# Dr Seamus Phan > C-suite Publicist + Strategist --- ## Posts - [Shadow AI, OpenClaw and Mythos are changing not just Cybersecurity postures but Critical PR and Communications](https://seamusphan.com/shadow-ai-openclaw-and-mythos-are-changing-not-just-cybersecurity-postures-but-critical-pr-and-communications/): The C-suite may have invariably fallen for a risky, even “messianic” narrative. For the past few years, artificial intelligence has... - [Why VCs and Investment Firms must Anchor Portfolio Success with a Premier APAC PR Firm](https://seamusphan.com/why-vcs-and-investment-firms-must-anchor-portfolio-success-with-a-premier-apac-pr-firm/): Venture capital and private equity firms are, at their absolute core, engines of structured alchemy. They source raw innovation, infuse... - [Navigating the APAC Matrix: Why a Red Team Approach is Your Path to Sustainable Growth](https://seamusphan.com/navigating-the-apac-matrix-why-a-red-team-approach-is-your-path-to-sustainable-growth/): The Asia Pacific region is a beautiful, monolithic illusion. All too often, Western boardrooms look at a map and see... - [The Disaster of Silence: Why PR Is Your Only Profitable Pipeline in the AI Era](https://seamusphan.com/the-disaster-of-silence-why-pr-is-your-only-profitable-pipeline-in-the-ai-era/): In the corridors of power, fear is a poor advisor. As geopolitical tectonic plates shift and economic indicators flicker like... - [The Strategic Edge: Why Minimalist Typography Beats AI "Art" in Packaging Design](https://seamusphan.com/the-strategic-edge-why-minimalist-typography-beats-ai-art-in-packaging-design/): In boardroom discussions and strategy meetings across the region, I frequently encounter a prevailing—and frankly, dangerous—myth among non-designers. Many well-meaning... - [AI, AGI, humanity, and philosophy](https://seamusphan.com/ai-agi-humanity-and-philosophy/): Google just hired its first philosopher, hoping to uncover and learn the journey from AI to AGI. This is congruent... - [Strategic Communication to Succeed in these Turbulent Times](https://seamusphan.com/strategic-communication-to-succeed-in-these-turbulent-times/): The 21st century is a time of rapid technological change, geopolitical shifts, and the constant onslaught of the digital world.... - [Why internal communications matters beyond PR](https://seamusphan.com/why-internal-communications-matters-beyond-pr/): Businesses are facing problems they have never had to deal with before because of global instability, trade wars, and rapid... - [Measuring PR coverage in Asia Pacific in the 21st century](https://seamusphan.com/measuring-pr-coverage-asia-pacific-21st-century/): We are now entrenched in the 21st century, where public relations (PR) is becoming the front and center of a... - [Why businesses need strategic communications](https://seamusphan.com/why-businesses-need-strategic-communications/): Businesses in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region are facing challenges that have never been seen before in today’s fast-changing and... - [Why PR can be your Asia Pacific Growth Engine](https://seamusphan.com/why-pr-can-be-your-asia-pacific-growth-engine/): For B2B businesses immersed in the dynamic worlds of AI, cybersecurity, SaaS, cloud, enterprise software, ERP, and automation, the Asia... - [Why Classic Editor and Themes still work for WordPress Sites](https://seamusphan.com/classic-editor-themes-wordpress-sites/): When Gutenberg (Block Editor) came about in 2018, I resisted the migration to this blocks paradigm. I have my reasons,... - [Profit through PR for your sales and marketing efforts](https://seamusphan.com/profit-through-pr-for-your-sales-and-marketing-efforts/): You have a fantastic product. You have a limited marketing or advertising budget. You have got fierce competition. Your competitors... - [Contextual translation for successful communication in Asia Pacific](https://seamusphan.com/contextual-translation-successful-communication-asia-pacific/): Recently, the honorable Wang Yi, foreign minister of the People’s Republic of China, quoted some short verses from one of... - [Future of work—Don't be a koala or a panda](https://seamusphan.com/future-of-work-dont-be-koala-or-panda/): Given the increasing popularity of AI and automation, and the widespread layoffs in both large and small businesses, what kind... - [How small businesses can thrive with marketing and PR in a recession](https://seamusphan.com/how-small-businesses-can-thrive-with-marketing-and-pr-in-a-recession/): Asia is “hot,” with unicorns and a thriving ecosystem of startups and innovations. Nonetheless, according to some data, 30% of... - [Thank you IndieReader for your review!](https://seamusphan.com/thanks-indiereader-review/): My book Tough Times Great PR has been reviewed by one of the leading book sites, IndieReader. Thank you so... - [7 best practices of crisis management and communication from the trenches](https://seamusphan.com/7-best-practices-crisis-management-and-communication-from-the-trenches/): Crises are plaguing many organizations, including governments, corporations, NPOs and startups. What are the 7 best practices for crisis communication? - [5 Ways to earn media coverage for businesses in highly regulated industries such as healthcare](https://seamusphan.com/5-ways-to-earn-media-coverage-for-businesses-in-highly-regulated-industries-such-as-healthcare/): If you are a hospital, clinic, media equipment, and health supplements business, you know that the challenging economic climate can... - [PR and marketing - role of journalists and influencers](https://seamusphan.com/pr-and-marketing-role-of-journalists-and-influencers/): Once upon a time, a journalist was a journalist, and an influencer is an influencer. However, times have changed. - [5 tips I learned from the military to succeed as a communicator](https://seamusphan.com/5-tips-military-communication-success/): I come from a family of military officers. My late grandpa, a lieutenant general who fought at the frontlines of... - [Are you still lagging behind with "just in time" PR and marketing?](https://seamusphan.com/are-you-still-lagging-behind-with-just-in-time-pr-and-marketing/): Before the pandemic, the “just in time” paradigm was “fashionable”, especially in the manufacturing sector. At that time, “just in... - [5 keys to unlocking a successful collaboration with your PR agency](https://seamusphan.com/5-keys-to-unlocking-a-successful-collaboration-with-your-pr-agency/): So you have decided you want to grow your brand, build a trusted reputation, and to make your brand and... - [Pilot and leadership transformation in the age of AI](https://seamusphan.com/pilot-and-leadership-transformation-in-the-age-of-ai/): I presented a session at the prestigious Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium (APATS) 2023 in Singapore, under the Pilot Track,... - [“Tough Times, Great PR” book on building brands and gaining publicity in a turbulent world by Asia communications veteran Seamus Phan](https://seamusphan.com/tough-times-great-pr-book-seamus-phan/): Seamus Phan, principal and chief technology officer of Asia Pacific communications consulting firm McGallen & Bolden Group, has launched a... - [Leading aviation training symposium returns to Singapore in August 2023](https://seamusphan.com/leading-aviation-training-symposium-returns-to-singapore-in-august-2023/): Aviators and aviation professionals, mark your calendar for the return of the physical event of APATS 2023 (Asia Pacific Airline... - [Deinfluencing - live your life your way](https://seamusphan.com/deinfluencing-live-your-life-your-way/): #deinfluencing is the hashtag that caught on in 2023, as a counter-movement or counter-revolution against the over-consumption years past, even... - [Employer branding through public relations](https://seamusphan.com/employer-branding-through-public-relations/): We hear of layoffs in the thousands or tens of thousands from many big tech and other companies worldwide. Before... - [4 tips of AI prompt engineering for PR](https://seamusphan.com/ai-prompt-engineering-for-pr/): Some businesses are predicting hundreds of millions of jobs will be lost with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) such... - [8 recommendations for building your own in-house studio for audio and video](https://seamusphan.com/8-recommendations-for-building-your-own-in-house-studio/): The digital communications age is entrenched, with the advent of YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Soundcloud, Spotify, and more. While the mainstream... - [5 Cs of speechwriting for the C-suite](https://seamusphan.com/5-cs-of-speechwriting-for-the-c-suite/): Every time your C-suite executives step on stage at a media conference or event to speak, the likelihood is that... - [Simple checklist for PR readiness in APAC](https://seamusphan.com/simple-checklist-for-pr-readiness-in-apac/): So, you have done well in the Americas and Europe, and wants to grow your brand further in the 4.... - [When tech goes down, the show must go on](https://seamusphan.com/when-tech-goes-down-the-show-must-go-on/): What happens when technology fails you? Are you agile, resilient, and still able to do your job? What contingency plans... - [Don't try to bury bad news on a Friday](https://seamusphan.com/dont-try-to-bury-bad-news-on-a-friday/): There seems an antiquated camp that still insists on sending out bad news on a Friday or weekends, hoping that... - [Authentic social media to the rescue in a crisis](https://seamusphan.com/authentic-social-media-rescue-crisis/): You may have heard of the “sushi terrorism” incidents in Japan, where a putrid youth licked soy sauce bottles and... - [Drilling down deeper into PR measurement for the 21st century](https://seamusphan.com/drilling-down-deeper-pr-measurement-21st-century/): Even in the 21st century, the dreaded AVE, or advertising value equivalence, still has not completely gone away. - [AI and the future of some jobs](https://seamusphan.com/ai-future-of-some-jobs/): AI is going to demolish many jobs in many fields. Which? - [4 key steps to great PR in a recession](https://seamusphan.com/4-key-steps-to-great-pr-in-a-recession/): The global conflicts and pandemic brought out the best and the worst of businesses, communities, and people. Without going into... - [3 critical tips to get your spokespersons ready for media interviews](https://seamusphan.com/3-critical-tips-to-get-your-spokespersons-ready-for-media-interviews/): I have been in public relations for the last 30 odd years, and I have seen my fair share of... - [Minimalism and productivity - 4 tips on getting your life organized](https://seamusphan.com/minimalism-productivity-4-tips-getting-life-organized/): One of the “cult” movements was one where Japanese Marie Kondo pitched about tidying up everything, and having a structured... - [Communications and human resources - synergy and separate](https://seamusphan.com/communications-and-human-resources-synergy-and-separate/): Layoffs are often the worst tasks for business leaders. When a business does badly or needs to trim its operations,... - [Crises may not be what you think - be prepared](https://seamusphan.com/crises-may-not-be-what-you-think-be-prepared/): These days, the spectrum of crises are varied and diverse, and yet, every one of them can become media crises... - [E.S.G. your life to sanity](https://seamusphan.com/esg-eat-sleep-gym-life-sanity/): Many of us in C-suite know about E. S. G. , as in Environmental, Social, and Governance factors in gauging... - [Engage your PR at the C-suite level](https://seamusphan.com/engage-public-relations-at-csuite-level/): Public relations or communications are sometimes still managed by marketing departments, which is now quite dated. Traditionally, marketing encompassed advertising,... - [Free messaging and collaboration software?](https://seamusphan.com/free-messaging-collaboration-software/): During the pandemic years, businesses and people had to be operating from homes, from all corners of the world, to... - [Media training primer - an introduction](https://seamusphan.com/media-training-primer-an-introduction/): This is our media training and crisis communication program that we have honed and delivered very successfully to all our... - [Video hosting for businesses - our journey](https://seamusphan.com/video-hosting-business-our-journey/): Video is an integral part of content today. Video is arguably the predominant content on mobiles today, as more people... - [6 Reasons Why PR is the best way to build brands and win customers](https://seamusphan.com/6-reasons-pr-best-way-build-brands-win-customers/): Public Relations (PR), well known and entrenched for many businesses, and not quite understood by a minority. PR is NOT... - [What Wordle can inspire us to do in marketing and PR](https://seamusphan.com/what-wordle-inspire-marketing-pr/): Wordle is a simple online word game that went rather viral, and still is. Just recently, even a Chinese radio... - [Think higher, go higher - beyond compliance](https://seamusphan.com/think-higher-go-higher-beyond-compliance/): One of the hallmarks of leadership is the idiom, “monkey see, monkey do”. If a leader chooses to behave like... - [5-prong CELLS™ approach to successful Asia Pacific market entry](https://seamusphan.com/5-prong-cells-approach-successful-asia-pacific-market-entry/): If you are still only hankering down your marketing and PR efforts in the Americas and Europe, you are missing... - [Productivity - 6 Tips on How to have better meetings](https://seamusphan.com/productivity-6-tips-better-meetings/): First off, I generally dislike meetings. Meetings mostly end up being unproductive. I get things done, fast. And the fastest... - [3 Public Relations (PR) Recommendations in 2023](https://seamusphan.com/public-relations-pr-recommendations-2023/): The global crises in healthcare and conflicts are not over, and the world is facing an unprecedented shift, and not... - [4 