She left her stable office job to become who she truly is — a storyteller, one who reflects authenticity and personality. As a content creator on LinkedIn, she believes that by staying true to herself, people can relate to her more easily.
Finding meaning in everyday encounter
A corporate storyteller and ambassador for several companies, Crystal Lim left her stable 9-to-5 job to embark on a new endeavour — one she enjoys and feels passionate about. As a content creator, Lim was ranked Malaysia’s No. 5 LinkedIn influencer in January 2025, with more than 25,000 followers on the platform.
An HRD Corp Accredited trainer, she also conducts engaging sessions on branding and storytelling, helping professionals and organisations strengthen their presence on LinkedIn. What began as a leap of faith soon became a purposeful and fulfilling path. Lim is now also a corporate ambassador for companies such as Woodrose Healthcare and TEG Media.
Ten months into being self-employed, Lim recently went viral for her quirky “toi-fie” (toilet selfie) series. In it, she engages with corporate heads or influential individuals inside the toilet, asking them to share insights and life lessons before ending with a selfie. At times, she snaps her own selfie in the loo, accompanied by reflections on minor details that inspired her that day — something most people wouldn’t usually associate with toilets.
Lim revealed that the idea for toi-fie came from her surroundings. “About a year ago, I was in a public toilet at a restaurant, washing my hands. A lady kept staring at me and suddenly asked if I was Crystal. I said yes. She recognised me from my LinkedIn posts,” said the jovial storyteller.
Their chance encounter ended with a toilet selfie, which Lim uploaded to LinkedIn. “I expected people to talk about the meeting, but instead the comments focused on the toilet. One said, ‘Eh Crystal, are you sure it’s a toilet?’ Another wrote, ‘Eh Crystal, the toilet looks nicer than my bedroom leh.’”
Shocked but amused, Lim had a lightbulb moment — to create content centred on toilets. A few months later, she bumped into another friend in a loo. “That’s when I really started to notice toilets more,” she said.
It was then that she had an epiphany: a toilet reflects the individual who owns it. “When I spend time with top leaders, I learn how important toilets actually are. The moment they visit a company with dirty toilets, they won’t do business with them. They say that if a boss can’t even take care of something as simple as a toilet, how can he take care of their business?”
To build a credible LinkedIn profile
Being a creator on LinkedIn is no different from using other social media platforms — constant updates are essential. A profile must be kept current, as the platform functions like a digital business card for many professionals.
That is the beauty of LinkedIn: when presented in the best professional manner, a visitor is often convinced at first glance.
“Everything on your profile reflects who you are — your photo, your cover photo, what you write in your profile, and what you share in your posts. All of these attract people to your profile. That’s how I’ve secured business opportunities throughout the year. Most collaborations came because of how I wrote my content,” she revealed.
On her profile, Lim often shares the toilets she visits, her travels, the people she meets, and the epiphanies she experiences. An inspiring personality overall, her posts often highlight the human side of life, offering candid reflections that resonate with followers.
To create interesting content
Asked for tips on content creation, Lim stressed the importance of keeping it as human as possible. “Any boring content can be interesting if you humanise it from your own perspective. Instead of copying 100 per cent from AI, you can use it for ideation. But never rely entirely on AI for content because it doesn’t know how you actually think.”
Reading through Lim’s LinkedIn posts, the 39-year-old frequently sprinkles in Manglish slang, embracing her Malaysian identity. To her, this is an important way to connect with readers and make her content relatable. “When the content relates to people, they want to read more.”
True to her natural personality, Lim neither pretends nor puts on a facade. She believes inauthenticity is what drives people away. At times, she even leaves a typo uncorrected, saying she wants her readers to understand that nobody is perfect.
“But people don’t usually notice a typo. It doesn’t really matter whether it sounds professional or not, because at the end of the day, what matters is that you’ve sent your message across and your readers understand it.”
“Still, this is how I brand my personality. Other content creators will have their own styles, and that’s perfectly fine,” she added.
With that, Lim’s journey is a reminder that content creation isn’t about glossy perfection, but about authenticity, courage, and the ability to find meaning in everyday encounters — even in a toilet. When we dare to embrace who we truly are and share it with the world, doors of opportunity open.
