The Hack:
At the end of the show have the entire team on stage to take a bow. Take lots of pictures, people love to see themselves at the event.
This was the first mother-daughter podcast we've done. Mom is Grace Belangia, organizer of TEDxAugusta and Chloe Belangia, her daughter, is the organizer of TEDxGeorgiaTech. It was great to meet them in person at TEDFest and have the opportunity to enjoy the family dynamic in action. You'll love the back and forth between these two energetic TEDsters.
Both are highly accomplished in their fields and bring a lot to the table with skills that help them produce their events. There was a lot of real-time idea sharing going on too that was fun to watch.
This is one of those episodes that it's nearly impossible to write cogent show notes because of the back and forth between these two powerhouses. You're going to want to set aside some time, as you'll also want to take notes. Plenty of great ideas here.
What you're going to learn is the difference between the challenges facing a University event vs. a Community event, and ironically how similar they are in some areas.
They reached out to us on Facebook and thought their story would make a great show - they were right. If you have an interesting story to tell to the TEDx organizer community, let us know. Find us on Facebook.
We have big dreams and we want to do big things. Grace and Chloe Belangia, TEDx organizers
The Lightning Round
Tell us a bit about your background and your TEDx origin story.
Grace said it all started with a New Years challenge to herself. Listen to the episode to hear the entire story.
What makes your TEDx unique?
For Grace, its the pioneering TEDx event in the City focused on tapping into the Medical, Energy and Military talent. For Chloe, it's being highly aware that this event will impact hundreds of students, so she's very focused on making sure the event is produced perfectly.
What’s your Superpower?
Organizing and Collaborating, for both of them
What was the biggest surprise while working on your event?
For Chloe, how long you plan, then how fast the day goes by.
Every event has its challenges, what was the biggest dragon you had to overcome?
They both talk about struggling with funding. Grace made a good point about how spending on the event helps the local economy by getting funds to local vendors who can't afford to do trade-outs and in-kind donations. (I'd not heard that before, a great way to frame it)
What’s one piece of advice you have for veteran organizers? For first-timers?
Grace: Tap into your local newspaper. Chloe: Focus on branding and social media.
Looking forward to your next event, what excites you the most?
Grace: Grooming a new team. Chloe: She's built a university-based community around the event, and this will be a chance for them all to get together.
What’s a TEDx event that you’d like to attend?
Anywhere in the southern US and any of the more significant legacy events.
The show is called Hacking the Red Circle, so what's your best hack?
Chloe: People love to be featured and recognised, so take lots of pictures and capture a lot of shots of attendees. Grace: When the MC closes the event, bring the entire team on the stage and let them take a bow. Also, they put a whiteboard out in the lobby with the theme on it and encourage attendees to answer a question that's been posted on the board that supports the theme.
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