Former Tonight Show Writer Has Given 5 TEDx Talks and Shares Tips on How to Get One of Your Own!
Former Tonight Show writer Frank King explains how he turned his own struggle with depression and suicidal ideation into a career as a suicide prevention speaker, and shares his tips for landing and leveraging a TEDx talk.
About This Episode
As a former writer for The Tonight Show, humor columnist, and podcast personality, Frank King is a natural comedian. However, similar to many comedians, he has battled depression and suicidal ideation his entire life, conditions that run in his family.
Frank realized that his comedic skills provided him a casual platform through which he could reach and educate people on mental illness — when people are laughing, they’re learning. So, he drew upon his personal experiences with depression, framed them through a lens of comedy, and launched a career as a Suicide Prevention and Postvention Public Speaker and Trainer.
While high in entertainment value, Frank’s keynotes are also highly impactful. By blending comedy and education, they start conversations, create a sense of community, and give voice to the feelings and experiences of those who have been affected by mental illness and suicide.
In this episode of Open Mike, Frank reflects on his lengthy comedy career, discusses the state of the pandemic-affected speaking industry, and imparts some serious insight on mental illness, peppering in jokes all along the way.
If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center, or text MHA to 741741.
Show Notes
- Frank King’s background and bio.
- Welcome to Open Mike, Frank!
- That was quite an intro I just read! You’ve done it all, and now you’re doing TEDx Talks on suicide, comedy — I don’t even know where to begin! Let’s start with The Tonight Show — who was the host during the time you were there?
- You got to work with and meet a bunch of celebrities, Jerry Seinfeld, Ellen DeGeneres, Kevin James… they came to the studio with their own jokes, so would you just meet them when they were in the building, working on the show?
- You were writing on The Tonight Show, so were you ever on The Tonight Show?
- Tell us one of your favorite bits or jokes you sold, whatever comes to mind!
- Now you’re doing TED Talks… tell us how you got into that and the topics you speak on.
- As someone who has hereditary Major Depressive Disorder and experiences moments of suicidal ideation, Frank realized he could speak on suicide prevention if he got some education on it.
- So, people are hiring you to help them get TEDx Talks?
- Tell our listeners and viewers the difference between a TED Talk and a TEDx Talk.
- You’re talking about a very tough subject, you’re showing vulnerability, and adding some humor… was the first time you took the stage nerve-wracking?
- What are a few of the takeaways from your talk? So people can search you out on TED and YouTube…
- What’s the topic of your sixth TEDx Talk coming up in February?
- Frank’s next talk is about depressive realism, a suggested attribute of people with depression that allows them to see the world as it is, unaffected by “rose-colored glasses.” The idea is to change the frame through which we view depression — not every aspect of it is negative.
- You don’t get paid for TEDx Talks, correct?
- What are you striving for? I imagine the goal is number of viewers — what’s a successful talk vs. a not-so-successful talk?
- We’ve had five people on the show who have been wrongfully convicted, and some of them may want to do a TEDx Talk one day. They may not necessarily be able to afford to hire a coach but would benefit from some advice. What should they do in order to book a TEDx Talk some day?
- How does one translate a lifelong experience, a story that takes hours and hours to share, into a fifteen-minute talk?
- If you go to Frank’s coaching website, you can check out a PDF called 6 Things That Will KILL Your Chances Of Landing A TEDx Talk for more guidance on story structure.
- I assume you’re doing TEDx virtually now?
- Once you conduct a TEDx Talk, how do you leverage it?
- Are you getting paid speaking gigs from these talks?
- The professions with the five highest suicide rates are: construction, mining, excavation, fishing/forestry, dentists/veterinarians/physicians.
- Right now is a good time to apply to TEDx because many people believe talks are no longer occurring, which is not the case. Many are occurring virtually. Additionally, the National Speakers Association estimates 25-40% of current speakers will not be working in the industry following the pandemic. There will be a pent-up demand and fewer speakers, so now is a good time to get in position if you are interested in being a speaker.
- Thank you to Frank King for appearing on Open Mike! If you’re interested in a TED Talk or know someone who has an interesting story, make sure to check out his speaking website and coaching website. Thank you for supporting Open Mike!
FAQs
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How did Frank King get into suicide prevention speaking?
King says that after the recession hit his corporate comedy business and he and his wife lost everything in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, he contemplated suicide but did not pull the trigger. He then got an email from TEDx in Vancouver inviting him to apply, got the talk, and used it to come out on stage as someone living with major depressive disorder and chronic suicidal ideation, which no one in his family knew. After getting education on suicide prevention, he says, he used that first TEDx to rebrand.
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How is a TEDx talk structured, according to Frank King?
King says a TEDx talk is generally divided into three sections: the first is your story, the next four, five or six minutes are what you learned, and the last four, five or six minutes are what you’re going to teach the audience. Only a third of it, he says, is the amazing story.
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What kills most TEDx applications, according to Frank King?
King says the one thing that kills most TEDx applications is too much. Applications may ask for your idea as a title and subtitle, a 10-word elevator pitch or a two-sentence summation, and he believes organizers figure that if you can sum it up that briefly, you can comfortably do it in 12 to 18 minutes; if you can’t, it’s too broad.
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Do TEDx speakers get paid?
No. King says you don’t pay to go and you don’t get paid, and you fly yourself and put yourself up. The payoff, he says, is that authors can talk about their book, people can tell the audience about the good work of a cause or charity they work with, and speakers get the TEDx letters behind them in their demo video.
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Which professions does Frank King target with his suicide prevention talks?
King says he picked four occupations where the rate of suicide is high and that have meetings, money and use outside speakers: dentists, veterinarians, physicians and construction. He noted that 400 physicians die by suicide every year in the U.S.
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