Crazy Smart Asia

“Go where the opportunity is, even if it scares you,” says Ramona Pascual, who was Hong Kong’s first and only female UFC fighter, on the Crazy Smart Asia podcast. In conversation with Tatler Gen. T’s Chong Seow Wei, she shares what it takes to fight in the UFC, why you should never underestimate a good night’s sleep and dealing with life-changing curve balls. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

“ Do whatever the hell you want. That, to me, is really being an auntie,” shares architect turned AI artist, Niceaunties, on the Crazy Smart Asia podcast. In conversation with Tatler Gen. T’s Chong Seow Wei, Niceaunties shares why she was compelled to create an AI art world celebrating and interrogating everything auntie, the creative potential of human-AI partnerships and the harshest thing an au...

“It starts with a question. It starts with curiosity,” says Huiyi Lin, one half of the artistic duo Chow and Lin, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen. T's Chong Seow Wei, the economist turned MoMa-celebrated artist shares insights on how to create a legacy, how growing up both rich and poor shaped her outlook and why she’s a stickler for facts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

“People were shocked when I told them that there was a time during Covid, before we founded Green Rebel, where we had a cash reserve that could last us only a week,” says Green Rebel and Burgreens co-founder and CEO Helga Angelina Tjahjadi, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen. T’s Chong Seow Wei, the double plant-based business entrepreneur shares how she went from pandemic nightmare to...

"The first generation builds the family business, second generation consolidates it, third one destroys it,” says Nepalese business mogul and philanthropist Binod Chaudhary on Crazy Smart Asia. With his son and successor Nirvana, he spoke to Tatler Asia president Tamara Lamunière about navigating relationships as a business family, how to have those awkward succession planning chats and trusting y...

“I washed my face with a bar of soap,” says Charlotte Cho, the founder of K-beauty marketplace Soko Glam and skincare brand Then I Met You, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen. T's Chong Seow Wei, the OG K-beauty entrepreneur explains how to centre your work in the Korean art of “ Jeong ”, the VC trap founders must beware of and secrets from inside the beauty industry. Hosted on Acast. S...

“In F&B, we love to torture ourselves. But with the pain comes the joy of serving people, seeing people smile while eating their food,” says Chin Ren Yi, the co-founder of MyBurgerLab, a popular burger chain in Malaysia known for its local flavours and charcoal buns, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen. T's Chong Seow Wei, the entrepreneur shares his insights for longevity in his ind...

“Maybe your concept of entrepreneurship doesn’t have to be those of Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk,” says Louise Mabulo, the founder of The Cacao Project, a restorative agroforestry initiative, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen. T's Chong Seow Wei, the entrepreneur, farmer and chef shares how she went from Masterchef Junior to TED Talk speaker to bringing pride back to farming in Asia....

This week, we pick out five inspiring quotes from the seventh season of Crazy Smart Asia to help you build a better world, better business or better you. Listen for a quickfire highlights reel of crazy-smart perspectives from our guests—from a record-breaking powerlifter to a heel-wearing Japanese monk. If you enjoyed these short clips, why not go back and listen to the full episodes:  The re...

“I never really thought cooking was my thing,” says culinary anthropologist Nithiya Laila, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen. T's Chong Seow Wei, Laila shares how she’s built a business around communal eating, how the produce we grow and eat tells the story of who we are and the surprising reason she played truant at school. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I really believe in the power of small steps. That discipline has been key in achieving certain things in my life,” says Christine-Amour Levar, the Singapore-based founder of NGOs Women on a Mission and Her Planet Earth, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen. T's Chong Seow Wei, the avid mountaineer shares how her divorce reconnected her with nature, why her mother calls her a “little ant...

“I might be homosexual, but it does not matter. Anybody can be enlightened,” says Japanese author, Buddhist monk and LGBTQ+ icon Kodo Nishimura, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen. T's Chong Seow Wei, Nishimura shares his journey growing up queer in a temple, how to build your uniqueness into a brand and why he’s got love for Sailor Moon, Drew Barrymore and Super Mario. Hosted on Acast....

“If you want to be first rate at your work, it can't be all that you are,” says Rachel Lim, the co-founder of multimillion-dollar fashion brand Love Bonito, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen. T's Chong Seow Wei, Lim shares how she’s built Singapore’s fastest-growing fashion brand, why timing is everything when it comes to having difficult conversations, and why an email titled ‘A Cry f...

