Motivational speaking on entrepreneurship in Malaysia, truly Asia

This is my fourth time to speak in a seminar in Kuala Lumpur and it definitely is another great one. This is certainly one wonderful addition to my list of international speaking career portfolio.

Motivational speaker in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Air Asia fleet touched down Kuala Lumpur International Airport at around 3:30pm and I was fetched by a limo service that took me to Grand Millennium Hotel. Limo here is not the limo but I think a local lingo that means “executive car service.” There are three types of car service from the airport to the city which an ordinary taxi is included.

The first night was excellent. It was a private dinner for international speakers. We tried authentic Malay food in a restaurant nearby. I’m happy to know other speakers coming from different parts of the world: New Zealand, Mexico, Thailand, and Malaysia. I must say it’s great to have a Filipino in this list, too.

(Side note: The pilot keeps on saying Clark Field and not Diosdado Macapagal International Airport. I wonder why.)

Back to the story.

I was the first speaker. There was a sudden change of schedule. I started to speak at around 10am. You see it’s not only in the Philippines do we have this “Filipino time.” They also have it in Malaysia and as an additional information, they also have it in Dubai, according to another speaker.

But I took the center stage and started my talk. It was a cozy environment with an audience who are either still employed or are now starting their own businesses. It’s basically a mix audience with a size of 50 I think.

Here are some key points in my inspirational talk.

If there’s one thing that entrepreneurs should know to succeed in life and in business, what would that one thing be? The answer is “there are many things that you should learn. Now this punch line got the crowd crazy. And I said, “Yes, I’m your motivational speaker. Why does it seem that you’re looking for somebody else. I’m Lloyd Luna!” And then therre was another round of applause.

I cited at least three discoveries that I made since I started my own business in 2005. One is, some parents are created to force their children o take this-and-that course in college. I asked them who are parents in the crowd and followed up another punch line: ok, you’re part of the problem. There was another big laugh.

I also said that as an entrepreneur, I realized how many people will reject your idea and judge you as crazy when you actually tell them about your plans, goals, or dreams. Third, I said that some may even laugh to death, some silently, and tell many others how crazy you are (sometimes even behind your back).

Many agreed.

Aside from my usual “Toilet Philosophy” slide, I actually asked three of my audience to join me up on stage and read something. That something i can’t put in here so in case you’d attend my seminar, you won’t have any clue. But when I asked them to read it, everybody read it incorrectly.

I proceeded with my lecture in a cry smooth and natural way, just like I always do in my other speeches and seminars. I engage my audience. I go around and ask, sometimes “bully them” in a very, very polite manner. In fact, I remember telling them how crazy they are because they paid for this kind of seminar! And I referred to the crazy organizer who brought international speakers in Kuala Lumpur!

Everybody had a great laugh.

Rather than speaking about concrete strategies, I spoke on motivation and philosophy on business success that I carry with me. I personally think that every one must start right and that should begin with having a right attitude towards work or business. For example, I mentioned that my inspirations was an adivise given to me when I was 23 years old that goes like this: Strive to make a fortune not for the money but for what it will make you become.

Money isn’t something that you pursue. It’s something that you attract by the person you become. I also stressed that it’s important to realize that one idea is worth way more than one million cash. I said it’s because money depreciates while idea stands the test of time.

But there was one lady from the crowd who said, “But what if your idea is wrong?” I answered, “There’s no such thing as a wrong idea. However, there such idea may be in a wrong timing, or it was not properly implemented, or it was taken by the wrong people.”

She said that makes sense. I said, “It should.” And the audience laughed once more.

(Off but event-related) While inside the limo, I was browsing The New Straits Times, the most popular newspaper in Malaysia, and I saw my name printed on it along with other speakers on Guerrilla Entrepreneurship.