There’s way too much content out there on the Internet today.

Correction: Too much unhelpful, "me-too" content that wastes everyone's time. 

Everyone is publishing similar content about the same things, pushing their own agendas, and trying to sell someone something.

It’s tiresome, boring, and readers have had enough of it.

At With Content, we want to change the way content is perceived.

We don’t believe in churning out bits of content that have obviously been thrown together as an afterthought or copy-pasted-rephrased.

We believe in meticulously crafting credible, authoritative longform content that your potential customers will actually love.

Over the years, we've partnered with industry leaders to do just that, including household names like Singtel, DBS, Grab, Randstad, and TÜV SÜD.

Let us help you become the go-to authority in your space with content: https://withcontent.co/ or daniel@withcontent.co

Daniel Tay

New year, new opportunity to join the best company on the planet (I'm biased of course):

Raising the bar for content marketing in Asia | Co-founder at With Content

Benjamin Loh, CSP

Growing up as an introvert and serial bully victim, putting myself out there has certainly not been my thing. 

Yet when I decided to pursue my dream as a professional speaker and coach as an accounting college student, I had to learn how to build online influence well. 

A decade later, I’ve been blessed to serve a Fortune 500 life insurance corporation as their Millennials and Social Media Engagement Consultant. 

Here are some "top-line" achievements: 

🌟 Keynote Speaker for Asia Pacific Life Insurance Congress (APLIC), MDRT Day ID, KL & SG 2019-2022 - teach the very strategies that have grown my global speaking business over the past 12 years - from a $500 paid-up capital by 1,000x (annual rev)

🌟 Strategic Growth Coach to the Top Agency Leaders in SG, MY, ID, HK. Currently the "Outsourced CMO" to a $20+M Agency in Singapore, reigning as the Top Group. 

🌟 Taught >57,000 audiences across 10 countries in Asia and Middle East. As of 2020, I've been accorded the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), an accolade for the top 12% of speakers globally. 

🌟 Featured over 70x on local and regional media (TV, radio, newspaper) like Channel News Asia (CNA), Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), The Huffington Post, and more. 

🌟 Trusted and engaged by global corporations like AIA, Atradius, Coface, DB Schenker, MSC Shipping, Porsche Asia Pacific, Prudential, Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), the Saudi Arabia Kingdom (SAK) government etc.

All without spending on paid advertisement, but by pure organic engagement and attraction.

If you're a top life insurance agency decision-maker, you know it’s harder to attract talents.

The old rules - a numbers game - it was effective, but no longer. ❌

You need to be #𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗳𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱, but maybe are facing these challenges:

😪 Confused by the mixed messages on how to build your online influence well 

😪 Lost and frustrated after months of "posting content" that doesn't move the needle one bit 

😪  Time and resource-poor because you're tied up with strategic growth of your agency

There is a better way and it doesn’t involve you doing more or becoming someone you are not. 

I can help you: 

🚀 BE AWARE - So your personal brand is seen by your ideal talents and have you be in their radars consistently 

🚀 BE ATTRACTIVE - Leverage organic social content to draw talent to you and the right ones!  

🚀 BE AMPLIFIED - Leverage the right audiences to be a prominent choice

🎁 Connect with me and let's discover how we can make you relevant to your talents of today!

Certified Speaking Professional (CSP®)

Conferred by the National Speakers Association, the CSP is the speaking profession’s international measure of professional platform competence by which speakers become a Certified Speaking Professional.

About 12 percent of the 5,000 + speakers worldwide, who belong to the 13 member associations of the Global Speakers Federation, currently hold this professional designation.

The Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation is earned through demonstrating competence in professional standards: Platform skills, Business management, Education and Association

Information provided by the National Speakers Association based in the United States of America. The Professional Speakers Association of Australia also grants Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) status with similar (but different) standards of its American counterpart.

Statistics are estimated as of July 2017

The coaching industry is getting a bad name.

And this is the real reason why. 💡

Lately, I chanced upon a Tiktok video.

The creator was ranting about how he's seen a surge of "coaches" in Singapore.

All of them were... "hawking their wares", "selling the dreams"... while they are still learning... how to "coach". (yes, this is a skill in itself) 

He made a good point. 

