Author: Michael Foo

  • What we can achieve when we trust ourselves

    What we can achieve when we trust ourselves

    Self-belief is important. Conventional wisdom tells us success begins by trusting ourselves. But trust is not an ask. Trust is earned. ๐—ฆ๐—ผ, ๐—ต๐—ผ๐˜„ ๐—ฑ๐—ผ ๐˜„๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ฟ๐˜‚๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—น๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ๐˜๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ? This is the story of rock climber Alex Honnold who took self-trust to an unprecedented level. In 2017, Alex became the first man to climb the 3,000…

  • How 5 little-known mindset shifts elevated my career

    How 5 little-known mindset shifts elevated my career

    2 months ago, I became a mentor with FutureLab.my and Mentoring SG. In my first sessions with 2 mentees last week, a recurring question emerged: โ€œ๐‡๐จ๐ฐ ๐œ๐š๐ง ๐ˆ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐š๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐œ๐ซ๐ž๐š๐ฌ๐ž ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐œ๐ก๐š๐ง๐œ๐ž๐ฌ ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐œ๐š๐ซ๐ž๐ž๐ซ ๐š๐๐ฏ๐š๐ง๐œ๐ž๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ? โ€œ Now, hereโ€™s the truth. Standing out requires a different mindset.You canโ€™t stand out with the same mentality…

  • An important advice from wasting 6 years of my career

    An important advice from wasting 6 years of my career

    I began my career in the Mobile Telecommunications (Telco) sector in the year 2000. That was an era when Telco was the unicorn much like the AI industry is today. As a fresh Marketing graduate, I felt I ‘arrived’ when I landed my first job with MobileOne (M1). I became a call centre officer, much…

  • Why stepping out of out comfort zone is so difficult

    Why stepping out of out comfort zone is so difficult

    99% of us avoid discomfort. ๐Ÿ˜–Itโ€™s not a weakness. It’s a fact. Itโ€™s how our brain reacts to ‘threats’, even if it is just the discomfort of the unknown. Itโ€™s because when we step out of our comfort zone, we are confronted by our fears – of failure, judgment and not being good enough. This…

  • Why getting ahead in your career is about how you think – not what you know

    Why getting ahead in your career is about how you think – not what you know

    Recently, I spoke to several individuals affected by the latest wave of layoffs. Amongst them were former colleagues and clients. News from Samsung, Dyson, Love Bonito and META reminded us that 3 years after the pandemic, a new norm is here. As companies chase cost efficiency relentlessly – faster, better, cheaper options will always win.…

  • What would you pursue if you knew you wouldn’t fail?

    What would you pursue if you knew you wouldn’t fail?

    Some moments change the course of their lives.These are moments of pride or regret. Back in 2013, I had the chance to pursue my career outside Singapore. It was an opportunity I couldnโ€™t ignore, but also one that I was afraid. Taking up an overseas assignment in my late 30s wasnโ€™t a decision I took…

  • What a 56 YO skydiver taught me about taking the leap

    What a 56 YO skydiver taught me about taking the leap

    I enjoy making new connections during webinars. Last week, I met June, a Singaporean who migrated to Australia, in a webinar breakout session. Her new life in Perth has been nothing short of an adventure. At age 56, she lived to tell the tales of her 2 โ€˜impossibleโ€™ from her bucket list – bungee jumping…

  • The Power of Once

    The Power of Once

    It has been said the first time is the most memorable. But what if it can also be the most disruptive? Years ago, my former CEO shared a simple yet profound principle: โ€œWhen we allow โ€˜just this once,โ€™ we open the door to excuses.โ€โ€œA small compromise will lead to a habit that could sabotage your…

  • Are you truly READY for the opportunities you’ve been waiting for?

    Are you truly READY for the opportunities you’ve been waiting for?

    One of the best advices I received was when I started as a Call Centre agent. Back then, my manager said, โ€œDonโ€™t ask for opportunities. Instead, ask,โ€˜Am I ready when those opportunities arise?โ€™Because if youโ€™re not, opportunities wonโ€™t matter. Theyโ€™ll pass you by.โ€ His words hit me hard. They felt like a double punch. Earlier…

  • Just Do It – Don’t Always work

    Just Do It – Don’t Always work

    Do you know โ€ฆ Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan was inspired by the final words of Gary Gilmore, a convicted murderer who was executed in Utah in 1977. Dan Wieden, co-founder of theย advertising firm that created the slogan,was inspired by Gilmore’s final words, “You know, let’s do it”.ย And the rest is history. But is it…