Eric Feng (CSP) - Global Speaker's Linkedin Analytics

I watched Superman 2025 and halfway through, I realised... I am him! Not because I have powers. But because his struggles felt like mine. What made Superman 2025 so unforgettable wasn’t the action or the special effects. It was the humanity. This Superman isn’t the flawless, all-powerful figure we’ve come to expect. He’s bruised. Conflicted. And deeply human. He navigates love with Lois not with grand gestures, but with emotional honesty and the constant tension between duty and intimacy. He faces public outcry not with defensive speeches, but by wrestling with what it means to serve people who don’t always accept him. He deals with loss just like how we do. Guilt. Grief. Helplessness. And here’s what I am so relieved about. In the end, he didn’t overcome the above challenges with superpowers. He leaned on his friends. He used his wits. He kept showing up not because he was invincible, but because he chose to. That’s what made it so powerful. That’s what made it relatable. Not because he was perfect. But because he was real. And it reminded me: as leaders, that’s our real superpower too. Not by being untouchable. But by being relatable. If you’re leading a team, building a brand, or trying to influence change, people don’t need you to be perfect. They need to see themselves in you. So how do you lead with relatability? Offline, it starts with proximity. Ask about their lives and really listen. Share your own doubts and challenges. Not to teach, but to connect. Online, it starts with presence. Start sharing like you’re talking to a friend. Post the reflection, not just the result. Let people into your journey, not just your wins. We don’t need to be flawless to lead. We just need to be someone others can feel close to. Because Superman didn’t win us over with his powers. He won us over with his heart. Go watch Superman 2025! Side note, who is your favorite DC comic hero? Let me know in the comment section. For me, it used to be Flash but now it is most definitely this version of Superman. #Superman2025

Ever received good news… and instead of joy, you felt fear? Maybe you just closed a big deal. Landed your dream client. Had a record month. And instead of celebrating… You catch yourself thinking: “What if it doesn’t last?” “What if this goes away?” “What if something bad is just around the corner?” This feeling has a name. It’s called foreboding joy. As Brené Brown explains: “Joy is the most vulnerable emotion we experience. And when we can’t tolerate joy, we start dress rehearsing tragedy.” It’s why founders often struggle to fully feel joy (it's sad I know). Because we’ve trained ourselves to stay ready. To plan for worst-case scenarios. To not let our guard down. But here’s the truth that I learnt this morning: Protecting yourself from joy doesn’t protect you from pain. It just stops you from enjoying the good while it’s here. Brené says the antidote is simple, but powerful: Gratitude. Not performative gratitude. But intentional, grounded, in-the-moment gratitude. So the next time joy shows up, don’t flinch. Don’t push it away. Instead, say: “This moment matters.” “I am grateful. I am allowed to feel this.” “I don’t need to prepare for pain. I can live in this joy now.” Because the more you lean into joy, the more you build resilience. And when hard things come (and they will), you’ll face them from fullness, not fear. 💬 Founders, do you relate? Have you ever cut joy short out of habit or fear? #founders #mentalhealth

Let’s be honest, “Just be vulnerable” is the most overused advice in the speaking world. But here’s the real talk most people won’t tell you: Being vulnerable on stage is scary as hell. You’re not just sharing a story, you’re exposing a wound. And for many experts, coaches, or founders, that feels like a risk. You think: “What if they think I’m weak?” “What if I lose credibility?” “What if I’m too much?” I get it. In fact, some of the best speakers I’ve trained almost backed out of sharing their real stories. Like Bethany. After one of her first live speeches, she messaged me at 2:35am. Her words still give me goosebumps: “I shared the rawest, most vulnerable parts of my journey… and for the first time, I didn’t feel exposed. I felt seen.” She went on to say that she almost turned down a paid speaking gig because she felt “inadequate.” But after that moment? She said yes. And that’s when it clicked: Vulnerability isn’t weakness. It’s the beginning of your authority. Today, people don’t follow you because your slides are perfect or your delivery is flawless. They follow you because your story made them feel less alone. And the moment they trust you, they’ll hire you. Not because you performed. But because you connected. So if you’re still hiding your scars, trying to look “professional” on stage... STOP. You’re not a walking LinkedIn résumé. You’re a human being. And the world needs more humans on stage, not polished robots. So here’s my ask to every expert sitting on a story that could free someone else: Feel the fear. And share it anyway. That’s where the real magic begins. #GetPaidToSpeak

