In this episode of the "Be Moved" podcast, host Sally Koering Zimney addresses purpose‑driven entrepreneurs and speakers, urging them to develop a ready‑to‑use signature talk that can be pulled from a metaphorical back‑pocket. She frames the conversation with a personal anecdote about the stress that arises when a speaking opportunity appears close to the deadline, describing the panic, rushed preparation, and loss of confidence that often result. Zimney argues that having a well‑crafted, 75 % complete talk—one that captures core stories, key points, and a compelling opening—allows speakers to adapt authentically to each audience without resorting to cookie‑cutter presentations. She emphasizes authenticity, self‑trust, and the strategic advantage of moving the creation of a signature talk to the top of the to‑do list, especially in a chaotic environment (e.g., pandemic, homeschooling). The episode promotes two concrete resources: a free masterclass called the "TED Worthy Talk Map" that outlines a five‑step process for building a signature talk, and the upcoming "Signature Talk Studio" course, which combines curriculum, community, and live coaching. Zimney also teases a future episode on turning talks virtual. Throughout, she maintains an encouraging, conversational tone, repeatedly inviting listeners to engage, register for the masterclass, and share what moves them.
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Hey Movers, it's Sally, and before we dive into this episode, I just wanted to take a moment and connect. This episode was recorded and mostly produced several weeks ago, but I couldn't let it just go out into the world without taking a pause for a moment and re-establishing a new context. So in this episode, what we talk about is the power of having a talk that you can pull out your back pocket and use so that you can respond more quickly without the stress and the panic that often comes with our world as speakers and responding to the opportunities to step out front. But we always want to keep part of it open so that it still feels very relevant and present. So there's some irony here that this intro is exactly that. My message has always been grounded in this belief that a good talk can move the world. That is my purpose, is to create talks that move the world. And that has never felt more needed and more real than it does right now. And so if you are listening to this and you're someone who has not stepped out front in the way that you wanted to, my encouragement for you is that we need your voice. And we need people who are willing to say, "This is what I believe in. This is what I think the world needs, and I'm willing to stand up and say it." That's our role as speakers and leaders, and speaking plays such a powerful role in shifting people's perception and being a part of creating change. We can all think about speakers who have been pivotal in that process. And though we can't all be MLK, in our own world, in that context, we have a role to play. And so I am here to support you, empower you, encourage you, give you tools so that you can step out front. So this is me reorienting our world and this message in the context of now. It feels more important than ever. So thank you for being a part of This Moved Me and the Be Moved community. I am so grateful for each of you, and I look forward to helping you create a talk that will move this world.
Yes?
Ah, I'm standing outside. It's a beautiful day. Can you hear the wind? It feels so good. All right, my friends, talk soon.
Bye-bye.
Hey, movers, it's Sally Koering Zimney with Be Moved, and I help purpose-driven entrepreneurs like you create talks that move their audience and the world. And on the show today, we're going to be talking about the power of being able to just pull a powerful talk right out of your back pocket. Are you ready? Let's dive in.
Hey movers, it's Sally Z with Be Moved. Let's go create some talks that will move this world. We're going to talk with amazing speakers, share tips, tricks, resources, and we are going to be moved so that our audience can be moved. This moved me.
