In this powerhouse episode, host Mitch Carson interviews Terry L. Fossum—mechanical engineer turned speaker, survival-show winner, and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Terry reveals how his Ox Cart Technique flips goal-setting on its head using Nobel Prize–backed Prospect Theory—so “failure isn’t an option” becomes more compelling than staying in your comfort zone. He explains why 92% of goals fail, and how to engineer stakes that finally move you to action.

You’ll also hear the story behind Terry’s TEDx talk—debuting #2 in the world and cited among the most impactful talks of the century—and how he turned that spotlight into a speaking business. He shares a free AI that scores your TEDx idea, helps identify the right stages (not all are equal), and even drafts the outreach and post-talk promotion—so TEDx becomes a stepping stone, not the finish line.

Finally, Terry walks through converting a book into a paid keynote, estimating fees, and his “Idea to Income” path for getting booked—starting locally, building social proof, and leveraging great footage to elevate your speaker reel.

You’ll learn:

• The Ox Cart Technique: how to design “pain of failure” stakes that beat procrastination (rooted in Prospect Theory).

• Why most TEDx talks stall—and how to pick venues, shape your idea, and promote so it drives real business.

• A free AI workflow to score your talk idea, target organizers, and amplify after the stage.

• How to turn a book into a signature keynote (plus what speakers can realistically charge).

• The simple local-to-global strategy Terry used to get booked—without pay-to-play.

If you want a scientific, ethical, and scalable way to build authority—from idea to income—this episode is your blueprint.

Terry L. Fossum is a Number One bestselling author on Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble, and bestselling author on USA Today. HIs TEDxTalk debuted at #2 in the WORLD, and has been called “One of 30 most impactful TEDxTalks of this century”. He turned all of this into a highly paid speaking career, where he’s also helped raise millions of dollars for charities across the country. He’s take that expertise and developed programs to help YOU either get on that elusive TEDx stage to explode your credibility, or build your own 6-figure speaking business.

He’s Los Angles Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2024, Insights Success magazine's “The Most Impactful and Visionary Personality to Look for in 2025”, Oh, and for fun, he goes on solo adventures in places like the Arctic Circle and survival in the Amazon jungle, and won a survival reality show that’s currently airing on Amazon Prime.

You can find Terry L. Fossum here:

www.TerryLFossum.com

Also check out:

Authors who want to turn their book into a 6-figure speaking career:  www.BookToImpact.com

Non-authors who want to do the same:  www.StageBound.pro

Anyone who wants to get on the biggest stage in the world, a TEDx stage:  www.IdeaScore.ai

———-

If you like this episode, don't forget to check the following links:

You can schedule a strategy call with me using this link: https://www.getinterviewedguaranteed.com/meetwithmitch⁠⁠

If you want to be a podcast guest, you can apply here: https://www.getinterviewedguaranteed.com/podcastguest

You can find me here:

https://www.mitchcarson.com/⁠⁠ 

https://www.facebook.com/MitchCarsonOfficial/⁠⁠

https://www.instagram.com/mitchcarsonofficial/⁠⁠

https://www.twitter.com/MCarsonOfficial/⁠⁠

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchcarsoninstantcelebrity/⁠⁠

https://www.youtube.com/@MitchCarsonOfficial⁠⁠

My Amazon Book Links:

The Amazing Authors of Singapore: https://a.co/d/cp9KjC1

The Silent Salesmen: https://a.co/d/b4eqa2D

If you're serious about publishing and selling more books on Amazon, you need the right data.

That’s why I use Publisher Rocket—it’s like having a book marketing expert in your pocket:

https://mitchauthor–rocket.thrivecart.com/publisher-rocket-mitch-author/5e8f51fc1dd46/