Post by Myra Salzer
Recently, I gave a talk in Delaware at TEDxWilmington called Wealth Prejudice: How It Affects You. The whole experience was expansive and gratifying. TEDx Talks are all about “ideas worth spreading,” and I’ve always felt inheritors are underappreciated for their challenges, and I wanted to spread the word. Most people don’t respect inheritors because the inheritors didn’t earn their money themselves. This puts heirs in an awkward position, never quite fitting into the “norm.” My 8-minute talk shed light on the prejudices and judgments people have towards inheritors, and by showing some of the challenges inheritors regularly face, I hope I was able to shift the audience’s perspective.
From the time I decided to try my hand at TEDx to the day I did the talk was six months. The application process was demanding, but nowhere near as demanding as getting accepted (only 36 were accepted out of hundreds of applicants). That’s when the real work began. I had to read TED TALKS by Chris Anderson, submit videos, transcripts, work with a speech coach (I highly recommend Victoria Labalme, if you ever need a coach), and practice, practice, practice. When it was all said and done, I probably invested at least 25 hours for every minute I talked. And it was worth every minute, even if I don’t make the next and final cut, which will be to be approved by TEDx to be listed on TEDx You Tube site. I should know in about four weeks whether I will make that cut. And as soon as I know, I’ll be sure to let you know. Well, actually, I might only if I have good news.
So six months were filled with preparation, and August 24th was the actual talk date… and let me tell you how it felt: Fabulous! All of my worries about how people would judge me for telling them not to judge inheritors dissipated the moment I walked out onto the stage and heard their encouraging claps. From the get-go, they joined in my humor, and I felt like they heard what I had intended. Feedback was very positive after the event, and I feel that I accomplished my goal, to “spread an idea worth spreading.”
The weekend following the talk was a real weekend! For the first time in months, I didn’t rehearse, rewrite, or revise my talk. Ahhhhh!
I know a few people who have expressed an interest in giving a TEDx talk. Ajit George, the executive producer of TEDxWilmington, is always looking for new ideas worth spreading, and he was such a joy to work with, I’m eager to help him with his effort. If this is something that would be of interest to you, please let me know. If you do express an interest, and if you do apply and get accepted, I hope (and highly recommend) you have a solid network of support. I am fortunate to be surrounded by individuals who had my back throughout. There were so many deadlines, follow-through’s, travel plans, logistics, and rules to follow that were it not for my team, I may never have gone the distance.