← Video Library · Content & Video
Things You Need To Know Before Giving A TEDx Talk with Rachelle Babler
Published November 29, 2021 · 83 views on YouTube
Key takeaways
- TED is the global parent organization; TEDx events are independently organized under a license, which is why there are thousands of TEDx events versus one invite-only TED conference.
- TEDx talks are meant to spread an idea worth sharing, not to promote a business or product.
- There is no fee to apply to a TEDx event, but speakers are not paid and typically cover their own expenses.
- Talk length grows in stages during the application and coaching process, often from a two-minute pitch to a four-to-six-minute version to a final 12-to-18-minute talk.
- Good lighting, a good microphone, and stable Wi-Fi matter for virtual talk prep just as much as stage presence does.
What is the difference between TED and TEDx?
TED is the global parent organization behind the “ideas worth spreading” conferences (TED, TEDMED, TED Women, TEDEd, TED Youth), and those events are invite-only for people at the top of their field. TEDx events are independently organized: anyone can apply for a one-year license through TED to host a TEDx event, and there are over 1,400 TEDx events in the US alone and more than 2,500 globally, which opens the stage to a much wider range of speakers.
Is a TEDx talk meant to promote your business?
No. A TEDx talk is not for self-promotion, and TED and TEDx organizers actively discourage it. The stage is meant for an idea worth spreading — something that helps others take action, feel differently about a topic, or shift their perception, rather than a pitch for a product or service.
Do you need speaking experience to apply for TEDx?
No. According to speaker coach Rachelle Babler, it is common and acceptable to tell an organizer you have zero speaking experience. What matters more is having a clear idea, being coachable, and committing to the work required once you are accepted, since landing a talk is a significant time commitment.
What does the TEDx application and preparation process look like?
- Get clear on your core idea rather than just a story — TEDx talks are idea-driven, even when the idea is rooted in a personal story.
- Apply to events whose themes match your idea, and keep applying across multiple events.
- If selected, expect further steps such as interviews before a talk is confirmed.
- Once accepted, work through milestones on a timeline set by the individual event (Babler had seven months; timelines vary by event).
- Expand your material in stages — a two-minute pitch idea can grow to a four-to-six-minute version, then to the final assigned length (commonly 18 minutes or less, based on TEDx’s research into how long an idea takes to explain versus how long an audience can absorb it).
- Hold off on writing the full talk word-for-word until you know your exact time allotment, since condensing an over-length talk is harder than expanding a short one.
- Attend event-day logistics such as a speaker’s dinner and sound check, then deliver the talk; post-production and upload timing is handled by the event and TED afterward.
Are there fees, and do speakers get paid?
There is no fee to apply to a TEDx event. Speakers should expect to pay their own expenses, though some well-funded events may offer a travel stipend. No one is paid to speak, even for a TED talk on the main global stage — Babler notes that being invited to speak at TED is itself considered the reward.
What technical prep matters for a talk, especially a virtual one?
Babler emphasizes good lighting so facial expressions come through clearly, a good-quality microphone, and stable Wi-Fi to avoid dropouts. Some events that shifted to virtual formats provided additional setup instructions to speakers to help ensure talk quality.
What made Rachelle Babler’s own TEDx talk work?
Babler’s talk was about advocating through music after her sister passed away from colon cancer at age 48. She wrote a song the day after her sister’s passing and later turned it into a lyric video paired with colorectal cancer statistics, aiming to encourage people not to skip colonoscopies since symptoms often don’t appear until later stages. She used two slides for the entire talk, noting that slides can distract if overused and should only appear when genuinely useful to the audience.
Full video transcript
Darby introduces Rachelle Babler, who breaks down the ins and outs of TED and TEDx and what the difference is between the two. Babler is a SoCal native from San Diego who left a 20-year career to pursue her purpose. During the pandemic she realized her purpose is to help people express themselves through their stories — healing, inspiring, and giving others permission to do the same. After years speaking on the forensic platform, she gravitated toward supporting other speakers with outreach, connecting them to events and conferences, which grew into podcasting and now primarily helping clients develop their ideas for the TEDx stage.
