(pensive music) - Ideas have the power to spark change, inspire action, and transform lives.

Welcome to TEDxStLouis, where ideas take the stage and make an impact far beyond our city.

(upbeat music) I am Mich Hancock.

- And I'm Steve Sommers.

Together, we've been on an incredible journey to bring the TEDx experience here to St. Louis.

- This local grassroots organization began a decade ago.

Since then, we've had over 10,000 attendees and over 200 speakers, all with roots right here in the St. Louis area come together to build a thriving community.

- Each year, about 2% of our applicants actually make it to the TEDxStLouis stage.

- Their ideas stand out, their message resonates, and their impact extend far beyond that one moment on stage.

- Today, you'll meet four remarkable people who took this stage at our women-focused event right here at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

- Their mission?

To challenge, inspire, and elevate us all.

(upbeat music) (audience cheering and applauding) - Hi, I am Bronwyn Morgan, and I work with drones and artificial intelligence.

I build and design drones and manufacture them, and also provide drone services and drone training for professional organizations and agencies.

My biggest passions really are about sharing information, ideas, innovation, and how that can change an environment, a culture, and inspire others.

In 2015, I realized that I loved everything that TED was about.

I watched TED constantly video after video and was so incredibly inspired.

And so I said, "I want to be involved in TEDx one day."

And I was at a Women's Day event, TEDxStLouis Women.

And I thought, "What an amazing group.

I love the production."

And I found myself being invited to become a speaker.

And that finally came to fruition after I had said, "No," several times, not because I didn't want to, but only because my schedule didn't allow.

And it worked out this last time, and it was one of the best decisions ever.

A lot of people want to do this, but they just haven't had the opportunity yet.

And to say I actually did it and got a chance to talk about the things that I love, and aerospace, and innovation, and the things that I work in has been great.

(upbeat music) I think that coming from this area, growing up in East St. Louis, Illinois, being gone for a very long time, but also a graduate at the University of Illinois.

But being very connected to this region and literally being a child of the early days of the St. Louis Arch, all of that richness of history really connected with me personally.

(upbeat music) On September the 6th, 2024, I actually took the stage at the Touhill to give my TED Talk for TEDxStLouis.

And I talked about living and working in the sky.

And of course, in the world that I live in, of drones, and artificial intelligence, and advanced aerial mobility or flying cars, this is an amazing reality that we're stepping into.

And I would love for you to take a listen.

(audience cheering and applauding) (compelling music) - Hello, Bronwyn.

- Hello, how are you?

- Thank you so much for being here.

- I'm so glad to be here today.

- So I wanted to start with asking you: What was it like to grow up Bronwyn, this aerospace aviation dreamer?

Tell us.

- Well, for me, it all started with "Star Trek," honestly.

And I'm just a huge of Nichelle Nichols.

I mean, I was like this little Uhura, and I always followed that show, and Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock, and I don't even know if I expressed this to my family fully, but I've just always had this love for space and for outer space.

And I thought, "Well, I wanna be a fighter pilot and I want to be a commercial airline pilot."

But women weren't allowed to fly fighters when I came out of high school, so I'm dating myself a bit, but I thought, "Well, I'll just work at JPL, I'll become an astronaut."

Well, I didn't do any of those things.

But I did become an FAA-certified drone pilot many years later.

FAA DronePros, FAA Safety Rep. And I'm a corporate refugee, so did that for a really long time, and I'm a Trekkie for life.

(Mich laughing) - I love it, I love it.

(audience applauding) So why this industry?

- Well, this is the first time, I think, that civilians have a commercial opportunity to get into aviation aerospace.

I mean, forever, this has been something where there's a barrier based on your education, your access, to work for NASA, or to work for a larger defense contractor.

But as a civilian, to be able to now become FAA-certified, and then create new technology is amazing.

So me and 852,000 other Americans are FAA-certified pilots.

And so my heart was in the passion of this opportunity, and from a business perspective, recognizing that this industry is growing to like 91 billion plus in the years to come.

And I think that's a very early estimate of what it will be was just the right opportunity for me to jump in and kind of blend in business experience and this passion that I've had since I was this little kid to really kind of go out where no woman has gone before and at least in our national airspace.

So this has been a great culmination for me to kind of pull all these things together.

- It's so interesting how it's accessible to civilians now.

I mean, I'm fascinated, I'm gonna be a drone pilot.

- Come on.

- All right.

- I can teach you.

- Let's work on it.

And so then what do you do now?

Like, what does that look like?

- Well, I've kind of taken this shift from being now a little mini Uhura to, "I feel like I'm Wonder Woman now because we get to fly above and actually capture aerial data for customers."

And we are using state-of-the-art drones not only just myself, but a team of pilots and all of us in the industry to capture data using sensors like thermal, and LiDAR, and hyperspectral, multispectral things you can look up later.

- Easy for you to say.

- I know, right?

And take that imagery, transform it, so that customers can actually use it to make real-time business decisions.

And for us, we're doing that across critical infrastructure sectors, like telecom, energy, utilities, wind and solar, also civil infrastructure, bridges, highways, roadways, dams.

And then when you think about disaster, and we've done work in that space, and then also climate and environment, but that's just a little bit of my world.

But this is also spanning real estate, and agriculture, and entertainment.

The use of drones is... We're just starting to scratch the surface of what this will look like over time.

But being able to be a part of this mix of bringing in new data that can save lives, but then also help people better understand the health of their assets is a huge opportunity for all of us.

- I can only imagine the challenges in this.

Can you speak to the challenges?

- Lot, lots of challenges.

There are three that are kind of central for me, and the first one is really about regulations 'cause we're obviously very heavily regulated.

And FAA does not play games, and so we have to make sure that when we're operating, we are not creating hazards in an already cluttered airspace.

So you already have commercial aircraft, military aircraft, you've got helicopters, just general aviation, kites.

And so making sure that as we operate, we know the rules and regulations, so that we're doing it in a way that is safe.

Because that's first and foremost, 'cause the last thing any of us want is an incident.

The second part of this is really about our fuel sources for the future.

'Cause right now, most of the mid-level drones are operating with battery power.

And those are very limited for this size aircraft if you wanna do work, and inspect things, and go far distances.

So you are electric drones, as well as hydrogen-based drones.

But that's a real opportunity for the future as we think about: How do we do more?

How do we stay a loft longer?

And that kind of leads me to this third one when I think about staying a loft longer.

And that's public acceptance because a lot of people go, "Oh, my God, there's a drone, I'm gonna shoot it down."

And I'm like, "Don't do that."

- Ah!

It's spying on me.

- That is not good.

But ensuring that people understand that when we're doing this as professionals, we are not there to capture data about you.

We are there to do the work that we're doing.

Now, public safety may have a different perspective on how they're using drones in that manner, but for most of us that are doing this work, that's not the general mission, and we don't... That's not one of the rules and regulations that we work by.

- Peeping drones.

No, no.

- No, not at all.

- No, no.

Okay.

Oh.

What are one of, like, one of the more... Or some of the more revolutionary applications coming to the commercial sector at this time?

- Well, I think one of the things that many people may have heard about and get excited about is drone delivery.

A lot of markets, people are already getting pizzas delivered, and sundries, and other things.

But this is a huge opportunity, and it's one that's right here in front of us.

And what this will look like is how many people are ordering Amazon every day all the time, and other companies?

Well, now, being able to get that much faster right to your door is going to be a revolutionary opportunity.

And so we're trying to figure out: How do we do that?

So when you think about some of the larger companies that are delivering Amazon and others, you're looking at probably a half a billion packages over the next 10 years being delivered right to your door.

So the question is: How do we do that?

Do we take that to a logistics center and then that last-mile delivery is delivered by robot, autonomous vehicle?

Those are the things that we're working out.

But then how do we manage all of that traffic in the airspace?

We've got shoes coming over here to your house, Mich, and then you've got pizzas coming to my house.

How do we do that?

- Well, and can you deliver... Have it delivered to my fire escape?

- I'm working on that, I am working on that.

- That would, like, be really easy.

- I would love to do that.

Part of our biggest challenge, however, is most infrastructure here, if you think about rooftops, there's nothing but HVAC on top.

So how do we do this both in an urban area, or where you've got tall buildings, how do you do this for residential?

So these are the many, many things that have to be worked through.

And then flying beyond visual line of sight as we fly these longer distances from a central location to deliver.

So there's a lot that has to be worked out.

And then you think about the medical aspects of this, even.

Being able to deliver organs and essential elements across town are revolutionary, and then also into rural areas and places where people are challenged to get some of the healthcare and some of the items that they need in an emergency.

- I feel like you've gotten us into the future, but what's way out, what's way out in the distant future for us?

- Well, there are some things that I've already... Are already in test right now, and that's something that I get super excited about, and that's urban air mobility, when you're now thinking about flying cars.

And just imagine that your rideshare, when you call it up, is not just a car coming to your door to get you whether there's a driver or not, but now taking you to a vertiport, where you are able to now fly to the airport, fly to a business district, entertainment district, and enjoy yourself, and then fly back, and then take that last ride from that location in your rideshare, your automobile, and back to where you live.

So, that's being tested.

It's in test.

There are some places around the world, even in the US, where this is being tested.

A lot of test flights have to go into that to ensure, again, safety, to make sure the people are comfortable.

The first ones will probably have a pilot, and then eventually, they'll be autonomous.

And hopefully, people will get excited about that.

The other part of that will be cargo.

You've got larger boxes, larger cargo, that may not necessarily need to go by truck, but will now be able to go via a larger aircraft.

And then the last one is one which I get super excited about, and that's emergency management.

Because imagine that you're in an accident or you're stranded somewhere, you now have the ability for a drone, a larger drone, to come with a first responder on board, take care of you right there on the highway, versus the larger helicopter that many of us have seen trying to get in and land.

It's very expensive.

And then airback you to the nearest trauma center or nearest hospital.

And so whether you're having a baby or whether you're lost in the woods, now either having the essential elements brought to you to help you and/or having the people brought to you to help you.

- That's incredible.

- The future is going to be amazing, and it's really not that far away.

- Not that far away, and it's in the skies.

- It is in the sky.

- Well, when I see drone friends up there someday, I'll be like, "Hey, I know Bronwyn, how about you?"

(Mich laughing) - Well, I'm now from "Wonder Woman," and now I'm Judy Jetson.

- I love it.

Thanks, Judy.

- So... (Mich laughing) Thank you.

- Bronwyn, thank you so much.

- Thank you so much.

Thank you.

- Thank you.

(audience applauding) (audience cheering and applauding) Thank you.

(uplifting music) (audience cheering and applauding) - Hi, my name is April Foster, and I'm the Executive Director for Keyway Center, an organization that supports women returning from incarceration.

This is something I'm very passionate about that I believe that it's so incredibly important to draw awareness, because awareness leads to action.

Being on a big stage is maybe not my idea of a fun time, but it's one of the best decisions I've made.

(audience cheering and applauding) I was incredibly nervous, but also really excited.

For the moment, I thought, "Oh, boy, what did I do?"

But ultimately, I was just so excited to know that I was gonna have this opportunity to step on stage and share something that I'm passionate about.

(uplifting music) Women are the fastest-growing segment of the incarcerated population.

We have to find ways to communicate that and spread that message so that we can interrupt that cycle.

So, I've been able to see the direct impact of taking that risk, of stepping up on that stage.

It's opened doors for me to talk to policymakers, to funders, to community members, who are now stepping up and saying, "Hey, I'll hire your women.

Let me know what you need."

Or, "Hey, I have apartments to rent."

My message to people who are considering this process.

Do it.

Step outside of your comfort zone.

Do what scares you, because in the long run, it's going to be worth it.

(uplifting music) My talk, "Unlocking Justice," focused on highlighting the unique challenges that women face when they're returning from incarceration and the need for a gender-responsive approach to reentry.

Take a listen.

(audience cheering and applauding) (upbeat music) (audience cheering and applauding) In high school, a favorite teacher asked, "What do you wanna do with your life?"

Without hesitation, I responded that I wanted to work in criminal justice.

Her response to me?

"Honey, you're too little for that.

Maybe consider something else."

Challenge accepted.

Determined to prove her wrong, I went on to pursue a degree in social work.

Four years later, I began my first job working with justice-involved youth.

Now, time would tell that my size had nothing to do with my ability, but my lack of understanding working with women did.

Casey, one of my first clients, was a 16-year-old girl court-ordered to my program.

On my first visit to her home, I arrived to a concrete building surrounded by a 12-foot fence and barbed wire.

As I walked through the gate down the long sidewalk, a sense of unease crept over me.

That feeling only intensified when I saw that two large Rottweilers charging me just as she pulled me through the door.

The uneasiness would continue throughout the course of our relationship.

Casey kept me at arm's length.

The direct and assertive communication that worked so well with my other clients only seemed to push her away.

Unlike the young men that I was used to working with, Casey needed a different approach, one that I didn't understand at the time.

