You’ve got an incredible business story, impressive client results and a step-by-step system that transforms lives. Naturally, you think this would make the perfect TEDx talk, right?
Wrong.
Listen, if your TEDx pitch sounds like a business presentation with a fancy red dot backdrop, you’re missing the entire point. I see brilliant entrepreneurs all the time who think TEDx is just another speaking gig where they can showcase their “5 Steps to Success” or “3 Secrets to Scale Your Business.” Then they wonder why their applications get rejected faster than a bad Tinder date.
Here’s what you need to understand:
TEDx isn’t about promoting your business.
It’s about sharing an idea that could literally change how the world works.
The Difference Between a Pitch and a Purpose
Think about the TEDx talks that actually went viral and changed conversations globally. Sir Ken Robinson didn’t get on that stage to sell education consulting – he challenged the entire world to rethink how we’re killing creativity in schools. Melody Hobson wasn’t promoting her investment firm when she delivered “Color Blind or Color Brave” – she was dismantling how we approach race in corporate America.
And Simon Sinek? His “Start with Why” concept became so iconic that people think that was the name of his TEDx talk. (Plot twist: it wasn’t. The actual talk was “How Great Leaders Inspire Action.”)
None of these speakers were there to get clients. They were there to plant seeds of change that could grow into movements.
The Curse of Knowledge is Killing Your Big Idea
See, most entrepreneurs get stuck because they’re so close to their own expertise that they can’t see the forest for the trees. They’ve been solving the same problems for so long that what feels routine to them could actually be revolutionary to the world.
You think your idea isn’t “big enough” for TEDx because it’s just something you figured out along the way. But that’s exactly what makes it powerful. The most transformative ideas often come from people who’ve lived through something, found a solution, and then realized that solution could help millions of others.
I recently did my first TEDx talk, and it wasn’t about business coaching or speaking strategies. It was about something much more personal and universal. I shared my story of losing my daughter and getting that devastating call while I was at work, then connected it to how we can strengthen human connections in the workplace. The idea wasn’t “hire a business coach” – it was “what if we actually saw each other as whole humans instead of just professional roles?”
That’s an idea worth spreading.
Your Life Experience IS Your Qualification
Stop thinking you need multiple PhDs or years of research to have a TEDx-worthy idea. Your lived experience, combined with the insights you’ve gained from building your business, is exactly the qualification the world needs.
Maybe you discovered something about resilience while rebuilding after bankruptcy. Maybe you learned something about communication while riding the twists and turns of a difficult partnership. Or maybe you figured out something about leadership while managing a team through crisis.
The key is pulling the universal principle from your personal experience and asking: “If everyone understood this one thing, how would the world be different?”
From Business Case Study to World-Changing Idea
Here’s how to transform your business insights into TEDx gold:
Stop thinking about what you sell and start thinking about what you’ve learned. Your product or service is just the vehicle – the real value is the deeper understanding you’ve gained about human behavior, systems, or society.
Look for the universal truth hiding in your specific experience. What pattern did you notice that others might be missing? What assumption did you challenge that could transform entire industries?
Ask the “so what?” question until it hurts. Keep digging deeper into why your insight matters beyond your industry, your clients, or your business. What would change if everyone believed this idea?
Focus on one transformative concept, not a step-by-step process. TEDx talks aren’t workshops. They’re moments of revelation that shift how people see the world.
The Real TEDx Formula
Forget the business pitch formula. Here’s what actually works:
Start with a story that reveals a problem or assumption most people don’t question. Share the moment you realized there was a different way to think about this issue. Explain the bigger implications of this new perspective. Paint a picture of what becomes possible when we embrace this idea.
Notice what’s missing from that formula? Any mention of your business, your services or your credentials. Because when your idea is powerful enough, people will find you. When your perspective is valuable enough, opportunities will follow.
The Ripple Effect You Can’t Plan For
The beautiful thing about sharing a truly transformative idea is that you can’t control where it goes or how it spreads. That’s the whole point. You’re not trying
to get clients from the audience – you’re trying to plant an idea that could influence how thousands of people think, work, and live.
Your TEDx talk isn’t a marketing campaign. It’s your opportunity to contribute something meaningful to the global conversation. And ironically, that’s exactly what makes it the most powerful business development tool you’ll ever use.
The world doesn’t need another “How to” talk. It needs your unique insight about why we should think differently about something important. It needs the idea that only you can share because only you have lived through the experiences that led to that revelation.
So, stop trying to pitch your business from the TEDx stage. Start thinking about the idea you’ve discovered that could genuinely make the world a better place.
That’s an idea worth spreading.
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I’m Montrella Cowan, a dynamic TEDx and keynote speaker, 7-figure business coach, and USA Today bestselling author. I help entrepreneurs transform their passion for speaking into thriving, high-ticket businesses.
As the host of The Montrella Cowan Show, I empower professionals with my signature Mic Drop to Make Millions Method™, guiding them to craft compelling presentations, create irresistible offers, and scale their speaking businesses to 7 figures.
Join us at our inaugural TEDxSt Pete Women Event Here.
