This year I received the opportunity of a lifetime – to be one of the speakers at a conference in Singapore. But this was no ordinary conference, we were no ordinary speakers, and I think the story of how this all happened is just as important as the event experience. So before I get into all the details of the trip itself in an upcoming post, I thought I’d share just how I got this amazing chance to visit Singapore and be a part of the wonderfully unique Classroom Without Walls immersion programme.

Meeting Dr. Ai

Earlier this year, I had hosted a 2-day global marketing conference in Jamaica. One of the international speakers, Dr. Ai Addyson-Zhang, approached me afterwards and said that she was blown away by my ability to command the stage, maintain engagement and be knowledgeable about the various topics. I said thank you and we parted ways.

Soon after, she started following me across my platforms and took notice of my awesome online community and how we interacted with each other. Particularly, she had realized how quickly my following had grown on LinkedIn and Instagram, not through ads or “feeding the algorithm”, but simply sharing my knowledge and experiences and engaging authentically with my followers. This is what led Dr. Ai to invite me to speak at the 10-day Immersion Programme in Singapore on the topic “Leveraging Social Media to Become a Thought Leader“.

This is why I speak about the importance of showing up consistently off and online. I emphasize the importance of staying true to who you are, honing your craft, functioning in excellence and operating with integrity. It will open doors that your never even dreamed of.

Classroom Without Walls

To understand just how meaningful this opportunity was for me, I have to tell you about Dr. Ai and her business. Classroom Without Walls is an organization that aims to teach personal and professional development outside of the traditional books and classes.

Dr. Ai, who quit her career as a college professor to start this business, understands that, in today’s world, traditional education is simply not enough to thrive in this rapidly interconnected and disrupted world. Hence, she takes her students, of all ages and backgrounds, into environments where these skills are practiced and enables them to learn from people who are walking the walk every single day.

If the premise of her business isn’t enough to capture your heart, Dr. Ai’s bubbly, effervescent personality certainly will! Think I’m joking? Check out this video of her sharing details of the 10-Day Immersion Programme.

Leveraging Social Media to Become a Thought Leader

Before I packed my bag for the 2-week long trip to Singapore, Dr. Ai interviewed me live on LinkedIn to talk about social media, how I grew my following and engagement organically, and what I recommend others do to build their own social media presence. The video is still live on Dr. Ai’s LinkedIn page, and you can watch the full 40 minutes below.

Look out for a future post where I’ll be sharing my amazing experience in Singapore, what I spoke about and some of the spectacular offices and places we visited – including Singapore’s “Silicon Valley” and the out-of-this-world Changi Airport. It will absolutely blow your mind and have you booking your ticket right away!