Hello Mentor

Tho Leng-Lei took the “safe” road, LSE accounting, a Big Four desk, then private equity. It looked like success: stability, prestige, predictability. But behind spreadsheets and 2 a.m. audits, she felt herself slipping. The camaraderie was real, the exhaustion even more so, and the unspoken rule was simple: if you were still in the office at dawn, you were doing something right. When the pressure followed her into PE, dread became a daily alarm. Burnout and anxiety finally pushed her to pause for therapy, where she unpacked a lifetime of worth tied to achievement and learned that rest isn’t indulgence, it’s necessary.

From that turning point came Aloe Mind, her answer to making help easy. With RM5,000 and a simple website built in an afternoon, she set out to remove barriers: clear prices, easy booking, licensed therapists, Bahasa/English options, and the freedom to choose who you speak to. She then built the workplace she wished she had, flexible, humane, outcomes-focused because well-being should power performance, not the other way around. Today, Aloe Mind connects thousands of Malaysians to care with a few clicks, and Leng-Lei’s lesson lands softly but firmly: success isn’t climbing faster; it’s knowing when to stop, heal and build better.

🎙️ Watch the full episode on Hello Mentor to hear the full story (Link in Bio)

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Walking away from a stable, six-figure banking job wasn’t easy. After ten years in the industry, Veronica Chew didn’t leave because she had a perfect plan, she left because she chose happiness and purpose over a high paycheck. At 33, between lockdowns and long days of remote work, she began to question what really mattered. “I remember jogging at the park when it hit me,” she shared. “Happiness is more important.”

That thought changed everything. Being a banker, Veronica calculated her cash flow, it would last six months. And so, she took the leap. No grand business plan, just a side hustle she started back in 2016: Dainty Co, her online personalised leather gift brand. It was, as she puts it, “the scariest decision of my life,” but one that became the foundation of something far bigger than she imagined.

Dainty Co began as a small passion project serving individual customers online. But after a potential investor visit led her to rent a 400-square-foot studio and hire her first staff, an unexpected door opened, corporate gifting. During the pandemic, when human connection felt distant, companies began searching for meaningful ways to show appreciation. Veronica jumped in without hesitation, helping brands express gratitude through thoughtfully designed, personalised gifts.

From that point, Dainty Co’s story took flight. What began as solo fulfilment from home grew into a 1,800-square-foot shop office with a full team serving clients across Malaysia and Singapore. Today, Dainty Co is known for transforming simple gifts into messages of appreciation, joy, and connection, blending design, storytelling, and emotion in every box.

For Veronica, success isn’t just measured in revenue or recognition. It’s in the freedom to create, to lead with kindness, and to build something meaningful from the ground up. “This journey hasn’t been easy,” she reflects, “but it made me stronger, more grounded, and most importantly, happier.”

Catch her full story on the Hello Mentor Podcast, where Veronica shares how she rebuilt her life from burnout to business, turned a side hustle into a thriving brand, and found purpose through giving.

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Azran Osman-Rani is best known for taking AirAsia X from a bold idea to a household name. But after years at cruising altitude, he noticed a different turbulence across workplaces, stress, burnout, and lifestyle risks quietly chipping away at performance. That insight pulled him into a new cockpit: Naluri, the digital health company he co-founded to make mental well-being practical, measurable, and accessible for Malaysians and regional employers.

At AirAsia X, Azran learned to balance cost, scale, and customer experience with rigorous data. He brought the same operator’s discipline to health: if we can track on-time departures, why not track habits that improve sleep, stress, and nutrition? His mantra, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it” became Naluri’s north star, turning vague wellness efforts into programs with clear goals and visible outcomes.

Naluri blends behavioural science with a licensed care team, psychologists, coaches, dietitians delivered through an app that fits real life (Bahasa or English, after-hours, on the go). Individuals set goals, get nudges, and see progress; organisations see aggregated dashboards that link participation to risk-score improvements and productivity markers. In short: support that people actually use, and evidence leaders can stand behind.

