Why Most People Fail at Public Speaking (It's Not What You Think) | Georgina Chang

One word triggered an entire country.

"Hungry."

It made headlines in Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. I filmed a response video to explain what I meant.

It made everything worse.

For months, I was the woman who insulted her own country.

So I asked Georgina Chang to analyse that video with me in front of a live audience.

Back at Mediacorp, Georgina rose to Vice President of English Radio, then headed The Celebrity Agency, where her job was, quite literally, turning personalities into stars, names like Zoe Tay and Joanne Peh among them. If anyone was going to tell me the truth about what I got wrong, it was her.

She did not go easy on me.

She told me why my response video failed before she even finished watching it. She told me about the time someone sabotaged her on camera, and what she did in the ten seconds after. She told me about lying to a nightclub DJ early in her career, and why that lie taught her more about presence than any coaching session since. She gave me a test she uses to find out if someone actually has "it".

And she told me never to respond when I’m emotional. You can’t put out a fire while you’re still on fire.

She also shared her thoughts on AI and the future of work. The people who get noticed, remembered and promoted won’t necessarily be the smartest people in the room. As AI takes on more of the technical work, how well you communicate and connect with people will matter even more. AI can’t sit there and speak for you, and it can’t network for you either.

If you’re working towards a promotion, building a name for yourself or wondering whether you’re one restructuring away from being cut, this episode is for you.

We talked about:

• Why "just be yourself" is the worst advice you'll ever get
• The three things that make someone a weak public speaker
• What I actually got wrong, on camera, live
• The Starbucks test Georgina uses to spot real presence
• Why you should never respond to anything while you're emotional
• Why what people say about you says more about them than you
• Why staying invisible at work could get you cut first
• The one trick that makes people remember you

This episode isn't really about my worst week. It's about your next one. The one where you're in the room, and someone's deciding whether they remember you or not.

Follow us:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshulinlee
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.real.reason.pod
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shulinlee/

To everyone who showed up for the live recording, thank you!

P.S. Grateful to Arcc Spaces and the team at LFG Content Co. for partnering with us on the live recording. Thank you!

Episode Chapters:

• 00:00 Opening
• 02:02 Should You “Be Yourself”?
• 05:20 The Triple V: Visual, Vocal, Vibe
• 13:13 "80% of the Room Doesn't Know Your Name"
• 17:39 Shulin's Viral "Hunger" Saga
• 28:47 How to Respond to Backlash the Right Way
• 36:59 Georgina's Worst Career Comments
• 39:51 Dealing With Haters
• 43:48 3 Signs of a Weak Public Speaker
• 48:33 Fear of Speaking Up in Meetings
• 54:30 Should You Do Media & Podcast Interviews?
• 58:18 Gravitas for Men vs Women
• 01:01:50 What is Executive Presence?
• 01:03:25 How to Approach a Celebrity
• 01:08:19 Accent, Enunciation & Being Understood
• 01:12:15 Final Advice on Visibility & Being Seen