Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Let's Talk About TED: An Incredible Experience! Part 1



JENN McKINLAY: Finding Your Authentic Author Voice


JENN: Sometimes life sends events or opportunities your way that are completely unexpected. This would be me and TED. My friend, Terry, contacted me a few days before the deadline for applications for the  Phoenix TEDx talks and said, "You're a good public speaker. You have to apply." 



The app was due in days. I had a lot on my plate, but I thought I might learn something from the TED people in the process that would be worth my time. I was certain there was no way I would be chosen as the theme was "Voices" and I didn't feel I had anything to say about that. Still I applied, was asked to audition, sweated out a short speech, and -- fast forward a couple of months -- I was stunned to be one of fifteen finalists out of the hundreds who'd applied. So, this TED thing was going to happen! 

Suddenly, something I had been rather half assed about was now a big freaking deal. I had seen TED talks - Ideas Worth Spreading! - and had been inspired and awed by many. Public speaking has never bothered me...until TED. My discomfort was great. My biggest concern was whether my content was worthy. Was my topic "Finding Your Authentic Author Voice" an idea worth spreading?

My first run at my TED talk came out very impersonal. It was more a short list of the things I'd learned (mostly by failure) while finding my authentic author voice. There wasn't much of me, of my personal story, in the talk. The TED committee wanted me to dig deeper. This is not easy for me as I'm a child of the eighties and being a latchkey kid raised on after school sitcoms, I can't have a problem that lasts more than twenty two and a half minutes because I run out of coping skills at the twenty three minute mark. Needless to say, introspection is not really my thing. But I tried. I dug deeper, opened doors in my life I generally prefer to leave closed, and "put myself out there". It was exhausting but I used my sense of humor to make it easier and I managed to craft a talk that was personal but also, dare I say, authentic.
The oh so intimidating TED circle.
We were each allotted a specific amount of time for our talk. My talk was to be twelve minutes. This was stressful because I am a talkoholic and could have prattled on for hours if left to my own devices. I started recording my talk, trying to memorize the important parts. I never managed that, and it came out different every single time. Sometimes it was fourteen minutes. Ack! And sometimes it was a pitiful ten. Oy! On my dress rehearsal, I came up short because I forgot big chunks. Gah! Also, I like to pace when I talk, but TED needs you to stay on or near the red circle. Practice, practice, practice. Argh!

While I don't suppose I'll know for sure how it turned out until TEDx posts the video (it'll be online at TEDx and on my webpage in a few weeks), the audience that day was very enthusiastic, and I appreciate their positive response more than I can say.

But the biggest bonus gift, aside from the personal growth and development, was my fellow speakers. We were an eclectic assortment of folks from all walks of life and, honestly, by the time we got through the TED workshops, practice sessions, rehearsals and final, I felt more bonded to these people, complete strangers, than I ever could have imagined. It was as if we'd all linked arms and walked through fire together. So, here is a nod to my fellow speakers and I hope you'll check them out, too, when #TEDxSouthMountainCommunityLibrary videos are posted to TEDx.

Tomorrow, I'll be sharing more about the speakers in part two of my Let's Talk About TED: An Incredible Experience! But for now, here are some pictures of these amazing people, who awed, inspired, and wowed me.





I adore these people and am so proud of all of us for the support and encouragement we found in each other in what was a singular experience of sharing our most vulnerable selves.

What about you, Reds and Readers? Do you enjoy public speaking or is it worse than flying or death for you?













68 comments:

  1. Congratulations, Jenn . . . I am properly impressed by your accomplishment and I’m looking forward to seeing your presentation when it is available.

    Public speaking is definitely not my thing; nothing creates greater fear in me than the thought of having to get up and speak in front of a group . . . .

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    1. This is what I hear from a lot of people and, honestly, now I get it!

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  2. I'd much rather fly than talk. My hat is definitely off to you.

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  3. You are much braver than me, Jenn. I'm a terrible speaker, and something like this would have been far outside my comfort zone. But I can't wait to watch your video. I'm sure you were great!

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    1. Thank you! It was a real growth experience no doubt.

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  4. Congratulations, Jenn! I've never heard a boring TED talk, and I'll bet yours is going to be a lot of fun. Can't wait to hear it.

    I'm relatively cool with public speaking, although there is a world of difference between talking to a senior citizen's group or a bunch of high school kids and taking the TEDx stage. TEDx is the real world, somehow, and counts more in my mind than just working through an idea with your friends and neighbors. The only thing I've ever done that came close was when I was invited to speak to the Gamma Nu chapter of Tau Beta Sigma (national band service sorority) as part of their "Careers in Music" series.

