Day of The TEDx Talk

I blink my eyes open after only sleeping about four hours. Im up. The second alarm sounds, I snap it off quick. Adrenaline courses through my veins. I feel my stomach flip. My great friend, Jacob, snores in the bed across the room. I yell for him, and without saying anything back, he too knowingly pops up. We had to move, and move with intention—it was finally the day of my TEDx Talk.

Straight to the gym, we went to get a workout in. It was a small setup, some errant dumbbells and a treadmill, so we went for some pushups, curls, squats and a bit of core work. Blasting Kendrick Lamar, we bounced through each set and slowly started to settle into the day, the gravity and the moment. I remember the quick beats with each song pushing us. After, we each downed a Red Bull and vanilla yogurt where it was then time for a last second prep session.

Back to the room, I went through my notes again and Jacob and I knocked out a couple of necessary promotional clips we had to shoot for the days event. I got to my coat, quickly ironed it, and tidied up as best I could. There, then, I started to really feel my nerves come in. Once in the clothes I knew were for this day, and this moment, it all began to feel increasingly more and more real. This had been a dream of mine for as long as I could remember. Time moved quickly then, and we were out the door, headed for the venue just across the street.

Inside, it was an instant blitz of media, TV interviews, preparation and pre-event meetings. Whatever bit of the calm I’d been grabbing hold of and had been able to muster, protect and guard, was expelled the second I walked through those doors. Everything about the intensity of the event was palpable in every person you crossed paths with—from the volunteers and event coordinators, to the other speakers and special guests. Every early conversation that day was met with a growing sense of the days urgency, as well as good dose of encouragement. Getting to the auditorium next, it was eerie seeing it completely empty in that moment, knowing that the next time we’d be in here, we’d have hundreds of eyes, ears and hearts surrounding us on all sides. I took one more look around, soaking it all in, before making a quick exit for a coffee in the green room. I found my notes again then too.

Throughout the months and months I’d dedicated to this talk I was set to deliver today, I’d religiously penned my notes in this one, tiny, pocket notebook. I brought it everywhere with me. I’d jot down a random idea on a plane, or re-read the previous nights practice session while pumping gas—anywhere I could steal a few moments to review, I did. I loved that thing. I’d studied those pages so intently that I’d often dream about the speech I was hoping to give while I’d slept at night. Starting each day by reading through it all and then ending each day the same. It was my bible. It was a direct and detailed manifestation of me.

With all of the noise, the conversations and intensity surrounding me then, I went for one last run through in my head. Carefully, I pinpointed each mark and each line I’d hoped to hit, and then once I’d gone through it completely, I flowed the speech out on a nearby whiteboard. I rewrote it out and even fleshed out a few remaining, straggling last-minute ideas and brought it all home around my primary central point.

“We have the power of life changing inspiration in our hands."

I put the marker down just as the crew came to mic me up. It was time. I was off to the side of stage and went through a short deep breathing exercise. I slowed down. I placed my notebook in my back pocket. Then, I took the stage.

Next thing I knew, it was over. I’d done it. Falling into the arms of the event organizers, Evan and Kaipo, I began to cry. Because in that instant, my mind flashed with every single speech I’d given before that had led me to this very moment. Every single face I’d seen in every single audience I’d met. All of the years of practicing my craft. All of the sacrifice. It was an unexpected and powerful wave of emotion, but a memory of that day that I'm sure I’ll never forget. The exhaustion piled on then and I felt it all in a sweeping instant.

I put everything into this talk. It is my magnum opus, my greatest project and my clearest moment of expression and story told in my life to date. Everything about this talk, and each word spoken came from a special depth of my heart.

Greenville, South Carolina, you’ll forever have my love, and to the live audience that November afternoon, thank you for the endless support. Thanks again to Evan, Kaipo and the entire TEDxUnityPark team for putting together this interminably inspiring event—it was my great honor to be one of your 2025 speakers. A special thanks to my family that traveled out for the event, and my NMDP ally, Erica Sevilla, it meant the world to have you there. And last, a special thanks to Jacob, my timer and my closest friend. I can always count on you brother.

To see JD Slajchert’s full TEDx Talk, “How Handwriting Can Save Your Life” delivered on November 19th, 2025, in Greenville, South Carolina, please click and watch the video below. All photos and videos credited to TEDxUnityPark.