Max Chernov

In Dubai, I met Lucy. She’s from the UK and lived in several countries before moving to the UAE 13 years ago. Lucy shared whether Dubai is really as fake as some people think, what daily life looks like beyond Instagram millionaires, and why Dubai is amazing, but only for a specific type of people. Enjoy! TO START AND GROW YOUTUBE 🎬 Online workshop "YouTube Fast-Track to Views & Passive...

Meet Qi, born in China and now an American living in Singapore. In midlife, she made a career switch from the investment world in New York to mental health therapy in Singapore. I met with Qi to find out whether you really need to work hard to succeed in life, why scolding is so common in Singapore, and how to get rid of anxiety. Enjoy! TO START AND GROW YOUTUBE: 🎬 Online workshop "YouTube F...

I came to Dubai to meet Mallika, an Indian who’s been living in the UAE for the past two years and also works between London and Singapore. In Dubai, she sells luxury property to ultra-rich clients. Mallika shared why dating here can feel like business, what foreigners often misunderstand about the city, and the only right way to deal with Dubai billionaires. Enjoy! TO START AND GROW YOUTUBE 🎬 On...

Meet Professor Geoffrey Benjamin, a UK-born scientist who first came to Singapore in 1964. He is world-renowned for his research on the indigenous peoples of Malaysia and the languages of the Malay region. The professor shared where you can still find the real old Singapore, how Singlish shapes Singaporean identity, and why the American dream sounds fake to an anthropologist. Enjoy! LET'S BOOST OU...

I came to Dubai to understand what it’s really like and to challenge some of the world’s most common myths about it. Meet Alexander McNabb, a renowned British journalist, TV presenter, and writer who moved to the UAE 33 years ago. He shared whether Dubai is truly a safe place, what Western media gets wrong about it, and what the UAE offers that many Western democracies no longer do. Enjoy! LET'S B...

Meet Tony Tan, a Singaporean who moved to Thailand 14 years ago. In his youth, he was involved in the criminal world, used drugs, and served two sentences in Singapore’s prisons. But Tony managed to turn his life around — he earned a PhD in philosophy and founded two retreat centers to help addicts and people with mental health issues. He shared the biggest differences between life in Singapore an...

Meet Chris Winters, a multi-millionaire from the US who built a company with over 3,000 employees, but lost everything almost overnight. At the age of 41, he became homeless, obese, and broke, with no future. But one decision changed his life forever — he moved to Indonesia. He decided to give up his American passport and within the next few years he built a new multi-million-dollar empire while l...

I went to England to meet Ellen Chew, a Singaporean who’s lived in London for 20 years. During that time, she opened more than a dozen restaurants, including Singapulah, a place serving authentic Singaporean food in London. Ellen shared the main lesson moving from Singapore to the UK taught her, how she sees Singapore now after many years in London, and how life abroad reshaped her Singaporean ide...

Meet Bill Heinecke. Born in the US and raised in Bangkok, he started his first business at 17. Nobody trusted him, so he grew a beard, got married, and eventually built one of the largest hospitality empires in the world, with close to 100,000 employees. His company operates hotels in 60+ countries under luxury brands like Anantara, and franchises global food chains such as Burger King and Dairy Q...

Meet Marc Nicholson, a Canadian who lived in Europe, America, and Indonesia before settling in Singapore 22 years ago. He has a Singaporean wife and successfully runs the renowned 1880 private members' club. Marc shared his journey from hating to truly loving Singapore, his newfound appreciation for family values after living here, and the life-changing impact of his time in an Indonesian village....

Meet Anthony. Born in Hong Kong, he moved to the US at 9 and returned to China at 25 to work in investments. Now, he lives in Singapore, running a successful business. Anthony shared the key difference between life in Hong Kong and Singapore that most people overlook, the prejudices he faced as a Chinese person in the US, and the hidden risks expats should know before moving to Singapore. Enjoy! F...

