Our mission in starting Educo Community was simple – create a platform where expert ideas could be heard.

But in a noisy world how do you define who is an “expert”?

Knowing full well that we weren’t the experts on this topic (see what I did there?) we turned to an organization who is known around the world for selecting great experts – TED.

We started working with TED and TEDx experts to create actionable, step-by-step online programs that help people put their advice into action.

In recent years, the popularity of TED and TEDx talks has skyrocketed.

But it is not just the general population who has found these talks interesting, inspiration, and helpful...

The experts themselves have their own favorites.

Here are 20 TED Talk recommendations from the experts themselves.

Dr. Brad Bushman, Professor of Communication and Psychology and Margaret Hall and Robert Randal Rinehart Chair of Mass Communication at Ohio State University

Dr. Bushman recommends: The Surprising Decline in Violence | Steven Pinker

"Because it is so counter intuitive. Most people think that violence levels are increasing rather than decreasing. After all, modern weapons can kill a lot more people than sticks and stones."

Watch Dr. Bushman's talk: Don't Get Hangry: Feed Your Brain Healthy Food

Bill Eckstrom, President of EcSell Institute

Bill recommends: The Power of Mindfulness: What You Practice Grows Stronger | Shauna Shapiro 

"My favourite talks are always evolving.  The above talk is tops right now since I am entrenched in practicing what she is preaching.  That is the beauty of TEDx Talks—as we evolve there are talks that continually challenge and support our growth."

Watch Bill's talk: Why Comfort Will Ruin Your Life

Mel Robbins, CNN Commentator and Author

Mel recommends: Who Are You, Really? The Puzzle Of Personality | Brian Little

"One of my favorite TED Talks is from Brian Little, a personality psychologist from Cambridge. Dr. Little uses his sharp, introverted wit to explain why it's important to understand and embrace your personality traits, but he cautions we should not be defined by a personality. We have the power to change our stories when the need arises."

Watch Mel's talk: How To Stop Screwing Yourself Over

Dr. Shauna Shapiro, Professor of Psychology at Santa Clara University

Dr. Shapiro recommends: The Power of Vulnerability | Brené  Brown

"My favorite TED talk is "The Power of Vulnerability" by Brene Brown."

Watch Dr. Shapiro's talk: The Power of Mindfulness: What You Practice Grows Stronger

Lori Harder, Fitness Expert and Empowerment Author

Lori recommends: The Happy Secret to Work | Shawn Anchor

"My favorite Ted Talk is by Shawn Achor.  I loved his talk because of his humor, demeanor and relatable stories.  I felt like he had tangible takeaways and a message everybody desires.  I like to feel like I can find that connection with a speaker right away and he does that so beautifully through his child story."

Watch Lori's talk: Turn Your Struggles into Strengths

Dr. Regan Gurung, Ben J. & Joyce Rosenberg Professor of Psychology and Human Development at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay 

Dr. Gurung recommends: Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are | Amy Cuddy 

"My favorite Ted Talk is the one by Amy Cuddy because there is a lot of controversy surrounding that study in psychology. She does a great job and it is engaging but also a great example of how science is changing and what she says in that talk is now (barely 5 years later) found to be inaccurate."

Watch Dr. Gurung's talk: Get Psyched: Think Stronger, Live Longer

Amy Morin, Psychotherapist and Author

Amy recommends: The Price of Shame | Monica Lewinksy

"Monica Lewinsky's 'The Price of Shame' is an important talk because she addresses the cultural shift we're seeing in how technology is used to humiliate people. It's moving and inspiring."

Watch Amy's talk: The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong | Amy Morin

Jacqueline Way, Founder of 365give

Jacqueline recommends: The Power of Zero Tolerance | Isabelle Mercier 

"We all spend so much of our lives letting our mind and worries control our lives. Think of the thousands of hours we waste reliving past experiences we can't change and worrying about future 'what if's' that may never happen. When we can practice Isabelle Mercier's H.E.R.O factor it will free our minds and hearts to fly, to be happy and live our purpose."

Watch Jacqueline's talk: How to Be Happy Every Day: It Will Change the World

Dr. Daniel J. Levitin, Founding Dean of Arts and Humanities at the Minerva Schools at KGI; James McGill Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Behavioural Neuroscience, and Music, at McGill University

Dr. Levitin recommends: Your Brain is More Than a Bag of Chemicals | David Anderson 

"My favorite Ted talk is 'Your Brain is More Than a Bag of Chemicals' by David Anderson."

Watch Dr. Levitin's talk: How to Stay Calm When You Know You'll be Stressed

Dr. John Antonakis, Professor of Organizational Behavior at the University of Lausanne and Editor-in-Chief of The Leadership Quarterly

Dr. Antonakis recommends: The Riddle of Experience vs. Memory | Daniel Kahneman 

"Kahneman is an engaging, knowledgeable, and entertaining speaker. He does not pull ideas out of the sky or from other obfuscous places; whatever he says has a carefully-done research program behind it and is fully science-backed."

