3 Inspirational TED Talks for Small-Business Owners & Entrepreneurs
Ideas worth spreading. That’s what TED Talks are all about. There have been hundreds of TED Talks on a wide array of topics by an astonishing range of speakers—from Bill Clinton to Bono—and many of them are surprisingly applicable to the entrepreneurial life. Here are three terrific TED Talks that every entrepreneur or small-business owner should watch.
Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action
One of the most-viewed TED Talks ever, Simon Sinek’s “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” discussion is also one of the most enlightening and inspirational, delving into what makes a leader truly great and capable of inspiring change. The author and leadership expert uses examples from the business world like Apple, but also leaders of social change like Martin Luther King and aviation pioneers the Wright brothers. Whether you’re the owner of a mom-and-pop carpet-cleaning company or a tech startup with big dreams, the insights packed into these 18 minutes could have a tremendous affect on your life and business. “People don’t buy what you do,” Sinek says. “They buy why you do it.”
Richard Branson: Life at 30,000 Feet
In this 2007 TED Talk, Richard Branson discusses his life, career, and motivations with TED curator Chris Anderson. From a struggling music-store owner to head of the Virgin empire, Branson is the quintessential success story. Sharing a thematic thread with the Simon Sinek talk, one of the big takeaways here is examining why successful leaders and entrepreneurs do what they do, what motivates them, and how that impacts both their failures and success. Even if you don’t aspire to a business empire so vast, it’s an eye-opening, inspirational talk.
Gayle Tzemach Lemmon: Women Entrepreneurs, Example Not Exception
“Women can no longer be both half the population and a special-interest group,” declares reporter Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, who delivers this inspirational (yes, that word again!) TED Talk that discusses the importance of women entrepreneurs in business and economic development. She points out that worldwide 50 percent of small businesses are run by women, yet only 16 percent of the world’s top business leaders are women. Why is that?
For more great TED Talks, see TED.com’s playlist of the most popular talks of all time.
READ MORE FROM AMERICAN COMMERCIAL CAPITAL
Business Video Roundup: How to Retain Employees, Pitch to Major Retailers & More
In this week’s roundup of great videos for entrepreneurs and business owners, restaurateur and Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta offers up some tips on pitching to major retailers, Patrick-Bet David discusses the common reasons employees quit (and what you can do to retain them), and Stanford Graduate School of Business professor Charles O’Reilly explores why even great businesses fail. Plus, things heat up on the insightful and entertaining latest episode…
Business Video Roundup: Marketing Fundamentals, Motivation Tips & More
In this week’s roundup of great videos for entrepreneurs and business owners, Brian Tracy offers up a few tips for getting motivated quickly, Evan Carmichael and Genius Network’s Joe Polish talk about the fundamentals of marketing, and Rebecca Minkoff gives advice about growing a company without the luxury of VC funding. Plus, CNBC explores why Starbucks failed in South Africa (good lessons within about knowing your market) and Entrepreneur…
Business Video Roundup: Why CEOs Get Fired, Doing Business with Humanity & More
In our latest roundup of great videos for entrepreneurs and business owners (large or small), Patrick Bet-David explores eight common reasons CEOs get fired, Gary Vaynerchuk talks about doing business like a human (as opposed to like a robot), and Simon Sinek chats with Marie Forleo about a specific line of thinking that leads a business to make innovative choices that pay off. Plus, the founder and CEO of…
