From “Hopeless” to High Performer: Adam Khoo’s Journey of Belief
A powerful story of how labels shape us, mentors transform us, and belief rewrites who we become.
The Labels We Carry — and the Ones We Choose to Break
When a kid who has been called lazy, stupid, and hopeless discovers he might actually be a genius, it becomes more than a redemption arc — it becomes a lesson about the fragile, transformative power of belief.
In this episode of Clean Your Toilet, Adam Khoo sits down with Barbara Latimer to revisit the chaotic, messy beginnings of his now-famous journey. Expelled in Primary 3. Rejected by every secondary school. The shame of being the “family idiot” while his cousins thrived at Raffles and ACS.
His struggle wasn’t just academic — it was identity-deep.
Most people think the hardest part of school is the exams, the long nights, the endless grind. But Adam’s story reminds us that the real burden isn’t the workload.
It’s the labels we carry.
The Turning Point: One Mentor, One Message, One New Identity
For Adam, everything changed at a five-day “Super Teen” camp led by his mentor, Ernest Wong. Until then, every adult in his life had reinforced the same script:
“You’re dumb.”
“You’re lazy.”
“You’re not going to make it.”
And he believed them — because children often do.
Ernest was the first to look him in the eye and rewrite the script: “Whatever others can achieve, you can too. It’s all a question of beliefs and strategy.”
Adam was naïve enough — or perhaps brave enough — to believe him. That one moment cracked open a new identity. It planted the spark that would later define his life’s work.
But transformation is never a clean, straight line.
Why Being the Underdog Became His Advantage
When Adam eventually stood in front of rooms filled with students, he didn’t lead from authority. He didn’t stand above them.
He stood with them.
His PSLE results were worse than theirs. His expulsion story raw, unfiltered, unglamorous.
And that relatability became his superpower. Because if he could turn things around, maybe — just maybe — so could they.
That’s where this conversation hits its emotional core: the clash between limiting beliefs and the possibility of rewriting our story.
On one side: the labels we inherit from parents, teachers, culture.
On the other: the hope that one voice, one mentor, one program can shift our entire trajectory.
In between lies the messy middle — the place we all have to walk through.
The Hard Truth About Change: Most People Resist It
Adam doesn’t romanticise the work. He admits that many teens in his programs don’t even want to be there. They’re dragged by parents. They’re skeptical. Defensive.
He often “loses” the entire first day unless he finds a way to break through their walls.
But because he knows what it feels like to be dismissed as a lost cause, he also knows how to reach those who’ve stopped believing in themselves. His compassion is not theoretical — it’s lived experience.
The Questions We All Have to Face Eventually
Adam’s story echoes questions that show up in every human journey of growth:
- Do I let the labels of my past define me?
- Am I willing to be “naïve” enough to believe in my potential?
- How do vulnerability and rapport actually unlock transformation?
These aren’t academic questions. They’re the turning points of our lives.
Watch the full podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn-6HCRdTM0
Transformation Isn’t Clean. It’s Messy — Like Real Life.
If you’ve ever been crushed by the labels others placed on you…
If you’ve wondered whether a single experience can truly change a life…
If you’ve tried to motivate yourself or someone else and hit wall after wall…
This episode is your reminder that real transformation is rarely pretty.
🧼 Your belief is the clean water.
🚽 Old labels are the clogged pipes.
💩 Doubt is the sludge that keeps you stuck.
Clear them out. Let new strategies flow. And watch how differently you see yourself when the water finally runs clean.