So This Is My Why
A podcast featuring inspiring people about their journey to discovering and living their "WHY" or purpose in life. With your host & producer, Ling Yah, we deep dive into everything from finances to dealing with doubts and setbacks, and how to forge an unconventional career from ground zero! Expect to hear from entrepreneurs, artists, journalists, musicians, Hollywood actresses, VC founders and more.
Episodes
Documenting Ungoogle-able Malaysian Stories to 138k followers | Shi Han, co-founder of Human Edition
What happens when you trade a stable corporate job in Singapore for a gap year for a tropical island? That’s what Shi Han Pang did at 25.Since then, she’s best known for being the co-founder of Human Edition, a storytelling platform that has captured the hearts of over 138k followers by documenting the hidden, un-Googleable stories of Malaysia and beyond.Shi Han takes us through her journey - from
$106,241/year from 8 income streams?! - Rachel How (UX/UI Designer)
Rachel How is one of Malaysia’s top UX/UI designer - entirely self-taught - with a huge 330k following she’s built over the last 4+ years!But finding her path wasn’t easy.She quit law school after 2 months because it wasn’t for her.Worked 10 different odd jobs - including as a body lotion rep & real estate agent - to figure out her interests.Her realisation: She enjoyed designing property post
Pinn Yang: How He Built A RM75 Million Media Empire & What Drives Him [CEO, Foodie Media Berhad]
Meet Lim Pinn Yang, co-founder of Foodie Media Berhad - IPOing today at a RM70 million valuation!He once sold woks at the morning market with his dad, scored 1A in SPM exam and earned $0.20/day from his 1st blogBut he’d always dreamt of being a “business entrepreneur”.And today, his dream comes true.That little blog he started in 2016 has turned into a 46M+ follower digital media empire. And just
🎬 I Built Rotten Tomatoes... for Jackie Chan (& nearly collapsed) | Senh Duong (Co-Founder, Rotten Tomatoes)
When Vietnamese refugee Senh Duong fled after the fall of Saigon, he could never have imagined he’d one day co-found one of the most influential movie sites in the world - Rotten Tomatoes.A kid who grew up on Hong Kong kung fu flicks, Senh was obsessed with Jackie Chan. So when Jackie tried to break into Hollywood again, Senh went looking for honest reviews... But couldn’t find any. Every critic s
Ep 153: From Being Told to "SHUT UP" to RM150+ million in 5 years?! | Hui Jing Lee, Co-Founder of Bila-Bila Mart
Hui Jing’s life reads like a TVB drama.Her mum was forced to be the sole provider for the family after her dad landed them in bad debt. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Hui Jing understood the importance of money & joined the work force young - at the below-legal age of 15 - for a mediocre RM4/hour.It wasn’t easy.But it kickstarted a series of jobs that saw her go from working as at McDonald’s to The B
Ep 152.2: Art World's Greatest Conman Escaped the Mafia & FBI Using This Tactic?! | Ken Perenyi
We're back with Part 2 with Ken Perenyi, arguably one of the art world's greatest and most successful conman?!In Part 1 of Ken's STIMY interview (do check it out if you haven't already done so), we covered his journey including how he first launched his art forgery 'career' (hint: it involves a broken bathroom that crashed through the ceiling to the restaurant below!).In Pa
Ep 152.1: Art World's Greatest Con Man: How Ken Sold Fake Art For Millions & Escaped the Mafia & FBI!
Would you break the law if it made you a multimillionaire?That’s what happened with Ken Perenyi - one of the most “successful” art forgers in the world.His works have been sold all over the world, including in Christie’s and Sotheby’s, with one painting going for as high as $717,000!He was also close friends with Roy Cohn - the notorious lawyer who helped Trump enter the New York market. The Indep
Ep 151: There is NO Joy in Film Production 😫 | Jared Lee (Founder, The Grim Film)
Imagine growing up in a hair salon.Being thrown out of the house and sleeping in an abandoned cupboard.Being bullied in school and almost failing SPM.But knowing deep down inside that you love storytelling.You just… don’t know what that means.And how to make that dream a reality.That was Jared Lee - one of Malaysia’s most famous YouTubers and the founder of the award-winning production house, Grim
Ep 150.2: I committed career suicide?! | Jonathan Mildenhall (ex-CMO, Airbnb & ex-SVP, Coca-Cola)
Jonathan Mildenhall is the former Managing Director of TBWA, SVP of the Coca-Cola Company, first CMO at Airbnb and Independent Board Member at Peloton Interactive, Co-Founder of TwentyFirstCenturyBrand and current Chief Marketing Officer at Rocket Companies.And we are back this week with Part 2 of our interview with Jonathan.Last week, we dove deep into his childhood growing up & how everythin
Ep 150.1: I was the poster child at Coca-Cola... | Jonathan Mildenhall (ex-CMO, Airbnb & ex-SVP, Coca-Cola)
