Jan is an entrepreneur, online strategist, and youth advocate. He is listed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list, and also recognized as one of the Top 10 New Generation Business Leaders in Malaysia.
1. Tell us more about what you do and what led you to speak on this platform.
I am the founder and CEO of OpenMinds, a data-driven, marketing technology consulting firm based in Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong. In short, I help companies determine what is the best Martech (Marketing Technology) implementation for their business.
Speaking, however, was a natural development as part of my career where I was kindly given the opportunity to share my experience and knowledge of the industry in various events and conferences globally.
2. How do you chose and prepare for a talk?
There is a lot of preparation work that goes into a talk. For me, it always starts with a topic that resonates with me and my passion. From it, relevant research and readings are done to ensure that the latest is delivered, followed by a loose draft of all the points I find useful for the participants.
After this, I’ll then work on the flow of the talk by sketching out different scenes using blank slides, and eventually the look and feel of the entire deck. Prior to the session, I’ll always have a practice session and go over my notes before finally taking the stage after a thorough technical check.
3. How can one become a public speaker?
You can just decide to become one. Many argue that you need to train and learn the right skills but I say the best platform to learn is to start doing it. I used to be terrible at this.
Given my introverted personality, giving a presentation or speech in front of a crowd is my biggest nightmare. But through constant exposure, experience, and practice, I finally got a hang out of it and is now able to speak in front of thousands.
4. Can motivational speaking become a full-time career?
It is definitely possible, and many have paved the way! However, the challenge here is to be unique – what makes you stand out compared to the other motivational speakers in the industry? What can you offer that is different or valuable to your audience?
If you can find that, you are in a better position to succeed in pursuing this path as a career.
5. Which is your favorite talk ever and how did it change your life?
The talk that changed my life wasn’t a famous speech nor was it by someone famous. It was a mini-workshop that I attended on eCommerce (in fact, I can’t even remember its content) many years back and the trainer came up to me and asked me if I would have the confidence to share what I knew about the topic.
At that time, I have not taken the path as a speaker. But that talk paved the way as it was a moment for me in conquering my fear, weakness, and lack of abilities in front of a crowd. Since then, I’ve never looked back.
6. What are the best public speaking tips that have worked for you?
Practice, practice, practice. There are no shortcuts. In fact, practice as though there is a crowd in front of you, and not in your hand.
Go through the entire sequence from you coming on stage, holding the mic, introducing yourself, the jokes you intend to share, clicking through the slides – the whole deal. You will be surprised how much that will help compared to running through your notes in your head.
7. What impact do you want to make in the world?
I want to be able to impact education, making it more relevant, accessible, and industry-ready for the generations to come.
8. Which is your favorite book and why?
‘Good to Great’ by Jim Collins is one of my all-time favorites. While it is considered as a mainstream book, it gave me a lot of perspective between just being good and great – where a simple shift of mindset changes the way of how we approach our goals, vision, and where we want to be.
Jan is an entrepreneur, online strategist, and youth advocate. He is listed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list, and also recognized as one of the Top 10 New Generation Business Leaders in Malaysia.
Starting at the age of 17, he has bootstrapped and built 7 companies across different industries before founding OpenMinds, a marketing technology startup whose valuation grew from zero to millions in just 3 years since 2012 with two offices in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong (at one point, even Kazakhstan).
Through OpenMinds, he has worked with hundreds of brands globally, helping businesses bridge the gap between marketing and technology by helping clients better understand data analytics, digital strategy, and tech development.
Jan Wong
http://janwong.my/
Founder, Online Strategist - OpenMinds Resources
Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia | TEDx Speaker | Entrepreneur, and Youth Advocate
Interviewed By - Syrine Landolsi
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