TEDx Rexburg is happening this Saturday, Jan. 12. Three of the speakers featured in the event, Carol Sevy, Preston Pugmire, and Emily Curtis spoke with BYU-Idaho Radio about their topics and much more.

When asked about their topics, each had compelling stories and reasons for why they want to share that specific message with the world.

Carol Sevy said, “My message is that I choose to be a happy girl and you can too. Everybody has what I call a bald head moment. And that’s a moment of uncertainty, feeling vulnerable, feeling just inadequate and we can turn that around and learn from it and become better from the trials in our life.”

Why does she call those moments bald head moments? Sevy explained that she was diagnosed with cancer in 2015. One doctor gave her one week to live. Despite the grim outlook everyone around her had, Sevy chose to be happy.

“As I was laying there, getting chemo and not sure if I was going to live,” Sevy said, “I just said when I get out of here, I am going to be in a bikini contest…. I’m going to do it, I’m going to be a grandma in a bikini contest.”

Despite her upbeat attitude and determination, after Sevy beat cancer her body could not handle that level of physical exercise. “So I’m doing a TED talk instead!” She said.

Preston Pugmire started out his career as a musician. After years of struggling, he came to a realization that changed his life.

“My message is mindset is more important than strategy,” Pugmire said, “it’s how to accomplish your goals by getting your mindset in the right place before you start to take the steps.”

Now, Pugmire runs a podcast, is a life coach for entrepreneurs, and travels around as a keynote speaker. With all of the public speaking he has to do we asked why he loves it so much.

“Connection with the audience. That’s the thing that is kind of a thread with all of the things I’ve done,” Pugmire said. “Whether it’s music, whether it’s mindset life coaching or public speaking. You have to connect with an idea with an energy. All of it comes down to real connection with people, not just superficial.”

Emily Curtis is the youngest speaker at this TEDx. She’s a senior at Madison High School right now. Although she is young, she has a powerful message to share.

“I’m talking about… being defined by your deeds instead of your data,” she said. “I consider data as the numbers that kind of define our world. Like how … in my case a teenager feels like they can’t accomplish as much because they’re still a minor.”

She expressed how she hopes the audience will see how she is defying her own restrictions and do the same themselves.

Curtis also thinks everyone should attend TEDx Rexburg.

“I can tell you as someone who’s been an audience member, that both times I’ve went, I left feeling like I could change the world.”

Follow this link to find more information or to purchase tickets.