tips for lead generation that don't turn prospects off](https://seamusphan.com/4-tips-lead-generation-dont-turn-prospects-off/): I received this hilarious email today (among hundreds), touting some service I would never use, from a person I never... - [4 Tips to succeed in cookieless marketing](https://seamusphan.com/4-tips-succeed-cookieless-marketing/): The keyword is: FIRST, or first-party data. Do you own your data and platform? - [4 essentials of reengineering a business](https://seamusphan.com/4-essentials-of-reengineering-a-business/): What happens when a business needs to change, drastically? What then, are the ways to deal with making such a... - [5 tips for smart bootstrapping for entrepreneurship and survival](https://seamusphan.com/5-tips-smart-bootstrapping-entrepreneurship-survival/): I have said this eons ago. If your business needs to bleed money like a waterfall and rely ONLY on... - [Old brands - 7 Tips on keeping a brand going](https://seamusphan.com/old-brands-7-tips-keeping-brand-going/): I love old brands, just as I love old eateries in the streets of Taipei and Kyoto. To me, a... - [6 tips on writing News Releases that work](https://seamusphan.com/6-tips-on-writing-news-releases-that-work/): Contrary to belief, the news release is not dead. In fact, in Asia Pacific, the news release is STILL one... - [Don't rush to coding jobs to face obsolescence](https://seamusphan.com/dont-rush-to-coding-jobs-to-face-obsolescence/): I was a teenage coder in the 1970s, and learned BASIC, COBOL and Fortran, and of course, embraced a whole... - [5 Leadership lessons from the movie "Top Gun Maverick"](https://seamusphan.com/5-leadership-lessons-from-the-movie-top-gun-maverick/): Yes, a movie can have revelations for business, entrepreneurship, marketing, branding, and leadership. The latest craze is Top Gun Maverick,... - [Quick Tips on working with the Asia Pacific Media Scene](https://seamusphan.com/quick-tips-on-working-with-the-asia-pacific-media-scene/): If you are trying to gain ink or screen with a media in Asia Pacific, the BEST way is to... - [Marketing - Future of the sale is not in personalization](https://seamusphan.com/marketing-future-of-the-sale-is-not-in-personalization/): I have a special love for making things work and then selling them. My first entrepreneurship journey began when I... - [Work - How we work began in our childhood](https://seamusphan.com/work-how-we-work-began-in-our-childhood/): Putting “nurture vs nature” debates aside, HOW we learn and work do start from our childhood. - [Communication - Cultural sensitivity and subtlety](https://seamusphan.com/communication-cultural-sensitivity-and-subtlety/): Movies (reel life) are a reflection of real life. Often, the theme of movies were inspired by real life stories.... - [Leadership - No SWOT, no go](https://seamusphan.com/leadership-no-swot-no-go/): The basics of management are often supplanted by “sexier” jargon, ideologies, or fads, especially in the 21st century. However, are... - [7 Smart and Wise Ways to Achieve Successful Simplicity](https://seamusphan.com/7-smart-and-wise-ways-to-achieve-successful-simplicity/): The recent events around the world showed me one thing – some people can make simple things ridiculously complex and... - [Future of Retail is not just online, but still Hybrid](https://seamusphan.com/future-of-retail-is-not-just-online-but-still-hybrid/): Have you seen how many “bricks-and-mortar” businesses were bricked in various nations due to rather draconian crisis measures in these... - [The power of 傳承 (heritage) in branding](https://seamusphan.com/the-power-of-heritage-in-branding/): If you venture along the old quiet Telok Ayer Street, you may still catch a glimpse of one of Singapore’s... - [Prudence of being - path of happiness](https://seamusphan.com/prudence-of-being-path-of-happiness/): My late grandparents and late mum were prudent, never indulged in luxury, and only accumulated wealth made by their bare... - [How to ride out gaslighting and regain your strength and sanity](https://seamusphan.com/how-to-ride-out-gaslighting-and-regain-your-strength-and-sanity/): Gaslighting. It is a word that seems new, but is not quite new. It is an emotional abuse where abusers... - [Speak directly and simply for impact - avoid double negatives](https://seamusphan.com/speak-directly-and-simply-for-impact-avoid-double-negatives/): All too often, we slip into communication, in writing or in speaking, that do not communicate as directly a meaning... - [6 job hunting tips from a field veteran](https://seamusphan.com/6-job-hunting-tips-from-a-field-veteran/): I saw a post online by an executive, advising career upstarts NOT to only apply for jobs that they qualify... - [Gratitude and Respect - the Japanese way](https://seamusphan.com/gratitude-and-respect-the-japanese-way/): I was sorting out my computer files, and came across an old IG screen grab of an acquaintance, who is... - [PR & Crisis 101 - 6 Tips on Handling Difficult Questions](https://seamusphan.com/pr-crisis-101-6-tips-on-handling-difficult-questions/): Now and then, as an official spokesperson, you may need to answer a tough question a journalist asks. You may... - [Theoretical Physics and the art of crisis management](https://seamusphan.com/theoretical-physics-and-the-art-of-crisis-management/): When folks think of theoretical physics, some may imagine a bunch of nerds/geeks in the light of Big Bang Theory... - [Meritocracy - boon or bane? Thoughts from 2 Famous Michaels](https://seamusphan.com/meritocracy-boon-or-bane-thoughts-from-2-famous-michaels/): Have you wondered about the idea of “meritocracy”, especially in the manner politicians around the world used it for the... - [Sample plenty, specialize later - way to sustained success](https://seamusphan.com/sample-plenty-specialize-later-way-to-sustained-success/): What if the whole idea of forcing a child to learn something early and persistently, is actually the worst idea... - [3 Litmus Tests for a Profitable Website](https://seamusphan.com/3-litmus-tests-for-a-profitable-website/): If you are a CXO, the most important things that occupy must be two things – profitability and sustainability. You... - [Future of PR in the 21st Century is the Bottom Line](https://seamusphan.com/future-public-relations-21st-century-bottom-line/): Amended with new chart and media measurement (January 2021). I have been on all 3 sides of the public relations... - [Battle of Thermopylae and 7 productivity tips](https://seamusphan.com/battle-thermopylae-productivity/): Remember King Leonidas and his 300 brave Spartans? We too, hope to rally employee productivity, in the midst of the... - [Website Design, Elegance and Form - Lessons from WordPress](https://seamusphan.com/website-design-elegance-and-form-lessons-from-wordpress/): When Gutenberg was introduced on WordPress in 2017, users disliked it. Its block-based approach to content creation and editing was... - [Tradition can be beautiful - Lessons in Diplomacy & Innovation](https://seamusphan.com/tradition-can-be-beautiful-lessons-in-diplomacy-innovation/): I served as an NGO diplomat around 2004, under a Catholic Cistercian abbot who was an inspiring German gentleman. We... - [Leadership in the frontlines of war - My grandma](https://seamusphan.com/leadership-in-the-frontlines-of-war-my-grandma/): Leadership as a philosophy and practice, is not unknown to me. I have learned about it first-hand, from the coat... - [3 Tips to Build a Brand in 2020](https://seamusphan.com/3-tips-to-build-a-brand-in-2020/): Recently, a renowned scientist commended on LinkedIn on issues of employee retention, and that she used the word “Zoom” exclusively... - [Crisis Communication in Brief - 2020](https://seamusphan.com/crisis-communication-in-brief-2020/): Crisis management and communication used to affect only certain industries such as petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. But increasingly, with cybersecurity breaches... - [Leadership - empathy is a super power](https://seamusphan.com/leadership-empathy-is-super-power/): Empathy is the key to great leadership. Nobody likes dictators or autocrats at the workplace or elsewhere. Can you imagine... - [4 Critical Tips for Marketers in 2020 facing a deep decline of the "influencer" industry](https://seamusphan.com/4-critical-tips-for-marketers-in-2020-facing-a-deep-decline-of-the-influencer-industry/): Before the COVID-19 saga started, even in the early part of 2020, the so-called “influencer” arena is abuzz with luxury,... - [Trust 500,000 years of human experience](https://seamusphan.com/trust-500000-years-of-human-experience/): The debate on the COVID19 saga whether it is a “black swan” or a “white swan” continues. To me, this... - [ZOOM? Mevo? I was already doing TV livestreaming in 2002!](https://seamusphan.com/zoom-mevo-i-was-already-doing-tv-livestreaming-in-2002/): In the COVID-19 crisis, we are seeing TV studios chatting with guests and even their anchors in their homes, as... - [Are you feeling let down by your media monitoring service?](https://seamusphan.com/are-you-feeling-let-down-by-your-media-monitoring-service/): These days, top and middle management crave, yes, crave for data and reports. For publicists, the measure of their success... - [Taking "journalese" out of our writing](https://seamusphan.com/no-journalese-for-business-communication/): Once upon a time, in a planet right where we are standing and breathing, we believed that all journalists wrote... - [Rising above Unhealthy Competition - Learning from Two Music Virtuosos](https://seamusphan.com/rising-above-unhealthy-competition-learning-from-two-music-virtuosos/): What is competition? The ancient Greeks and the Chinese, among other peoples, had races or competitions, where participants competed fairly... - [Leadership and Life Lessons from my reposed mum](https://seamusphan.com/leadership-and-life-lessons-from-my-reposed-mum/): How I learned tenacity, patience, entrepreneurship, and courage from my mum through her years till her death. - [Should you only hunt for a PR agency when a crisis hits you?](https://seamusphan.com/should-you-only-hunt-for-a-pr-agency-when-a-crisis-hits-you/): Don't just hire a PR agency when you are facing a crisis. A PR agency is the best branding and communications partner you need. - [We are generation flux - From full-time to hybrid staffing models](https://seamusphan.com/we-are-generation-flux-from-full-time-to-hybrid-staffing-models/): In a world where full-time employment is no longer the only option, how can staffing change for the new century? - [2 Leadership Secrets from the Flight Deck](https://seamusphan.com/2-leadership-secrets-from-the-flight-deck/): What are 2 critical lessons and secrets I learned as an aviator in the flight deck working alongside other peers? How can that translate to leadership and management? --- ## Pages - [Oops](https://seamusphan.com/oops/): Oops! Wrong turn? We can’t find the page you’re looking for, but we can help you find your way back.... - [Blog list on leadership, branding, technology, public relations and marketing](https://seamusphan.com/blog-list/): Currently available blog articles written by Dr Seamus Phan (some have been archived) on leadership, branding, technology, public relations and marketing - [Tough Times, Great PR](https://seamusphan.com/tough-times-great-pr-book/): Tough Times, Great PR: Building brands and publicity for the 21st century, a latest book by Dr Seamus Phan from crises and experiences during the pandemic. - [Scientist](https://seamusphan.com/scientist/): Dr Seamus Phan started in biochemistry since his teens, and picked up his interest again later to research antioxidants, autoxidation, and life extension. - [Art & Music](https://seamusphan.com/art-music/): Dr Seamus Phan is a polymath in art and science/tech, including being a brush artist and calligrapher since the 1970s. Occasionally dabble in music creation. - [Dot ZEN books](https://seamusphan.com/dot-zen-book/): The Dot Zen series of books on PR, marketing, business, tech, and leadership by Dr Seamus Phan et al, were highly rated by clients, reviewers, etc. - [Private Window 1984 book](https://seamusphan.com/private-window-1984-book/): Private Window 1984: Confessions of a Depressed Soldier was a collection of short pieces by Seamus Phan, circa 1984 when he served in the army. - [This Body This Life book](https://seamusphan.com/this-body-this-life-book/): Bestseller on Health & Fitness, this book chronicled the personal journeys of brothers CJ Phan, an international champion, and Dr Seamus Phan. - [Contact Seamus Phan now!](https://seamusphan.com/contact/): Engage Dr Seamus Phan to supercharge your business and C-suite in Asia in strategy, PR, branding, and leadership transformation. - [Customers & fees](https://seamusphan.com/customers/): Engage Dr Seamus Phan as a keynote speaker, meeting facilitator, human capital developer, YouTube and broadcast co-host and more. - [Journalism & copywriting](https://seamusphan.com/journalism/): Dr Seamus Phan is a native bilingual writer and speaker in English and Chinese, and has been a book author, journalist, broadcast co-host/commentator, and more. - [C-suite communication & HRD strategist, speaker, mentor](https://seamusphan.com/strategist/): Dr Seamus Phan, based in Singapore, is a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences on tech, AI, science, marketing, PR, and leadership transformation. - [Meeting planners](https://seamusphan.com/customers/planners/): Meeting and event planners can engage Dr Seamus Phan for keynote speeches, opening of seminars and conferences, C-suite facilitation, and more. - [Tech & cybersecurity consultant + evangelist](https://seamusphan.com/tech/): Dr Seamus Phan is a tech pioneer and evangelist, having been coding since 1970s, developed cybersecurity and Internet solutions since 1990s. - [Videos](https://seamusphan.com/videos/): Some videos showcasing Dr Seamus Phan in launch events, keynote