Jonathan Mildenhall is the former Managing Director of TBWA, Senior Vice President of the Coca-Cola Company, first CMO at Airbnb and Independent Board Member at Peloton Interactive, Co-Founder of TwentyFirstCenturyBrand and current Chief Marketing Officer at Rocket Companies.In other words, someone at the very top of the marketing industry. Who was once treated as an experiment.Growing up in Leed,
Ep 149: This Is Not Going to Work! | Rodney Wong (CEO, Munchy's)
Rodney Wong is the CEO of Munchy's, one of the largest Malaysia-based snack food manufacturer with presence in over 60 countries globally.Which makes him the Willy Wonka of Malaysia!And he's had quite the varied career.From tobacco to Coca-Cola, Petronas and now the world of snacks and sweets, Rodney is testimony to the fact that we all need to take charge of our own career and personal de
Ep 148.2: The Impossible Game + Scared of Wives Club?! - Dato Sri Idris Jala [Chairman, PEMANDU]
We're back with Part 2 with Dato' Sri Idris Jala - the former CEO of Malaysia Airlines, Managing Director of Shell Sri Lanka and Senator & Minister in the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Office, and current Chairman of PEMANDU.In Part 1 of this So This Is My Why feature, we delved into his tribal origins, how becoming top of his class was a matter of life and death, and his journey to becom
Ep 148.1: "I Wrote the Cockiest Letter!" | Dato' Sri Idris Jala (Chairman, PEMANDU)
When Dato Sri Idris Jala became the Managing Director of Shell Sri Lanka, he wasn’t expecting to hold the country on ransom.The Sri Lanka unit had already experienced 27 years of continuous losses when he took over. And on Day 1, what Idris had to handle was: bombs strapped to his depot, the kidnapping of his transport manager, a major labour strike and…Threatening letters sent by a professional s
Ep 147: "I landed the dream job because my dog was sick!" | Arthur Kiong (CEO, Far East Hospitality)
When Arthur Kiong, CEO of Far East Hospitality, failed his A Levels, he thought his life was pretty much over.His dad even told him, "I’m sorry, you had your shot but you missed it" and in Arthur's own words, "I was lost and I was discouraged and I was in a great deal of pain and despair."Arthur ended up selling slimming products on the streets because it was the only job he co
Ep 146.2: Waiting to Die + We Don't Have to be that Woke?! | Woon Tai Ho (Founder of Channel News Asia & Author)
“When people say it’s ok, I don’t need a family, I don’t need a partner, I say bullshit.”Woon Tai Ho is most known for being the founder of Channel News Asia & author of prolific books like the trilogy by George Yeo (Singapore’s former foreign minister). But has the success been worth it?What are some of his biggest regrets in life?In Part 1 (which you should listen to if you haven’t), we expl
Ep 146.1: I didn't know I was poor! | Woon Tai Ho (Channel NewsAsia founder & Bestselling Author - George Yeo trilogy, Soul of Ink, Riot Green)
Growing up, Woon Tai Ho - Channel NewsAsia founder & Bestselling Author of books like the George Yeo trilogy, Soul of Ink, Riot Green- didn’t know he was poor.Until he invited his friends over and was asked questions like:❓ Where’s your phone?❓ Where’s your sofa?None of which he had.Which made him realise that actually, he was pretty poor. 😅 But he was never ashamed of it.When his sister invit
Ep 145: Are You a Masochistic Book Lover? | Kenny Chan (ex-diplomat & ex-Senior Director at Kinokuniya Book Stores (Asia Pacific))
“Are you a masochist?”“Do you love books that much?”If you want to be a bookseller, than those are the questions you need to ask yourself - according to Kenny Chan, the former Senior Director at Kinokuniya Book Stores (Asia Pacific) - he spent ~20 years of his career there prior to his retirement!But prior to bookseller, Kenny was a foreign diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore, wh
Ep 144: Going viral with 500k following as an Italian Chef | Gero DiMaria Mohammed Omar (Kucina)
Gero DiMaria knows what it means to go truly viral.He's an Italian chef & owner of Kucina - Singapore's first authentic halal food restaurant. But he's also a bona fide Italian culinary superstar with over 500k followers on social media - 256k on Instagram & 252.6k on TikTok!He took the world by storm with his recent series of viral reels on choosing the best pasta/cheeses in g
Ep 143: Becoming Singapore’s 1st Professional Adventurer - You Never too Old to Take Risks! | Khoo Swee Chiow
Would you die for your passion?Most wouldn’t but for 58-year-old Swee Chiow, Singapore’s first professional adventurer, it’s a question he must face every day.And it all began when he caught a glimpse of Mount Everest from a plane.He was working in IT (Singapore Airlines) then, but he decided from that one glimpse that he wanted to climb Mount Everest - a dream that took him a mere 10 years to ach
Ep 142: I've Done Something Many Haven't Had the Opportunity to Do | Lucas Lu (Head of Zoom Asia)