    I'd actually forgotten about the invitation, only remembered at the very last minute, and threw together my usual set of bullet points to improvise from. I even asked the young ladies if they wanted to hear about my career, or if they'd rather hear my advice on building their own careers. They wanted both. So I sat down on a piano bench (I'd blown out my bad knee the week before and didn't want to limp around the stage) and then the young lady who had invited me said, "Hold on while I get the live stream going."

    I had half a minute to think, "Eeek! They're broadcasting me!" and then I had to get over it and go on because it was time to do the thing. I talked to the girls, told them the truth when they asked questions, and they seemed to enjoy it. Months later they won some kind of national award for innovative programming, so I guess it came out okay. But TED? I'd be a wreck.

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    1. I bet you would have done fine at a TED talk Gigi, sounds like you'd be a natural!

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    2. With that ability to adjust on the fly, you’d be fine. Content - being passionate about your subject - seems to be the key to TED.

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  5. You go, Jenn! That is so cool. I'm fine with public speaking, but a TED talk might put me over the edge. I'm not sure I can memorize anything of any length these days. ;^)

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    1. Yeah, that was brutal. And I think as writers, once we write a story down, it’s gone. Like an exorcism. LOL.

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  6. I'd rather be locked in a room with a wolverine high on angel dust than have to do any kind of public speaking engagement.

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  7. Way to go, Jenn! That sounds like a fantastic experience all round. I've not gone anywhere close to a TEDx Talk myself, but it's definitely on my longer list of things to do in my life. The pressure to meet the time limit, provide valuable content and keep it all together within that small red circle - well, it gives the performer in me some serious desire, I must say.

    This spring I gave my first PechaKucha talk - six minutes forty seconds, 20 PowerPoint slides that move on automatically every 20 seconds - and I loved it. Part performance, part presentation, it married my instructor self with my actor self and once that 'start' button was pushed, there was no turning back. The show had to go on. Nervous? Absolutely! But then I hit my stride and simply loved the moment. All six minutes and forty seconds of it.

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    1. Amanda, you must tell us what a PechaKucha talk is!

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    2. It's fascinating! It's a method of presenting invented by a couple of architects living in Tokyo who were fed up with their colleagues droning on endlessly about their latest projects. To keep the presenting in check, they devised the PechaKucha method: the presenter has precisely 6 minutes and 40 seconds, which translates into 20 PowerPoint slides that run automatically every 20 seconds. There's no stopping once you've started! The real challenge, I found, was honing my message to its very essence; there is no spare time for ums or 'you knows' or tangents. The presenter has about 60 or so words they can say per slide; it depends on the words - truly! It took me months to prepare mine on how the rules of improv theatre can apply to teaching, and it was a fantastic experience all round. Humbling and really satisfying, in the end.

      Google PechaKucha for more info and for how to pronounce it!

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    3. That sounds really cool, Amanda, and how I wish we could impose those kind of limits in some staff meetings I've attended! Congratulations!

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    4. That’s fantastic! Six minutes and forty seconds? I’d have had a stroke! You’d kill at TED. Seriously.

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  8. I'm fine speaking to groups of fifty or less. When I imagine myself on a stage giving a memorized speech...nope. Good for you!

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    1. LOL - crowd of one hundred and filmed to live forever - Oy.

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  9. Can't wait to watch this Jenn! and looking forward to meeting the others tomorrow...

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    1. Thanks , Lucy! Yeah, I couldn’t cram it all into one day or it’d be the longest blog post ever.

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  10. So fantastic! Congratulations, that was quite the journey. Cannot wait to hear It. Wow. We are proud of you, too!

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    1. Thanks, Hank! So appreciate the support!

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    2. Cannot wait to see it! (How do we do that, anyway??)

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  11. Wait wait wait... I want to hear more about the application process. Was it a questionnaire? Did you have to do a video selfie? Did you video yourself as you practiced?? Can't wait to read more later this week.

    I started life in a family full of performer/talkers fighting for air time at the dinner table. They also had short attention spans. Then I was a teacher -- kids and then adults. So I am SO used to speaking. But just me in front of a camera, one take... Makes me want to puke just thinking about it.

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    1. Ha! Hallie, the cameras are a game changer. The app was pretty straightforward. Who are you? What’s your talk about? Why are you qualified to speak on this? Submit.

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  12. I am completely comfortable with public speaking, and one of the most satisfying things in my nursing career was a series of talks I and an obstetrician did on high risk pregnancy. By the time we'd prepared for the first one we had our content and timing down pat, and it became more like a conversation between us, just in front of an audience. Easy peasy.

    I think I got over any shyness or stage fright when I took speech and drama in highschool plus all those flute solos and woodwind quartets involved with playing in the band.

