Ian Chew, MHFA As part of my journey to overcome social anxiety, I also cold emailed top entrepreneurs and leaders. At first, I had tons of rejections — well, no one responded! As I got better at the art of outreach however, I ended up working with people like Eben Pagan, Michael Simmons (Inc. 30 Under 30), and Amir Ahmad Nasr (coach to 9-figure CEOs), ultimately helping them reach tens of millions of people online.
For my work and projects, I've been featured by top media outlets including Fortune, CBC, Inc. Magazine, and Canadian Geographic. I also did a TEDx speech on my experience talking with strangers (link below).
I started Deeper Conversations to share everything I've learned — and am learning — about communication and relationships.
(Here's the full back story on why I created the site.)
Education
Bachelor of Arts (Sociology) at Mount Allison University
Certifications
Media features
My fav tips that have helped me get great booze and service. I also interviewed Nico, the owner of Concubine KL (one of my favorite bars!)
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To make the article more comprehensive, I interviewed two waitresses, Yuan Jun Tan and Cassandra Anne…
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For a moment, I thought I lost the ability to speak. Words swirled in my mind… but nothing came out of my mouth. I was … Read more
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I’ve chatted up baristas and most of these conversations are fun. And to give you an idea of what baristas are actually thinking, I interviewed two ex-baristas…
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For many years, I was introverted and socially anxious. While I’m a lot more extroverted now, I still spend a lot of time reflecting and … Read more
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Behold the world’s most awkward pause… Now, Obama was probably doing so for dramatic effect (pausing is one of his public speaking tools). But imagine … Read more
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Different worlds. Different realities. That’s what it can feel like, when you talk with someone who seemingly has nothing in common. While conversations can be … Read more
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If the world was a perfect place, we would only talk with people we like. Unfortunately, that’s not how reality works 🙂 Whether it’s an … Read more
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What should I even say!? I’m just a nobody. There I was… talking with an entrepreneur who had seemingly achieved everything possible. Despite my fears, … Read more
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Talking with someone who isn’t listening is one of the most frustrating things ever. So what do you do? No matter how much you want … Read more
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For many years, I was introverted and socially anxious. After enjoying countless conversations and hanging out with party animals very cheerful friends, I’m now much … Read more
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When it’s too loud to talk, what do you do? How do you still have a decent conversation without losing your attention or theirs? Whether … Read more
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Oooh boy. Where do I start… So, I used to be the guy who peppered people with a billion questions. While this approach helped get … Read more
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I was smiling. But I was actually panicking. There I was, a 20-year-old university student, chatting with a 60-year-old politician-turned-marketing-director. It didn’t help that he … Read more
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These are based on the 10,000+ conversations I had — what I find works best.
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As a former digital nomad and a remote freelancer/entrepreneur, I know how daunting it can be to make friends in a new city. You probably … Read more
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I’ve visited Montreal multiple times over the years, and it’s one of my favorite cities in the world…
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As a former digital nomad and a remote freelancer/entrepreneur, I know how daunting it can be to make friends in a new city. You probably … Read more
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As a former digital nomad and a remote freelancer/entrepreneur, I know how daunting it can be to make friends in a new city. You probably … Read more
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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As a former digital nomad and a remote freelancer/entrepreneur, I know how daunting it can be to make friends in a new city. You probably … Read more
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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