As the leading technology and B2B PR agency in Singapore and Asia Pacific, we have been coaching and mentoring C-suite leaders from diverse industries since the 1990s (see some of them). We are experienced human capital development specialists, having developed programs for large and emerging companies worldwide since the 1980s. Our media coaching and crisis communications programs are honed from our own journalistic experience in TV, radio, print and online.
Our principals have weathered every major storm of the past few decades and helped many clients manage communications through it all, including:
- 1997, Asian Financial Crisis
- 2000, Dotcom Bubble (Dotcom Crash)
- 2003, SARS
- 2004, H5N1 aka “bird flu”
- 2008, Global Financial Crisis & Recession
- 2009, H1N1 flu pandemic
- 2019, Pandemic (COVID-19)
- 2020, Stock Market Crash (COVID-19)
- 2014-2024, Regional Conflicts & Energy Crisis
The road to learning by precept is long, but by example short and effective.
Seneca the Elder
We received awards and accolades including: Most Innovative PR Agency (Bronze 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, Silver 2016), PR Agency of the Year (Bronze 2019, 2018, Silver 2017), Digital Firm of the Year (Honorable Mention 2017, 2016), Best Singapore PR Agency list (Manifest, Simibest, PRagencynetwork, Best in SG, Sortlist), and Top Training Firms in Singapore (2021).
1. What are you facing now?
- Need media coaching and mentoring for spokespersons
- Need crisis communication coaching
- Need inspiration for our teams
- Need sales coaching
2. We inspire your leaders through
- Media coaching with simulations
- Crisis communication coaching
- Inspiration for leaders
- Ideas for salespeople
3. What programs we provide
- Media coaching
- Crisis communication
- Leadership coaching and mentoring
- Sales coaching
- Customer service coaching
- Curriculum development
- Learning management systems (LMS)
4. Benefits of working with us
- More than 30 years in the communications business
- Key strategists with decades of human capital, PR, & business experience
- Asia Pacific network
- BIG consulting firm results at boutique firm retainer fees
5. Succeed and profit in Asia Pacific with us today!
Read more?
Media Coaching & Crisis Communication for C-suite and entrepreneurs
While you communicate with customers through digital marketing and public relations (PR), you need an effective internal communication program to inspire your people, motivate them to sell, manage challenges and crises. Our lead consultants are professional curriculum developers and trainers since the 1990s. Lead consultant Seamus was a pioneer aviation service quality consultant who subsequently developed his own service quality training program known as Enlightened Service Providers (ESP©), later customized for a national aviation services company of 2,400 employees.
- Media coaching
- Crisis communication
- Leadership coaching
- Sales coaching
- Customer service coaching
- Curriculum development (with interactive video)
Media Coaching AV+RR Primer™ (1 – 2 hours)
This is a succinct media coaching program for busy C-suite executives and entrepreneurs who are interested to know just the basics to prepare for TV, radio, Zoom, and podcast interviews. The 1 to 2 hours primer may end with a mock TV interview and critique, if you desire it. Updated in 2023 with the pandemic, trade and other conflicts, cybersecurity and privacy breaches, etc.
- Asia Pacific and media landscape
- Types of media crises (especially cybersecurity, data and privacy related)
- Media’s agenda
- Fundamental questions
- Interview preparation (for Zoom, TV, radio, podcasts)
- What to say and provide to the media
- Interview dynamics
- Rapid Response (RR) and newsjacking
- Working in tandem with the journalist
- Storytelling the easy way
- Mock TV interview and critique (optional)
Media Coaching Primer™ for the C-suite (2 – 4 hours)
This is a succinct media coaching program for busy C-suite executives and entrepreneurs. We will prep your leaders to be media savvy, and be ready for TV, radio, Zoom, podcasts, print, events, and online interviews. The half-day primer will end with a mock TV interview and critique. Updated in 2023 with the pandemic, trade and other conflicts, cybersecurity and privacy breaches, etc.
- Asia Pacific and media landscape
- Types of media crises (especially cybersecurity, data and privacy related)
- Media’s agenda
- Fundamental questions
- Interview preparation (for print, online, Zoom, TV, radio, podcasts, events)
- What to say and provide to the media
- Interview dynamics
- Rapid Response (RR) and newsjacking
- Working in tandem with the journalist
- Difficult questions
- Storytelling the easy way
- Mock TV interview and critique (optional)
Here’s a brief video on our program:
Why Crisis communications?
Many may imagine a crisis to be a disaster, such as an oil spill, a plane crash, a collapsed architecture, disease outbreak causing death, etc. However, did you know that data/privacy leaks and cybersecurity lapses are the more prevalent crises? And with pandemics, companies can face new types of crises that lead to medai and reputation crises as well. This also means that ANY company needs to have a crisis management and communication program in place. Talk to us to help streamline, tweak, transform, your leadership and communication approaches to be better prepared for the new century.
Crisis communications Primer™ (3 – 4 hours)
A good crisis communication program must stand up to the toughest scenarios. The toughest scenarios are in an airline jet and a hospital. We adapted the best practices from the aviation industry, that of TEM (threat and error management), TRIM (Talk, Respect, Initiative & Monitor), and CRM (crew resource management) into our program. We bring experience from aviation MCC (multi-crew cooperation), to understand how pilots handle stressful and crisis situations, challenges and emergencies, using checklists, procedures, and recovery methodologies. The medical industry has also adopted these best practices.
This is a succinct crisis communications coaching primer program for busy C-suite executives and entrepreneurs, and how it fits into the ISO 22361 world. We will prep your leaders to be media savvy, and be ready for TV, radio, and crisis media conferences. The half-day primer will end with a mock TV interview and critique. We can adapt your company’s crisis communication standard operating procedures (SOPs) for local use or help you develop a customized program from scratch. Updated in 2023 with the pandemic, trade and other conflicts, cybersecurity and privacy breaches, etc.
