Hi, I’m Hyder.

Growing up, I was shy and socially awkward. I was the school videographer, happier behind the camera than in front of it.

At 15, I won an essay contest, and had to deliver it as a speech at school assembly. I practised for months.

Then I bombed. A five-minute speech, finished in one minute. Beet red. Sweat dripping onto my script. Students laughing.

I made a vow that day. One day, I would become the most charismatic, confident speaker I knew.

At polytechnic, I joined silat. I was still thin, but I walked taller. Then theatre, where I shone on stage for the first time.

I spent my first National Service allowance on a Toastmasters membership. It changed my life. Best Speaker ribbons, then contests, then the national stage.

In 2018, a confidence coach asked me, “Charisma coach? Where’s the button I need to press to get the charisma?” I went to a bathroom stall and cried. I dropped the title for a year.

Then my mentor told me something I’ve never forgotten. The absence of a button is exactly why a charisma coach is needed.

There is no button. That’s precisely why I have a job.