TED is the global parent company. TED stands for Technology, Education, Design — or Entertainment, Design, depending on who you ask — and it was designed for thought leadership and people who create change. The slogan is “ideas worth spreading,” and every year TED runs a global conference, plus offshoots like TEDMED, TED Women, TEDEd, and TED Youth. All of these are invite-only events for people at the top of their field, held once a year.
About 10 to 15 years ago, TED wanted to expand the opportunity for people to have that TED experience, so it created TEDx — the “x” stands for independently organized event. Anyone can apply for a one-year license through TED to host a TEDx event. There are over 1,400 TEDx events in the US and more than 2,500 globally, giving far more people the chance to apply, get accepted, and give a TEDx talk. Babler points to Brené Brown as an example: Brown’s first talk was TEDx Houston, which went viral and made her known for her work on vulnerability — she later did additional TEDx talks and eventually one main TED talk.
The TEDx stage is not for promoting a business — TED frowns on that. It’s about an idea that helps others take action, see something differently, or create human impact. There’s a myth that you need professional speaking experience to get on a TEDx stage; that’s not true. Applications often ask about speaking experience, and it’s fine to say you have none. What matters is having a clear idea, being coachable, and committing to the process, since accepted talks come with real obligations.
The process starts with getting clear on your idea — not just a story, since the TEDx stage is about ideas, even when those ideas are rooted in personal storylines. Applicants should target events whose themes align with their idea and keep applying broadly. Some applicants advance to a second round with interviews. Once a talk is landed, the event sets a timeline of milestones; Babler had seven months, though timelines vary widely since every TEDx event is independently organized. Her two-minute pitch idea grew to four-to-six minutes, then to 12 minutes, before she learned her final time allotment. TEDx has researched the neuroscience of talk length, which is why TED and TEDx talks run 18 minutes or less — long enough to develop an idea, short enough for an audience to absorb it. Coaches advise against writing out a full talk before knowing the exact time slot, since cutting an over-length talk down is much harder than expanding a short one.
Once milestones are set, speakers keep expanding and refining their talks, often collaborating in a private group with fellow speakers from the same event. On event day, Babler’s cohort had a speaker’s dinner the Friday night before a Saturday afternoon event, arrived around 10am for sound check, and were shown logistics like where to stand and where the green room was. Babler asked to go first so she could relax and enjoy the rest of the talks. Her talk was still in post-production editing and upload review by TED at the time of this interview.
Babler’s talk was about advocating through music. Her sister passed away from colon cancer at age 48; Babler, a musician, wrote a song the day after her sister’s passing as her interpretation of the cancer journey. During the pandemic she turned that song into a lyric video combined with colon cancer statistics and facts, sharing it with colon cancer organizations to raise awareness — since many people skip colonoscopies and colorectal cancer often shows no symptoms until later stages. Her idea centered on how music can advocate for a cause and potentially change lives if it reaches people, similar to how Brené Brown’s talk changed how audiences think about shame and vulnerability.
Asked whether applying requires a fee, Babler confirms there is no application fee, but speakers should expect to cover all their own expenses; some events that raise enough money may offer a travel stipend. No one gets paid to speak, even for a TED talk, and Babler says nobody would turn down such an invitation regardless.
On preparation tips, especially for virtual talks, Babler recommends good lighting so facial expressions read clearly, a good microphone, and reliable Wi-Fi to avoid dropouts. Events that moved talks online often provided additional setup guidance to speakers.
Asked how many applications it typically takes before hearing back, Babler explains that her team’s job is to position clients in front of organizers so that, out of hundreds of applications, theirs stands out — noting that organizers like her colleague Tucker have reviewed thousands of TEDx applications. On format, slides and video are allowed but can be distracting if overused; Babler was advised to only use a slide if it’s genuinely useful to the audience, and she used just two slides for her entire talk. Once accepted, event coaches offer suggestions on staging choices like this.
On what makes a talk powerful, Babler says it’s speaking from the heart rather than for self-promotion — genuinely sharing an experience and idea meant to help others live a better life. Those are the talks that resonate and create human impact. Babler closes by encouraging aspiring speakers to get involved in their local TEDx community, volunteer at events, and use the filter tools on ted.com to find TEDx events by region, adding that the TEDx stage is a prestigious, globally recognized platform that can change a speaker’s life.