Hi, fintech fam! 💜

Welcome to the first edition of our "On Performance" column! 

Every Sunday night, before you start your work week, we provide you with techniques, blueprints, and tactics to create captivating performances – on stages and in meeting rooms – that will propel your career in the fintech industry.

Let’s get started!

ON PERFORMANCE

Lessons from Jo Koy’s crash and burn at the Golden Globes

I have always enjoyed watching Jo Koy.

I remember the first time I heard his "Filipino Mom" impression and nearly fainted in shock. 

Looking at my own Filipino mother laughing hysterically while also scolding us in her thick accent, she would say, "Hay Nako! I don't sound like that!"

Jo Koy was one of the first times I saw a version of my lived experience on TV.  

It’s why I was so excited to see him host the Golden Globes this year. 

If I wasn’t going to see a female host (despite the success of women in entertainment nearly saving the economy), at least I could witness Filipino-American excellence on stage. 

Then I saw the opening monologue. 🤦🏽‍♀️

Now, it wasn’t the weird Barbie references, the five jokes on Oppenheimer being too long, or even the content of his performance that made me cringe. 

It was the delivery, the defensiveness, the cutting himself down before or even after a joke. 

It looked like a lack of confidence or even imposter syndrome.

But why would a career comedian like Jo Koy– a performer with over 30 years in the business selling out stadiums worldwide feel like an outsider amongst the Hollywood elite? 

Because in an industry where people of color only account for 22% of lead actors, 17% of directors, and 12% of writers, he is still an outsider. 

And while women are doing better overall, they only account for a measly 15% of directors. 

Every woman in fintech – from entrepreneurs to business leaders – can relate to navigating being “the only” in the room. 

Making our experiences fundraising, advocating, or negotiating for ourselves parallel to what happened with our comedian example, Jo Koy. 

Jo Koy’s fundamental downfall came down to one key moment: He wasn’t prepared for this monologue.

“I got the gig 10 days ago!” he told the audience. “You want a perfect monologue? Yo, shut up. You’re kidding me, right? 

Jo Koy wasn’t confident because he hadn’t practiced. 

Let’s be real, 10 days is totally doable for a performer with 10,000+ hours of hosting experience. 

But the way comedians build their material is very different.  

Most routines take months, if not years, to build as they test new material on live audiences. 

So switching up your style to prep for a gig in 10 days would be a very uncomfortable context switch. 

But regardless of the result or the occasion, any time people are giving you, your platform, or your brand their attention – you owe it to them to put in the work.  

So, when I’m often asked how I speak so eloquently on stage, it’s because I take every opportunity seriously. 

I practice. I mean, I also have a performance coach. But I make sure to carve out time to put in the work because practice is non-negotiable. 

Practice is how I push past the imposter syndrome of being the few or the only one in the room. 

Practice is how I shut down the self-doubt, the negativity in my head, and the toxic Twitter trolls. 

In a world where content is queen 👑, everyone always looks for that “natural” or authentic moment. 

This is just an excuse not to practice.

However, even on social media, most of the content we consume is scripted, rehearsed, and often directed.

But time and time again, I see executives, thought-leaders, and CEOs skip the practice, skim the notes, and just show up. 

Everyone thinks they can just wing it and get that magical “unscripted” moment. They’re wrong.  

Whenever I’m hosting an event, doing a keynote speech or presentation, or even sitting on a panel, I prep and practice like a stand-up comedian. 

In the next section, I’ll show you how.

_TACTICS

How to Deliver any Speech like a Pro 

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