Can sensitivity become a strength? Coen Tan joins Adrian Tan to discuss personal growth, mentorship, communication and the realities of building a speaking business.
Coen, founder of Ministry of Influence, shares his experiences with hypersensitivity and the influence of mentors. They also explore authenticity on LinkedIn, networking, handling failure and the place of difficult emotions in personal growth.
In this episode:
• Expert guidance, mentorship and learning from experience.
• Coen’s personal reflections on hypersensitivity and childhood.
• Misconceptions about professional speaking.
• Authenticity and strategic networking on LinkedIn.
• Failure, anger, grief and emotional mastery.
Originally published in February 2025. Roles and references reflect the original conversation.
Original episode sponsor: Deel. https://www.deel.com/adriantan
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and sponsor message
00:29 Introducing Coen Tan
01:21 Culinary metaphors and wisdom stacks
04:45 Expert guidance
06:49 Mentorship and personal growth
12:33 Understanding hypersensitivity
13:50 Childhood experiences
16:41 Parenting reflections
22:25 The speaking industry
30:43 A mentor’s advice
32:50 Motivational speaking
36:01 Authenticity on LinkedIn
41:08 Networking on LinkedIn
46:18 Failure and emotional mastery
55:07 Anger and grief
01:00:16 Conclusion
Connect with Coen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coentan/
More from Adrian: https://www.adriantan.com.sg/
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/
