I've coached over 100 TEDx speakers since 2014.

Some talks went viral. Some didn't. But after a decade of watching speakers succeed and fail, the patterns are remarkably consistent.

And the #1 mistake I see?

𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 '𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁' 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.

They explain. They summarise. They give information.

But they don't take the audience on a journey. They don't make them feel what it was like to be there, to experience the moment, to wrestle with the problem.

The best talks don't describe an experience — they recreate it.

When a speaker shares a pivotal moment, I don't want them to tell me what happened. I want to see it. I want to feel the tension, the doubt, the breakthrough.

That's the difference between a forgettable talk and one that changes how people think.

If you're preparing a talk or pitch, ask yourself:

Am I explaining my topic? Or am I bringing my audience into the experience of it?

One informs. The other transforms.

Which are you doing? 😉

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