Meet Lucas Lu - Head of Zoom Asia.And also a fellow Sarawakian!Lucas has had an illustrious career going from GM of Systems Technology Group at IBM Malaysia where they closed large deals within the first 6 months, leading to Lucas winning ASEAN Rookie of the Year - his first big recognition.He ended up staying at IBM for 10 years and won 2 Global Golden Circle Award before moving on to become:Gene
ICYMI: The 6 Powerful Women in the Room - Jacqueline Novogratz, Lydia Fenet, Nicole Quinn, Pink Pencil Math etc
This episode is a compilation of 6 of the most powerful women featured on the So This Is My Why podcast, discussing the milestones that led them on their journey to successEp 124: Jacqueline Novogratz Jacqueline is the founder & CEO of Acumen - a non-profit global venture capital fund that aims to use entrepreneurial approaches to address global poverty. As the OG of impact investing, she shar
Ep 141: Inheriting a 100-year-old family business | Fong (Co-Owner, Tong Heng)
Sponsor: Descript - an AI-enabled software that makes it possible to edit weekly videos efficiently because it transcribes a 1.5 hour interview in 1 minute - and allows all editing to be done via the transcript! To find out more: https://www.descript.com/?lmref=sjT9JA * It’s not every day that you get to inherit a 100-year-old family business, but that’s exactly what Fong Wai Kheng has done.Fong i
Ep 140.2: The Secret to Picking F&B Winners & Winning Michelin Stars | Loh Lik Peng (Founder & CEO, Unlisted Collection)
Hey STIMIES! Welcome back to Part 2 of the So This Is My Why Podcast with Loh Lik Peng - CEO & Founder of Unlisted Collection.In Part 1, we covered Lik Peng’s journey from wanting to become a doctor (just like his parents) to becoming a commercial litigator and purchasing his first hotel property: Hotel 1929.The property that kickstarted his crazy career pivot. But the F&B industry is a to
Ep 140.1: The No-Nonsense 'Lucky' Hotelier?! | Loh Lik Peng (Founder, Unlisted Collection)
Want to know how a lawyer became a successful hotelier with 40 hotels & 9 Michelin-starred restaurants in Singapore, London, Ireland, Shanghai & Sydney?!Look no further than today’s STIMY guest: Loh Lik Peng, the founder of Unlisted Collection.Lik Peng grew up expecting to be a doctor, like his parents. But ended up practising as a commercial litigator for 3 years.During that time, the wor
Ep 139: Sneak Peek - Singapore Subseries!
It’s finally happening!The launch of STIMY’s special Singapore subseries.Where you’ll be hearing from a range of fascinating Singaporeans/Singapore-based tech leaders, entrepreneurs, and daredevil adventurers on how they’ve built their careers, their journey in finding their why and the legacy that they want to leave behind (if any!).We ran the whole gamut: the media broadcasting space, F&B (w
Ep 138: I Don't Believe in Prince & Princess Journalists - Steve Chao [x2 Emmy-nominated investigative journalist & Al-Jazeera Senior War Reporter]
Steve Chao was just a kid from Toronto who loved reading encyclopaedias. Who later chose a career that would lead him to the middle of opium fields during harvest time surrounded by hundreds of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.Just another “day in the life” of his career as a x2 Emmy-nominated and multiple award-winning investigative journalist and filmmaker who’s led programming for the likes of C
Ep 137: Stupid to call myself a coach! | Simon Alexander Ong (Bestselling Author, Coach, Keynote Speaker & Business Strategist)
Simon Alexander Ong grew up often feeling like he didn’t fit in.Which is weird when you look at his CV: He graduated from LSE before going to work at Lehman Brothers (until it fell into administration) then a hedge fund as a junior trader.Along the way, he attended a 2-day coaching seminar that transformed the way he saw coaching and kickstarted his journey into becoming a bestselling author, inte
Ep 136: I don't want to hang out with famous influencers because… [Prestine Davekhaw, Founder of MalaysianPAYGAP & Disappearing Jobs]
Prestine Davekhaw knows how much you earn.Thanks to a viral IG platform she launched called MalaysianPAYGAP, where she has Malaysians anonymously submit [payslip verified] details about their job, including:Their salary + benefits (if any)How they landed that jobThe realities of doing their jobAdvice for those wanting to do the sameSo you can see why people are obsessed with MPG. 😉But what about t
Ep 135: Final day of 2023?!
It's the final day of 2023!So I'm doing a solo episode where I answer questions that you've sent in.I hope you enjoy this episode and find it helpful.Also, if you've been following STIMY and would like to support what's happening here, please do leave a rating and review.It truly makes a difference in spreading the word about this podcast!💌 Weekly STIMY Newsletter on the art of
Ep 134: Build Your Why - STIMY Updates, Highlights & A Special Offer?!
