The outpour of conferences, business seminars or events which claim they will be the inspiring change in attendees only proves that there’s a real need for motivational speakers.

The actual challenge in hiring such speakers is finding those who do not just use pretty words, but also provide actionable takeaways.

So, we thought of giving you a helping hand and leak out an insider tip: when you look for an inspirational speaker, a great criterion is choosing from those who have also delivered at a TEDx event. 

These people have a special way of making their voice heard and setting an example for all to follow.

This article will feature two of these gifted speakers who amaze with their charisma.

Mark Henick

Accepting blame, defeat and annoying shortcomings is something we do not do with ease. Let alone come forward in front of huge crowds, candidly admit to the darker side of our nature and then proceed to inspiring change in others.

This is precisely what Mark Henick did when he stepped onto the TEDx stage and delivered a talk which soon cracked the top 50 of most viewed TED talks ever. 

The talk, titled Why We Choose Suicide, had Mark completely disarm audience members with his honesty. There, he took on subject matters like struggle, trauma or inability to cope. However, Mark was far from playing the victim – instead, he packed the talk with funny insights and engaging theatrics.

Since then, he has been invited to talk about similar mental health awareness issues, wowing audiences at:

• schools
• various kinds of workplaces
• associations.

From coping with struggle to socio-political issues or dealing with sensitive moments in the lives of people we love, Mark can talk the real way about managing and overcoming downfalls.

In short, Mark Hennink’s ingredient to inspiring change is something we would call ‘skill vulnerability.’ By showing relentless accountability for what he is, he manages to control the discourse and help others arrive at the same conclusions.

Jodi Bondi Norgaard

On a slightly different spectrum than Mark Hennick, we have Jodi Norgaard, an epitome of showing grit and perseverance in the face of adversity.

Just like Mark uses honesty in his talks, Jodi uses the sheer power of leading by example.

The story which drove Jodi to forge her way to success is this: in 2007, she was looking for a doll to give her 9-year old daughter when she was struck by the body standards those dolls were displaying. So, she set her mind on creating an alternative and built the Dream Big Toy company which manufactures realistic dolls.

So favorable was the impact of her models, that she drove the media’s attention and in 2016 she was even invited to the White House to speak about breaking down gender stereotypes.

Jodi is now a very in-demand speaker who’s able to address leadership, entrepreneurial spirit and workplace ethics. Drawing from her journey, Jodi is on a mission of inspiring change by addressing topics like:

• goal achievement
• identifying roadblocks
• cultivating a fearless and change-driven mindset.

Inspiring Change – Not a Small Feat at All

Knowing many event planners are on a committed quest to inspire their guests through value-driven speeches, we realized there is a select group of speakers who can bring something new to the table.

The ones we presented here are sure part of this group because of their outstanding capacity to convey a powerful message.

If you want that message to be heard loud and clear, waste no more seconds and book them here.