Some of the "coaches" are more concerned about making your money than making sure they are growing too (or first). 

More so, the coaches who are worth their salt, have attained some form of mastery and competence. 

They are able to: 
✅ Understand the context and different prospects, that come their way
✅ Have clarity about the underlying psychology (dreams, pains, desires) of their clients
✅ Equipped with tools, methods and processes to ensure transferrability 

These days, we have undergraduates who may still be struggling with school and yet are promising you plenty upsides in work and life. 

Or "career coaches" who may be "stuck" in a less-than-fulfilling careers, telling you to chase your dream job? 

See the irony?

In my space, we sometimes say too:

"Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach."

I'll challenge that --

"Those who can, do and learn hard. So that's why, they can teach better"

Last weekend, I wrapped up a highly intense facilitation assignment for a Chinese EMBA Program with the Singapore Management University.

While I've been teaching and speaking in Mandarin across Asia, I realized it wasn't enough.

These students were successful entrepreneurs, founders who have taken their companies public, second-gen business leaders from China

They invested over 7-figures RMB to learn. 

So I went to Preply and found my most ideal Mandarin coach in Teacher Carol.

She went through with me relevant Chinese vocabulary, corrected my colloquial Mandarin terms and habits and even, brainstormed ideas to work a mainland Chinese crowd. 

With Teacher Carol's help, I delivered a relatively effective assignment and got the nod of approval from the Program Director.

It will be dangerous and naive for me to think, I could just "wing it".

Because that's not what good coaches and teachers, do. 

Do you agree?

#coaching #topofmind #language

LinkedIn Top Voice in SG To Follow | I help top life insurance leaders and service professionals in Asia grow their brand and influence and be #TopofMind | Millennial Dad | Top 12% Global Speaker

Are you superstitious? 🎈

I never used to. But this is my intention for 2026.


For the longest time, I never believed in magic, chance or hope.
In fact, I used to think of people who do, as "giving their power away".
They are superstitious and want to just... "manifest" their way through. 

And not do the work required. 

"They are just being plain lazy. 

Instead, I may not be the most gifted in the room. But I will outwork everyone else."

So none of the esoteric bulls**t please!

Yet as I grow to be more open over the past decade, I've realized this instead.

It's not just working your ass off. 

Because there is magic in...

🎁 Learning how to love and dream, without holding back
🎁 Listening and connecting with your inner child 
🎁 Believing in the "flow of life" and respecting your seasons
🎁 Surrendering to the process and embracing equanimity

One of the Chinese sayings that has inspired me a lot:

命里有时终须有, 命里无时莫强求

If it's meant for you, it will come eventually. If it's not yours to have, it's futile to chase or demand. 

In the past year, my students have cleared their Top of the Table (TOT) 4x in a row, attracted over a dozen quality candidates over LinkedIn, get featured on TV and mass media. Our business has grown in revenues, 40+% y-o-y while supporting an insurance giant scale regionally. 

Brand building in 2026, shares this parallel.

I still am not superstitious. But I embrace the dualities of life. 

It's the 'yang' - having the structure, systems, discipline and grind.

But it's also the 'yin' - creating with your own energies, being in the flow of your life, building your own garden of opportunities and attracting. 

The right people and events will come your way.

The world has so much to offer. And so do you.

What's your intention this year around?

#hope #newyear

Everyone's building a personal brand in 2026.

✔️ Posting daily. ✔️ Growing followers. ✔️ Chasing engagement.

Another wave is learning AI.

✔️ Prompt engineering. ✔️ ChatGPT hacks. ✔️ Automation workflows.

Another group is doubling down on networking.

✔️ Coffee chats. ✔️ Conferences. ✔️ LinkedIn DMs.

All good moves.

But when everyone's doing the same thing, what makes YOU different?

It's not about more tactics.

Not another course on "How to go viral on LinkedIn."
Not mastering the latest AI tool before your competitor does.

The real unfair advantage?
💡 It's having three rare skillsets that most people never combine:

1️⃣ Deep Domain Expertise
Not surface-level knowledge from a 3-hour YouTube tutorial.