Casey eventually went to prison, my first in a long line of female failures.

Every young woman I worked with seemed to fall back into the system.

Now, I'm not someone who's good at being bad at things, and so I decided to go back for my Master's in Social Work with a concentration in gender-responsive programming in the justice system.

Now, at that time, there was limited research in this area.

Why?

Because 90% of the incarcerated population is made up of men.

Subsequently, most of the research and the programming policies and interventions are developed with men in mind.

This is a problem.

We must understand the unique needs of women if we hope to interrupt that cycle.

Women are the fastest-growing segment of the incarcerated population, increasing 625% since 1980, twice the rate of men.

Unlike men who are most often incarcerated for violent crime, women are overwhelmingly incarcerated for survival crimes, crimes that are driven by trauma and necessity.

So, think about a woman who steals to feed her child or who uses drugs to numb the pain of abuse.

In fact, 98% of incarcerated women have experienced trauma.

often at the hands of those who should have loved and protected them.

I often think about Casey now through the lens of what I know, and I realize that her life was a constant battle for survival.

I see her as a girl who grew up in a crime family, who endured ongoing sexual abuse, who lost her mother to a terminal illness just before she gave birth to her own daughter, who heard a child welfare say in court, "We'll take her baby, but not her.

The baby will be good for stats."

Why would I have ever expected her to trust me?

Just like so many women in the justice system, she was failed time and time again.

For the past several years, I've had the privilege of leading an organization dedicated to supporting women, returning to the community from incarceration.

I've seen the Caseys now as adults, still trapped in a deeply flawed system.

Most of them have endured layers of trauma.

Trauma that began in childhood, that persisted in their adult relationships, and that was further compounded by their experiences in the carceral system.

With the majority of them being mothers to minor children, we can't ignore the generational impact.

Research shows that in order to reduce the risk of recidivism, we must focus on four key areas: housing stability, financial security, emotional wellness, and positive community reengagement.

All four key areas matter.

Now, as a self-proclaimed data nerd and a believer in research, I'm committed to ensuring women get what they need.

And we've developed a roadmap to do just that.

Women in our program have a safe place to live.

They have access to classes to learn job skills and financial literacy.

They have access to quality mental health care.

They have opportunities for family and community rebuilding.

We do all of that, but we do so much more.

We've created a supportive community, the kind of community that many of these women have never experienced, one where they can focus on healing and growth.

Our approach focuses on building women from the inside out, focusing on those strengths and potential.

rather than their deficits and past mistakes.

With a 66% reduction in recidivism compared to the state average, I know the strategy works.

The numbers don't lie.

(audience cheering and applauding) Let me share another story about a woman named Amber whose journey took a bit of a different turn.

Amber grew up in a violent home, and she escaped that home by running away with an older man and using substances to cope.

Now, this man who was supposed to save her turned out to be even more violent than the home she left behind.

The trauma she experienced at his hands was incomprehensible.

Prison was her escape.

When she came to us, she took advantage of every opportunity we offered.

While living in our transitional housing, she took job skills classes, she engaged in therapy and recovery support services, she started saving money for her next steps.

Her outcome?

She secured a meaningful livable wage job.

She rebuilt her relationships with her siblings and their children.

She got her own place.

But maybe more importantly, she began her journey of healing.

During her last month with us, Amber faced a devastating loss, the death of her father, the kind of event that would've sent her back to using drugs to cope.

But this time, after hours of crying, Amber had a realization that she had no desire to use.

She sat up and said out loud, "I love myself."

She then ran down to her therapist's office, burst through the door and yelled, "I love myself."

When was the last time you told yourself that?

Amber's journey was more than just finding a place to live or a job.

It was about reclaiming her self-worth.

Nearly 8% of the US population has been incarcerated at some point in their lives.

One in 12 people you encounter has faced the challenges of reentry.

These are your daughters, your mothers, your friends, your neighbors, your favorite hairstylist or waitress.

They are more than just statistics.

They're members of our community carrying the burden of their past, while striving to build a better future.

Research shows that we have four things to focus on if we wanna reduce their risk of returning to prison.

Now, there are a lot of reentry organizations who do good work, particularly in those first three areas: housing, financial stability, and emotional wellness.

But that fourth one, community reengagement, this is where we need you.

These women have had a lifetime of unhealthy, unstable relationships.

Your challenge and your opportunity is to recognize the potential in each of them and offer your support.

This is your opportunity to be part of something transformative.

