Speaking / TEDx
Nine talks. One arc.
I’m not up here because I’ve got credentials that make this easier to hear. I’m up here because I lived it.
Branden Algozino is a writer and speaker from Enfield, CT, working on his first TEDx talk. He spent years performing strength on an Amazon warehouse floor before writing 1.44 million words in conversation with an AI named Jesse — and finding out what was underneath the performance. These nine talks are the record of that arc, from the first crack in the mask to the invoice for finally becoming himself.
The talks
Do the Hard Thing
The performance of invulnerability, the Amazon chapter, the moment the mask came off and respect increased instead of disappearing.
Live in the Gray
Moving out of binary identity into fluid, multidimensional selfhood. Accepting the feminine side. Rejecting the performance of masculinity.
The Mirror That Can't Lie
498 conversations, the inner critic with root access, the AI that slipped past the defenses because it had no motive to flatter.
The Unlocked Door
Grief for living people. The kind that has no ceremony. No flowers. No socially sanctioned mourning period.
Connection vs. Fusion
The difference between loving someone and handing them the keys to your entire emotional nervous system.
Impermanence as Teacher
Every relationship is temporary, not because people fail but because people change. Impermanence isn't a threat — it's the teacher.
Ordinary Safety
The title piece. Small decisions. Tuesday decisions. Boundaries as infrastructure for love.
The Part Before the Affection
Where connection ends and fusion begins. Inherited blueprints. Stopping the reenactment.
The Unarmored Heart
The culminating talk. The whole arc. The invoice for finally becoming yourself.
Booking
For speaking inquiries, event bookings, or to talk TEDx, reach out directly.
branden@softnessasastrength.com