→ I'm talking about 10,000+ hours in your craft. 
→ The kind where clients say, "I trust you because you've been in the trenches."

👉🏻 This can't be faked and can't be outsourced to AI.

2️⃣ Storytelling & Communication
You can be the best at what you do.
But if nobody knows, cares, or understands your value → you're invisible.

The ability to: 
→ Turn complex ideas into simple insights 
→ Share authentic stories that build trust 
→ Communicate your value without sounding salesy

👉🏻 This separates the top 1% from everyone else.

3️⃣ Strategic Visibility
Showing up isn't enough.
You need to show up in the right places, at the right time, with the right message.

This means: 
→ Understanding where your ideal clients pay attention 
→ Creating content that positions you as the obvious choice 
→ Building relationships that compound over time

👉🏻 Being consistently present so when opportunities arise, you're already top-of-mind

Most people have ONE of these.
Some have two.
Very few have all three.

Think about it.

→ You could be world-class at your craft.
But if no one knows you exist, you'll lose to someone average with a strong presence.

→ You could have amazing stories.
But if you're invisible, those stories never reach the people who need to hear them.

→ You could be everywhere online.
But if you lack expertise or can't communicate it well, you're just noise.

The magic happens at the intersection 🪄

When you combine them:
→ Your expertise makes you credible 
→ Your storytelling makes you memorable
→ Your visibility makes you top-of-mind

When a client needs help? 
They think of YOU first.

When an opportunity arises? 
Your name comes up in the room.

When someone asks for a referral? 
You're the obvious answer.

That's the unfair advantage.

So, what's the one skillset you're doubling down on this year?

P.s. ✍🏻 I am Benjamin Loh, CSP, a strategic growth coach and consultant who has taught over 65,000 leaders in over 20 global cities and constructed some of the leading icons (TOT, Award Winners) in the financial industry in Asia through the power of authentic storytelling and authority building.

💪 Follow me for personal brand and growth insights.

#personalbranding #unfairadvantage #professionalgrowth #topofmind

No alternative text description for this image

"Tell me more about yourself..."

Can you answer that in 30 seconds? Without stumbling?

Most people freeze. 
I did too.

It was 2014.
I had just quit my five-figure sales job to become a full-time speaker and coach.

No corporate pedigree.
No fancy connections.

Just a poor GPA in Accounting and a dream that everyone thought was foolish.

And here I was, sitting across from a senior executive who wanted to know my story.

Here's what I wish I knew then:
💡 Most people confuse reputation with personal brand.

Everyone has a reputation. 
→ It's what people say about you when you're not in the room.

But a personal brand?
→ That's intentional. 
→ Strategic. 
→ Authentic.

Your efforts, education, and experience don't automatically build your brand. 

I learned this the hard way.
→ In my early days, I was living on a $15 daily budget for food and transport.
→ I took on side gigs. Writing, hosting, and translation just to make ends meet.
→ I doubted myself constantly: "Who am I to train corporate leaders?"

But I made a choice.

Instead of waiting for permission or validation, I defined what I stood for.

I focused on TWO things:
1️⃣ Define your brand
Ask yourself:
👉🏻 What do I want to be known for?
👉🏻 What value do I bring that others don't?
👉🏻 What's my unique story, perspective, or expertise?

For me, it was empowering leaders and professionals to build influence through authenticity.

2️⃣ Be clear about what it stands for
Ask yourself: 
👉🏻 What principles guide my work? 
👉🏻 What do I stand for (and against)? 
👉🏻 How do I want people to feel after working with me?

When your brand is clear, people know exactly what you stand for and what value you bring.

Fast forward to today:
→ I've taught 65,000+ leaders across 20+ cities
→ Built a $4M corporate services brand
→ Made 7-figure deals through LinkedIn

None of this happened because of my credentials.
It happened because I built a brand people could trust. 

A well-defined personal brand builds credibility. 

It opens doors.
It creates opportunities that your resume never could 🔥

Stop waiting for the perfect moment to define your brand.
Start now. 

Be clear. 
Be authentic. 
Be intentional.

Your story matters. 
Your voice matters.

The question is:
How do you want people to see you?

