Let’s hear how Joe Chang has gone from not being a talker to being a successful host now!
Adele: Hi Joe
Joe Chang: Hi Adele
Adele: Thank you very much for taking the time to talk to me today. And then I know you’re really busy, you are now ready to go do your radio stuff too. Let’s start with your work. You are also an artist and influencer yourself, and then you usually visit artists and influencers from time to time. Then, do you think as a host, or become a host, what are the three most needed points?
Joe Chang: A host, it has different hosts, it has wedding hosts, event hosts, radio hosts and TV hosts. If you want me to say that the top three comparisons can be used in general, I think the first must be your experience. This is because as a host, we are often asked to keep sharing something, so that people can convey that message or not be so-called cold. Therefore, this thing of experience will actually help us a lot.
I still remember when I first debuted, I could easily go blank. Then, I even took a class taught by a senior, one of the tasks was that he gave me a topic and I had to talk for five minutes. Then, I wrote a paragraph, and even though I had slowed down, I still couldn’t make it to five minutes. I read the entire manuscript in two minutes, so five minutes is very difficult for me, because I don’t have that experience. The so-called experience is the experience of life, and the experience of hosting. Thus, if you have these different experiences you can talk and you can share anything.
The second is to always say that no matter what the field is, the passion is that you have to like the job, so that you will not be easily consumed. This is because like our work, especially our radio host, we have to talk and talk for at least four hours every day from Monday to Friday, and sometimes on weekends. If I didn’t have that enthusiasm, I would really easily be like, ‘Wow I don’t want to do it because it’s boring’. It seems to be like a cycle, you have to be like a sponge, you have to absorb forever. Don’t just say, I am a host who debuted for more than ten years today, and I have more than ten years of experience in this field. A newcomer is here, but I don’t listen to what he says, and you will easily fall into a bottleneck. You have reached this level, but how do you get yourself to another level?
Adele: After that, talk about your journey of stepping into the entertainment industry, hosting, singing and becoming an influencer when you first started. Do you think back on that journey, what was the hardest thing for you?
Joe Chang: If I share it now, you may be a little surprised because everyone will think that I am very good at speaking, and I can say anything like this. But the most interesting thing is that in the beginning, I came from a person who doesn’t like to talk. I’m actually quite introverted. In the past, I was introverted or very sullen, that is, I was not an active person. However, I actually participated in the singing competition first. In the singing competition, there is no need to talk, you have to sing. At that time, the rankings I got were actually not very good, and a lot of jobs were actually given to the top three. For example, when going abroad to participate in competitions, many shows or jobs are for the top three.
I was thinking about how I can continue to persevere, so compared to other countries, I am a host in Malaysia, especially ASTRO’s radio or television. It will be a possibility that there will be contacts most often, and then many opportunities. That just happens to be that ASTRO has a so-called CNY countdown every year. When CNY is counting down, it is to let everyone participate, and at that time I seized a small opportunity to shoot a small video. My ex-manager saw me at that time and felt that I could talk, but even though I didn’t like to talk at that time, I was shameless at the same time hahaha. Therefore, as long as there is any interview or casting, I will go all out.
Besides, the other one was my broadcast’s senior, he also saw one of my hosts on one of the activities, and he thought I could do it. Hence, every time I get a chance, I hope that I can do my best.
Adele: At the beginning, when I was very young, maybe only 19 or 20 years old, I actually told myself that I would do events, and I never thought that I would be doing content now. This is because the content seems very artistic and difficult to me, and I don’t know how to edit. Thus, I think I very much agree with what you said just now, because I think this formula can be applied no matter what field you are in.
Then, I think that many people who are listening to this podcast today may also feel that they also hope or can take this path. Therefore, if you had a chance to go back 10 years ago today, what do you think you would tell yourself or what do you wish you knew when you started?
Joe Chang: You don’t get lost. This is because at that time, I felt the same as many young people. When you can’t get what you want, you will be lost, and you will doubt yourself, whether it is really impossible to be like this. At that time, I wanted to ask whether I could know whether the future me could really be the first. If I can, I will go all out, if not, then forget it, don’t do this thing.
In other words, in fact, if we set a goal, it doesn’t matter how we achieve that goal, as long as you reach that goal in the end, you will definitely reach it one day. I also feel that I haven’t reached my ultimate goal, which is to be a singer. But I think in the last few years, I’ve started to see it that way again. Maybe if you are on the highway, you will always get lost, why can’t you see the street sign, the name is gone. In the last few years, I’ve started to see that name popping up right there on that street sign.
