Have you ever wondered how to take your big idea and make it into something that actually moves the world forward?
In this week’s video, Amanda speaks with speaker coach Jess Sato about how you can take your ideas, your stories, your experiences, and make them into one cohesive narrative. Jess Sato is passionate about helping women globally use their unique skills, expertise, and voice to create opportunities for themselves and others.
As the founder and CEO of Jessica Sato Consulting, a speaker coach, and business growth strategist, Jess guides female thought leaders and entrepreneurs in the social impact space through a unique process to hone in on their big idea, create a core messaging strategy, and boldly leverage it as their competitive advantage.
You can watch the interview in the video below or keep scrolling for a full transcript.
Jess Sato: Thanks for having me. I’m so excited to be here with you today.
What makes an idea a “Big Idea”?
Amanda: Me too. I think your most compelling contribution to this space is this idea of a big idea. I wanted to start by just asking you, when you say big idea, I think you have a very specific thing you mean. Talk to me a little bit about what is a big idea.
Jess: When I say big idea, what I mean is sort of that thing that lives deep inside each one of us. I just say this is this idea that’s sitting in your heart, it won’t quite go away and so you feel compelled to do something. Usually, this is almost like this audacious concept or idea. When we speak it out loud, in a way that’s clear and coherent, it has some really unique things. It allows us to challenge the status quo. It demands attention and inspires action. Those three pieces are part of the process for helping us start to gauge whether or not our idea is actually big enough because we want the idea to move the needle forward.
What mistakes do people make in sharing their ideas?
Amanda: What do you think, I mean, I have a guess in my experience, but what do you think is the biggest mistake that people make when they have this idea but is it big enough? Where do people mess up?
Jess: Honestly, most people think their idea isn’t big enough. There’s this question in people’s mind, almost like they downplay their own experience or expertise. They’re like, “Oh, everybody already knows that,” or, “Oh, everybody’s already thinking about it,” or, “Nobody will care.” Because of that, I don’t know, self-limiting beliefs, people push it aside and then they never do something with it. That’s one thing that I see people doing.
I think another thing that people often do is scattershot the concept. It’s like they’ll talk about it a little bit like this and they’ll talk about it a little like that, and to a degree, that’s okay because most of these ideas are deeply nuanced, and there’s bits and pieces around them. But what ends up happening, especially if they’re in the entrepreneurial space, all of a sudden, people are confused. They’re like, “Wait, what are you talking about? Do you do this? Do you do that? I thought your mission was this but now it sounds like that.”
What I often say is, people need to bring their arms around the idea and put it in a container, not because we want to limit it but because we need to help gather all of those bits and pieces and figure out what is that common thread or narrative, and then we zhuzh it up so that we make sure it’s bold, it’s original, it’s loud and I can talk about that and that there’s a tenacity to that idea. I think downplaying and then that curse of expertise, like your idea is so nuanced that you don’t know how to talk about it, and so then you scattershot it, are probably the two biggest things I see.
Amanda: Yes. I see this all the time too. It reminds me of a lot of times with memoir and we do a lot of hybrid memoir where you’re taking your life story, combining it with your expertise, one thing that I see happen when people feel self-conscious is they have their big idea, like you’re saying, they have their big idea but because they don’t think it’s big enough, they start pulling in all this other stuff from their life to say, well, also, this happened to me and this happened and people are always excited when I say this.
I think that’s totally natural. That is not a criticism because it’s just that we live in this world where we see these huge celebrities. I think it’s very natural to think, surely, that’s not me. I think the question that I hear a lot, that I wonder how you answer is, how do you know what the big idea is, what goes in the big idea, and what those extra things are that are probably coming more from fear and overwhelm than from your passion?
How to Figure Out What Details Belong in your Story
Jess: It’s a good question. A lot of times when I’m talking to people, I like to go back to the beginning. We get down into the nitty gritty where we’re looking at a lot of different things. We’re looking at experiences, so laying out things that are relevant to that idea. We’re looking at the expertise. It’s hard to have a big idea that you can do something with if you don’t have the expertise to be talking about it, whether that’s lived or professional. Then are you passionate about it and is there a need? We look at that intersection of those four parts to start.
