#206. How to inspire students at your Alma Mater

What type of presentation podcast would we be if we didn’t discuss the actual presentations that we gave?? We’ve been tracking Mikey’s Road to the TED Talk since the inception of this podcast—and a few weeks ago, he got one step closer. Invited to speak at his Alma Mater, DePauw University in Indiana, Mikey infused today’s liberal arts pupils with a manifesto keynote in letting your creative pursuits fuel everything else in life. Inspired by Nike’s tagline story and (of course) Steve Jobs’ quote that says “Creativity is just connecting things”, Mikey shares how he went about putting together this fresh talk, his implementation of Claude as a research partner, and how it all landed with the students in the room. This is an episode for: emerging speakers and anyone putting together a new talk.  What’s in the Spice Cabinet? Follow more of Mikey’s writingVia “The Dispatch” on LinkedInJoin us at Story Camp!November 3-6, 2026 in Boulder, COMikey’s walkout song (for this particular talk)?Steely Dan - My Old School(Or anything Beastie Boys)