Journalism & copywriting

Native bilingual writer & speaker

I have loved writing since my junior college years, when an English teacher (a British native) brought the English language to life and helped me find the inner passion to learn English, not just mechanically, but to learn and love English with a passion. I have loved writing ever since.

Seamus Phan - opinion contributor to leading media Asia Times
Asia Times

I am bilingual in both English and Chinese (Traditional and Simplified, including the ancient language), spoken and written. If you need someone to deliver a keynote in either language, I am your guy. I am also a Chinese painter and calligrapher.

Writing since 1986

Seamus Phan - profile on Muck Rack (https://muckrack.com/seamusphan)
Seamus Phan: https://muckrack.com/seamusphan

I have been writing professionally since 1986, from children’s books to technical documentation, training programs, and journalistic expressions to published books. I have published hundreds of technical and business articles and authored several books (including the most recent “Dot Zen 2.o,” the previous co-authored “Dot Zen,” the best-selling “This Body This Life,” and the Amazon best-seller “The Internet Webmaster Logbook”), several e-books, audio CDs, and video training products. I have also been an avid blogger since the late 1990s, writing about philosophy, religion, business leadership, technology, holistic health and fitness, and so on. You can read my blog articles here. I was privileged to have been the first Asia member of the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) and a member of The Chartered Institute of Journalists UK (MCIJ).

I have worked with daily newspapers, technology and business magazines as an independent journalist and contributing editor. Editors have been kind to me, commenting that they can rely on me to produce analysis and news features that are fresh, insightful and highly readable. I also write advertising and editorial copy for corporate clients. If you need powerful and effective copy, talk to me now!

One recent FutureIOT piece on “recruiting and developing employees”

Summary: The author emphasizes the importance of finding the right people for a business, focusing on personality, commitment, and curiosity. They suggest that businesses should profile candidates early, using application correspondence, profiling tests, and interviews. Using profiling tests like MBTI, TypeFinder®, Enneagram, Big Five, and DISC can help determine if candidates can effectively integrate into the business. Interview panels can be used to assess candidates’ competence and knowledge. Employers can hire self-starters who need minimal guidance and can solve problems. Businesses can develop and maintain a learning management system (LMS) to engage employees with up-to-date information and knowledge. Tools like LearnPress and Beautiful.ai can be used for creating learning content. Empowering employees and setting them free is crucial for collective success. Read the full piece here.

Journalism interests (visit my MuckRuck profile)

  • Business, leadership, entrepreneurship, branding, and marketing
  • Digital marketing and PR
  • Gadgets (photography, video, computing, mobile)
  • Internet security (cybersecurity)
  • Biotech, pharmaceuticals, medicine, antiaging, health and fitness
  • Asia Pacific
  • Art and culture
  • Philosophy (especially Asian)

Microwire.news

I am also helping the team keep the flame of journalism alive at microwire.news, a news aggregation and content outreach platform where we cover technology, cybersecurity, food and hospitality, healthcare, the arts, and more.

microwire.news corporate logo

Interviews (C-suite)

Interviewed Steve Wozniak (Woz), co-founder of Apple
Interviewed Steve Wozniak

Throughout my years as a journalist, I have enjoyed interviewing many top executives of multinational corporations, industry visionaries, and celebrities. Steve Wozniak (Woz), co-founder of Apple, was a memorable one.

Editorial features I have written

I have written hundreds of technical and business features and commentaries and interviewed many top executives and visionaries. If you would like to see a sample of my work, please contact me. Here are the titles of a small sampling of what I have written.

Business and marketing features

  • The View from Singapore (National Writer, cover feature)
  • Rejuvenating aging brands (AllAboutBranding.com, cover feature)
  • Ethics of Disclosure: A a study of SARS (Ethix Magazine, feature)
  • Antitrust issues in Asia, translated into Chinese (Navigator, Motorola)
  • Business technology features
  • Internet-Based Education and Its Impact on Developing Nations (BWW, feature)
  • The Chief Knowledge Officer as the guardian of knowledge (Cnet Asia, feature)
  • Wireless sun rises in the East (TechTV feature, PDF)
  • Who needs a PC? (Business 2.0, cover feature, on how wireless Internet, specifically on wireless technology, is changing the lives of people in Asia).

Complex technology features

  • Trimming Costs? Shrink the Motherboard (NC Asia, analysis feature)
  • The clan of C languages (NC Asia, feature)
  • Recent security holes (NC Asia feature)
  • VPN circa 2002 (NC Asia, feature)
  • Mail server landscape (NC Asia, feature)
  • Fooling biometrics (NC Asia, feature)
  • Optimizing Java code and C# (NC Asia feature)
  • Squid configuration (NC Asia, feature)
  • Tidying up HTML code for XML (NC Asia feature)
  • Identity crisis (NC Asia, feature)
  • 64-bit computing revisited (NC Asia, feature)
  • Disable gopher (NC Asia, feature)
  • Satellite broadband (NC Asia, feature)
  • Using Perl to fight spam (NC Asia feature)
  • Patching wireless holes (NC Asia feature)
  • Antivirus tech frontiers (NC Asia, feature)
  • Multicast methods (NC Asia, feature)
  • Step up on spectrum (NC Asia, feature)
  • Beware of those MP3s (NC Asia, feature)
  • OS Shootout of Solaris, OS X & Win XP (NC Asia, feature)
  • Satellite Internet (NC Asia, feature)
  • Systems block of Asia domains (NC Asia, feature)
  • The right stuff (NC Asia, cover story)
  • Un-tethered learning with wireless (NC Asia, feature)
  • No forms, please (NC Asia, feature)
  • DIY Wireless: Base station not required? (NC Asia, feature)
  • IPSec and MPLS: Which VPN is Right For You? (NC Asia, feature)
  • Slowing down spam (NC Asia, feature)

Broadcast (TV & radio) journalism

I can work as an independent commentator and analyst and as a co-host for broadcasters (TV, radio and online) if you are looking for a reassuring voice or personality with reassuring and learned authority and discernible optimism.

I have a radio- and TV-friendly voice, having used my voice and personality on stage and elsewhere for more than two decades, including broadcast work. Unlike “pure” radio voices and TV faces, I bring decades of business, professional, technology and consulting experience to the table, making me a credible partner to your on-air personalities. You can count on me for quick thinking, thoughtful and lively discussions, and to fill in gaps whenever needed.

I have co-hosted on USA’s ZDTV Radio, TechTV Radio and TechTV Live. I have also co-hosted segments on 93.8FM (English) and Capital 95.8FM (Mandarin/Chinese).

Media accolades

  • “Seamus is just great!” says a US TV producer.
  • “You did so well! Our producer was blown away and said that you should be on every week. Nice smile… Our producer actually looked at me in the control room and said, ‘he’s the best guest we’ve ever had.'” US TV host.
  • “Thanks for making the program so relevant and interesting that more than the average number of listeners called in to chat with us.” Asia Radio host.
  • “It was our pleasure having you on the show. For us, you’re simply wonderful.” Asia TV producer.

Engage me to supercharge your business now!

Please fill in your details to engage me for public relations (PR) and strategic counsel, media coaching, crisis communications, and keynote speeches.