speeches, seminars, conferences and more. - [Blog](https://seamusphan.com/blog/): Recent blog articles written by Dr Seamus Phan on leadership, branding, technology, public relations and marketing - [About Seamus Phan, PhD](https://seamusphan.com/about/): Dr Seamus Phan, serving Singapore, Asia & worldwide, is a C-suite publicist, business strategist, keynote speaker, meeting facilitator, scientist, and author. - [Author - leadership, branding, marketing, tech, philosophy](https://seamusphan.com/books/): Dr Seamus Phan is a seasoned book author who penned books on leadership, PR (public relations), philosophy, tech, and more. - [Global C-suite publicist, strategist, technologist, and author](https://seamusphan.com/): Dr Seamus Phan has nearly 40 years of global corporate, technology, scientific, cybersecurity, communication, and human capital experience. --- # # Detailed Content ## Posts - Published: 2026-05-21 - Modified: 2026-05-21 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/shadow-ai-openclaw-and-mythos-are-changing-not-just-cybersecurity-postures-but-critical-pr-and-communications/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts The C-suite may have invariably fallen for a risky, even "messianic" narrative. For the past few years, artificial intelligence has been sold not merely as software or tools but "deified" as a corporate savior, allegedly capable of slashing overheads, automating decisions, accelerating productivity, and even laying off employees. Boards from Singapore to Sydney have rushed to mandate its adoption, terrified of being left behind. (more... ) --- - Published: 2026-05-21 - Modified: 2026-05-21 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/why-vcs-and-investment-firms-must-anchor-portfolio-success-with-a-premier-apac-pr-firm/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts Venture capital and private equity firms are, at their absolute core, engines of structured alchemy. They source raw innovation, infuse it with programmatic capital, and expect a predictable metamorphosis into enterprise gold. Yet, when Western or hemispheric investment houses attempt to scale their high-growth portfolio companies into the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, the machinery often grinds to a devastating halt. The primary culprit? A fatal combination of cultural myopia and an irrational over-reliance on digital-only lead-generation marketing dashboards. (more... ) --- - Published: 2026-05-18 - Modified: 2026-05-18 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/navigating-the-apac-matrix-why-a-red-team-approach-is-your-path-to-sustainable-growth/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts The Asia Pacific region is a beautiful, monolithic illusion. All too often, Western boardrooms look at a map and see a massive, uniform market of billions ripe for commercial consumption. But step onto the physical ground in Singapore, Jakarta, Taipei, or Bangkok, and that corporate illusion instantly shatters into a rich, complex matrix of over 23 countries, dozens of distinct languages, and thousands of localized subcultures. If you attempt to enter or scale within this dynamic territory using a standard Western go-to-market (GTM) playbook and a superficial "Google translate" approach, you are flying blindly into severe, unrecoverable turbulence. (more... ) --- - Published: 2026-05-14 - Modified: 2026-05-14 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/the-disaster-of-silence-why-pr-is-your-only-profitable-pipeline-in-the-ai-era/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts In the corridors of power, fear is a poor advisor. As geopolitical tectonic plates shift and economic indicators flicker like a dying candle, a familiar, "unenlightened" pattern emerges in the C-suite. CEOs, gripped by a siege mentality, reach for the scalpel to excise what they perceive as "discretionary" costs. Public relations and marketing are almost always the first on the altar. (more... ) --- - Published: 2026-05-06 - Modified: 2026-05-06 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/the-strategic-edge-why-minimalist-typography-beats-ai-art-in-packaging-design/ - Categories: Creative, Thoughts In boardroom discussions and strategy meetings across the region, I frequently encounter a prevailing—and frankly, dangerous—myth among non-designers. Many well-meaning clients, founders, and even seasoned executives have somehow convinced themselves that graphic and packaging design is "easy. " In the age of generative AI, the refrain from the C-suite is almost predictable: "Why pay a design agency when we can just prompt an AI to create our packaging? " (more... ) --- - Published: 2026-04-23 - Modified: 2026-04-23 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/ai-agi-humanity-and-philosophy/ - Categories: Technology, Thoughts Google just hired its first philosopher, hoping to uncover and learn the journey from AI to AGI. This is congruent with what I said during my speech at the Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium (APATS) 2025 to fellow aviators, where I said the future of AI belongs to the humanities scholars and not engineers. Who am I and why am I here? I have always been curious. Who am I? Why am I here? These questions keep me up at the deepest nights and in the quietest corners. This is why I am always reading, always learning, and always asking tough questions. By 18, I had learned the entire Mahayana Buddhist canon, including the esoteric texts such as the Surangama Sutra and the Diamond Sutra. The lineage holder of one of the key Tibetan Buddhist sects actually told my parents then that my learning was equivalent to a geshe (a PhD in a Buddhist university) and that I should be allowed to pursue monasticism. Of course, my parents refused to allow me to become a monk. Later on in the 2000s, a strange case that had me in low spirits for a while gave me a reason to attend a seminary and eventually read up on the Fathers from the 2nd to the 8th century, including those of Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioach, Polycarp of Smyrna, Iranaeus, Tertullian, Augustine of Hippo, John Chrysostom, Basil, Jerome, and Origen. Later on I went on to major Orthodoxy works such as "The... --- - Published: 2026-03-03 - Modified: 2026-03-03 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/strategic-communication-to-succeed-in-these-turbulent-times/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts The 21st century is a time of rapid technological change, geopolitical shifts, and the constant onslaught of the digital world. It is a time that is both unstable and full of potential. Organizations that do business in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region need more than just spending money on digital or offline ads to deal with this complexity. They need a smart, integrated way to communicate and lead. (more... ) --- - Published: 2025-08-11 - Modified: 2025-08-11 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/why-internal-communications-matters-beyond-pr/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts Businesses are facing problems they have never had to deal with before because of global instability, trade wars, and rapid changes in technology like AI. When these outside pressures become too much, companies often take extreme steps, like mass layoffs, which can hurt employee morale. (more... ) --- - Published: 2025-08-11 - Modified: 2025-08-11 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/measuring-pr-coverage-asia-pacific-21st-century/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts We are now entrenched in the 21st century, where public relations (PR) is becoming the front and center of a brand's voice and is a C-suite retained activity. And to really know just how effective your PR strategy and program are, you need to measure the coverage well. (more... ) --- - Published: 2025-08-06 - Modified: 2025-08-06 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/why-businesses-need-strategic-communications/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts Businesses in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region are facing challenges that have never been seen before in today's fast-changing and often unstable world. With changes in geopolitics, trade wars, and the quick rise of AI, the need for a strong and proactive communication plan has never been greater. The days when a simple marketing plan was all you needed are over. Today, success depends on a complex, all-encompassing method called "strategic communications. " (more... ) --- - Published: 2025-07-23 - Modified: 2025-07-23 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/why-pr-can-be-your-asia-pacific-growth-engine/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts For B2B businesses immersed in the dynamic worlds of AI, cybersecurity, SaaS, cloud, enterprise software, ERP, and automation, the Asia Pacific region isn't just a market; it's the future. Projections show APAC will command a staggering 40% of the world's GDP by 2040. As someone who has navigated the complexities of this region for over three decades, I can tell you that unlocking this potential requires more than just innovative tech; it demands a sophisticated and strategically led public relations (PR) approach. (more... ) --- - Published: 2025-07-18 - Modified: 2025-07-18 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/classic-editor-themes-wordpress-sites/ - Categories: Technology, Thoughts When Gutenberg (Block Editor) came about in 2018, I resisted the migration to this blocks paradigm. I have my reasons, and I will remain committed to authoring and maintaining WordPress sites with the Classic Editor. (more... ) --- - Published: 2025-06-06 - Modified: 2025-06-06 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/profit-through-pr-for-your-sales-and-marketing-efforts/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts You have a fantastic product. You have a limited marketing or advertising budget. You have got fierce competition. Your competitors are advertising globally and receiving extensive media coverage. How do you compete and succeed? (more... ) --- - Published: 2025-02-18 - Modified: 2025-06-06 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/contextual-translation-successful-communication-asia-pacific/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts Recently, the honorable Wang Yi, foreign minister of the People's Republic of China, quoted some short verses from one of the martial arts classics, "Yi Tian Tu Long Ji (倚天屠龍記)," from renowned author Jin Yong (金庸), and it went viral even for the AI arena because he mentioned DeepSeek as a possible translation tool for such verses. So, as communicators, what should we know about translation, and how serious should we be when it comes to translating between languages? Can we rely on AI? (more... ) --- - Published: 2025-02-06 - Modified: 2025-02-06 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/future-of-work-dont-be-koala-or-panda/ - Categories: Talent, Thoughts Given the increasing popularity of AI and automation, and the widespread layoffs in both large and small businesses, what kind of future and work can we expect? Perhaps koalas and pandas can provide us with valuable insights. (more... ) --- - Published: 2025-01-24 - Modified: 2025-01-24 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/how-small-businesses-can-thrive-with-marketing-and-pr-in-a-recession/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts Asia is "hot," with unicorns and a thriving ecosystem of startups and innovations. Nonetheless, according to some data, 30% of startups in places such as Singapore fail within 5 years, and many startups in Asia fail compared to the global market. Putting aside costs and capital, what are the causes of failure, and how can Asian businesses thrive? (more... ) --- - Published: 2025-01-21 - Modified: 2025-01-21 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/thanks-indiereader-review/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts My book Tough Times Great PR has been reviewed by one of the leading book sites, IndieReader. Thank you so much! (more... ) --- > Crises are plaguing many organizations, including governments, corporations, NPOs and startups. What are the 7 best practices for crisis communication? - Published: 2024-08-15 - Modified: 2024-08-15 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/7-best-practices-crisis-management-and-communication-from-the-trenches/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts Crises are plaguing many organizations today, including governments, corporations, institutions, non-profits, smaller entities, and even individuals. (more... ) --- - Published: 2024-06-07 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/5-ways-to-earn-media-coverage-for-businesses-in-highly-regulated-industries-such-as-healthcare/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts If you are a hospital, clinic, media equipment, and health supplements business, you know that the challenging economic climate can dampen your journey forward. And yet, there are many regulatory frameworks to confine how and what you can communicate with the public, whether in marketing, advertising, or public relations (PR). How then, can you earn media mileage consistently while staying straight and narrow within these confines? Let us share our insights from decades of consulting for all these businesses. (more... ) --- - Published: 2024-04-12 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/pr-and-marketing-role-of-journalists-and-influencers/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts Once upon a time, a journalist was a journalist, and an influencer is an influencer. However, times have changed. (more... ) --- - Published: 2024-02-08 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/5-tips-military-communication-success/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts I come from a family of military officers. My late grandpa, a lieutenant general who fought at the frontlines of wars, and reposed at 104 years old with a distinguished career as renowned labor economist, professor, and hospital CEO. I have an uncle who was an air force colonel, and later went on to a successful computing career. However, even if I did not go far in the military, I did my duty for national service in the army. It was an interesting journey to shape my life for the next nearly 40 years. (more... ) --- - Published: 2024-01-30 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/are-you-still-lagging-behind-with-just-in-time-pr-and-marketing/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts Before the pandemic, the "just in time" paradigm was "fashionable", especially in the manufacturing sector. At that time, "just in time" meant optimizing available resources to manufacture and stock only the minimum inventory, and scale only as and when needed. As an early practitioner of total quality management, I would have recommended this practice too, before the pandemic of course. (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-11-23 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/5-keys-to-unlocking-a-successful-collaboration-with-your-pr-agency/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts So you have decided you want to grow your brand, build a trusted reputation, and to make your brand and products known to the world. Public relations (PR) is one of the most strategic ways forward, through a PR agency partner. How then, should you work with a PR agency? (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-08-31 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/pilot-and-leadership-transformation-in-the-age-of-ai/ - Categories: Technology, Thoughts I presented a session at the prestigious Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium (APATS) 2023 in Singapore, under the Pilot Track, on "Pilot & Leadership Transformation in the age of AI". The key question many pilots may wonder is, will AI replace them in the flight deck? (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-05-25 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/tough-times-great-pr-book-seamus-phan/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts Seamus Phan, principal and chief technology officer of Asia Pacific communications consulting firm McGallen & Bolden Group, has launched a new book, “Tough Times, Great PR - Dot Zen 3. 0: Building Brands and Publicity for the 21st Century (ISBN 9780983505822)”, available at online bookstores worldwide. (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-05-10 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/leading-aviation-training-symposium-returns-to-singapore-in-august-2023/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts Aviators and aviation professionals, mark your calendar for the return of the physical event of APATS 2023 (Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium), organized by the esteemed Halldale Group, and led by industry leader Capt Jacques Drappier. (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-04-17 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/deinfluencing-live-your-life-your-way/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts #deinfluencing is the hashtag that caught on in 2023, as a counter-movement or counter-revolution against the over-consumption years past, even before COVID. The deinfluencing movement began on the social media phenomenon TikTok, and then permeated to other platforms. (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-03-30 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/employer-branding-through-public-relations/ - Categories: Talent, Thoughts We hear of layoffs in the thousands or tens of thousands from many big tech and other companies worldwide. Before the pandemic and global conflicts, many businesses were recruiting staff without restraint, and suddenly, they find themselves having more people than they need. Layoffs are never good for brands, especially in the context of employer branding. So, how can we weave public relations into our employer branding efforts? (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-03-30 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/ai-prompt-engineering-for-pr/ - Categories: Technology, Thoughts Some businesses are predicting hundreds of millions of jobs will be lost with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) such as those from OpenAI, Google, Baidu and so on. At the same time, AI is creating new jobs, which demand different skill sets and knowledge, such as "prompt engineers". (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-03-29 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/8-recommendations-for-building-your-own-in-house-studio/ - Categories: Technology, Thoughts The digital communications age is entrenched, with the advent of YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Soundcloud, Spotify, and more. While the mainstream media remains the key to traditional public relations, there is also an equally compelling need to bring what we want to say to the social channels. (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-03-27 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/5-cs-of-speechwriting-for-the-c-suite/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts Every time your C-suite executives step on stage at a media conference or event to speak, the likelihood is that their speeches are written by some other people. So, what would make a good speech, and how should you approach writing one? (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-03-21 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/simple-checklist-for-pr-readiness-in-apac/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts So, you have done well in the Americas and Europe, and wants to grow your brand further in the 4. 5 billion population of the Asia Pacific market. The Asia Pacific region is diverse, with more than 23 countries, and 14 major languages. But this market is monolithic. So, every country in Asia Pacific will have its own nuances and require prudence and a long view. Is your business ready to do public relations in Asia Pacific? We have a simple checklist to help you decide. (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-03-20 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/when-tech-goes-down-the-show-must-go-on/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts What happens when technology fails you? Are you agile, resilient, and still able to do your job? What contingency plans do you have to carry on your business when technology goes dark? (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-03-16 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/dont-try-to-bury-bad-news-on-a-friday/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts There seems an antiquated camp that still insists on sending out bad news on a Friday or weekends, hoping that it gets buried in the mountain of news by Monday in a newsroom. However, that is patently outdated today, where everyone is connected anywhere and everywhere. (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-03-13 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/authentic-social-media-rescue-crisis/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts You may have heard of the "sushi terrorism" incidents in Japan, where a putrid youth licked soy sauce bottles and put them back on the conveyer belts at a sushi restaurant, which then triggered similar pranks in Japan. The sushi chain was badly affected by the incident through no fault of theirs. Fortunately, the culprits were later arrested. Through the ordeal, the sushi chain received the most rapport from their fans on social media. So, why is social media important in public relations especially in a crisis? (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-03-06 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/drilling-down-deeper-pr-measurement-21st-century/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts Even in the 21st century, the dreaded AVE, or advertising value equivalence, still has not completely gone away. (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-03-01 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/ai-future-of-some-jobs/ - Categories: Technology, Thoughts AI is going to demolish many jobs in many fields. Which? (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-02-14 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/4-key-steps-to-great-pr-in-a-recession/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts The global conflicts and pandemic brought out the best and the worst of businesses, communities, and people. Without going into specifics, we will use behavior in such scenarios to examine how winners and losers look at publicity and marketing. And you can decide if you want to be in the small circle of winners, or not. (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-02-13 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/3-critical-tips-to-get-your-spokespersons-ready-for-media-interviews/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts I have been in public relations for the last 30 odd years, and I have seen my fair share of catastrophic spokespersons who ruined not just their organizations' publicity efforts, but also lost credibility in front of the public. It is very important to make sure you have the right people to take on media interviews. (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-02-03 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/minimalism-productivity-4-tips-getting-life-organized/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts One of the "cult" movements was one where Japanese Marie Kondo pitched about tidying up everything, and having a structured system to it. On paper, that sounded like a good thing. (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-02-01 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/communications-and-human-resources-synergy-and-separate/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts Layoffs are often the worst tasks for business leaders. When a business does badly or needs to trim its operations, there is sometimes no better way out to cut costs then to trim the number of employees. There are also situations where businesses are simply not well run, and they over-recruited beyond the number of employees they need, in a "defensive recruitment" mode, which especially in a downturn, will invariably lay off employees. (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-01-31 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/crises-may-not-be-what-you-think-be-prepared/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts These days, the spectrum of crises are varied and diverse, and yet, every one of them can become media crises and even go "viral" because of smartphones and social media, amplifying these crises even more. We need to keep our eyes open to all possibilities of crises and how best to reduce and mitigate them, while retaining a truthful narrative through the media that can hopefully bring us back to smoother waters down the road. (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-01-30 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/esg-eat-sleep-gym-life-sanity/ - Categories: Health, Thoughts Many of us in C-suite know about E. S. G. , as in Environmental, Social, and Governance factors in gauging the holistic health and stance of a business entity. ESG is a trending topic in the media, as much as for consumers and employees to discern what businesses they would like to be associated with. (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-01-27 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/engage-public-relations-at-csuite-level/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts Public relations or communications are sometimes still managed by marketing departments, which is now quite dated. Traditionally, marketing encompassed advertising, marketing research, events, sales (maybe), and sometimes public relations. (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-01-26 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/free-messaging-collaboration-software/ - Categories: Technology, Thoughts During the pandemic years, businesses and people had to be operating from homes, from all corners of the world, to collaborate and continue to function. (more... ) --- - Published: 2023-01-24 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/media-training-primer-an-introduction/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts This is our media training and crisis communication program that we have honed and delivered very successfully to all our clients through more than 30 years in consulting. We have trained startups, tech companies, industrial and manufacturing businesses, healthcare related businesses such as hospitals and products, fast moving consumer goods companies in fashion, audio visual equipment, hospitality, non-profits, and many more. Watch the YouTube trailer below. (more... ) --- - Published: 2022-12-19 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/video-hosting-business-our-journey/ - Categories: Technology, Thoughts Video is an integral part of content today. Video is arguably the predominant content on mobiles today, as more people look at motion content, then reading and scrolling through long pages of text. What are the lessons we learned adopting video? (more... ) --- - Published: 2022-12-12 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/6-reasons-pr-best-way-build-brands-win-customers/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts Public Relations (PR), well known and entrenched for many businesses, and not quite understood by a minority. PR is NOT just media relations, news releases and media