For many business owners, their next client or business opportunity could already be on LinkedIn. But being good at running a business doesn’t necessarily mean knowing how to build a personal brand online.
They may have years of experience and valuable insights to share, yet struggle to find the time or know-how to turn them into engaging content that reaches the right people.
This is where 23-year-old entrepreneur Kelvin Kuok saw a business opportunity.
Through Personify, his LinkedIn marketing and personal branding agency, Kelvin helps business owners uncover stories worth sharing, build their professional presence and grow their networks to attract potential clients.
He has also developed The LinkedIn Playbook, a 16-hour hands-on workshop that teaches entrepreneurs how to build their personal brand, create content that establishes credibility and generate leads.
Interestingly, Kelvin’s own success began with building his network on LinkedIn. What started as a personal endeavour eventually opened doors to clients, partnerships and speaking engagements, laying the foundation for Personify, which has since crossed six figures in revenue. For this edition of #TheEverydayInvestor, we speak to Kelvin about how he turned his LinkedIn network into a six-figure business, the lessons he learnt from losing money in forex trading, and why he believes investing in skills and relationships can be just as valuable as his investment portfolio.
Turning LinkedIn Connections Into A Six-Figure Business
At 19, while serving National Service, Kelvin began creating content on LinkedIn.
There wasn’t a business plan behind it initially. He was simply sharing his thoughts, connecting with professionals and gradually building his presence on a platform where few people his age were actively posting.
“The early days were tough. I was only 19 when I started, still in national service, and hardly any other young people were actively creating content on LinkedIn,” Kelvin recalls.
“Being so young made it hard to be taken seriously. But I persisted, because I knew that one day it would pay off.”
While many of his peers were still preparing to enter the workforce, Kelvin was building relationships with people across different industries, including professionals and business leaders whom he might not otherwise have had the opportunity to meet. These connections did not immediately translate into income. But as his audience grew and his content gained recognition, opportunities began coming his way. He was invited to speak at events, collaborate with organisations and eventually work with clients who recognised the value of what he had built.
“Posting consistently built my credibility. That credibility opened doors to speaking engagements, partnerships and eventually clients. And those clients became the foundation of Personify.”
What began as a personal effort to build his professional network eventually became a business helping other entrepreneurs do the same. Today, Personify helps business owners develop their LinkedIn presence, communicate their expertise and reach potential clients through content and networking. Kelvin has also worked with organisations including NTUC, SMU, SUSS, ACCA and LinkedIn itself.
In a public LinkedIn post, he shared that Personify had crossed six figures in revenue in less than a year. It was an achievement that came with a significant career decision.
Having enrolled at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Kelvin eventually decided to leave university to focus on building his agency.
“Investing has taught me to be patient. Not everything will show results overnight, and quick success isn’t always the best kind of success.”
It is a philosophy that has shaped how he approaches both entrepreneurship and investing: put in the work, remain consistent and give things time to grow.
An Entrepreneurial Spirit That Runs In The Family
Although Kelvin has chosen a relatively unconventional career path, his entrepreneurial ambitions were influenced by someone much closer to home. His grandmother, the only other entrepreneur in his family, started a business selling fruits from a cart in Malaysia when she was around his age.
She wasn’t pursuing a business opportunity because she wanted to become an entrepreneur. She needed to earn a living and support her family. Starting with just RM0.10 earned from every apple sold, she eventually built a business that enabled her to purchase a house, send Kelvin’s father to study in the United States and fund his uncle’s flight training in Australia.
Kelvin recalls sitting down with his grandmother to calculate just how much fruit she and his grandfather had sold over the years.
The answer? More than three million fruits.
For Kelvin, the significance of that achievement goes far beyond the number. Through decades of hard work, his grandmother had managed to provide for her family and create opportunities that might otherwise have been out of reach.
“I couldn’t keep my jaw closed when she told me her business stories and I want to do the same in my own way: build something with my own two hands and use it to take care of my family,” he shares.
