Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NsiR3HPLFo&list=PLOQvdw7d0cd9RZZkd2lZy2hmrnJv-cfLI&index=35
Evan Snow: And we are back here on the Choose954 podcast, episode 65, with one of the most energetic and passionate speakers that I’ve seen—Tevan Ali. We’re about to hear from Tevan, who will be our upcoming speaker at AAF Creative Zen this Friday morning. You’ll get to hear his full story then, but we’re going to give you a little bit of a preview today.
If you didn’t know about Choose954, we started a social movement to cultivate culture and community here in Broward County, where I’m very proud to be born and raised. We aim to keep people in the know with all the great things going on and to make this a better place to live, not just a better place to vacation. The point of the podcast is to connect you with interesting people like Tevan who do important stuff in the community. I was very moved four years ago when I heard this young man speak—it left a lasting impression on me. We’re very glad to have you sharing at Creative Zen and to have you share today. Without much further ado, why don’t you tell us a little bit about who Tevan Ali is?
Tevan Ali: All right, well, thanks for having me, Evan. I’m definitely recollecting four years ago—it’s hard to believe it’s been that long. But thanks for having me. Greetings, everyone, my name is Tevan Ali. I’m a master’s graduate of Johns Hopkins University, and I wake up every morning with the mission to motivate, inspire, and empower others through their adversity, barriers, and self-doubt. I do that as a motivational speaker in the higher education space.
That mission for me arises from my struggles as a first-generation college student, a low-income minority, and an immigrant in this country. At one point, I was a college dropout, but since overcoming those challenges, I’ve gone on to be featured in the New York Times and the U.S. News & World Report magazine for my leadership and commitment towards empowering others through adversity, finding their purpose, and helping others with their public speaking and gaining confidence. To date, I have impacted the lives of thousands of students and professionals alike in their journeys, and I’m looking forward to connecting with you all this upcoming Friday. If you want to learn more about me, go to talkwithtevin.com. That’s my high-level intro.
Evan Snow: I’m glad you shared that so transparently, authentically, and genuinely. I’m a college dropout as well, and you know, we ended up doing all right! That’s why we love doing Creative Zen, a monthly breakfast lecture series—a mini TED Talk—for those that are familiar, so that we can have real people share their thought-provoking, inspiring stories and realize that we’re more relatable than we’re not. For those that aren’t familiar, and without divulging the whole thing because we want people to tune in on Friday, why don’t you tell us a little bit about how you got to where you are now? How did that journey go?
Tevan Ali: Definitely. Growing up, my parents sacrificed a lot for me. They came to this country and always instilled in me the value that education is something nobody can take away from you. With that, I entered college with high hopes but found myself struggling as the first in my family to go to college. I hit a low phase when I dropped out. When I gave college a second chance, I approached it with a different mindset. I’ll share more on that story on Friday, but you know, sometimes when you go through one door—whether it’s a struggling door or another—it can lead you to other avenues you need to explore to reach your goals. It’s about keeping an open mind and reflecting on what you can learn in the moment.
I like to pose this question to others: imagine you can go back and talk to the younger version of yourself, and you only have five minutes to do so. What advice would you give that person? That’s exactly what I do as a speaker. We all encounter hurdles in life, but when we’re able to reflect on them, learn from them, grow from them, and serve others through what we’ve learned, it keeps the advancement of the younger generation more prepared for their future.
Evan Snow: Amen to that. You were fortunate enough to receive some very well-deserved and earned higher education. Do you want to talk us through that journey and how you’re qualified to be speaking—not just through education, but through your other experiences early on in life—at this level?
Tevan Ali: Absolutely. Since I learned from being a college dropout and hitting that low point, I’ve had a mindset shift. I overcame those challenges through mentorship, project-based learning, experiential learning, and other factors. I’ve experienced highs in higher education as well. In 2017, I was named the State of Florida Student of the Year, and there are over 800,000 college students in Florida. That’s essentially one in a million! Seeing how I went from college dropout to that, and then graduating with a master’s from Hopkins—it’s been a journey.
I think being young in my career allows me to relate to college students on a professional level, and even expand that to young professionals and others. I’ve experienced both the highs and the lows, and that makes me qualified to coach others on overcoming adversity. There’s always going to be another mountain to climb. Mountains keep coming, and we have to keep climbing them and overcoming that struggle. I like to say, "Struggles and setbacks set up success for us." I share that with others—it’s kind of my go-to phrase. On Friday, I’ll share more on that story, but experiencing both ends of the spectrum, along with being a speaker for over five years now and working for a media training firm in New York City that coached people on public speaking, I think that makes me qualified to coach others on the basics of public speaking.
My topics are overcoming adversity, helping others hone in on their personal mission, and guiding them toward the next fulfilling step in their journey. I also coach people through public speaking. A lot of people are scared of public speaking—sometimes it’s debated as the number one fear, even higher than death! But when you unlock your voice or help someone else unlock their voice, you never know what change they’re going to impact. It’s the ripple effect of change that starts from you and ripples through the vast ocean.
Evan Snow: Good for you! I’m so amazed by what you’ve accomplished since the Wise Tribe event four years ago. It’s been such a joy to watch your career flourish through education and professional opportunities. I can’t thank you enough for sharing authentically and transparently because not everyone wants to say, "I’m a college dropout." It’s part of my journey, it’s part of my story.
My partner Andrew will tell you I didn’t want to speak publicly at first. My partner was 10 years older than me, much more established, experienced, and polished. He saw something in me and pushed me. The more I did it, the more natural it became. There are things you can do like Toastmasters and different trainings. What are some things you recommend—not necessarily just for public speaking, but for mindset, motivation, mindfulness, and meditation? What practices do you like to share with people?