P.s. ✍🏻 I am Benjamin Loh, CSP, a strategic growth coach and consultant who has taught over 65,000 leaders in over 20 global cities and constructed some of the leading icons (TOT, Award Winners) in the financial industry in Asia through the power of authentic storytelling and authority building.

💪 Follow me for personal brand and growth insights.

#personalbrand #careergrowth #linkedin #networking #topofmind

From being bullied in school to speaking across 20+ countries.

My journey wasn’t easy, but it taught me lessons I’ll never forget.

From ages 7 to 17, I was bullied.

Socially awkward. 
Low self-esteem. 
Struggled to make eye contact.

Fast forward to today:
→ Spoken to 65,000+ leaders across 20+ countries and cities
→ Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) - one of Asia's youngest 
→ Built a $4M corporate services brand 
→ LinkedIn Top Voice with 1.4M+ post views

Here's what I learned:

1. Your weaknesses can become your greatest strengths 💪🏻

👉🏻 Being an introvert once felt like a curse in networking and public speaking. 
👉🏻 Now? It's my superpower.
👉🏻 I listen deeply. I observe carefully. I connect authentically.
👉🏻 I don't just deliver presentations, I tell meaningful stories that resonate.

2. Starting from zero is a gift, not a handicap 💐

👉🏻  2012: Graduated with a poor GPA in Accounting. No corporate experience. No influential connections.
👉🏻  2014: Quit my sales job to become a full-time speaker earning ~$60k annually. Lived on a $15 daily budget for food and transport.
👉🏻  The struggle forced me to: 
→ Prove my worth through results, not credentials 
→ Deliver exceptional value, not just talk 
→ Build resilience that money can't buy

3. Invest in yourself before anything else.

👉🏻 I prioritized mentorship over material possessions.
👉🏻 One paid mentorship generated $700k+ from a single client.
👉🏻 The ROI on personal development? Immeasurable.

4. Separate your identity from your roles
👉🏻 2023 was my breaking point. Professional burnout, family tensions, mental health struggles.
👉🏻 Therapy saved me.
👉🏻 I learned: I am not my achievements. I am not my failures.
👉🏻 This separation gave me freedom to take risks, learn from mistakes, and rebuild stronger.

5. Influence matters more than fame.

👉🏻 Personal branding isn't about going viral.
👉🏻 It's about: 
→ Building trust with the right people 
→ Creating leverage to serve others effectively 
→ Delivering substance over superficial flash

I've made 7-figure deals online, not because I'm famous.
But because I'm authentic and consistent.

The kid who couldn't make eye contact is now teaching corporate leaders across Sydney, Chicago, Tokyo, and Riyadh.

Not because the bullying didn't hurt.
But because I chose to reframe it.

Every struggle became a story.
Every setback became a setup for growth.

Which lesson hit home for you today?

P.s. ✍🏻 I am Benjamin Loh, CSP, a strategic growth coach and consultant who has taught over 65,000 leaders in over 20 global cities and constructed some of the leading icons (TOT, Award Winners) in the financial industry in Asia through the power of authentic storytelling and authority building.

💪 Follow me for personal brand and growth insights.

#linkedinstrategy #personalgrowth #careergrowth #personalbranding

If you're a business owner, people expect you to be:

100% productive, every single day.

→ Always "on," always crushing it 
→ Peak performance from sunrise to sunset 
→ No off days, no slow starts 
→ Hustle mode activated 24/7

Here's what they don't see:

Some days I'm at 70%.
Other days? 50%.
And some days... 20%.

But I show up anyway.

Nobody talks about this.

We see the highlight reels. 
The wins. 
The momentum.

What we don't see:
→ The mornings when "focus" is a foreign concept.
→ The weeks when you're running on fumes but still have to deliver.
→ The days when just answering emails feels like climbing a mountain.

I used to think anything less than 100% meant I was failing.

That slow days = wasted potential.
That rest = laziness.

I was wrong.
 
Here's what I've learned:
→ 70% days build consistency 
→ 50% days build resilience 
→ 20% days build self-awareness

The goal isn't perfection.
It's persistence.

Here's the reality:
70% effort × 365 days = massive results
100% effort × burnout = zero days left

Sustainable success beats temporary intensity.
Every time.

