TEDx Speaker · Editor's Pick · Karen Kelly
Thinking of applying to TEDx? Here's how to nail it.

A playbook from an accidental TEDx speaker, who later wound up being named Editor's Pick, an selection achieved by less than 1% of all TEDx talks.

Here are my tips for getting the most out of the experience.

By Karen Kelly

TEDx speaker at Walden Pond, 2025 - Watch it here.


Note: these are my opinions only and do not represent the opinions of TEDx or any local TEDx organization.

www.builtbykaren.com

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6 Days Post-Release:
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Top — Editor's Pick
What Editor's Pick Actually Means

I was lucky enough to have amazing coaches at TEDx Walden Pond, Nick Morgan and Jessica Cooper-Morgan. I learned so much from them about how to deliver with power!

Editor's pick means your talk is selected by TEDx as an idea worth sharing more broadly, and it's a designation given to less than 1% of all TEDx talks.

It comes with extra marketing support and targeted distribution to audiences most likely to connect with the idea. You won't find this out until your talk is submitted by your local organizers and reviewed by TEDx prior to publication. It could take additional week or months for it to actually hit youtube, but if you're luck enough to receive it, it's worth the wait! They may also change the title or even re-edit it. Be patient.


www.builtbykaren.com

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Finding Your Topic: The Magic Formula

The best TEDx talks don't start with "what do I want to say?" They start with "what have I lived through that changed the way I see the world?" That's the magic formula, and it's more accessible than most people think.

The Talk Formula

Something You Lived — A real, personal experience. Not a theory. Something that happened to you and/or that you invented because of a lived experience.

Something You Learned — The insight that came from it. The moment things shifted. And the lesson that we can all learn from it.

Something That Guides Others — How that lesson can change the way someone else lives, thinks, or sees the world. Give them a pathway to take action.

Match the Theme

Every TEDx event has its own theme. Research events near you and look for one where your story naturally fits. My talk was on social health — and the theme at TEDx Walden Pond was "Connecting Worlds." That alignment matters. Organizers are looking for talks that feel like they belong in the room.

Note: TEDx likes stories from local communities about people doing unrecognized work for the greater good — not from people with something to sell. The more universal and selfless the idea, the more broadly it resonates.

www.builtbykaren.com

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Don't Be Afraid to Use AI

I applied last minute. As a busy mom and founder, this felt like the last thing I had time for, so I turned to ChatGPT to quickly organize the different aspects of my story so I could submit on time. No shame in that.

What AI Can Do

As AI grows in its ability to understand context, nuance, and human experience, it's become a genuinely useful thinking partner. It won't (shouldn't) write your talk for you — but it can help you structure your story in a way that does it justice and keeps an audience engaged. Think of it as a very fast, very patient collaborator.

What AI Can't Do

It can't tell your story. It doesn't know what you felt in the room, what changed in you, or why it matters. That part is entirely yours. You decide how it's told — AI just helps you organize the telling.

www.builtbykaren.com

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Mindset Matters - Have Fun!
Do It For Yourself

Don't aim for a book launch or viral moment. I did it to preserve a story important to me. That singular focus eased the pressure.

Vulnerability Is the Strategy

Powerful talks aren't from polished performers. Audiences sense over-rehearsed deliveries.

Audiences connect with truth and authenticity, not perfection.

www.builtbykaren.com

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Before the Event: Ask Everything

There is a lot of variability with how TEDx events are run across the globe. Don't wait for important information. Email your organizers proactively. Will there be coaching provided? Will you be able to use comfort or cue slides?

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Speaker Monitor

Will there be a speaker-facing screen for comfort slides or notes?

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Rehearsal Details

When is your rehearsal and exactly what does it involve?

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Mic Type

Lapel or over-ear? Knowing this affects how you dress and move.

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Camera Positions

Where are the cameras? Which one is the main camera to address?

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Reset Policy

Can you stop and reset mid-talk if you make a mistake?

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Stage Layout

What does the stage look like? What's the size of the red dot?

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Will you have a Coach?

Will they provide on-going coaching for you throughout the process? If not, get one!

www.builtbykaren.com

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Practice: Out Loud, To Real People, & Record Yourself
Say It Out Loud

Saying it in your head is not the same as speaking it. Your brain will empty the second someone sits down to listen. That's the point — practice doing it anyway.

Get a Real Audience

Get friends to sit on your couch and just listen. The discomfort of being watched is exactly the muscle you're training.

Aim for 8 Minutes

TEDx prefers shorter. Anything over 13–14 minutes loses the audience. Cut content before you try to talk faster.

8 min
The Sweet Spot

Shorter talks land harder. Every word should earn its place on that stage. Mine was about 11 minutes and I wish it was shorter!

I used Speechify to record and listen to my talk in my headphones when I was out on walks, at my kiddo's soccer games, and driving in the car.

Stand in front of a camera and record yourself. I wish I had done this a few more times to notice little things I was doing with my head and hands.

You need to embody the talk - that means it needs to become so ingrained that your brain could continue delivering it even if your attention drifted off.

www.builtbykaren.com

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Comfort/Cue Slides: Use Pictures, Not Words

If the organizers allow a speaker-facing monitor, build comfort slides — but populate them with images, not text. Your brain processes a picture faster than words, and you'll memorize each section more deeply because you can visualize the image while you're on stage.


