By Zurich Ronert
From the audience, a TEDx talk looks effortless. The speaker walks on stage, delivers a clear idea, pauses at the right moments, and leaves people thinking differently. It feels smooth and natural.
That’s not how it actually works.
Behind the scenes, working with a TEDx coach is a completely different experience. It’s not just about writing a speech. It’s about breaking down how you think, how you communicate, and whether your ideas are strong enough to matter to other people.
When I started preparing for my talk, “Lessons from the Boat: What Rowing Since Fifth Grade Taught Two Teenagers About Life,” I thought I already had a solid message. I had years of experience in rowing, real stories, and lessons that felt meaningful. But very quickly, that assumption got challenged.
I’ve also had plenty of setbacks along the way—races, practices, and moments that didn’t go how I expected. Looking back, those are the experiences that taught me the most.
The process developing the talk felt similar. The first drafts weren’t focused. I was trying to talk about everything at once—teamwork, leadership, resilience—without a single clear takeaway. A TEDx coach doesn’t let that happen. Every part of the talk gets questioned. What is the one idea someone should remember a week later? Why does this story matter? Why should anyone care?
At first, it’s frustrating. You think something is strong, and it gets cut or rewritten. But that’s where the real progress starts. You stop trying to sound impressive and start trying to be clear.
As the process goes on, everything gets sharper. Stories become more intentional. Transitions actually have a purpose. Anything that doesn’t directly support the main idea gets removed. It’s constant revision, but each version is better than the last.
The biggest surprise is how much focus goes into delivery. Before this, speaking felt like it was mostly about confidence. Either you had it or you didn’t. Working with a coach changes that completely. Delivery becomes something you can actually train.
You learn where to pause so your point lands. You learn when to slow down instead of rushing through important moments. You become aware of things you never noticed before, like eye contact, pacing, and how silence can be just as powerful as words. You practice the same lines again and again, not to memorize them, but to make them feel natural.
There’s also no way to hide from feedback. You rehearse in front of people, get real reactions, and adjust. If something doesn’t land, you fix it. If the opening isn’t strong enough, you rewrite it. If the ending isn’t memorable, you rebuild it. It’s a constant cycle of testing and improving.
What makes working with a TEDx coach so valuable is that it forces you to raise your standard. Without that pressure, it’s easy to settle for something that’s just “good enough.” With a coach, “good enough” doesn’t exist.
By the time you’re ready to step on stage, the talk feels completely different from where it started. It’s not something you’re hoping will go well. It’s something you’ve refined so many times that you trust it.
More than anything, the process changes how you think. You start focusing on what actually matters, what people will remember, and how to communicate ideas in a way that sticks. That doesn’t just help on stage. It carries into everything else.
From the outside, a TEDx talk looks like a performance. Behind the scenes, it’s a process of constant refinement. And having a coach guiding that process is what turns an idea into something worth sharing.
What makes this experience even more meaningful is the people behind it.
Trevor and I have been going through this process together, and that alone has made it something we’ll never forget. Pushing each other, comparing notes, and figuring it out side by side has made the entire journey stronger—and honestly, more real.
We’ve also been incredibly lucky to have Lona Fink as our speaker coach. She’s been guiding us through every step of this process, holding us to a higher standard, and helping us see what we couldn’t see on our own. What’s even more impressive is that she’s been doing all of this while preparing for her own TEDx talk… on the same day. Watching her manage that while still showing up fully for us has been something we both really respect.
And none of this would be happening without CeCe Espeut and the entire TEDxMiramar team. CeCe is the lead organizer, and the amount of work and care that goes into creating this kind of opportunity is something you don’t fully understand until you’re in it. Trevor and I are both incredibly grateful—for the platform, for the guidance, and for everyone who’s helping bring this to life.
Every person on the TEDxMiramar team is a volunteer, and we truly appreciate them taking the time to help us achieve such a huge milestone in our lives… and, at 16. That makes this experience even more meaningful.
