0:00:15.592,0:00:19.023
Darren Jiang: Hello everyone,[br]my name is Darren Jiang.

0:00:20.517,0:00:26.055
Every individual has different sides[br]or dimensions, given the environment.

0:00:27.478,0:00:31.663
Those dimensions are not always[br]transparent to the external world.

0:00:32.866,0:00:37.305
For each person, there are sides[br]or dimensions that we know,

0:00:37.813,0:00:42.604
but of course, there are sides and parts[br]that are hidden or unknown to us.

0:00:43.666,0:00:49.205
These are the images of the famous[br]international actor and model Godfrey Gao.

0:00:50.500,0:00:54.290
He was the first-ever[br]Asian male model to be featured

0:00:54.290,0:00:56.183
in the Louis Vuitton campaign.

0:00:56.901,0:00:59.316
He's also been ranked as number seven

0:00:59.698,0:01:04.502
on the world's top 100 sexiest men alive.

0:01:05.577,0:01:07.852
Woo, I hear woos and wows from the crowd.

0:01:07.887,0:01:08.955
(Laughter)

0:01:09.707,0:01:13.833
So everything does seem very perfect[br]about Godfrey Gao, doesn't it?

0:01:14.415,0:01:17.288
From his chiseled face[br]with flawless features

0:01:18.257,0:01:22.233
to his tall, toned, athletic body, right?

0:01:24.353,0:01:28.994
However, he may also give off the vibe[br]and impression of being distant,

0:01:29.268,0:01:33.980
or sometimes stuck-up,[br]given this image portrayed by media.

0:01:35.460,0:01:38.341
I've had the good fortune[br]of getting to know Godfrey

0:01:38.505,0:01:43.279
both as a person, but more importantly,[br]as a very close friend for many years,

0:01:44.710,0:01:46.353
and I'm here to tell you,

0:01:46.715,0:01:50.325
he has different dimensions[br]that he doesn't reveal to the public.

0:01:52.707,0:01:54.401
When the cameras stop rolling,

0:01:54.728,0:01:58.857
Godfrey, or G as I would like to call him,

0:01:59.716,0:02:01.611
is actually very easygoing,

0:02:02.107,0:02:06.126
caring, kind, generous,

0:02:06.853,0:02:09.876
but most importantly, down-to-earth.

0:02:10.914,0:02:12.608
He's just a boy next door

0:02:12.608,0:02:16.062
who could throw on[br]some shorts, a baseball cap,

0:02:17.125,0:02:20.644
and have the audacity to break[br]into my brand-new Jordans

0:02:21.651,0:02:24.916
as he was riding around town,[br]goofing around with me on a rickshaw.

0:02:27.149,0:02:30.718
He's also that one friend[br]who will reach out to you first

0:02:31.540,0:02:34.586
if he sees that you're going through[br]a down time in your life.

0:02:34.983,0:02:37.642
For everything he is and all he's not,

0:02:38.549,0:02:42.697
Godfrey is that one loyal friend[br]I've had for many years

0:02:43.494,0:02:46.540
and with whom I can trust my life.

0:02:47.890,0:02:50.457
I know this is starting[br]to sound like a little bit

0:02:50.457,0:02:52.372
of a love confession I have for Godfrey.

0:02:52.372,0:02:53.472
(Laughter)

0:02:53.472,0:02:54.828
I get it, I get it.

0:02:57.023,0:03:01.242
And I know he's rolling his eyes[br]to the back of his head as we speak.

0:03:01.515,0:03:03.627
(Cheers)

0:03:03.627,0:03:05.381
(Applause)

0:03:05.575,0:03:06.986
Godfrey Gao: Hey guys.

0:03:06.986,0:03:09.321
(Applause)

0:03:09.321,0:03:14.267
Yeah, um, I've never had another man[br]describe me like that so, um,

0:03:14.267,0:03:15.748
DJ: I'm that man.

0:03:15.748,0:03:16.988
GG: Thank you, Darren.

0:03:16.988,0:03:18.767
Thank you everyone for coming today.

0:03:18.767,0:03:22.221
I'm very excited to be here,[br]here at TEDxBangsar.

0:03:22.747,0:03:27.067
DJ: So for celebrities[br]or KOLs like Godfrey,

0:03:27.848,0:03:30.770
what you guys see in media or social media

0:03:30.770,0:03:34.382
is actually a very, very small fraction,[br]a very small glimpse

0:03:34.692,0:03:36.011
of who he actually is.

0:03:36.011,0:03:37.454
GG: Exactly DJ: right?

