The Hack: Don’t do everything by yourself
Randy Bretz, the Organizer for TEDxLincoln, suggests that the secret to managing a TEDx is that he doesn’t feel like you have to do everything yourself. He’s very comfortable asking for help. For anything and everything. This is the most important piece of advice he shared.
He’s produced 24 TEDx events since 2011. Randy can frequently be found on the TEDxHUB dispensing valuable advice from hard-learned lessons. Watch the video that they created for their Partners. It gives you a wonderful feel for Lincoln, Nebraska.
He writes on Medium about organizing TEDx events, interviewing other organizers, and telling their stories. We were thrilled he agreed to be our first guest.
The Lightning Round
Tell us a bit about your background and your TEDx origin story.
Randy has a long history in the TV production business, which makes producing a TEDx easy for him. He started his first TEDx in 2011. A friend of his mentioned that TEDx licenses were available and he saw this as an opportunity to marry his production expertise with high-quality content.
How many TEDx events have you produced or worked with?
Randy’s done six main events, 2 TEDxWomen, 2 TEDxYouth, 4 TEDxLive – viewing parties and 10 Salons.
What makes your TEDx unique?
High-quality video production with a locally oriented feel that mirrors what happens in the community of Lincoln, Nebraska
What’s your superpower?
Producing
What was the biggest surprise for you while working on your event?
That there was much more to it than he thought.
Every event has its challenges, what was the biggest dragon you had to overcome?
Getting discouraged. There’s so much to do; he looks for inspiration to find the energy to get through the to-do list.
What’s one piece of advice you have for veteran organizers? For first-timers?
Don’t do it all by yourself. Learn how to step away.
Looking forward to your next event, what excites you the most?
TEDxLincolnYouth in August 2017 and getting to work with the kids.
What’s a TEDx event that you’d like to attend?
TEDxWashingtonDC
The show is called Hacking the Red Circle. What’s your best hack?
Don’t be afraid to ask people to help you, or be on stage, or partner, or give you funding. Just ask.