In an era flooded with content, authority has become the rarest currency.

- Anyone can post daily on LinkedIn
- Build a brand with AI "insights"
- Launch a podcast

But let’s be honest — views don’t equate value. And virality doesn’t mean credibility. And "thought leadership" isn't self-declared.

The audience watching TED Talks by the millions each week isn’t looking for more noise. They want:

- Ideas with depth
- Leadership with proof
- Results-driving frameworks

Going viral shouldn't be the driver — neither should acclaim. What should be compelling you is serving. And that's best defined by sharing clear, useful, and worth-spreading insights.

Three thought leaders (all TEDxers who were TED-clueless) come to mind to illustrate this:

1) THE LIFE COACH
She was a life coach and local radio host with a growing reputation, but no big platform. Then, in the final minutes of her talk, she dropped a simple idea that would change everything. Her 5-Second Rule went viral, landed her on the TED home page, and became a global self-start ritual.

HER NAME? Mel Robbins

2) THE RESEARCHER
She was a wonky researcher tucked inside academia, running a deep-dive study on human connection. Then she gave a speech (off the cuff) at an event she was unfamiliar with. Her findings cracked something wide open — emotionally and culturally. Over 67 million views later, her work reshaped how we think about courage.

THAT RESEARCHER? Brené Brown

3) THE MARKETER
He was a British-born small biz consultant with a compelling idea that he’d refined for years in Kiwanis Club luncheons and networking events. Then he delivered a short speech at a little-known event in Puget Sound. It quietly exploded — becoming the 5th most-viewed TEDx. A month later, he published his first book.

HIS NAME? Simon Sinek

Each of these niche experts shared simple ideas that audiences found to be clear, useful, and worth sharing. Their ideas took wing and changed our world, marketplaces, and lives.

"Thought Leadership" was a byproduct of... serving others. THAT led to the invitation to TEDx events.

IT. WAS. NOT. SEEKING. VIRAL.

It was authority (long earned) offered as a gift.

Their examples point to the next wave of thought leadership. That's a current being driven by people who create real transformation — people with systems, frameworks, and stories that stick.

The kind of leaders whose ideas show up in other people’s slide decks. Not because they asked — but because the thinking is that clear, that practical, that impactful.

The good news? If you’ve been quietly getting results, refining your process, and helping others, you're already 80% of the way there.

It’s time to package your genius.

Here’s 5 actionable steps to next-level your authority:

1) NAME YOUR METHOD
Give your process a name. Branding a methodology transforms experience into intellectual property.

---> Here’s my IRL example:
The TED Talk Fast Track™ by... The TED Talk Whisperer. It’ll help you land and deliver a top-tier TED Talk.

2) SHARE THE EVOLUTION
Document before-and-after results to prove your process in action. Case studies build trust.

---> Here’s my IRL example:
You’ve heard me yammer on, both about my million-view clients and my TED-style thought leaders. Here’s my signature case study.

3) TEACH A FRAMEWORK
Make your ideas usable in a method. The moment others can apply and share your framework, your authority compounds.

---> Here’s my IRL example:
I’m offering a new *free* workshop (April 9-10) on landing and delivering a top-tier TED Talk. Apply here to learn it.

4) SYSTEMIZE YOUR IDEAS
Make your insights transferable — so others don’t just hear your ideas, they *use* them.

---> Here’s my IRL example:
Each week (or so) I share actionable insights via this newsletter (TEDxTuesdays) and my non-TED ‘zine BETTER SPEAKING!

5) LEVERAGE TED SPREAD
Condense your core idea into a 10–18-minute talk. A single big idea. A clear throughline. A message people repeat.

---> Here’s my IRL example:
Take a look at what Ocean Robbins accomplished with his 1.2M view talk, Eating Your Way To Happiness. He brought his book to stage as part of the book launch.

Thought leadership today isn’t about being viral. It’s about being so clear, so helpful, and so repeatable that your work begins to speak for itself.

Anyone can post. Few can persuade. Authority isn’t about making noise — it’s about making sense. Start there.

Ready to step toward a TEDx stage and begin sharing?

Start here: THE TED TALK FAST TRACK

DEVIN D. MARKS is known as The TED Talk Whisperer. His firm, CONNECT to COMPEL, has served 100s of TED, TEDx, and short-talk speakers. The result: 100s of millions of views. He helps coaches, authors, and experts (just like you), spread BIG ideas.

LET THE WORLD LIVE YOUR MESSAGE™

You can reach Devin at 617.804.6020, or DM him here.

Do you find this newsletter of value? If so, please share it with a friend who you think may benefit from it. Just share this link:

https://ConnectToCompel.com/resources

New Workshop: THE TED TALK FAST TRACK

Want to learn to land and deliver a top-tier TED Talk?

My brand new workshop kicks off in beta format, next week:

April 9-10 (Wed, Thu)
12-2 PM EST

It is a free event, but participation is curated by an application process — to ensure a rich peer-learner gathering.

Click here to learn more. (Only 30 seats available.)

ONE CLIENT: The Story of Ocean Robbins' TEDx & Book Launch

A couple years back, Ocean Robbins — yes, that Robbins, grandson of the founder of Baskin-Robbins and co-founder of the Food Revolution Network — was preparing to launch his latest book.

Naturally, his marketing team had in mind a TEDx Talk. But with just three weeks to go until TEDxAndersonPark, his message was still evolving. The script was unfinished. No rehearsals were scheduled. And post-talk promotion? Not even on the radar.

That’s when I got a call from Darryll** Stinson, the event’s curator and a TEDx speaker with 2+ million views. As a favor to him, I agreed to give all the speakers a bit of pro bono guidance — a quick rehearsal orientation to help them get their bearings.

But after one session, I knew this wasn’t going to be a light touch.

A couple of speakers in the cohort had something rare: pupil dilating stories.

In Ocean’s case, that something was so distinctive that I couldn’t walk away.

We rolled up our sleeves and, over the next 3 weeks, reimagined his entire talk from the ground up — refining the core idea, reshaping the narrative arc, and building a daily practice routine that fit inside the overloaded schedule of a CEO.

We also laid the groundwork for a focused post-talk campaign to ensure the message would keep spreading well beyond the stage.

The result?

Ocean’s talk crossed 1 million views — not over years, but in under 6 months!

Most talks take time to gain traction. But when a talk hits the million-view mark at that speed, it’s not a fluke.

It’s a signal.

Something in the message, the moment, and the movement clicked.

Breakaway talks don't just inform. They ignite!

BREAKAWAY TALKS:
>1M views in <1 year.

What was our prep process like? Well, Ocean is best to share that: