Seven choices for a courageous life | Christopher O.H. Williams | TEDxBerlin
Every day, you make thousands of decisions. Most are automatic. But a handful, just seven - can shape your entire life.
In this powerful TEDx talk, you’ll join a transformative exploration of courage—how it shapes your life, fuels your decisions, and liberates you from regret.
Drawing from personal experience and global leadership roles, and inspired by a transformative pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago, former Fortune 500 executive Christopher O.H. Williams unveils seven key choices that define courage and challenges us to embrace a life driven by purpose, rather than fear.
Prepare to see your daily choices in a whole new light, and to walk away ready to take the first bold step toward seven that matter.
Christopher O.H. Williams is an international keynote speaker, board director, and author who advises leaders and organizations on courageous growth and transformation. A former Fortune 500 executive at adidas, Nike, VF Corporation, and Gap, he is also the first President of African Leadership University and founder of the consulting firm Custament Partners. In his upcoming book, C.O.U.R.A.G.E.: 7 Choices for Living a Life Without Regret (Fall 2025), Christopher offers a bold roadmap for living more authentically. A U.S. citizen based in Europe, Christopher holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in Economics from Morehouse College. For more about Christopher and his work, visit https://www.christopherowilliams.com/ This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
More from TED
- 18:09Transformer son quotidien en jeu | Kimberly GLANNY | TEDxFortdeFranceKimberly nous propose d'explorer l'univers du jeu et pourquoi pas l'intégrer dans notre vie. Kimberly, passionnée par la pratique de l'athlétisme et des sports, est fondatrice de l'application de sport Sportyplay This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 13:04How to Change Direction in Life and Find Hope | Katherine Lo | TEDxMountRubidouxWhat if you’re walking the wrong way in life and don’t even know it? In this inspiring talk, Katherine Lo shares how a simple shift — like swimming upstream instead of sideways — can help you find your way back to what really matters. Through stories of family, loss, and healing, she shows how believing, being, and building can lead you home to hope. Katherine founded a mission-driven hospitality company called Eaton Workshop. She is currently directing a feature documentary about the architect Mies van der Rohe. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 11:52Building Belonging: Writing the Chinese American Experience | Wendy Wan-Long Shang | TEDxUVAChildren’s book author Wendy Shang recounts how she hopes to create a sense of belonging for all of her readers through accounts of Chinese American history and experiences. A double Hoo (CLAS ’90, LAW ’94), Wendy Wan-Long Shang is an award-winning author of books featuring Chinese and Chinese-American characters, including The Great Wall of Lucy Wu, The Secret Battle of Evan Pao and The Best Worst Summer of Esme Sun. She also wrote the 2022 American Girl books for the first Chinese-American Girl of the Year. Her work has been featured in collaborations with Netflix and Disney. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 16:27Reuniting a Community: The Washington Commanders’ 2024 Hail Mary | Bram Weinstein | TEDxUVAThis talk is about how a team can bring a community together, and how a special moment can unite us, even in times of segmentation and polarization Bram Weinstein is the play-by-play voice of the Washington Commanders and Washington Spirit, the owner of Ampire Media, and host of a daily ESPN show. With three decades in broadcasting, including seven years at ESPN, Bram has become a key figure in sports media. He is a host of an ESPN radio show in Washington DC and lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, two children, and their dog, Marty. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 13:39Charting a “True North” Path from College and Beyond | Geoff Blythe | TEDxUVAObservations and key takeaways for navigating a successful career and personally fulfilling and impactful journey along the way. Geoff Blythe, a graduate of the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce and the Harvard Business School, is a Senior Managing Director at Guggenheim Securities, leading its Industrial practice. With decades in investment banking, he has advised on multi-billion-dollar mergers and acquisitions across industrial, technology, and healthcare sectors. He lectures annually at UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce and actively recruits UVA students into finance. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 15:57Patient Teachers: Rewriting The Chronic Pain Narrative | Nicole Bailey | TEDxUBC SalonIn this talk, Nicole Bailey shares her personal journey with chronic pain, detailing the physical, emotional, and psychological challenges she has faced, including misdiagnoses and the grief of losing her former identity. She highlights the importance of recognizing chronic pain as a complex, often invisible condition, and the need for empathy and understanding from healthcare providers. The talk also explores how resilience, support, and compassion can empower those living with chronic pain to rebuild their lives and find strength in their journey. Nicole Bailey is a chronic pain advocate and a second year medical student at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She has a research background focused on pain, including a Masters in Experimental Medicine from UBC. Nicole serves as Vice Chair of Pain BC’s Board of Directors, the world’s largest pain specific charity, and has worked directly with people living with chronic pain as a Pain Health Coach and Peer Support Group Facilitator. Living with chronic pain from a traumatic spine injury and multiple spinal surgeries, she is passionate about transforming pain care through advocacy, education, and lived experience. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx