Seek to Speak

Seek to Speak's podcast is launching its 3rd Season in August with the theme, "The Power of Words". Through experimental formats and diverse topics, we will explore the power of words and the impact that it has on people and places. We believe that strong speeches can move nations, words of comfort can save lives and stories shared can empower others. In this experimental season, we hope to inspire more people to speak and tell their stories through our new episodes!Be sure to take note of our release schedule to never miss out on an episode! Our launch sponsor, Cuppa Joe Malaysia, aims to make home coffee brewing affordable, less intimidating & accessible. Together with local coffee roasters, Cuppa Joe strives to offer a new experience & ways to elevate our coffee experience. If you can't wait to try out their coffee, be sure to use our special promo code: SEEK2SPEAK20 to get 20% off their brewing kits. Get ready to meet your new favourite cuppa with @cuppajoemy!

Episode 7 is joined by the one and only, Datuk Nicol David! An eight-time world champion, nine-time Asian champion, and a record of 108 consecutive months as world No 1 squash player, @nicoldsquash is an incredible source of pride and inspiration to all Malaysians. More importantly, she is a good person with a strong sense of self and despite all the accolades, is extremely humble and grounded with her principles. We discussed the importance of mental health and the ability to train your mind to perform at your best. We discussed the role of sports in empowering women and girls all around the world. Through it all, she spoke on the importance of continuous improvement and development. As she has been famously quoted, "Being number one is something I had to earn every day."This is an incredible episode on pursuing your passion, the value of failures, and the power of mental toughness. Datuk Nicol teaches visualization, humility, and positivity. We also discussed the following data points on mental health and female athletes with Datuk Nicol:1) According to a 2020 study by Stanford University and Strava, 22.5% of professional athletes reported feeling down or depressed on more than half of the days of the week compared to 3.9% of athletes reporting the same struggles before the pandemic hit. That’s an increase of 477%. The American National Collegiate Athletic Association examined the impacts of the pandemic on 25,000 college athletes and found that there were elevated rates of anxiety, hopelessness, mental exhaustion, and feelings of depression across the board.2) Elite women’s sports are predicted to generate US$1 billion in revenue in 2021. A Nielsen study found that 84% of general sports enthusiasts are interested in women’s sport. The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup drew 1.12 billion viewers while the National Women’s Soccer League’s viewership swelled 493% in 2020. The U.S. Women's Open tennis final between Naomi and Victoria averaged 2.1 million viewers on ESPN.Full transcript here.

Vishal is a marketer, public relations practitioner, and photojournalist with a wealth of experience in the communications and automotive industry. Vishal talked about transitioning his careers from engineering to journalism to corporate relations, and how his passion for cars drove him. In this episode, we talked all about confidence, careers, communications, and CARS! We also covered the following points during the episode:The Malaysian automotive industry is the third-largest in Southeast Asia, and the 23rd largest in the world, with an annual production output of over 500,000 vehicles. The automotive industry contributes 4% or RM 40 billion to Malaysia's GDP, and employs a workforce of over 700,000 throughout a nationwide ecosystem. Malaysia is the only country in Southeast Asia that has two of its own large car brands, Proton and Perodua. Up until 2018, both local manufacturers have been struggling with decreasing sales but in 2019, they managed to increase their market share and ended the year on the first and second rank among the bestselling car brands in the country. This is mostly due to the successes of their flagship models, like the ProtonX70 where even now, you’d have to wait months to receive. I believe that Flux is also carrying the same model. According to the ASEAN Statistics Division, Malaysia has the second-highest number of registered road motor vehicles per 1,000 population in 2017, which is 896.7, behind Brunei and above Thailand. This means, almost 9 out of every 10 Malaysians own a vehicle of some sort!

