VOL. 02 · GRIT

a room built around what you overcame.

tom talks is a live storytelling experience. every meetup has a theme. this one is GRIT: the journey, the mountain, and the story it took to get through it.

rsvp for vol. 02 → who it's for
WED · MAY 27, 2026 / TUSTIN, CALIFORNIA · 6PM DOORS

new tom talks drop here first

instagram ↗ tiktok ↗
02· who it's for the room

not a what-do-you-do room. a room for what you've had to overcome, and who you became on the way.

01

every room has a theme.

each tom talks meetup is built around one theme so the room can go deeper than intros, titles, and surface-level updates.

02

vol. 02 is about grit.

we want people to share their GRIT journey: the pressure, the climb, the moments that tested them, and what kept them moving.

03

20% good. 80% mountain.

tell us the wins, but don't skip the weight. most of the story should be what you overcame to get through the mountain.

come ready to listen, connect, and share the kind of truth that helps someone else keep going.

vibes · from a recent room

what it actually looks like.

see the room on instagram
swipe through the full carousel ↗
03· the night what to expect
  1. 6:00
    PM · DOORS

    arrive early, settle in, and meet the room before the talks begin. no rush, no hard pitch, just space to show up.

  2. 7:30
    PM · TOM TALKS

    from 7:30PM to 8:30PM, we'll hear stories around GRIT: 20% the good, 80% what it took to get through the mountain.

  3. 8:30
    PM · STICK AROUND

    after the talks, stay and connect with the people in the room. the best conversations often happen after the mic is down.

interlude · the first ever where it started
THE FIRST EVER

the first tom talk.

before there was a stage, a room, or a name for it - there was just one story, told out loud. this is where tom talks began.

follow on instagram → follow on tiktok →

new tom talks drop on instagram + tiktok first.

watch on instagram
open in instagram ↗
04· past events previously hosted by thomas ma

a decade of small rooms.

tom talks didn't come from nowhere. it comes from ten years of building intentional rooms where the right people showed up and the conversation got real.

more rooms tom has hosted

brand leaders, creators, founders, ceos, c-suites. one common theme: everyone genuine, kind, giving, and ambitious.

  • Asians in Advertising mixer group photo asians in advertising · mixer
  • Founders and creators at an LA get-together founders + creators · get-together
05· the host thomas ma
Thomas Ma on stage with a microphone
HOST · CURATOR

hosted by thomas ma.

exited founder. growth advisor. curator of small rooms.

thomas spent ten years building sapphire studios, a tiktok-focused creative agency that scaled to forty people, served 250+ brands, and generated $100M+ in client revenue before being acquired in 2026.

tom talks is the next chapter.

the most useful thing one person can give another isn't advice. it's the truth about what they've been through.
06· vol. 02 grit
YOU'RE INVITED

share the grit. stay for the room.

tustin, california. doors at 6PM. tom talks from 7:30PM to 8:30PM. after that, stick around and connect.

apply to speak
WED · MAY 27, 2026 TUSTIN · CALIFORNIA 6PM DOORS · 7:30PM TOM TALKS