3-Day STAR Speaker Masterclass by Johan Ooi

"Johan, is this for kids ?" some participants asked.

"Nope. This is for business owners," I replied.

When the planned to kick-start this program, we had a few questions in mind.

- Do business owners want to learn presentation skills ?

- Is it important for them to be able to speak up and inspire their team with their vision ?

- Will it be crucial for them to learn this skill, if one day they need to use it ? Maybe pitching in front of investors for funding, or closing the business deal ?

We had done a couple of corporate training on presentation skills and public speaking, but openly for public, this is the first time.

After doing some previews, the actual STAR SPEAKER MASTERCLASS event kicked-off.

There were 5 participants, and they were super enthusiastic on what is in store for them. The event was held at Crystal Crown, Petaling Jaya.

On day 1, they learnt about storytelling skills, public speaking and presentation. As they come from different background, the diversity actually made it even more fun. This was not only theory base, practical sessions was intense actually. We laughed, we learned and also gave feedback to encourage each other.

During lunch break, a small group has its advantage as everyone got the chance to chat and knew each other more. Each of us shared our background, and also the reason for attending this STAR SPEAKER Masterclass.

The day continued, with more practical sessions.

On day 2, it was a different dynamics, as participants now need to speak in front of a video camera. Why is this so ? Speaking online is another skill set where business owners need to acquire, with the rise of online videos. If you could reach your followers, your fans and your customers through online, you will cement your personal brand stronger in the market.

Participants were anxious, yet excited of the prospect of making videos. We went to the pool, the lobby area and around the hotel for this activity. The day followed by them learning how to pitch and share their business ideas.

On day 3 of STAR SPEAKER Masterclass, we covered back storytelling skills. Participants shared more of their stories as they develop their business stories even deeper. Another segment covered was "How To Market Yourself Using Funnels?"

"What is that, Johan?" Dennis asked. To some, it was a brand new thing. They have heard of it, but never really went through it. So it was a practical thing where they actually build 1 funnel at that moment.

At the end of 3 days, we covered so much. More importantly, the 5 speakers will speak LIVE in April 2020. This was not just a theory base class, but a practical session with REAL-LIFE-EXPERIENCE thereafter.

Thank you for your believe in us for this masterclass. Cheers and all the best to you guys.

From the desk of Johan Ooi.

Teens Mastery Program by Johan Speaking Academy

Our teens program has been around for the past 4 years. Normally, we do the 10-week program, but lately we added the teens debating for the past 1 year.

This time, we decided to change the dynamics a bit for this school holiday program by adding another important element for teens, which was "Interview Skills."

Thus, the idea of this 2-day teens mastery program which consist of our usual teens public speaking, debating ...and interview skills.

This time, we had 16 teens registered, ranging from 12 year old to 16 year old.

We kicked off with the impromptu speech session by Teacher Kim. After going through the module, the participants need to speak up ! "What?" some of them said. "Yes, you have to speak,"answered Kim. It was a nervy start for some of them, but slowly, from observing their friends, soon things went very well.

Then it was followed by session from Teacher Paul on body language, then Teacher Kian on vocal variety.

The new element which was Interview skills was next. We covered the session for the next 30minutes, before the participants had a role-play. It was funny, yet enjoyable session.

Now, this was just not theory base workshop, this was a practical one. Thus,participants were split to 4 groups, each getting their own topic for presentation in front of their parents the next day. Suddenly, they got so excited as they can showcase their ability.

During lunch, they even wasted no time to maximize every minute and discussed their project during lunch.

Debating was next after lunch. Vincent took them on a great journey on how to use critical thinking and creativity when presenting. Then we had a mock-up debate. They were suppose to speak for 3 minutes, but some of them could not even reach to 2 minutes, as this was totally new to most of them. Vincent said ,"This is just the beginning, you will get better as we will have more practice session."

Time flew by so fast, and it was 5.00pm already. It was time to go home.

Day 2, some groups came by super early to get themselves prepared for their presentation. Each group have to present 2 things :-

a) Their group presentation - public speaking

b) They have to battle it out against another team in a debate

You could see the enthusiasm in their eyes as the practised and practised. Some groups focus more on the debate, some groups more on their public speaking presentation.

Parents session.

As parents arrived for the presentation, you could feel the tension in the air. Maybe it was nerve, maybe it was new to some, but the show must go on. Team by team went up to present their group project. They have to even open the floor for Q & A, which parents can ask questions and challenge their ideas. It was really fun. You could see the teens got stuck sometimes as they did not anticipate those questions.

Then it was followed by the debate. The battle of the wits was intense, as each group presented their ideas with confidence, and at the same time, rebutting their opposition ideas. There were lots of cheers from the parents too !

At the end of the day, there were winners for the best presentation and also for the debate. Winning and losing, is just a process. More importantly, the teens learned new things, made new friends and can carry the knowledge they had for the past 2 days into the future.

All the best future leaders. Thank you.

