Uploaded April 29, 2018
Linda Zhang recently spoke at the inaugural TED@Westpac event in Sydney where Australia explored the brilliant inventions, bold acts and big ideas that point the way to a healthy, sustainable future for all.
Linda tells us about what goes on behind-the-scenes.
Westpac speakers examined the exponential possibilities that come from embracing innovation and celebrating diversity while creating The Future Legacy.
My main message was that in this day and age, an entrepreneurial mindset is crucial for all high school students. High school should be a time where students can be curious about the world and have a go at solving real world problems.
Was this influenced by your own personal experience?
My personal experience was definitely a huge influence on my decision to do this talk. A significant proportion of my high school years was spent thinking that school learning was about memorising text and rote learning answers, which of course, isn’t true. In addition, I grew up with first-generation immigrant parents who have been entrepreneurs, starting and building businesses, for as long as I can remember.
Through Generation Entrepreneur’s programs, I’ve seen high school students build real products and companies. I reckon the most learning happens when it’s to do with the real world outside the textbook!
How was your experience of doing the TED talk?
Terrifying and wonderfully surreal. Speech-writing is a long, tedious and hard process, but I was lucky to have some wonderful friends and mentors who offered their continuous (and honest) feedback. The other speakers were immensely supportive, too, and left me in awe.
I think the thing that blew my mind the most was that the producer and curator of TED@Westpac were the same people who curate and produce the huge TED conferences in America. I kept asking myself, “So how did I get here again?!”
The legacies attendees want to leave.
Any funny moments?
The funniest thing was probably that the initial outfit I’d brought to wear for the talk got a solid “No” from the staging crew because it was too similar to the TED’s red carpet colour. Luckily, the ‘comfortable’ outfit I came dressed in happened to be suitable! Or else I have no idea what I would have done for my talk…
What was it like on the day?
I got to speak first, which is a blessing if you choose to see it that way! I was so nervous, my heart rate was through the roof, but I just kept in mind the one phrase a friend told me, “Turn your nervous energy into excited energy”.
The hardest part was getting on the stage. Once the ten minutes of speaking was up, I couldn’t believe that it had just happened!
That’s me on stage!
Favourite part of the whole experience?
There is too many to choose from, but if I had to, my favourite part was speaking to people who came up to me at the end of the talk to share their own experiences of their own or their child’s education. My one hope was that the talk could spark a thought or conversation around teaching entrepreneurship to school students and was so ecstatic to hear how it resonated with so many.
And…the biggest lesson you learnt from this experience?
Everybody has a story to tell. And everybody has a story that can influence others. If it’s something you believe in, it’s definitely worth sharing. Who knows…it might land you on a TED stage one day!
Watch Linda’s full speech here:
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