TEDx Talking: Lauren Fields On Five Things You Need To Deliver a Highly Effective TEDx Talk
Structured Content and a Clear Message. I mentioned having three main points placed between your intro and your conclusion. My three were reflect, rebuild, and recover — the three R’s on turning adversity into your advantage. The audience should be able to quickly identify the main point of your talk instead of being confused or wondering what the ultimate message is.
a world that is more connected than ever, the power of a well-crafted message to inspire, educate, and evoke change cannot be understated. TEDx Talks have emerged as a prestigious platform for sharing ideas worth spreading, reaching a global audience and creating impact on a grand scale. In this series, we are discussing the process of delivering a TEDx Talk that resonates and leaves a lasting impression. We are talking with experts who have successfully navigated the TEDx journey, including TEDx speakers, speaking coaches with a focus on TEDx preparations, and organizers involved in the selection and coaching of speakers. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Lauren Fields.
Lauren Fields specializes in turning dreams into reality. As a Life Design Strategist, Podcast Host, and TEDx speaker, Lauren is passionate about helping individuals define their dreams and design their future. She founded the Fieldswell Method to empower clients to overcome challenges with resilience and grace, unlocking their full potential and transforming their lives. Currently pursuing a Master’s in Psychology, Lauren draws from her recovery from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) to provide high-level insights and strategies tailored to personal growth.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us your “Origin Story”? Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Yes, I’d love to! I was born and raised in San Diego, California. My parents, who were 44 years old when I was born, worked full-time in Real Estate and Finance. I have a half-brother who is 20 years older than I am, but he had moved out of the house by the time I was born. My parents gave me a lot of freedom, but I never wanted to break their trust. Growing up as an only child enabled me to develop a great sense of independence at a young age.
At age six, I discovered one of my ultimate passions: horseback riding. Soon, I rode countless horses daily and spent most weekends at show jumping competitions. At one point, I was homeschooled to devote more time and energy to the sport. Being an equestrian taught me the importance of resilience, training, and hard work in becoming a champion.
In addition to horseback riding, my parents instilled in me a deep appreciation for culture. My dad often took me to concerts, art museums, and plays, and he encouraged a love for reading. My mom and I frequently traveled together, which exposed me to different cultures and perspectives. I owe a big thank you to my parents for doing their best to shape me into a well-rounded and passionate student of life.
Can you tell us a bit about what you do professionally, and what brought you to this specific career path?
As a Life Design Strategist, I help individuals define their dreams and design their future. As for the path I took to get here — I studied business during my undergraduate years at SMU, and after graduating, I was a Lifestyle Manager in NYC. While I loved this role and continue to be passionate about hospitality, I felt something was missing. I could ensure that my clients had beautiful lives on the outside, but I began to question how they were truly doing on the inside at a human level. What many may not have known was that, at this time. At the same time, my life may have appeared picture-perfect on the surface, I had been experiencing immense physical pain due to nerve damage from an equestrian accident and associated traumatic brain injury (TBI) that happened years prior, a story I elaborate on in my TEDx talk.
In my search for meaning and a desire to help individuals live more authentically and fulfill their deepest potential, I began pursuing various coaching certifications. I became an IIN Health Coach, a Life Coach, completed my 200-hour yoga teacher training, and started studying for my master’s in psychology. The knowledge from these programs and my life experience culminated in developing my coaching practice and podcast, Fieldswell, which is your destination for growth and transformation. By helping individuals get clear on their desires and live with intention, I guide them back into the driver’s seat of their lives. Together, we create actionable plans to achieve their goals and navigate life’s challenges with resilience and grace.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussions. Can you tell us a bit about your particular experience with TEDx talks?
The TEDx event I spoke at was in St George, Utah. Upon arrival, I met with the other speakers and event leaders at the base of Snow Canyon State Park. As we entered the mountain range and hiked through the red rocks, I quickly realized this was much more than just a regular speaking event. It was a meeting of like minds who had come together to share a piece of themselves in a big way. We all did a breathwork session to calm our nerves before the big day and shared why we felt called to speak at TEDx.
That evening, we had dinner as a group and attended an outdoor showing of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the local performing arts theatre. Seeing a play was a fun way to bond and keep our minds off our upcoming talks. Nonetheless, I didn’t sleep much that night, as I had been anticipating this talk for months.
When I woke, around 6 am, I began rehearsing and gave my talk around 11 am. I remember being surprisingly calm upon arrival at the event, realizing there was nothing more I could do to change the outcome of my talk. I surrendered and asked God to use my body to speak through me to help others who might benefit from hearing my message. While I remember shaking in my cowboy boots, this was a moment where I believed in something bigger than myself and experienced one of my biggest dreams becoming a reality. I quickly realized that it was no longer about me; it was about using my story to help others.