0:03:37.603,0:03:39.443
GG: As you can see this handsome face,

0:03:39.450,0:03:40.732
(Laughter)

0:03:40.798,0:03:43.974
um, that is only one side of me, okay.

0:03:43.974,0:03:48.810
That's what you see on social media,[br]in TVs and movies, and talk shows.

0:03:49.075,0:03:54.225
But here, standing on the stage,[br]talking to you is another side of me

0:03:54.225,0:03:56.871
that many of you[br]don't get to see very often,

0:03:57.906,0:04:01.657
and like millions of people[br]across the world,

0:04:02.144,0:04:05.662
today, are always asking[br]the same questions:

0:04:06.510,0:04:07.671
Who am I?

0:04:08.281,0:04:10.372
Who are we as individuals?

0:04:10.982,0:04:12.542
What do we represent?

0:04:12.732,0:04:14.508
And who do we look up to?

0:04:15.382,0:04:19.265
This is a big topic because [br]there's a lot of confusion nowadays

0:04:19.915,0:04:26.142
with the young generation[br]and the rise of the KOL phenomenon.

0:04:26.667,0:04:29.552
Obviously, everyone knows[br]what KOL means:

0:04:29.860,0:04:33.147
key opinion leaders,[br]or, you know, the mass influencers,

0:04:33.686,0:04:39.177
and these influencers make an impact[br]in the world today through social media.

0:04:39.573,0:04:44.340
They could be experts[br]like myself on fashion;

0:04:45.528,0:04:48.139
they could be experts[br]like DJ in basketball;

0:04:49.811,0:04:55.014
they could be, you know, experts[br]in diet routines or workout routines.

0:04:55.989,0:05:01.412
But you don't know what these KOLs[br]go through behind the scenes.

0:05:02.320,0:05:06.078
Like myself and like many of you,[br]we go through struggles in life.

0:05:06.313,0:05:10.657
We have to get through obstacles[br]and in order to do that,

0:05:11.422,0:05:13.940
we need to be very strong and confident.

0:05:14.597,0:05:17.872
DJ: [What] you guys see[br]is the picture-perfect Godfrey in media,

0:05:18.364,0:05:20.709
but let me tell you,[br]I'm here to spill secrets -

0:05:20.776,0:05:22.215
He ain't that perfect.

0:05:22.215,0:05:24.015
GG: Exactly. DJ: Right?

0:05:24.015,0:05:25.741
GG: Well, no one's perfect, okay.

0:05:25.741,0:05:27.855
Even though I like to be a perfectionist,

0:05:28.841,0:05:32.134
there are still struggles in life[br]which Darren has seen many of times.

0:05:32.134,0:05:33.174
DJ: Oh yeah.

0:05:33.174,0:05:34.981
GG: He's seen the angry side of me;

0:05:34.981,0:05:37.956
he's seen the happy side;[br]he's seen a lot of sides of me,

0:05:38.991,0:05:43.687
but he knows deep down inside,[br]I'm a very, very genuine and good person.

0:05:43.884,0:05:45.939
DJ: As a result of Godfrey's profession,

0:05:46.771,0:05:49.921
so many people automatically[br]assume and associate him

0:05:49.921,0:05:55.486
with this luxurious, glamorous lifestyle[br]and all the perks that come with it,

0:05:55.693,0:05:57.829
and trust me, they do exist.

0:05:57.985,0:05:59.688
(Laughter)

0:06:00.195,0:06:02.811
He's led a very privileged lifestyle.

0:06:03.845,0:06:09.485
And media or social media is really good[br]at amplifying that misconception

0:06:09.935,0:06:13.857
and leaving us with the impression[br]of his picture-perfect life.

0:06:15.080,0:06:19.206
However, as many of us know,

0:06:19.405,0:06:21.025
no one is perfect.

0:06:22.151,0:06:25.601
In reality, for people like Godfrey,

0:06:25.868,0:06:30.428
being in the eyes of the public[br]has become such a huge part of his job,

0:06:30.747,0:06:34.127
and it will continue[br]to be a huge part of his life.

0:06:35.903,0:06:38.323
His brand has been turned[br]into a commodity,

0:06:38.323,0:06:40.296
sold for a price by the industry.

0:06:40.762,0:06:45.398
However, for many of us,[br]whether or not it's generating income,

0:06:46.161,0:06:50.011
it has become something[br]so much bigger than it actually is,

0:06:50.502,0:06:53.662
something that dictates our identity,

0:06:54.015,0:06:59.854
or worse yet, something[br]that affects other people's identity.