- Crises 101 – types, media, and cybersecurity incidents
- Crisis communications in an ISO 22361 world
- Crisis management – learn from the experts (aviation)
- Crisis handling tips
- Key messages, truth, and apologies
- Crisis communications HR checklist
- Basic protocols (who to call and execute)
- Holding statements
- Interview preparation (broadcast and media conferences)
- What to say and provide to the media
- Interview dynamics & essentials
- Difficult questions
- Doorstop interviews
- Media conference
- Social media & dark social (e.g. Whatsapp) engagement
- Mock TV interview and critique
- Crisis communications guide
Quick Media Interview Primer
If your C-suite executive is having an upcoming broadcast interview (TV, radio, podcast, and Zoom), and likes to have a quick rehearsal and critique from our experts, contact us for a quick mock interview session.
Other coaching and mentoring programs
We are leadership development specialists with unique programs to inspire business leaders, C-suite executives, and entrepreneurs. We can also work with you to develop customized programs in areas such as leadership, customer service, sales, and digital marketing.
IntrinSelling™ Primer – Sales Coaching (4 hours)
We have developed corporate sales coaching programs since the 1990s, for multinational corporations and emerging companies. The IntrinSelling™ Primer is your fastest route to sales effectiveness, developed and delivered by our lead mentor Seamus Phan:
- Can a 10-year old sell?
- Mind over matter
- Understanding the Behavior of Buying
- Primary and Secondary buying desires
- 3-step Sales Cycle
- Credibility in the sales proceess
- What is the Greatest Motivator?
- Non-Verbal Communication in sales
- Power of Mimicry
- Types of Customers and the Lingo
- Persuasion
- 18-minute wonder
- Case Studies (for customized programs)
What’s Next Leadership (4 hours)
In the airline industry and many critical infrastructure providers, safety is paramount. With automation and methodical pilot training, things may be relegated to machines and checklists. But what happens when extraordinary and “out-of-scope” abnormal conditions challenge pilots in the flightdeck? Do they rise up to exemplary and extraordinary leadership? This revised and improved program, based on our earlier work “What’s Next Leadership” and adapted for the airlines and corporations, with references to CRM, TEM, MCC, air safety, pilot selection and training, and pilot transition to leadership. The program is thought-provoking with the wisdom of the samurai and early kingdoms, from the works such as Hagakure, Gorinosho, Confucianism, and the Three Kingdoms. Read more at https://flightleaders.com.
- The WHY of leadership
- CRM and its effects
- Pilot profile, assessment and selection
- Psychological profile and competencies
- Learning from the East (BRM™)
- Historical Three Kingdoms and lessons to be learned
- Leaders are warriors
- Learning from 17th century classic Hagakure
- Learning from 350-years old classic Gorinosho by Musashi
- Power of mindfulness in leadership
- Benevolent leadership that leapfrogs the ordinary
- Footprint business card™
“The Human Factors session saw a nearly packed house held captive by Dr Seamus Phan of The McGallen & Bolden Group…; that set the stage for Dr Seamus Phan to work magic with his delightful time travel presentation wherein he linked philosophies from Ancient China and Japan to Leadership lessons for modern-day aviation organisations.” (source: Sanjay Mahendrakumar Mukherjee)
“I was at the conference and this speech was very inspiring and fun at the same time. Great performance!” (source: Capt J. Drappier)
Leadership Secrets at 30,000 Feet™ (4 hours)
Veteran airline pilot Capt Michael Caston and our lead trainer Seamus Phan, co-developed a workshop “Leadership Secrets at 30,000 Feet”. The workshop is highly experiential and hands-on, where CXOs, senior business leaders and managers, can be briefed on aviation best practices, and then apply these within a realistic B737NG flight simulator, instructed by real pilots, and then synergize and integrate these ideas into running their businesses more effectively and more profitably. Read more at https://flightleaders.com.
- Presentation
- Pre-Simulator Briefing
- Simulator session (Crew of 4, for a total group of 16)
- Pre-flight briefing (SOPs, checklists, briefings)
- Flight from A to B (Choice of departure/destination, day/night/weather)
- Engine start (Taxi, take-off, minor problem solving)
- Cruise (Problem solving, decision-making, teamwork, threats, errors, automation, etc)
- Descent (Passenger handling, landing scenarios, etc)
- Q&A
Other programs
We can work with you to develop customized programs in areas such as leadership, customer service, sales, and digital marketing.
Cybersecurity Practitioners since 1996
We know cybersecurity from the trenches, having worked with clients since the early days of the Internet and cybersecurity. We understand cybersecurity issues and solutions, including data breaches, privacy, changing trends, vulnerabilities, “shift left” software development and DevOps, and penetration testing. We are web, e-commerce and cybersecurity practitioners and pioneers since 1996. We have helped clients develop websites, SEO, microsites, e-commerce, and also take care of databases, sysadmin, and cybersecurity strategy and consulting. We have been at the forefront of cybersecurity development, including co-developing our own email security appliance on BSD UNIX (NetJanus). The experience and expertise come in handy when it comes to understanding your crisis management and communications around cybersecurity issues.
While some may imagine that in any organizational environment it is only the frontline employees that need to be “trained”, sustainable and growing organizations need to start with an enlightened top management that is empathetic to the needs of the people. Therefore, our expertise is to identify corporate deficiencies such as business process failures, internal communication gaps, and organizational inconsistencies, and to develop customized and facilitated workshops to help top management (CEOs, Vice Presidents, and Directors) better lead their teams. These facilitated programs can be half-day, full-day or even full-day high-energy brainstorming sessions. We are open to discussing this with you.