conferences. PR is a holistic way of reaching all stakeholders, including the media, governments, customers and prospects, institutions, non-profits, and more. It is a sustainable way of communication and reputation management, and one of the best ways to deal with crises, before they happen, or as they happen. (more... ) --- - Published: 2022-12-09 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/what-wordle-inspire-marketing-pr/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts Wordle is a simple online word game that went rather viral, and still is. Just recently, even a Chinese radio station host was chatting about Wordle to her co-hosts, about how Wordle is pronounced, and if there should be a Chinese version of such a game. (more... ) --- - Published: 2022-12-02 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/think-higher-go-higher-beyond-compliance/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts One of the hallmarks of leadership is the idiom, “monkey see, monkey do”. If a leader chooses to behave like a monkey and leaves much to be desired, it is unlikely his team will want to behave like saints. (more... ) --- - Published: 2022-11-30 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/5-prong-cells-approach-successful-asia-pacific-market-entry/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts If you are still only hankering down your marketing and PR efforts in the Americas and Europe, you are missing out the hottest market in the world - Asia Pacific, slated to be consuming 40% of the world GDP in just 18 years, by 2040. By 2040, the US would only be 22% and the EU only 14% of the world's GDP. (more... ) --- - Published: 2022-11-28 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/productivity-6-tips-better-meetings/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts First off, I generally dislike meetings. Meetings mostly end up being unproductive. I get things done, fast. And the fastest way between 2 points, is to get it done instead of nuancing ad nauseam with a committee of people. (more... ) --- - Published: 2022-11-14 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/public-relations-pr-recommendations-2023/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts The global crises in healthcare and conflicts are not over, and the world is facing an unprecedented shift, and not necessarily in a good way. Worse, because of global crises, industries are beginning to falter and even collapse, and the fallout means livelihoods are shattered and families are hurt. As CEOs, brand movers, marketers and PR practitioners, how should we approach PR in 2023? (more... ) --- - Published: 2022-11-11 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/4-tips-lead-generation-dont-turn-prospects-off/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts I received this hilarious email today (among hundreds), touting some service I would never use, from a person I never knew. Worst of all, from a Seamus, I became a "Matthew". LOL. (more... ) --- - Published: 2022-11-08 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/4-tips-succeed-cookieless-marketing/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts The keyword is: FIRST, or first-party data. Do you own your data and platform? (more... ) --- - Published: 2022-11-03 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/4-essentials-of-reengineering-a-business/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts What happens when a business needs to change, drastically? What then, are the ways to deal with making such a change? (more... ) --- - Published: 2022-10-21 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/5-tips-smart-bootstrapping-entrepreneurship-survival/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts I have said this eons ago. If your business needs to bleed money like a waterfall and rely ONLY on investors dumping mountains of cash on you to survive, your venture is doomed, especially today. (more... ) --- - Published: 2022-10-18 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/old-brands-7-tips-keeping-brand-going/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts I love old brands, just as I love old eateries in the streets of Taipei and Kyoto. To me, a good brand is not necessarily a giant full of glitz and dazzle. A good brand should be old, with all the badges of honor of survival through decades or more, with people holding on generation after generation, with just passion and love. To me, money does not make a good brand - the heart does. (more... ) --- - Published: 2022-06-21 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/6-tips-on-writing-news-releases-that-work/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts Contrary to belief, the news release is not dead. In fact, in Asia Pacific, the news release is STILL one of the most considered communication materials for the media. Cision's Global State of the Media Report 2021 concurred that 78% of journalists prefer news releases and announcements compared to other content types. In Asia Pacific, the news release is still seen as an authoritative information source that is ranked higher than bylines and commentaries. So, what would make a useful news release that may find more traction with the media? (more... ) --- - Published: 2022-06-14 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/dont-rush-to-coding-jobs-to-face-obsolescence/ - Categories: Talent, Thoughts I was a teenage coder in the 1970s, and learned BASIC, COBOL and Fortran, and of course, embraced a whole slew of other languages along the way until today. But I did not ever envisage a career in coding. When I faced the worst recession in 1980s, I was hoping for a job in chemistry. But a laboratory job with a quasi-government lab ended my interest, and I went on to pursue a career in marketing, business development and consulting. That direction paid off, even today, and will easily carry me forward to retirement. I always had the knack of foresight, thankfully. (more... ) --- - Published: 2022-06-02 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/5-leadership-lessons-from-the-movie-top-gun-maverick/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts Yes, a movie can have revelations for business, entrepreneurship, marketing, branding, and leadership. The latest craze is Top Gun Maverick, featuring the long-awaited return of Tom Cruise reprising his role as Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a test pilot and then Top Gun instructor for a suicidal stealth mission. It is a great adrenaline rush for many of us aviators, and many who aren't. So, what did I connect the film with in terms of business and leadership? (more... ) --- - Published: 2022-05-31 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/quick-tips-on-working-with-the-asia-pacific-media-scene/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts If you are trying to gain ink or screen with a media in Asia Pacific, the BEST way is to work with the experts - PR agencies which do this for a living day in, day out, and thoroughly battle-tested. (more... ) --- - Published: 2022-05-09 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/marketing-future-of-the-sale-is-not-in-personalization/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts I have a special love for making things work and then selling them. My first entrepreneurship journey began when I was 10 (circa 1974). That was also the first time I became a marketer. (more... ) --- - Published: 2022-04-18 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/work-how-we-work-began-in-our-childhood/ - Categories: Technology, Thoughts Putting "nurture vs nature" debates aside, HOW we learn and work do start from our childhood. (more... ) --- - Published: 2022-04-18 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/communication-cultural-sensitivity-and-subtlety/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts Movies (reel life) are a reflection of real life. Often, the theme of movies were inspired by real life stories. So, as PR practitioners and communicators, learning the cultural sensitivities and subtleties are very important. (more... ) --- - Published: 2021-11-15 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/leadership-no-swot-no-go/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts The basics of management are often supplanted by "sexier" jargon, ideologies, or fads, especially in the 21st century. However, are the basics dead? No. The simplest ideas are sometimes the litmus test for leadership and management. (more... ) --- - Published: 2021-11-11 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/7-smart-and-wise-ways-to-achieve-successful-simplicity/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts The recent events around the world showed me one thing - some people can make simple things ridiculously complex and ultimately fail, while fewer other people, a select few, are able to make complex things ridiculously simple and succeed. It is simple, just as any coder knows, the more elegantly simple the code, the less vulnerabilities and the faster the execution and results. (more... ) --- - Published: 2021-11-08 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/future-of-retail-is-not-just-online-but-still-hybrid/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts Have you seen how many "bricks-and-mortar" businesses were bricked in various nations due to rather draconian crisis measures in these two years? Are these decisions even smart or wise in relation to preserving the economy moving forward post-crisis? I think not. And there are reasons. (more... ) --- - Published: 2021-11-08 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/the-power-of-heritage-in-branding/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts If you venture along the old quiet Telok Ayer Street, you may still catch a glimpse of one of Singapore's oldest food establishments, the 90 years old Tan Hock Seng bakery. In November 2021, this old shop will close for good, serving the locals for the past 90 years and passing through 3 generations. It is an iconic brand no less, and one that took decades and nearly a century to hone. And it will be gone. Brands, need time to build, and good brands that last, need LOVE to build. What then, is the power of heritage in a brand? (more... ) --- - Published: 2021-07-26 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/prudence-of-being-path-of-happiness/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts My late grandparents and late mum were prudent, never indulged in luxury, and only accumulated wealth made by their bare hands through labor. They had no rich or powerful parents to siphon from or depend on. My mum came here to struggle with my dad in an extremely difficult landscape against various odds too painful to detail. (more... ) --- - Published: 2021-07-07 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/how-to-ride-out-gaslighting-and-regain-your-strength-and-sanity/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts Gaslighting. It is a word that seems new, but is not quite new. It is an emotional abuse where abusers slowly and steadily strip the confidence of victims, by conditioning the victims to doubt their own thoughts, memories, timelines, events, and even sanity. (more... ) --- - Published: 2021-07-04 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/speak-directly-and-simply-for-impact-avoid-double-negatives/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts All too often, we slip into communication, in writing or in speaking, that do not communicate as directly a meaning we intend. In a world where attention span is short and hearing is bad (figuratively especially), speaking and writing directly certainly has merits, if we want our audiences to actually respond. (more... ) --- - Published: 2021-06-22 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/6-job-hunting-tips-from-a-field-veteran/ - Categories: Talent, Thoughts I saw a post online by an executive, advising career upstarts NOT to only apply for jobs that they qualify for fully. I concur. I am adding a couple more tips for young graduates, upstarts, and even middle-level executives hunting for jobs in this crisis. (more... ) --- - Published: 2021-05-24 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/gratitude-and-respect-the-japanese-way/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts I was sorting out my computer files, and came across an old IG screen grab of an acquaintance, who is an airline captain in Taiwan today. (more... ) --- - Published: 2021-05-20 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/pr-crisis-101-6-tips-on-handling-difficult-questions/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts Now and then, as an official spokesperson, you may need to answer a tough question a journalist asks. You may even take offense at the manner of the question or its substance. But it is impolite and improper as a spokesperson to lambast the journalist, or dismiss questions as if you are above them. (more... ) --- - Published: 2021-05-03 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/theoretical-physics-and-the-art-of-crisis-management/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts When folks think of theoretical physics, some may imagine a bunch of nerds/geeks in the light of Big Bang Theory (the TV series that ran for an amazing 12 seasons). Yes, physics, to many, may just be something esoteric scientists are stretched out in a room drawing figures and charts on a whiteboard for days on end. (more... ) --- - Published: 2021-02-14 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/meritocracy-boon-or-bane-thoughts-from-2-famous-michaels/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts Have you wondered about the idea of "meritocracy", especially in the manner politicians around the world used it for the past couple of decades? Is it truly equal or even good? Two