In one new TEDx talk, less is more.
Canadian Co-CEO of Placemaking 4G Matt Thomson gave his TEDx talk, “Can we find calm in a world of chaos?” at TEDxArgyle St on Aug. 9 2025. In it, he discusses how society over-emphasizing productivity can lead to adverse mental health outcomes, and how young people can nourish their mental well-being while striving to create meaning in their lives. In an interview with The Journal, Thomson broke down the development of his talk, and why he believes the topic is increasingly relevant in our fragmented world.
For Thomson, developing his talk was a layered process. “I probably wrote a total of a hundred versions,” he said. “The economy of words in 14 minutes is so important. It’s like writing poetry. It’s art, really.”
Through every draft, Thomson knew he wanted to use personal anecdotes to convey what he calls “universal truths.”
“From the beginning, there was this concept that I wanted to provide a bit of a journey of my last 30 plus years of life,” Thomson explained. A large portion of the talk uses a story about his grandfather’s apple orchard to encourage listeners to “find your orchard,” as Thomson put it.
Thomson’s self-identified orchard is his organization, Placemaking 4G (P4G), which offers “human centred recruitment services” that bring a more holistic approach to the fast-paced business world.
“In many ways, this talk turned into a love letter to this organization I’m very, very lucky to have co-founded,” Thomson said. “There’s no ‘Matt’s TED talk from August’ without P4G.”
In his work with people across different sectors and ages, Thomson has played around with ideas of authenticity and stillness, which he explores in his TEDx talk. While he describes authenticity as “the highest form of vibration,” he admits being authentic requires some work.
“Take a look at your day and ask, ‘What’s one thing I can do today that will allow me to be my truest, authentic self?’” Thomson prompted. For him, that’s working out in the mornings with music, instead of an over-stimulating podcast. “Authenticity [and] knowing yourself inform the practices that help you create stillness,” Thomson says. And with stillness, we find calm.
But the process of writing and performing his TEDx talk has been a whirlwind for Thomson. As of Nov. 25, 2025, Thomson’s talk was performing in the top 2 per cent of TEDx talks for views and engagements across multiple platforms. When he heard this news, Thomson was at home with his family, describing the feeling as “one of confusion, one of joy, and one of fear.”
“There’s a vulnerability hangover to putting yourself out there. And the fact that some people are finding value in this is so cool,” Thomson said.
He found himself becoming obsessed with the metrics of how his talk was performing, which he found ironic given its focus on re-framing individual meanings of success. “I came to that realization of just being able to put it in perspective,” he said.
Success, for Thomson, means quality time spent with family. “All of my decisions I’m making [consider], ‘Will this allow for me to spend more time with my kids over the course of the next five years?’”
Thomson said he’s had people from around the world reach out about the impact of his TEDx talk— people mourning the deaths of partners, fathers, and friends whose struggles with mental health claimed them.
“It’s affirming that the universal message is very much being felt,” Thomson said. “It’s okay to have these conversations. It’s okay to talk about your feelings. It’s okay to engage,” he said, noting the particular impact of holding space for young men to talk about their feelings.
Ultimately, Thomson relates everything back to his precepts of stillness and authenticity. “You can’t hold space for who you are if you don’t know who you are. That’s the greatest gift you can give yourself,” he said.
Tags
Matt Thomson, men’s mental health, Mental health, public speaking, TED talk, TedX, TEDx talk, Wellness
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