0:07:00.388,0:07:01.454
GG: Exactly.

0:07:01.454,0:07:08.443
Young people nowadays, teenagers[br]are following these KOLs on a daily basis.

0:07:09.561,0:07:14.548
And not all KOLs are good:

0:07:14.548,0:07:17.991
some are bad, some are good,[br]some share positive images,

0:07:18.485,0:07:22.188
some share - I don't know[br]what they share online nowadays.

0:07:22.188,0:07:23.738
DJ: I don't even want to look.

0:07:23.738,0:07:27.745
GG: But yes, you've got to follow[br]the right kind of KOLs,

0:07:27.745,0:07:31.646
who makes a positive impact[br]in the world and does good causes.

0:07:32.076,0:07:35.807
DJ: Our millennials have become[br]so overly obsessed

0:07:36.205,0:07:40.219
about the latest trend[br]of clean eating, healthy dieting,

0:07:40.399,0:07:43.397
and don't get us wrong,[br]it all comes from a good place.

0:07:43.505,0:07:47.656
It comes from the harmless approach[br]of wanting to lead a healthy lifestyle.

0:07:47.756,0:07:49.358
There's nothing wrong with that.

0:07:49.682,0:07:53.674
But what gets dangerous, though,[br]is when they let these beliefs

0:07:53.674,0:07:57.501
alter their own perception[br]of what being healthy really is.

0:07:58.459,0:08:01.349
Case in point: this is a teenager

0:08:01.349,0:08:06.613
who is trying to look[br]like her KOL, Angelina Jolie.

0:08:06.753,0:08:08.389
She did, ironically.

0:08:08.389,0:08:10.681
She did become a social media sensation

0:08:12.355,0:08:17.124
because she's been mocked as being[br]the zombie version of Angelina Jolie.

0:08:17.274,0:08:19.058
So this is a very extreme case.

0:08:19.246,0:08:21.813
Other case studies have also shown

0:08:21.913,0:08:26.674
that teenagers are mindlessly following[br]their KOLs' lifestyle and appearances,

0:08:27.402,0:08:30.040
even if it means for them[br]to go to extreme measures.

0:08:30.885,0:08:33.856
This was well documented[br]by 60 Minutes Australia.

0:08:34.477,0:08:39.631
In this clip, a teenage girl[br]was mindlessly following her KOL's looks.

0:08:40.307,0:08:45.551
As showcased here on a social media page,[br]everything looks picture-perfect,

0:08:46.818,0:08:48.158
but the result:

0:08:48.755,0:08:53.811
she ended up suffering[br]a mental disease called orthorexia,

0:08:54.586,0:08:59.373
which is the eating disorder[br]combined with an anxiety disorder.

0:09:00.070,0:09:02.777
Now she has some serious anger issues[br]towards everything.

0:09:02.902,0:09:05.281
She can hardly intake any food or drinks.

0:09:06.064,0:09:08.028
It's seriously hurting her health.

0:09:08.032,0:09:10.704
GG: I know that feeling, being hangry.

0:09:11.148,0:09:14.105
DJ: So all these cases have shown us

0:09:14.339,0:09:17.455
that teenagers are actually[br]on the receiving end

0:09:18.964,0:09:23.198
from the detrimental damage[br]of mindless pursuit of KOLs' lifestyles.

0:09:25.053,0:09:28.574
So what can we do to fix it?

0:09:29.041,0:09:30.296
GG: Well, one way

0:09:30.296,0:09:33.950
is we must redefine[br]our relationships with KOLs,

0:09:34.253,0:09:38.996
instead of mindlessly pursuing[br]these KOLs and copying them.

0:09:40.867,0:09:42.793
In addition, we need to find

0:09:42.793,0:09:47.214
positive influencers in the world[br]that makes an impact in society -

0:09:47.793,0:09:49.273
well, besides myself.

0:09:49.332,0:09:50.922
(Laughter)

0:09:51.699,0:09:54.568
Darren has a great example[br]that he's going to tell you about.

0:09:55.868,0:09:59.224
DJ: So, another case study

0:09:59.224,0:10:05.351
on the positive side is LeBron James,[br]the superstar athlete from the NBA.

0:10:05.689,0:10:08.982
In 2018, in working[br]with his family foundation,

0:10:09.143,0:10:12.874
opened up the I Promise School[br]in Akron Ohio, his hometown,

0:10:13.312,0:10:16.237
which is aimed[br]at helping at-risk students,

0:10:16.391,0:10:18.888
providing free education, free lunch

0:10:19.461,0:10:22.693
and a whole bunch of benefits,[br]basically paving a way

0:10:23.133,0:10:25.418
for the younger generation[br]to succeed in life.