Some days, you'll crush your goals.

Other days, just showing up IS the goal.

And that's okay.

Because business isn't a sprint.

It's showing up, again and again, even when you're running on empty.


So if you're feeling guilty for not being "on" today,

You're not lazy.
You're not failing.
You're being strategic.

Sometimes, doing it anyway, even at 20%,  is the most courageous thing you can do.

So, what percentage are you running at today?

P.s. ✍🏻 I am Benjamin Loh, CSP, a strategic growth coach and consultant who has taught over 65,000 leaders in over 20 global cities and constructed some of the leading icons (TOT, Award Winners) in the financial industry in Asia through the power of authentic storytelling and authority building.

💪 Follow me for personal brand and growth insights.

#entrepreneurship #productivity #leadership #careergrowth

Most people avoid posting online because they fear criticism.

I did too, until it helped me build my 7-figure business

Here's what changed my perspective:

→  In 2015, someone told me I wasn't cut out to train corporate leaders. 
I had no track record, no credentials, just ambition.

That stung.

→  In 2018, after a Mandarin presentation in Macau, the feedback was brutal. 
"Worst speaker we've had."

That crushed me.

→  In 2023, a LinkedIn comment called my posts "cringe" 
and questioned my credibility.

That hurt.

But here's the pattern I noticed:

→ The 2015 critic? 
Pushed me to invest $700k worth of effort into becoming undeniable.

→ The 2018 feedback?
Made me separate my identity from my role and I rebuilt my skills from scratch.

→ The 2023 comment? 
Forced me to clarify my message and double down on authenticity.

👉🏻 Every critic became a checkpoint.

If no one's criticizing you, it means one of two things:

1. You're not visible enough to matter
2. You're playing so safe that no one notices

Critics show up when you're taking up space.

When you're challenging norms.

When you're growing beyond your current container.

I've taught 65,000+ leaders across 20+ cities.
Built a 7-figure business.

None of that happened in silence.

It happened in the noise of people questioning whether I belonged there.

The difference between then and now?

I stopped seeing criticism as a verdict on my worth.

I started seeing it as data on my direction.

→ Am I growing? 
Critics will show up.

→ Am I staying stagnant?
Crickets.

So if you're getting criticized right now:

Congratulations.

You're visible.
You're evolving.
You're threatening someone's version of "how things should be."

That's not a problem.

That's proof you're moving.

The only question is: Are you listening to the right critics?
Or are you letting the noise stop you from becoming who you're meant to be?

What's one criticism that pushed you to grow? 

Drop it in the comments 👇🏻  
I'd love to hear your story

P.s. ✍🏻 I am Benjamin Loh, CSP, a strategic growth coach and consultant who has taught over 65,000 leaders in over 20 global cities and constructed some of the leading icons (TOT, Award Winners) in the financial industry in Asia through the power of authentic storytelling and authority building.

💪 Follow me for personal brand and growth insights.

#growth #personalbrand #career #professionalgrowth #selfimprovement

You’re always there for everyone else. 

But, when was the last time you chose yourself?

Here’s a reminder for today: 
💡 You can’t pour from an empty cup.

I used to think putting myself first was selfish. Until I realized that choosing myself wasn’t just necessary. 
👉 It was the key to showing up better for everyone else.

What’s one small way you’ll prioritize yourself this week?

If this post spoke to you, like, share, and save it to remind yourself to choose YOU.

#leadership #personalgrowth #successmindset #selfimprovement #coach

Best thing that happened in my 20s?

Getting rejected by Procter & Gamble. 


The email headline:
"Thank you for your application for <position>..."

The performative opening:
"We thank you for your outstanding performance.. There was a record number of applicants..."

I was rejected. Gulp.


At that point, I had only two choices.
Take on an accounting job offer.
Or build my dream.
I decided on the latter.

My thinking was simple - I could always default back to finance.

But if I don't take the risks when my opportunity costs were lowest, I'll regret it. 

