This week, we speak to James Cheo, banking veteran and my fellow LinkedIn Top Voice, about his career choices, approach to social media, and candid advice for working professionals.

James Cheo is the Chief Investment Officer, Southeast Asia for Private Banking and Wealth Management at HSBC. Prior to re-joining HSBC Private Banking, James was Senior Investment Strategist at Bank of Singapore, responsible for asset allocation and thematic research.

James has also served as Senior Economist at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, where he was part of the team that formulated policy actions for Singapore during the 2008 Global Financial Crisis.

With his knowledge and wealth of experience, his investment views are frequently sought after. James graduated with First Class Honours in Finance from Nanyang Technological University.

Follow James on LinkedIn here:

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-cheo-cfa-caia-frm-9677031/⁠

This week, Adrian Williams-Brett shares his wisdom on speaking in public with courage and authenticity, drawing on his experience from being in the performing arts for 30 years as an actor, director and trainer, and now working as a counsellor, facilitator, executive coach and voice coach.

Adrian is a Hoffman Process teacher and as a facilitator in presentation and communication skills with organisations across Asia-Pacific.

You can find out more about Adrian’s work from his website: https://www.bravespeaking.com.au/

This week, we have a fascinating guest on the pod - Anna Haotanto, the Founder of Zora Health and a passionate advocate for women's empowerment.

Anna's personal experiences with egg-freezing, PCOS and the challenges of fertility have fueled her mission to provide high-quality information, financing, and support to help women and couples navigate their fertility journeys with confidence.

Anna is also recognised for her achievements in finance, entrepreneurship, and women's empowerment, and you can follow her on ⁠Linkedin⁠ or ⁠Instagram⁠.

Resources:

https://zorahealth.co/ Zora Health is Asia’s leading fertility, reproductive and family health platform.

This week, I'm coming to you from Japan with 11 tips for how you can slow down and use a vacation to recharge and connect to your sense of deep joy. These techniques and tools can also be applied to your daily life, so have fun experimenting. Wishing you soulful adventures!

Show notes:

My Kyoto Photographer @rio.jportraiture

In this episode, Lennard Yeung, shares about how he overcame his “extreme introvert” tendencies to become one of the most well known Singapore content creators. We talk about his unconventional career from engineer to celebrity chef. In this episode, we discuss unconventional life choices and leaving the “safer path” behind, the courage to be different and to back yourself.

Lennard also shares his best advice for life, including cooking, health and mindset tips!

Follow Lennard at:

https://www.instagram.com/lennardy

https://www.tiktok.com/@lennardy

Coming to you on the road from Thailand, this week's ep is all about Crystal's insights from the start of 2025, how to do a monthly review, and some powerful small hacks and recommendations to change up your routine for more success, growth and productivity in 2025!

In this candid and engaging episode, I speak to Tjin Lee, a trailblazer in the luxury and lifestyle sector, who founded Mercury Integrated, an award-winning PR and marketing agency that was later acquired by Gusto Collective .

Tjin is not only an accomplished entrepreneur, but also a devoted mother and philanthropist, empowering women entrepreneurs through her not-for-profit social enterprise, CRIB.

Tjin is known for her frank views and engaging content, and can be found on Instagram at @tjinlee

One of my best friends Lisa is joining me on Comfort & Growth to share her life as a creative entrepreneur, fashion designer and founder of Lisa Von Tang. We talk about finding our way out of our "wilderness eras", learning valuable life lessons, empowerment and authenticity. We also share what we appreciate about being older and wiser, and our personal growth journey together!

Lisa Von Tang’s website

https://lisavontang.com/

Lisa’s favourite skincare

https://warew.it/products/trattamento-doppia-detersione

Find Lisa on Instagram at @myessentialself