What if everything you thought you needed to succeed was wrong? What if the qualities we’ve been taught to chase—confidence, motivation, and healing—are actually holding us back? In this eyeopening TEDx talk, Evy Poumpouras draws on her lifeordeath experiences as a Secret Service agent to share a radical new perspective on strength and resilience. With lessons from her career in the Secret Service and moments of profound vulnerability, she reveals why chasing confidence, avoiding fear, and waiting to heal can sabotage your growth. This talk offers a new framework for resilience—one built on action, clarity, and the ability to thrive despite uncertainty. Evy Poumpouras is multiplatform journalist and host who frequently appears on NBC, MSNBC, CNN, and ABC. She covers a wide range of topics, such as national security, law enforcement, personal protection, behavioral analysis, situational awareness, and how to live life fearlessly. Evy’s new book, BECOMING BULLETPROOF, was recently released via Simon & Schuster in 2020.

As a former Secret Service Special Agent, she was part of the protective details for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, as well as former Presidents George W. Bush, William J. Clinton and George H. Bush. She worked complex criminal investigations and undercover operations, executed search and arrest warrants, and investigated both violent and financial crimes. Additionally, Evy was an interrogator for the agency’s elite polygraph unit and trained by the Department of Defense in the art and science of lie detection, human behavior, and cognitive influence.

Outside of her role as a journalist, Evy is a TEDx speaker and international advisor whose expertise is sought worldwide. She has been a keynote speaker for NASDAQ, SOCOM, Yankee Stadium Series, United Technologies, Corcoran Group, Tyco, Skanska, Red Door Spa, amongst many others. She is an Adjunct Professor for The City University of New York where she teaches criminal justice and criminology. Evy was also cast on CBS’s TV series “The Hunted” and appeared as an assessor on Bravo’s “Spy Games.”

Evy holds a Master of Science from Columbia University in Journalism, a Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology from Argosy University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Affairs from Hofstra University. She is also a former New York City Police Academy recruit, and a graduate of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Secret Service Academy, and the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute.

Evy is the recipient of the Secret Service Medal of Valor Award for her heroism on September 11th. 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