🖼️ Image Slides

Visual cues trigger memory better than reading text mid-talk

🔁 Repetition

Associate each talk section with its visual anchor

⏱️ Trust Time

You should have finished writing your talk 60 days out. From there, it should be only tiny refinements, memorization reps, and rehearsing in front of a group.

www.builtbykaren.com

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Delivery: Slow Down

Almost every speaker goes too fast. The pause is your most powerful tool.

Embrace the Pause

Ask yourself: where do I want a word to hang in the air? Practice dramatic pauses deliberately. You literally cannot go too slow. Slow = confident = important.

End Sentences Up

Dropping your pitch at the end of a key line makes it sound unimportant. Keep the energy through the end of each sentence — let it land with weight. I ended up having to do vocal exercises to get my resonance where it needed to be - UP!

Watch Your Hands

If you're holding a clicker, be conscious of asymmetry. Don't let one hand do all the work while the other stays frozen. Both hands should feel natural and intentional. Constant hand motions are distracting to viewers.

www.builtbykaren.com

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The Day Of: What to Wear

Your outfit is part of the performance. Make intentional choices so the story stays about you — not your clothes.

Avoid Stage Clash

Don't wear black if the backdrop is black — you'll disappear. Contrast with the set. Watch last year's talks from the location - that will give you a lot of information about colors to avoid.

Keep It Simple

Nothing too distracting. Simple jewelry — nothing that catches light, makes noise, or pulls focus from your message. If your shoes are uncomfortable people will know.

Match Your Story

Wear something relatable to your talk. A personal story doesn't call for a Fortune 500 keynote look. I changed my outfit at the very last minute because I realized that it was a story → speaker mismatch.

Bring Your Own Mirror

Secure your hair — if it can fall in your face on stage, it will. Don't count on the venue to have a mirror backstage. Bring your own mirrors, makeup or find out if they will provide it for you.

www.builtbykaren.com

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On Stage: Talk to the Camera, Not the Audience

This is counterintuitive but critical. The live audience is a studio audience — they're there to laugh, react, and support you. But TEDx is filmed content. Talk to the main camera in the back. Think of it as your favorite person.

Don't plan to pace back and forth across the stage. Movement should be intentional — not nervous energy. Stay grounded on the dot and let your words do the traveling.

🔴 The Red Dot

Stay on it. If you want to step forward, start toward the back so you have room to move. Never walk backwards — always forward. The dot is your anchor and your power position.

Practice on the red dot 2–3 weeks out if at all possible, so you know exactly how many steps you can take forward, left, and right without leaving it.

Also check what the dot is made of — ours was loop yarn, and my heels could have easily gotten caught in it (you can see it in the picture). I changed my shoes because of it.

If you can't get to the red dot, then ask for a picture of what it looks like and the dimensions of it ahead of time.


www.builtbykaren.com

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Nerves: Ground Yourself
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Lean Into the Handshake

The person introducing you will shake your hand as you walk on. That's intentional grounding. At Walden Pond they gave us the option to actually hug our host - it pulls your energy back down.

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Feel the Room, Then Release It

If you absorb the energy of a room, give yourself a few moments backstage to feel it — then consciously let it go before you walk out. Taking long, deep breaths in through the nose and our through your mouth have the calming same effect as many anti-anxiety meds.

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Consider Beta Blockers

Propranolol can help with a racing heart - I have been using it for years for very big speaking events. But don't try it for the first time on the day of your talk. Test it in a low-stakes rehearsal and of course talk to your doctor first. #notadoctor

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Know You Can Reset

Most TEDx events allow you to stop and restart mid-talk since the video is edited. Confirm with organizers. It's a massive relief to know.

www.builtbykaren.com

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Worst Case Scenario

I spent months researching and worrying about how to stop myself from crying during especially emotional parts of my talk— digging my nails into my palm, clenching my stomach muscles, anything to pull focus away from my eyes. There are real tricks for this.

The Tricks (If You Want Them)
  • Dig your nails into your palm mid-sentence — the physical sensation pulls your attention away from your eyes
  • Press your tongue to the roof of your mouth
  • Take a slow breath through your nose before the emotional line
  • Shift your gaze briefly to a neutral spot in the room
  • Push your emotions down through your legs into your heel and onto the ground. Give it to the earth.
What Actually Happened

I cried at the most poignant moment of my talk. I was embarrassed then, but now I wish it had been included in the talk.The audience responded with roaring, supportive clapping. It became one of the most authentic parts of the entire experience.

www.builtbykaren.com

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In Closing, Remember This

Whatever comes up, comes up. This talk is for you. The story belongs to you. It will exist somewhere in the world forever.

You don't need a perfect performance, you need an honest one. Invite your friends! Have fun! And tell the world your idea worth spreading!

Celebrating together after the event.

Written by:

Karen Kelly, TEDx Speaker · 2026 Editor's Pick · Walden Pond
3x Founder, Top 100 Innovator, Keynote Speaker



www.builtbykaren.com

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