5 TED Talks That Will Inspire You to Be a Better Entrepreneur Watch these videos when you have some down time or when you need a little extra motivation.
By Thomas Smale Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
I'm a big fan of helpful and motivational content, especially business-minded podcasts and videos of keynote speakers from conferences around the world. TED Talks, a collection of thousands of presentations from some of the most brilliant entrepreneurial minds, is my favorite source of video motivation.
Related: 4 Motivating TED Talks to Help You Keep Your New Year's Resolutions
It can be quite overwhelming if you are new to the TED Talks series -- after all, with thousands of choices, how do you know where to start? I've decided to highlight some of my favorite videos that I believe will help you become a better entrepreneur. Watch them when you have some down time or when you need a little extra motivation.
1. Seth Godin: How to Get Your Ideas to Spread
Seth Godin, a marketing expert, dives deep into why the most unusual and out-of-the-box idea is often much more successful than one that is boring. Every entrepreneur started with an idea -- let Godin inspire you to spread your idea, no matter how big or small it might be, by making time to watch this video.
I promise the gears inside your head will be turning after you listen to Godin present.
2. Tony Robbins: Why We Do What We Do
We often hear that to be successful, we must take action. While correct, to take action you must first find inspiration. Why do you want to become an entrepreneur? Does your product or service have the potential to impact the lives of others? Do you just want to become filthy rich?
In this TED Talk, Robbins, one of the most impactful and successful motivational speakers, explains exactly what motivates people to take action. He explains that success comes when you understand the emotions as well as needs of others.
This is one of the most popular TED Talks, with several million views to date. Events that Robins speaks at sell out every time -- here is your chance to be impacted by one of the greats from the comfort of your own home.
Related: The Most Talked-About Speeches of 2014
3. Richard Branson: Life at 30,000 Feet
Richard Branson is one of the most interesting and unique entrepreneurs -- and that is why I recommend that everyone watch this TED Talk, which dives into his personal life and business experiences. It also touches on what motivates him, even at this stage of success.
If you are ever having a stressful day where nothing seems to be going right, take a 30-minute break and watch this video. I promise you will have a completely different mindset and you will welcome the hard work and obstacles with open arms.
Branson has accomplished a lot through hard work and smart business decisions, so take some time to listen to him -- he clearly knows what he is talking about.
4. Elizabeth Gilbert: Success, Failure and the Drive to Keep Creating
Elizabeth Gilbert is a successful author that wrote Eat, Pray, Love, which hit virtually every single best-seller list in existence and was also adapted into a movie that starred Julia Roberts.
She achieved the level of success that every entrepreneur strives to reach. Would you believe me that Gilbert considered never writing another book after Eat, Pray, Love because she was scared of not living up to the same expectations? She eventually overcame that fear by thinking back to her rejections prior to her success. She failed for six years before her first successful book.
Watch this presentation and you will never give up on your dream and vision.
5. Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action
At more than five years old, this is a classic TED Talk that touches on one of the most important entrepreneurial topics -- leadership. Simon Sinek's talk challenges listeners to channel their inner rebel and not to think and act like everyone else. In fact, he stresses the importance of doing the complete opposite of what everyone else is doing.
Think of all the great companies that have emerged as pioneers in recent years -- Apple, Facebook and Tesla come to mind. Where would they be without the leadership of Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk? I believe it would be safe to say they wouldn't be where they are today.
Do you have a favorite Ted Talk that wasn't listed? Share your favorite in the comments section below.
Related: The 5 Most Popular TED Talks of All Time
