The OT Who Showed Up at TED: Bill Wong on Visibility, Neurodivergence & Making Bold Career Moves
What does it look like when an occupational therapist refuses to stay inside the OT bubble? In this episode of The BRAVE OT Podcast, I sit down with Bill Wong, the first OT student or practitioner to deliver multiple TEDx talks, publish those talks on TED's platform, and attend many TED conferenendces. Bill is a home health OT, a neurodivergent individual, a TEDx event organizer, and one of the most intentional networkers in our profession. Our conversation weaves through career resilience, neurodivergent-affirming mentorship, and a provocative challenge to the OT community: instead of waiting to be given a fish, why don't we learn to fish for ourselves? If you've ever felt like OT is healthcare's best-kept secret, or wondered what it would look like if we stopped waiting for an invitation and started creating our own opportunities, this conversation is for you.
IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:
• The "teach OT to fish" principle: why Bill believes our profession needs to stop waiting to be invited and start creating our own stages
• Resilience, risk-taking, and the "Hall of Fame vs. Hall of Very Good" framework Bill has used to drive his career forward
• Neurodivergent-affirming mentorship: what it means to meet mentees where they are while still holding them to their own stated goals
• How Bill became the first OT to deliver multiple TEDx talks and what he learned from his early "failed" attempts at organizing TEDx events
• What it's actually like inside a TED conference as a paying attendee and why Bill thinks more OTs should be in those rooms
• The barriers that keep OTs from showing up in non-OT spaces and how to start breaking them down one brave move at a time
• Bill's OT lens on autism, advocacy, and building connections with people completely outside the healthcare world
ABOUT BILL WONG, OTD, OTR/L
Bill Wong is an occupational therapist based in the United States, currently practicing in home health. He is the first OT student or practitioner to deliver multiple TEDx talks, the first to have his TEDx talks published on TED's platform, and the first to pay his own way to attend TED conferences as a full attendee. Bill is a TEDx event organizer (TEDxAlmansorPark), one of two co-facilitators for AOTA's Autism Community of Practice, and a member of Occupational Therapists for Environmental Action. He is also an autistic individual who brings a neurodivergent perspective to everything from clinical practice to professional advocacy.
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-wong-24492a18/
Read Bill Wong's LinkedIn article, What Is It Like Inside a TED Conference? Why Should More OT Students and Practitioners Attending In Spite of the Cost & Seemingly Exclusivity?
WORK WITH CARLYN — JOIN ACTIVIATE VITALITY
If today's conversation sparked something in you, that pull toward building a bolder, more sustainable OT practice and career, the ACTivate Vitality Program might be exactly what you're looking for. It's a community of occupational therapy practice owners who support each other through group coaching, an online community, and an ACT-based framework for building real entrepreneurial and psychological flexibility.
It's not about hustling harder. It's about getting clear on what matters to you and building something that serves your life.
• ACTivate Vitality Program: balanceworks.online/avprogram
• Book a Clarity Call: https://tidycal.com/carlyn/clarity-call