Then from there, we just start digging in. I often say that most ideas, like I said, there’s a nuance, almost like there’s a spectrum, and so you do get some of that pull-in behavior. For me, I try to think about it almost like a domino. What is the gateway? I’ll just use talk in this case because a lot of people come to me for speaker coaching. What is that gateway talk? What is the most basic thing that a person has to know in order to unlock the door, like tip the domino, so that all the other pieces make sense?
If you’re just pulling a random experience saying, “Oh, this is a thing that happened in my life. I think it’s relevant,” it could be relevant, it probably is relevant, but it doesn’t make sense in the larger narrative because you haven’t talked about those most basic things. I really try to get people to go almost back to the beginning and look at the base, the most basic elements of their big idea, and then, like I said, we zhuzh it up. We start to add the bits and pieces that really make the idea completely their own.
Amanda: Which I imagine is a lot of stories and experiences that you’re building on. People don’t connect with just an idea, I find, which is why we do hybrid memoir because people connect with the idea through reading about your experience with the idea.
A Compelling Stories can Amplify Your Big Idea
Jess: 100%. In fact, the saying I often use is the story amplifies the big idea because what usually happens, is people come to me and they’re like, “I have this really great story.” I’m like, “Okay, that’s awesome. What do we do with that?” The idea is not the story and the story is not the idea. They go together but they’re separate. Part of the work, and I suspect this is true with memoir, is how do we pick and choose the right stories to bring whatever concept or idea that we’re trying to present? How do we bring that to life?
That’s actually quite hard. You’re doing a lot of unearthing and digging to figure out, what is the most salient part of the story? Because even most stories are quite broad.
The other point, I mentioned this in passing, but when I say zhuzh up an idea, I have this little filter that I take people through, and I call it the bolt. Like a lightning bolt. When you hear a really awesome idea, it’s like a lightning bolt. It totally cuts through the darkness. One of the elements of that, the first two elements actually, bolt, does it make you uncomfortable to say this thing? You know an idea is big when you start to feel that little squirmy sensation in your body and your stomach is turning and you’re like, “This is a big deal. People may not like what I have to say.” That’s where we have to do some really big digging.
Then the second point is that in that bolt framework is original or awe. To your point, a lot of times people have these very unique stories and it’s that element that actually makes the idea original. If you just think about it, a lot of people are probably talking about the same things. They have a similar idea, but it’s the unique perspective that they’re bringing to it, the stories, the experiences that really allow it to blossom. If you can get that core and then you zhuzh it up with a little boldness, add in all the stories, then all of a sudden, it stands out in a very different kind of way. It brings people on a different journey than, say, somebody else who might have a similar idea.
Amanda: Absolutely, and especially when you’re trying to move the needle on some kind of a social justice project. Especially in this world that’s so polarized, I think the only way that you get people to let their guard down enough to really hear you is if they connect to you as a human person.
Jess: Absolutely. Absolutely. If you think about this from like a marketing perspective, whether you’re writing a book, whether you’re moving a cause forward, the message has to pierce through the darkness. Like you said, it’s very loud, it’s very divided. That can be an invitation to be bolder, but I don’t think it has to be. It’s that human connection that allows people to feel seen and heard.
When you see something and you’re like, “Oh my God, they totally get me. Oh my God, I think that too. Wow. They had that same experience,” all of a sudden now I can lean in a little bit. Whereas before maybe it was just some random person on the internet saying something. Now all of a sudden we’re connected in a much deeper way.
Amanda: 100%. Have we gone through, is it a B-O-L-D framework that you’re doing?
Jess: Oh, it’s B-O-L-T.
Amanda: Oh, bolt.
The Lightening BOLT effect of a big idea
Jess: The last two, yes, like a lightning bolt, loud, meaning it cuts through the noise of the marketplace. That’s where some of that uniqueness comes in. It’s also where you get to figure out where do you need to be and how do you need to speak these ideas out into the world. Then T is tenacious. For a lot of people, they have an idea, they’re passionate about it, but they don’t have the tenacity to stick with it.
You know from having your own business, you know from helping people with getting their books out into the world, it is a lot of work so you have to be deeply committed to the process, you have to be willing to ride out the highs and lows, and there is some degree of learning and adapting that comes with that process.
