How to Land and Deliver a TEDx or Keynote Speech: Cesar Cervantes

In this episode, I sit down with Cesar Cervantes – an expert speaker coach, TEDx mentor, and former stand-up comedian – to dive into the real behind-the-scenes of landing, writing, and delivering a TEDx talk that actually makes an impact. 🎯

You will learn: 

• Caesar’s origin story from comedy clubs to the TEDx stage
• The key difference between TEDx talks and keynote speeches
• How to pitch your TEDx idea and what organizers actually look for
• Why structure is everything — and how to make your message stick
• Smart ways to practice (and avoid common mistakes)
• How humor can be integrated naturally, even if you’re not “funny”
• Tips for building a keynote that books more speaking gigs
• A sneak peek into Cesar’s new book Great Speech

Timestamps & Highlights:

23:47 – 23:56: How do you add humor to a speech?

23:56 – 24:10: Don’t try to be funny from the start — find the right moments to insert humor.

24:10 – 24:24: It depends on your natural sense of humor and personality.

24:56 – 25:12: There are two key ingredients to humor: surprise and superiority.

25:31 – 25:45: Surprise is when the audience didn’t expect that twist. Superiority is when something is better or smarter than something else.

25:45 – 26:03: A great book, Comedy Writing Secrets, breaks humor into 5–7 joke types.

26:03 – 26:05: Once you know the structure, you can write jokes intentionally — not just by instinct.

Connect with Kim Rittberg:

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🌐 Visit Kim’s website for free resources and coaching programs: https://www.kimrittberg.com

Connect with Cesar Cervantes:

Cesar Cervantes: https://www.cesarcervantes.tv/subscribe

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/speaktedx 

Cesar’s Book  GREAT SPEECH book

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