Azran’s founder playbook is human, local, and repeatable: start small, build daily habits, measure what matters, remove stigma by design, and lead by example. For students, grads, and teams, his message is simple, proof beats promises. Want more? Tune in to our Hello Mentor Podcast episode with Azran Osman-Rani for the full story on how he turned aviation lessons into a blueprint for healthier, higher-performing workplaces.

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Jin Tan didn’t set out to “fix” education in one swing. He kept seeing the same problem, smart Malaysians finishing courses with certificates but nothing convincing to show a hiring manager. That gap pushed him to found ReSkills not as another content library, but as a founder’s answer: learn the way work actually happens, small steps, clear proof, tight feedback.

Jin’s edge is operator discipline. He talks to employers first, then designs backward. Years of observing real hiring taught him a few hard truths: recruiters have minutes, not hours, portfolios beat promises, clarity beats hype. As a founder, he turned those into rules, ship fast, listen harder, measure what matters.

Day to day, Jin is hands-on. He sits in learner check-ins, rewrites project briefs, and stress-tests interview tasks until they feel like real work. If something doesn’t help a candidate tell a sharper story in an interview, he cuts it. If a short Loom demo lands better than a long report, he flips the template for everyone. Progress must be visible.

Jin also builds for Malaysia’s realities. He pushes for BM and English options, evening/weekend cohorts, and projects that mirror local roles from ops dashboards to social content you could actually publish. He calls it “proof over promises,” but really it’s respect for how people live and learn here.

 

🎙️ Watch the full episode on Hello Mentor to hear the full story (Link in Bio)

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Walk into Fifty Tales in Sea Park, PJ, and you’ll taste a very Malaysian story told through noodles. The restaurant was founded and is helmed by three friends, Aaron Phua, Bimmy Soh, and Aaron Khor who each bring a distinct craft to the same bowl. Phua, a former National Barista Champion turned chef-restaurateur, leads the front-of-house energy and drinks program while bouncing in and out of the kitchen. Soh, a self-described dim sum zai, anchors fundamentals and operations. Khor, the chef-owner at the stoves, drives the kitchen’s pace and precision. Together, they’re the reason this “modern Malaysian noodle bar” has the heart of a kopitiam and the technique of a contemporary kitchen. 

Fifty Tales started as a small noodle bar in 2019 and grew into a full Malaysian Chinese restaurant in Sea Park. Noodles are still the star, but the menu now includes produce-led small plates, seasonal specials and comfort dishes inspired by local favourites. Flavours draw from Cantonese, Teochew, Hokkien, and Peranakan cooking, so each bowl feels nostalgic yet fresh, with cleaner, more focused execution. As Time Out KL says, it’s a modern noodle bar that honours its Chinese roots while speaking to today’s diners.

Fifty Tales’ rise has been fuelled not only by loyal neighbourhood regulars but also by smart collaborations, guest shifts and pop-ups with regional names from Bali to Singapore keeping the kitchen curious and the menu moving. That experimentation helps the team sharpen ideas before they land on your table. The founders’ lane discipline is part of the restaurant’s rhythm. Phua steers concept, noodles and drinks, Soh keeps the backbone steady across service and systems, Khor leads the line and culinary execution. It’s an arrangement that reads in the dining room as calm, confident service and in the bowl as focus.

In a city where comfort food is fiercely loved, Fifty Tales stands out for how it respects the past while cooking for the present. Three founders, many dialects, one through-line: thoughtful Malaysian food that eats like memory and finishes like craft.

🎙️ Watch the full episode on Hello Mentor to hear the full story (Link in Bio)

 

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Dododots started with a simple idea from Malaysian co-founders Ethan Wong and Esther Erin: if pimple patches help heal, they should also help you feel fine being seen. Instead of hiding blemishes, their fully coloured patches invite people to wear them proudly, cute, expressive, and effective.