Welcome to STIMY Ep 134!Today, you have the pleasure of hanging out with me. 😉What we'll cover today:What I've been up to in October (8 STIMY in-person interviews in Singapore), November (first conference panel & personal branding client wins) and December (6 STIMY interviews)I'm also in the midst of prepping for a new course!Tentatively titled "Build Your Why".It's bas
Ep 133: If It’s Easy, It Must Be A Scam + Hunting for 100 Cockroaches?! | Adlin Yusman (Managing Director, Endeavor Malaysia)
Adlin Yusman, Managing Director of Endeavor Malaysia, will work for anyone he’s hired.A huge contrast to when he began his entrepreneurial journey with the mentality of, “I pay you a salary, you work for me and you do as I say.”Which, as you can imagine, created quite a lot of issues.That said, Adlin has had an eventful life. One that’s sprinkled with a generous serving of failures and spooky occu
Ep 132: The Inside Scoop on Asia's $30 Million Media Empire | Terence Lee, Editor-In-Chief at Tech in Asia
Who's got the juiciest gossip on startups these days?Well.The journalists, of course!And today, we have Terence Lee - Editor-in-Chief at Tech in Asia - to share the inside scoop on their organisation (TIA just sold for a reported $30 Million to Singapore Press Holdings!).Fun Fact: Terence Lee really didn't want his position. He's an introvert & does not consider himself a natural l
Ep 131. Becoming The Greatest Professional Prankster - Charlie Todd [Founder, Improv Everywhere]
Meet Charlie Todd - a professional prankster & also the founder of Improv Everywhere (a New York City-based prank collective with a twist!).Rather than pranks that embarrass people, Improv Everywhere organises large-scale pranks that create chaos & lots of joy in public.The kind of thing that’d make you go, “You’ll never believe what just happened!”E.g. ✨ A bunch of strangers ride the subw
Ep 130: Breaking into Hollywood - coz Asians Take Sh*t Very Well?! | Alvin Wee (Grammy, CAS & Golden Horse Award-Winning Music Mixer, Encanto)
Meet Alvin Wee: Grammy, CAS & Golden Horse Award winning music mixer from Kuching (now based in LA)!You might've heard some of his work:🔸 Disney's Encanto - it won the Grammy!🔸 "Loyal, Brave & True" - sung by Christina Aguilera in Mulan🔸 Top Gun: Maverick - with Hans Zimmer🔸 Kung Fu Panda 3🔸 Kingsman Series🔸 "Arena Cahaya" - sung by Zee Avi🔸 Video games like Final F
Ep 129: Bringing Moulin Rouge & Abandoned Warehouses to Life?! | Fabien Riggall (Founder, Secret Cinema)
What does it take to bring a movie to life & have the general public participant as actual characters in said movie?!You need only ask Fabien Riggall - founder of Future Shots and Secret Cinema.Fabien has always loved films and began his career working as a runner before becoming an assistant producer of short films.In 2003, he set up Future Shorts: A series of mini pop-up film festivals that
Ep 128: The Bamboo SWAT Team | Ewe Jin Low (Founder, TENTEN & Better Bamboo Buildings)
Imagine spending 30 years working as an architect.Then deciding to uproot your entire life from the UK to move to Bali to work in a new field of architecture - bamboo!Because that's exactly what Ewe Jin Low.When he made the big move to Bali, he worked as Lead architect at IBUKU covering buildings like the Green School and in 2018, began his own bamboo journey by founding his own bamboo archite
Hey STIMIES! Here's a special September check-in
Whoops. We've been gone for the past few weeks.It's been hectic here at STIMY - securing new guests in Singapore while prepping for 2 exciting guests that we'll be recording in person this week.So rather than a new episode, I'm experimenting with this new, short solo episode where you'll get updates from me on what it's like running STIMY the podcast & STIMY the person
Ep 127: Pain Makes Us Grow | Alejandro Navia (Co-Founder & President, nft now)
Alejandro Navia is the co-founder and President of nft now, the premier source of NFT content and analysis. As an advisor, coach, and early supporter of web3 and the creator economy, Alejandro has helped numerous founders and creators scale their communities and raise over $92MM in funding.Prior to NFT Now, he held leadership positions at startups and enterprises in AI, aerospace, and media, inclu
Ep 126: Rejecting $200k for the Pathless Path?! | Paul Millerd (Solopreneur, Author & Podcaster)
How do you: 😳 Reject a $200k/year paycheck?😳 Blow your life up in a systematic way?😳 And build a pathless path for yourself?Paul Millerd - former McKinsey consultant (aka the Lean Guy) turned solopreneur, author and podcaster - would know, because he did just that. And along the way, wrote a book called the Pathless Path, which has since sold over 20k!At the time of our recording, I was just about
Ep 125: From Building NASA Launch Pads to 1.9 Million TikTok Followers?! | Tanya Zakowich (Founder, Pink Pencil Math)
It takes guts to quit your job.But what if it was NASA? BOEING? Or Elon Musk’s Hyperloop One?!Because that’s exactly what Tanya Zakowich did.Tanya grew up with a fascination for space & like most kids, she wanted to be an astronaut.But unlike many, that fascination held even when she grew up, which is why she ended up studying mechanical engineering at Columbia.An internship in India helped he
