🧐This is why modelling after successful people is bad for you 😱
In 2008, when I first entered the speaking industry, I didn’t dare to “be myself”. I mean who will buy me if I am me? Young. Inexperienced. Unproven. So I modelled after speakers I admire. Found some success but I lost myself in the process. Then came 2016. I hit a plateau. No one was paying much attention to what I say because I wasn’t saying anything new anyway. I was just like every other speaker out there, regurgitating what have already been said. BORING. Customers stop buying me and I gave up trying. That was also the year I picked up clubbing and drinking. A close friend of mine confronted me one day. “Eric, why can’t you just be yourself?” Step out and be your own kind of beautiful. Why do you care so much about whether people will accept you or not. Be you and let them adjust. If you don’t be you, how will your true fans find you? WOW. Life changing advice. Upon reflecting, I realise I was afraid of being me because I always had the fear that I won’t be accepted. Didn’t help that I was never popular in school. But my friend had a point. If I kept modelling after other successful speakers, I will be at best a successful copycat. So in 2017, I decided to step out and be my own kind of beautiful. To hell with what people think about me. I stopped filtering my words. I stopped modelling other speakers. I stopped doubting myself . Be me and my true fans will find me. It has been more than three years. Look where that decision has brought me. A loyal following. A global speaking career. A happier and carefree me. May my story inspire you to BE YOU because only then will your true fans find you… and celebrate you! Your #1 fan, Eric Feng
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