If you think about an idea that you’re really passionate about, if you can say it in a way that gets people, their backs to stiffen up a little bit, if they’re adding those really rich stories, if they’re framing it in a way that the people who can relate to it can hear and you’re willing to listen and modify and grow and adapt and stick with it, then all of a sudden, man, this is like a really powerful idea.
Amanda: Yes. Well, that tenacity, that element, that is so, so true in my world too. For sure. We were talking before we started the recording, just about how do people lose their way on this process. What I often see is that there are days when you feel really confident, so you’ll do a little work, but then if the next day you don’t feel as confident, you just throw all the work you did away. [laughs]
Jess: Exactly.
Amanda: I have done this too. This is a totally relatable and understandable thing to do. Tell me a little bit, talk about how you have seen people go through that, but then get themselves back on track. What are the ways that we can make sure that we’re being tenacious through the completion of this idea?
Jess: I have a lot of former clients and current clients who are trying to speak on really big stages. Probably book proposals. You’re putting those things out. You’re pitching, you’re talking about them, and you’re getting a lot of rejections. It’s very easy to feel like, “Oh, maybe my idea isn’t good enough. Maybe my idea isn’t big enough.” A big part of that tenacity is just the deep sense that like, “I have to keep talking about this because this idea can literally change people’s lives.”
I think it’s that deep connection that people have, that passion element. That’s one of the things when we’re doing the actual initial excavation-type work for the idea, that’s one of the reasons why I touch on passion. Because if you have an idea and you’re like, “Wow, this is a revolutionary idea,” but you don’t care about it, there is no way that you’re going to be able to ride those ups and downs.
For me, it’s just a recognition that this is an idea that is so important, is so potentially life-changing that I can’t let it go. That does allow you to deal with the rejection. It does allow you to deal with those off moments where you’re like, “I don’t know how I can keep talking about this.” Then, like you said, there’s a little glimpse of light and all of a sudden you’re like, “I’m back at it.” I think that rollercoaster is very, very natural.
Amanda: No, I do too. Well, and I wonder, can you talk a little bit about speaking on either big or small stages? I think a lot of people watching this channel really want to start a career. A lot of people that come to me have an idea, they’ve worked with one-on-one clients, maybe a group, but as far as being in this public speaking world or presenting your ideas in a book, that does feel really new. What kinds of advice would you give to someone that’s wanting to start taking up that thought leader position?
Jess: Yes, that’s a great question. There’s honestly so many avenues. For someone who’s just starting out, I would say, it’s okay to start small. By small, I don’t mean paid or unpaid. I just mean you don’t have to go for the gusto right off the bat. I have a lot of clients who are like, “I want to speak on the TEDx stage.” I’m like, “Okay. That’s awesome.” Some stages are really conducive to people who just have a big idea and they want to talk about it. That happens to be one of them. Then there are others who are like, “I’m not sure if I’m ready for that stage,” and I just want to say it’s okay. I was going to say there’s no hierarchy. I don’t think that’s actually true. When you’re just beginning, it’s okay to take a graduated approach.
The other thing I’ll say here is getting your big idea out there is not just about public speaking. I have a lot of clients. I put myself in this category actually. I prefer to write. I would much rather get my thought leadership out, get my ideas out, my unique take, et cetera, in word form as opposed to spoken form. I’ve had to straddle that line. I often say, stages of your own making, because depending on what you’re trying to accomplish, who your audience is, it does in fact start to impact what those stages actually look like.
For the longest time, and I still do write a biweekly blog post, but I realized that if I’m saying I want to help women use their unique voice and their expertise, et cetera, I was like, “I think I actually need to be speaking about this,” and so podcast came about. It morphs and changes over time. I think you can take a graduated approach. It doesn’t have to be go for the gusto or nothing. It can be like, “Oh, okay, I want to speak at my local chapter of this networking event,” or “Oh, this conference is looking for a speaker for this workshop. Could I do that?” There are so many mechanisms to figuring it out.
Amanda: Absolutely. Also, I think you can think about what does your idea lend itself to because I’ve recommended many clients to start in churches. Especially if you live in a major metro area, churches can be a pretty big audience-
Jess: Totally.
Amanda: -but also much more forgiving or they at least feel much more forgiving.
