@billwongotr
I am an occupational therapist by trade. I am licensee for TEDxAlmansorPark. I am also a 3x TEDx speaker. I am also an autistic self advocate. AOTA Autism CoP Co-facilitator. The legacy I want to leave behind for my life is to be a global citizen.
I typically do about 20-40 hours of continuous needs assessment for the TEDx events I run. I do that much because I want to make sure the events I run are professional- no matter how many people come to my events.
I don’t think people in OT understands how hard I prep for TEDx events. I treat prep for these events seriously because I know these events represent the university I am teaching at.
events.humanitix.com/tedxalmansor...
I know TEDxAlmansorPark events are remote still. But, even so, TEDxAlmansorPark events are committed to make a difference for the world we live in. The next event on deck is May 17 from 9 am to 1 pm PST on Zoom.
I am glad I showed up at a TEDx event tonight. There are always nuances in being in charge of TEDx events. Keeping up as a licensee is crucial!
In today’s uncertain times thanks to Trump et. Al, doing due diligence on how others run TEDx events will be crucial.
youtu.be/VjegFh1zhY4?...
An OT got featured by big TED since Holly Cohen!
I think this is a prime opportunity for OT to learn how to be proactive in making connections in this emerging niche. It’s worth thinking about even though the cost to register is $1000+ USD and current US political climate is not friendly for OT’s outside of US who want to get in this.
tedsports-indianapolis.ted.com?fbclid=IwZXh...
@ot-expert.bsky.social I think some OTP’s might like this.
I will NOT watch any TED talks by Elon Musk or JD Vance. Although I am a TED/TEDx talks fan, I don’t have to like every TED/TEDx talk that are out for the public to consume.
www.linkedin.com/posts/emma-w...
This is also important! If we don’t protect public media, we will lose another means to combat misinformation.
I don’t take missing OT conferences lightly. But when it is a matter of the opportunity to be with the most powerful movers and shakers in the world and advocate for OT (and I know this opportunity is a bit cost prohibitive for many in OT), this makes it a very tough decision on my end.
Signing up to hopefully attend #tednext again. I really enjoyed last year and I want an encore.
I think I am now qualified to give Gabby Marshall some advice for her future OT career. She will have to learn how to deal with awe struck families and/or patients… especially given her connections with Caitlyn Clark and her past college basketball successes.
I know Elon Musk has been featured on TED talks for 4+ times, but I am refusing to watch them.
If people in OT think that I am a natural, I actually made a good number of adjustments to stay relevant and survive. I am now used to thinking multiple levels faster and deeper when sociopolitical things happen than many people in OT would.
If it’s my POV, it has to start from changing our mindset. We need to welcome challenges and be more used to programmatic/systematic/collective thinking. One key to being great in public media arena is to know when to make the courageous, strategic, powerful, and timely moves.
Also, while our leaders kept on saying that OT should connect with public media more to increase our public visibility, what I am doing essentially is showing our profession that there is a path… even if the cost in totality will be quite high.
Problem is- people always think that the challenge is too demanding, especially with the time frames given. First thing the profession must be mindful of is that TEDx doesn’t automatically mean speaking. The organizing part is a lot more vital for setting these opportunities for our profession.
Sometimes I think a few levels ahead and/or deeper of my professional peers. Public media is a space where you sometimes can’t wait too long to take action.
I don’t care if the bar I set for the rest of the profession is super high. But since OT is part of an extreme minority in that space, then it is important for me to become a model minority. OT now needs to follow my footsteps, however hard that might be!
I also don’t think rest of OT realize that I have established myself as an awesome citizen in that community. This is an expectation I want more in OT to follow when being in charge of TEDx events.
I know many in OT might think I am nuts to take on even more pro bono work. But, OT needs to stand taller as a community pillar more than ever. We need to be more willing to lend a hand to help such teams to disseminate credible and accurate info from their speakers.
I will put things this way- I read some scripts from youths for a TEDxYouth event that will happen next month. Some of what they wrote left me shaking my head, even though I know they tried hard. I have to give them constructive feedback for their speeches to make them sound more credible.
Rest of OT doesn’t have as much presence as I do in that space. But, I want to set an expectation of what OT can do in form of servant leadership in the public media space in today’s turbulent times.
I just did some digging- Elon Musk appeared on TED talks 4 times. With what’s going on in the world now, I wonder if his TED talks will be as hated as the TEDx talk by the mom of one of Columbine’s shooters.
I want to help any TEDx teams who are considering folks who got laid off from CDC, NIH, etc. as speakers for their events in the near future. I want to use my background as a health professional to make a meaningful difference!
If OT profession is wondering why I want OT/OTA academics and/or students to PUBLISH TEDx talks? As an insider, I know TED is super strict with health content. OT/OTA academics and/or students have an edge on making sure the content that is intended to be publisher doesn’t sound like medical advice.
Not many people in OT gets a chance to have heart to heart talks with editor in chief of major newspapers or leadership of NPR. But, I had an opportunity last week with TEDx’s head of licensing. Honestly, this turned out to be the proudest moment of self advocacy that I have to date.
Some OTP’s and OTS’s might think it is no big deal in trying to assume my call for action is for them to deliver TEDx talks instead of organizing TEDx events. Actually, it is a big deal because they are 2 distinctly different actions and they need to start realizing their social blunders.
A classic mistake many OT/OTA academics still make- THERE IS A DIFFERENCE between giving a TEDx talk vs. publishing a TEDx talk. They are not the same and nobody is allowed to do both at the same TEDx event. Doing both at the same event is “eating cake AND having cake”, which is a no-no!