0:10:26.109,0:10:27.270
DJ: Or,

0:10:27.470,0:10:29.618
GG: like the real Angelina Jolie,

0:10:29.618,0:10:31.925
DJ: the real one GG: the real version.

0:10:32.747,0:10:35.370
She's ambassador for UNICEF,[br]she's an activist

0:10:35.370,0:10:38.233
and she has helped out[br]a lot of the refugee camps,

0:10:38.233,0:10:40.276
and the list goes on.

0:10:40.778,0:10:43.710
And she's the perfect example[br]for a female role model.

0:10:44.632,0:10:47.280
DJ: So based on these case studies,[br]what we've learned

0:10:47.280,0:10:50.870
is that we're not asking you guys[br]not to follow KOLs.

0:10:51.524,0:10:54.374
You can definitely use them[br]for goal setting or benchmarking

0:10:54.374,0:10:55.971
GG: and following the right KOLs.

0:10:55.971,0:10:57.184
DJ: Absolutely.

0:10:57.584,0:11:00.833
So in 2012, since then,

0:11:01.168,0:11:04.437
Godfrey and I have been brainstorming[br]about starting up a project

0:11:04.437,0:11:07.879
that truly drives positive change[br]in youth movement.

0:11:08.132,0:11:10.572
At the time, I had been working

0:11:10.572,0:11:13.592
for one of the world's[br]leading sports brands companies,

0:11:14.439,0:11:17.203
while Godfrey, being[br]one of the brand's KOLs,

0:11:17.302,0:11:19.005
witnessed firsthand with me

0:11:19.005,0:11:20.415
how big of an impact

0:11:20.415,0:11:22.825
our signature athletes made on the youth.

0:11:23.205,0:11:26.611
However, we realized[br]that it'll be equally important

0:11:26.611,0:11:29.710
for us to truly inspire the youth

0:11:30.521,0:11:34.040
while paving a way for them[br]to become a better version of themselves.

0:11:34.185,0:11:37.407
So in 2014, I resigned from my company.

0:11:37.773,0:11:42.415
We put our heads together and created[br]this platform called the PB System,

0:11:42.671,0:11:47.060
with the very purpose of driving[br]positive change in youth movement.

0:11:48.139,0:11:51.675
PB stands for Personal Best.

0:11:52.711,0:11:53.969
What we're saying is

0:11:53.969,0:11:59.015
becoming "the best" sometimes[br]can be subjective and unattainable,

0:11:59.382,0:12:04.967
especially in Asian cultures[br]within which a lot of us grew up in.

0:12:06.925,0:12:10.720
Parents tend to exert so much[br]invisible pressure on their kids

0:12:10.720,0:12:12.768
to become the best at everything:

0:12:13.656,0:12:18.465
in the classrooms, on the sports field,[br]when they take piano lessons.

0:12:18.959,0:12:20.030
What we're saying is,

0:12:20.030,0:12:25.296
at PB, we should focus more[br]on developing these kids as individuals

0:12:26.036,0:12:29.459
and motivating them to become[br]the best version of themselves.

0:12:30.874,0:12:34.291
These are just some of the activations[br]that we do throughout the year:

0:12:34.291,0:12:36.976
with college campuses, cities,

0:12:37.883,0:12:39.671
hosting basketball events.

0:12:39.671,0:12:42.047
Through basketball, our common passion,

0:12:42.188,0:12:46.426
enable the kids to explore[br]other dimensions of our KOLs,

0:12:46.569,0:12:48.651
to set good examples for them,

0:12:48.651,0:12:51.859
so that they can be inspired[br]to achieve better life path.

0:12:53.406,0:12:55.296
A picture is worth a thousand words.

0:12:55.633,0:12:58.856
These images were taken[br]from our events all over China.

0:13:00.235,0:13:03.140
But of course, at PB Camp,

0:13:03.140,0:13:05.510
which is something[br]that we run every summer,

0:13:05.510,0:13:07.118
something magical happens too.

0:13:08.463,0:13:11.995
GG: Well, the magical thing is ...[br]we have Ray Allen here.

0:13:13.080,0:13:14.556
He was our special guest.

0:13:15.834,0:13:20.141
The very famous NBA superstar Ray Allen[br]was at our first basketball camp

0:13:20.141,0:13:22.874
in Beijing back in 2014,[br]when we started this.

0:13:23.798,0:13:25.372
He was here for 12 days.