 

The brand is playful with a purpose: acne care, minus the shame. What began as they are fixing their own “bad skin day” moments quickly clicked with Gen Z. Pop-ups, vending machines, and behind-the-scenes clips turned customers into a community and the founders keep that bond strong with random visits to retail stores, in-person chats, and high-touch social media engagement.

 

By showing the real work and the real skin, Ethan and Esther built trust one honest post at a time. On product, Dododots keeps levelling up. Standout launch: Dodoskin, a concealer pimple patch in multiple skin-tone shades that treats while blending in for class, meetings, or shoots. Practical, selfie-friendly, and true to the brand promise, effective skincare that fits real life. Momentum followed. Retail rollouts, collabs, and social virality pushed Dododots beyond a single SKU into a recognisable label on Malaysian shelves and feeds.

 

Today, the brand ships to and is stocked across 10+ countries, carrying the same message wherever it lands: be kind to your skin, and confident in your day. Ethan and Esther are still building in public, expanding shades and styles, testing new formats, and showing up where fans already hang out. Their customer playbook is simple: show up, listen, respond, iterate. The North Star remains the same: make acne care effective, expressive, and inclusive, so people can live, laugh

 

and show up, dot and all. 🎙️

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Malisse Tan is a Malaysian entrepreneur and mum whose life took a sharp turn in 2017. Just weeks after welcoming her first child, she was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She went through months of chemotherapy, shared her journey openly and came out of it determined to live and build with intention.

Today, Malisse is a mother of three and an advocate for living consciously. That identity sits alongside her work as a founder and career leader, her social profiles reflect the same three pillars she talks about often: family, health and meaningful work. 

Her cancer experience sparked the idea for BOBBLE, a Malaysian period-care brand focused on safer, eco-friendlier products. From organic cotton pads and tampons to biodegradable packaging, the brand is built around simple, transparent choices that feel better for the body and the planet. 

Beyond building products, Malisse uses media and community platforms to make conversations about periods and women’s health normal, practical and stigma-free. She speaks about materials, safety and period poverty in interviews and features. 

Alongside entrepreneurship, she serves as Director of Student Journey & the Career Development Office (CDO) at the Asia School of Business. There, she works with MBA students and employers on the skills, proof of work, and industry exposure that lead to real job outcomes, bringing the same values of clarity and care into career development.

At the heart of it, Malisse’s personal life and professional path point in the same direction: build helpful things, lift people up and keep the conversation honest whether that’s at home with her kids, in a classroom, or through a box of period care.

 

🎙️ Watch the full episode on Hello Mentor to hear the full story (Link in Bio)

 

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Jessica Chaw is the content-creator-turned-café entrepreneur behind Lilian’s Cake House, a mother–daughter brand cherished for its airy chiffon cakes, nostalgic interiors and soft-serve hospitality in Mont Kiara. Jessica runs the show day to day, her mum, Lilian, is the quiet maestro behind the bakes. What began as a home project during the 2020 MCO blossomed into a full-fledged café in March 2023, proof that a sweet idea, done simply and well, can travel far.

 

The playbook is disarmingly simple: use good ingredients, then make it beautiful. That’s why every slice is built on organic flour, omega-rich eggs, and absolutely no artificial flavouring or preservatives. The result? Cakes that taste clean, finish light, and never overwhelm. Signature favourites, Tsubaki Houjicha Chiffon, Earl Grey, Genmaicha, and Belgian Dark Chocolate, showcase a “light yet satisfying” style that invites a second forkful (and a third).

 

Step inside and it’s a love letter to retro charm, arched alcoves, gingham tables, checkerboard floors, Wes-Anderson-ish without trying too hard. It’s the kind of room where afternoon tea stretches into unhurried conversation, and where your camera roll quietly fills up before the first bite. Jessica’s creator roots power the brand beyond the pastry case. She documents the real grind of a small business, brings customers into launches and little parties, and keeps a friendly, consistent cadence across Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. That openness has turned first-time visitors into regularsand regulars into a community that shows up for more than cake.