What is moving you? Well, hey everybody, it is super exciting to be with you in this particular moment right here because as you can tell, my background's changed a little bit. I'm on a really kind of a squeaky chair, a little squeaky chair, and I am at my family's cabin and this is my happy place. And you can't see what I'm looking at right now, but outside right behind you is a lake and beautiful trees and quiet and fresh air. And I needed a change of scenery, and this is a pretty amazing scene to be sitting in front of right now. Oh my gosh. And as we dive in today, what I'm thinking about is the thrill of getting that request to speak, right? The response being absolutely yes, I can do that, even though there may be some things where you're like, mm, I'm gonna figure that out. But it's a thrill and it's exciting, and especially when those gigs are a few months away, it feels like, oh my gosh, you've got all the time in the world to create this talk, no problem. And then you get to about a month out from that and you're like, mm, I think I should work on that, I think that would be good, but you know what, I still have some time and I will get to it and there's so many other things going on and I haven't had that brilliant spark of inspiration yet, right? Been there. And then suddenly you're 2 weeks away and now you're like, oh crap, right? The panic sets in because you haven't had that brilliant spark yet. And it feels like a rock in your gut, all of a sudden, that realization that you've got a ton to do and not a lot of time to do it in. And if you want to do this well, you probably should have started yesterday. And that is just a horrible feeling, right? And then the next 2 weeks are totally miserable. They're stressful. You're snapping at your people. You're staying up too late. You're not taking care of yourself because of course you've got to do this on top of everything else that you're supposed to be doing. And you ask yourself, why does everything always happen at once? Why does all the big stuff always happen at the same time? Because that's how it feels, right? And then the moment comes, you step out front, and instead of feeling like a rock star because you're totally prepared, you feel scattered, maybe a little scared, um, because you know that this thing that you're about to do could be different if, if you had had something maybe that you were working off of instead of starting from scratch, if you had given yourself more time, if you weren't rushed through the process, if you weren't trying things on live in front of an audience for the first time instead of maybe getting some outside help or guidance or feedback and maybe even some encouragement. Wouldn't have been great to get a little encouragement along the way, right? Well, that whole scenario, I have been there many times and I have watched other people I know who do amazing work needlessly put themselves in that situation again and again and again. And we come out of that moment and we're like, "I'm gonna do it differently next time. I am not gonna let myself get up against the wall like that. I'm gonna think about this beforehand and plan and be prepared." Okay, so let's just imagine that for a moment. Imagine what it feel— feels like to have your talk done, to have it ready, to just be able to pull it out of your back pocket, right? And what that can do. Can save you time and stress and all of the hair pulling that happens and doesn't need to happen. But gosh, it feels like that is just a part of creating a talk that you can be proud of. Nobody wants an experience like that. But we tend to approach it that way because out of need, right? Out of necessity. And we do okay, and we get sort of lulled into the idea that this is the way it has to be, or this is the way it always is. And that is just not true, okay? Having something that you can pull out of your back pocket is an amazing gift. Now, I just wanna be really clear. What I'm not saying is you pull a talk outta your back pocket and offer your audience a cookie-cutter approach. That is not what I'm saying. I do not believe in that. Audiences can feel that, and that's not fair to them. It's really not showing up authentically and really present and in the moment. Okay? Each talk, each audience, each context, is different and our talks need to really truly reflect that. But instead of starting from scratch, you're gonna start from 75% content that you really believe in and trust. That's pretty different. That feels great. You have your core stories. You have developed your key points and key takeaways. You have a wow beginning and a solid And instead of experimenting every time, nope, nope, you know what works. Oh my gosh, what a relief that would be, right? And what an amazing, uh, place of self-trust and confidence to work from in that moment instead of taking a stab at something in the moment. This is what it means to have a powerful signature talk in your back pocket that you trust, that you feel proud of. Oh my gosh, that you can lean on, that you have worked hard on, right? It takes a lot of work, but also a talk that really works hard for you. Oh my gosh. Okay. So here's what I want you to do. I want you to move creating your signature talk up on your to-do list. Okay, it's probably on there, but we want to move it up to the top of the list because maybe you have some extra time on your hands right now— pandemic. Maybe