How to get a TEDx Talk? You can get yours the way I got mine. | Raj Shamani | TEDxBabsonCollege
Summary
TLDRThe speaker recounts being labeled as 'useless' during school, which led to low self-esteem. However, they turned this perception into motivation, building a global network by focusing on giving value to others rather than seeking it. This approach led to opportunities, including a TEDx talk and a successful business. The key takeaway is the power of offering value first to build meaningful connections and achieve success.
Takeaways
- 😔 Being called 'useless' and lazy during school years led to low self-esteem and self-belief.
- 😢 A teacher's rejection in tenth grade was a significant blow, but it also sparked a realization.
- 🤔 Many kids are labeled negatively by those who don't understand their mindset, leading to depression and self-pity.
- 🔗 Building a human network is crucial; connecting with people can open up unexpected opportunities.
- 📱 Reaching out to influential people on social media, despite initial rejections, was a turning point.
- 🌐 Attending a business networking conference in Mumbai was a pivotal moment, even though it started with some challenges.
- 🍽 Offering value first, like suggesting a local food spot, can create meaningful connections.
- 💡 The advice to 'give value first' rather than always asking for more became a life-changing principle.
- 📝 Researching how to offer value to admired individuals led to significant opportunities and global networking.
- 📈 Consistent, value-focused outreach, like messaging one person a day, expanded the speaker's network and opportunities, including a TEDx talk.
Q & A
What was the speaker called during their school times?
-The speaker was called a 'useless kid' during their school times.
How did the negative labels affect the speaker?
-The negative labels resulted in low self-esteem and a lack of self-belief for the speaker.
What specific incident in tenth grade significantly impacted the speaker?
-In tenth grade, the speaker was ridiculed by a teacher when they asked for an opportunity to host the annual school function.
How did the speaker initially try to connect with influential people?
-The speaker initially tried to connect with influential people by stalking them on social media and expecting them to reply.
What event did the speaker attend that changed their approach to networking?
-The speaker attended a business networking conference in Mumbai, India, which changed their approach to networking.
How did the speaker manage to attend the conference despite not having a business?
-The speaker made up a business name, Shivani Industries, and applied for the event under that name.
What key lesson did the speaker learn from the president of a youth organization they met at the conference?
-The key lesson learned was that to connect with someone, you need to give them value first rather than just asking for help.
How did the speaker use the lesson about giving value in their networking efforts?
-The speaker started researching people they admired to find ways to offer them value, such as helping to publicize a tour for an entrepreneur.
What strategy did the speaker use to build their global network?
-The speaker built their global network by messaging one person a day, seven people a week, and 365 people a year, either through social media or email.
What impact did the speaker's strategy have on their career?
-The speaker's strategy expanded their work to 18 countries and led to them delivering a TEDx talk.
Outlines
🚀 Overcoming Labels and Building a Network
The speaker begins by revealing a personal secret: despite being labeled as a 'useless kid' during school, they have achieved significant success, including a TEDx talk and a thriving business. The narrative delves into the speaker's early struggles with low self-esteem and lack of self-belief, triggered by being underestimated by teachers and peers. A pivotal moment occurs when the speaker decides to step out of self-pity and start building a human network. They share their initial attempts at networking, which were met with rejection and disappointment. However, the speaker's persistence eventually leads to a transformative realization about the importance of giving value to others, which becomes the cornerstone of their networking strategy.
🤝 The Power of Giving Value in Networking
In this paragraph, the speaker recounts a specific encounter at a business networking conference in Mumbai, India, which serves as a turning point in their understanding of effective networking. Despite initial isolation and dismissal by other attendees, the speaker connects with a conference-goer over a shared dislike for the food. This chance meeting leads to a deeper conversation and the discovery that the individual is a prominent figure in India's youth organization scene. The key insight gained from this interaction is the principle of giving value to others before expecting anything in return. The speaker applies this principle to their networking efforts, offering help and support to influential figures they admire, which ultimately leads to significant opportunities and global connections.
🌟 Transforming Life Through the Art of Giving
The speaker concludes the script by emphasizing the transformative power of giving value to others. They share a personal anecdote about how a simple act of offering pani puri (a popular Indian snack) to a conference attendee led to a life-changing opportunity. The speaker reflects on the importance of authenticity and intent when reaching out to others, advocating for a mindset shift from taking to giving. The narrative culminates in the speaker receiving an offer to work on an international project with influential young leaders, illustrating the effectiveness of their networking approach. The speaker's journey serves as an inspiring example of how one person's message at a time can lead to significant personal growth and success.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Useless Kid
💡Self-Esteem
💡Self-Belief
💡Opportunity
💡Human Network
💡Influencers
💡Value
💡Pani Puri
💡Intent
💡Authenticity
💡TEDx Talk
Highlights
Overcame being called a 'useless kid' to achieve success with a TEDx talk and a successful business.
Faced low self-esteem and lack of self-belief due to being labeled as 'lazy and useless'.
Realized not being the only one labeled this way, with millions around the world facing similar challenges.
Describes self-pity as a 'spa', beneficial for a short time but detrimental if indulged in for too long.
Advocates for seizing opportunities and building a human network by connecting with more people.
Shares personal experience of trying to connect with influential people but initially facing rejection.
Mentions attending a business networking conference in Mumbai, India, as a turning point.
Recalls being ignored at the conference until offering value in the form of local food.
Learned the importance of giving value first in order to receive value in return.
Started researching people he admired to find ways to add value to their lives.
Gained a global network by consistently giving value to connections, one person at a time.
Emphasizes the power of intent, care, and authenticity when reaching out to others.
Received a project offer from a connection as a result of consistently providing value.
Shares the strategy of messaging one person a day to build a strong human network.
