Most people agree stories are powerful. So why do we default to facts, stats, and frameworks when it’s time to pitch an idea, write a post, or deliver a talk? Because it feels safer. More “professional.” Less vulnerable. And that’s exactly why people tune out.

“Just chill!”

“There’s nothing to worry about!”

“You’ll be just fine!”

If you’ve ever been told these things before giving a talk – or have said some version of these to yourself – then you know they don’t quite work.

Why? Because it’s very hard to control the mind with the mind.

This is both good news and bad.

In this week's article, let's figure out when and where to focus on brevity, clarity, or both.

You’re about to be interviewed on a podcast. You know the general topic you'll be asked about, but you have no idea what questions will be thrown your way. Oh, and you only have eight minutes. Plus, it won't be edited.

In this week's article I'm breaking down how I used our Core Messaging system to be totally prepared without any rehearsing, and delivered a knockout interview.

In 2024, our team at Conquer the Red Dot® had the privilege of helping 7 students book their talks and 11 speakers to deliver the talk of their dreams at conferences including TEDxAlexanderPark, TEDxBocaRaton, TEDxWesternU, and TEDxBelltown Women.

They spoke on topics from finance to activism to mental health to the science of balance, racking up a combined 1,724,000 views and one Editor's Pick.

Every December, we’re bombarded with the same advice: Set goals. Make resolutions. Be better, faster, stronger next year.

The problem isn’t you; it’s the way we’ve been taught to plan.

Resolutions are narrow. They focus on what you’re doing but rarely ask why.

Being a subject-matter expert, and sometimes even being a great speaker, are no guarantee that you’ll know what works best for one specific talk. We do a lot of work with people delivering TED-style talks, and we see this all the time:

• They think they need a story… but don’t know which one to tell

• They believe it needs to be backed by science… but don’t know how much research to mention and how to describe it

• They think it needs to inspire people… so they turn into motivational speakers

Try as you might, that fire is never going to catch 🤷‍♂️

And those are just three out of dozens of things a speaker needs to consider.

Learn the essential strategy for opening any talk, presentation, or pitch with impact. This guide explains why typical tactics—like starting with a story, statistic, or question—often fall short, and introduces the “Premise Principle” for engaging your audience from the first sentence with clarity and purpose.

What do an activist duo, a financial expert, and a magician have in common? Their recent TEDx talks, while wildly different in execution, were all built on the same powerful framework. In this week's article we explore how reaching for frameworks instead of tactics can elevate your communication and drive impactful change, no matter your message.

If you've ever sat down to a blank page before writing a speech, presentation, email, blog, or social media post, this article is for you.

In this week's article we're going to learn why audiences tune out, take out their phones, or close your video - and how to instantly (and easily) engage them instead.

No matter what kind of presentation you're giving - a keynote speech, workshop, or TED-style talk - there's one constant: if the audience isn't engaged, the presentation will fail.

Distracted, bored audiences don't learn and they definitely don't take action.

If they don't take action, your ideas will not spread.

In this week's article, I break down how Carole distilled decades of expertise on the incredibly complex science of balance into a simple, 9 minute video at TEDxBocaRaton... That has already spread to 130,000 people in just 3 weeks 😲

Continue reading for the breakdown, and to watch her talk as it's going viral in realtime. It might just help you make sure the last years of your life aren't the worst years of your life.

Discover why professional speakers often fail in TED-style talks and learn the key differences between keynote speeches and Red Dot presentations. This article offers practical advice for both polished keynote speakers and experts new to public speaking, ensuring your message is clear, concise, and impactful.