Born into a family where his great-grandfather was a rickshaw puller, his grandfather a trishaw rider, and his father a taxi driver, Eric was almost certain that he was destined to have a transportation-related career. He grew up as a shy and scrawny boy who was constantly bullied and was nicknamed “Mr. Invisible” by his close friends because of his lack of presence. However, Eric was always passionate about teaching and leaving a positive impact on others’ lives.
Driven by his passion to help others, Eric worked hard to overcome his shyness through the use of social media, a platform where he would not face the rejection he feared. His turning point came when he received advice from his mentor Ron Kaufman, who told him that he could only be of value to others if he became someone of influence. Eric then set out to establish himself as an expert in his field. Today, as “Chief Charisma Officer” of Charisma Academy, Eric has impacted millions of lives around the world, and coaches people how to improve their businesses and lives by unlocking their personal charisma.
Here are three soundbites of wisdom which have helped Eric on his journey to success, from being a shy and scrawny recluse to a known, loved and respected speaker, author and entrepreneur.
Soundbite #1: Environment trumps willpower
The seemingly-overused saying of “You are the average of the five people you hang out with” holds true, and Eric believes that the environment plays a big role in one’s development. As someone dedicated to constant learning and improvement, he surrounds himself with people who are better than him as motivation to constantly be improving. One of Eric’s personal favourite quotes: “If you work hard on your job, you will make a living. But if you work hard on yourself, you will make a fortune.”
Soundbite #2: Eric’s 3 Cs of success: Charisma, Competence, Character
Eric breaks down success into the short, middle, and long term, and shares his 3 Cs which people should focus on developing within each time frame to ensure overall success. In Eric’s words: “In the short term, CHARISMA is necessary to capture the attention of others and get all the help you can get. Understand the principle that ‘people buy people’, and they will pay attention to you and your message when you can build a connection with them. To win the middle term, you need to show your COMPETENCE and establish yourself an expert in your field to the point that your customers cannot ignore you. Lastly, to have the staying power required for long term success, you need to embody good CHARACTER traits such as humility and compassion to show that the cause you’re serving is bigger than yourself.”
Soundbite #3: Spotting and capitalising on opportunities amidst crisis
Even as the unfortunate events of 2020 unfolded and the world was put on lockdown, Eric Feng remained active in his efforts to publish content on social media. He figured that people would spend more time on social media while they were at home, and saw an opportunity where individuals and businesses with a strong social media presence could monetize this added attention from their followers. This was also an opportunity for people to capture the attention of more people and convert them into fans.