Own a business?

Offer a job.

Research shows that justice-involved individuals are more loyal than the general workforce.

Own rental property?

Offer a lease.

Stable housing is key to their success.

Support businesses that champion second chances.

Reach out to your local reentry organization and see how you can contribute.

Whether through your time, your donations, or your financial support, we all have a vital role to play.

Change begins with us.

By embracing compassion and understanding, we can empower these women to thrive.

And when we empower women, we create opportunity for everyone.

Thank you.

(audience cheering and applauding) (jazz music) (audience cheering and applauding) - Hi, I am Laura Sawyier, and I dress people for a living.

I am the CEO and founder of LKS Styling & Consulting, and I'm a wardrobe stylist and confidence consultant.

I literally go into people's closet and help them decide what works and doesn't work for their body, their budget, and their lifestyle.

And so on one hand, I help people dress for every day.

And the other half of my time, I'd say generously, is spent researching, writing, and speaking about the applied psychology of fashion and style.

And I'd say about 10 years ago, I had a previous career to what I do now, and I was working in event design and marketing and production.

And at the time, I remember there were amazing speakers like Brene Brown, Amy Cuddy, Angela Duckworth, who gave TED Talks.

And I did a ton of research at the time because we were organizing conferences and speaking engagements, and we needed to look up speakers to come.

And it's when I really started to get into TED Talk.

(audience applauding) Third time's the charm because I auditioned three years in a row and got to the final rounds.

And the third time, I was invited to come and give a talk, and it is extraordinary.

I was both excited and really nervous at the same time.

(audience applauding) I can recall a moment when I was about to step out from backstage onto the stage and I was walking toward the red dot.

And right before that happened, I thought to myself, "Wait, I didn't think about what I was gonna do from behind the curtain to the little red dot."

I had family that flew in and people from the community here in St. Louis who supported me, and I thought, "I need to turn, and I need to wave and smile to everybody, and I just need to feel the moment."

And as soon as I did that, in that moment, I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

Being involved with TEDxStLouis has done for me more than I think I realized at this point.

I will say from a very practical level, it's taught me to trust myself.

And that's how you build your confidence with anything in life.

Of course, public speaking can be a really scary thing for many people.

(audience applauding) In September of 2024, I came to the Touhill Theater at UMSL and had the pleasure of giving a TEDx Talk with TEDxStLouis on the power of style.

There's a lot of science in it, too, but mostly stories, and I hope you'll take a look, and listen, and watch.

(audience cheering and applauding) Thank you.

(Laura laughing) (audience applauding) Thank you.

(audience cheering and applauding) I'm Laura Sawyier, and I dress people for a living.

I go into people's closets and help them decide what works and doesn't work for their body, their budget, and their lifestyle.

I dress people just like you and me.

I'm an expert in the applied psychology of style with my graduate studies in psychology at Harvard.

This emerging field seeks to address the personal relationship we each have with our style and how it impacts our performance, moods, behaviors, and relationships, and how we can use style strategically to transform all of these things.

So, what is style?

At a macro level, style refers to the external manifestation of who we are through our aesthetic choices.

And on a micro day-to-day level, style involves our clothing, how we adorn our body, and carry ourselves.

It's our beauty and grooming habits.

And taken together, all of these elements communicate to ourselves and to others our unique gender, cultural, religious, and personal beliefs.

So I'm gonna pause here for a second and clarify something with you all.

Style is not the same thing as fashion.

Fashion is often associated with the latest hot trends, luxury logos, and exclusivity.

Style is about who you are at your core.

Even though, or even if you don't think you have style, we all have to get dressed and you do have style.

So, I wanna tell you about a client of mine.

We're gonna call her Kelly.

Kelly hesitated for months before reaching out to me because she was terrified to let me into her closet, understandably.

But eventually, she reached a breaking point.

And the first time we spoke, she got on the phone and she said, "Laura, I was gearing up for my daughter's middle school graduation.

Time was running out.

I have kids, dogs, social activities.

I decided that I was gonna pull something from my closet instead of buying new.

I just needed to keep things moving."

So in the morning of the graduation, Kelly goes into her closet and she tries on five of her dresses.

And none fit well, and so she ended up choosing the least worst option.

Those were her words.

She gets to the graduation, she sits down, and she immediately feels this wave of awkwardness.

And she's fixated on whether or not people were staring at her, thinking, "Was her dress too tight, too wrinkled, or just plain unflattering?"