famous gentlemen named Michael may have some seriously important thoughts about this. (more... ) --- - Published: 2021-02-10 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/sample-plenty-specialize-later-way-to-sustained-success/ - Categories: Talent, Thoughts What if the whole idea of forcing a child to learn something early and persistently, is actually the worst idea of all and is more likely to KILL the passion in the child in his later life? (more... ) --- - Published: 2021-01-28 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/3-litmus-tests-for-a-profitable-website/ - Categories: Technology, Thoughts If you are a CXO, the most important things that occupy must be two things - profitability and sustainability. You can be profitable today, but can you sustain the company for the infinity? Profitability and sustainability are therefore two sides of the same coin. You will have a dud coin if you only have one embossed side. (more... ) --- - Published: 2021-01-28 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/future-public-relations-21st-century-bottom-line/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts Amended with new chart and media measurement (January 2021). I have been on all 3 sides of the public relations equation, as a client, as a journalist, and as an agency practitioner. And having been in the industry since the 1980s, I have seen my fair share of the evolution of the communications field. In the 1990s, there was a wide spectrum of trade media, and serving technology and enterprise clients was not difficult at all. The trade journalists were eager, and readily available to interview clients, and to write at length on features and commentaries. Organizing media conferences and events were hectic but enjoyable, because we knew that we could attract large turnouts and account to clients' requests. The big media dwindle Then the dotcom crash, the financial market crash, and subsequently economic downturns changed the equation, perhaps permanently. From a large pool of trade media, many slowly dwindled and folded. I remembered sadly the day I wrote my last feature story as a contributing editor for a technology magazine, having been one for a nice long mile and interviewed many luminaries, including the likes of the other Steve - Steve Wozniak of Apple fame. And the dwindling continued. Large media houses started to trim employees, reduce print runs, and even raised advertising and subscription rates in a hopeless attempt to restore some degree of revenue. But such moves can only worsen their situations. The shift to citizen journalism Right about the same time, the social media and mobile... --- - Published: 2021-01-27 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/battle-thermopylae-productivity/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts Remember King Leonidas and his 300 brave Spartans? We too, hope to rally employee productivity, in the midst of the worsening economy and escalating competition. We present some ideas for a more productive team at the workplace. (more... ) --- - Published: 2020-12-06 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/website-design-elegance-and-form-lessons-from-wordpress/ - Categories: Technology, Thoughts When Gutenberg was introduced on WordPress in 2017, users disliked it. Its block-based approach to content creation and editing was not elegant, but was gearing towards more design than substance, copying from lesser competitors like Wix. (more... ) --- - Published: 2020-11-02 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/tradition-can-be-beautiful-lessons-in-diplomacy-innovation/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts I served as an NGO diplomat around 2004, under a Catholic Cistercian abbot who was an inspiring German gentleman. We served causes in Cameroon and Burkina Faso, providing supplies and used vehicles. I also raised funds through a Chinese music collection through the help of a Chinese orchestra. (more... ) --- - Published: 2020-09-03 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/leadership-in-the-frontlines-of-war-my-grandma/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts Leadership as a philosophy and practice, is not unknown to me. I have learned about it first-hand, from the coat tails of two giants who braved real wars and real struggles in my life since I was a child - my grandparents. (more... ) --- - Published: 2020-06-08 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/3-tips-to-build-a-brand-in-2020/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts Recently, a renowned scientist commended on LinkedIn on issues of employee retention, and that she used the word "Zoom" exclusively for videoconferencing in her post. (more... ) --- - Published: 2020-05-31 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/crisis-communication-in-brief-2020/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts Crisis management and communication used to affect only certain industries such as petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. But increasingly, with cybersecurity breaches and disease outbreaks, every organization needs to understand, communicate and manage crises well, just as pilots use CRM (crew resource management) to prevent and mitigate crises. (more... ) --- - Published: 2020-05-19 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/leadership-empathy-is-super-power/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts Empathy is the key to great leadership. Nobody likes dictators or autocrats at the workplace or elsewhere. Can you imagine working for one who only expects you to say "yes"? Can you imagine working for one who won't listen to you? Here is a personal account of a good empathetic manager I have worked with in several jobs. It is in Chinese (traditional scipt). (more... ) --- - Published: 2020-05-11 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/4-critical-tips-for-marketers-in-2020-facing-a-deep-decline-of-the-influencer-industry/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts Before the COVID-19 saga started, even in the early part of 2020, the so-called "influencer" arena is abuzz with luxury, travel, enjoyment, and lifestyle. Then the global lockdown and shutdown began, and the whole notion of "influencers" changed. (more... ) --- - Published: 2020-04-27 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/trust-500000-years-of-human-experience/ - Categories: Health, Thoughts The debate on the COVID19 saga whether it is a "black swan" or a "white swan" continues. To me, this COVID19 event is a preventable tragedy just as fellow academic Nassim Taleb who coined the "black swan" term said it is - a "white swan"; not only in terms of lives, but in terms of economies and livelihood too. It is a worrying trend and time. (more... ) --- - Published: 2020-04-15 - Modified: 2024-12-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/zoom-mevo-i-was-already-doing-tv-livestreaming-in-2002/ - Categories: Technology, Thoughts In the COVID-19 crisis, we are seeing TV studios chatting with guests and even their anchors in their homes, as if seeing a sudden transformation of the TV and radio business within a matter of months in 2020. However, these are NOT new. I was doing it real-time, broadcasting "live" with my colleagues in California, many time zones and oceans away, in 2002! (more... ) --- - Published: 2020-02-17 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/are-you-feeling-let-down-by-your-media-monitoring-service/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts These days, top and middle management crave, yes, crave for data and reports. For publicists, the measure of their success seems to be drilled down to reports - the prettier, the thicker, the better. (more... ) --- - Published: 2020-01-15 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/no-journalese-for-business-communication/ - Categories: Marketing, Thoughts Once upon a time, in a planet right where we are standing and breathing, we believed that all journalists wrote exceedingly well. And it might have been true, once upon a time. (more... ) --- - Published: 2020-01-09 - Modified: 2024-07-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/rising-above-unhealthy-competition-learning-from-two-music-virtuosos/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts What is competition? The ancient Greeks and the Chinese, among other peoples, had races or competitions, where participants competed fairly in physically demanding activities to see who fared best in skills and talents. (more... ) --- > How I learned tenacity, patience, entrepreneurship, and courage from my mum through her years till her death. - Published: 2019-11-15 - Modified: 2024-12-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/leadership-and-life-lessons-from-my-reposed-mum/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts My mum passed away in the night. She has braved cancer for more than half a year, and after all the struggles, reposed. When she died, she was shriveled and tiny. We managed to rally around my dad, and got a doctor to certify her death. On November 3, I led the liturgy and laid her ashes to the ocean as she wished. It was a fitting closure as I baptized her in faith as well so many years ago. (more... ) --- > Don't just hire a PR agency when you are facing a crisis. A PR agency is the best branding and communications partner you need. - Published: 2019-09-30 - Modified: 2024-12-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/should-you-only-hunt-for-a-pr-agency-when-a-crisis-hits-you/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts In the Guardian, it was reported that the Hong Kong government failed to secure a PR agency in its tender, with 4 PR agencies immediately declining, and 4 declining later on. These were all large or global PR agencies. (more... ) --- > In a world where full-time employment is no longer the only option, how can staffing change for the new century? - Published: 2019-02-24 - Modified: 2024-12-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/we-are-generation-flux-from-full-time-to-hybrid-staffing-models/ - Categories: Talent, Thoughts Some young friends of mine started hunting for jobs after graduation, and noticed that there seem to be more and more part-time or contract jobs, rather than outright full-time offerings. They are of course worried. (more... ) --- > What are 2 critical lessons and secrets I learned as an aviator in the flight deck working alongside other peers? How can that translate to leadership and management? - Published: 2018-09-24 - Modified: 2024-12-19 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/2-leadership-secrets-from-the-flight-deck/ - Categories: Leadership, Thoughts Have you noticed how frequently "accidents" occur on local highways? There are at least two reasons why - or the lack of these two reasons. Likewise, many leadership crashes happen because of the same two missing reasons. (more... ) --- --- ## Pages - Published: 2026-03-30 - Modified: 2026-03-30 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/oops/ Oops! Wrong turn? We can’t find the page you’re looking for, but we can help you find your way back. Visit our Home page? --- > Currently available blog articles written by Dr Seamus Phan (some have been archived) on leadership, branding, technology, public relations and marketing - Published: 2024-03-28 - Modified: 2024-11-06 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/blog-list/ Here are the currently available blog articles I have written (some have been archived). Why VCs and Investment Firms must Anchor Portfolio Success with a Premier APAC PR FirmMay 21, 2026 Shadow AI, OpenClaw and Mythos are changing not just Cybersecurity postures but Critical PR and CommunicationsMay 21, 2026 Navigating the APAC Matrix: Why a Red Team Approach is Your Path to Sustainable GrowthMay 18, 2026 The Disaster of Silence: Why PR Is Your Only Profitable Pipeline in the AI EraMay 14, 2026 The Strategic Edge: Why Minimalist Typography Beats AI “Art” in Packaging DesignMay 6, 2026 AI, AGI, humanity, and philosophyApril 23, 2026 Strategic Communication to Succeed in these Turbulent TimesMarch 3, 2026 Measuring PR coverage in Asia Pacific in the 21st centuryAugust 11, 2025 Why internal communications matters beyond PRAugust 11, 2025 Why businesses need strategic communicationsAugust 6, 2025 Why PR can be your Asia Pacific Growth EngineJuly 23, 2025 Why Classic Editor and Themes still work for WordPress SitesJuly 18, 2025 Profit through PR for your sales and marketing effortsJune 6, 2025 Contextual translation for successful communication in Asia PacificFebruary 18, 2025 Future of work—Don’t be a koala or a pandaFebruary 6, 2025 How small businesses can thrive with marketing and PR in a recessionJanuary 24, 2025 Thank you IndieReader for your review! January 21, 2025 7 best practices of crisis management and communication from the trenchesAugust 15, 2024 5 Ways to earn media coverage for businesses in highly regulated industries such as healthcareJune 7, 2024 PR... --- > Tough Times, Great PR: Building brands and publicity for the 21st century, a latest book by Dr Seamus Phan from crises and experiences during the pandemic. - Published: 2022-12-21 - Modified: 2025-01-21 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/tough-times-great-pr-book/ The dot Zen series has a new cousin! Tough Times, Great PR—Dot Zen 3. 0: Building brands and publicity for the 21st Century Brands large and small face the toughest times in the 21st century, with global pandemics and conflicts causing roadblocks and downturns. How then can brands bootstrap to win in the war for branding and publicity? Tough times call for tough measures, and these lessons can be good foundations to supplement any existing business, large and emerging, and for new startups to learn from. Tough times call for tough measures, and these lessons can be good foundations to supplement businesses large and emerging. Public relations (PR) builds brands, nurtures sales and opportunities, and protects the reputation of businesses. PR is a sustained effort nurtured by the C-suite, international communications, and external specialist partners. Following the good reception of the two earlier Dot Zen books, this book continues a journey through the years of a global pandemic, trade wars, and conflicts, with a three-decade-old PR and strategy consulting firm staying afloat and helping clients grow together through the crises with good publicity, brand building, and reputation management. What were the lessons learned during these crises? How can we benefit from them to nurture and build brands for the long haul? This book serves as an anthology of easy-to-read pieces to stir the imagination with ideas for the C-suite executives and business leaders, peppered with calligraphy and little “Dot Zen Moment” thoughts throughout the book. Table of contents 4 key... --- > Dr Seamus Phan started in biochemistry since his teens, and picked up his interest again later to research antioxidants, autoxidation, and life extension. - Published: 2022-01-06 - Modified: 2025-09-22 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/scientist/ The chemistry set When I was young, my father bought me a chemistry set with hundreds of experiments. He told me that if I studied diligently, he would reward me with the set. Although I never received that set, I studied because I love to study and explore topics and subjects beyond the school curriculum. Einstein, soap and glass I was appointed librarian in high school and managed to devour many books that were gathering dust in the library, including Albert Einstein's theories of relativity. I also became the only "member" of the high school chemistry club, where the teacher trusted me enough to run the chemistry lab. I studied the chemistry of perfume, soap, glassmaking, and much more. These experiences sparked my interest in chemistry and biochemistry. Biochemist Finally, in junior college, I started a science project that became a life project. I began to study the autoxidation of lipids (oils and fats) such as palm oil, palm kernel oil, butter, milk, etc. I researched the various natural and commercial antioxidants used in foods as additives to retard autoxidation, as well as proposed antioxidants that may have eventual use in foods or cosmetics, and also studied anti-aging. This research took a "deep freeze" and was rekindled during the recent global crisis, when time was freed up to continue further research in this area, especially related to toxicity, ongoing and emerging developments related to internal oxidative processes in the human body, and anti-aging as well. Why did I revive this... --- > Dr Seamus Phan is a polymath in art and science/tech, including being a brush artist and calligrapher since the 1970s. Occasionally dabble in music creation. - Published: 2016-04-12 - Modified: 2025-09-22 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/art-music/ Music creation I learned violin as a kid, just for a while. I learned the electronic wind instrument (EWI), the digital equivalent of the saxophone, when I was in my thirties. And now, I am trying my hand at the traditional Chinese instrument guqin (古琴). Wish me luck. I am also writing lyrics and tinkering with music creation. Visit my YouTube channel @artistaviator (and Spotify): https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=p2Lz7nAiWTI&list=PLOrMOfu3LyIeVMru2B-mUzkoMvq0acmsY Other music platforms to find my songs and music: Custom Music & Jingle Creation for Businesses If you are looking for a friendly and casual creative who can deliver custom advertising, marketing, social media, or corporate jingles and songs for a song (pun intended), let's talk. Within the confines of AI-assisted technologies, there are still kinks but as long as you are not overly fussy, we can make music (with lyrics) work for your business. Artist at heart I have always been an artist. I have a liberal and free artistic expression (寫意派), and my medium is Chinese ink or brush painting (水墨畫). I have also dabbled in pottery, using the potter's wheel and also free form sculpting. I graduated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Art (NAFA) at its old campus at Saint Thomas Walk in 1979 - I was the youngest student in the class. I was so busy with work and business that I stopped painting for more than 36 years. However, I have managed to start painting again, using simple disposable pre-inked Japanese calligraphy brushes and sketchbooks... --- > The Dot Zen series of books on PR, marketing, business, tech, and leadership by Dr Seamus Phan et al, were highly rated by clients, reviewers, etc. - Published: 2015-03-18 - Modified: 2024-11-06 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/dot-zen-book/ Dot ZEN book - ISBN 981045645x Book launch talk (a snippets video) https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=b7Do6UoLT60 On national radio, print, Web & wires! If you are an Entrepreneur, CEO or Manager, do you want insider's tips now? Attract the right VCs or financiers? Effective elevator pitches to bankers and VCs? Sustainable business growth without short-term problems? Powerful and affordable marketing for print, Internet and more? Rejuvenate an aging brand, or create a new brand? Get media coverage on print, TV and radio for my company? Ethical and compassionate leadership for genuine motivation? Powerful Internet security techniques for your network? Effective search engine listings for Internet users? Healthy and stress-free employees for productive work? Tired of "The Art of War" and other War Cries? Enough of academic and theoretical business books? Need real-world experience by the authors themselves? First print run sold out! Now in reprint version! Bring dot ZEN into your business & succeed in the new economy The first ever business book from Asia Pacific by co-authors Seamus Phan and Ter Hui Peng, based in Singapore, showing their real-world business experience in helping Fortune 1000, high-tech and smaller businesses succeed through a holistic approach of business leadership, entrepreneurship, high-tech marketing, publicity, public relations (PR), managing people, and the smart use of the Internet. The book presents an educational approach to Zen ideas, as well as hundreds of pages of action steps and insider's tips and secrets to growing your business through entrepreneurship, leadership, customer service, total quality, marketing, publicity,... --- > Private Window 1984: Confessions of a Depressed Soldier was a collection of short pieces by Seamus Phan, circa 1984 when he served in the army. - Published: 2015-03-18 - Modified: 2024-11-06 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/private-window-1984-book/ Private Window 1984: Confessions of a Depressed Soldier A collection of short pieces by Seamus Phan, circa 1984 What is this book about? First off, you have to keep an open mind. The first thing you might want to do is to download the preview copy below to get a feel of what's in the book. From the table of contents on this page, you can also get a feel of the topics in this book. The book is written in simple, short pieces, rather than long discourses. It is highly personal, and obviouslyl opinionated. If you hate opinions and can only take fact, get another book. If you are looking for classic literary work, this book is not for you. But if you like to explore the psyche of someone (whoever), then this book might be worth a minute of your time. Why "private window 1984"? Seamus served as private first class (otherwise known as "lance corporal" in British terms) during his national service in the army. The book is like a window into his heart. Details of the book: Written during the economic depression, Seamus Phan, then a national service soldier stepping into the working world for the first time, having been a junior college drop-out at that time. Seamus wrote on love, sadness, disappointment, and feelings. The Seamus in 1984 is very different from today at 2004, as he has braved through that depressing days of a soldier and thereafter the worst economic depression in Asia. He... --- > Bestseller on Health & Fitness, this book chronicled the personal journeys of brothers CJ Phan, an international champion, and Dr Seamus Phan. - Published: 2015-03-18 - Modified: 2024-11-06 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/this-body-this-life-book/ Bestseller on Health & Fitness ISBN: 981-04-5646-8 National Library Board (NLB) Call Number: 613. 7 PHA Briefly: Seamus and his brother CJ, joined hands to write an unique book on holistic health, nutrition, proper dieting, exercise, fitness, and longevity. Critically acclaimed (see left-hand side), and widely reviewed in the public media, including broadcast. Scroll down for pocket companion. This Body This Life made it to the "Top 10 Health Books" in Singapore, listed by the National Library Board (NLB) through the papers on October 19, 2005. We are very grateful for friends at the National Library Board for helping our humble book! Bestseller featured on MuscleMag Australia, New Man magazine, Woman's World magazine, SilverKris magazine, the EDGE Singapore newspaper, DARE, NTUC Lifestyle, Metro Bangkok, Global Lifestyle Net (USA), 5AA AM Adelaide Radio, Capital Radio 95. 8 FM, Publishers Marketing Association (PMA), national and international radio, Review Index UK, Akamai University, many more local papers, and wire distribution sites! Looking for a guide book written to provide a holistic approach to nutrition, health, fitness, exercise, and longevity? With the right dose of motivation to provide happiness? Looking for a simple, easy-to-follow book that is written by Asians with a good knowledge of all things Asian as well as Western? Looking for a book written by a recognized sportsman and an international consultant who started their path to health more than 2 decades EACH, tracing their own personal journeys? Let international bodybuilding champion CJ and brother Seamus, patent-pending biotech researcher, broadcast/editorial personality... --- > Engage Dr Seamus Phan to supercharge your business and C-suite in Asia in strategy, PR, branding, and leadership transformation. - Published: 2011-08-06 - Modified: 2025-09-22 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/contact/ Engage me to supercharge your business now! I love to work with committed clients who desire to transform their businesses, develop their employees, and build their brands over the long term. You can also find out more about my work at McGallen & Bolden Group. If you like to inspire your C-suite team or engage me for public relations (PR) and strategic counsel, media coaching, crisis communications, and keynote speeches, or to engage me as your fractional CMO or board member, contact me by email today! You can also fill in this form below: PS - If you are in Singapore, and have an attractive gig for me (e. g. a keynote speech, or a retained consulting project), let's chat. There are plenty of nice cafes around my day office. If you are overseas, happy to deliver a keynote on Zoom too. NB - For media interviews, please note that I have the right to reproduce the interview articles (print, online, broadcast, etc), in whole or in part, for any purpose. I do not relinquish rights to my expression of ideas, concepts, artistic and creative writings, verbalized or otherwise - those are entirely my own. Addendum - If you like AI and want to chat with the SeamusAI chatbot, click here. --- > Engage Dr Seamus Phan as a keynote speaker, meeting facilitator, human capital developer, YouTube and broadcast co-host and more. - Published: 2011-08-04 - Modified: 2025-02-27 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/customers/ I work with multinational clients. I work with emerging companies and start-ups. I work with non-profits (sometimes even pro bono if I identify emotionally with the cause) and governments. Once I commit to a client, I give it my all. Professional International Keynote Speaker As a professional keynote speaker, coach and meeting facilitator, I have spoken and facilitated on topics such as business leadership, strategy, marketing, Internet security, and social media. I have also found great joy in sharing my journey of overcoming physical, health and life challenges against the odds with corporations, non-profits, governments and students. From time to time, I mentor executives in developing business and technology strategies, especially in the areas of public relations, branding, and new media. Clients have flown me to locations throughout the Asia-Pacific region, Australia, North America, and Europe. I am happy to consider any reasonable location to speak, facilitate or consult. And of course, my most common physical location at the moment is Singapore. This also fits nicely in a "travel-lite" world, as I am now more than happy to speak to your audience via videoconferencing or livestreaming platforms. Here are some clients (past and present) that I have been privileged to work with. Clients (Project & Retained) Acuvue · AsiaMedic · ASICS · Autodesk · AutoStore · Belkin · Beoplay · Business Times · CA · Citibank NA Global Finance · CMP Media · Coast Cycles · Compaq · Crocs · Crystal Jade Restaurant · ETHIX · FutureCIO · Gemplus/Gemalto ·... --- > Dr Seamus Phan is a native bilingual writer and speaker in English and Chinese, and has been a book author, journalist, broadcast co-host/commentator, and more. - Published: 2011-08-04 - Modified: 2026-03-02 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/journalism/ Native bilingual writer & speaker During my junior college years, a British native English teacher ignited my passion for writing by bringing the English language to life and inspiring me to learn and love it passionately, not just mechanically. I have loved writing ever since. 