I’ve had an exhilarating and mad few weeks completing on TEDx Moseley and my house move.
I’m now with Wifi (yey!), sat at my new desk and have been reflecting:
When I came on board as curator and speaker coach I had an idea in my head of the types of talks that would benefit the theme of the event (we chose ‘Spill The Tea’) It was a challenge to ensure that the different facets of the theme were complemented and that the speakers ideas worth spreading would fit within it. When supporting them in developing their talks I also had to decide how the day would run, taking into consideration the energy of each talk.
It has been such a period of learning and growth and I am over the moon that it all translated onto the stage on the day itself.
As a team, each member worked hard to deliver a world class experience (this was our main goal from the outset.) The feedback from the audience has been incredible and from the speakers themselves and what it felt like to stand on that red dot and share with a live audience.
The talks will be available shortly but I wanted to reflect on some insights from being back stage supporting the speakers and getting to watch their talks from the wings.
Humility
I knew when selecting and supporting the speakers that they had important and inspiring ideas worth spreading. But it wasn’t until I saw them speak that it struck me how inspiring these people are. It was incredibly humbling to hear of the challenges they have overcome and what they have achieved, and motivated me to do and achieve more. I’ll be sharing specifics when the talks come out on youtube and I cannot wait for you to see them!
Gratitude
I felt so much gratitude throughout being part of this project, but meeting the team the day before, going through sound checks and plans, and seeing how invested each team member was in making this event happen made me feel so grateful to be part of this experience.
I have learnt so much about what it takes to put on an event like this, as well as being able to meet some truly incredible people, both backstage and the speakers themselves. It’s something that I will never forget and can’t wait to do more of.
Purpose
It wasn’t till a few years ago that I fully stepped into the niche of supporting people in their verbal communication. This event slammed it right into focus for me. The feelings of joy and alignment I experienced were pretty special and solidified my purpose. It has also opened up my vision for the future and how I want to continue to support others.
The greater good
We consciously chose speakers that needed a platform to be heard. The event touched on subjects such as what can be done about knife crime, how we can deconstruct social constructs around racism, how we can deal with trauma, how we can support deaf people in a hearing world and how to live a fulfilled life from palliative patients to name just a few.
In supporting this event (which was 100% voluntary) I felt that I was contributing in some small way to getting these messages into the world.
Leaning into discomfort.
I was reminded that the best things happen from your stretch, risk and choke zones (if you want more info on what I mean by this hit reply!) There have been times where the challenges of putting on the event along with running a business, being a parent and moving house became a little overwhelming, but it was ALL worth it to hear those voices, feel the response from the audience and celebrate with the team.
The power of team
Speaking of team, meeting the TEDx Moseley crew in person for the first time in two years was pretty momentous. Each person had the same drive, purpose and a huge golden heart. It restored my faith in humanity and reminded me that there are SO many good people out there, doing amazing things with the same values, goals and dreams. I love you TEDx fam!
When the talks are up on the YouTube channel, I’ll be sharing them. They are well worth a watch and I hope they conjure the same feelings in you as they did for me. Watch this space!
Much love
Helen
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