And this consumed her.

And then when Kelly got home and changed into something more comfortable, her discomfort turned into shame.

And this is the moment that Kelly realized that her clothing choices had stolen precious moments from her daughter's and her family's big day.

And these were moments that she would never, ever get back.

How many of you have ever experienced a similar feeling?

I have.

Anybody else wanna raise their hand late?

(audience laughing) Okay.

None of us are immune to this.

Thankfully, there are three game-changing insights from the applied psychology of style that can help.

No matter your caretaking responsibility, your health status, your job demands, or financial pressures, when you walk into your closet, these concepts can help transform your self-image, your confidence levels, and your daily pleasure.

And these concepts are enclothed cognition, self-fashioning, and dopamine dressing.

Okay, let's start with the first one, all right?

Just give me a minute to get it out, okay?

Enclothed cognition.

It's a mouthful.

And as technical as this is, it's something that we can all understand, so I'm gonna break it down for you.

Enclothed cognition refers to how we feel and how we embody an article of clothing, and how it impacts our thoughts, behaviors, and emotions.

It's the symbolic meaning embedded in the item that we're wearing, coupled with the physical experience of wearing it.

In other words, it's all about what we wear and how it impacts how we think and how we feel.

Steve Jobs famously wore the exact same outfit every day.

Three elements.

I'm sure you're all picturing it right now, right?

A black shirt, jeans, and sneakers.

He did this because he actually understood the power of style, and it's likely that he did this to communicate to himself and to others around him that he was laser-focused on the work.

Enclothed cognition can also show up in a way for any of us when we're wearing, let's say, a special necklace from our grandmother.

The physical act of wearing this can likely evoke feelings of connection, warmth, and her personal values.

On the flip side of this, wearing a piece of jewelry can also symbolize something that we don't want in our lives anymore.

And here's one that I think many of us can relate to.

Back in the early days of COVID in 2020, I wrote an article imploring people to get out of their pajamas.

(Laura and audience laughing) We're far enough away from that now, we can laugh about the pajama thing.

(audience laughing) And I did this at the time and still believe this because I was not denying people of their comfort, but to show people and to tell people how important it is to establish delineation in your day.

The simple act of putting on clean clothing in the morning signals to your brain that it's time to get to work.

Not just work work, any work.

And then putting your PJs on or your comfy clothes towards the end of your day is signaling to your brain that it's time to power down.

Neuroscience tells us that we need these transitions in order to compartmentalize our days.

And when done in a healthy way, it can help us manage our stress levels.

So, in summary, enclothed cognition combines our style and aligns it with our values and goals from the inside out.

The second concept is self-fashioning.

And to illustrate this, I'd just like for you to think for a moment how you'd describe your personal style to a friend.

What words come to mind?

Clients of mine use a wide range of labels to describe themselves.

They use things like minimalist, modern, preppy, sporty.

The list goes on, and on, and on and on.

There are so, so many.

But know this.

You, every single one of us, are multidimensional and ever-evolving.

And self-fashioning celebrates this.

It allows us to show up as our original selves while also reading the room.

Now, an example of self-fashioning, one that I find very inspiring, is Michelle Obama's style journey from her tenure as the first Black First Lady to her post-White-House book tours.

She revealed to us a few years ago that she considered wearing her natural hair while her husband was president, but she instead chose to wear it straightened, in her words, because Americans were, quote, "Not ready for it," unquote.

During her time in the White House, she made sure that her external presentation did not take away from the important topics.

She brilliantly balanced poise and accessibility, championing American designers, and infusing her wardrobe with pieces at various price points, most notably from J.

Crew.

We all have a few of those cardigans, maybe.

Fast forward to her post-White-House book tours, and she started showing up in more expressive and bold styles, embracing high fashion silhouettes, bright colors, and new hairstyles, all while maintaining the authenticity and relatability that we know of her public persona.

Michelle Obama teaches all of us that we are multidimensional and ever-evolving, and that we can use style to tell our stories as we transition through different points throughout our lives.

Third and final concept for you here.

Dopamine dressing.

You may have heard it lately.

(Laura chuckling) I'll kick this one off with another question for you.

Another one to think about.

As you were getting dressed this morning, what did you say to yourself when you looked in the mirror?

(audience laughing) All right, wasn't expecting a laugh on that one, but okay.

(Laura and audience laughing) Awesome.

(Laura laughing) I asked you this because style isn't just about what we put on our bodies, it's also about how we talk to ourselves.