Yet it wasn't linear.
→ I had zero corporate working experience
→ My network was limited
→ I am not the most polished or savvy kid out there

Yet that job rejection and having "no plan Bs" (I thank one of my past mentors, Usha Menon, for this liner) meant that:

✅ I learnt how to find my voice and power → I sold my way to Chicago, Tokyo, Sydney and Riyadh and taught over 65,000 leaders in communications and personal branding

✅ With no experience and cred, I built and negotiated my own offers → I've raised my fees almost 250x and done multiple 7-figures USD of business with multinationals 

✅  Not having anyone endorse me and being "bad at selling" → I've built a personal brand that opened doors of trust and faith, landing myself on media over 90 times to tell my stories 

Have I arrived?

Nope.

But if you need a vote of faith in 2026, here's yours.

You've got it.

But you got to bet on yourself first. And start.

Today. 

#topofmind #personalbranding

Personal or professional content?

Which one should you post if you want to grow your personal brand?

Most people think they have to choose one.

👉🏻 All professional = 
People respect your expertise but feel like you're hiding behind a screen.

👉🏻 All personal =
People like you but aren't sure why they should work with you.

Here's what I've learned after years of building brands on LinkedIn:
→ Professional content builds authority and trust. 
→ Personal content builds intimacy and connection.

You need both.

💡 When you only share professional insights, 
you become that expert no one really knows.

They'll consume your content. 
They'll respect your knowledge. 
But they won't feel connected to YOU.

💡 When you only share personal updates, 
you're relatable but not referable.

They'll engage with your posts. 
They'll feel like they know you. 
But they won't be sure what problems you solve.

The sweet spot?

Mix them strategically 🧠

💡 Professional content gets people to trust your expertise. 
💡 Personal content gets people to feel like they know you.

Both can work independently, I've seen it.

But together? 

That's when you build something powerful: A brand people trust AND relate to.

Because at the end of the day, we all eat chicken rice.

But not everyone can solve problems like you can.

P.s. ✍🏻 I am Benjamin Loh, CSP, a strategic growth coach and consultant who has taught over 65,000 leaders in over 20 global cities and constructed some of the leading icons (TOT, Award Winners) in the financial industry in Asia through the power of authentic storytelling and authority building.

💪 Follow me for personal brand and growth insights.

#personalbrand #linkedintips #contentcreation #socialmedia #personalbranding

A financial advisor reached out to me last week.

"Ben, my LinkedIn is doing well. Good engagement. People love my posts."

"So what's the problem?" I asked.

"When I reach out to book meetings? Crickets."

I hear this pattern constantly from the financial advisors I work with.

Here's the hard truth most don't want to hear:
👉🏻 Attention won ≠ Attention converted.

After working with Asia's leading financial professionals and helping them build personal brands, I've noticed something:

Most advisors are stuck at Stage 1.

✔️ They post market updates.
✔️ Share investment tips.
✔️ Talk about retirement planning.

Their audience nods along.
❗️ But no one's booking discovery calls.

Why?

💡 Because attention without trust is just noise.

Think about it:
→ For every 10 prospects who see your content
→ Maybe 5-6 will actually engage
→ But only 1-2 will trust you enough to take action

The gap between those numbers? 
That's where hand-holding happens 🤝

And most advisors aren't doing it.

Hand-holding isn't about being pushy.
It's about guiding prospects from awareness to trust through consistent value.

Here's the framework I teach my clients:

👀 Stage 1: Catch Their Eyes.
Lead with stories that resonate:
→ Client transformations (compliance-approved)
→ Contrarian takes on common advice
→ Relatable struggles your ideal clients face

🤝 Stage 2: Hold Their Hands
Deliver educational value that builds trust.
Segment your content by client journey:
→ Pre-retirees worried about volatility
→ usiness owners seeking tax optimization
→ Young professionals starting wealth accumulation

Each segment needs different hand-holding.

🔁 Stage 3: Convert with Confidence
By now, they've consumed your content multiple times.
This is when your CTAs actually work when:
→ Your content cuts deep into their situation and creates "open loops"
→ Your case studies reflect the pain and problems they are facing
→ Audience has the "mind share" you are the "the one" to help them

Remember, the advisors who win aren't the ones with the biggest following.

