It was a pleasure meeting so many Cohort 3 semifinalists!! I am wishing you all the best of luck and thought of a few pointers that I forgot to share yesterday: -Before falling in love with your talk and title, google it to see what's out there already. This topic will be your intellectual property, and you want to make you can own it if you want to create a signature talk, book, etc. And choose topics that haven't been said a million times. -While you can share some of your story, this big idea is for your audience more than anything. Think what they will get out of listening to it? Think less motivation and more transformation Best of luck! Here is my talk, Pleasure Ain't The Problem, Shame Is which just dropped this past Friday! Please watch, like, comment and share, share, share!! Thanks!! https://youtu.be/Lj18td1AnrE?si=hYwZWbLMqjkzORAv

One of the gifts we’re sending to each of our cohort 2 finalists at TEDxThirdWard: Hand-Drawn illustrations of their headshots. If you’re in the greater houston area and would like this live, in-person service for a wedding, convention, or another event, inbox and I can make the connect.

The applications are in, the reviews are done, and we are proud to announce our semifinalists for TEDx Third Ward Salon 2026. If your name is on this list, congratulations. Your idea stood out and you've earned your spot in the next round. [Semifinalist List Here] 📩 Already a semifinalist? Check your email including spam. We sent you a direct email with your next steps, including how to join the private semifinalist hub and your final submission deadline of April 3rd. If you don't see it, check your spam folder or message Durrel Douglas directly here on Skool. If you weren't chosen, we plan to have two other Salon opportunities this year before our next Main event. Not being chosen wasn't necessarily because of the strength of your submission, other factors like the quantity of similar submissions often plays a role. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. 🎙️ Want to walk into your final submission with confidence? We're running the Virtual Speaker Lab, a 3-day live intensive designed to help you flesh out the foundation of your big idea before the final round. March 16 – 18 • 6:00 – 7:30 PM CST each evening • $397 This is open to semifinalists and anyone serious about developing a talk worth putting on a stage. You'll get daily lessons, exercises, feedback from a TEDx curator, and peer practice sessions. 👉 [Register for the Virtual Speaker Lab] Questions? Message Durrell Douglas here on Skool or email [email protected]

Hello everyone so glad that I’m finally able to post grateful to be amongst the elite once again I’m hoping this time I am a finalist. Something I want to say to the dreamer don’t stop dreaming don’t stop believing this isn’t my first talk that I’ve applied to, however, I thought that I would never see this opportunity again but yet here I am so to the man or a woman who may have also been in my shoes I wanted to declare and decree that this is our time delayed is never denied.

One month ago my TEDx talk dropped. 52,000 views later, I’m still in awe. If you haven’t watched it yet, go check it out (link below). But more than the views, I want to hear from YOU. Head to the YouTube video and drop a comment. What stood out? What hit different? What are you still thinking about? And since we’re all here because TEDx is on our radar, I want you to know this is exactly what I help people do. Not just get on the stage. But get SEEN after the stage. Building the strategy, the relationships, and the relational organizing approach that turns a talk into real exposure. Watch it. Comment on YouTube. And if you’re ready to talk strategy, you know where to find me. 👇 After watching my TEDx talk, “Why You Should Break Up With Your Friends,” what resonated most?