Johan Speaking Academy’s Kids Public Speaking Expo and Teens’ Graduation @ Atria Shopping Gallery

Once again, Johan Speaking Academy marked another milestone in successfully organizing their 9th Kids Public Speaking Expo and Teens’ Graduation on 25 May and 26 May 2019. Here's to an amazing two-day event that brought over 170+ students and 450+ parents and family members to Atria Shopping Gallery!

The two-day event ran for nearly a total of 19 hours from Saturday morning at 10am till Sunday night at 10pm. 

Filled with extensive programs from batik colouring contest, clay modelling and DIY activities from participating stalls; the highlight of the event were definitely the students from Kids Public Speaking, Kiddos Public Speaking, Mandarin Kids Public Speaking, Teens Public Speaking and Kids Youtubing from its multiple branches namely Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Bangsar, Dengkil, Cyberjaya, Ampang, Shah Alam, Kajang, Mont Kiara, Puchong, Subang, and PJ SS2.

Starting as early as 10am, both Johan and Cherry were in high spirits and readily available to welcome and greet parents and students. The first day started with the kiddos from TTDI. Some as little as 5 years old with the oldest being only 7 years old – not a sign of hesitation was seen – as these kids were amazingly steady and confident in presenting their speech. Not to miss any moment – parents were very supportive and capturing their child’s stage time respectively with their mobile phones.  Besides being present for their children, it was definitely a day for family bonding time between both parents and kids as they continued their leisure in the mall.

The day progressed steadfastly with students namely from TTDI, Dengkil, Cyberjaya and Bangsar. Ending at 5pm on Saturday, you would have thought both Johan and Cherry will take a break to get ready for the next day. Instead, they continued to hustle with one last rehearsal for the other students before the big day.  

The blissful Sunday began with students from both Ampang and Shah Alam branches. One unforgettable moment was when a student suddenly broke down due to stage fright. It was such a heart-warming scene when Ms Suhaila, trainer for Ampang branch, did not give up and sat next to him to guide him. Under the motivation from other trainers too, the boy finally calmed down and braced himself to speak up.

Anxiety is part of human nature. It is inevitable to be nervous, as even the most experienced speaker do get nervous too. However, what’s important is to get over the fear and develop confidence while speaking. Instead of avoiding it, the kids will learn to face the situation by stepping forward and having constant practices in speaking publicly. As the saying goes, “practice makes perfect.”

Other kids presenting on Sunday were from TTDI, Kajang, Mont Kiara, Puchong, Subang and PJ SS2 branches respectively. The day ended on a high note at 10pm with students from Bangsar branch.

Witnessing a child speaking confidently and holding the stage is always a delightful and wholesome experience for both parents and trainers. Besides allowing children to learn through first hand experiences; it has also been a remarkable journey for the trainers to partake in growing the kids’ confidence in public speaking.

Success doesn’t happen by accident.

Once again, Johan Speaking Academy and its partners 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 have built the courage to speak in public!

For more info, visit : www.KidsPublicSpeaking.com

Johan Speaking Academy Term Graduation @ Wisma Wah Chan, 24th March 2019

In the blink of an eye, it was already the end of March 2019!

This also denoted the annual signature event by Johan Speaking Academy – “Johan Speaking Academy Term Graduation” for students from the respective programs namely Kiddos Public Speaking, Kids Public Speaking, Kids Youtubing and Kids Emcee.

This time the graduation was held at Wisma Wah Chan located at Petaling Jaya. What made the venue unique was its auditorium seating layout, similar to a movie theatre hall setting.  

While setting up before the first segment by Kiddos Public Speaking, both Johan and Cherry were cordially greeting and welcoming the parents into the hall.

When the hall began to be filled with crowd, Johan briefly explained that each seating arrangement had its own strengths and psychology. Due to its rising slope of seating rows as such, the speaker indirectly faced a stationary, forced-forward attention from the audiences. In other words, this depicted a power imbalance between the speaker and the audiences, which may contribute pressure towards the speaker. Having to conduct the graduation in such auditorium layout for the first time; Johan found this to be a great opportunity for his students to not only learn how to handle such challenging situation, but to also conquer the stage with an impactful impression.   

 In no time, the day continued with kids going onto the stage one by one. Some were anxious with sweaty palms but eventually gotten better thanks to their parents’ encouragement whilst some were extremely excited, looking forward to take the stage confidently. There was a child who did become too nervous and started crying profusely in the arms of her parent. After much motivation and support from parents and Teacher Johan and Cherry, the girl managed to go on stage to present her story. Performance anxiety is extremely common among children. It is okay to feel vulnerable, as long as you are willing to confront your fears and change to be better. As the saying goes, “it is the first step that counts.”  

The graduation event ended on a high note by 4pm. As parents and students were leaving the hall, Johan and Cherry waved goodbyes and thanked them for their support and attending the event. 

For more info, visit www.KidsPublicSpeaking.com

Johan Speaking Academy X AFO Radio Media Interview @ 14 November 2018

Johan was invited to participate in an interview again!

