TEDx Speaker Coaching
TEDx UniPotsdam
This week was TEDx and I was honored to coach one of the speakers Laura Rothgang.
Laura inspired us with her fascination with INDUSTRIAL hemp. A plant that is often stigmatized and that has so much more to offer — a plant that actually offers “a business plan for Mother Earth […] that actually works on and with our planet”. And it was not yet another “Legalise-it talk”
Instead, it was a gift to the audience to learn about all the possibilities hemp offers (beyond THC and smoking) to fight the climate crisis by making many industries much more ecologically sustainable.
I loved coaching Laura on her way to this inspiring talk. It was so much fun to co-create a safer space in which we explored everything from the structure of her talk to hitting just the right tonality to build a relationship with the audience right from the beginning. And also how to make nervousness your friend when the spotlight is on you and hundreds of people look forward to hearing your talk. I also loved our check-ins and check-outs in every coaching session, which made the sessions fun and energizing (also for me as a coach). My biggest learning from coaching Laura was to not just coach, that a TED talk has to be a gift to the audience. But also how every word, advice, and critique is only useful when it is truly a gift for the coachee given whole hearted and authentically.
A huge congratulation goes out to Laura of course for her amazing talk! Well done! I am so proud of you!
A big thank you goes out to Haris Polovina and all the people at TEDxUniPotsdam for matching me with Laura for the coaching and for making the conference possible! You rock! Baring in mind that this is all run by volunteers. Thank you so much!
There was one personal moment at the conference I’d like to share: When I sat in the audience, full of inspiration and joy, the big TEDx letters caught my attention and I thought to myself “wow — I am here co-creating this inspiring space… No way! I would have never imagined this, to be here coaching one of the speakers!”. It made me realize that inspiring and empowering people — co-creating something bigger – with people is what so so fulfills me, gives me energy and THIS is what I want to share 🧡
https://tedxunipotsdam.de/2022/green-hope-hemp-to-the-rescue
#thankyou #ted #coaching #inspiration #sustainable #stigmafree