Believes in the idea of spreading value by giving to others without expecting immediate returns.
Inspires the audience to imagine a world where people focus on giving rather than getting.
Concludes with the message that one person and one message at a time can lead to significant life changes.
Transcripts
let me tell you a secret today I was
called a useless kid when I was in
school and yet Here I am I got this TEDx
talk my own successful business and I
was giving speeches in 18 countries so
how did that happen
well this is my story since the
beginning of my school times I was
always tagged as lazy and useless a
child who was good for nothing and will
probably end up doing nothing in his
life and these tags became my reality
because they would result in low
self-esteem and a lack of self belief
one time when I was in tenth grade I
asked my teacher for an opportunity to
host the annual school function and she
ridiculing me and said look at you you
cannot even speak it st. Denton English
fluently you sleep in most of your
classes how can we afford to jeopardize
the image of our school by putting a
useless kid like you on the stage I was
devastated but then I took it in my
stride because as I grew up I realize
then I'm not the only one who has been
tagged as lazy and useless there are
millions like me around the world in
fact most of the kids from of a
generation are tagged as lazy and
useless by the people were either older
than us or don't understand the way we
think and others dolt kids like me often
find ourselves not feeling very powerful
but being depressed about of our lives
and we get into the zone of self-pity
and we tend to stay there now for me
self-pity is like Spa
because it's okay to stay there for a
while but if you stay there for a long
time it can be very detrimental so
instead of wasting time by spending your
time in that zone we could latch on the
opportunities and you may be surprised
to know that the simplest way is by
building the human network it's by
connecting with more people isn't it
confusing let me lead with my own
example since I used to look up to many
influential people from different walks
of life I thought why not I reach out to
them directly that could lead me to
better opportunities so I became the
annoying guy who would stalk all these
influences on every social media
platform and expect them to reply all I
wanted was to be around them which could
help me learn so I tried so hard and he
talked to many people but nobody would
text or talk to me all I wanted to see
was how they can help me but even when I
met them nobody even talked to me or
entertain me for a minute so then I saw
this ad on Google I still remember the
text it was written attend this event to
explore endless opportunities and build
relationships with the world top thought
leaders and it was about a business
networking conference in Mumbai India
and this was my unit come over because
the next line read in verse apply for
free well the only condition to do that
was if you have a business well I was
very happy that the event is for free
but the problem - the adverse I didn't
have a business but I still apply and I
made myself the founder of Shivani
industries well it's my last name so no
one would even question me for that and
I got into that event
so I went to that event there were about
400 business people from different
industries and I met some people who
would not even look at me and just walk
away there were some people who would
talk to me for a while and then
disappeared and there was special
category of people who would come to me
and start selling their products or
services and leave immediately the
moment I denied to buy same thing
happened
nobody valued me enough to give me their
time and then I saw the sky I was
standing in the corner of a dining hall
and I went up to him and asked him why
aren't you eating anything from this
grand buffet of oriental food and he
said I expected some local spicy food I
don't like only enter I was going
through the same problem so I offered
him immediately I offered him something
I said I know a place where we can get
the best pani poni of the city why don't
you come join me now for those of you
who don't know what pani buddy is it's a
crispy challah bread filled with masala
something and then there's a flavored
water
in short Indians are crazy for it so we
went to eat pani puri and then we talked
for a while and then he told me that he
is the president of one of the biggest
youth organizations of India and his
founder of three companies I was shocked
and I asked him like how we're in the
conference out of everyone nobody even
talked to me for a minute
how are you talking to me since an hour
and then what he said became the focal
point of my life he said Raj we're
surrounded by people were constantly
thinking about getting more or keep
asking for more
in fact we most of the time become that
person who keeps asking for more rather
than giving
so if you want someone to value you give
them value first because if you won't
give them value why would even someone
talk to you right now when everyone was
busy in selling you offered me value in
terms of pani poni how can I say no to
that so if you want to connect with
someone give them something they want
give them a reason to talk to you or
value that point if really changed my
life because that's when I started
researching about the people who I
admired to see what could I do for them
for instance I admired an entrepreneur
in Singapore and instead of just texting
him to say would you help me by
explaining how he became successful I
texted him I see that you're coming to
India would you like me to help you
publicize your tour and guess what I got
a reply in fact the same entrepreneur
lated invited me to Singapore to speak
with him after spending around 8 to 10
months connecting with the young leaders
influences entrepreneurs business people
and everyone possible I realize that I
have a global network of people from
different countries based on just one
principle give so before us before
writing them the email I would just ask
myself ten questions first what is my
intent why am i reaching out to this
particular person second why should this
person care why should this person even
give me a minute from his emotional and
third authenticity how attending my
message is because obviously I don't
want to write or promise something which
I won't be able to deliver so one day I
received a letter from the same guy par
Shiva and the letter written voice
thanks for the spicy polyphony and I
remember that he wanted to connect with
like-minded people
I hope this will help you and attached
was the offer letter to do a project
with 50 young influences from 30
different countries in different parts
of Europe
oh boy that funny buddy did change my
life
oh I never asked for any job I never
asked for any business
I just tried to add value in a person's
life by messaging one person a day seven
people a week and 365 people in a year
either to social media or by email and
that's how I paint my human network
called portney did expand each of my
work in 18 countries and got this TEDx
talk and this is how you can do by not
thinking about getting one but by
constantly giving value to every person
you connect with let me put this in a
context for you to understand it better
by telling you about my editions go
innovation imagine a world with not an
intention of getting and wanting but
with the purpose of giving it to each
other and well here's the secret
one day one person and one message at a
time for the rest of your life can make
you go from supposedly useless person to
a person who's standing on a still
delivering a TEDx talk at the age of 21
and that what I believe is the idea what
spreading thank you
[Applause]
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