Just as you can tailor your clothing to fit your body, you can tailor your self-talk when you're getting dressed.

And this is really important because the internal dialogue we have with ourselves when we get dressed in the morning shapes our confidence and it sets the tone for the day.

Researchers tell us that we produce upwards of 60,000 thoughts per day.

And for many people, 70 to 80% of those are negative, and 90% of them are repetitive.

You might be saying things like, "I'm not good enough, I'm not beautiful enough, I'm not rich enough, I'm not thin enough," right?

But know this.

Dopamine dressing is the act of wearing clothing that enhances your mood by incorporating fun patterns, vibrant colors, and personalized styles that elicit joy and confidence, thereby triggering the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward.

We can use this to help unravel our negative nots and can'ts into more positive why-nots and I-ams.

Now, I recognize this is a really hard thing to do.

I'm guilty of it as well, I have my moments.

But it's important for you to understand how critical this is, especially with the rise of social media and how it's enhancing and amplifying our own personal critique.

Many of us start our days by opening our phones, sometimes before we're out of bed, guilty.

And scrolling on social media, inevitably comparing ourselves and seeing how we may or may not measure up to other people online.

These often highly-staged images, and remember, social media is curated, are like fast-growing weeds in our brains.

They're sprouting all sorts of feelings of self-judgment and unrealistic comparisons.

Pretty soon, we can't even see and appreciate our real selves anymore.

And it's really important to understand this part, especially, because we are collectively living through a loneliness epidemic.

According to US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, loneliness is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes per day.

That's how detrimental it is to our health.

So, within knowing that, what I'd like to offer you when you're getting dressed in the morning is that you put your rose-colored glasses on when you're getting ready and you're looking in the mirror.

Whether you want to or not, just do it and say something positive to yourself.

Even if you're not feeling it, just do it.

Another way we can use style and dopamine dressing is also to connect with other people, not just with ourselves.

I was in New York City a year ago and I was sitting on the subway.

I've got my headphones on, minding my own business, listening to music, and I can just feel this woman staring at me out of the corner of my eye.

You know that feeling when someone's just like locked in on you?

I know that feeling right now, by the way.

(Laura laughing) And I glance over at her a few times, and finally she catches my eye, and I see her pointing at her glasses and she's mouthing the words, "I love your glasses."

That simple compliment completely turned my day around.

And here I was sitting on the subway, going from point A to point B, like everybody else is.

We've got our blinders up, we're just trying to move forward.

And this woman went out of her way to offer me a compliment.

And then when I got off the subway, I saw a woman in green sneakers, and green is my favorite color, not to be mistaken for this.

And I went up to her because of the glasses compliment, and I tapped her on her shoulder really quick and I said, "That's a great pair of shoes," and I wished her a great day.

So, loneliness is a real problem in our lives.

A compliment can turn your day or someone else's day around.

All it takes is a quick moment.

Just do it.

You might get a hit of dopamine.

(audience laughing) Now that you understand how the concepts of enclothed cognition, self-fashioning, and dopamine dressing can enhance your style and your life, what actions can you take today?

I'll leave you with two really easy ones.

Here are your two styling tips, okay?

Number one, compliment someone.

If you see someone and you genuinely admire something that they're wearing and you wanna connect with them, go up to them and say, "I love your blank.

Tell me the story behind it."

You will be amazed at the connection that comes from this conversation.

Number two, take a photo of yourself.

If you love what you're wearing and if someone compliments you and/or capture the moment.

We all have phones in our pockets.

I don't right now, though, which is a good thing.

But we are all carrying around these devices with cameras.

Capture that moment when you feel great in what you're wearing.

You can go into the bathroom and take a photo in the mirror.

You can take a selfie, it doesn't matter.

No one's gonna see it but you.

And when you do that, save it to a folder on your phone.

And the next time you go to get ready, instead of scrolling your social media feed, scroll your personal lookbook instead for outfit inspiration.

And whatever your style is, I hope you wear it well.

(audience cheering and applauding) (Laura laughing) (audience cheering and applauding) Thank you.

(Laura laughing) (audience applauding) (jazz music) (upbeat electronic music) - Hi, my name is Hannah Joyner and I'm a senior at Belleville East High School and I'm going to college at Elmhurst University to study music education.

(upbeat music) I'm really passionate about sharing music with other people and not just performing it, because I believe that the more people you share music with, the more music starts to grow and evolve over the years.

