When starting a business, or even envisioning one, the best thing you can do is motivate yourself while you prepare. This involves reading books on entrepreneurship, attending conferences, and acquiring knowledge through videos and publications.
If you enjoy learning about entrepreneurship and learning from others’ success stories, then TED Talks are an excellent choice. They not only inspire, but can provide you with the necessary information on how to start your own blog or just to motivate yourself to dream big. Here are 10 TED Talks to guide you in your ambitions to become an entrepreneur:
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1) A Guide to Believing in Yourself (But for Real This Time) | Catherine Reitman |
Since she was a child, Catherine Reitman has always been an optimist. She believes that if you set your mind to it, anything is possible. This attitude has served her well in her career as a journalist and TED Talk speaker, but lately it’s helped her with something even more important: overcoming mental health challenges. In her talk, she helps others to realize their fullest potential by overcoming a lack of self-confidence. The power of confidence in oneself cannot be overstated. When you have confidence in yourself, you’re able to face any obstacle or challenge head on with a positive attitude. Confidence in your own abilities can also give you the strength and determination to achieve your goals in life. So how do you develop self-confidence? One important way is to believe in yourself—to hold onto the belief that you are capable of achieving anything that’s put before you.
2) 3 Ways to Create a Work Culture That Brings Out the Best in Employees | Chris White |
Leadership, Marketing & Work Culture
Strong leadership and thoughtful marketing go hand-in-hand with a healthy workplace culture. When leaders prioritize clear communication, respect, and shared values, teams feel safe to take risks, innovate, and stay motivated—which is exactly the environment entrepreneurs should aim to build. Chris White offers practical steps to build trust and psychological safety among employees; Giuseppe Stigliano shows how authentic storytelling and empathy make marketing more effective; and Martin Al Masri reminds us that honest reflection about failure is a core part of learning. Together these lessons help founders create workplaces where people want to stay and customers want to engage.
3) Design Your Dream Life Through Passive Income | Alex Szepietowski |
Passive income is a beautiful dream that many people chase, but few ever achieve. Passive income streams are created when you do something with minimal input or effort on your part and generate income in the process. Passive income provides us with security and flexibility to pursue our passions without having to work day-in and day-out for paychecks we don’t deserve. In this talk, Alex Szepietowski gives tips for realizing your dreams of securing a passive income career.
4) How to Become a Marketing Superhero | Giuseppe Stigliano | TEDxRoma |
Giuseppe Stigliano is a seasoned expert in the field of business. In this TED talk, he shares his invaluable insights and strategies for achieving a harmonious balance in the corporate landscape. Learn the key principles and practical tips that Giuseppe has gathered from his extensive experience as a business leader and marketing guru. He explores the importance of harmonious interactions between employees, clients, and partners, illustrating how this harmony can lead to increased productivity and success. Giuseppe Stigliano’s wealth of knowledge and experience as well as engaging and relatable presentation style makes complex business concepts accessible to all viewers.
5) Grit: the Power of Passion and Perseverance | Angela Lee Duckworth |
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance is a new book by Angela Duckworth, an eminent professor at the University of Pennsylvania. She has written extensively on intelligence, but this is her first book about character traits. Duckworth’s thesis is that “grit”—endurance and perseverance in the face of difficulty or opposition—are what distinguish successful individuals from unsuccessful ones. Although we cannot prevent everything that might go wrong in life, there are ways to prepare for and mitigate the negative effects of failure. One such way is by setting goals with passion and perseverance—two characteristics which have been proven time and time again to be resilient factors in the face of difficulties. These are concepts that Angela shares with her audience.
6) Why Confidence Is The Secret To Great Leaders At Work & Home | Dr. Karyn Gordon |
Confidence is the key to success as a leader at work and in your personal life. It’s essential to be self-assured, know what you’re good at, and project an air of confidence so people will want to work with or be around you. Confidence is not arrogance, it’s self-assuredness. Confident people know their abilities, strengths, and weaknesses and accept them with grace. They don’t obsess over planning every detail or making perfect decisions; they just trust that the process will work out. This shows in how confident leaders approach their jobs and interactions with others. This talk shares Dr. Karyn Gordon’s findings from her studies on confidence and leadership.
7) Secrets of Success in 8 Words, 3 Minutes | Richard St. John |
Why do most people fail at anything they set their mind to? Often it’s because they don’t know how. They think “I can’t” instead of “I’ll try.” Richard St. John’s famous 8-word mantra will help you succeed no matter what.
8) Zero Equals One: Creating a Business From Nothing | Riley Csernica |
Do you have an idea for a business, but don’t know how to start it? This talk can help you create and grow your own business from scratch. With Riley Csernica‘s guidance, you’ll learn the basics of starting a company, from finding the right concept to building the right team. He’ll provide resources and advice along the way so that everything is easy for you — no pitching required!
9) Entrepreneurship is Easy…ish | Martin Al Masri |
Is entrepreneurship really easy? Martin Al Masri, serial entrepreneur and author of Entrepreneurship Is Easy…ish, seems to think so. The problem: too many people automatically assume that starting their own business is a walk in the park and don’t really do their research before jumping in.
10) How I Became an Entrepreneur at 66 | Paul Tasner |
Does age have anything to do with success in entrepreneurship? Author and speaker Paul Tasner thinks not—and argues that attitude, faith, knowledge, and perseverance are what really matter.
Conclusion
We hope you found our selection helpful. Entrepreneurship can present challenges, and there inevitably will be blocks and moments of doubt as an aspiring entrepreneur. Never give up, and continue to dream big despite the circumstances. We encourage you to rewatch the videos you like, and to take notes. In time, you’ll find that entrepreneurship is not as difficult as it seems, and you’ll enjoy the process.
Which of these talks inspired you most? Share your thoughts in the comments.
I’m an entrepreneur and digital marketing enthusiast who loves helping people grow—not just in affiliate marketing, but in all areas of online business. I enjoy showing others how to build a strong brand, create meaningful content, and use tools that make work easier. Over the years, I’ve learned what truly works in digital marketing, from creating websites that convert to building an engaged audience through email and social media. After more than ten years in the field, I’ve gathered plenty of lessons I enjoy sharing through my writing and talks. I use my own experiences to help others reach their goals and build something lasting. Besides running my business, I’m a fiction writer in the speculative genre, with dozens of short stories published in various magazines and anthologies. For eighteen years, I was a Top 10% Reviewer at Zoetrope, an online venue for creatives, where I helped members strengthen their writing. When I’m not working as a writer or marketer, you’ll probably find me cooking, reading, or watching a good baseball game. I live in New York City, where I was born and raised.