In college, my friends and I would always get hyped up before big golf tournaments. We’d gather at someone’s dorm or apartment in the morning to “Hydrate” with some cold beverages and get the energy going!  Towards the end, a couple of us would give pep talks to ensure our team was mentally ready for the big day.  By the time senior year came around, the guys expected me to say something. So, I’d lie in bed the night before thinking about ways to get them “fired up.” 

When you achieve something others want, it’s much easier to generate buzz among attendees and sell tickets.  If your speaking fee isn’t pocket change compared to what you have done in business, then stop worrying about getting paid to speak and focus on building something special. 

Those are words I never thought I'd hear from my mentor, who helped shape me into the man I am today. 

I've done my best to go out of my way to help speakers understand what it takes to prepare their talks for the TEDx stage over the last couple of years. 

My upcoming speech was on leadership, and to prepare, I was practicing my speech in front of a professional speaker I looked up to at a local Barnes and Noble.