Ep 124: More Than One Way to Live | Jacqueline Novogratz (Founder & CEO, Acumen)
Jacqueline Novogratz is the founder & CEO of Acumen - a non-profit global venture capital fund that aims to use entrepreneurial approaches to address global poverty. She was also born for crisis.As the OG of impact investing, her impressive list of accolades include:One of the World’s 100 Greatest Living Business Minds 2017 by ForbesForbes 400 Lifetime Achievement Award for Social Entrepreneur
Ep 123: Regret What You Tried, Not What You Gave Up On | Dr. Giovanna Graziosi Casimiro (Ex-Metaverse Producer, Decentraland Foundation)
Dr. Giovanna Graziosi Casimiro has had a unique career. She is the current Head of Production at Phygicode and former Metaverse Producer at Decentraland Foundation and Head of Metaverse Fashion Week. She has more than a decade of experience in digital design and the XR industry and also serves as a mentor at MIT during their Hacking Arts 2016-2018, and as a Senior Professor at SENAC University Cen
Tribute: The King of Singapore | Adrian Tan (President, Singapore Law Society)
Yesterday, we lost the King of Singapore.I never had the privilege of meeting him, but a year ago, I sent a cheeky email to Adrian Tan asking if he’d share his life story on the So This Is My Why podcast.In a true spirit of generosity, he said yes.And we spoke for over 2 hours! 🤯Podcast hosts shouldn’t have favourites but… Adrian was one of my favourites. It is true.Today, Adrian’s episode has bee
Help! I Wanna Quit My Job ASAP! | Peter Yong aka Mr Money TV (153k YouTube subscribers)
Welcome to a special Questions from the Audience episode with Peter Yong aka Mr Money TV - one of the top personal finance YouTubers in the region.In this episode, we feature questions that came from you! Which include Peter's own co-founders & staff.If you haven't done so already, do check out Episode 122 Parts 1 & 2 to learn more about Peter's journey from being a replacement
Ep 122 Part 2: I Am NOT Your Father! | Peter Yong aka Mr Money TV, the 7-figure YouTube Businessman
What does it take to build a 7-figure YouTube business on personal finance?Peter Yong aka Mr Money TV spills the tea on STIMY Episode 122 Part 2.That includes telling us:Why he tells all his staff, "I am not your father!"Why he hires 5, works 10 & pays 8;How he creates a moat around himself;How he's built his personal brand;Why his staff actively tell him to NOT hire more staff!Why
Ep 122 Part 1: The Replacement Son Who Refuses to Drive a Porsche?! | Peter Yong (aka Mr MoneyTV the Personal Finance YouTuber)
Hey STIMIES!It’s time to meet the Replacement Son who refuses to drive a Porsche: Peter Yong aka Mr Money TV.One of Malaysia’s most beloved personal finance YouTubers with 153k subscribers!It’s one thing to start another YouTube channel; quite another to turn it into a thriving 7-figure business in Southeast Asia, but Peter has done just that. And today, we dive deep & personal, touching on th
Ep 121: I'm OK, Man! | Dr Ong Kian Ming (Former Deputy Minister of Malaysia's Ministry of Investment, Trade & Industry)
❓What is it like becoming a Deputy Minister in a government that’s never been in power before?❓What was the relationship really like between Malaysia’s then Prime Minister & Deputy Prime Minister, Mahathir & Anuar?❓How does one pick a constituency and why even politics in the first place when you can make good money as a BCG consultant?If you haven’t already guessed it, today’s STIMY guest
Ep 120: 40 Secs to Win & The Power of Psychotic Obsession | Apolo Ohno (Most Decorated US Winter Olympian with 8 Olympic Medals & 21 World Championships)
Apolo Ohno has won 8 Olympic medals & 21 World Championship medals, which makes him the most decorated US Winter Olympian in history!He was the state champion swimmer at age 13 & national speed skating champion at age 14, but it was short track speed skating that really caught his eye.Because to him, they were like Superman!After 6 months of training, Apolo won the 1997 US Championships. H
Ep 119: Building a Global Media Empire | Justin Byam Shaw (Chairman, ESI Media - Evening Standard & the Independent; Founder, Felix Project)
Entrepreneurs must be ruthless, obsessive and willing to cut corners.Something that Justin Byam Shaw, Chairman of ESI Media, would know.He co-owns (alongside Evgeny Lebedev) the Evening Standard & the Independent, and also co-founded the Felix Project - one of the biggest food redistribution charities in the UK!If you've ever been in London, you'll notice the Evening Standard lying aro
Ep 118: The Uncharismatic Leader We All NEED | Chen Chow Yeoh (Co-Founder, Fave & KFit)
Not everyone has to be a Steve Jobs.The charismatic, big picture, visionary leader that everyone gravitates towards.We also have (and need) those who execute.Who double down on the nitty gritty and ensure that things actually get done. And wellWhich brings me to today's STIMY guest: Chen Chow Yeoh.Speak to anyone in the Southeast Asian startup scene and they'll likely have heard of Chen Ch