They're the ones who:
💡 Understand their segment deeply
💡 Show up consistently with relevant insights
💡 Guide prospects from curiosity to conversion

Attention won is just the beginning.
Attention converted is what grows your practice.

What's one way you're hand-holding your prospects this week?

P.s. ✍🏻 I am Benjamin Loh, CSP, a strategic growth coach and consultant who has taught over 65,000 leaders in over 20 global cities and constructed some of the leading icons (TOT, Award Winners) in the financial industry in Asia through the power of authentic storytelling and authority building.

💪 Follow me for personal brand and growth insights.

#financialadvisors #topofmind #linkedInstrategy #mdrt

2026 is here.

And if you're in Asia like me, you already know the drill.

✅ Hit bigger targets. 
✅ Work harder.
✅ Prove yourself again.

But here's what I've learned after training 65,000+ leaders:
❗️Hard work alone won't get you there.

It's your mindset that determines whether 2026 becomes your breakthrough year,
or just another year of burnout.

Here are 5 mindsets I'm focusing on in 2026:

1️⃣ Embrace curiosity over certainty.

Growing up in Asia, I was taught to follow the ""safe path.""

But the leaders who thrive? 
They challenge assumptions.
→ They ask: ""What if there's a better way?""

👉🏻 Stop clinging to comfort.  Start exploring what's possible.

2️⃣ Focus on solutions, not excuses. 

In 2014, I quit my job to become a speaker with a $15 daily budget.

I could've blamed the economy. 
My lack of connections.
→ Instead, I asked: ""What can I do to fix this?""

👉🏻 In 2026, focus on what you can control.

3️⃣ Reframe failure as your teacher.

In 2023, I bombed a presentation in Macau. 

The feedback was brutal.
But I didn't quit. 
→ I asked: ""What can I learn?"" 
→ I separated my identity from my role.

👉🏻 Setbacks will happen in 2026. Your response determines your trajectory.

4️⃣ Seek wisdom from mentors.

In 2017, I invested thousands in mentorship, money I didn't have.

That decision?
It generated $700k+ from one client.
→ Mentors give you structure, accountability, and perspective.

👉🏻 In 2026, invest in guidance. Don't wait.

5️⃣ Take responsibility. Give gratitude.

In Asia, humility is a virtue. But humility doesn't mean staying small.
✔️ Own your wins. 
✔️ Own your losses. 
✔️ Own your growth.

→ When I failed, I didn't blame others. 
→ When I succeeded, I thanked those who helped.

👉🏻 Success in 2026 will be the sum of your daily choices, and the people who believed in you.

Mindset is a choice.

You can't control the economy. 
Your background. 
Or what others think of you.

But you can always control your response.

What's one mindset you're committing to this year?
Drop it below, I'd love to hear from you 💬

Let's make 2026 count 💪

P.s. ✍🏻 I am Benjamin Loh, CSP, a strategic growth coach and consultant who has taught over 65,000 leaders in over 20 global cities and constructed some of the leading icons (TOT, Award Winners) in the financial industry in Asia through the power of authentic storytelling and authority building.

💪 Follow me for personal brand and growth insights.

#personalgrowth #career #professionaldevelopment #2026goals

"You should do this... you shouldn’t do that..."

Ever notice how people suddenly become experts on your life choices?

When I told people I was going to train corporate leaders with no corporate background, the skeptics were loud.

"Who's going to take you seriously?" 
"You need to work your way up first."

But here's what I learned: their doubts said more about their limits than mine.

While they waited for permission, I was delivering results. 

While they collected credentials, I was collecting testimonials.

Your unconventional path isn't a weakness, it's your edge.

Stop shrinking yourself to fit their idea of "qualified" 😉

P.s. What would you pursue if you stopped worrying about what others think you "should" do first?

👉 If this post reminded you that your path doesn't need validation, like, share, and save it as a reminder to trust your own timeline.

#authenticity #personalgrowth #successmindset #selfimprovement #coach

"Why would I need a personal brand when my entire book is built on referrals?"

A financial advisor asked me this last week.

He wasn't being defensive.

He was genuinely confused.

"Ben, 80% of my clients come from referrals. The rest are COI relationships I've built over 15 years. Why would I waste time on LinkedIn?"