 

Today, Lilian’s Cake House @ Society, Mont Kiara stands as a reminder that good ideas can start at home and scale with heart. It’s a café where comfort meets craft, where heritage sits beside whimsy, and where every plate is plated with intention.

 

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Edwin Wang is the co-founder and CEO of Signature Market, a Malaysian direct-to-consumer brand that began life in 2014 as “Signature Snack” with a simple mission: make healthy, natural products accessible and affordable. Co-founded with John Cheng, the company started online and grew by launching new products quickly, listening closely to customers, and pricing for everyday Malaysians.

 

Before Signature Market, Edwin spent two decades in tech and e-commerce (including an exit of everyday.com.my to LivingSocial) experience that shaped the company’s digital-first playbook: own the customer relationship, iterate fast, and ship value weekly.

 

What began with wholesome snacks has since expanded into a portfolio that touches daily life: Plant Origins (aromatherapy and personal care), pet and kids’ ranges, and fresh, better-for-you offerings like SlimJoy smoothies and soy Greek yogurt. The company’s ambition has long been to be the “Trader Joe’s of Southeast Asia”, a homegrown label known for constant, thoughtful innovation.

 

In October 2024, Signature Market (Signature Snack Sdn Bhd) became a Certified B Corporation, underscoring its push toward mindful, sustainable practices. As of that certification, the brand reported 1,000+ SKUs, 7 in-house brands, and a growing offline presence across 400+ retail points and 6 official stores in Malaysia, a notable evolution from its online-only beginnings.

 

Edwin’s philosophy extends beyond nutrition to “conscious living”, elevating physical, mental, and even spiritual well-being through everyday choices. That mindset guided the team through pandemic turbulence and continues to steer product and brand building today.

 

At its core, Signature Market is Edwin Wang’s experiment in scaling wellness without losing heart: listening to customers, iterating in public, and building a modern Malaysian FMCG brand that feels personal from pantry to self-care.

 

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Esther Tai is the co-founder of Machino, a fast-rising Malaysian footwear label built on one clear promise: style that never sacrifices comfort. Launched in 2020 with her sister, Amy, Machino took root during the pandemic and has since grown from a home operation into a beloved, community-driven brand. The name itself nods to Malaysia’s diversity, MAlay, CHinese, INdian, and Others, signalling the duo’s intent to celebrate local culture with every pair. 

Raised around a mumpreneur and guided by an uncle who runs a decades-old shoe factory, Esther turned a lifelong love of heels into a business with purpose. When jobs were scarce, she leaned on her marketing training and family know-how to learn shoemaking from the ground up, backed by a RM100,000 loan from her parents to get the brand off the ground. 

Machino’s point of view is simple: beauty shouldn’t be pain. Each pair is handcrafted by local shoemakers and built for all-day wear with thick, firm sponge insoles, part of a slow-fashion approach that favors quality, made-to-order runs over mass production. Their signature Hana collection, recognisable by its six-petal flower, became a breakout hit by pairing playful design with walk-all-day comfort. 

Culture sits at the heart of the brand. Machino regularly weaves Malaysian elements, batik, songket, Chinese brocade into modern silhouettes, and even shoots campaigns at local landmarks. It’s a love letter to home that also feels fresh on city streets. 

Growth has followed momentum. After early sell-outs around Raya and a move from their Puchong home base to a Petaling Jaya showroom, Machino opened a bigger flagship in SS18, Subang Jaya in 2025, designed for easier access and a more elevated in-store experience. Up next: a Kuala Lumpur mall presence and cross-border pop-ups, alongside new lines like Mini Machino and Machino Wellness.

Through it all, Esther’s leadership feels grounded and hands-on, reviving local shoemaking while building a brand women can truly live in. Machino’s rise isn’t just a retail story; it’s a blueprint for how Malaysian heritage, thoughtful design, and real comfort can scale together. 

 

🎙️ Watch the full episode on Hello Mentor to hear the full story (Link in Bio)

 

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