    Later on I was interviewed a number of times on local TV, Maternal Child Health stuff, and also made a few commercials for the hospital. I was younger, thinner, and prettier, so I didn't mind cameras so much.

    I love the PechaKucha concept, Amanda, and wish I knew you better, would like to see you do this. Pretty much all anyone has to say that is important can be done in six minutes anyway! Present company excepted of course.

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    1. Ann: Let's get to know each other better. I feel we are kindred spirits, from your comments here with the Reds!

      ...and careful what you wish for; I may just do what a colleague suggested and that is record my PechaKucha and put it up online...

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    2. Ann, my daughter the nurse taught nursing for six years, and then took charge of the diabetes management education program at a large hospital system. When she first started they told her she would be teaching lots of classes, including a monthly six-hour class, including a rotating diabetes in pregnancy class. She was so worried about these talks, until I reminded her she'd been doing public speaking for years already.

      When she got her Masters from Columbia she had to do a lot of online video presentations to her fellow students. She was the only nurse; all the others were oncologists, or other more advanced medical professionals.

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    3. I think public speaking is so important. Both of my hooligans play instruments in rock bands and do the morning news at school so they’re comfortable on stage and in front of the camera - Lord help us! ;)

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  13. Jenn, this is so amazing! Congrats! I'm looking forward to tomorrow's installment!

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  14. Amazing! Can't wait for part 2 of the blog and the videos. The group looks wonderful.

    I always think I sound like a wavery mess when I speak publicly (the last time being the New Author Breakfast at Bouchercon). My friends assure me I sound polished, professional, and confident. Just goes to show we're the worst judge of our performance in MANY areas, huh? (Unless they are all lying to me to make me feel better. LOL)

    Mary/Liz

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    1. I totally had the voice wobbles at the beginning of the dress rehearsal - damn you, red circle! LOL.

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  15. No, no, no! I hate public speaking of any kind. When I was young 2 times a year each kid in Sunday School had to say a piece, which was usually a memorized poem of some description. It was terrible! But when I was teaching that was not public speaking - that was performing! Jenn I can't wait to hear your talk; I'm sure it is terrific!

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    1. Thank you! TED is definitely more of a performance. You’d be fine!

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  16. Congratulations Jenn! I love TED and TEDx. Please post a reminder note when the series is aired. I would love to see this.

    I've done tv commercials and some stage plays. I've taught classes and moderated panel discussions. But, 12 minutes of content that is so personal, that is daunting. Again, congratulations.

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    1. Yeah, the personal part was tough! I will post a reminder - thanks!

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  17. Jenn, what a great experience that must have been. Thank you for sharing the process. Looking forward to seeing the finished product! Please post here when it hits.

    Like Hank, I am basically a shy person masquerading as a badass. Public speaking made all the difference.

    In my mid-20's I started selling insurance, which meant 100 cold calls a week. My mentor decided that in order to toughen me up I needed baptism by fire; he sent me to the local Insurance Services office to pick up a portable film player and a film about tornadoes in the Texarkana area. To over 30 real estate office weekly meetings I showed a five-minute film and then spoke another 5-10 minutes about the then-new replacement coverage, and why they should recommend it to their clients over the previously available actual cost coverage. Most of the agents were only there because it was mandatory, and they were generally bored to tears, so it became a challenge to engage them.

    Later, I spent nearly 20 years traveling around the US giving talks about making money with sewing, designing a workroom, and sewing with luxury fibers. My biggest audience was one of my first, about 400 people at a national conference. That was terrifying. After that, though, everything else came easily. Almost.

    My friend and I were invited to go to New Mexico to film segments for a PBS show called Creative Living. We each did four segments, and I was shaking so hard that I had to clamp my hands on the desk in front of me to stop them from quivering. A year or two later at a sewing show in Nashville, the owner asked me if I'd be willing to go on TV to talk about the show, since attendance was so sparse. I gathered up things to take with me to show, from friends' booths, plus a copy of my own book. When I got there they told me it was LIVE. No retakes, and no makeup or hair help, either. The host of the show was particularly taken with the tailored jacket I took from a friend who taught tailoring workshops, so I never got around to talking about my own book!

    I still have the video from that day, but I've never been able to force myself to watch it. Jenn, at least you got to practice!

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    1. Wow - what a fabulous public speaking journey! As for TED, practice was key and they coach you, which was a huge help!

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  18. I have seen TED talks, but never gave any thought to the preparation behind them--fascinating! And am also looking forward to hearing more about yours and finding the actual talk when it becomes available.

    I have presented in front of an audience--if I had a choice between dentistry without novocaine or public speaking--well, it would be a toss-up! And where was PechaKucha when I needed it? Oh, so many, many droning presentations I've sat through over the years!

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    1. LOL - I love my dentist but would still choose public speaking! And, yes, PechaKucha sounds amazing!

