Kids Entrepreneurship - These children made SALES for an orphanage!

Known for its signature Kids Public Speaking program, Johan Speaking Academy cultivates children to express and communicate confidently. However, on the term 4 graduation ceremony which took place on 10th and 11th of November 2018 at Evolve concept Mall, the founder Johan and co-founder Cherry brought in a new initiative called “kids’ entrepreneurship”. You read correctly- kids standing and selling, not for themselves to buy new toys though. This endeavour was brought forward by Johan Speaking Academy to contribute to Rumah Suci Rohani, Bandar Utama.

On Saturday 10th of November 2018, the kids from TTDI began their sales. They were helped by their parents to set up their stalls. The first stall was selling books and toys from as low as RM 1, followed by the fresh farm products such as spinach. Other stalls can be seen selling chocolate bouquet, spin the wheel contest and craft items such as frames and stickers. The shoppers at the Mall were amazed at how the kids could tell them the price and handle the change. One can certainly not refuse to buy a bouquet from a sweet 10 years old kid.

On Sunday 11th of November 2018, the stalls were different as they were taken over by the kids from TTDI, Bangsar, Puchong, Shah Alam, Ampang, Mont Kiara, Kajang, Subang, and PJ SS2.  The stalls present were slime making station, Henna application station, Homemade bath salt and scrubs, Lego building station, and again crafts and art. The slime making station gathered a lot of attention and ALL the kids wanted to get their hands on the slime. Even adults were lining up, but the most amazing part of it was that the handler of this station were three cute siblings.

When you interview thousands of entrepreneurs, you can find out that many of them started as little kids. Years ago, this was not as possible as it is today with so many e-commerce platforms and the advancement of the digital world in itself. There are kid entrepreneurs who launched businesses and even turned profits and hired employees before they were old enough to drive--in some cases, before they were old enough to see a rated PG-13 movie. Recently, a 13-year-old boy made USD 165,000 (~ RM 660,000) designing bow ties with his mom. Therefore, by commencing such a program, Johan and Cherry are creating the next big entrepreneurs from such a tender age.

“Let them sell and let them learn”, says Cherry who went around buying from each stall. Both Johan and Cherry encouraged parents and the crowd to purchase from the kids throughout the event. Their aim is not to make sales but to give the child the experience of handling money and questions on their own. This kind of initiative deserve applaud from the founders and we can’t see which of these kids will become the next big entrepreneur! 

170 kids are now ready to take on any stage! Kids Public Speaking Expo, Nov 2018.

Johan Speaking Academy organized yet another graduation for their term 4 students on November 10th and 11th at Evolve Concept Mall, Petaling Jaya. The event started from Saturday 1PM and lasted till Sunday 10PM! The kids one by one presented their talents on the stage, leaving the public in awe and the parents in amazement. The term 4 graduation signified the ending this year’s programs and the last presentations ended in a blast while the students received their trophies and certificates.

Early Saturday afternoon, 10th of November 2018, the founder and co-founder, Johan and Cherry, can be seen around hustling with the preparations and yet a smile on their face as they receive parents. The event kickstarted with a demonstration from the kids’ entrepreneur followed by introduction of the stalls: from batik painting to clay modelling and DIY graffiti robots, this event had a lot offer! Johan and Cherry also brought forward a grand gesture of sharing the sale made from the stalls to Pusat Suci Rohani, Bandar Utama. Not only the parents get the opportunity to have a family day out at a concept mall, but they also get to buy items which can’t be found else like a DIY graffiti robot, while making a contribution to an orphanage.

The program started with Kids YouTubing which was presented by Kenny Lam, founder of Polar Stomp. The kids presented on what they had learnt over this term and launched their skit video. Parents and the crowd were amazed at how a group of 3 to 4 children of age not more than 12 are able to craft a video and share it with the digital world. Kids YouTubing has recently been launched by Johan Speaking Academy and this initiative is boarding well with many children and parents. With creative industry gradually leading the economy, Johan made a well thought initiative on creating a platform whereby the kids could present in front of the camera, record, edit and post under the supervision of the parents. The kids are not just learning how to become a YouTuber, but they are taking responsibility of becoming the next big influencer with a potential of earning. 

Following the Kids YouTubing session, the kiddos from TTDI were next to take on the stage. Seeing a small child of age 6 talking about Paris can really melt your heart. The kids presented about their favourite topics such as robots, cars and castles along with a prop made from 3D puzzling. One captivating moment of that session was this one kid who knew every single country from the flag on his board. Right after that were the elderly kids who talked about one topic that you cannot even fathom. Let alone heroes, movies or cartoon, the kids talked about motivation. Their speech was so captivating that the crowd resonated with claps after each delivery.

“Speak up”, is one of Johan mottos when it comes to teaching the kids. Johan believes that the kids should only be taught on how to face a crowd and how to captivate the crowd. Once the child has mastered this skill, he can go much more beyond. The event ended around 8PM with chatters and words of thanks to the founders and teachers. Cherry kept an unwavering smile throughout the ending and ensure that the program ended smoothly and on schedule.

The next day was yet another achievement to overcome. The day started way ahead at 8AM, when the stalls started assembling. It’s a Sunday and Sundays are meant for the public to hit the malls, which also translate bigger crowd! The kids presenting today were from the other branches such Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Bangsar, Puchong, Shah Alam, Ampang, Mont Kiara, Kajang, Subang, , and PJ SS2. The branches combined into two for the presentation and each presentation ended in the award ceremony. This part is the most hectic and well as happiest one as all the kids get on stage, parents fill the stage arena like paparazzi along with the videography and photography crew. The sense of pride and satisfaction can be seen gleaming on all the parent’ face.

