Class is in session

Make Your Keynote TED-talk Worthy in One Week

7 Days

Cohort-based Course

Use tried and true TED speaker tactics to capture attention, leave a lasting impression, and ensure you have the competitive advantage.

Class is in session

Make Your Keynote TED-talk Worthy in One Week

7 Days

Cohort-based Course

Use tried and true TED speaker tactics to capture attention, leave a lasting impression, and ensure you have the competitive advantage.

Hosted by

Arthur E. Zards

TEDx producer with 30+ million speaker views | Founder Swarm Effect™ speaking

Arthur E. Zards

TEDx producer with 30+ million speaker views | Founder Swarm Effect™ speaking

Course overview

You'll leave with a completely transformative way of communicating.

TED talks were never meant to stay as a lecture on a stage.

Many people believe that a TED talk is a final destination for an epic idea that will change the world. Nothing could be further from the truth. TED talks have transformed how humans communicate. This new TED style of speaking format breaks from traditional speaking for it is conversational based, story-driven, and focuses on the idea, unlike most “corporate speak”.

🧠 This course will challenge traditionally taught methods of corporate communication.

This new communication format can be applied everywhere outside of the standard lecture. Keynotes, presentations, sales pitches, client meetings, products updates etc. can all benefit from this new model of authentic communication.

🧠 This course is specifically designed for extremely busy professionals.

Course is a one-week sprint scheduled for the lunch hour (CST).

In simple-to-implement tools you will learn how to apply every facet of this new TED style speaking to your own communications and you will leave with an effective model to use called the Swarm Effect. ™

This model was designed by the instructor, who has over 14 years of instructor experience working directly with the TED organization and from mentoring and producing numerous TEDx organizations and speakers.

🧠 You're invited to bring to the master class your own keynote/presentation/pitch that you want to make TED worthy.

While not required, we will work on your existing content so you leave the workshop with a transformative takeaway that you can immediately use.

This live instructor-led interactivity allows for one-on-one feedback typically not available with on-line learning.

Course is limited to a max of 6 students

This master class is for...

Leaders who need to get traction, clarity, and impact on their keynotes and presentations to transform their audience.

Executives who are tired of lackluster presentations for they feel lost on how to convey their idea in an engaging format.

Busy executives who don't have time to learn a complicated new method of presenting, but know they need to improve right now.

Leaders who need to get traction, clarity, and impact on their keynotes and presentations to transform their audience.

Executives who are tired of lackluster presentations for they feel lost on how to convey their idea in an engaging format.

Busy executives who don't have time to learn a complicated new method of presenting, but know they need to improve right now.

What you’ll get out of this course

Swarm Effect ™ speaking model.

A model specifically designed for busy executives who don't have the time to take deep dives into improving their communication. The model is based on decades of communications experience with 14 years of the best techniques used by TED speakers.

A Storytelling mindset.

You won't ever have to worry about being a professional storyteller. You'll have simple and easy-to-remember tools so you can immediately become a natural storyteller and you won't even know it.

How to hone in on your idea.

If you've ever been lost in where to start or end with a keynote, presentation or sales pitch you will leave with effective tools to get you to find clarity in your idea fast.

How to embrace your own authenticity.

You don't need to be a professional speaker to talk like a TED speaker. You will learn how to embrace who you truly are, and how to translate that into a strength for speaking, even if you are shy, never spoken in public or hate public speaking.

A new model of communicating

You will have a completely new durable skill set of communicating that transfers beyond keynotes and presentations. You will have novel ways to communicate everywhere, including one-on-ones, small team meetings, and even cocktail parties.

You'll never look at a PowerPoint deck the same way again.

You'll discover unique and powerful tools outside of the standard slide deck to fully engage with your audience. You'll learn why TED speaker's slide decks don't look like typical slide decks and you'll learn the skils to do the same, without being a graphic artist.

Co-hort live interactive learning.

Intimate small group sessions with live instruction allows for immediate feedback and collaboration only seen with expensive one-on-one learning.