0:13:26.044,0:13:27.141
Now think about it:

0:13:27.141,0:13:30.534
a superstar athlete is hands-on,

0:13:31.010,0:13:33.465
on and off the court, for 12 days.

0:13:34.177,0:13:38.290
On the court, he was helping kids[br]to be better at themselves

0:13:38.290,0:13:40.703
on shooting, dribbling,[br]all those skill sets;

0:13:40.756,0:13:42.053
but off the court,

0:13:42.239,0:13:47.410
he was teaching kids and telling stories[br]about his experience in his lifetime

0:13:48.000,0:13:51.220
for these campers, volunteers and workers.

0:13:51.761,0:13:53.726
In this picture, obviously,

0:13:53.726,0:14:00.021
made this girl cry[br]because she shared the same story

0:14:00.021,0:14:03.713
that he was telling everybody[br]that was at the cafeteria.

0:14:04.307,0:14:06.260
DJ: Obviously it looks like she's crying,

0:14:06.260,0:14:09.896
but she was just very touched[br]by Ray Allen's inspirational stories

0:14:09.896,0:14:10.900
with happy tears.

0:14:10.900,0:14:12.357
GG: Yes, happy tears.

0:14:13.998,0:14:16.462
DJ: Also, in addition, Godfrey,

0:14:16.857,0:14:19.038
whenever we host events[br]in the summertime,

0:14:19.498,0:14:22.221
he's actually becoming one of us,[br]one of the campers.

0:14:22.468,0:14:28.143
He really gets closer with the audience,[br]which are our campers.

0:14:29.052,0:14:32.162
He even goes so far, to the point[br]where he goes into dormitories,

0:14:32.162,0:14:34.109
casually dressed up,

0:14:34.109,0:14:36.379
wearing a wife-beater with a baseball cap.

0:14:36.379,0:14:38.959
He's actually doing[br]team-building exercises

0:14:38.959,0:14:41.576
with the kids, inspiring them.

0:14:42.264,0:14:44.188
So this is where the magic happens -

0:14:44.450,0:14:46.650
the kids not only walk away[br]with our camp

0:14:47.103,0:14:49.012
with smiles on their faces,

0:14:49.012,0:14:50.639
but they also walk away

0:14:50.639,0:14:53.971
with a positive influence[br]from their idols, from their KOLs,

0:14:54.323,0:14:56.502
and something inspirational

0:14:56.502,0:14:59.472
which would serve them better[br]for the rest of their lives.

0:15:00.402,0:15:03.565
So by creating these unprecedented access

0:15:03.565,0:15:07.253
and opportunities for the KOLs[br]to get to know our campers,

0:15:08.330,0:15:11.111
our kids have shifted the perspective

0:15:11.588,0:15:14.800
from mindlessly following[br]their KOL's appearance and lifestyle

0:15:15.263,0:15:20.018
to proactively practicing[br]their work ethic, their persistence

0:15:20.999,0:15:22.947
and everything that comes along with it.

0:15:23.943,0:15:25.207
GG: And more importantly,

0:15:25.207,0:15:28.083
we want these kids to feel[br]like they can relate to us,

0:15:28.695,0:15:32.573
that they're not afraid to talk to us[br]and share stories with us

0:15:32.573,0:15:35.523
because once they do that,

0:15:35.523,0:15:39.035
we get to hear them and hear their voices

0:15:39.035,0:15:42.575
and we can share our opinions[br]or our experiences in life,

0:15:42.575,0:15:46.857
and they love the experiences[br]that they had in our PB System camps.

0:15:48.055,0:15:53.237
So to wrap things up,[br]everyone's going to go home,

0:15:53.237,0:15:56.243
and we're going to go back[br]to our little boxes, little bubbles,

0:15:56.243,0:16:01.840
and everyone's going to see us on TVs[br]or movies or on social media platforms.

0:16:02.367,0:16:04.374
But here, at TEDx -

0:16:04.374,0:16:09.214
DJ: Here, we're at TEDx today[br]and at all the future PB activations.

0:16:09.486,0:16:11.831
We could also be youth movement leaders,

0:16:11.831,0:16:13.101
entrepreneurs,

0:16:13.101,0:16:15.738
but most importantly, your friends

0:16:15.738,0:16:19.732
who are going to hold your hands[br]and change the world together with you.

0:16:20.173,0:16:24.259
So with that, let's redefine[br]our relationship with KOLs

0:16:24.431,0:16:27.896
GG: and strive to achieve[br]your personal best.

0:16:28.165,0:16:29.641
(Applause)