An explain article

The first time I encountered Bob Carey was on a train, specifically on the regional train through the Black Forest. A Telekom commercial was flickering on the wagon monitor. Large venues, like Cologne Cathedral or the Olympic Village in Munich. And right in the middle, a half-naked, fully built man in a pink tutu. People around him stared at him, half aghast, half amused. "What a strange person to pose like that," I just thought. I didn't know his story back then.

1.5 years later, I am sitting with the "man in the pink tutu" at the breakfast table of the Marriott Hotel. Bob Carey and I are discussing the flow of his TEDx Talk at TEDx Munich. The last changes are set – on a paper napkin. Bob is quite nervous, and so am I, a little. After all, it should start in a few hours under the motto "Hidden Treasures."

In the weeks before, we spent many Skype hours working out Bob's story, refining the dramaturgy, and specifying his message. It is a trusting collaboration. And when I first met Bob and his wife Linda in person at the obligatory speaker rehearsal the day before TEDx, it felt like we had known each other for a long time. Shortly afterward, Bob starts with his touching story about "How I became the guy in the pink tutu." I give him feedback on his presentation style and tell him what to expect on the big stage tomorrow, this time at Circus Krone.

As a photographer, Bob has always been fascinated by the topic of transformation. In his self-portraits, he repeatedly transforms, as he says, into someone or something "he is not." It is his way of processing difficulties, grief, and pain. When his wife Linda is diagnosed with breast cancer, Bob Carey transforms again. Inspired by an initial photo work in a ballet studio, he dons a tutu and makes Linda laugh. But not just her, all the other women in rehab as well. Bob continues, photographing himself in subway stations, amusement parks, on the beach, and in deserted parking lots. With a mix of vulnerability and playfulness, his pictures become symbols of hope and joy in life. His images have the power to touch people without them knowing the story behind them. Bob calls his work the "Ballerina Project."

Since breakfast, the hours have flown by. 700 pairs of eyes are on Bob Carey, who now enters the stage in a T-shirt and jeans. He feels visibly uncomfortable, apologizes, and to the audience's amazement, reveals his attire. He is now the man in the pink tutu. The transformation as a shocker at the beginning was as we discussed, the effect is exactly as planned. As Bob speaks, the audience is captivated by his words. My design colleague Ylber Azizaj had spectacularly staged Bob's slides. Powerful images blend with his story, as we had chosen the order of the individual images to support his speech flow.

At the end of the talk, Bob asks the audience:

"What’s your pink tutu?"

The phrase catches on and is immediately tweeted. I am pleased that "our" catchphrase resonates so well. Of course, it doesn't literally mean a tutu. But something that helps each of us to face life's challenges and never give up. Besides the wonderful coaching sessions, it is this gift that I take from Bob, the man in the pink tutu.