Diary of a TEDx speaker: the green light before the red dot
“Relax – it’s not a TED talk.”
This is something I say to my clients so often that it’s practically my catch-phrase.
“Relax, it’s not a TED talk” is a reminder that, while over-preparing can feel like the right response to an anxiety-provoking task — as public speaking so often is — it’s usually not the best use of your time or energy.
And then, after years of telling people “Relax, it’s not a TED talk,” I…well…
Yeah. I spoke at TEDx Mechanicsville. On purpose!
And, since I know there are some folks in my audience who want to try the TEDx experience out for themselves, I thought I’d share some of my reflections and a few pieces of advice.
This will be a 3-parter: starting with the application process, then what it’s like to prepare a TEDx talk, and finally the day when you get up on that red dot.
To be clear, all of these are my thoughts and neither the TED organization nor TEDx Mechanicsville organizers are involved in any way.
First, a bit of background. TED is a non-profit organization that provides a platform for the distribution of ideas, through short talks presented at events and posted online for public access. The acronym stands for “Technology, Entertainment, Design,” but the range of possible topics is now much broader than that.
There’s a flagship TED conference held in Vancouver every year, but organizations and individuals can get a license to host local TEDx conferences, and that’s where most people like us can get an opportunity to speak.
Typically, you have to apply to speak at a TEDx event, and it can be pretty competitive. The TED website has an interactive map where you can find upcoming events and learn how to apply. There are a lot of them!
I’ve wanted to do one of these talks for a while. Much of the speaking that I currently do is as a workshop instructor, which is very fluid and interactive; I also act as MC at events, which involves hyping up a crowd, maintaining a flow, and really supporting the other people on stage.
One thing I don’t get to do as often, is get on stage and deliver a polished, though-provoking presentation that will inspire a crowd. I want to do more of that, and TEDx provides a great platform, structure, and community to support that goal.
But I didn’t want to get on a TEDx stage and talk about what I do for a living. I love my work, but I also have interests and causes that I pursue outside of Stage Light Communications, and I knew that I could deliver real value to a TEDx audience by stepping away from Alex Keenan, communications professional and bringing Alex Keenan, passionate adventurer and community-builder to the table.
But for now, let’s talk about how you actually BECOME a TEDx speaker.
The first thing that surprises a lot of people is that no, you do not need to have your talk drafted when you apply. And it’s probably not a good use of your time to draft and polish a whole talk before you even get accepted to speak at an event.
I went in with a story about a unique and interesting experience I’d had; something that tends to pique other people’s interest when they find out about it. And I had a concept of why it mattered on a scale larger than myself; what principles or ideas could be drawn from it to make the world a better place.
Just a concept. Not a draft. Not an outline. A concept, and a sense that it could make for an interesting TEDx talk, and that I should maybe get around to applying to speak.
In July of 2025, I found out that there was going to be a TEDx event in my old neighborhood of Mechanicsville in Ottawa…and that the deadline to apply was TWO DAYS AWAY.
So I immediately cleared my schedule so that I could work on the application. It took me a full day.
Don’t do what I did. Get prepared, identify the TEDx where you’d like to speak, and find out when their applications open.
Take a few minutes right now to peruse the map of TEDx events and find a few in your area. Check out their websites, get on their mailing lists, follow them on social media, or email them to ask when the next round of applications will open. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t hear back right away; remember TEDx organizers are volunteers, and they might not be checking the email account regularly in their off-season.
While you wait, start planning your application. Every TEDx event has its own application and selection process, so I can’t tell you exactly what to expect. But to give you a general idea, the TEDx Mechanicsville organizers asked for:
a description of my topic and the big idea behind it
information about my relevant personal and professional background - in other words, what qualified ME to speak on this topic;
details of my prior public speaking experience, and
a 2-minute video of me introducing my idea.
A few weeks after I submitted my application, the organizers emailed me to say that they wanted to have me as a speaker at their event. Out of about 160 people who had applied, I had been chosen for one of their 16 speaker slots.
I had to commit to participating in a bunch of meetings and coaching sessions over the following 3 months, and when I confirmed that I was in, that’s when the hard work really started.
But that’s a story for next time.
For now, let’s talk about how to make your application appealing to the selection committee. I don’t want to reinvent the wheel here, because there’s a lot of information out there from people who have an insider perspective that I simply don’t. I’ve been a speaker but I’ve never been involved in the selection process.
But here are a few principles that I’ve picked up:
Tell a unique or unusual story; something that will get an audience’s attention. My TEDx cohort included an Olympic athlete, a hobby farmer with a tumultuous past, a doctor promoting climate action in health care, a corporate leader who found inspiration in the books he read to his kids at bedtime, and more.
Tie your story to an idea that is compelling, socially relevant, and somewhat novel. Why does your story matter to people whose lives have been very different from your own?
Aim for reasonably broad appeal, but enough specificity that you still have something interesting to say. If that means that some people won’t get it, won’t be interested, or won’t agree with you – that means you’re doing something right. Like I say all the time: if you try to speak to EVERYBODY, you end up speaking to NOBODY.
Consider the event’s theme, and demonstrate how your talk connects with it. Luckily, the themes tend to be extremely broad, so it’s not that hard to do.
Show your authority to speak on the matter. Credibility and evidence are key. That doesn’t mean you need to be a subject matter expert; the whole idea of TEDx is that it creates a space for ordinary people to share their ideas. What it does mean is that you need to bring lived experience, or research, or ideally some combination of the two, to back up your ideas and claims.
Finally, demonstrate that you have the speaking ability – or can quickly develop the speaking ability – to hold your own on stage. People pay good money to be in the audience at a TEDx event, and they expect a certain calibre of speaker. So, when you apply, don’t be surprised if you’re asked to provide a short video of yourself, and/or to highlight your previous speaking experience. Fear not, you don’t need to be a professional speaker. If you’re chosen to speak at an event, the organizers may provide coaching to help you prepare. But the TEDx process is simply not a good fit for most beginners. If you’re new to public speaking and want to see yourself on the TEDx stage, set that goal and work towards it – just know that you’ll need to do the work to get there.
(By the way, that’s where I can help. I help people develop the confidence and stage presence so that they can get themselves into the spotlight and thrive. I help with developing ideas and telling stories that draw people in. If you want to chat about it, send me a message or book a call!)
If you want to learn more about the journey of a TEDx speaker, stay tuned for the next instalment in this 3-part series!