1. It’s one of the best events in the state. Not just because it is a series of great presentations (it is), but because of the conversations and relationships built during the breaks. The talent in the audience alone should make Mississippi very proud. I hope great things for Mississippi come out of this meeting of the minds.
2. The organizers did a fantastic job organizing the event. I emceed last year’s — and it was a good show. But this year’s ran even smoother. Kudos to my radio partner Rita B. Brent​ for doing a great job keeping the show going as emcee. She’s a major talent and has a bright career ahead of her. Everyone involved from the speakers to the organizers to the sponsors should be very proud of themselves this morning.
3. Every speech was great in it’s own way. The quality was strong all the way across the board. Once again, Mississippi should be very proud. It was as goods as any TED event I’ve ever seen. Period.
4. Jim Barksdale is a very humble speaker — but listening to him talk about his career left me in awe.
5. I walked out of there with at least 100 good ideas for my career. But the main thing I am going to do is become a better listener. That’s really the secret to being a good salesperson.
6. I am a terrible judge of my own speaking, but according to the organizers, the speech coach and audience and social media feedback, I nailed it. I’ll admit, I was nervous — mainly because I was one of the last speakers and had all day to think about it. But I loved all the laughter, people quoting me on Twitter and the applause. I’ve given hundreds of speeches and feel like they led up to yesterday. I can’t wait to get the YouTube clip and post it for you to see.
7. I look forward to next year’s TEDxJackson.