TEDxEustis 2024

After watching TED Talks and TEDx Talks on YouTube for years, I finally attended my first in-person TEDx in 2023. Leaving that event inspired and encouraged, I determined right then and there I wanted to be a TEDx Speaker.

If you’re not familiar with TED Talks, this is from the ted.com website: “TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, but today it spans a multitude of worldwide communities and initiatives exploring everything from science and business to education, arts and global issues.”

There is a difference between a TED Talk and a TEDx Talk.

A TED Talk features people like Brene Brown, Bill Gates and Elon Musk. A TEDx Talk features people like… you and me.

TEDx Talks are independently organized, local events where speakers present one “idea worth spreading” in less than 18 minutes. TEDx talks are modeled after the TED format. There are more than 3,000 independently run TEDx events around the world with the goal of “bringing people together to share ideas and bridge divides in communities on every continent.”

I chose Reinvention at Any Age as my TEDx topic. Here’s what I included on the application:

An “idea worth sharing”

My nearly 30-year TV weather career began by accident, but when I left in 2020, it wasn’t an accident. I assumed I’d eventually be pushed out of my job – like so many women who work in TV are. But instead of waiting to be forced out or not having my contract renewed, I chose to leave before that may – or may not – have happened to me. Starting over was the hardest thing I’d ever done and when I left I had NO IDEA where I was going or where I’d end up. Taking some of the lessons I learned from the weather and applying them to my life were key in helping me find my “What’s Next.”

Why me?

As a broadcast meteorologist, I could have comfortably pushed toward retirement, but instead, I chose to reinvent myself on the cusp of turning 50. Much to the dismay of my colleagues and viewers, I walked away from the only career I’d ever known when I made the decision to leave my full-time TV weather job in pursuit of something more. The best thing I discovered about reinvention is it doesn’t have an expiration date. You can transition and reinvent yourself at any age. And you can do it multiple times throughout your life.

Please WATCH, LIKE, and SHARE my video if you feel like it can help others with their life transitions.

And be sure to sign up for my email updates in the “contact” section on my website. I’ll be posting more about my experience with TEDxEustis and share tips on how YOU can become a TEDx Speaker if you’re interested!