I open up about giving my own TEDx talk at TEDx Portsmouth in May — built around a question that's haunted me for 35 years: what if I'd said yes to a free demo reel offer from a major New York radio station back when I was 28? I walk through what it cost me to play it safe, the audacious move I made to finally set things right, and how you all responded.
I open up about giving my own TEDx talk at TEDx Portsmouth in May — built around a question that's haunted me for 35 years: what if I'd said yes to a free demo reel offer from a major New York radio station back when I was 28? I walk through what it cost me to play it safe, the audacious move I made to finally set things right, and how you all responded.
Memorable Moment
One of my fellow speakers, Steve Turner, said it was easier to run a 250-mile marathon than to give this talk — and he did it anyway, stumbles and all, to a crowd that loved him more for it. He made a huge impact and proved that people want to see humanity far more than perfection.
Calls to Action
Check out all the speakers at tedxportsmouth.com
Tricia Rose Burt: Hey there, I'm Tricia Rose Burt. And in this podcast, we talk to artists who show us how to find the courage to take risks, step out of our comfort zones, and use our creativity to make our work and change our world. Pay close attention because this is no time to be timid.
How does someone redeem 35 years of regret? That's the question I answered when I gave my talk at TEDx Portsmouth back in May. Now, quick summary. When I was 28 years old, I said no to an offer of a free demo reel for one of New York's biggest radio stations. And then I spent the next three decades wondering what would have happened if I'd said yes. In the story I tell, I talk about what it costs me to play it safe.
And the audacious move I took to finally set things right. Now it felt great to be back on stage, but it felt even better when people approached me after the show. A 19-year-old woman tracked me down, hugged me, and told me I'd said just what she needed to hear. That after my talk, she was gonna say yes to overseas travel. An older woman told me she was now rethinking some of her career choices, that maybe now she'd move out of her comfort zone.
And a middle-aged man told me the story gave him the kick in the bottom he needed. Many people were moved to tears, which is always the sign of a good story. And this is why we tell our stories to move people, to help them see things in a different way. Now I have an important favor to ask. Please go to my website, triciaroseburt.com, or go to YouTube, put in Tricia Rose Burt TEDx Portsmouth. And if the message resonates with you, please leave a comment and share the talk with everyone you've ever met in your entire life as soon as you can. According to the people that know these things, the sooner people view and engage with the TEDx talks, the more chance they have of reaching more people. It's that old algorithm at work. With your support, the story can reach a broader audience and help more folks take those first courageous steps. Thanks in advance for your help.
Now, producer Kaarin Milne and Anna Goldsmith produced a great show, usually sells out each year in a couple of hours. This year the show featured 13 speakers, and each one was beyond impressive. All of them were walking examples of the No Time to Be Timid Manifesto, spreading ideas about taking risk, working with constraints, failing and rebuilding, using creativity in every part of their lives. We'll put the TEDx Portsmouth link in our show notes so you can.
Read all about the speakers and listen to their talks as well. The speakers had varying degrees of experience, and every one of us was nervous. I'd even performed in the venue before with the moth, and I was still a bit of a wreck. It takes a lot of courage to stand on the stage of the music hall in Portsmouth, a beautiful venue, in front of 900 people and share a big idea that matters to you. We all worked really hard. Now I could do an episode on each one of the speakers. They were all so engaging. But since this podcast is called No Time to Be Timid, I want to single out Steve Turner, who delivered a powerful talk about bringing back the trades. And when they were introducing Steve to the stage, the host said that Steve told them it was easier for him to run a 250-mile marathon than to do his TEDx talk. I'm going to repeat this.
He said it was easier for him to run a 250-mile marathon than to do this TEDx talk. That's quite a statement. And yet, he did it. He did the thing that was unbelievably far out of his comfort zone. And during his talk, he stumbled. He had to ask for lines from someone. I think it was his wife who was standing off stage. Those trip-ups could have thrown him off.
But he powered through. And guess what? The crowd went wild. They loved him all the more for it because he showed up with passion and vulnerability and a belief that what he was saying mattered. And so it mattered to us too. He made a huge impact. I swear he could have run for office in that moment and won. Everyone in that audience was on board with his message. It was a fabulous example that people don't want perfection.
They want humanity. They want connection. So get out there and tell your story, however imperfect it may be. No one was playing it safe at TEDx Portsmouth. And there was courage and community because we all supported each other every step of the way. So get out there, take some risk, build your creative community. And once again, please go check out my TEDx talk. Make a comment and share it with loads of people.
And remember, this is no time to be timid.
Thanks for joining us. And if you like what you hear, please review our podcasts, subscribe to the show, and spread the word. It really helps build our audience. And remember, this is no time to be timid.
No Time to Be Timid is written and produced by me, Tricia Rose Burt. Our episodes are produced and scored by Adam Arnone of Echo Finch. And our executive producers are Amy Grant, Nancy Perot, and Sage Wheeler. I'd also like to thank contributors to my fractured Atlas fiscal sponsorship, which helps make this podcast happen. No Time to Be Timid is a presentation of No Time to Be Timid Productions. You can change yourself and change the world.