Jess: No, that’s so true. It’s so true. That’s what I mean. Where does your message need to be heard? If you are really scared of stepping on a stage, finding that trusted group of people who you can practice with, the more you speak your idea and you see like, “Oh wow, this is really resonating,” or, “Okay, that part doesn’t,” and you keep refining, then all of a sudden it becomes easier, I’m not going to say it’s easy because a lot of people are scared of public speaking, easier to step on bigger and bigger stages.
Again, if you go back to that passion piece and this deep connection with what you’re doing and why you’re doing it, then all of a sudden sometimes that’s enough to help you take that next big step because it is a little bit scary.
Amanda: Yes. 100%. I want to touch on, this isn’t exactly passion but I think it’s in the same arena that I think you’re pointing at, which is also starting on those smaller stages is going to give you a chance to see if you even like it. [laughs]
Jess: Yes. Oh my gosh, yes.
Amanda: Because sometimes it’s like, maybe don’t do a speaking career if you hate speaking.
Jess: Oh my gosh.
Amanda: There are other ways to get your ideas out there.
Jess: Yes. Well, that’s why, like I said, stages of our own making because I know people that are like, “I literally never want to speak.” When I was doing tons and tons of TEDx speaker coaching, so many people were like, “Oh, I don’t want to be a speaker. I don’t like public speaking. I don’t want to do a TEDx.” I’m like, “Okay, that’s fine, but what do you like doing?”
Some people are like, “Oh, I like the idea of podcasting because it’s more controlled.” I’m like, “Perfect.” “Oh, I like writing. I get to get my thoughts together.” “Perfect. Let’s do that.” Again, that’s where the more you do it, the more you’re testing it out, the more you realize one way or the other. I do think your point of, if you’re not sure, it is good to test.
I also think sometimes, this is where I get into that boldness. I do think sometimes doing things that you don’t totally like is important and it may be needed, unfortunately. I know there are probably people who are going to be like, “No. If you’re an entrepreneur, you don’t have to do things you don’t like.” I’m like, “No, that’s not true. You probably do.” Sometimes you may find yourself needing to speak on a stage in order to move the idea forward to the next level. Then, again, you can figure it out. There’s no one path and trial and error is probably where it’s at.
Amanda: I love that. I love this concept of stages of your own making because that does also give you this flexibility to say, “Well, I didn’t like that. Maybe I can try something a little different without just throwing the baby out with the bathwater.”
Jess: Totally.
Amanda: You mentioned TEDx and I know a lot of people are really interested in TEDx. Talk to me a little bit about, what are some of the misconceptions people have that hold them back from going for a TEDx talk.
Jess: I’ll just say, first of all, I’m not affiliated with TED or TEDx, but I have been a speaker coach at a number of TEDx events over the years. I think some basic misconceptions are that you have to be invited. Most people can submit their own application. In fact, I would say that’s probably the norm. Gosh, there’s so much to say here. You don’t have to be this big famous person in order to speak on that stage. One of the beautiful things about the TEDx community is it’s for everyday people with big ideas. I think just that core concept opens the door for anyone to step on the stage and feel like, “Okay, this is a risk, but I’m willing to put myself out there and have that conversation.”
I will say it’s a long game, more often than not. There are many, many events worldwide, and the application process can be a little bit tedious, and there are many, many people who want to speak on that stage. Just know that when you’re going into that process, the chances of you getting selected on the first go are probably unlikely. Some people do. Some people get that unicorn experience, but I would say the average is you’re applying to a good number of events before you find that right fit event for you. And to not take it personally.
One of the things I do think is worth mentioning is every event is unique. It’s independently organized. What a speaker selection committee might be looking for varies from event to event. You have no idea what other kinds of applications have come in, how many are speaking on similar concepts. Most events have a theme, and with that theme is a whole narrative.
When you think about the theme, when you think about the narrative, when you think about all the applications that have come in, it’s hard to know. That’s why I say don’t take it personally, because there could be nothing wrong with your idea. There could be nothing wrong with how you’ve even framed it, but it just didn’t happen to be a fit for that particular event.
I know that’s really hard because after you’ve had a number of rejections, you’re like, “Okay, should I be talking about this anymore?” The reality is that is just part of the process. Whether that’s the TEDx stage or any stage, again, of any kind of making, sometimes it’s going to be a right fit and sometimes it isn’t. You just go in with that long-view perspective. Again, that’s where that tenacity comes into the process.