His grandmother’s example also taught him the importance of living below his means, avoiding unnecessary spending and remembering to share what he has with others.
As he puts it, the principle is to “be prudent, but be generous”.
From Struggling With English To Speaking On International Stages
If building Personify was one of Kelvin’s most significant investments, learning to communicate confidently was another. Today, he is a regular speaker at universities and organisations, having appeared on stages from the United States to China.
But few people who hear him speak today would know that English is actually his third language.
“When I first came to Singapore, I could barely speak it,” Kelvin shares.
Despite being recognised for his communication skills today, he has never attended a formal public speaking class. Instead, he spent years deliberately practising and developing the ability to express his ideas with confidence.
“Everything I can do on stage today, I trained myself, deliberately and over many years. I invested in it because I believe the ability to articulate your ideas is one of the most valuable skills you can have.”
For Kelvin, learning to communicate well has helped him do more than speak comfortably in front of an audience. It has enabled him to connect with people, build professional relationships and create opportunities that he once could not have imagined. That ability has also become central to his work at Personify, where helping clients communicate their experiences and expertise forms an important part of building their professional presence.
“It changes how people see you, and just as importantly, how you see yourself.”
Making Money, Losing Money It All And Learning To Invest
At 19, Kelvin was making money from forex trading. But what started as an exciting way to grow his wealth quickly turned into an expensive lesson.
Drawn by the prospect of quick returns, he initially made substantial gains. However, as his confidence grew, so did his appetite for risk.
“I got greedy and couldn’t control my emotions. I made a lot of money, and then I lost all of it and more.”
Looking back, Kelvin admits he was trading on emotion rather than understanding what he was putting his money into.
“That isn’t investing. That’s gambling.”
The experience changed his approach to investing.
“Quick money is never good money. That loss is a big part of why I’m so patient with my investments today.”
Today, his portfolio includes the S&P 500, technology stocks and Singapore bank stocks. He focuses on companies he understands, buying at prices he considers reasonable and investing regularly. He also sees his age as an advantage, giving him more time to ride out market fluctuations, although this does not eliminate investment risks.
“Being young works in my favour. My risk appetite is higher and my runway is longer.”
Investing In A Future Where He Has More Choices
“I save and invest consistently, but I also spend considerably on experiences. That’s one area I don’t skimp on.”
For him, those experiences are an investment in personal growth and they do not necessarily have to be expensive. He believes young people can still travel, explore new environments and broaden their perspectives while living within their means.
“Every new place and every new experience helps you grow as a person, and that growth is an investment in itself.”
To him, he wants to reach a point where his investments and careful money management give him greater freedom over how he spends his time, whether that means pursuing new opportunities, enjoying life or supporting his family.
For young adults who are just beginning their own investing journeys, his advice is to start with an amount they can comfortably set aside.
“Don’t underestimate what a couple of hundred dollars can do. Over time, it can grow into something very valuable.”
The same principle applies beyond financial investing.
Whether it is building a professional network, developing a new skill or starting a business, Kelvin believes that small, consistent efforts can eventually lead to opportunities that may not have been apparent at the beginning.
“Investing is a muscle. The more consistently you exercise it, the stronger it gets.”
At 23, Kelvin has already seen how investing in himself can change the direction of his career. What began as posting on LinkedIn during National Service has grown into a business, a professional network and opportunities to speak and work with organisations far beyond what he initially imagined.
Yet when asked about his single best investment, his answer remains the same.
“LinkedIn was my earliest meaningful investment, and it has completely changed my life. It grew my social capital tremendously, allowed me to build a thriving business, and unlocked opportunities I never once dreamt of.”
Not every young person who builds a professional network will go on to start a successful agency. But Kelvin’s journey shows how putting yourself out there, developing valuable skills and building genuine connections can create opportunities beyond those available through a conventional career path.
And sometimes, the most valuable investments are the ones whose returns you cannot immediately put a dollar value on.
Read more: From Fear To Financial Freedom: How Chloe Lin Took Control Of Her Money And Life
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