“If your creativity is not solving a problem, it’s not creative,” says world-renowned chef André Chiang, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with restaurateur Syed Asim Hussain of Black Sheep and food and travel editor Johannes Pong, he shares the less glamorous realities of running a restaurant empire, why creativity is an essential tool for innovation, and how to motivate and manage your teams....

“Being that stubborn and committed to a cause can take you really far,” says three-time record-breaking powerlifter Farhanna Farid, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen. T’s Chong Seow Wei, Farhanna shares the moment she discovered her knack for powerlifting, why her ultimate goal is to be a competitive “silver lifter” at 70 years old and how the psychological benefits of lifting are empo...

“There's a growing interest for investors to put their money where their heart is,” says Dorothy Lam, the co-founder and chief catalyst officer of Dream Impact, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen. T’s Chong Seow Wei, Lam shares why building a community isn’t as easy as it looks, how she went from NYC art student to impact investing founder, and navigating the thorny road of investment m...

"I have to train my mind just as much as my body, because it's like a muscle, it needs to be prepared for the competition," says Nicol David, a record-breaking squash champion, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen. T's Sean Fitzpatrick, David shares the visualisation techniques she uses to secure gold medals, why the mind is just as much a muscle as the body, and how she’s setting up a Ma...

This week, we’ve picked out five inspiring quotes from the latest season of Crazy Smart Asia to help you build a better world, a better business, or even just a better you. Listen for a quickfire highlights reel of crazy-smart perspectives from our guests, with Tatler Gen. T’s Chong Seow Wei. If you enjoyed these short clips, why not go back and listen to the full episodes:  Living under a lo...

“To build a great business, you need to tackle a problem,” says YouTube co-founder Steve Chen in conversation with fellow tech legend Patrick Grove, co-founder and CEO of Catcha Group, on Crazy Smart Asia. The duo speak with 14-year-old youth tech advocate and AI researcher, Zara Khanna, about the disruptor’s blueprint, why they’d take an A-plus hustle over a B-plus business plan any day and what...

Technology can democratise personal well-being, says sextech advisor and investor Maaike Steinebach and sex coach, sexologist and educator at Sarasense, Sara Tang, on Tatler Gen. T’s Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Unsensible’s co-founder Karis Cheng, the pair share their mission to make the world more sex-positive, the growing popularity of audio erotica and the cringeworthy sex-ed lessons...

"We have no time to doubt ourselves," says Malaysian biofuels industry trailblazer, Vinesh Sinha, the founder and CEO of FatHopes Energy on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen. T's former regional head Lee Williamson, Sinha shares how one Top Gear episode inspired him to get started, how he’s scaling a circular economy business using a 90/10 approach and the unexpected plastic surgery waste...

“If you don't show fear, truly, honestly; they back up,” says Mahbouba Seraj, a women’s rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Tatler Gen. T’s Tamara Lamuniere, Seraj shares why she refuses to leave Afghanistan, what happens when you’re forced to fight for what you believe in, and why we must let up in the fight for the freedom and autonomy of wome...

“What is success? For me, it's something that we can truly enjoy during our lives,” says Juan Pablo Escobar, now known as Sebastián Marroquín, the son of the notorious politician, criminal and cartel leader, Pablo Escobar, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen. T’s Lee Williamson, Marroquín shares how to step out of your father’s shadow to redefine your legacy, the power of choosing your o...

“When you’re sleep deprived and you have a bad diet, you’re half dead,” says the tech billionaire biohacking his body and mind in pursuit of immortality, Blueprint founder Bryan Johnson, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen. T’s Lee Williamson, Johnson shares why being an unhealthy entrepreneur is holding you back, how his anti-ageing regimen has lowered his biological age by 31 years, an...

This week, we’ve picked out five inspiring quotes from the latest episodes of Crazy Smart Asia to help you build a better world, a better business, or even just a better you. Listen for a quickfire highlights reel of crazy-smart perspectives from our guests, with Tatler Gen. T’s Lee Williamson. If you enjoyed these short clips, why not go back and listen to the full episodes:  The fisherman’s...