So finally i’m here again after missing for two months and start my first project – To Change.
Since this is my first session, one fact about myself – I’m from Ipoh. Ipoh is a city in northern Malaysia and it is a food heaven. If you are a foodie and you are happen to be sick before in future, remember me and I can give you a list of good food that locals will go.
After 20 or 30 or years in Malaysia, I feel that i need to change and I need to step out of my comfort zone. One day I scrolled Jobstreet (that’s time that time is still Jobstret) and I came across this food technologies role in Singapore. So I submitted a resume, went for an interview and to my surprise, I got the job offer despite having no experience in the industry. That’s how i started my journey in Singapore.
Maybe some of you might don’t know what is food technologies, so let me give you an example. So usually bread, how long would it last? Few days right? But with technology, with improvements, adjustment in the recipe and also some of the packaging (that is also my little achievement) I managed to extend the shelf life of bread from few days to two months.
This bread maybe you can pass around. I made it in March so there’s no mould. Here you can take a look no mould. I can assure that this is safe and edible.
I developed this recipe during COVID so during lockdown, no travel, and my customers are mainly outside of Singapore so I cannot visit them physically.

What can I do? This business still needs to go on, and my KPI is still there.
So I need to do the introduction and launching online so I did presentations to many customers and also during this period of time I also attended different webinars and see how people sell products and we can notice that many businesses actually ship and how they promote their product where they put things online.
You can see more people selling things on Facebook and Instagram or many online platforms. And I also observe how they introduce their products then i compare with my own presentation stuff. I was like “Oh my god I’m like a lecturer giving lesson. So i start to worry if let’s say I don’t change my presentation style, can i sell my product? Can i hit my KPI?”
Because during the COVID period, many companies lay off people so I’m worried I’m one of them so I started to Google tips to improve my presentation style. Unfortunately I think it did not help a lot. So that’s why I pushed myself. “Okay it’s time to join a physical Public Speaking club. So i joined Toastmasters.
This is one of the reasons that I joined Toastmasters. But the most important reason is that the little dream in my heart appeared again – that is leadership.
Why I suddenly mentioned about leadership is because I feel that people that can speak in front of group and they can host activity, be an Emcee, they can be a leader.
But don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that anyone who can speak in front of crowd can be leader.
But a good leader they must have good speaking skills and good presentation skills.
For myself, I always say that I’m quite introverted not that outspoken so I choose to be a follower most of the time. Probably changed my mind because I’m also reaching certain age. If I don’t change now. when should i change? That’s why it really pushed me that I must make my resolution. I put my resolution into action now and i joined Toastmasters.
At first i tried to join Toastmasters online but even online when there are there are Table Topics I cannot raise my hand. I want to finally say, after few sessions I just sit there and then halfway I’ll go scroll instagram and actually it didn’t help.
Then finally i thought that I really need to come for the physical meeting so that I can have the opportunity and the platform to practice.
Lastly, usually I will do a self reflection after presentation and most of the time I’m not satisfied with myself and end up feeling emo – “why am i like every time?”
And when I’m nervous i cannot remember what I say it’s like 语无伦次 (in Chinese). So i think i really need to practice and I hope to practice I can slowly build up confidence and improve my speaking skill and become a leader of my own style and I can self-assure that when i do presentation next time, I can self assure that you did well.
So that’s all from me. Thank you for listening!
For Julia’s evaluation of this speech, click here.
Check out images from our meeting here.