Client: Jill Sherer Murray
Project: TEDx Talk: The Unstoppable Power of Letting Go
Message: Letting go can transform your life. The simple act of letting go clears your vision–and offers you the opportunity to identify and let go of patterns that hold you back from your most cherished goals and dreams. Result: You can get started really living.
Client Goals:
- Build “Letting Go” Brand
- Edit and polish a compelling, standing-ovation worthy TEDx speech
- Help Jill connect her messaging to social media presence through YouTube and Facebook
- Brainstorm building network of influencers
- Help Jill with her chapter edits and book proposal
My work with Client:
Award-winning journalist and marketer, Jill Sherer Murray is on a mission to help you (and all of us) let go for it. That love relationship or VP position or book deal you think is out of your reach? No excuses and no time like the present when you listen to Jill’s bang-on and hilariously inspirational TEDx talk.
Two years ago, Jill reached out to me when she was invited to speak on the TEDx stage. She needed help editing her talk down from 18 minutes to the 11-minute time-slot she was allotted.
“You can do this,” I told her, adding what I truly believe, that any message worth its salt can be chiseled down or beefed up, so long as the kernel of the message and the core story (or stories) is strong.
Jill was on a tight deadline so we met and I listened to her first version of “The Unstoppable Power of Letting Go” over take-out Chinese. (Confession: I cried.) Right away, I discovered what over one million viewers on YouTube would later find out. Jill’s story –and her warm, authentic personality–packed a punch because, in some way or other, we can all relate to holding on or forcing our will when our lives would be far more transformed and enriched by letting go.
While I loved Jill’s potent message, I immediately heard segments that didn’t support her central theme. I have been called a book and messaging whisperer because once I hear a central message, I coach my clients to stay consistent and on point in every facet of their work. I’m a little intense about it! A consummate professional, Jill didn’t blink at my edits and suggestions. Instead, she immediately threaded the needle of her message and volleyed back versions of her talk that were more powerful than ever. I was impressed. We whittled away extraneous storylines (that she could use in other areas of her campaign) and strengthened the areas that already had me laughing or choked up. We worked steadily until her speech “felt” just right to Jill and was within the required time allotment. I then helped Jill craft a messaging-packed bio to accompany her other marketing materials for TEDx. Right on deadline!
A few months later, it filled me with delight to watch Jill earn one of two standing ovations and the attention of an agent for the book she was planning as an extension of her talk–in the packed TEDx auditorium.
After the success of her talk, Jill tapped in to the viral growth of her emerging audience as a springboard for extending her social media presence, planning out a full-length book and regularly counseling those who are feeling stuck in their lives. Make sure you watch Jill’s talk. You’ll see.
Here’s what Jill said about our work together.
“Kim was an incredible guide when it came to navigating the tricky waters of nailing my first TEDx talk. Kim is a genius at mining the writer’s mind. She used her extraordinary skills to help me hone my idea, write a compelling narrative for marketing purposes, and create a powerful through-line for my talk. Of 25 speakers, only two got standing ovations and I was one of them. Kim is more than simply talented, she’s a find.
I made only one phone call to receive the services and support I needed to find my way to the next phase of my work, my life, and my purpose. If you’re looking to make a shift and don’t know where to get started, I strongly encourage you to reach out to Kim. You won’t be sorry!
–Jill Sherer Murray, TEDx Speaker and Author