Day 1: my first reel, after Jeff Leong's Founder IP course

Key takeaways

• A first reel is for you. It proves you can do it. The second one is for strangers.
• Instagram showed my reel mostly to strangers (about 70% of views), but about 90% of the likes and comments came from people who already know me.
• The fix is not a better camera. It is the first two seconds, a caption with the words people search, one clear promise, and tagging the people you thank.
• The idea from the course that made me press record: make the first move, and do it straight away.

Play the reel Loads Instagram's player

Behind the screen

For years my work has been making other businesses visible: SEO that puts them in front of people already searching, and websites that turn the visit into an enquiry. My own face was never part of it. I have been camera shy since the day I was born. When a camera faces me, I cannot talk. Every time I thought about recording myself, I told myself, "Next time."

The course: Jeff Leong's 3-Day Founder IP Intensive

From 23 to 25 October 2026 I attended the 3-Day Founder IP Intensive (创办人IP), a course on building a founder's personal brand, run by Jeff Leong at Confetti KL in Seri Kembangan, Selangor. I signed up because I know the only way for me to grow and break through is to do something I do not dare to do, and have never done before. There are no affiliate links in this post.

Jeff Leong (梁明耀) describes himself on his own Instagram as a magician who became a creator, then an entrepreneur, then a business educator. His profile lists him as a co-founder of the brands Lafre Global and Morse Electronics, the author of the book 《注意力战争》 (The Attention War), and the holder of a YouTube gold award; his main account, @jeffleong16, has about 336,000 followers. His business education account is @jeff_jtb, and his company is Influence Engine. He is not the Malaysian lawyer of the same name.

The room set the tone before anyone spoke. At ten in the morning on day one the hall was still filling: a wide arch of lights over the stage, a screen with the course name and his portrait, a glass runway lit from inside, a gold-patterned carpet, a crystal chandelier, and photographers with gimbals waiting at the edge of the stage. When he walked out along the runway, people stood at their tables and clapped. It is a long way from a desk and a keyboard.

The one idea that made me press record

One idea from the course hit me: make the first move. Not when I feel ready, not after one more plan. Straight away, do it.

"She's only 2, but she keeps on trying"

She is my daughter, and she is two. She never waits to be perfect before she tries something new. She just goes.

So this is me, going. Not perfect, but it is a start.

I filmed it in the same hall at Confetti KL on day two, reading from a page I had written by hand. The caption said what I felt: "Day 1. Not perfect, but it's a start."

What Day 1 did, in numbers

I read the insights three times: about four hours after posting, the next morning, and three days in.

On Facebook the same video had 31 reactions and 6 comments by the next morning, and 36 reactions three days in.

The numbers say two things at once. Instagram gave a first reel from a small account real reach: seven in ten views came from strangers. But strangers watched and moved on. 90.6% of the likes and comments came from people who already follow me, and nobody saved or shared it. Friends cheered. Strangers had no reason to stay.

What I will change for reel 2

Each of these comes from reading my own reel the night I posted it:

1. Open with the viewer's problem, not my name. My first words were "Hi, I am Pat Yih". A stranger decides in the first two seconds, and a name tells them nothing.
2. Write the caption with the words people search. Instagram and Google both read captions. "Day 1. Not perfect" is honest, but only one hashtag said what I do.
3. Make one specific promise. My reel promised "AI's knowledge, websites or anything". That is not a reason to follow; one topic is. So here is mine: from November, every week, I will share what I know about SEO, AI search, and getting real customers from your website.
4. End with one ask. The last three seconds of my reel were silence. Reel 2 ends with: follow along, and hold me to it.
5. Tag the people you thank. I first wrote #JeffLeong as a hashtag, so he was never notified. I have since edited the caption to tag @jeffleong16.
6. Answer every comment on the first day. Friends took the time to write; replies also tell the platform the reel started a conversation.

If you are waiting to start

I am not a coach, so these are only what worked for me on day one:

• Write it on paper first. I read from a page. It shows, and it does not matter.
• Film while the push is still warm. I filmed during the course, not a week later.
• Post it imperfect. The second reel can only exist after the first.
• Read the numbers once, then make the next one. They are a lesson, not a verdict.
• Make the next reel from work you already have. Mine will come from my own data: which Malaysian websites block AI crawlers and which AI bots visit my website.

The question that started BlackRevo was why are we still doing things the usual way? This was the same question, pointed at me.

FAQ

Who is Jeff Leong, the personal IP coach?

Jeff Leong (梁明耀) is a Malaysian creator and business educator who describes himself as a magician turned creator, entrepreneur and educator. His profile lists him as co-founder of Lafre Global and Morse Electronics and author of 《注意力战争》, and he runs the Founder IP courses through Influence Engine. He is not the lawyer Jeff Leong of Jeff Leong, Poon & Wong.

What is personal IP branding?

Personal IP is the founder as a recognisable brand: what you are known for, the story of why you are qualified, and the content that lets people trust you before they buy. A business with a known founder competes less on price because people already know who is behind it.

How do I start personal branding on Instagram if I am camera shy?

Start with one short talking reel read from a page, posted the same week you decide to do it. Open with the viewer's problem, write the caption with the words they search, and promise one thing. Then make the next one from work you already do.

Should I post my first reel if it is not perfect?

Yes. Mine was not, and it was still viewed 814 times in its first day, 70% of the time by strangers. A first reel teaches you more than any amount of planning, and the second can only be made after it.