The Classical Guitarist at Portland Airport

Gold ingots to convey the value of practice

As Sharon, Flash and I were changing planes in Portland Oregon on our way to Bend, where we recorded all the videos for my online course, we stopped by the wonderful Cuckoo Clock and listened to a young guy who was playing classical guitar. It was a while ago and I’ve lost his name, but […]

Collaborating with Ben Zander: We Made the Ninja Cry

John Bates and TED Speaker Benjamin Zander

I had been turned on to Benjamin Zander’s purely excellent 2008 TED talk about Music and Passion by my friend Jim McCarthy, the CEO of Goldstar.com who had attended the very first TEDActive in February of 2008. Mere weeks later he showed me the archive footage of his favorite talk that year, Benjamin Zander. I was […]

From SXSW V2V: How to Use Neurobiology to Make a Successful Pitch

Thank you to everyone who joined us at SXSW V2V 2015 today! You are a 5 out of 5 star audience! Thank you to: Shelfie – Take a #Shelfie of your bookshelf and get ebooks for FREE. Available iOS (http://www.shelfie.com/) Android (http://www.shelfie.com/). Tag photos: Shelfie.com and Igloohome.co – Igloohome brings convenience and cost savings to hosting guests […]

Absolutely Great TED talks: Benjmin Zander

  What do people remember about a train? The Engine and the Caboose! The opening and closing of your speeches have a special impact. Make them excellent every time. From the opening to the ending Ben Zander is there for the audience. He includes and inspires everyone, on purpose, and he has the audience hanging […]

Invaluable Resources for You

Gold ingots to convey the value of practice

  You are up to great things … and it is my intention that this list of resources makes a difference for you and what you’re out there causing in the World! This is a list of resources I’ve created by curating the best of the many things I’ve come across for you. The focus is […]

A Hero of Mine Has Just Died

I just got the news that Tomas Dobrovolskis of Vilnius, Lithuania has died. A very bright light in the world has just been extinguished. He performed at TEDxVilnius last year and was going to do a workshop at TEDxKids in Vilnius coming up. He was someone I connected with immediately. His impish smile and his many […]

Are You Using the Real Power of Story?

Here is a link to a great article: 6 Storytelling Tips to Tell Your Business Story Like a TED Pro in Business2Community.com about an event we did with @JanssenLabs in Boston recently. A big thank you to @ChappyMargot for listening so intently and writing such a good article. Also, thank you to @CraigProSpeaker for the 5 Cs of Storytelling and […]

The REAL Reason I Love Attending TEDActive

Yes, the speeches are amazing. Yes, the locations are beautiful. Yes, the accommodations are posh. AND, what is the REAL reason I go well out of my way to attend TEDActive every year? It’s the people. As the final person in the video says: “I’m part of a tribe that will continuously inspire me for […]

Who Wants to Make a Difference?

ideas worth spreading

At TEDxVilnius I got a last minute opportunity to share something I call the compliment experiment. If you’re someone who wants to make a difference in the world, and I bet you are, then you might enjoy this short talk. I’ll let it speak for itself.

One Big Lesson I’ve Learned Working With TEDx Speakers: Audiences Want the Real You

What people want from you may be one of the most frightening things to give. They want you. The real, authentic you. That can feel especially uncomfortable when you’re an executive, founder, expert, or accomplished professional. You’ve worked hard to build your credibility. Naturally, you want to appear prepared, polished, and confident. But there is […]