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: 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... --- > Dr Seamus Phan, based in Singapore, is a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences on tech, AI, science, marketing, PR, and leadership transformation. - Published: 2011-08-04 - Modified: 2026-03-02 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/strategist/ On stage since 1977 I have been on stage since 1977, speaking about history, performing illusions, and stage acting. I love the stage for what it has brought to people—education and entertainment. I have been speaking professionally to corporate audiences since 1987. I have been a frequent professional keynote speaker, trainer, and meeting facilitator, speaking and facilitating on topics such as leadership, strategy, marketing, crisis management, aviation, cybersecurity, and digital marketing. I have also inspired audiences by speaking on overcoming physical, health, and life challenges. From time to time, I mentor executives in developing business and technology strategies, particularly in the areas of advertising, branding, and new media. https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=nR-ZuA9vj-c Leadership Coach & Strategist Have me as a business strategist, consultant, speaker, fractional CMO, or board member: Public Relations (PR), Media Coaching and Crisis Communication (with decades of first-hand experience from TV, radio, print journalism and media communication) Digital Marketing (with decades of being a digital PR and digital marketing pioneer in all areas of web development, SEO, content amplification and site optimization) Leadership and Business Transformation (based on aviation and ancient Asian philosophies of Analects, Hagakure and Gorinosho, through structured learning, meeting facilitation, and inspirational keynotes) AI and leadership transformation (artificial intelligence, machine learning, and trends for various industries) Sales Leadership (tactical sales coaching for knowledge workers and motivated salespeople) Cybersecurity (having been a cybersecurity developer and sysadmin since 1996 and kept up with all emerging trends and current technologies) Clients have flown me to locations throughout... --- > Meeting and event planners can engage Dr Seamus Phan for keynote speeches, opening of seminars and conferences, C-suite facilitation, and more. - Published: 2011-08-04 - Modified: 2024-11-06 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/customers/planners/ I am a motivational keynote speaker known for delivering powerful, inspiring, enriching and thought-provoking speeches to CEOs, directors and government officials. I combine 3 key areas that make for unique speeches: C-suite experience Professional speaking expertise Technical & Scientific Experience National Speakers Association USA since 2003 I have been a professional member of the National Speakers Association USA since 2003 (very few in Asia/Singapore) and was one of the pioneers of the local chapter (Asia Speakers Association, Singapore). Member since 2003! I am frequently engaged as a professional fee-based keynote speaker, motivational and inspirational speaker, meeting facilitator, Internet strategist, business consultant, executive coach and mentor, market and technology researcher, and curriculum developer. I am available to speak and consult throughout the Asia-Pacific region (including Singapore), Australia, North America and Europe. Demo Reel Here's a short compilation of video segments of keynotes and training deliveries. https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=nR-ZuA9vj-c Program Outlines Media Coaching (with Crisis Communication) This is a concise media coaching program for C-suite leaders and entrepreneurs. The primer will help the C-suite understand the paradigm shift from being a business leader to being a media spokesperson, which have different requirements. The primer will go through both the human and technical aspects of being a spokesperson and prepare the C-suite to be ready for any media interview, be it print (dailies/magazines), online, at "live" events and conferences, or on TV and radio. The short primer will end with a mock TV interview and the C-suite can review his "media performance"... --- > Dr Seamus Phan is a tech pioneer and evangelist, having been coding since 1970s, developed cybersecurity and Internet solutions since 1990s. - Published: 2011-08-04 - Modified: 2025-09-22 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/tech/ AI, cybersecurity, e-commerce, web and more I have been a techie since the 1970s as a computer programmer and an Internet, web and cybersecurity pioneer since the 1990s. And of course, I have dabbled with AI (artificial intelligence), ML (machine learning), mobile development, you name it. And AI is not just about chatbots, ChatGPT, and the like. I have also investigated and researched how it can be applied within pharmaceuticals, medicine, aviation, and business. Here is the summary of a recent keynote I gave at the Asia-Pacific Aviation Training Symposium on how AI will impact aviation: https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=PUwp4KQ9i-I Computer programmer since the 1970s My first encounter with computers and programming was when I was in junior high school in the 1970s. My first computers were the Casio pocket computer, Radio Shack TRS-80 and Sinclair ZX Spectrum, and I learned BASIC on them. The TRS-80 was connected to a green monochrome monitor and we stored data on cassette tapes! I also had my eye on the TRS-80 Pocket Computer, which resembled a calculator at the time. Apple Mac evangelist & developer Remember those beige Macs with the little monochrome screens? I used those early Macs in 1986 and developed networked training software for factory technical training and customer service training software. The limitations of the small monochrome screen did not stop me, and I was able to compress and optimize graphics with image dithering, phone-quality audio, low-frame animation, and other special techniques to bring animation and interactive media to... --- > Some videos showcasing Dr Seamus Phan in launch events, keynote speeches, seminars, conferences and more. - Published: 2011-08-04 - Modified: 2024-11-06 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/videos/ You can find some of my short video segments here, as well as my media appearances and my interests in photography and filmmaking. Demo reel Here's a short compilation of video segments of keynotes and training deliveries. https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=nR-ZuA9vj-c Keynote on AI and aviation Here is the summary of a recent keynote I gave at the Asia-Pacific Aviation Training Symposium on how AI will impact aviation: https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=PUwp4KQ9i-I Videos: Keynote on Video for Marketing, and Learning I spoke on technologies and video equipment, online video hosting platforms, and how to shoot video as a filmmaker for better marketing communication. The second video is on video for learning. https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=iaOW-OgoKMU Keynote in Legal Conference (Seattle) I spoke as a panelist on leadership to an audience of top lawyers in Seattle, Washington. I shared the platform with speakers such as Hon. John C Coughenour (renowned judge), Dr Craig Jackson (MD), Prof Ken Himma, Prof Steve Calandrillo, attorney Roger Leishman, Prof Patrick Dobel, Robert Dickerson II, James Na, and Egil 'Bud' Krogh. Keynote on Entrepreneurship I motivated around 400 students at two campuses, in a keynote titled "Magic, Sea Monkeys, PhD & Entrepreneurship". I spoke of my entrepreneurial journey as a kid, and then my journey as an executive before achieving my academic and entrepreneurial dreams. Keynote on Public Relations for speakers I trained Asia Speakers Association (ASA) members, the sister organization of the National Speakers Association (USA), on "Media Training Primer for Speakers". Keynote to 1,000... --- > Recent blog articles written by Dr Seamus Phan on leadership, branding, technology, public relations and marketing - Published: 2011-08-04 - Modified: 2024-11-04 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/blog/ Here you can find my regular writings since 2011 on technology, business, leadership, marketing, publicity, and branding. --- > Dr Seamus Phan, serving Singapore, Asia & worldwide, is a C-suite publicist, business strategist, keynote speaker, meeting facilitator, scientist, and author. - Published: 2011-08-04 - Modified: 2025-03-07 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/about/ What I do, briefly I am a field-proven C-suite publicist, business strategist, professional keynote speaker, meeting and workshop facilitator, and adjunct professor with more than 37 years of communication, industry, training, and development experience since the 1980s. I have consulted and presented throughout the Asia-Pacific region and worldwide to audiences ranging from a few to thousands. My sessions are known for being thought-provoking, with deep industry and technology experience and case studies, as well as good humor and engaging analogies, anecdotes, stories, and historical perspectives. I am a storyteller. I am also a technologist and strategist who has consulted with organizations seeking guidance and recommendations on how to best leverage information technology (IT) for business, performance, and efficiency. I consult in areas such as Web 2. 0, social media, mobile and web applications (full stack development), internet advertising, content management systems (CMS—public), knowledge management systems (KMS—intranet/internal), etc. My foray into computer programming was in the 1970's with my Sinclair ZX and Radio Shack TRS-80, writing BASIC programs. Then I moved on to learning FORTRAN, COBOL, the alphabet soup of HTML/Java/Javascript, and then Perl and PHP. I am a prolific writer and journalist, having published books on business leadership, the Internet, service quality, Total Quality Management (TQM), spirituality, etc. I have spent many years as a contributing editor, foreign correspondent, independent journalist, commentator, and analyst for business and technology publications, daily newspapers, magazines, radio and television, and online media. Connect with me on LinkedIn. I do keep a simple Linktree profile... --- > Dr Seamus Phan is a seasoned book author who penned books on leadership, PR (public relations), philosophy, tech, and more. - Published: 2011-08-04 - Modified: 2024-11-06 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/books/ Tough Times, Great PR - dot Zen 3. 0: Building brands and publicity for the 21st century Brands large and small are facing the toughest times of the 21st century, with global pandemics and conflicts causing roadblocks and downturns. So how can brands bootstrap their way to victory in the war for branding and publicity? Table of contents 4 key steps to harnessing public relations in a recession Is your business ready for PR? Engage your PR at the C-suite level 3 critical tips for spokespersons Is your C-suite merely non-player characters (NPC) in the media? 5 crippling PR mistakes to avoid Hunt for PR help only when a crisis hits? Taking “journalese” out of our writing Feeling let down by your media monitoring service? Drilling down deeper into PR measurement 4 critical tips for marketers facing a deep decline of the “influencer” industry 5 critical crisis management and communication tips 3 tips to build a brand in a crisis Future of PR in the 21st century is the bottom line Crises may not be what you think - be prepared Don’t try to bury bad news on a Friday Physics and the art of crisis management Why all businesses need PR 6 tips on handling difficult questions Speak directly and simply for impact - avoid double negatives The 5 Cs of speechwriting for the C-suite Employer branding through PR Recommendations for building lasting brands through heritage and tenure Future of marketing may not be about personalization Old brands -... --- > Dr Seamus Phan has nearly 40 years of global corporate, technology, scientific, cybersecurity, communication, and human capital experience. - Published: 2011-07-21 - Modified: 2025-11-07 - URL: https://seamusphan.com/ I am Seamus Phan (pronounced like "Shamus"). I am a business strategist, keynote speaker, publicist, technologist, scientist, artist, and author, serving C-suite executives and businesses worldwide. More than a publicist, CMO, or board member Think of me as your creative think tank on tap for your C-suite. You get field-proven business strategy, creative direction, and cutting-edge ideas to propel your marketing and public relations (PR) to new heights. I serve global C-suite executives and entrepreneurs as their publicist and business strategist through McGallen & Bolden Group. I mentor global C-suite executives in crisis communication and management, as well as media coaching (aka "media training"). If you are a startup or emerging business, for-profit or nonprofit, I can be your board member too. More than a trainer or a speaker Think of me as your leadership coach and strategist. You get global insights, vision, leadership, inspiration, stories, and humor, whether "live" on "Zoom" or livestreaming. Unlike some, I have firsthand experience in many businesses and practice areas to give you real and actionable counsel. I serve Fortune 500 companies, startups, and stalwarts in leadership, public relations (PR), communication (both internal and external), digital marketing, branding, and human capital development (with keynotes, meeting facilitation, and structured learning). And if and when there is time, I am a book author (with books ranging from business, marketing, leadership, technology, health and fitness, poetry, and religion). More than a web or cybersecurity consultant Think of me as a resource for all things tech, including AI... --- ---