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 architecture firm TENTEN and Better Bamboo Buildings in 2020 - a platform that shares information and insigh...
Sep 25, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 128
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 personal branding company, as well as takeaways from some conversations that take place off air. In today's mini episode, I provi...
Sep 10, 2023•8 min•Ep. 128
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, including Verizon, where I led Strategy and Acquisitions, and Elite Daily, which I helped lead to a $50...
Aug 19, 2023•50 min•Ep. 127
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 to embark on my own Great Leap from the world of corporate law so as you can imagine, I slip...
Aug 05, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 126
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 her land a job at NASA, but she soon left for BOEING! Only to realise that at BOEING, she was jus...
Jul 31, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 125
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 Forbes Forbes 400 Lifetime Achievement Award for Social Entrepreneurship, 2016 The Resolution Project Champions Circle Award, 2016 Bloomberg Markets 50 Most Influent...
Jul 25, 2023•51 min•Ep. 124
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 Centre, a renowned public federal University in Brazil. For Giovanna, she believes that life is a short...
Jul 15, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 123
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 been rereleased as a tribute to him. It is the almost 💯 unedited version (minus the umm & ah...
Jul 09, 2023•2 hr 13 min•Ep. 123
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 child to abandoning his lucrative career (+ selling his BMW!) to go in to his YouTube business and all thing...
Jul 05, 2023•11 min•Ep. 122
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 his entire team knows the financials behind Mr Money TV; Working for free & getting equity?! His ...
Jul 01, 2023•58 min•Ep. 122
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 things like how: 🔥 Peter was born to be a replacement son, which severely affected his confidence ...
Jun 25, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 122
❓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 is Dr Ong Kian Ming aka imokman. He went from being a BCG consultant to a lecturer and policy an...
Jun 18, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 121
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. He was a shoo-in for the 1998 Winter Olympics but then... Apolo grew complacent. He self-sabotage...
Jun 11, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 120
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 around Tube stations. It's a 100% free quality newspaper and I'd always wondered - what does it take to ru...
May 21, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 119
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 well Which 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 Chow and have a tremendous amount of respect for him. He's an OG in the space: Co-Founder of Fave - on...
Apr 25, 2023•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 118
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 2010 Dodd-Frank Act - which introduced the greatest Wall Street reform in history. He hit the head...
Apr 16, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 117
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 5 (rock climbing) and even modeled (yes, you really want to see his photo now, don’t you? 😉). Yet...
Apr 09, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 116
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 magazine; Appeared in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar , Vanity Fair and Town & Country; Published 2 books (...
Apr 02, 2023•51 min•Ep. 115
Alvin Chiong's father was an opium addict. And as for Alvin: Age 7: Alvin's mother abandoned the family Age 9: Started sniffing glue & joined the secret society to avoid being bullied Age 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 opium addiction, while a choice, is not so easy to kick. And it took many, many halfway houses & attempts ...
Mar 26, 2023•51 min•Ep. 114
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! 😱 #casual Best 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 him that investments and business were taboo 😮He worked as a software engineer & realis...
Mar 19, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 113
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 episode, we asked Eric questions that came from YOU, the STIMY listeners! YOUR Questions to Eric: 1:10 Framework...
Mar 17, 2023•12 min•Ep. 112
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 influencer in both Singapore and China thanks to his 2.9 MILLION followers. In this Part 2, we dive into E...
Mar 15, 2023•43 min•Ep. 112
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 role at DBS Bank. ❌ He failed all his job interviews in London (which he attended wearing a chicken su...
Mar 13, 2023•46 min•Ep. 112
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; and Has moderated a Wild Digital firechat with Jaeson Ma of 88Rising & OP3N. All this - with no college degree. Who said COVID-19 pandemic projects can’t go far? 😉 But if you listen to this STIMY episode, you’ll soon realise tha...
Mar 05, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 111
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. From going into banking to being tasked with finding out about bitcoin, how he ended up being the Hea...
Mar 01, 2023•54 min•Ep. 110
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, investment banking and finally, consulting. Where he ended up being diagnosed with cancer. His world shrunk...
Feb 25, 2023•52 min•Ep. 110
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, is not one you want to miss! Chrissy shares her journey from South Carolina into the web3 spac...
Feb 12, 2023•43 min•Ep. 109
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 they’ve built Kok Bisa, the kind of content that goes viral, their monetisation strategy & so...
Jan 22, 2023•55 min•Ep. 108
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: 😮 the Hong Kong Editor of Fortune ; and 😮 writer & reporter at CNN Business Where she has: 🔥 hunted d...
Jan 16, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 107
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're friends. Whereas for girls? Well, girls need to be interacting with each other. Sharing secrets....
Jan 10, 2023•3 min•Ep. 85