Watch Dr. Antonakis's talk: Let's Face It: Charisma Matters

Ruben Meerman, Author and Television Host

Ruben recommends: How I Held My Breath for 17 Minutes | David Blaine 

"My favourite TED talk is by David Blaine because his stunts are real and they make us wonder about how our own bodies work. Most people really could learn to hold their breath for 17 minutes and because two thirds of us are overweight or obese, nearly everyone can survive without food for 44 days. It’s amazing but ultimately just biochemistry, which, in my opinion, is the nearest thing to real magic."

Watch Ruben's talk: The Mathematics of Weight Loss

Jason Treu, Executive Coach and Author

Jason recommends: The Power of Vulnerability | Brené  Brown 

"I love Brene Brown's TED talk 'The Power of Vulnerability.' There are no courageous actions without vulnerability. So it's an essential skill for any leader to master. This TED talk explains what vulnerability is and how to put it into practice in your own life."

Watch Jason's talk: How to Get CoWorkers to Like Each Other

Dr. Samuel West, Clinical Psychologist and Curator of the Museum of Failure 

Dr. West recommends: Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are | Amy Cuddy 

"My favorite TED talk is Amy Cuddy's 'You Body Language May Shape Who You Are.' Why? Because Amy manages to convey this interesting research in a personal and powerful way. The talk has very high instructional value."

Watch Dr. West's talk: Museum of Failure: Turn Failure Into Success

Ami Hemviken, Human Behaviorist and Lecturer

Ami recommends: Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are | Amy Cuddy  

"This is one of my favorite TED talks, because it teaches us to take control and fake it until we become it - as she says."

Watch Ami's talk: It's Not the Thought That Counts – But Your Communication

Dr. Katherine Nall, Mathematician and Speaker

Dr. Nall recommends: Massively Multi-Player... Thumb-Wrestling? | Jane McGonigal 

"Jane McGonigal's Massively Multi-Player Thumb Wrestling is brilliant in engaging the entire audience! She was able to have each audience member literally connect with one another!"

Watch Dr. Nall's talk: A Technique to Eliminate Math Anxiety

Dr. Koert Van Ittersum, Professor of Marketing and Consumer Well-Being at the University of Groningen

Dr. Van Ittersum recommends: Choice, Happiness and Spaghetti Sauce | Malcolm Gladwell 

"Malcolm Gladwell’s speech from 2006 was a watershed moment for both TED talks and the national discourse on marketing. Gladwell is an outsider to the marketing world and uses this – coupled with his uncanny ability to turn technical strategies into engaging stories – to his great advantage."

Watch Dr. Van Ittersum's talk: The Obesity Epidemic: It Will Take the Entire Village

Leslie Stein Riley, Author and Speaker

Leslie recommends: Everyday Leadership | Drew Dudley 

"My all time fave is Drew Dudley’s 'Everyday Leadership.' It is funny, uplifting, & made me realize leadership isn’t only about huge moments...it’s often about little ones we may not even know mattered until later on.  It also made me think of who I needed to thank for my own 'lollipop moments.'"

Watch Leslie's talk: The Inner Journey to Leadership

Dr. Alisa Anokhina, Research Psychologist at the Anna Freud Centre

Dr. Anokhina recommends: 3 Clues to Understanding Your Brain | Vilayanur Ramachandran 

"I'm very partial to Vilayanur Ramachandran's talk, '3 clues to understanding your brain.' It's a fascinating exploration of the links between cognitive perception and physical expression. I think those links are often neglected and not yet well understood. His work on using mirror therapy was compelling in its elegant simplicity."

Watch Dr. Anokhina's talk: Why We Must Stop Ignoring the Psychology of Weight Loss

Isabelle Mercier, Brand Strategist and Business Performance Catalyst at LeapZone Strategies

Isabelle recommends: How Great Leaders Inspire Action | Simon Sinek 

" At the risk of being very cliché, my favorite TEDx talk would be How Great Leaders Inspire Action by Simon Sinek… I love the way he presents and explains his point of view. He is engaging and massively inspiring while keeping it so simple. He always uses examples that are easy to understand…and has a way to seduce you to somehow agree with him. He is passionately skillful…and that inspires me."

Isabelle also recommends (because she couldn't decide on just one!): The Magic of Not Giving a F*** | Sarah Knight

"It’s short, it’s simple and super funny. Saying NO is one of the hardest things to do for most people…yet…this 2 letter word can create so much freedom. My partner and I live by design…rather than by default and this TEDx talk supports our beliefs and daily actions."

Watch Isabelle's talk: The Power of Zero Tolerance | Isabelle Mercier 

TED operates under the slogan "Ideas Worth Spreading."

As this post shows, these talks can these talks can inspire, entertain, and excite.

You can learn about anything from the power of being vulnerable, to leadership, to the proper way to tie your shoes.

But none of this expert knowledge will make a difference if you do not put it into practice.

The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago.

The second best time is today.