This time the interview was for the show called AFO Live with Mag, a daily segment that covers current, relatable and enjoyable topics from lifestyle to fashion, health and nutrition as well as humor and laughter. The radio station was located at the ground floor (boulevard) in Paradigm Mall.

The interview was set on an early Tuesday morning.

Upon arrival, Johan and Cherry were all smiles, chatting away with the host within minutes of meeting.

Soon after, the interview began with an energetic opening by the host.

Rather than an interview, it turned out to be a fun chat between the two about building children’s confidence, what inspired Johan to venture into public speaking and some ups and downs throughout his journey in establishing Johan Speaking Academy.

Thou behind the “screen”, Johan were always sporting a grin as he expressed his opinions and stories in an articulate manner. It did help to make his voice sound warm and engaging, in reflecting positive vibes to the listeners.  

During recording, Johan had also highlighted the importance of communication skills and how one can make use of it to become a strength and an ability in everyday life or for any profession. Especially in the case of children, Johan recalled a statistics back in 2017 that Malaysian students were unable or unwilling to speak up. Turning a problem into an opportunity, Johan believed that this can be resolved if children were nurtured to speak confidently since young. Hence, he was determined to help more children by conducting public speaking courses via a fun learning way.

Besides, Johan asserted that speaking can exist in various forms. Some may speak extremely fluent on a stage in front of crowd yet paralyzed when a camera began rolling or vice versa. As he shared, “a good public speaker may not necessarily be a good emcee”. Hence, different techniques and skills are always necessary to be applied for different types of speeches. With sufficient training and requisite practices, children can cope through unexpected changes or the toughest situations possible, even better than an adult!  

At the same time, Cherry was beside the interview all along; capturing pictures as memories, but also to provide moral support to her business partner/spouse.

Before ending the interview; as the founder and trainer for Johan Speaking Academy, Johan professed that no matter what his students wished to be in the future, he hoped that they will pursue them with the fullest confidence. As they had once done the boldest thing ever – taking a huge stage, overcoming stage fright, receiving applause from the crowd – this moment and memory will forever be embedded in their mind, reminding that they can achieve and excel anything in life. Having confidence is the key to leading a happy life.  

www.KidsPublicSpeaking.com

How To Be A Good Public Speaker ? ( Johan Speaking Academy )

It was their Language Week. At Idrissi School located at Setia Alam. The students were PUMPED UP even before the event. We were scheduled at 9.00am for our session, but at 8.00am during the assembly, students are already at the front presenting their speeches.

At 9.00am, they all came up to the venue. We greeted one another with HELLO and Apa Khabar.

There were about 70 students from 11 years old to 17 years old. 

As we started the session, you could see the eagerness in their eyes to learn.

3 tips on teens public speaking shared for the session.

Tip 1 : Mindset. 

Positive self-talk is very important in our lives. This is not only for public speaking, but for whatever we do. If we keep telling ourselves, "I can do it", you actually put in positive energy into yourself.

Tip 2 : Crafting A Speech 

This is a simplified version as we only have 1 hour in total. Crafting a speech consist of the opening, body and closing. The students went up to stage to present their stories after learning the tips shared.

Tip 3 : Body Language & Voice

The students also learn skills on how to use their hands and facial expression for their speech. It was so much fun learning from each other during the session.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience on stage with a group of enthusiastic and positive students from Idrissi School. At the end of the session, we had a group picture.

For more information on Teens Public Speaking, Kids Public Speaking and corporate engagement, do contact us at :

JohanSpeakingAcademy@gmail.com

www.fb.com/JohanSpeakingAcademy

KL Gateway Mall - Bangsar South. Kids and Kiddos Public Speaking

KL Gateway Mall ? Where is that ?

Though this mall has been at Bangsar South for the past 2 years, it was only this year that we stepped foot inside there.

Why only us then ?  Why not give our students the opportunity to step on stage at KL Gateway Mall and practise their speeches ?

YES ! We got a stagetime for our Kids Public Speaking program.

Our slot was in conjunction with Chap Goh Meh celebration. One of the parents said, "Wow, the stage is big ! "

Most of the students were beginners, that was why some parents were worried. When I saw the stage, I did not expect it to be so big too. We thought it was a small event with a small stage.

Anyhow, since the students were already there, I guess they are UP for the challenge.

The event started with Kiddos Public Speaking. Kids age 5 to 7 stepped onto the stage with confidence. Parents were super happy. You could see those smile on their faces.

Next up are Kids Public Speaking. These are students age ranging from 7 to 12 years old. They did superb too !

At the end of the session, parents too joined in the fun and we had a group picture at the big stage.

Every step a child make onto the stage, it is a confidence booster for them. Public speaking, if done well, will equipped them with a powerful skill which is essential for the future.

Thank you so much parents for the support and also the management from KL Gateway Mall.

Till we meet again. Cheers !

www.KidsPublicSpeaking.com