Tevan Ali: Definitely in the public speaking realm, take the spotlight off yourself. When you’re going into public speaking, we always make it about "me, me, me." "What if I trip? What if I fall? What if I vomit on stage?" Those are valid thoughts—we don’t want to look bad or freeze. But when you shift your focus from yourself to your message and how it will impact people, some of those butterflies go away. Butterflies in your stomach are good—that means you care enough to want to speak your message. You want that good adrenaline pumping through your system.
In terms of mindset, change your focus from yourself to your message and how it will impact people. When you focus on that, it will translate to the audience, and you’ll look good at the end of the day. Speaking is a performance, from how you dress to how you articulate your words, your tone, diction, body language—all of that matters. It’s the full package. I do offer a two-hour workshop on the basics of public speaking. If anyone’s interested, definitely contact me at talkwithtevin.com, and I’ll get you squared away.
Evan Snow: And fashion as well. If you ever look up any photos of you speaking, you’re always dressed impeccably—like, men of style, award-winning jackets.
Tevan Ali: I’m a fan of the blazers!
Evan Snow: You’re onto something for sure. Not that I didn’t have respect for you as a speaker before, but it definitely helps elevate things. You mentioned a two-hour workshop. What are some other things that if somebody wanted to engage with you—learning, booking consultations, coaching—what are things that you’re available for at this stage?
Tevan Ali: Definitely. I have the workshop on public speaking, which is open to anyone who wants to be more comfortable with public speaking and learn the lay of the land. Some people think speaking is just one specific thing, so I do a workshop that gives you the lay of the land—everything you need to know fundamentally. When you order a pizza, you don’t just want one slice; you want the whole pie. That’s what I give you with that workshop.
The other two workshops are more focused on high school seniors and college students. One is on overcoming adversity. We all go through adversity, but what do you do to get out of it once you’re in it? In that workshop, I have students reflect on what they’ve overcome in life and what they’re currently going through, and how we can get out of that. I have a five-point principle that I share, relating my own experiences. It’s credible—how did I go from a college dropout to winning State of Florida Student of the Year, graduating from Hopkins, and being featured in the New York Times? I share those principles in that workshop.
The second workshop, which is a supplement or part two of the overcoming adversity workshop, is about awakening a personal mission. I have students reflect on their strengths, passions, values, and needs. We then funnel the top of each of those four quadrants into a meaningful next step for them. Sometimes we only look at one area, but I like to look at things holistically. You don’t just build a house out of one material—it takes multiple factors. You don’t just make a Chick-fil-A sandwich with just the chicken; you’ve got to add other stuff too. That’s what I do with that workshop—have students reflect on that to create a personalized mission statement for them, and really charge that mission into how they’re going to lead in the world.
Evan Snow: Amen. I wish you would have spoken to me when I was a kid in school!
Tevan Ali: Me too, actually!
Evan Snow: I mean, I might not be sitting here right now doing this, but it’s amazing. I’m already amped up for Friday morning to hear the rest of the story at AAF Creative Zen, our monthly breakfast lecture series, mini TED Talk that we hold for free. We’ve been doing it for three years now, and Tevin’s going to be our three-year anniversary speaker.
Tevan Ali: Yes, let’s make it lit!
Evan Snow: Yes! We are going to have a bit of an in-person component to it. While it will still be virtual, we’ll at least have it recorded nicely. If people want to engage with you more, follow you, and learn more, where can they find you on social media and the interwebs?
Tevan Ali: Absolutely. You can go to my website, talkwithtevin.com—it’s the best way to look at my portfolio and what I offer. My Instagram handle is @talkwithtevin, email is talkwithtevin@gmail.com, and you can find me on Facebook as well—first name Tevin, last name Ali. I’m happy to connect with anyone through any of those channels.
Evan Snow: We’re definitely glad to have you connect. I’m so glad you were able to share with us today and will be sharing with us on Friday. We encourage you guys to tune in Friday morning at 9 a.m. You can find the link—there’s a little Cvent link for the event registration. It’ll give you Zoom login and all that good stuff.
If you’re looking for more ways to connect and engage with the community, we do have a few in-person events that have resumed that we’re supporting and producing. One of them, if you’d like to get out and social distance, is a night market we’re doing at Dania Point in Dania Beach every second and fourth Friday night of the month. It’s a handmade artisans’ market with vendors offering handmade, self-made, and remade products, produce, goods, artwork, and more. There’s live music too. It’s a great way to support local. That’s every second and fourth Friday, free event, 5 to 9:30 p.m. at the Night Market at Dania Point. You can find that on Choose954 socials.
We’re also supporting our dear friend Ivan with the Chic Evolution Gallery that’s just opened in the former Motor Mario space on Las Olas. Ivan recently relocated from Atlanta, where he was an established gallerist. He’s the exclusive representative of one of the top Brazilian artists in the world, Lucio, whose works include beautiful portraits of people with space helmets on—very recognizable, and they sell for $50,000 to $100,000. Ivan’s bringing that artwork to Fort Lauderdale and Broward County. The gallery’s grand opening is on Thursday, May 20th. You can find out more on Choose954 as well—we’ll be putting it in the newsletter. Ivan’s got some great works there, some top contemporary art. If you want to find out more, feel free to drop us a note.
We do a bi-weekly newsletter to keep people in the know. Live events are coming back, and the Art Walk will resume in downtown Hollywood in June, in person. I’ll be leading tours of the studios and galleries that participate, including 910 Gallery and Zero Empty Spaces. We appreciate you guys tuning in—more good stuff is on the way as we inch closer to getting back to normal.
Tevin, I appreciate you taking the time, and we look forward to having you hear the rest of this very thought-provoking, inspiring, and relatable story this Friday morning at 9 a.m. You guys have a good one. Cheers.
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