190. Simone Heng: Creating Human Connections in a Digital World

Simone Heng is a human connections specialist and former international broadcaster for the likes of Virgin Radio Dubai, HBO Asia, and CNBC, among others. With over fifteen years of experience as a communicator on air, on stage, and one-on-one in different countries, connection has always been her life’s work. As a speaker, Simone inspires people to connect in a world thirsty for connection. She has spoken to thousands and often for Fortune 500 organizations. Her clients include Salesforce, SAP, L’Oréal, TEDx, the United Nations, and many more. Simone and her work have been featured on CNN and in Vogue, Elle, and Harper’s Bazaar, among others. Simone is based and was born in Singapore but has also studied in Switzerland, was raised in Australia, and worked in the United Arab Emirates. A short briefing of two years After two years, Simone is back in Time to Shine. Last time we talked with her was pre-pandemic and the world was quite different. During pandemic she had to reinvent herself and to adapt, as many of us, to a new perspective and a new way of communication: virtual communication. Briefly she told us how after organizing and putting their businesses in order, for instance she has now a full virtual studio in her home and does lots of international Keynotes there. Last year she did start with her ambitious project “Secret Pandemic“, a new book that just released. Secret Pandemic’s insight The main key for Simones’s book is to connect with middle-age women through stories with large societal issues about: social distancing, loneliness and disconnection, which are very common in women that grow up in Asian families. Each chapter starts with a basic story or topic and by the end of the chapter you can find “connection challenges” so people can go to the action just after reading. Communicating with video Using video is quite different from face to face communication. It is an art that everyone should learn from now on. So these are Simone’s best tips for you: * Build connection over the lens of a camera. Not only look at the camera lens, that is cold. Imagine that camera lens is the eye or the face of someone you love or someone that is your biggest fan. That will create this beautiful warmth and sincerity that other human beings perceive as authentic connection.