216. From Banker to Best-Selling Author & Global Keynote Speaker – Here’s How (Simon Alexander Ong)

Most of us introduce ourselves with a title: “I’m a coach,” “I’m a banker,” “I’m a podcaster.”

The problem with this is that the moment you do that, you’ve put yourself in the same box as everyone else with that title.

Our guest today, Simon Alexander Ong – bestselling author of Energize, international keynote speaker, and award-winning coach – knows this firsthand. For years, he chased job titles he thought would define his success, until he realised that real success and true differentiation come from embracing your whole self. This includes your story, your skills, your creativity.

In this episode, we explore how breaking free from labels and showing people what makes you unlike anyone else, can transform you from just another professional… Into a brand.

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:26) Being boxed in by titles 

(03:35) Becoming a brand 

(06:14) Simon’s objections 

(08:52) A partner who supports your goals 

(15:44) The pressure of having it together

(18:05) A compelling vision

(19:49) Learning vs being an expert

(23:05) Creativity as a differentiator 

(25:18) What Simon is working on

(26:41) Transferable skills 

(27:40) Does your family get what you do? 

(31:14) Should I quit my job? 

(35:00) How to do it all 

(40:25) 3 Tips for entrepreneurs & creators 

(46:01) Actionable takeaways   

Prefer to listen to the audio version?

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Any Player

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Connect with Simon Alexander Ong

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@simonalexandero 

Website: https://simonalexanderong.com

Book: https://simonalexanderong.com/book 

Newsletter: https://simonalexanderong.com/shots-of-energy 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonalexandero

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonalexanderong

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Additional Resources

ANNOTATIONS – The Newsletter

The edits that got cut from the podcast.

Every interview on EDIT HISTORY runs about 60 minutes. But less than 40 minutes makes it into the final cut. This newsletter is where the rest live.

ANNOTATIONS is where I share the 33% I left behind — and the insights that came after we stopped recording.

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