The entrepreneurs who will win in the next decade won’t just be fast... they’ll be slow. Not lazy. Not passive. But deliberate. Because speed is everywhere now. AI writes your deck. Templates build your funnel. A competitor can launch overnight. But the edge? The real edge? It belongs to the ones who SLOW DOWN enough to think. To deeply understand their customer. To spot patterns before they become trends. To create products so good, they don’t need hype. In a world obsessed with quick wins, slow is your superpower. Slow lets you go deeper. Slow lets you be original. Slow lets you build something that lasts. The ones who slow down… - Listen better. - Design smarter. - Execute more meaningfully. And ironically? They often move faster because they’re not fixing shallow mistakes later. So if you’re a founder feeling overwhelmed in a fast-moving market... Maybe what you need isn’t another sprint. Maybe what you need is a pause. Because in a world racing to keep up, the ones who slow down will lead. Where in your business do you need to slow down to speed up? P.S. I’ve dropped in a video of a sleepy cat taking it easy... and maybe it’ll remind you to do the same. 🐱

I sat across from a multi‑millionaire last night and these five traits stood out, not his bank balance. Last night, I had drinks with Joshua Chan a fellow Singaporean entrepreneur who recently exited his company Ergotunes for $15 million. And I left the table feeling inspired, not because of the exit... But because of how he lives. Here’s what I observed: - Wakes at 5:30am for cold plunges and workouts - Listens to 2 episodes of My First Million daily - Asks thoughtful questions and gives honest feedback (zero ego) - Supports ex-employees even after exit - Laughs often, smiles like a happy kid And it made me realize that there are clues to success. Not the obvious ones like revenue, followers, or funding rounds. But hidden signals of people who are building something real and becoming someone remarkable. So here are five clues I spotted in Joshua that we often miss: 1. They create certainty through discipline. Routines aren’t vanity metrics. They’re the anchor in an unpredictable world. 2. They’re obsessed about learning, not proving. They don’t pretend to know it all. They just keep searching, asking, listening. 3. They listen more than they speak. The real flex? Curiosity. Not dominance. Not monologues. But presence. 4. They invest in people, not just ventures. Business is temporary. People are the legacy. 5. They carry joy before they carry results. That lightness? It’s not because they succeeded. It’s how they succeeded. Honestly, I walked away not just feeling motivated but moved. Joshua reminded me that success isn’t just about what you build. It’s about who you become while building it. Hope this gives you something to reflect on as you build, dream, and lead. #entrepreneurship

Thinking of becoming a paid speaker? Read this first. If you're a coach, consultant, founder, or leader, you've probably been told: “You should totally speak on stage!” But here’s the truth most people miss: Getting paid to speak isn’t about being confident or charismatic. That helps but it’s secondary. The real question is: 🔑 Are you an expert? Are you the person people call when they have a problem in your space? Because… Clients don’t pay speakers. They pay EXPERTS who happen to speak. Big difference. You're not getting paid for holding a mic, telling a good story, or getting a few laughs. You’re getting paid to create change: ✔️ A shift in thinking ✔️ A new way of feeling ✔️ A decision to act That’s what clients are truly buying: positive outcomes in sales, leadership, team engagement, and more. So if you’re thinking of turning your knowledge into a speaking career, this one’s for you. 📽️ Watch this short reel. I break down what makes a speaker truly valuable (and how to start positioning yourself that way). #GetPaidToSpeak #ThoughtLeadership

What if one “cringey” video could launch your paid speaking career? When I first started as a speaker, friends told me, “You have to get on social media.” I was terrified. What if people judged me? Mocked me? Then a close friend said something that changed my career: “Eric… if you don’t put yourself out there, how will your real fans find you?” That hit hard. So I uploaded my very first video in 2010. It wasn’t great. I was awkward. The lighting was terrible. And yes... hate comments came in fast. But I kept going. Because I believed this: Somewhere out there, my dream client is watching. All I need to do is show up. Sure enough... one of my old university classmates saw the video. He introduced me to his company, a major insurance firm in Singapore. After my first talk there, a TOT agent (I thought it was her name 😂) introduced me to Jesslyn, their Head of L&D. That led to a talk for 200 agents. They loved it. I got referred to their Malaysia team… and spoke to 1,000 people. One of those 1,000 recommended me for MDRT 2014. That’s how I ended up speaking to 8,000 agents. My first standing ovation. And a flood of new global opportunities. That cringey first video? It changed my entire career. And that’s the message for you, expert-to-expert: Don’t wait to feel “ready.” Don’t let fear of judgment stop you from being discoverable. Your dream clients aren’t mind readers. They need to see you. Hear you. Feel your message. Start where you are! The only way to get paid to speak… is to start speaking. P.S. Below is a short highlight from my recent keynote in Manila, delivered to 100+ top financial advisors. This post captures the heart of the message I shared with them. The love in the room was real. Hope it speaks to you too! #GetPaidToSpeak