Before we talk about the details, let’s consider the big picture. Preparing for a TEDx talk and securing it obviously requires a lot of mindshare, bandwidth, resources, and energy. From your personal experience, why is it worth it to invest all that to do a TEDx talk?
Giving a TEDx talk is much more than the countless hours of preparation and the rare opportunity to stand on the TEDx stage to deliver your talk — it’s an experience that stays with you for a lifetime. Becoming a TEDx speaker establishes you as an expert in your industry and elevates your personal brand. The people you meet at the event and the relationships you develop because of pursuing this endeavor will add tremendous value to your life. Since that day, I’ve been fortunate to have many new opportunities come my way, including podcast appearances, speaking engagements, inquiries from publishers to write a book, and interest from potential clients. These experiences have been incredibly rewarding and have allowed me to share my message with a wider audience. I am so grateful for the opportunity and would tell anyone interested in TEDx to chase that dream as hard as you can and never look back.
Now, let’s talk about the how. Can you describe the application process for becoming a TEDx speaker? What are some common challenges faced in the application process that our readers should be forewarned about?
Most TEDx events have a theme, so your idea and bio must align with the event. For example, the theme of my event was “Pivotal Moments,” focusing on how certain moments change or impact our lives, relationships, and communities. Following the theme, you will select a topic within that theme, such as well-being, education, or science, to name a few. You then list your TEDx presentation idea, perhaps as a working title, and provide a brief overview of your talk (150 words max). Next, explain why this idea is essential to you personally and why you should be selected as a TEDx speaker to give this talk. The application process can be selective, so ensure that your submission demonstrates your idea’s relevance, significance, and distinctiveness. The last and final step of the process was to submit a 2–3-minute video sharing my TEDx idea. While I’m not sure all TEDx application processes are the same, I believe they are similar to the above.
Is there a website where you can apply for a TEDx talk? How do you apply and submit? How can you find out about all of the TEDx’s that are available?
The TEDx website lists all the TEDx events worldwide, linked here. However, the actual application links for those specific events are rarely publicly available, at least from my experience. Once you find an event of interest, I recommend searching for that particular event online to find more information about it. If you can’t find much, I would contact the host for that specific event (listed on the TEDx site) via LinkedIn or any other social media platform to build a relationship and express your interest in being a speaker at their event.
What strategies did you use or would you recommend to ensure that a talk is engaging and impactful?
I recommend starting your talk with a compelling personal story related to the theme of your talk. By sharing an individual experience, you can establish an emotional connection with your audience. When the audience feels connected to you, they are more likely to be invested in your words. Another strategy I focused on was my delivery style. I aimed to vary my tone of voice, pace, and volume so I kept the audience’s attention. Lastly, eye contact was important. Ensuring I wasn’t aimlessly gazing but making eye contact to deepen connection and engagement.
There’s a saying from Mark Twain about how it takes more time to prepare for a five-minute talk than for a two-hour talk. The point is that crystallizing an idea and using the exact words is much more difficult than a freeform talk. So, how does a person do that? How does a person boil down an idea into five minutes?
What helped was having three main points sandwiched between an introduction and a conclusion for a five-minute talk. This structure allows you to build out your talk effectively while sticking to your three main points. Beyond that, I believe the way to become great at anything is through deliberate practice and refinement.
Most of us can think of maybe half a dozen different topics that they could speak about. How does a person choose, and say “Okay, this is the one for a TED talk”? How do they choose which of all their ideas should be the one?
Tune in to your intuition. Reflect on what you feel called to share and what aligns best with the event’s theme. Narrow your ideas down to your top three choices, write an outline for each, and discuss them with those whose advice you value, such as your mentors. Ensure that your chosen topic is something you are deeply connected to on a heart level and that you believe will help others. Then, make a crystalized decision and get going!
Feedback is crucial in shaping a compelling TEDx talk. Can you describe how to seek out and incorporate feedback during the talk’s preparation? Who do you turn to for honest critiques, and how do you iterate on your presentation based on the feedback received?
As a coach, I sought and found a coach who specialized in helping speakers prepare for their TEDx talk. I needed to have someone who was outside of my sphere to assist me. This external perspective provided me with unbiased and constructive criticism. I also hired a fantastic woman who helped with the actual delivery of my talk, focusing on my body language, voice modulation, and overall stage presence.
In addition, I practiced extensively in front of family members and a couple of times virtually for the team hosting the event, as they needed to ensure I was ready to present. I also attended a couple of Toastmasters meetings. This community provided a platform for me to deliver my talk and receive feedback from experienced public speakers. Their suggestions helped me improve my public speaking ability and fine-tune my message.
In addition to personal coaching and community feedback, I read two valuable books — Talk Like Ted and Ted Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking. These books offered insights into the structure, style, and delivery of successful TED talks, ensuring I was on track with my preparation.