Ep 117: From an Intervention by the Pope to Overhauling the US Financial System, SVB, Signature Bank & Trumplestilkin | Barney Frank (former US Congressman, Chairman of the US Financial Services Committee)
Former US Congressman Barney Frank has been described by the New York Times as "one of the people most responsible for overhauling financial regulation after the 2008 economic crisis".Little surprise, given that this acerbic politician was:🔥 Member of the US House of Representatives (1981 - 2013)🔥 Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee (2007 - 2011); and🔥 Lead co-sponsor of the
Ep 116: The EPIC Life in Building Homes in 3 days?! | John-Son Oei (Founder & Chief Epic Officer, EPIC Collective)
John-Son Oei’s EPIC social enterprise was born out of guilt.This former Rain oppa lookalike (time to check out his photos! 😏) knew the importance of giving back. Wanted to give back. But never did. And it wasn’t as though he hadn’t dabbled many things in his life prior to graduation: He’d worked retail with Polo Ralph Lauren, did video production, was a fitness instructor & a Marshall at Camp
Ep 115: The Most Powerful Woman in the Room | Lydia Fenet (former Christie's Managing Director & Global Head of Strategic Partnerships and Most Powerful Woman in the Room
Lydia Fenet is the most powerful woman in the room.She has sold over $1 billion dollars for nonprofits globally alongside Elton John, Jason Bourne (aka Matt Bourne), Bruce Springsteen & every other big-name superstar you can think of.In 2018, she became Christie's Global Managing Director of Strategic Partnerships and has also:Been named one of New York’s most influential women by Gotham m
Ep 114: Confessions of a former opium addict & secret society member | Alvin Chiong (ex-convict, Triad Trail tour guide & chef)
Alvin Chiong's father was an opium addict.And as for Alvin:Age 7: Alvin's mother abandoned the familyAge 9: Started sniffing glue & joined the secret society to avoid being bulliedAge 14: Left school to follow his leader Age 18: Became hooked on heroin & couldn't hold down a job.Things came to a head in Thailand, where Alvin realised he needed to change his life around. But opi
Ep 113: How Do You Build a 200,000+ community in 3 years?! | Bryan Pham (Co-Founder, Asian Hustle Network, AHNF, AHN Ventures, Hate Is A Virus)
Everyone wants to start a community while Bryan Pham (with his co-founder, Maggie Chui) has grown a global community from 0 to 200,000+ in 3 years! 😱 #casualBest of all?It started as a “screw you” moment. 😅In all seriousness, Bryan is the founder of Asian Hustle Network (“AHN”), AHNF & AHN Ventures. And has had quite the unconventional journey:😮Bryan’s parents fled the Vietnam War & taught
SPECIAL: Questions from the Audience with Eric Sim (former Managing Director of UBS Investment Bank)
We've heard from Eric Sim all week.In Part 1, we learned about his journey from working at his father's prawn noodle hawker stall to becoming the Managing Director at UBS Investment Bank.In Part 2, Eric explains why he left it all behind, the importance of building a portfolio career, why LinkedIn & his secret to building a 2.9 million following on LinkedIn!In today's special episo
Ep 112 Part 2: How to Gain 2.9 MILLION LinkedIn Followers & Build a Second Career | Eric Sim (former Managing Director, UBS Investment Bank)
Eric had the world at his feet.He had gone from selling prawn noodles at his father's hawker stall in Singapore to becoming the Managing Director of UBS Investment Bank.So why did he throw it all away? 😱What comes after all that?For Eric, a lot more.He was constantly learning skills & combining them in unique ways. From learning to sail to video editing and becoming LinkedIn's top infl
Ep 112.1: Confessions of a hawker's son turned MD of UBS (with 2.9 million LinkedIn followers!) | Eric Sim (former Managing Director, UBS)
How does a shy boy with no social skills, who failed his mathematics & went to school smelling of prawns every day... become the Managing Director of UBS?Just ask Eric Sim.The truth is:❌ Eric didn't just fail his maths.He also failed his English Literature & History papers and had to work at his father's prawn noodle shop before going to school.❌ He bombed his first job in FX Sales
Ep 111: Building the hottest Southeast Asian Tech Startup Newsletter | Amanda Cua (Founder, Backscoop)
Amanda Cua is the founder of Backscoop: the hottest newsletter covering all things in the Southeast Asian startup industry.She’s only 20 years old but:Backscoop has already crossed 10,000 subscribers;Has attracted funding from Buko Ventures;Been featured on CNN; andHas moderated a Wild Digital firechat with Jaeson Ma of 88Rising & OP3N.All this - with no college degree.Who said COVID-19 pandem
Ep 110 Part 2: Where the hell is everybody?! | Ian Lee (Co-Founder, Syndicate; former Head of Crypto & Blockchain, Citi)
Welcome to Part 2 of Ian Lee's episode.In Part 2, we talked all about how we should measure our lives. How Ian Lee pivoted from art to design then investment banking and consulting. How cancer changed his life. Why we shouldn’t make 10 year long-term plans and instead, pursue the things that interest us most in 12-18 month increments & so much more!This episode, deals with all things web3.