Amanda: No, I love that. Same with books. What’s timely changes all the time. Sometimes people will come to me and say, well, I see all the books about X, Y, Z. Maybe I should do that instead of the topic that I love. No, you’re too late. You’re too late. If it’s already out, they’re not looking for it anymore. I want to pick up on one thing that you said about TEDx. I actually think a lot of speaker platforms being for everyday people with big ideas.
Sometimes I think we see these viral TED or other videos, and we put the cart before the horse. We imagine they must have been famous before they did that when so often it’s the opposite. It’s they had to get out there and be bold and be brave and just trust that it was going to be well-received and then it kind of got going. Talk to me about, how have you seen some of your clients, people you’ve worked with, how have you seen the ideas kind of drive their mission forward and drive their work forward in other areas besides just their speaking?
Jess: That’s a great, great question. It is a bit of a funny thing because people do make this assumption. If I give X kind of talk, I’m going to be famous or it’s going to go viral. I would say that is rare. Most people are building their businesses from the ground up and they’re talking about it on lots of different platforms. What I see probably most often is when people are willing to put those ideas out there over and over again on a whole variety of platforms, and let me just put a little asterisk, I don’t mean scattershot. I mean, you’re doing aligned platforms for what you’re trying to accomplish.
Like you’re saying, people think about it as this overnight sensation when in reality, they’ve been working at it for like 5, 10, 15 years. Now all of a sudden it’s picking up because it’s the right time, it’s the issue that people care about, et cetera. Mostly what I see is a match between the idea and the timing and because they have been there and been tenacious in their work, all of a sudden things start happening. I rarely find that it’s because of one single experience that all of a sudden everything is exploding and awesome. In fact, I usually don’t think that’s effective because we’re going to struggle big time to be able to accommodate that kind of increase. That’s where I think having a really strong strategy and being diligent and persistent really makes the day.
Amanda: I love that point for book authors, too, because sometimes it is kind of, “Well, I’ll write this book and then I’ll get a traditional publisher and then they’ll market it for me, and I won’t really have to be out there.” First of all, if you watch this channel, you know I’ve said this many times, your traditional publisher is not marketing your book for you. You still have to be out there promoting it whether you self-publish or traditionally publish or get a hybrid.
Also what I like about what you’re saying is it’s also much more effective for spreading your story and your idea if you can combine your book with a podcast or combine your book even with podcast interviews on other people’s platforms or I’m seeing work a lot right now, little short TikTok or Instagram Reels, videos where you’re giving one little tiny piece because people can binge you then. You’re on their mind for longer.
Jess: Absolutely. I think that’s why I think it’s so important to, A, be clear on what you’re saying, but also have that strategy because there’s no one thing that’s really working for everyone all the time. Again, there’s that trial and error. What used to be the path is no longer just the path. Like you said, so many people are finding success with stories and reels and TikToks and little YouTube shorts and all kinds of stuff. There’s just so much opportunity for you to play around and figure out, like, “Oh, I really like the way I show up and communicate on this platform, and it’s working.” That takes some longevity to figure that out, but there’s a lot of power in that because you get to decide, not somebody else.
Amanda: Yes, and the more you do it, the clearer you get, even if you think you’re clear already.
Jess: Yes, big time. Big time. Yes.
Amanda: Well, this has been so helpful. I know people are going to benefit so much from all that you shared, but I also know people are going to want to binge your other stuff. I know you mentioned your podcast. Do you have other resources that people can find?
Jess: Yes. My podcast is every other week, Purpose & Profit. I spend a lot of time on LinkedIn. That’s where I share a lot of information, specifically around thought leadership and big ideas and really creating visibility around those. I’m on Instagram. I’m where most people are hanging out. There’s lots of free resources on my website to get you thinking about how do you find your big idea and all of that. Yes, tons of places to find me.
Amanda: Excellent. Excellent. Well, we have had some of the same clients and I know people just rave about working with you. If you’ve been listening to this and you are wanting to work on that big idea, get out there and really make a difference, reach out to Jess, you will not regret it. It’s going to be such a good experience, and then come write your book.
Jess: Yes. Thank you so much.
Amanda: Well, thank you so much for joining us. This was really, really good. I’m so happy we got to chat.
Interested in learning more about Jess Sato? Check her out here:
