Hello Mentor is a show where we have raw conversations with successful individuals from various industries as they share their stories with all their ups and downs, along with practical advice, to help you succeed in your career.
Episodes
Friday Mar 18, 2022
Friday Mar 18, 2022
In this podcast episode, Jenn shared the importance of compassionate leadership in an organisation and the traits of a compassionate leader. She talks about making tough decisions and handling areas where business needs are in conflict with employee needs. Jenn shares some challenges of being a compassionate leader and how she handles instances where employees take this leadership style for granted.
To check out Wanderlust + Co and the previous episode as mentioned in the podcast, here are the links:
https://www.wanderlustandco.com/
https://www.instagram.com/wanderlustandco/
Jenn Low (@jennlow.wco) launched Wanderlust + Co (@wanderlustandco) in 2010. Today, Wanderlust + Co jewels have reached over 140 countries, with styles seen on some of the world's most influential women, from Jessica Alba, Bella Hadid, Khloe Kardashian, and many others. Inspired by their #WCOgirlgang, Jenn’s vision for Wanderlust + Co is to continue to create with care in the years to come. As a working mom with two young kids, Jenn is more committed than ever to sustainability and a mindful design process. “I’m personally really passionate about the symbolism of jewellery and how it fits into the modern woman’s everyday life.
If you enjoy the podcast, do leave us feedback on Apple Podcasts/ iTunes! It will help us understand our listeners better and help convince high profile guests to join us on the show.
Follow our host, Derek Toh:
Instagram: instagram.com/derektohc
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/derektoh
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Wednesday Jan 19, 2022
Wednesday Jan 19, 2022
In this podcast episode, Sean shares his first property purchase and how it happened. Sean talks about the top three factors to consider when buying a property in Malaysia and what kind of property should young Malaysians be looking for. Sean also shares common ruinous mistakes and investment advice for beginners that are looking to invest in real estate.
To check iherng’s Youtube channel as mentioned in the podcast, here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/c/Iherng
With the intention of funding his architectural studies overseas, SeanTan (aka iherng) started off as a real estate agent selling properties via online property portals online right after his graduation.
Personally, he bought his first investment property when he was only 23 and he never stopped since. Sean is on a mission to make a change to bridge the knowledge in real estate for young Malaysians. iherng is a (Youtube) channel for Sean to share his knowledge and experience that may not be easily accessible by the public.
His work of reviewing properties across Malaysia gained interest of many audiences where he aimed to educate and entertain. As a result, Sean is constantly being invited to collaborate with top tier developers and media houses numerous times as an industry expert, sharing his insights and findings after documenting more than 100 different properties.
Currently, Sean is both a Youtuber as well as a Brand and Marketing Manager for TheMakeoverGuys.
If you enjoy the podcast, do leave us feedback on Apple Podcasts/ iTunes! It will help us understand our listeners better and help convince high profile guests to join us on the show.
Follow our host, Derek Toh:
Instagram: instagram.com/derektohc
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/derektoh
Follow Hello Mentor!: http://hiredly.com/hellomentor
Wednesday Dec 08, 2021
Wednesday Dec 08, 2021
In this podcast episode, Wai Ken shares the common ruinous mistakes a newbie diving into investments makes. He talks about how much money he would advise a beginner to allocate for investment and some common investing advice people should ignore. Wai Ken shares the success rate of earning returns based on the history in StashAway. At the end of the podcast, Wai Ken talks about the popularity and practicality of investing in Crypto currencies and NFTs.
To check StashAway as mentioned in the podcast, here is the link:
Wong Wai Ken, is StashAway Malaysia's Country Manager. Wai Ken has also accumulated asset management experience in the Investments division of Khazanah Nasional Berhad and Premium China Funds Management in Australia. He has gained capital markets experience at Affin Hwang Capital serving in both its Corporate Strategy and Equity Capital Markets departments. With Affin Hwang, he first played an instrumental role in the post-merger integration of the two investment banks. He later gained deals experience with the Equity Capital Markets team, and successfully helped list companies and raise equity on Bursa Malaysia. As Country Manager of StashAway Malaysia, he led the launch of the local business by establishing partnerships and marketing channels.
If you enjoy the podcast, do leave us feedback on Apple Podcasts/ iTunes! It will help us understand our listeners better and help convince high profile guests to join us on the show.
Follow our host, Derek Toh:
Instagram: instagram.com/derektohc
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/derektoh
Follow Hello Mentor!: http://hiredly.com/hellomentor
Thursday Nov 18, 2021
Thursday Nov 18, 2021
“Being in a startup is tough. People that want to join a startup might think you will free up your time and achieve financial freedom, but there is actually a lot of grind behind the scenes.” --- Advent Phang
In this podcast episode, Advent shares personal stories of his entrepreneurial journey with HealthMetrics. He talks about the differences between being a CTO in a tech startup and a corporate company. Advent shares the challenges faced and lessons learned when building a tech startup.
To check HealthMetrics as mentioned in the podcast, here is the link:
Advent Phang is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at HealthMetrics, the award-winning corporate healthcare solution. Advent has more than 14 years of experience as a software solutions architect for gaming, oil and gas, travel and insurance industry. Among his previous accolades include emerging as world champion with his team at the prestigious global AngelHack competition in San Francisco, USA. With all his experiences and achievements, Advent is committed to revolutionising and improving HealthMetrics’ services that comprise technology advancement and data security in providing the best solution to the clients.
If you enjoy the podcast, do leave us feedback on Apple Podcasts/ iTunes! It will help us understand our listeners better and help convince high profile guests to join us on the show.
Follow our host, Derek Toh:
Instagram: instagram.com/derektohc
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/derektoh
Follow Hello Mentor!: http://hiredly.com/hellomentor
Wednesday May 12, 2021
Wednesday May 12, 2021
“I grew up in a small town in Perak with barely internet access throughout my life because my parents were really strict with the internet. When I went to Melbourne, I was like ‘wow, people actually transact online and I’ve never thought about e-commerce or online business.’” --- Melvin Chee
In this podcast episode, Melvin shares personal stories of his entrepreneurial journey since 2014 back in Melbourne. He talks about how and why he started RPG back then in Melbourne and why he returned to Malaysia. He shares the biggest lesson learned over the years while building RPG and advice to young entrepreneurs who want to start a business.
To check out RPG as mentioned in the podcast, here is the link:
Melvin is the founder and CEO of RPG Commerce. RPG was established in 2017 in Melbourne, Australia with a clear mission: to build the largest number of DTC (direct-to-consumer) e-Commerce brands under its portfolio.
RPG Commerce has created brands like Eubi, Thousand Miles, Bottoms Lab, Comfort Republic, Montigo, Pocket Angel and more.
If you enjoy the podcast, do leave us feedback on Apple Podcasts/ iTunes! It will help us understand our listeners better and help convince high profile guests to join us on the show.
Follow our host, Derek Toh:
Instagram: instagram.com/derektohc
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/derektoh
Follow Hello Mentor!: http://wobbjobs.com/hellomentor
Thursday Apr 15, 2021
Thursday Apr 15, 2021
“One day, a book distributor from overseas approached us and said ‘Hey, we have some books to clear’. We tried selling all the books for RM8 and it just went crazy.” --- Andrew Yap
In this podcast episode, Andrew shares personal stories of how he started his entrepreneurial journey at 14 years old. Andrew talks about the Big Bad Wolf book sale and how he managed to sell books at such affordable prices. He shares the biggest challenges during the pandemic and how it has forced his company to grow stronger. He shares advice to people who want to start a reading habit as well as the future plans for Bookxcess and Big Bad Wolf.
To check out Book Excess and Big Bad Wolf as mentioned in the podcast, here are the links:
https://www.bookxcessonline.com/
As a self-made businessman, Andrew Yap, Managing Director of BookXcess, has built an alternative book empire from the ground up. For Andrew, accumulating profits is a distant goal to his personal desire to sell books at affordable prices, inculcate an enthusiasm for reading, especially among children, and raise the country's literacy level.
Yap is an ambitious risk-taker with a sharp eye for business, while his wife and partner, Jacqueline Ng, is the by-the-book, level-headed, strait-laced administrator. Together, the husband-and-wife team have made it their aim to make books more affordable and accessible to people worldwide.
Due to his love for cars, Yap started off operating a petrol kiosk and car workshop and was sourcing for car magazines when he chanced upon an opportunity to sell remainder books (brand new, overprinted books unsold by publishers) in a 500 sq ft bookstore in 2006, known as BookXcess.
Since then, BookXcess has grown by leaps and bounds, making a name for itself for providing English books across a variety of genres at 50% - 80% off regular prices. BookXcess opened its first outlet in Amcorp Mall in 2007 and has retail outlets at the Starling and Fahrenheit88. BookXcess has also been the organiser of the signature Big Bad Wolf Book Sale since 2009. Known as the World’s Biggest Book Sale, the event runs for 24 hours for up to 11 days, offering millions of books at unbeatable prices.
If you enjoy the podcast, do leave us feedback on Apple Podcasts/ iTunes! It will help us understand our listeners better and help convince high profile guests to join us on the show.
Follow our host, Derek Toh:
Instagram: instagram.com/derektohc
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/derektoh
Follow Hello Mentor!: http://wobbjobs.com/hellomentor
Wednesday Mar 24, 2021
Wednesday Mar 24, 2021
“I always knew that I wanted to start my own business at some point in time and I worked in corporate finance for about 10 years. In my eighth or ninth year, I was already itching to get out to try something on my own.” --- Edmund Tan
In this podcast episode, Edmund shares behind the scenes of Inside Scoop and how he started the company with his wife, Shiew Li. He speaks about challenges faced during MCO and they coped with the pandemic. He talks about the process of introducing a new ice cream flavor. Lastly, he gives advice to people from corporate backgrounds that are interested to be an entrepreneur.
