Why do some viral TED/TEDx stories hook us instantly while others stall in the first minute?

In this episode, speaker coaches Ioana (Jo) Jongsma and Francisco Mahfuz react to three viral TED/TEDx talks—Esther Perel, Robert Waldinger, and Marilyn York—showing what hooks, what drags, and how to fix it. You’ll get practical moves to open strong (or set the premise first), tighten pacing, and turn research into human stories with dialogue, specifics, and metaphor.

You will learn:

• How dialogue and specific scenes boost attention and recall
• The fast way to cut a story by 30 seconds or more
• Turning research into narrative, conflict, and character
• The connecting line that links a personal story to your premise
• When a sharp metaphor can carry the point

• Marilyn York — What Representing Men in Divorce Taught Me About Fatherhood.
• Esther Perel — Rethinking infidelity … a talk for anyone who has ever loved.
• Robert Waldinger — What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness.

🎙 The SpeakerPath Podcast is from Clarity Up, a boutique message design firm that teaches smart people how to explain their big ideas to the rest of us.

Connect with our hosts:

Ioana (Jo) Jongsma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ioana-jongsma/

Francisco Mahfuz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fmahfuz