Aging into power | Teri Weinberg | TEDxPacific Avenue

Key Concepts

• Reclaiming one's voice and owning one's narrative
• Overcoming obstacles and biases in male-dominated industries
• The power of failure and reinvention
• Embracing age and experience as sources of strength
• The importance of persistence, resilience, and self-belief
• Taking up space and sharing one's truth to inspire others
• Finding strength in vulnerability and authenticity

Early Career and Challenges

The speaker, a former executive vice president of NBC and a producer with over two decades of experience, begins by describing her career spent behind the scenes, shaping narratives and elevating voices. She highlights her involvement in developing and launching culturally significant shows like The Office, Ugly Betty, and The Tutors. She notes the challenges she faced as a woman in a male-dominated industry, including being overlooked, having her ideas taken by others, and feeling pressured to be grateful for minimal recognition. She describes these experiences as forming a kind of "armor."

Finding Her Voice During the Writer's Strike

The 2023 writer's strike provided the speaker with the space and time to connect with her own voice. After years of giving notes to writers, she began writing for herself, leading to a shift in perspective. It became about reclaiming and owning her voice, not the one shaped for others, but the one that had always been hers. This was not a confession, but a moment of self-acceptance and truth.

Earning Her Voice Through Experience

The speaker emphasizes that her voice was not simply found, but earned through hard lessons, brave choices, and kept promises. Failures rewired her, making her smarter, wiser, and more competitive. She highlights experiences in boardrooms where she was underestimated and on soundstages when things were falling apart. She emphasizes the importance of speaking up, even when it felt impossible. The lines on her face are not flaws, but a testament to her experiences, holding "experience and mischief, defiance, and grace and love." One line is from staying quiet when she should have spoken up, another from laughing at those who doubted her. Despite being told she was too old to start at 32, she persevered because of her vision and unwavering self-belief.

The NBC Experience and Being "Pushed Out"

In 2007, the speaker held a high-ranking position at NBC, a role that came with significant power, risk, and pressure. Every decision was public, and mistakes were magnified. Despite her competence, she was "pushed out quietly, strategically," which she found shattering and embarrassing.

Rebuilding and Reinvention

After being pushed out, she allowed herself to grieve and then began rebuilding on her own terms. She returned to producing and telling stories, but this time without seeking approval. She started her own production company, creating space for women and advocating for marginalized voices. She focused on mentoring, speaking out, and creating opportunities. She emphasizes that failure is not the opposite of success but a part of the journey.

The Triathlon Metaphor

At 55, the speaker signed up for her first triathlon, a challenge that included a 26-mile bike ride, a 6.5-mile run, and a mile swim in the ocean, despite not knowing how to swim and being terrified of the ocean. She undertook this challenge after her mother's death from lymphoma, needing something bigger than her grief to hold on to. The training was brutal, both physically and mentally, but she persisted. The race became a metaphor for her life, representing staying strong, overcoming challenges, and learning to breathe differently. Crossing the finish line was about proving her capability even when "cracked wide open."

Call to Action and Embracing Authenticity

The speaker encourages everyone, especially women, to recognize their power, which comes from persistence, love, and resilience. She shares that at 65, she is still stretching, surprising herself, and more herself than ever. Giving a TED Talk is scary but liberating. She challenges the audience to do the thing that scares them, whether it's pitching an idea, applying for a job, or sharing their story. She learned to surf at 56, demonstrating that it's never too late to start. Clarity comes from action, not overthinking. She emphasizes the importance of being real, loud, brave, and unapologetically oneself.

Aging into Power

Reinvention is not about erasing the past but reclaiming the present. The lines on her face are a "badge of honor," holding stories, triumphs, heartbreaks, and wisdom. She concludes by urging the audience to stop asking if they're ready and to simply start, embracing their authentic selves. "You don't age out of power. You age into it."