In all the years I've been working with clients, under my own banner and, previously as an employee, there's always an overarching thought.
What does this piece need to be successful?
I've written about that subject at length in the past, but today, I'm re-presenting my favorite talks with a new focus. If you watch my video, Four Essential Elements for Every Speech, you'll note that they are strong themes, not a formula. If I'm being honest, that has frustrated some clients over the years... until they discover how rich the process of uncovering insights can be.
The "what a piece needs to succeed" can come from the personal and/or from outside one's experience. My job has always been to search and research to identify each client's unique hook. After the key insights have been extracted, maybe their speech will have all four elements equally. Maybe it will have just one that is dominant. It's not a formula - more like a flexible blueprint.
It's in that spirit that I present these talks to you, in no particular order, once again. They're all different; each speaker has their own style which makes their piece excellent. Below is my written commentary, but you can take inspiration from them in any way that speaks to you.
J.T.
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1. Kathryn Mannix: What happens when we die?:
Storytelling is ultimately about clarity.
This talk from November 2022 from Dr. Kathryn Mannix, who has worked with people with terminal illnesses her entire career, brings the audience back to when she first learned about what dying actually entails.
Answering one of life's most essential questions so artfully makes this talk so memorable.
2. Shankar Vedantam: You don't actually know what your future self wants
Because that’s how it’s always been done.
Listen to any entrepreneur or innovator, and you might believe that is the most maligned phrase in all of language.
The truth? In today’s world, the premium is placed on consistency. Whatever you believed any number of years ago should still be part of your belief system today.
That’s simply not how human beings operate, and that’s why your content POV must reflect your human core: always learning, growing and evolving.
In this extremely well-delivered talk, Shankar Vedantam says it all in one line: “You should be the curator of your self.”
3. Mark Mortensen: Is remote work better than being in the office? It's complicated
"It's complicated" are two words we don't hear nearly often enough. They go far beyond an outdated relationship status from social media.
When you feature these words in your talk - in the title, no less - the audience knows you're continuously discovering your topic instead of presenting a hot take.
This great talk is unafraid. Right at the beginning, he says hybrid work design is not actually one problem, but three different dilemmas. Different, but not independent, as he acknowledges in conclusion.
Your audience is inspired by clarity, not simplicity. There's a difference.
4. Conan O'Brien's Mark Twain Prize Acceptance Speech
Rarely does anyone speak with just the right combination of "ingredients" that truly matches the occasion, and then transcends it. This speech has it all: humility, understanding, using the current moment as a touchstone for the values of a man who passed away over a century ago, and so much more.
What makes this speech truly shine, though, is how credible O'Brien is as the messenger. The credibility comes from the love of his comedy craft and the craft of comedy.
5. Julie and John Gottman: Even healthy couples fight — the difference is how
Nothing says "lived experience" like being in a long-term relationship. But that's just the beginning for this talk.
Let’s be honest: having two presenters can sometimes be awkward. The worst thing that can happen in this format is adopting a predictable rhythm: “I say this, you say that.”
Nothing in this duo’s cadences nor body language suggests that was ever going to happen. It all flows very naturally, which allows the audience to focus on the interesting and accessible research they present.
My Favorite Talks