I draw my strength and wisdom from a life that was once filled with challenges. I was born and raised in a Chinese family in Tondo, Manila, and was the eldest of the three children. After my father experienced big losses in business, I started to realize the importance of perseverance, hard work, and savings at a very young age.
My father’s business crisis brought me to Divisoria where I bought anything that I could peddle to my classmates and friends, including toilet paper, to help augment my family’s income.
It was at this point in my life when I developed my business acumen. In the course of my early start as an entrepreneur, my vision in life became crystal clear: to be a successful entrepreneur who can provide people with earning opportunities.
A NEW-FOUND CALLING
In 1995, I became part of an organization that allowed me to become a motivational speaker. It was during that time that I found myself wanting to fulfill a new calling: to train Filipinos to uplift their standard of living by becoming financially literate. Since then, I have been helping Filipinos to become wealthy and debt-free through quality financial education.
It was in 2006 that I started doing speaking engagements independently and professionally. Since then, I have given talks to various groups of people from all walks of life — from as few as a small group of four to as many as 12,000 people in one event. I have also been given the privilege and opportunity to work and speak with international and well-known guest speakers such as Nick Vujicic and Francis J. Kong.
AN EDUTAINER
As a motivational speaker, I am also known as an “Edutainer.” I educate and at the same time, entertain. Believe it or not, I was once a TV & movie actor and comedian. And so, because of this, you can make sure that you, as an audience, will be wide awake during my talks. I also promise that you won’t have to bear with any nonsense talks and nonsense learnings.
When it comes to financial education, I believe in teaching principles rather than techniques. Techniques may be applicable to only certain people but not to others, but principles can be applied to all. I also believe that connecting to my audience is essential before I can deliver my message. I strive to know my audience first — find out who they are, what their needs and feelings are, as well as their concerns and fears. I know that it is only after understanding one’s audience that I can absolutely deliver an effective and life-changing message.
EXPERT IN FINANCE
In my talks, I specifically focus on four major areas of financial education: Creating Money — how to develop an entrepreneurial mindset, how to start a business, how to be successful in the profession of sales, and many more; Handling Money — how to develop a healthy money mindset, and illustrate practical ways on how to save, budget, and get out of debt; Growing Money — learning about what investment is, how and where to invest, and how to prepare for their golden age of retirement; and Protecting Money — how to protect their hard-earned income from the unexpected happenings in life.
BLOGGER, AUTHOR, RADIO SHOW HOST, WEALTH COACH
Not only am I fulfilling my calling to help people become wealthy and debt-free as a motivational speaker, but also as a blogger, book author, radio show host, and wealth coach.
It is an honor to be regarded as an influential wealth coach, one of the top motivational speakers in the Philippines, and the 5th most admired local business person by ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE.
Today, the Chinkee Tan page, where I post my blogs, has over 1 million followers. I have also authored 8 books and several of them have landed on the best-seller list in National Bookstore. One of my books, TILL DEBT DO US PART, which is about how to overcome debt, has sold over 500,000 copies, and has been recognized as a highly influential book on financial literacy. It was also the only Filipino finance book that was given a congratulatory letter by a Philippines President, President Benigno “Noy-Noy” Aquino III.
I also co-host the weekend show CHINK POSITIVE which airs on Sundays on Radyo 5, and MONEYWISE which airs on also on Sundays on GMA News TV.
Today, I have seen thousands of people achieve their goals and dreams. I have coached and trained many people both in the Philippines and overseas about saving, budgeting, and investing. I have received countless messages from people telling me about the debt-free life that they have now experienced.
