TED Talks are sweeping the world, and with good reason. They’re easy to consume in our busy world and they serve to inspire people by spreading fresh, new ideas. As a small business owner, innovation and learning is at the core of your success. But how do you search for advice on handling stress or improving your technology when you have the day-to-day responsibilities of a growing business? Don’t worry, we’ve done all the legwork and found 10 TED Talks that will motivate you, get your mind right, and keep your business competitive.

1. Two Reasons Companies Fail – And How to Avoid Them, by Knut Haanaes.

In this “evolve or die” marketplace, it’s important for owners to maintain a balance between perfecting what you know and exploring new, game changing ideas for your small business. In this Ted Talk by Knut Haanaes, learn about the two reasons that companies fail and how you can reinvent your company and grow it at the same time.

2. Why the Best Hire Might Not Have the Perfect Resume, by Regina Hartley.

Today’s job market is competitive and as resumes for your open positions flood in, you have to decide where your hiring priorities lie. Are you more interested in the perfectly predictable resume or life experience? Where does passion and personality come into play when interviewing potential new employees? Regina Hartley’s discussion about the “Silver Spoon” versus “the Scrapper” provides an atypical but compelling perspective on recruiting.

3.  How Better Tech Could Protect Us from Distraction, by Tristan Harris.

Prone to getting distracted by everything that comes up during a day, including text messages and notifications from a plethora of social platforms? If you lose focus and find that your to-do list doesn’t have anything checked off at the end of the day, you’re not alone. Tristan Harris discusses the risks of letting technology bulldoze your time and how to avoid it.

4. My Year of Saying Yes to Everything, by Shonda Rhimes.

If you’re asked to do something that scares you or makes you nervous, your first tendency may be to say “no” and stay in your safe place. But, what could happen if you go against your fears and say “yes?” Learn why spending a year saying “yes” to things outside your comfort zone can actually make you less scared, broaden your horizons and expose you to new success.

5. How to Stay Calm When You Know You’ll be Stressed, by Daniel Levitin.

While stress is an inevitable part of starting and growing a small business, it’s the way that you handle the stress that’s in your control. Don’t let negative energy lead to a cloudy mind and critical mistakes. Daniel Levitin’s strategies for managing and eventually avoiding stress altogether will help you improve your decisionmaking and your life.

6. How Too Many Rules at Work Keep You from Getting Things Done, by Yves Morieux.

Think about your business for a minute. Do you allow your employees to figure things out independently? Or do they have to seek your approval for every single decision? If it’s the latter, you may be impeding your own company’s growth by having too many rules in place. See why Yves Morieux believes that cooperation (rather than more rules) is the key to business success.

7. 5 Ways to Kill Your Dreams, by Bel Pesce.

It’s quite likely that you started your small business on a shoestring and a dream. But are your false expectations of success causing that dream to die? Serial entrepreneur Bel Pesce shares the five beliefs that are sure to kill your small business dreams.

8. How to Manage for Collective Creativity, by Linda Hill.

As a small business, innovation is a way of life. But with changing workforces and company structures, innovation no longer belongs to one department or job title within a company. Innovation and creativity should be a collective effort which begins with leadership. In her thought provoking talk, Linda Hill shares strategies for fostering a culture of community that leads to innovation.

9. How to Run a Company with (Almost) No Rules, by Ricardo Semier.

In this world where working virtually has become the norm, it’s shortsighted to require a person to be in the office from the set hours of 9-5 every day.  In his stimulating talk, Ricardo Semier explores the idea of diminishing traditional workplace rules for a more fluid structure. He discusses his experiences with building companies in which employees have the freedom to think and act independently – and he discusses carrying this idea into other areas of his life. Learn what might happen if you stepped back from conventional business rules and built a culture of autonomy.

10. How to Save the World (or at Least Yourself) from Bad Meetings, by David Grady.

How many meetings did you sit in or schedule last week? And how many were essential to the success of your small business? David Grady discusses his theory of “Mindless Accept Syndrome” in which people are too quick to both plan and attend pointless meetings. Not only are these a waste of time better spent but they set an unhealthy habit within your company. Don’t miss this talk to explore new ways to effectively communicate…without another meeting.