Adele: Some ride a motorcycle, some ride a lorry, some ride a car, but we all end up at the same destination. It may be that the motorcycle is more difficult, and it will rain if it rains. You are more comfortable in a Vellfire or Alphard, but you pay the same. If you take an Alphard, your gas price will be more expensive, and if you take a motorcycle, your gas price will be lower.
When it comes to goals, Joe, what do you think if I give you a summary of what you will look like in 2022? Do you think you have really grown in your career, growth, and personal development this year? Then, what kind of attitude do you have to keep growing?
Joe Chang: I think this year will be a very eye-opening year, because this year I have a lot of opportunities to cooperate with the post-00s, including many new colleagues. Then, many programs on our radio station are also related to the post-00s, so we have many more opportunities to communicate with them. In addition, even from some of their ideas and works, what do young people like today?
And a year of knowing more clearly what you want. In the past few years, I wanted to do a lot of things. I would feel that I have done a lot of things, but it seems that I have not done anything. That’s because I don’t have a very sure thing or a favourite thing, so I just did it at that time. In the end, I have been involved in different fields, and I think I really know what I want to do most in the end. I think it’s very important to have that clear sense of direction.
Adele: Of course, we need to talk about you as a father and husband, and your Chang family is also a family that many people pay attention to on the Internet. I personally want to ask, some people may think that you are a wife and you have a baby, so you don’t have to work and I will support you, and you can take care of the children at home. However, obviously, I don’t think you and Mia are in this form, so I want to hear your point of view.
Joe Chang: I think there are several reasons. First of all, because when you love someone, you will respect her decision, so I think Mia herself has a lot of ideas, and I must respect her decision. This is because I myself don’t want others to stop me from making something, and I don’t like it very much. I’m a Capricorn, and I don’t like it very much, so when I don’t like it, I don’t want others to feel that way. So, I’ll let you go ahead with whatever Mia wants, and I absolutely respect that.
I think this is a very normal thing, that home is also mine, so why must only the wife do it and the husband does not do it. Then, it is easy for me to feel guilty. If I have not contributed to that thing, I will feel guilty. I also don’t want to see my wife tired and miserable when I go back home, so you can easily not love her, right? Then, it is easy for you to complain, and you will feel that you are incapable of grooming yourself, and you have made yourself look so haggard.
Adele: I really think you are very real, and your thoughts are really good, because not every boy thinks like this. When it comes to family, I see that you have many family members, right? Even though the family is quite big, I know you are the only child, but Mia’s family is like an extended family. Sometimes parents or family members may have different opinions, so how do you usually look at this matter? Because after all, you are the head of the family and you are the father.
Joe Chang: I accept any voice. We can’t just think that we must be the right one, so there must be a gap between the elders, they must be relatively old style, and they must not be suitable, but in fact it is not necessarily the case.I mean, whether it’s a good sound or a bad sound, it has its merits. But how to apply what can be used in your own life, then you can think about it yourself.
Although they have voices, they are all people who can communicate rationally. They won’t say what they say, you must do it. Of course, if this is the case, my backlash will definitely be relatively large. This is because they also give us a view that they share with me to know what their view looks like. But in the end, if you want to make a decision, you can make it yourself, but at the same time you have to take responsibility. Therefore, such an interactive way is actually very healthy.
At the same time, I became a father at a very young age. At the beginning, I didn’t know how to do it, I didn’t know what was good or bad, and if it was bad, how could I make it better, I really had no experience but because they are willing to share, their sharing may not always be talking about it, sometimes they will do it in person, and then I know through observation that it is possible to do so, so I can learn.
Adele: Joe, you have been in this field for so many years, family, and so on. What is the best advice you have ever heard someone give you? You can share it with everyone.
Joe Chang: There are really too many good suggestions from others, so listen to the suggestions you give yourself. This is because many people feel very confused, why no one can help me, is there anyone who can help me or you can give me a little more opinion. But sometimes we shouldn’t wait until the problem comes to figure out how to solve that problem. Instead, there is an idiom called “precautions for a rainy day”. Before that problem comes, you have to think about whether it is possible for this to happen. For example, your economic situation, you can’t wait until you have no money before thinking about how to make money. You must think about it, I want this standard of living, how to achieve this standard of living. In the process, you will find out the suitable method, because not all the suggestions given to you by others are definitely suitable for you. Every night I think about what I did today, what I did wrong, and what I can do better.
Adele: That’s all for today, I hope you all enjoy this short podcast. Remember to share this podcast, and you guys can follow Joe. Thank you Joe for your time.
Joe Chang: Thank you Adele and thank you all.
Adele: Thank you bye bye.
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