Meet Wang Gungwu, a Singapore-based professor and world-renowned expert on Chinese history. He studied in the UK and has taught in Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia. The professor shared how Chinese history still shapes modern leaders’ thinking, how choosing between the American and Soviet models influenced China’s future, and why many Chinese accept fewer freedoms in exchange for stability and g...

Meet Hian Goh, a Singaporean entrepreneur who founded the Asian Food Channel and later sold it for $65 million. Today he runs a venture capital firm with a portfolio of nearly $1 billion. Hian shared whether Singapore can be a real bridge between America and China, why Singapore tends to be socialist on the inside but capitalist to the outside world, and how AI could make human relationships optio...

Meet John Dykes, a renowned sports television host and journalist. Born in England, he grew up in Hong Kong and later moved to Singapore in the late 90s. After decades of working with major global TV networks and world-famous athletes, he became a Singaporean citizen three years ago. John shared what made him swap a UK passport for a Singaporean one, why leaving Singapore makes him love it even mo...

Meet Leo Murray, an American who came to Hong Kong in 1964. Here, he married a Hong Kong wife, flew as a volunteer pilot with the Hong Kong Police, and climbed all the steep mountains across the city. Leo shared why Hong Kong still feels full of energy, the biggest advantage of city life there, and how owning less can make life feel richer. Enjoy! Follow for new episodes every week. Watch the epis...

Meet Mike Rowse, the first foreign Hong Kong government official to become a citizen of China. Born into a low-class family in England, he left home at 23 and traveled around Asia by boat until, in 1972, he arrived in Hong Kong to start a new life. Since then, he went from journalism to fighting corruption at the government level and later even helped bring the first Disneyland in Asia to Hong Kon...

Meet Claire Chiang, who grew up in a small flat in Singapore with her five older brothers. Today she’s the cofounder of Banyan Tree, part of a group with 15,000 employees operating hotels and resorts in 26 countries. Claire shared the principal differences between Singapore and Hong Kong, the biggest challenges Singapore could face in the future, and what Westerners misunderstand about the Singapo...

Meet Qi , a US citizen born in China , who studied at Stanford University and worked in New York’s finance industry . Six years ago, she made a bold decision — moving to Singapore and leaving her investment career behind to become a mental health therapist . In this conversation, Qi opens up about: • Why she feels genuinely happy in Singapore • How the country’s political system compares to Europe...

Meet Jeff Goldberg , an American film director who has lived in India for nearly 15 years, where he runs his own acting studio in Mumbai. In this conversation, Jeff shares an insider’s perspective on life in India — beyond stereotypes and Western media clichés. He talks about: • The biggest misconceptions Americans have about India • How to truly understand Indian culture if you’re not from there...

Meet Richard Turrin , a best-selling American economist who has lived in China for over 15 years. After working across Europe and Singapore , Richard now shares his front-row perspective on China’s rapid transformation and the global AI race . In this conversation, he reveals: • Why Shanghai feels safer than many Western cities • Who’s really leading the AI space race — China or the US • Whether t...

Meet Donald Klip , an American entrepreneur and long-time Singapore resident whose company has closed over $1 billion in deals . A dual citizen of the US and Hong Kong , Donald shares how he built wealth by leveraging AI and automation in business — and what that means for the future of work. In this conversation, he explains: • Why Singapore is evolving faster than Hong Kong • How to actually mak...

Ho Kwon Ping is the founder of Banyan Tree Group , a global hospitality brand with 15,000 employees across 26 countries. Born in Hong Kong, raised in Bangkok, and educated in Taiwan, he’s now one of Singapore’s most respected entrepreneurs —but his path wasn’t easy. He went from being a Stanford dropout and political detainee in Singapore to dining with Lee Kuan Yew and teaching at top universitie...

Meet Mohan Murjani , the man who turned jeans into fashion and helped launch Tommy Hilfiger . After building a billion-dollar empire, he left the U.S. and chose Thailand as his forever home. In this conversation, he shares the idea that made him $500M , how he once jammed with the Beatles , and why he believes Phuket is the most special place in Asia. Watch the episodes on YouTube: https://www.you...