Throw everything you know about the typical conference out the window and imagine this. A 10-day immersion programme in a new, exciting country where you are surrounded by students from all ages, industries and backgrounds who all share one simple desire: to learn the life skills necessary to thrive in the globalized, connected world of the future. That’s what Dr. Ai’s Classroom Without Walls Entrepreneurship Immersion Programme was all about.

Our daily sessions were filled with amazing speakers from all over the world who not only taught the subjects they spoke on, but lived it. In my session, I shared my journey in growing a social media community in the past few years and all the lessons I learned in doing so. Here’s a quick sneak peek of my session, which I shared on Instagram.

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I cant emphasise this enough. It makes no sense polishing profiles, posturing and positioning online when you can’t, don’t and won’t deliver offline. Put the work in your actual craft/skill/talent. Operate in excellence in whatever field of study or industry. Build your community by earning its trust and respect. • • Having a perfect online profile and a lot of followers count for naught if you can’t live up to the hype. In Singapore at the inaugural #ClassroomWithoutWalls Entrepreneurship Immersion Programme hosted by the gracious @aiaddysonzhang and it has been such an enlightening experience. #YourJamaicanGirl #terrikarelle #speaker

A post shared by Terri-Karelle (@terrikarelle) on Dec 12, 2019 at 5:20pm PST

As amazing as these sessions were – and they were amazing – stepping outside of the “classroom” was the true highlight of this experience. The choice of Singapore for this programme was not coincidental. Dr. Ai specifically chose it because she wanted her students to learn, not just from speeches and workshops held in a hotel conference room, but to see it all in action in a functional, thriving society. In many ways, Singapore itself was the classroom without walls.

Comfortable, liveable workspaces

Dubbed the “Silicon Valley of Asia”, Singapore has a thriving tech scene. As part of the ‘Classroom Without Walls’ programme, we visited the local offices of tech-giants, Hubspot and Adobe. These are businesses hard at work, building and advancing technology all over the world, so you’d think they’d be all work all the time, but it was the complete opposite. I was blown away by how they transformed their offices into spaces where employees could enjoy life and work at the same time – including fitness centers, meditation rooms and even areas for lounging and sleeping when employees needed a break.

Collaborative startup culture

We also visited the offices of a few other tech companies, including social media analytics software company, Talkwalker; CollabDeen – a 5-year old startup now valued at US$30 million; and ShopBack – another startup with a valuation of $300 million. Again, you would probably expect these companies to be protective of their knowledge and processes in order to retain a competitive advantage in the marketplace, but this is not the case at all.

The founders and managers of these companies were more than willing to share their strategies for building and growing their businesses. They believe that sharing and collaborating with others – rather than competing in closed environments – is the best way to foster development for their companies, as well as the country and the technological world overall. It was such a refreshing experience!

The best airport in the world

Taking a well-rounded approach to the learning experience, Dr. Ai of ‘Classroom Without Walls’ also included a few sightseeing excursions as part of the programme. We visited Universal Studios Singapore, which was every bit as fun as you expect a theme park to be. Yet, it paled in comparison to our visit to the best airport in the world, Changi Airport, which was an absolutely mind-blowing experience.

You’re probably thinking, “No one in their right mind goes sightseeing at an airport.” I thought so too…until I got there. Imagine walking into an airport and seeing this…

That’s the Rain Vortex, the world’s largest indoor waterfall – and that’s just the beginning. Every floor we visited had a unique view of the falls, load of beautiful trees and flowers and areas to relax. The airport also has a few unique gardens – one filled with cactuses, another with butterflies, and more – and a swimming pool. I was so happy we decided to visit on a day we weren’t traveling because, trust me, I would have absolutely missed my flight.

Functional design, in harmony with nature

“Carbon footprint reduction”, “conservation” and “environmentally-friendly design” aren’t just buzzwords thrown around for inspiration here, it’s built into everything Singapore does. They have no natural sources of water except rainfall, so water conservation is part of everyday life. They also conserve on electricity by utilizing sensor-activated technology for lights and electrical facilities where possible, such as in restrooms.

Just like the airport, Singapore’s other public facilities and attractions are all built to be environmentally-friendly and functional for everyone. Rather than designing for able-bodied person first, then adding features for the disabled, they design for disabled first, to ensure that these facilities are accessible to everyone. These spaces are also filled with greenery and plants, blending in seamlessly with nature, and helping to reduce the infrastructure’s impact on the environment.

Likkle but wi tallawah, Singapore and Jamaica

After coming home and sharing my experience on social media, a few of my followers pointed out how much Singapore has in common with Jamaica. Both are tiny countries. In fact, Singapore is literally referred to as a “little red dot” because of how it is typically represented on maps. Yet, they both offer the world so much more than their geographical size suggests.

Both countries also gained independence around the same time – Jamaica in 1962, Singapore in 1965. In fact, Singapore’s first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, visited Jamaica during that time to learn from Jamaica’s transition to self-rule. He then went back to his country to implement many of the policies that have made Singapore what it is today.

That’s where our similarities end. Despite having similar starting points and blueprints, we couldn’t be more different today. While Jamaica has a vibrant culture and beautiful landscape, we are struggling with high levels of crime and economic development, something Singapore has all figured out. Singapore has the second most prosperous economy in the world, with superb education, infrastructure, low crime rates and some of the highest wages in the world. I can’t help but wonder if it’s time to turn the tables and learn a few lessons from Singapore to cater to our own development.

Add Singapore to your bucket list

All considered, I had an absolutely thrilling experience in Singapore. I met some amazing people, saw the most beautiful sites and had a truly wonderful time sharing my knowledge with the participants of the Entrepreneurship Immersion Programme. I can’t thank Dr. Ai enough for inviting me to be a part of this journey. I’ll absolutely be returning to Singapore in the future and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an amazing travel experience.

The post Classroom Without Walls Pt 2: Highlights From Singapore appeared first on Terri-Karelle.

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!

The post Classroom Without Walls Pt 1: The Road to Singapore appeared first on Terri-Karelle.