To check out Inside Scoop as mentioned in the podcast, here are the links:
https://www.instagram.com/myinsidescoop/
Edmund Tan and his wife, Shiew Li are founders of Inside Scoop, the local artisanal ice cream brand. Edmund and Shiew Li were both working in the corporate world, Edmund was an investment banker while Shiew Li was an actuary. They noticed a gap in the market and decided to turn their passion for food into a business idea in 2013, which is now known as Inside Scoop.
Inside Scoop is well-known for their ice creams that incorporate distinctly Malaysian flavors such as cempedak, durian, and teh tarik. Their other popular offerings are buttermilk waffles and cakes. In this episode of our podcast, we have invited Edmund to learn more about the brand.
If you enjoy the podcast, do leave us feedback on Apple Podcasts/ iTunes! It will help us understand our listeners better and help convince high profile guests to join us on the show.
Follow our host, Derek Toh:
Instagram: instagram.com/derektohc
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/derektohFollow Hello Mentor!: http://wobbjobs.com/hellomentor
Wednesday Feb 24, 2021
Wednesday Feb 24, 2021
“I had a lot of free time during my last semester in University, so I decided to take orders for beauty products from overseas to Malaysia.” --- Adlina Nadirah
In this podcast episode, Adlina shares the story of why and how “Velvet Vanity” started. She talks about the advantages of being an indie cosmetics brand competing with the more established companies. She shares challenges unique to operating in the Malaysian beauty market and how she overcame the challenges. She talks about her future plans and her newest scarf line, Plush.
To check out Velvet Vanity Cosmetics and Plush as mentioned in the podcast, here are the links:
https://www.velvetvanitycosmetics.com/
https://www.instagram.com/plushscarves/
Adlina Nadirah (@adlinanadirah) is an architecture graduate and she is currently the founder and managing director of Velvet Vanity Cosmetics, a homegrown makeup brand established in 2016. Adlina has almost 5 years of experience running a beauty brand on e-commerce and she is passionate in branding, creativity as well as social media content.
If you enjoy the podcast, do leave us feedback on Apple Podcasts/ iTunes! It will help us understand our listeners better and help convince high profile guests to join us on the show.
Follow our host, Derek Toh:
Instagram: instagram.com/derektohc
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/derektoh
Follow Hello Mentor!: http://wobbjobs.com/hellomentor
Wednesday Feb 10, 2021
Wednesday Feb 10, 2021
“I got very sick and I was bedridden for 3 months. I was wondering ‘what on earth am I doing with my life? I’m so young to go through this.’” --- Goh Ai Ching
In this podcast episode, Ai Ching shares stories of how and why she started Piktochart. She talks about her working experience in corporate companies and how these experiences have changed her. She shares lessons learned over the years while building Piktochart and gives advice on building effective communication as well as useful interview advice.
To check out Piktochart as mentioned in the podcast, here is the link:
Ai Ching Goh started her professional career with a degree in Experimental Psychology and a media position at P&G. She quickly discovered her entrepreneurial spirit, and transitioned to a startup mindset. Ai Ching co-founded a web app, which turned into Piktochart, a visual communications tool that makes it easy to condense and consume information.
As a startup that operates from Penang, but serves over 18 million users globally, Ai Ching has taken an unconventional approach to growth. She goes against the grain of what the startup world teaches passionate entrepreneurs in areas including talent management, culture ”pruning" and bootstrapping.
If you enjoy the podcast, do leave us feedback on Apple Podcasts/ iTunes! It will help us understand our listeners better and help convince high profile guests to join us on the show.
Follow our host, Derek Toh:
Instagram: instagram.com/derektohc
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/derektoh
Follow Hello Mentor!: http://wobbjobs.com/hellomentor
Wednesday Dec 23, 2020
Wednesday Dec 23, 2020
“The biggest change was not being able to have photo shoots during the MCO. I have to expect that things may not happen but I’m very thankful that I still have opportunities and I’ve also pivoted.” --- Charis Ow
In this podcast episode, Charis shares personal stories about her career as a singer, host and content creator. She shares popular and less common advice that people should follow and advice that people should ignore. She talks about her future plans and her new venture that she has been working on.
To check out Charis’ Youtube channel as mentioned in the podcast, here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/user/charisowTV
Charis Ow (@charisow) is a singer, host, content creator and a soon-to-be entrepreneur. Charis is also known for her CharisowTV channel on Youtube. In 2017, Charis became the Head Mouseketeer of Malaysia’s Club Mickey Mouse.
Follow our host, Derek Toh:
Instagram: instagram.com/derektohc
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/derektoh