Fair question.

Here's what I told him:
"Your referral engine isn't your marketing strategy. 
It's your reputation working overtime—24/7—without you even knowing it."

He looked puzzled.

So I asked:
"When someone refers you, what's the first thing that prospect does?"

"They... Google me?"

"Close. They LinkedIn you."

Here's what most financial advisors don't realize:
💡 Your personal brand isn't competing with your referrals.
💡 It's amplifying them.

Think about it:

A client refers you to their colleague,
That colleague searches your name on LinkedIn.

They see... what exactly?

A sparse profile from 2019?
Generic posts about market updates?
Or a feed full of insights that prove you actually understand their world?

That 30-second scroll determines whether they take the call, or ghost the referral.

Your referral network has a shelf life.

I learned this the hard way in 2014.

I quit my sales job to become a full-time speaker, earning ~$60k annually.

I had the skills.
I had some clients.

But I had zero visibility beyond my immediate network.

When that well ran dry, I had nothing.
No pipeline. No backup. No leverage.

By 2017-2018, I secured an exclusive regional contract with a top-3 global insurer and crossed quarter-M in sales with this account alone.

Not because I suddenly got better at speaking.
Because I built a 24/7 marketing team that worked while I slept:
✨ My content.

Social media doesn't replace your referral engine.

👉🏻 It protects it.
👉🏻 It ensures that when referrals slow down (and they will), you're not starting from zero.
👉🏻 It turns passive reputation into active visibility.
👉🏻 It works 24/7, while you're meeting clients, spending time with family, or sleeping.

You don't need to post daily.
You don't need to go viral.
You need to be present when opportunity knocks.

One insight per week.
One story per month.
One perspective only you can share.

That's not overwhelming.
That's insurance.

So, if you could only post once this month, what story would you tell?

Your referral network is already doing the heavy lifting.
Let your content amplify it.

#financialadvisors #topofmind #linkedInstrategy #mdrt

"Singaporeans are unimaginative and just good workers. They hardly stand out... 

They just blend in."

I heard this at an industry trade event years back.


I wanted to rebut badly, as one of the few young Singaporeans there.

But I did think there was some truth to it. 

Of course, it's always a #ragebait to slam an entire nation of people and tar them with the same broad stroke. 


I read this media article on how our Ministry of Education (MOE) is "considering changes to PSLE to slow down education 'arms race''

Yes, it's an "arms race", no less.

In the 1990s when I was schooling.. schooling was already intense. But there was still time and freedom for me to play marbles by the huge drains, after school. 

I'd participate in Extra Curricular Activities (ECA) and work part-time jobs to sell ice cream and wait tables.

My parents hardly send me to any enrichment class or tuition. 

And I turned out fine, I think.

Bagged several education awards, put into SAP schools, scholarships, represented the State for global exchanges and more.


Now, as a dad to a 5-year-old, I "feel the craze":

→ Plethora of enrichment and "life skills training" for children 
→ Parents enrolling Mandarin classes for their children because they swear - "it's the only way your child will survive the Chinese language curriculum"
→ Kids having to be in a school bus at 5.30am to attend a branded primary school ("the best is...")

It's carved in our identity and deep in our DNAs, isn't it? 

Meanwhile, the PSLE (Singapore's national examination) while having undergone "reforms",  the changes seems more cosmetic and superficial. 

Parents would still share the "point equivalent" for results, based on the old system on social media. 

Our local government and elite civil service still have strong hiring and promotion biases towards "pedigree universities" and the Ivy Leagues. 

MOE's famous mantra - Teach Less, Learn More? 

Then we have our kids to attend cram schools in the evenings to learn (again) enough so they don't fall behind David and Mary at our neighbour's. 

Little wonder why we've become "unimaginative" and compliant cogs. 

--

In honesty, I don't have any answers or solutions. 

And nor do we think withdrawing my kid out of the "race" is something financially or logistically feasible. 

The best thing we are doing as parents to hedge against this uncertain future are to invest into his exposure early, build his resilience and not be financial burdens to him in the future. 

If you are a parent too, what are your thoughts? 

#singapore #parenting

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The Battle

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