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  19. Jenn, what an incredible opportunity and experience. I can't wait to watch the session when it is up.

    In my teens, I became quite comfortable with public speaking because of my participation in Speech & Debate. However, it has been a lot of years and little to no practice, now. I would likely need to talk in front of many, many crowds before I were to ever become comfortable with it, again.

    Kudos to you for doing a TED talk!

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    1. Thank you so much. One of our speakers was a speech and debate champ!

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  20. Public speaking??? Aacckk!!! No!! Just NO!! Too many bad experiences of Speech class in high school. In college I had an excellent Speech professor, and learned a lot from him, but as someone who does NOT want the spotlight, I avoid all situations that would require public speaking.

    I look forward to your TED talk. I can’t think of one TED talk that I didn’t learn from.

    DebRo

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    1. LOL - I think my Speech teacher would have been stunned to see me do this. I think the quality of the TED talks are such because they are very strict.

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  21. Jenn, when I sold my first book, I was more afraid of public speaking than dying, not flying! So I took a public speaking class, and after a few writing conference talks, decided I actually kind of liked it. But, I'm not very organized and I can't memorize, so I'm incredibly impressed by your TedX adventure. I can't wait to hear it, and to learn more about your fellow speakers. Love the photos, too!!

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    1. Thanks, Debs. And, yes, who knew being a published author would require so much public speaking? Oy.

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  22. So here's my problem when I know I'm speaking and being videotaped. I BLINK. And BLINK. And... Anyone else have this problem and know how to cure it?

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    1. Oh, gees. Now I'm going to wonder if I blinked too much! LOL!

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  23. You assume everyone knows what the heck TED stands for or means. WRONG! Let's define terms before going on about them, please.

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    1. Absolutely. My apologies. TED is essentially a speaker's bureau that participants audition for, contributing "Ideas Worth Spreading". Here's their webpage for more info: https://www.ted.com

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  24. OH Hallie, I saw a tape of myself once and I blinked a lot. So now when I'm being interviewed on TV I'm saying to myself " don't blink, don't blink!" Usually I don't mind the camera. I'd rather be interviewed than just talk into the camera, this spring I had to do several videos... Amazon, Britbix etc with just me talking to a camera. I was exhausted by the end of the day

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    1. Your videos were fantastic, Rhys! You definitely have presence in front of the camera.

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  25. That's why I joined Toastmasters. They help get the butterflies to fly in formation! Our goal is to help you build on what strengths you have. We also blend in listening skills, which enhance your abilities as a speaker. I've been attending for 20 years and now have the highest rank. I keep going because if you get everything you can out of Toastmasters, you never get out of Toastmasters.

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    1. LOL! Margo - that is the best description - getting the butterflies to fly in formation! I love it! I have several friends who've done Toastmasters - I think it's a brilliant organization.

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  26. Wow, Jenn! I love how you took on something new to you and conquered it, and that the something was a TED talk is so impressive. I'm looking forward to hearing it. I don't mind getting up in front of people to talk at all, but at the last Bouchercon in St. Pete I was on my first panel, and I have to tell you that my nerves were on alert. It's not that I couldn't talk, but with the limited time, I felt scattered, not organized like I wanted to be. Friends told me that my love of reading and passion for the books I talked about came through clearly, but I've yet to listen to the tape, too afraid I will discover that my friends are kind, compassionate liars. Hahaha!

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    1. Those are the best friends to have, Kathy! But I am certain you did just fine. That was one thing I learned in they process - a speaker's enthusiasm carries the talk.

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  27. And I don't mind public speaking..I guess. Sometimes I actually love it. If there's no camera, I am totally fine. With a camera, I'm more nervous (I know, tv reporter ME saying this!) With camera and severe time inflexible constraints, that's the worst. Once I had to do a TWO MINUTES ONLY or you are DOOMED speech--and I practiced and practiced and it was perfect--BUT! I had to hurry my ending when the time came--because I had forgotten to build in time for the audience laughter!

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  28. I'd much rather listen than speak. Much! I had to do oral book reports in elementary school and junior high. Who didn't? Agonizing. I found the anticipation and waiting was the real killer, not the speaking. Somehow I wound up in speech class in junior high. We were supposed to be able to pick our own electives but a bunch of us found ourselves there anyway. So cruel! I'll be happy to provide any of you talkaholics with an attentive audience anytime.

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  29. Pat, that does sound like a cruel twist of fate. I had a few friends at school that found public speaking just brutal.

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  30. I am so glad I caught Hallie's tweet about Jenn's Ted Talk! Fascinating.

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  31. I think it's soooo col that you did this, Jenn! You've got such a positive, powerful presence. I can't wait to see it!!

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