Interview Edith Bosch on her inspiring TED Talk

"Not just communicating with words, but conveying a feeling"

Speak to Inspire interviewed Edith about her experience as a public speaker and what the coaching in preparation for her TED talk has brought her.

Have you always felt comfortable with public speaking?

"As a child, I played in every theater performance at school. So you could say my love for the spotlight was in there from a young age. At twenty-two, I started giving presentations. Like almost everyone else, I was initially afraid of not doing well and had to overcome myself. Being more self-aware helped me to speak well in public. That as a person you can get the hang of being comfortable with who you are and what you come to bring."

Why did you start with a presentation coach from Speak to Inspire?

"Although in my current work I have a lot of experience presenting for events, organizations and on television, it was still new when I was asked to give a TED talk. There is a tight format in which I am allowed to tell my story in a maximum of 12 minutes. Given the limited time of my TED talk, I had to learn the art of omission. How to get to your core message and tell it with fewer words. In addition, TED talks allow less contact with the audience which I normally like to take advantage of. Together with Rutger, my coach from Speak to Inspire, I colored my story with personal experience. He also gave me valuable feedback on my talk."

For you, where does the power of a good presentation lie?

"For me, the most important thing is to inspire people. To think carefully as a speaker what you come to bring to the audience. What's in it for them? That doesn't mean that you can always please everyone, but if you've given one person a new perspective or managed to touch them, that's already great!"

What did the coaching sessions with Rutger give you?

"I liked having a coach who looked at my presentation objectively and connected the dots. With his sharp eye, he pointed out to me the finesse of small gestures, dropping silences, taking it easy, putting your feelings into the story. Presenting is not just about communicating with words, there is so much more to it, conveying feelings, inspiring, opening up. That has really been the added value of my coaching for me. I can't get enough feedback on that. There is always room for improvement!"

Reaction of her coach from Speak to Inspire, Rutger Mollee:

"It was wonderful to coach Edith, she is incredibly eager to learn! I understood even better after the coaching why she has become a top judoka. She is very coachable, sets the bar high for herself and picks up instructions quickly. Never afraid to try something. This allowed Edith to exceed her own expectations. Consequently, the audience rewarded her after her TED talk with thunderous applause. Great that with her speaking experience she has really reached another next level."

About Edith Bosch

Edith Bosch is the most successful female judoka in the Netherlands. In her impressive career she became world champion, European champion and multiple Dutch champion in the up to 70 kg class and won three medals at the Olympic Games. In 2013 Edith won the RTL 5 program Expedition Robinson and in 2016 she released her book 'Expedition Edith'. From the combination of top sport, performing at a high level and behavioral science interest, Edith started to focus on coaching and presenting on topics such as sustainable performance, resilience, passion, mindfulness and work/life balance.

For more info on Edith, see: www.edithbosch.nl

Would you like to learn more about the success of TED talks and experience for yourself how to turn your presentation into a TED talk? Then check out our Presenting like a TED-talk training or our coaching offer!
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