how i manifested my biggest dream

I shared how I officially became a TEDx speaker (i still can’t believe it).

This has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl.

It’s still surreal because I never imagined that this would be me.

I was a shy Korean American girl who struggled a lot with confidence and public speaking.

And to see myself shatter my own fears, commit, put in the work, and make it HAPPEN…

All I can say is: I’m proud of myself.

The process wasn’t easy.

It was emotional, it was physically taxing, but it was 1000% worth it.

Here’s exactly how I landed my dream TEDx speaking gig:

1/ Invest in your personal brand

It’s taken me 2 years to build my brand.

I started posting on LinkedIn, shared my thoughts 3-5x / week and upped to daily over the past year.

I expanded to a newsletter (thank you for reading) then on Instagram (@advicewithjean).

I want to be clear. This wasn’t an overnight success.

It is daily consistency of putting myself out there > doubting myself > and doing it anyways.

The goal wasn’t to become this ‘online famous person’.

It’s to be known as a thought leader.

Content came first > influence later.

2/ Created a strategy

Context: after I built a ‘meaningful’ personal brand (note this is subjective: to me it meant having an audience that cares what I have to say. I felt confident after hitting 200,000K across socials)

Think about it: you have to build influence for people to actually care about you.

Next is strategy. I reverse-engineered the outcome. I asked myself: “If I want to be a TEDx speaker, what needs to happen?” The steps became clear.

1. Identify a list 20 TEDx organizers based in the US based on their LinkedIn headline (you can make this global if you want to but I indexed on proximity).

   

   Example of a real headline

2. I crafted a high-level pitch (personalized for a LinkedIn DM)

Here is my exact pitch:

Hi [Name]!

I hope you're doing well! I’m reaching out because I deeply admire the platform TEDx provides for sharing powerful ideas — and I’d love to explore how I might get involved with your upcoming event.

My background spans program management, content strategy, and helping thousands of professionals pivot into more fulfilling careers (platform of over 250K across LinkedIn, IG & newsletter). I'm especially passionate about themes like:

• Navigating career reinvention (and why your past doesn’t define your potential)

• Building influence without needing to be the loudest in the room (as an introverted creator)

• Redefining success beyond the 9-5 through community, storytelling, and purpose-driven work

I’d love to learn more about any upcoming themes or speaker opportunities, and how I could best support your vision — whether through a talk, workshop, or by amplifying the event within my community.

Let me know if there’s a good way to stay in the loop. Thanks again for all you do to elevate meaningful conversations!

Warmly,

Jean

Your pitch should include a personalized note, 2 lines about your background, potential speaking topics, and a way out for them (they don’t owe you anything).

Remember, kindness begets kindness.

1. Track & Delegate

I asked my VA to pull contacts in a spreadsheet so we can track our efforts.

The sheet is very simple included: Name, LI profile, Connected? (Y/N), Status, and Notes.

1. I patiently waited (and trusted the process)

It took me 1-2 weeks since sending the DM for me to get responses.

I was surprised several people responded back!

And one had an opening in a FEW MONTHS 🙀

Fast forward, by shooting my shot I manifested my dream talk and became a TEDx speaker.

Let this be a life lesson.

1. Be someone that’s worth paying attention to.

Don’t sleep on your personal brand. Build a community now and don’t shy away from sharing your story.

1. Always advocate for yourself.

The best cheerleader will always be you. Don’t wait for someone to find you, go create your own opportunities.

Because if not you, then who?

P.S. I’m so happy I invested in a speaking coach, Aman.

I’ve learned to speak without being performative and give a talk that felt 100% authentic to me without memorizing a single line.

I know it’s the best investment I’ve made on myself.

Join Ultraspeaking’s Jan cohort to elevate your speaking (click below)

I’m not paid to endorse them. I actually joined their program, found value and worked with their coach 1-1.

And would rate them 11/10.

What’s 1 thing you want to be better in before the year ends?

Let me know how I can support you :)

If you have any questions or want to join me as I build in public, follow along here.

And you can read all the previous newsletters here 🎉 

Jean