Kondenser and Podkast.my is a BM podcast as well a portal all about the production and publication of podcasting. Irzal is the executive producer of Impressions, a digital content centre, and editor for Podcast.my while Akash is the studio director and content creator. If you're curious about the local podcasting scene and want to start up your own podcast - this episode is not to be missed!We also discussed the following facts during the episode:A total of 834,533 new podcasts were created in 2020, compared to 311,775 in 2019 according to statistics from Listen Notes.Most podcasts are in English, followed by Spanish and thereafter, Portuguese. Podcasts in Bahasa Malaysia are listed in “others”. The Listen Notes portal shows that there are 83,006 podcasts in the nearest language, which is Indonesian. Buzzsprout reports that only 0.2 percent of total podcast episodes were downloaded by Malaysians in October 2020.According to a report by Whistle Wise, Generation Z prefers short, unscripted and casual podcast formats. Why do you think this is the case?Relevant Links:https://podkast.my/https://open.spotify.com/show/1SPd7K0gYRzrSncqpxgHjRhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAEz0rHq6m_ZL7g7Zr8-asg

Our first episode of the year features Jasmine King, a sex-positive advocate who runs an online platform called @ohheymissking where she educates, breaks taboos, and sparks conversations on dating and sexual health. Jasmine also regularly gives talks and workshops on self-love and sex, as well as hosts an Asian sex podcast called, “I wish someone told me” (Check it out at @iwishthepod). Jasmine also hosts a monthly and sexy Instagram live show called, “Cass and Jas confess”. In the episode, Jasmine talks about her motivation and aims for the platform, why comprehensive sexuality education is important, as well as how public speaking empowers confidence!Jasmine Kinghttps://www.instagram.com/ohheymissking/https://www.instagram.com/iwishthepod/Music by Aldo Majalni (https://www.instagram.com/aldoloves/) & Amran Asnawi (https://www.instagram.com/amrannnnnn/)

Episode 12 is joined by lawyer, truth-seeker, and podcaster, Roeshan Gomez! Growing up with a love of conversations, Roeshan started his own podcast with his friends called The Rumah Roy Podcast! This great podcast is a series of casual (and candid!) conversations with a variety of great guests like an award-winning director, a female mixed martial artist champion, and the Women’s Aid Organization! There, Roeshan and his guests talk about politics, current affairs, mental health, and so much more! As an introvert, Roeshan explained why he wanted to seek genuine connections, how to have them with strangers, how to build your foundation, and why it’s important to seek differing views. This is a great episode for those who want to start out their own passion project! Rumah Roy Podcast:https://open.spotify.com/show/2LU8f5V13tDO9EzTZ6edts?si=7SFX5sFVTW6iPCd0ADo1Wwhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO4eM43oKjGoAR1lEnDD3Gwhttps://www.instagram.com/therumahroypodcast/https://www.facebook.com/therumahroypodcastTwo Book Nerds Talking:https://open.spotify.com/show/7MC6QfLe5pB8rC8lwG9ScF?si=NiZO7yUHQCivM6dTBXYsTQhttps://www.instagram.com/tbntbooks/

Episode 11 is joined by Deputy Public Prosecutor for the Attorney General's Chambers, Izzat Fauzan! Former criminal lawyer, Izzat now dedicates his time representing victims and prosecuting wrongdoers. Izzat was part of several high-profile prosecution teams like Najib Razak’s SRC trial which saw our former Prime Minister being found guilty and sentenced to 12 years in prison for abuse of power, money laundering and breach of trust. He was also part of the prosecution team behind the tragic murder of Datuk Anthony Kevin Morais and the freezing of 1MDB-linked funds, USD$340 million, belonging to PetroSaudi International Ltd.In this episode, we talked about what it takes to represent the state as well as those who have been wronged under the law. In fulfilling his duties, we discussed how to balance objectivity and emotional attachment, how to extract and present information, how to tune out negative externalities in the process, and how to deal with unexpected issues in court. Izzat speaks passionately about his purpose, his loyalty to the law, and the sacrifices he’s made on the job. This is definitely a conversation not to be missed!Women With Words Registrationhttps://forms.gle/GtqLjpjnk9Gt1uY17E-mail us your suggestions for Season 2 at helloseektospeak@gmail.com

Episode 9 is joined by radio broadcaster, personal finance enthusiast, and content creator, Roshan Kanesan! A producer and radio broadcaster at BFM 89.9, Malaysia's premier business and current affairs station, Roshan has a wealth of experience in speaking and presenting. A personal finance enthusiast, he is also the producer and presenter of the popular Ringgit & Sense segment. In his free time, Roshan shares personal finance insights on his socials through videos, webinars, and bite-sized advice, as well as on his blog, arkaysthoughts.com. This episode follows Roshan’s self-expression journey from blogging about his medical condition, to vlogging his day-to-day, to anchoring BFM radio’s heavy weight show, the Morning Run. It is such an incredible journey of triumph, motivation and passion - that you will be blown away by how powerful words can be and the responsibility that comes with it. This is truly an inspiring episode about overcoming hurdles through expression and finding your voice in the process.Roshan Kanesanhttps://www.instagram.com/roshankanesan/https://roshankanesan.com/https://twitter.com/RoshanKanesanThe Pendulum Showhttps://open.spotify.com/show/53TrVNxcLqTrQH1NzPyPELhttps://podcasts.apple.com/my/podcast/the-pendulum-show/id1474970773https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-pendulum-show

Episode 8 is joined by Malaysia’s podcasting guru, host, and producer, Norman Chella! Once the Head of Marketing at a Japanese Fintech company, Norm now has his own content creation outfit, ThatsTheNorm Media, specializing in podcasting. He produces and hosts many high-quality shows like Podlovers Asia, AntiFool, Tempered Fables, This is Norm, and Ants under the Sun. His current big project is Roam FM, a podcast all about Roam Research. Check out just how diverse his body of work is on thatsthenorm.com.This episode is all about finding your voice and the courage to speak through the medium of podcasting. Hear how Norman Chella’s journey and voice evolve as he travels between countries and writes his experiences, and how he develops different personas through the production of his many different podcast shows! With lots of introspection, self-confidence, and even a few funny impressions along the way, Norm explains the power of conversations, connecting with people, and looking inward to find your own personal metric of success! If you’re a fan of podcasting, this is not an episode to be missed!Links to Norman Chella's Shows:https://normanchella.com/https://podloversasia.com/https://thatsthenorm.com/fables/https://thatsthenorm.com/ants/https://thatsthenorm.com/antifool/https://thatsthenorm.com/daily/https://roamresearch.com/#/app/RoamFM/page/B2T6zN-6hNorman Chella's Socials:https://twitter.com/NormanChellahttps://twitter.com/podloversasiahttps://twitter.com/roamfmLinks to Rumah Roy Podcast:https://www.facebook.com/therumahroypodcasthttps://bluehoodieproduction.podbean.com/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO4eM43oKjGoAR1lEnDD3GwSend in your mental health voice notes to: helloseektospeak@gmail.com

Introducing the environmental advocate, super mom, and writer extraordinaire, Khairun Nisa Mohamed Zabidi! From being a climate change youth activist to establishing a zero-waste social enterprise to pursuing a Master’s of Science in Environment and Development to becoming a Sustainability Consultant with PwC Malaysia before currently leading UK’s International Climate Fund in Malaysia via the UK Partnerships for Accelerated Climate Transitions - Khairun has a wealth of experience in her field of passion. Her work transcends activism and provides her with a sense of purpose in the world.Join Khairun in Episode 7 to be inspired and empowered to find passion and purpose in everything that you do. Listen to her advice and experiences as she chronicles her journey of making cold calls to NGOs to protesting on the streets of Bangkok to advising corporate clients on sustainability to leading the UK Government's International Climate Fund. Find out how her journey of self-expression changes and morphs into this wonderful adventure of self-discovery and self-reflection. Find your why and learn how to use your why to achieve all of your goals!Connect with Khairun through:https://my.linkedin.com/in/khairunnisazabidihttps://www.instagram.com/khairun_zabidi/?hl=en

Episode 6 is joined by the big sister you always wanted - Izza Izelan - an activist, advocate, and all-around great person! Izza is the executive director of WOMEN:Girls, a cause-driven NGO which aims to help women realise their potential as role models and to develop children to become agents of change. A recipient of the coveted Chevening scholarship in 2017, Izza is also an award-winning broadcast journalist and has worked in Astro Awani for 7 years before pursuing her passion in non-profit.Izza is a great example of how your communication skills can not only progress your career but help forward a cause and uplift communities as well! Join Izza as she takes us through her journey of self-expression and passion. Learn how to face criticism, find your calling, and communicate with diverse groups of people!Check out her podcast:https://open.spotify.com/show/37nte2BHIIUGfsRBayEJrRCheck out Epic Arcade's podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6CBsfBXUCvBaV9hwozYieD