So, I just hope to spread the passion that I have for music and hopefully ignite the passion in other people for music as well.

(upbeat music) (audience applauding) Being involved with TEDxStLouis means, to me, an impact on all of the women that were at the convention.

It was a really impactful talk.

All the women that came to talk there had really important things to say about women touching on topics like domestic violence and just overall women's rights.

So, it meant so much to me to be a part of something that impactful, especially for women.

I think it's important that a lot of young Black women share a lot of their experiences or other women's experiences.

So, I think community and diversity is really important, especially in teen talent and especially in TEDx.

(audience cheering and applauding) So the anticipation, like, leading up to that, I was really nervous, especially, to talk in front of a lot of women that are older than me and to sing in front of a lot of women that are older than me.

So yeah, it was really nerve-wracking.

And when I got on stage, it's like all of the nervousness and anxiety kind of went away because I knew what I was doing and I knew the song that I was singing was important and impactful for a lot of the women in the audience, especially the women of color.

So, it was amazing and it was a life-changing experience singing about Harriet Tubman on the stage, and I felt like she was, like, smiling down at me.

(Hannah chuckling) So being on the stage was really impactful for me and it made me realize that my voice is more important than I realized.

So, yeah, it was an amazing experience.

(upbeat music) On September 6th at the Touhill Performing Arts Center, I took the stage to share my voice and share the story of Harriet Tubman and empower all of the wonderful women in the audience.

So, take a listen.

(audience cheering and applauding) Hi, everyone.

(audience cheering and applauding) Thank you for inviting us to this amazing event.

My name is Hannah Joyner and I'm a senior at Belleville East High School.

I was proud to be able to sing this song on the Fox Stage, and I'm proud to sing it tonight amongst the many sheroic and inspiring women we are celebrating here tonight.

(audience cheering and applauding) We stand on the shoulders of our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and the astounding herstory makers of our past, including Ms. Harriet Tubman, whose courage is depicted in this song.

("Stand Up") ♪ I been walkin' ♪ With my face turned to the sun ♪ ♪ Weight on my shoulders ♪ A bullet in my gun ♪ Oh, I got eyes in the back of my head ♪ ♪ Just in case I have to run ♪ I do what I can when I can while I can for my people ♪ ♪ And while the clouds roll back ♪ ♪ And the stars fill the night ♪ That's when I'm gonna stand up ♪ ♪ Take my people with me ♪ Together we are going to a brand new home ♪ ♪ Far across the river ♪ Can you hear freedom calling ♪ Calling me to answer ♪ Gonna keep on keepin' on ♪ Oh, I can feel it in my bones ♪ (audience cheering and applauding) ♪ Early in the mornin' ♪ Before the sun begins to shine ♪ ♪ We're gonna start movin', oh, whoa ♪ ♪ Towards that separating line ♪ I'm wading through muddy waters ♪ ♪ You know I got a made-up mind ♪ ♪ And I don't mind if I lose any blood ♪ ♪ On the way to salvation ♪ I will fight with the strength that I got until I die ♪ ♪ That's when I'm gonna stand up ♪ ♪ Take my people with me ♪ Together we are going to a brand new home ♪ ♪ Far across the river ♪ Do you hear freedom calling ♪ Calling me to answer ♪ Gonna keep on keepin' on ♪ And I know what's around the bend ♪ ♪ Might be hard to face 'cause I'm alone ♪ ♪ And I just might fail ♪ But Lord knows I tried ♪ Sure as stars fill up the sky ♪ ♪ Stand up ♪ Take my people with me ♪ Together we are going to a brand new home ♪ ♪ Far across the river ♪ Do you hear freedom calling ♪ Calling me to answer ♪ I can feel it in my bones ♪ Oh, I can feel it in my bones ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ I go to prepare a place for you ♪ ♪ I go to prepare a place for you ♪ ♪ I go to prepare a place for you ♪ ♪ I go to prepare a place for you ♪ (audience cheering and applauding) - Thank you.

(audience cheering and applauding) (upbeat music) - What an incredible hour.

Thanks for joining us.

- Thanks for joining us.

And in case you're wondering, TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, - And the x stands for independently organized.

- TEDxStLouis gives you an opportunity to experience a TED event in your own neighborhood.

- We're here to lift St. Louis.

Please come, join us.

- Yeah, see you at our next event.

- Thanks for watching.

(upbeat music)