In 2013, I met the most legendary speakers in Asia. I tried to be like them and it nearly cost me my career. When I joined the Asia Professional Speakers Singapore (APSS) in 2013, I was starstruck. I had the privilege of meeting icons like Ron Kaufman Shirley Taylor Dr. Jerome Joseph, CSP Fredrik Haren and David Lim ▲ Singapore Motivational Speaker- The Everest Guy. Their presence was electrifying and I thought, “If I want to succeed, I need to be just like them.” So, I tried. I mimicked their styles, adopted their topics, and even emulated their stage presence. But in doing so, I lost myself. Clients couldn’t pinpoint what made me unique. My talks blended into the sea of speakers they’d already heard. As competition intensified, I started losing out on speaking gigs. It took a candid conversation with my best friend to shake me. After watching one of my talks, she said: “Eric, you’re trying too hard to be like the other speakers. Why can’t you just be yourself?” I panicked. “No one will like me if I am myself.” She replied, “You don’t have to get everyone to like you. You’re not chocolate.” Then she delivered the most liberating five words: “Go where you are celebrated.” That hit hard. She continued, “If you don’t have the courage to be yourself, how will you attract clients who appreciate you for who you are?” With her encouragement, I made a change. I stopped speaking on every topic I thought clients wanted and focused on one I was deeply passionate about: charisma. I began telling the truth on stage, even if it was uncomfortable. I shared why some fail and will continue to fail, not to offend, but to enlighten. I infused conviction into my strategies, knowing they wouldn’t resonate with everyone, but they were authentically mine. I even started dressing the part, embracing pink and baby blue, my favorite colors. As my internal conversation shifted from “Please like me” to “This is me.”, I started getting “popular” again with my clients. A few years later, in 2019, I was selected as a platform speaker for a major insurance conference attended by 12,000 people. That same year, I was also awarded the prestigious CSP designation. Receiving that award from the very speakers I once tried to emulate was surreal. So fellow speakers, especially if you’re feeling stuck or have lost your spark, dare to be yourself. - Bring your personality on stage. - Share your unique stories, perspectives, and style. - Stand firm in your message even if it’s not for everyone. You don’t need to win everyone over. That’s not our job. We’re not chocolates. Speak your truth. The right audience will find you, resonate with you, and celebrate you. This is your tribe. These are the people you’re meant to serve and inspire. #ImposterSyndrome #GetPaidToSpeak #APSS #CSP

Go watch K-Pop Demon Hunters! Seriously. Two people I respect told me about this recently and insisted I watched it. One exited his company for $15 million. The other works with Ken Honda, Japan’s best-selling author of Happy Money, known as the “Zen Millionaire.” Neither of them binge watches Netflix. So when both said, “You need to see this”. I obeyed. At first, I thought it was just fun animation and catchy K-pop songs. But the music? That was just the bait. The real message came in the last act, through the final song: “We broke into a million pieces, and we can't go back... But now we're seeing all the beauty in the broken glass...” And it hit me. This anime wasn’t about fighting monsters. It was about fighting the demons we all carry: Fear. Shame. Comparison. Feeling like we’re not enough. Those demons grow when we hide them. But in the anime, the girls didn’t slay with superpowers. They slayed by showing up as their real selves. Flawed. Scared. Honest. Brave. And maybe that’s what being “somebody” really means. It is not about having the perfect life. But having the courage to show up as you are. Just as the girls sang: “Show me what’s underneath, I’ll find your harmony Fearless and undefined, this is what it sounds like.” Because when we show up truthfully, we give others permission to do the same. And together, we become the light in our world. So if you're battling your inner demons right now, go watch the film. Then come back and tell me: What demon are you ready to slay? #kpopdemonhunters

Not all “friends” are supporters. And that’s okay. We went to school together. We lived under the same roof. I thought we were close. Then one morning in our group chat, I saw this: “Meanwhile Eric keeps spamming me whenever I’m on YouTube about how he’s backstage in Turkey.” “I’m thinking of paying for YouTube no ads. I’ve heard it so many times.” Ouch. Not because it was public. But because it came from someone I once considered a friend. Funny thing is… another guy - someone I met just recently - saw the same YouTube ad. He’s a founder who exited his startup for $15 million. His response? He saw the ad. Came for the free webclass without telling me. And then signed up for the offer. He even got this co-founder to sign up after the webclass. Same ad. Different heart. Here’s the thing… If you’re an entrepreneur, a creator, or anyone trying to build something from scratch, you’ll learn this quickly: Not everyone who knows you will support you. But strangers might. And real friends? They won’t ask for free stuff. They’ll pay. Bring their friends. Or at the very least, they’ll like, share, or comment on your content. Which, by the way, costs zero dollars. And if they don’t vibe with what you’re doing? That’s totally fine too. Just… don’t be passive-aggressive in the group chat. 😅 Support loud. Or swipe left quietly. As an entrepreneur, has this ever happen to you before? #entrepreneurship