about ideas that are radically new.

There are 250,000 TED and TEDx talks out there, not because 1/4 million people have discovered something new, but because we are still looking for answers.


There are so many problems in the world. And there are endless potential solutions.

- Maybe we haven’t thought of the right solution yet.
- Maybe we haven’t applied an existing solution to the right problem
- Maybe we haven’t put the right people or the right resources behind a known path.
- Maybe we just haven't heard the solution articulated in the right way
- Maybe, the solution that didn’t work in 1996 is actually ideal for 2026. Of the one that worked in 1996 is no longer relevant.


TEDx talks highlight fresh approaches to enduring problems.

TEDx speakers share ideas that energetically redefine the human experience.


If you're struggling with what makes your idea new - think of a problem you would love to solve.

What's your perspective? How is it different from what's already being done? What tools would you use? What isn't being said? Why is your approach different or necessary? What would the impact be if a hundred, a thousand, a million people thought this way or adopted your idea?

That's your TEDx talk right there.

Maybe it's not radically new, it doesn't mean your idea can't have a radical impact.



***
Hi, I'm Tessa. I've been a TEDx organizer and coach since 2013. If you'd love to be on that stage but not sure what you'd say, I would love to help you figure it out. You can learn about my coaching program the TEDx Pathway, which has helped get 4 of my clients on the TEDx stage in the last 3 months alone.

Also, this is an actual button my dad got my 9yr old for Christmas 🤔

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How do you figure out what your TEDx idea is?