How My TED Talk Evolved

The first draft of my now-viral TED Talk wasn’t great. 

In fact, while I thought it was pretty good, the speaking coach provided to me by the TEDxBocaRaton organizers had a different reaction. When I read the talk aloud to her for the first time, Rece laughed politely.

"MeiMei," she said, "you’re clearly a very talented writer. But you’re also clearly accustomed to writing for readers, not listeners. Writing for an audience that is listening to you speak is a whole different ball game than writing for people who are digesting your words on a page."

Of course I knew at once that Rece was right. So, we got to work.

First, Rece told me to cut half the words. Yes, half! 

“You’ve got to slow down,” she advised. “Speak more slowly than you think you need to. Take more pauses for deep breaths. Give your audience time to digest what you’ve just said.”

“Also, simplify everything,” Rece continued. “You have to give people your message more than once.”

I found this point particularly ironic because at Your Bestselling Book, I always remind our clients of the same thing: The goal is clarity, and part of that clarity involves repetition. "Tell them what you're going to say, say it, and then tell them what you said," I emphasize. And so does Rece.

In the end, I cut many words and eliminated two entire stories that I really liked (including my meet-cute romantic comedy movie moment of meeting my fabulous husband Kiran after surfing on a beach in Costa Rica). It’s always hard to see what Stephen King calls our “little darlings” on the cutting room floor. But, I reminded myself, I could always use them somewhere else.

Once I’d achieved a simple, clear, and direct message, we worked on transitions. Instead of jumping straight into a story about my client Toan Lam, Rece suggested a smoother introduction: "Now, I’d like to tell you about one of my coaching clients, Toan. During our writing workshop, Toan wrote a story about his 14 year-old self…" These verbal touchpoints help keep the audience grounded and engaged, Rece explained.

Finally, when presenting data, Rece advised me to focus on the core message. Yes, you can use charts and visuals, but it’s far more powerful to distill the information into one simple, memorable takeaway. For me, that was: “One in four of us—a whopping 25%—are struggling with mental illness right now.” No charts needed. Just vocal emphasis and proper gestures.

The lesson? Writing and speaking are distinct skills, and it’s important to respect their differences.

Tip of the Week: Speak Your Writing

If you’re writing for a speech, consider Rece’s tips:

1. Cut half the words.
2. Slow down.
3. Repeat yourself
4. Write really clear transitions

If you’re writing for readers, consider reading your text aloud. I bet you'll find awkward phrases and word choices here and there. Not only that, but chances are you’ll end up convinced that even for the written format, you could stand to cut words, repeat yourself more often, and write clearer transitions.

Aloha,
MeiMei

Quote of the Week

You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm.

• French author Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette