Personal Power Coach Session With Darryl Ng
Zooming from Bali
- For FAs only: discover how to 2X your income without having to learn new sales and marketing techniques, using the Ascend method
- Follow Darryl Ng’s content
M: How did you get started?
D: At ~19, I chased girls, gamed, clubbed. My father came back from Malaysia because his English education business was in hard times. He flared up: “Fucking useless son. Besides playing games, what are you good at?” We sold our condo, three cars. Downsized our family lifestyle to a HDB rental.
During NS, my encik said: [translated from Mandarin] “Can talk doesn’t mean can do things.” I was fuelled to prove people wrong.
After using Carousell to earn side income, I thought it’d be nice to build a tech startup, exit at $5M, retire. My dream was to be a stay-home dad at 25. I started with tech sales at MilesLife, helping customers earn SIA miles when they pay for meals at restaurants through us. Earned about ~$3.5K/mth, highest ~$7K with commission. After three years, I requested for a managerial position. Was rejected. Jumped to a different company. then another. I wanted my father to be proud of me. But I felt empty.
What made me happy? What was the meaning of life? Self-esteem? My life mission? No one could give me answers; I wanted to be the one who taught others. Went into a rabbit hole of Tony Robinson, other similar programmes.
I struggled charging $20 for seven-day coaching. Had no background, certificates. Didn’t know what to say during sessions, how to sell myself. Invested in a $30K coaching programme with Xfactor. Learnt how to run a coaching business. Synthesised powerful knowledge into my current curriculum.
I have a 100% money-back guarantee. People sense I’m genuine, recommend friends to me. Now, I coach individuals, primarily financial advisors on how to ignite personal power within themselves; be more driven, consistent, disciplined.
M: How did you justify paying $30K for a coaching programme?
D: I was clear about starting my coaching business. They were the only ones who could help.
M: Why do you think you’re naturally good at sales?
D: I have two younger sisters. They made me play Barbie dolls with them. I was an emotional kid. Cried when I watched movies. My father said: “Guys don’t cry.” Thought I was girly. In a coaching session I did with myself, I wrote “emotional” as a weakness. Reframed it: empathy.
I relate to people easily. Ask questions to understand their needs. Guide them to open up. Serve them better.
I’m also transparent. At my previous companies, I compromised integrity by selling to customers who didn’t need our products.
M: Was your tech startup dream unrealistic?
D: I’m overly optimistic. It’s a strength and weakness.
M: Did shifting from tech to coaching feel like you were giving up on your dreams?
D: I wanted to build a tech startup as a means to an end. Don’t regret wanting it because it was what I needed then. I love coaching.
M: How did you go from answering big life questions for yourself to wanting to help others answer it too?
D: My self-esteem is based on achievement and helping others.
When I was 25, a 19 year-old DMed me for help. At dinner, he pulled up a ring file summarising all my YouTube videos. He didn’t grow up with a father. Didn’t want to see his mother struggle. Saw how passionate I conducted my coaching, wanted to be like me, make money. I didn’t know how I was going to get there, but promised I’d help turn his life around. I cried.
I coached him on sales, self-awareness for one year. FOC. We’re no longer working together, but still good friends.
I wished someone had helped me when I was his age.
M: During coaching, how do you draw a line between sharing your experiences and projecting?
D: I make sure I solve problems within myself before helping others solve theirs. If I share a situation I haven’t overcome, I will say I don’t have a solution yet. But I don’t confide or rant. There’s always a takeaway, even if it’s not to follow my mistakes.
M: Gary Vee, Grant Cardone, even Brené Brown; how has the saturation of motivational speaking affected your career?
D: It affected it negatively. Today, people see coaching as motivational speaking. I don’t “inspire”. I coach them to manage themselves, work on weaknesses better. I don’t give 24-hour, three-day programmes. They’re useless. I like Gary Vee, who advocates self-awareness, patience, kindness. But he doesn’t guide people through how to get there. Mine are one-year. I give my clients 30-day challenges. Improvement in character is the “quickest” way to success.
M: Did you find yourself repeating what other coaches, motivational speakers had said?
D: Everyone has individual belief systems, e.g. Tony Robinson said the secret to living is giving. I’ve consolidated all the powerful belief systems available, select the most relevant values to coach clients on based on their needs.
M: What’re criticisms you’ve faced?
D: No certification. Who’s this young boy? When I was 25, I thought I couldn’t coach anyone older than me. I reached out to >25 year-olds to coach, used evidence to smash my limiting beliefs. My oldest client is 42.
M: Why are FAs your main client base?
D: I started teaching students about purpose passion. Shortly after, student advisors approached me for help. Seeing tremendous results within them, I decided to niche into FAs.
I also love helping underdogs: advisors who’ve struggled, succeeded a bit, failed. I give them hope to succeed again. I asked a new client who bought a Maserati before 30 why he felt he needed coaching. He led a decent life, felt empty, slacked, sold his car. Now wants supercars.
Another client felt shitty convincing others to buy his products/services, felt undeserving of earning money, felt salespeople were unlikeable. As coach, I helped him debunk limiting beliefs. The role of a salesperson isn’t easy. They experience a wide array of emotions: rejection, happiness, sadness, judgement, etc. But ultimately, they manage to change mindsets. He saw the value of his job, felt more convicted from within. He went from making $2K to $7.5K/mth.
M: How does a coaching session look like?
D: I use an Ascend model, with three pillars: self-awareness, identity, mastery. Sessions include discussions about:
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Driving forces; one of my driving forces is freedom
- Belief system
- Core values; comfort and safety may hold people back
- Why? What’s your purpose, life goal?
Why’d you leave your job?
M: It was too demanding, considering my other commitments.
D: How did that make you feel?
M: Trapped. Unmotivated.
D: What made you want to hop on this call with me?
M: Your career is fascinating. I thought our conversation would make a great story. Readers would be interested to learn more about your industry, the individuals within it, i.e. you.
My blog is a writing portfolio.
D: How do you feel when your articles are read? Acknowledged, recognised?
M: Yes.
D: My bold assumption is everyone has three driving forces within them. Two of yours: freedom, external validation. Your blog allows you to say whatever the fuck you want. That makes you feel alive. You want to be respected, known for your writing style, covering underrated topics.
When you feed your driving forces, you’ll be more driven.
M: What’s a challenge you set for clients?
D: Bungee jumping. They take away new belief systems: every time I fear a task, I do it scared anyway / faith, not fear.
M: Do you feel you play a father figure to your clients?
D: It depends on what my clients need. More an older brother. I invite clients to my house monthly for steamboat, pizza, etc. I pick up 3am calls.
M: What do you want to do next?
D: I want to build a team of coaches with the genuine purpose to serve, get them the income they desire, the freedom to live the life they desire.