“My child learnt how to speak without fear and that for me, is a great achievement”, says one parent before leaving the event. Public speaking, Kids YouTubing, Kids Emcee program, Communication Skills and recently, kids’ entrepreneurship are the innovative programs Johan and Cherry have brought into the creative industry. What’s next is Johan going to create for the kids? We leave you with this thought! 

Johan Speaking Academy Grand Office Opening

A long-awaited moment has finally happened – the grand office opening by Johan Speaking Academy was set on last Sunday 18 November 2018!

Since 22 September 2018, Johan Speaking Academy has relocated their new office space to another street within the same region in TTDI.  The previous office was in operation since 2014.

The new cozy space is situated on top of the second floor of the building. It is now much larger comprising a main classroom, four separated rooms, and a common area (or play area) that has turf grass laid on ground, which beautifully depicts virtual nature. The four separated rooms each serve a different purpose namely the office, study room, podcast room and Kids Youtubing respectively. 

Recollecting back during the event day; when climbing up the stairs, a lingering scent from the several congratulatory flower stands perfumed the air. Upon entering into the office space at 9.40am, a few guests can already be seen. Positioned next to the window with sunlight shining through; a wall décor accessorized with blue and white balloons – in encapsulating the theme colour of the brand – immediately captivated one’s attention.

Clearly, both Johan and Cherry had spent quite some time to prepare the arrangement as a splendid array of food was also laid out on the table. The day was a fruitful one consisting of various activities such as Kids Emcees, Kids Lion Dance and Kids Speeches. As time passed by, guests were slowly pouring in and welcomed by the kids emcees; whilst the kids performers for the lion dance were also getting ready for their stage.

At 10.30am sharp, the drum beat began reverberating around the room, signifying the start of the show. In no time, the atmosphere was exhilarating as everyone was engrossed in the lion dance performance. The lion dance drew immense applause after whirling through the entire office and passing around the mandarin oranges into the crowd. The day continued with the kids speeches. There were total seven students who presented on stage. As expected of students from Johan Speaking Academy, each of the students were speaking eloquently and confidently in front of the crowd.   

Before the end of the event, a heartfelt speech was given by Cherry, then followed by Johan. The surge of strong emotions within Cherry was evident; as her eyes were brimming with tears when she expressed her gratitude to all parties involved. However, Cherry remained composed, bringing her speech to a close serenely.

Passing the microphone over to Johan – as usual, Johan was smiling broadly with a proud face as he shared his side of story. One memorable part mentioned was – when both Johan and Cherry started this business 4 years ago, they could barely afford to purchase a stage to be placed inside of the classroom. Johan had no other option but to loan from his father. Nevertheless, as the old saying goes, “efforts don’t go in vain”. If you believe, you can achieve. Today, Johan Speaking Academy has 10 branches all over Malaysia. They are certainly not slowing down anytime soon, but only to strive harder and quicker to be the category leader in the market.

The day progressed with photo sessions with the guests at the wall décor. Flash, camera, smiles – each memory to behold in a picture for life. Not only this day marked the achievement unlocked by both Johan and Cherry, it also embarked on a new chapter in their life and career. 

Johan Speaking Academy : Brand Ambassador Program at Zoo Negara

The Sunday morning was chilly breeze, which was great for the kids to enjoy the freshness of outdoors and the environment.  

As early as 8.00am, the crowd of parents and students were pouring in and began queuing up to purchase their entrance tickets at Zoo Negara. Both Johan and Cherry were also already present, greeting all of the parents cheerfully.  

Once the first/morning batch had arrived, Johan gathered both parents and students for a swift brief, followed by a group photo session at the entrance. His boisterous spirit had a ripple of excitement spreading through the crowd as students were anticipating to explore the zoo.

The three stations set up for the Brand Ambassador Program at Zoo Negara were namely camel, giraffe and white rhino. Following the schedule provided in advance, students proceeded to their stations accordingly to begin filming. Though under the scorching sun, the other parents were also really supportive in waiting patiently for their kids’ turn.

During this period, each student spoke about the selected animals in front of a camera. Talking in front of a camera can be a really daunting experience. Hence, this was not only an opportunity and experience for the kids to speak confidently in public, but also to create a platform for them to feel natural and comfortable when speaking in front of a camera.  

At 1.15pm, another group photo session was held for the second/afternoon batch of students. Without any signs of slowing down, the filming resumed to prevent any backlog.

When planning an outdoor event, the weather is always the biggest concern. The clear sunny afternoon quickly took a turnover as gusty winds became more and more apparent. As expected, it was starting to drizzle. Nonetheless, the crews and the students kept on and withstood the weather in order to wrap up the event in time.

Some could be seen holding the bunting from behind to prevent it from falling down, whereas some were holding umbrellas above the student who were speaking at the time and also the gadgets used for filming.

If you should ask, was it a blessing or a curse?

We said both. Despite the sudden hurdle, everyone overcame it with positive synergy, which led to a success at the end of the event.

It was a certainly a fulfilling day— blood, sweat and tears did not go to waste as parents can be seen thanking each of the trainers respectively before leaving the perimeter.

Since its establishment, Johan Speaking Academy has run Brand Ambassador Program as its signature program. This time at Zoo Negara was indeed a memorable one, as it marked the biggest turnout ever with more than 170 students whom had participated in the event.

This can only happen due to the dedication and commitment from all involved parties.

Johan Speaking Academy would like to express their deepest gratitude to all of the parents for their patience in accompanying their children throughout this journey.  And of course, the kids themselves who had built the courage to speak in public!

Also not forgetting all of the branches which participated in the event too namely Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Bangsar, Shah Alam, Ampang, Puchong, Subang, Kajang, Mont Kiara, and PJ SS2.