Updated 11/6/22 There are lots of reasons you might feel drawn to speaking: Because you love it, it excites you, you have things you’re dying to share, you want to make it your career. You may also have books to sell and a business to grow, and talking to lots of people at once is…

Updated 11/6/22 There are lots of great reasons to do a TEDx talk: It’s instant cred, a powerful thought leadership platform, a public speaker’s calling card, a way to reach and inspire millions. All great reasons. But what really comes about as a result? There is no direct TEDx-to-sales conversion, nor is that the reason…

I was giving a presentation the other day to a roomful of authors and people who work with authors. The topic? Why every author needs a TEDx talk. (Because they do.) One woman raised her hand and said she’d been having trouble getting her own TEDx idea accepted. She assumed it was because she didn’t…

If you’re a speaker, or would like to be, chances are you watch other speakers with a very keen eye. Maybe you scrutinize the bio. Watch the way they carry themselves on stage. Maybe you judge them based on how relatable they are, or how useful their content is. And if we’re being honest, you…

I was at a party last year that was attended mainly by authors, agents, and PR people. And one of the authors heard that I helped people create their TEDx talks. “Isn’t TED kind of played out,” she said, poking at her gin and tonic with a straw. It wasn’t a question. “Why do you…

There’s nothing like getting tapped to speak at an event or conference—it’s not only nice to be asked, but it speaks volumes about what people think of you: That you have something of value to share with their community, and they want it. That said, there are three questions I ask myself before I accept,…

Of all the people you’ve seen get up in front of a room to speak, how many do you really remember? Very few. And chances are the ones who made an impact probably made you laugh, too. Solid content gets a nod. But funny gets rave reviews. Funny gets asked to speak again. And again. Here’s…