Let’s talk about the actual delivery of an excellent TEDx Talk. Most people are scared of speaking in public. How do you manage the stage fright before the talk?
Stage fright was very real for me, as I had limited public speaking experience before my TEDx. I ensured I knew my talk backward and forward to manage my fears. I rehearsed it hundreds of times in different environments and around different people, devoting countless hours (100+) to practice. This extensive preparation helped significantly reduce my nerves.
The TEDx event I spoke at was part of a studio series with a smaller audience. Despite the size, I looked each person in the eye while talking, which helped me establish a genuine heart connection with my audience. This approach calmed my nerves and made my delivery more impactful.
What can a person do to ensure that people will remember the talk and that it won’t just go in one ear and out the other? Can you share how you gauge and adapt to audience reactions in real time during your talk to ensure maximum engagement?
Ensuring your talk is memorable and resonates with the audience involves several key strategies. First, authenticity and vulnerability are crucial as they create a genuine connection with your audience. When people see the real you, they are more likely to remember your message because you made a unique impression in their minds. Second, it’s important to pay close attention to the audience. Are you making eye contact with them? Are they looking back at you? Use your tone of voice to keep them entertained, avoiding a monotone delivery that might cause them to zone out. Incorporate hand gestures to keep them engaged and excited. Tell stories, make them laugh, or feel something beyond their current state. These elements will help your talk stand out and leave a lasting impression. Unique statistics are also great to implement and can make your talk particularly memorable.
Based on your experience or research, what are the “Five Things You Need To Deliver a Highly Effective TEDx Talk ”?
1 . A personal connection to your topic. Whatever you speak on must be deeply rooted in your purpose or passions. It needs to be authentically you. The audience will be able to feel that if it’s not, it won’t flow as it should if you don’t feel deeply connected to it. My topic was The Space Between Falling and Getting Back on the Horse. I started my talk by waking up from a coma in the hospital, immediately drawing the listeners in to a life-altering moment of my life, infused with emotion.
2 . Structured Content and a Clear Message. I mentioned having three main points placed between your intro and your conclusion. My three were reflect, rebuild, and recover — the three R’s on turning adversity into your advantage. The audience should be able to quickly identify the main point of your talk instead of being confused or wondering what the ultimate message is.
3 . Practice, Practice, Practice! This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and TEDx is counting on you to deliver! Ensure you prioritize practice as such. Instead of being the nervous nelly on stage wishing they had put more time into practicing, be the one who puts in the work and crushes it. The rewards you get following the talk will mirror what you put into preparing for it. Every day, morning and night, I carved out time to rehearse and refine my delivery. It enabled me to walk onto that stage with my shoulders back and a smile on my face because I knew I had given it my all. As the clock was ticking and cameras were rolling, I was clear-headed because I had my message down pat.
4 . Critical Feedback. Ask if you can perform your talk in front of others and seek their feedback. We all have our blind spots, so it’s important to explore how your talk resonates. Good or bad, take the feedback solely as information to improve your talk and/or delivery. I probably edited my talk 30+ different times until I had the final draft set. Get excited about what your talk can become with the help of others.
5 . Dynamic Delivery. It’s essential to know your audience. Play with body language, tone of voice, and perhaps other visual elements to keep the audience engaged. I remember not knowing what to do with my hands and was a bit robotic when I first started to use hand gestures. That was until I stopped trying to perform and did what was authentic to me. I first had to move from speaking from my head to speaking from my heart, which came once I really knew my talk. A helpful piece of advice is to imagine you’re talking to your best friend, mom, or partner as you make eye contact and smile with the audience. After all, you’re the one who got on this stage — a big reason to believe in yourself.
After delivering a TEDx talk, what strategies do you use to maximize its impact and reach? Could you share how to engage with your audience through social media, follow-up events, or other means to encourage action or further discussion on the topic?
Much of your TEDx talk’s impact is a function of what you do with your talk once it is live. As soon as you have the link to your talk, please send it to everyone you know and post it on every social media channel to get the views and comments up and share your message with the world! Then, think of how many 30-second snippets you can pull from your talk to share continuously on socials forever! You can now add TEDx speaker to your title and reach out to different communities to speak at their events. You can also host events and share more of your message on social media. The opportunities on the other side of your TEDx event are endless.
As I said at the end of my TEDx talk, ‘I encourage you to step boldly into whatever life has in store for you.’ This dream was planted inside you for a reason, and it is up to you to seek it.
How can our readers watch your TEDx talk and follow your work?
Watch my TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BDoDROVte4
Listen to my podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fieldswell-podcast/id1743282753
Visit my website: https://www.fieldswell.com
Follow me on social media: https://www.instagram.com/laurenfields
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!