The Luck Formula: The Secret to Being in the Right Place at Right Time: Yin Noe (Transcript)

Read the full transcript of Yin Noe’s talk titled “The Luck Formula: The Secret to Being in the Right Place at Right Time” at TEDxWoodLaneWomen 2025 conference.

Listen to the audio version here:

TRANSCRIPT:

The Myth of Luck

YIN NOE: So what if I told you that luck is actually a myth? Then instead of waiting for it to find you, you can actually create yourself. Now think about it, how many times in your life have you thought something happened to you because you were lucky? But what if that wasn’t luck? What if you had more control than you think?

I used to say that my successes in life were due to luck. I got into my dream university, studying computer science. I made it on the Financial Times as top 50 most inspiring women in tech in the UK. And then the year after, top 50 in Europe. And I also got to meet Hillary Clinton. Now you might think that it’s because she’s hardworking. But I was surrounded by so many hardworking people.

And even my parents would joke, my dad’s here in the audience, that I must have some horseshoe around me. Because things just seem to fall right into place, even though my journey was chaotic or turbulent. That’s what I’m wondering, actually, luck is more than just a random chance.

The Butterfly Effect in Our Lives

Now we’ve all heard of the butterfly effect. It’s the idea that a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil could set off a tornado in Texas. Now let’s think about our own life. Could a small action, a random conversation, or a bold decision set off a chain reaction that could lead to monumental change? That’s what happened to me.

So let me tell you a story. So one day, my mom mistook an Asian lady with a white dog for me in Hyde Park. And as you can see, we are two very similar looking adorable white dogs. The lady’s name was Tata, and we laughed about the whole situation. But instead of letting her walk away, I decided, let me introduce myself. Why not? Just wanted to make a new friend. And instead of letting her walk away, I wanted to ask her for lunch.

So a month later, we met for lunch. We shared our stories, and we were inspired by each other as female founders. And she introduced me to the TEDx team. And that’s why I’m standing here today, partially because of my dog. Now you might think, she’s lucky to be here. And yes, I am lucky. But this wasn’t luck just falling into my lap. I made this happen. And standing before you today, I feel privileged, and it makes me quite emotional. Because if you know me, I’m a little bit of a shy person.

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So all it took was a single moment of courage, a decision to step out of my comfort zone at the time, and that’s how it led me here today. And that’s when I realized, actually, some of the biggest opportunities that will come into your life, it’s not going to come when you’re 100% prepared or when you’re perfect. It’s by saying yes to those little moments beforehand. And that is the first ingredient of my formula, opportunity, or as I like to call it, being a yes woman or a yes man.

The Surfer Analogy

And now for the next part, I had a long hard think of what kind of analogy I wanted to use to best describe this, and this is what I came up with, a surfer. So picture this, you’re paddling out in the ocean, the perfect wave is coming towards you. But there’s a catch, you never learn how to surf in your life. And it doesn’t matter how perfect that wave is, you’re not prepared, so you’re never going to be able to ride it. And that, to me, is what the definition of luck is. Luck are these occasional waves that come and go, and it’s waiting for that right surfer to ride it.

Facing Your Fears

Now let’s take, for example, public speaking. So I used to be terrified of it, and still am a little bit, but in the past I was petrified. And I was realizing that fear was really holding me back from so many opportunities. And so six years ago, I participated in one of the biggest university competitions at Imperial College London. And I was competing against PhDs and MBAs, and I was just a little master student.

I was so nervous, and I did everything I could to practice. I practiced in front of the mirror, in front of my friends, in front of my friend’s dog, and then came the big day. I took a deep breath, went up to stage, and everything was going smoothly. And then it happened. In this screenshot of this video clip, I completely froze for an eternity. I look back at the screen, look back at the audience, I look back at the screen. I didn’t know what to do, and I looked like a deer in headlights. And in my head, I was thinking, completely blown this. I don’t even think I’m going to get third place. And that was my mindset at the time. I was like, I just wanted to aim for third place.

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And so, got down on stage, went back to my seat, feeling quite embarrassed about the whole ordeal. Let all the pitches go through, and then it was time for them to announce the winners. They announced third place, wasn’t me. Second place, wasn’t us. And then, first place, and the winner was, me? Seriously? I honestly was so shocked by this moment. And I’m not joking, because this was my face when I won. Literally the definition of happy tears, literally. And this looks super funny all over the news articles. And this is such a nostalgic moment for me, because it’s an old company, so it was such a long time ago.

The Science of Neuroplasticity

But I realized that day that even when you think you’ve completely blown it, it’s one step towards preparation, one step towards your next big moment.

And that day, I felt a change in me. I felt mentally wired even differently. And I was really curious to understand the psychology and the science behind this. And this is where I came across the term, neuroplasticity.

So neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. So when you literally face your fears, you’re not only getting ready for the next opportunity, you’re reshaping your brain and you’re biologically enhancing yourself to increase your capacity to succeed. And I just find that fascinating. And that’s the second part of my formula, preparation.

Creating Your Own Opportunities

And now for the final spice to my formula. I want everyone to have a think about the next question, a personal question to yourself. How often do you let fear or doubt stop you from putting yourself out there? Now instead of waiting for that perfect moment or that right circumstance, what if instead we made ourselves visible and created these moments ourselves?

So when I became the CEO of a fintech startup, I actually had minimal experience in finance. My expertise was in computer science. I, at the time, didn’t know the difference between a bull market and an actual bull at the time. But I saw an opportunity and I wanted to go for it. So I spent hours learning the basics for months and months. I went out and met as many experts as possible. And most importantly, I was visible, I was hungry. I found any industry event in London that I could go to that related to that. And that company ended up exceeding all my expectations.

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We ended up in the accelerator of the biggest bank in the UK, followed by being admitted into one of the big four consulting firms accelerators. And our biggest break yet was we got an investment from one of the biggest American accelerators in the world. So we were the 12 startups that were chosen in London. And to give you perspective, less than 1% out of 17,000 global applications get accepted a year. So we applied three times, just so you know. But was that luck or was it being visible and putting yourself out there over and over and over again?

The Formula for Creating Your Own Luck

So have a hard think to yourself. What’s stopping you from showing up and being seen right now in whatever you’re doing at the moment? And that is the completed formula.

So the biggest takeaway that I want everyone to leave here with today is that the next time you’re feeling unmotivated, you’re feeling a certain event, meeting or occasion, maybe doesn’t sit well with you right now, you’re not really feeling it. I would say think again. You never know of what something that you might do today could open doors for you tomorrow or the future. So please, we need to stop thinking that luck is about chance. We need to get out there, create our own luck, and be your own lucky charm. Thank you. All the best. Thank you. Thank you.