Ep 110.1: How do you measure your life? | Ian Lee (Co-Founder, Syndicate & Former Head of Crypto & Blockchain, Citi)
Ian Lee is the co-founder of Syndicate: a decentralised investing protocol & social network by the likes of A16Z, IDEO, Kleiner Perkins, Uniswap, Coinbase, Opensea, circle & Ledger. He is also the former founding member of IDEO Colab and Head of crypto & blockchain at Citi.But before all that, he was an artist. Then a designer. Before pivoting into marketing & advertising, investme
Ep 109: From a £1.75 billion purchase of Lehman Brothers to Tony Blair & Web3 | Chrissy Hill (General Counsel, Parity Technologies)
If you want to hear from someone who: ❓Helped purchase Lehman Brothers (US) for £1.75 billion;❓Built out the equity practice in Europe for Barclays Capital;❓Worked for Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of the UK; and❓Now works as the General Counsel in a web3 company that builds core blockchain infrastructure?Then STIMY’s latest episode with Chrissy Hill, General Counsel at Parity Technologies
Ep 108: How To Build a 4.4 million YouTube following in Asia | Gerald Sebastian (co-founder, Kok Bisa)
It’s cool to be a YouTuber these days.But how do you go pro?What’s your life like?And how much do you earn?!To answer this over the Chinese New Year (hope everyone is feasting well!), we’ve got Gerald Sebastian - co-founder of Kok Bisa, which with 4.4 million subscribers makes them one of the biggest YouTubers in Asia!In this episode, we learn how Gerald ended up being a full-time YouTuber, how th
Ep 107: The Story Behind the Story - How a CNN Reporter Built Her Career | Michelle Toh (Writer & Reporter, CNN)
Michelle Toh is every Asian parents' dream child.She's ambitious.Has a strong sense of self.And will do whatever it takes to succeed - including cold pitching South China Morning Post & landing an internship in her teens!Her initial dream was to be in fashion (she's worked at/for Elite Model Management, Hearst Magazines & HuffPost too). Then she pivoted and ended up becoming:😮
ICYMI: Boys Like Clubs, Girls Like Secrets - Dr Robin Dunbar
ICYMI (in case you missed it) features some of my favourite moments from earlier STIMY episodes.Back in Episode 85, Dr Robin Dunbar (Emeritus Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at the University of Oxford) shares how the way boys & girls handle relationships are completely different.The relationships that boys have is a lot more casual and club-based. If we belong to the same club, then we&#
Ep 106: WTF? This is the best secret to unhappiness | Xav Desmet, Head of Digital Natives, Startups & Unicorns for Asia @ Zoom
Xavier Desmet is the Head of Digital Natives, Startups and Unicorns for Asia at Zoom.And in this episode, we talk about all:Tiger Mums (or for the French, “Jewish Mums”);Xav’s “WTF” moment when he realised that management consultancy wasn’t what he wanted to do with his life;His journey in the startup world and why he decided to leave Paris;Whether your life ends when you have kids;How words can c
Ep 105: Sneak Peek into the STIMY 2023 Lineup!
Welcome to the first STIMY episode of 2023!For the 105th episode, we're doing a little sneak peek into some of the upcoming episodes and as always, they're varied, but interesting.With tons of insights to apply into our own lives.We've got:Xav Desmet: Head of Digital Natives, Startups & Unicorn for Asia at ZoomFabien Riggall: Founder & Chief Creative Officer of Secret Cinema (h
Goodbye! 😱
Welcome to Ep 104 of the So This Is My Why Podcast and this is... Goodbye! 😱At least to 2022.This will be the last episode of 2022 because it's time for a break :)That said, I didn't want to sign off without sharing a little something about what STIMY has achieved, and also highlight some special moments from STIMY episodes this year. Featured STIMY guests include:Ep 103: Nicole Levinson -
Ep 103: The House of Yes | Nicole Levinson (Chief Marketing Officer, audo; Senior VP, Playboy Club New York)
Nicole Levinson is the House of Yes.And unafraid of forging her own path, which includes being: 🔥 Chief Marketing Officer, audo🔥 Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing and Partnerships for Playboy Club, New York🔥 Vice President of Marketing, North America for LVMHBut who is Nicole Levinson?Nicole is the child of Holocaust grandparent survivors.She began her career in Christie's, then Sotheby
Ep 102: Confessions of an Ex-Convict, Secret Society Member & Social Escort Business Owner | Notle Chew
Notle Chew grew up a Crazy Rich Asian. Who later ended up joining the Secret Society & running one of Singapore’s first social escort businesses (and a successful one at that!) for almost 7 years before he ended up in prison.Which, as you can tell, is not a story you’d normally find on STIMY. But also a story I’ve really wanted to have told.Because I believe that we can learn so much from peop
SPECIAL: Questions from the Audience - Adrian Tan (the King of Singapore)