Course syllabus

6 live sessions • 5 lessons • 1 lesson

Expand all modules

Week 1
Jul 22—Jul 28
Week dates are set to instructor's time zone
Events
Jul
22
Swarm Effect - Story
Swarm Effect - Story
Mon, Jul 22, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM UTC
Jul
23
Swarm Effect - Words
Swarm Effect - Words
Tue, Jul 23, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM UTC
Jul
24
Swarm Effect - Authenticity
Swarm Effect - Authenticity
Wed, Jul 24, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM UTC
Jul
25
Swarm Effect - Relationship
Swarm Effect - Relationship
Thu, Jul 25, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM UTC
Jul
26
Swarm Effect - More
Swarm Effect - More
Fri, Jul 26, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM UTC
Week 2
Jul 29
Week dates are set to instructor's time zone
Events
Jul
29
Open Office Hours Q/A
Open Office Hours Q/A
Mon, Jul 29, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM UTC
Post-Course
Modules
Story - It's a Mindset
Story - It's a Mindset
1 Lesson
Words - They Matter
Words - They Matter
0 Lessons • 0 Projects
Authenticity - Be Human
Authenticity - Be Human
0 Lessons • 0 Projects
Relationship - It's About Them
Relationship - It's About Them
0 Lessons • 0 Projects
More - Leave Them Wanting
More - Leave Them Wanting
0 Lessons • 0 Projects

Meet your instructor

Arthur E. Zards

TEDx producer with 40+ million speaker views | Founder Swarm Effect™ speaking

Arthur has over 14 years of speaker and content experience working directly with the TED organization and mentoring and producing numerous TEDx organizations and speakers.

He is a self-described TED fanatic and is the founder and executive director of TEDxNaperville, the Midwest’s longest-running TEDx event since 2010. His events have challenged the norms in speaker content , delivery, and the attendee/sponsor experience resulting in leading lectures and workshops for numerous organizations including TED and TED Global on speaker content and creating engaging experiences.

A recent launch is Swarm Effect ™ speaking, a speaker development model that enables anyone without regard to speaking experience to communicate with impact, grab attention, and get swarmed by the audience when finished speaking.

Arthur’s unique approach blends a TED-style of conversational speaking, content curation and experience design to transform speakers’ ideas into massive impact and engagement.

He has worked with a diverse mix of speakers including students, educators, home-makers, organizational leaders, civic leaders, millionaires, billionaires, Olympic athletes, and even a few astronauts.

Speakers working directly with Arthur have over 30 million collective TED/TEDx online views and growing.

Arthur believes everyone has an idea worth sharing and is tired of the current state of corporate communications.

Arthur believes that “Corporate speak” based keynotes, presentations, and sale pitches just have to go.

There is a better way.

What a few of the people who have worked with Arthur are saying

“I was uncertain if I was capable to deliver a professional talk or if my stories would resonate. Arthur instilled me with the confidence that I could and that they would. That meeting literally changed my life. And now, I get paid to travel the world, have adventures, and write and talk about it.”

John Coyle

Olympic Medalist, Design Thinking Expert

Arthur inspired me to tell a compelling story - a lesson I’ve carried with me to each of my presentations (including my classes). Since the day he turned my boring monologue into a stage-worthy production, I’ve been forever changed.”

Dr Michell Drouin

Psychologist, Forensic Consultant

Arthur challenged me to go outside of my comfort zone and develop something much more thought provoking and controversial than I would have done on my own. I’ve since used these same techniques and skills to develop a dozen or so keynotes for other conferences.”

Nicholas Percoco

Ethical Hacker and Security Expert

“I’ll forever be grateful for the love, support, and encouragement in this transformational, liberating process.”

Jennifer Gimenez

Super model, Actor, Recovery Advocate

I'm not comfortable speaking in public. I'm still not. But...with Arthur's help, I accomplished something I never thought possible - a standing ovation at a TEDx talk

Ben Bradley

Founder Macon Raine, Marketing Automation

The biggest compliment I can receive from clients and colleagues and students is this: You helped me think better. Arthur, you helped me think better. What's it like working with Arthur in three words? It's an experience.

Craig Sampson

Human-centered designer, professor at the Segal Design Institute of Northwestern University, founder IDEO Chicago office

Thanks to Arthur, I’ve been able to focus my thoughts and reflect on what is important, what makes a difference, and what might excite people to take action by adding their insights and thoughts to mine. He is truly a gift for everyone he comes in contact with.

Gunnar Branson

CEO AFIRE

He made me a better speaker. Arthur’s suggestions of trackbacks made my talk more cohesive. So did his challenges to make my beginning and ending stronger. And all were delivered in the true spirit of making me look good.

Lynne Franklin

Executive communication consultant and coach and president of the National Speakers Association - Illinois

He made me realize that I did not have to work hard to put together a talk for the event. All I needed to do was to tell my story…I did not have to spend weeks on end agonizing over what I was going to say on a big stage to 500 people. I just had to tell my story.

Arden Warner

Ph.D, Physicist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

Arthur is a great speech coach... he asks questions, suggests, and brainstorms in a way that allows speakers to learn and still be their unique self

Hazel Wagner

Ph.D. Mathematician, Executive management coach

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