This week, we looked inward and decided to pull the curtains behind Seek to Speak’s origins by interviewing its founder, Ain Aissa, a former wallflower and introvert!Listen to her speaking journey to find out what it took for her to grow and develop her own voice. She also discusses Seek to Speak’s inception as well as her future plans for the platform. Be sure to stay until the end to discover why this episode was made and who the guest host is! A Cambridge law graduate with corporate litigation experience, Ain Aissa understands the value of advocacy and the importance of being able to express yourself in a meaningful and effective way. With multiple national public speaking and debate championships under her belt, she is ever eager to educate others on how to speak up. She is a trainer with the Malaysian Institute for Debate and Public Speaking and started Seek to Speak in the hopes of making public speaking resources more accessible to al!l

Episode 4 is joined by Izwan Zakaria, a lawyer, mentor, and speaker. Izwan is the managing partner of Izwan & Partners, a commercial, technology, and start-up law firm in KL. He is passionate about training entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, and students, and is a mentor for the Founder Institute, Future Lab, Closing the Gap, as well as the Selangor Accelerator Program. He also regularly conducts webinars, workshops, and interviews regarding startups and technology.In this episode, Izwan talks about his speaking struggles, what he did to improve, and how he used his communication skills to market himself as well as help others. Izwan is a good example of an industry expert that is able to progress his ambition, business, and brand using his speaking, teaching, and networking skills. 

Episode 3 of Seek to Speak's podcast is joined by the amazing entrepreneur, educator, and advocate, Emellia Shariff! Emellia is the CEO of the Malaysian Institute for Debate & Public Speaking, Managing Partner of Speak-Up Malaysia, as well as the founder of G-Blog.In this episode, we discussed a whole host of diverse issues from virtual learning to accessibility of critical thinking skills as well as online & offline harassment. In particular, she gave helpful tips about how best to teach and learn soft skills online, how communication skills should be taught nationwide and what we can do to combat harassment. 

Episode 2 of Seek to Speak's podcast is joined by the award winning speaker, debater, and educator, Mai Mokhsein! In this episode, we talked all about her transformative speaking journey from freezing on stage at the age of 15 to being Asia's best speaker! She also shares her wealth of experience educating youths all across Asia in public speaking and debating. This episode aims to highlight the incredible power of speech, critical thinking, and empathy building.No matter what kind of speaker you are or at what speech level you're at, her advice and anecdotes will surely resonate with you!

In this episode, Aissa talks about ways to better express yourself by having regular reflections, building empathy, and constantly communicating. In each segment, she provides easy exercises to practice as well as snippets of advice from the likes of Michelle Obama, J.K. Rowling, and her family members too!Check out https://seektospeak.com/ for more public speaking resources in bite-sized digestible portions!Michelle Obama's, "Becoming", in audiobook: https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Michelle-Obama-audiobook/dp/B07B3JQZCLJ.K Rowling's Harvard Commencement Address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHGqp8lz36cMusic, "Cupcake Marshall", by Blue Dot Sessions: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/Love_and_Weasel/Cupcake_Marshall

In this final installment of this series, we continue to honor International Women's Day by featuring six compelling stories from the Demi Gadis Creative Writing Competition. This episode presents essays narrated in Bahasa Indonesia, with one in English, offering profound insights into gender equality, women's empowerment, and the unique challenges faced by women in Indonesia and Malaysia."Tumbuh Besar dalam Lingkungan KDRT" by Anggi Vebryan Eka Putri S: A personal account of growing up in an abusive household and the impact it had on self-esteem, trust, and future relationships."Menjadi Perempuan Bali dalam Budaya Patriarkis" by Ni Made Tasyarani: A reflection on the triple roles expected of Balinese women in family, economy, and tradition, and the challenges posed by a patriarchal society."Motherhood Is A Balancing Act" by Kanina Ramaniya Kalyana: Highlights the resilience of a mother managing both household duties and professional responsibilities, and the gender biases that impact career progression."Perempuan dan Isi Kepalanya" by Ayu Prawitasari: An exploration of gender equality and the need for supportive family structures, challenging societal norms and advocating for balanced gender roles."Pursuing Dreams Amidst Patriarchal Ideologies" by Fani Agustina Pangaribuan: The journey of a young woman from Papua who overcame societal and economic challenges to pursue her education and career dreams."Stigma dan Diskriminasi Janda" by Fauziah Kurniasari: An insightful look into the societal stigma faced by widows in Indonesia, and the struggles they encounter in the workforce and daily life.Acknowledgments:A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated volunteers for this episode: Elsa, Pitriasyana, Margaret, Sinta Damayanti, and Febiola, who lent their voices to bring these powerful stories to life.

In Part 2 of this series, we honor another six essays from the Demi Gadis Creative Writing Competition, spotlighting voices from Malaysia and Brunei. The entries offer diverse insights into gender equality, women's empowerment, and the varied societal challenges faced by women in these regions. A big thank you to the following authors for sharing their brave stories with us:Sallyhani Hazman delves into personal narratives exploring struggles of self-identity and journeys toward independence in societies that often silence women.Sash discusses the impact of cultural constraints on women's lives and the pursuit of empowerment despite these obstacles.Etha examines how stereotypes affect the personal and professional lives of women and the importance of overcoming these stereotypes to achieve equality.Ari Shares stories of personal triumphs against societal and familial adversities, highlighting resilience and the pursuit of personal goals.Ruby Jusuh Explores how cultural heritage influences women's roles and responsibilities, and the potential for change and empowerment within traditional frameworks.Izzah Offers an insightful look into societal expectations imposed on women, detailing how breaking free from these norms is both a personal and communal struggle.A heartfelt thank you also to our dedicated volunteers for this episode: Farisah, Kah Yi, Gurleen, Thirtana, Alison, and Sufia, who lent their voices to bring these powerful essays to life.

Empowering Voices: Essays on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment from women in MalaysiaIn this special episode of Seek to Speak, we celebrate International Women's Day by sharing six essays from the Demi Gadis Creative Writing Competition. The essays, written by emarkable women, explore themes of gender equality, women's empowerment, and societal challenges, offering a deep and thought-provoking look into the diverse experiences and insights of women from different backgrounds.Healing from Trauma by Chero: Chero recounts a survivor's journey, confronting societal constructs that perpetuate victim-blaming and finding empowerment in reclaiming her voice.Women's Struggles in Palestine by Nur Syariha: Nur Syariha Binti Masri reflects on the challenges faced by Palestinian women, highlighting their resilience and the need for support and empowerment.Traditional Gender Roles by Kheerthana: Kheerthana explores the realities of gender roles in different cultures, including the expectations placed on women in families and the societal norms that perpetuate inequality.Overcoming Societal Pressure by Mireverie: Mireverie's story demonstrates a woman's journey in breaking free from societal expectations, pursuing her own path, and finding self-empowerment through entrepreneurship, travel, and independence.Cultural Expectations and Duties by Puteri Nur: Puteri Nur's essay explores how cultural norms affect gender roles and how these pressures can be confronted and navigated.A Tale of Independence by Ashwini Ravan: Ashwini Ravan highlights the journey of a woman striving to break free from societal molds, embracing her independence, and achieving financial stability through entrepreneurship.Thank you to our volunteers who help voice the wonderful stories of authors, Ayuni, Casadra, Sunitha, Athirah, Li-Wei and Sharon. For more information about the Demi Gadis competition, check out our socials at: https://www.instagram.com/demi.gadis/Episode is produced by Renegade Radio.

In part 4 of this Special, you will listen to the final 11 stories that we have on gender equity! Yesssss, we are finally at the finishing line. If this is your first time listening to this special, please don’t forget to check out our episode 1, 2, and 3 to continue being inspired and in awe of the women and girls who shared their stories.In this episode, we will hear experiences and opinions on equity and how it is different from equality, great observations on gender roles and unfair biases, as well as what we can do to do better. 💜PART 4 AUTHOR & STORIES💜1. Sofia A. - Nina2. Mia - For the next generation3. Sybil Yasin - Millennial Parents4. Devy - L'ÉGALITÉ DES SEXES5. Nufa Zulia - Jangan perkecilkan semangat aku6. Anonymous- Strong Women7. Amel - Bravery8. Aina - Malaysia’s double standard9. Flower - Women’s Potential10. Yana Pekabee - Building a Fairer and More Justice Society11. Tee Ying Yin - An environment that is equal, fair, and just for all💜 PART 4 VOICE OVER VOLUNTEERS 💜Ainaa, Aifa, Lingeswary, Celine Tan, Yashwini, Sharon, Vivien Lim Zhi Ling, Hani, Najihah, Eena, Alison