Welcome to a special Questions from the Audience episode with Adrian Tan!Adrian Tan is STIMY's latest Ep 101 guest, i.e.the King of SingaporePresident of Singapore's Law SocietyPartner at TSMP Law CorporationProlific LinkedIn writerAnd several weeks ago, I asked on LinkedIn & Instagram whether any of you had questions for Adrian.Turns out, 5 of you did!And here, Adrian answers them all
Ep 101.2: The Return of the King of Singapore [Part 2] | Adrian Tan (President of Singapore's Law Society, LinkedIn Influener & Partner at TSMP Law Corporation)
Adrian Tan, the King of Singapore & ultimate Linkedin Influencer, is back with Part 2 (check out Part 1 in the previous episode)!Here, Adrian shares how his career developed as a lawyer, why he hated his time as a General Counsel, thinks that lawyers should be legal influencers, how his LinkedIn posts go so viral and more.Highlights:1:58 Embarrassed by his bestselling books5:59 The non-confron
Ep 101.1: The King of Singapore [Part 1] | Adrian Tan (President of Singapore's Law Society & Partner, TSMP Law Corporation)
The King of Singapore has spoken… to me! 😮His accolades are every Asian parent’s wet dream:👉🏻 President of Singapore’s Law Society;👉🏻 Partner at TSMP;👉🏻 Bestselling author of The Teenage Textbook & The Teenage Workbook, which were turned into a play, movie and TV series etc.; and👉🏻 LinkedIn writing extraordinaire (all his posts go viral & even hit the mainstream media headlines!)But who is
Ep 100: So Is This MY Why?! | ft Red Hong Yi (guest host) x Ling Yah
Welcome to STIMY’s 100th episode!In this landmark episode, Red Hong Yi (former STIMY Ep 2 guest) is back as the guest HOST!She brings the 🔥 & asks about my entire journey because since June 2020, STIMY has grown to:12k+ followers31k+ downloads35+ countries; A book offer; and 1 STIMY physical hangout. All in the span of 2+ years!!WOW. If you’ve ever been curious as to who I am, why I started ST
SPECIAL: Audience Questions - Davy Liu (former Disney Animator)
Welcome to STIMY's special Questions from the Audience episode!Remember Davy Liu, the former Disney animator from STIMY Ep 99?We collected some questions from you, dear listeners of STIMY, and had Davy answer them!To Nathan, Wei Choon & Josh Wong - thank you for being part of STIMY. :)0:24 At what point did Davy's parents change their mind about his profession as an artist?4:02 Thought
Ep 99: Life of a Former Disney #LionKing #Mulan #BeautyAndtheBeast Animator | Davy Liu (Former Disney Animator & Founder, Kendu Films)
Davy Liu is a Chinese Forrest Gump.He’s also a former Disney animator who’s worked on Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Aladdin, Mulan, Atlantis and Star Wars, and is the founder of Kendu Films.Fun Fact: General Shang in Mulan was drawn based off Davy! There's an uncanny likeness between both fo them.Now. Given Davy’s illustrious career, you would’ve thought that he’s had a smooth career tr
Ep 98: From Devil Wears Prada to Web3 High Fashion?! | Francine Ballard (Founder, Metagolden)
Devil Wears Prada is the closest thing I have to the world of high fashion.When I asked Francine Ballard how closely it mimicked reality, she said, “There is some truth to that.”And she should know.Francine Ballard has worked in the fashion industry for a while. She was the American Fashion Director at Time Inc (InStyle), Conde Nast (Lucky magazine), and PaperCity Magazine as Style Editor at Large
Ep 97: From Vaccine Research to Head of Strategic Projects in Asia | Jeremy Au (Chief of Staff & Head of Strategic Projects, Monk's Hill Ventures + Podcaster, BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast)
Jeremy Au is the Chief of Staff and Head of Strategic Projects at Monk’s Hill Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage tech companies, primarily Series A, in Southeast Asia. And is also the host of the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast!Prior to Monk’s Hill Ventures, Jeremy was CEO & Co-Founder of CozyKin, a VC-backed edtech startup, which was acquired by Higher Ground Educatio
ICYMI: Bullish about Generative Art (Art Blocks) - Zeneca 33
ICYMI: Zeneca 33, prolific NFT investor & thought leader (he has 300k Twitter followers!) was on STIMY.If you've ever seen some of Zeneca 33's works/writings, you'll know that he's very bullish about generative art: a type of NFT where the art is generated entirely from code.A particular generative art project that he loves?Art Blocks.We unpacked all that in Zeneca 33's Par
Ep 96: Being Mr Stingy | Aaron Tang (Blogger & Country Manager of Malaysia's First Regulated Crypto Exchange)
Aaron Tang is a popular Malaysian blogger known as Mr Stingy (on personal finance & career), and the Country Manager of Luno - Malaysia’s first regulated cryptocurrency exchange.In many ways, Aaron’s career has been dictated by his “maximizer personality” & desire to make the greatest use of the resources he had. This has resulted in some pretty ingenious moves, including a use of multiple
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