not, right? Maybe you're juggling a million things, uh, homeschooling and trying to keep your anxiety at bay and trying to do all of the things in your business and, and, and— hello, pandemic, right? Either way, moving speaking up your to-do list is going to help, okay? Because the speaking opportunities, they can help your business, and they're so, so essential for your growth and for making your mark as a leader. And it can help all those other pieces in your business, okay? If you want to make your mark and be known in your field as a go-to expert and influence, move, impact your audience, whoever they are, then investing your time and energy into your talk is truly one of the most powerful things that you can do. The awesome thing is, over the next few weeks, I have got some awesome resources for you to help you on this journey, okay, to get the talk so you can pull it out of your back pocket and lean on 75% awesome. And get it out there faster without all that stress and worry and self-doubt and disappointment. Okay. So, uh, I'm going to start with this. There's a free masterclass called the TED Worthy Talk Map, and that outlines the 5 steps to creating your signature talk so that you actually have it in your back pocket when the moment comes and you can start to create demand for your message for for yourself. Can you hear my kids laughing? Oh my gosh, they're so happy. I love it. They're outside, they're happy. So this TED-worthy talk map masterclass is going to be amazing because, um, I am going to share with you the 5 steps that I use in the process of creating a signature talk that I've used for myself and the hundreds of people that I have worked with over the last 20 years. And it's the same process I use one-on-one And, uh, now I'm gonna share that process with you, kind of give you an inside peek into that process. Okay, so, um, if you're interested in that, it's a free masterclass. You just need to go to bemoove.com/tedworthymasterclass to register. And there's a few dates that it's being offered, so pick the one that works best for you. And I would love to see you there because I think there's really valuable information there for you to help you fast-track that process a little bit and to not feel so lost in the ocean of like, how do I do this? Because you've probably done it on your own. Most of us do. We kind of DIY it. We look up some things online and hope that it helps, but this is an inside process from somebody who has done it hundreds of times with my speakers. Okay, so it's going to be awesome and I cannot wait. So that's the number one resource I want to share with you. And then the second thing I want to share with you is this is all leading up to the launch of the Signature Talk Studio course. And oh my gosh, it opens this Thursday. This Thursday it opens and you can sign up. Oh my gosh, can I tell you guys, I'm so, so jazzed about this and I hope that you are too. Because if you are somebody who is ready to dive in, you want the help, of an expert, you want that guidance, you want to take the next step, not just the process, but to walk through that process with an expert, this is gonna be fabulous, okay? Because the studio walks with you through that, that whole process, step by step by step, from beginning to end. And along the way, there's all kinds of what I call bite-size wins, just like little moments where you know, I'm on the right track, I've got what I need. And it keeps you moving through the process, okay, from getting the— letting this thing just get so unwieldy. It doesn't have to be that way, okay? And so that you actually finish, you finish feeling proud. That's what I want for you. I want you to finish feeling proud. That'd be pretty great, right? Not finish feeling okay. We're gonna finish feeling proud. Okay? And because this course is not just a course, it's also a community, and it's also coaching. Woo woo! Oh my gosh. So this course lives on a platform where all of those things exist together. So I show up live, we do some coaching, there are these half-day salons and workshops that I, I am gonna be sharing with you my feedback particular to you, and we'll workshop some things together, and you connect with other people, and it's all kinds of awesome. So if you wanna hear more about it, I really want you to come join me for the masterclass 'cause it's a great way to test it out for yourself and see if this is vibing with what you need. So head to bmoove.com/tedworthymasterclass and register there. Get a feel for it, um, you get a peek into the process. And if anything, even if you decide the course and the studio isn't right for you, that's okay, that's okay. You're still going to learn a ton in this masterclass. So I'd love to see you there. All right, next week, you guys, I'm super excited to share with you, um, the answer to a big question that I've been getting a lot recently, which is essentially, how do I take my talk virtual? Now, a lot of you are already playing with this, but a lot of you are still kind of standing on the sidelines and you aren't sure quite how to do that and how to do it well. Maybe you've stepped out there a little bit and it hasn't quite worked for you. So I'm going to share with you some tips for how to take your talk virtual. So I'll see you next week. This moved me, my friends. What is moving you? Let me know. Throw it in the comments. Send me a DM. I'm here for you. See you soon.
