Open For Business

This week we chat with arts and crafts entrepreneur Jib Chanawangsa, the founder of Knit by Jib - an online platform that teaches people Knit and Crochet. We learn about Jib's background as a research scientist before she struck off on her entrepreneurial journey and how the scientific method has impacted her creative workflow. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Failing Forward features real-life stories from entrepreneurs who have failed and are stronger for it. On this episode, CEO of  Juris Tech See Wai Hun shares the many struggles the fintech company has experienced in growing their team over the last two decades, and the successful strategies they have in place today thanks to those struggles. C lick here for more episodes of Failing Forward.&n...

Having dominated the market on their home turf in South America, Workana is now committed to solving talent issues and addressing talent gaps for Southeast Asian Businesses and have made Malaysia their SEA base.  Since the move to Malaysia in April 2019, they have seen a steady growth in terms of recruiting over 100,000 freelancers within the SEA region and a majority of them coming from Mala...

Filoxenía Hospitality Management was established by veteran hoteliers Michael and Leonard to help hospitality owners achieve consistent financial and operational results. They talk to us about providing tailored hospitality consultancy for independent hotels in the region, the struggles these smaller players face, as well as their quest to raise the level of Malaysian hospitality here in th...

According to Michael Folk, head of Projects and Business Development at Airestec, the way we clean and service our air conditioners is all wrong. Not only do conventional solutions fail to clean out essential parts, it also corrodes the hardware and creates pollution as a byproduct. We speak to Michael about the challenges of marketing his eco-friendly products, “green awareness” in th...

Although nowadays the acronym “DIY” is mainly known as a shorthand for intricate bento boxes on Pinterest, the “do-it-yourself” mentality started in the world of home improvement in the 1910s. Closer to home and the present day, MR.D.I.Y. has gone from a standalone hardware store along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman in 2005, to having 1000 outlets 15 years later in 2020. Andy Ch...

In this episode, we chat with Erick Prince, travel journalist and founder of Minority Nomad. Eric dives into how he built his skillset and ways he maintsains his creative work process while traveling full time around the world. Find out how in this episode of Beyond Performance on BFM. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The term 'artisinal' gets thrown around a lot, and the definition has changed somewhat over the last few years. Some would argue that it doesn't carry the weight that real craftsmanship deserves. Frankitas produce unique designer pieces, each handcrafted by some of the most skilled artisans in the region.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

OYO is the world’s fastest growing company & the world’s 6th largest chain of operated hotels, homes, managed living and work spaces. OYO's properties include more than 23,000+ hotels in 800+ cities in 18 countries around the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2007, Calveen Chou founded My Ride, a company that quickly became the first car-care brand in Malaysia to be awarded “Franchisor” status by the Malaysian Franchise Association. With a surge, and subsequent decline, of franchised outlets in the Klang Valley, My Ride’s way of doing business is an interesting case study within the car-care space. We speak to Calveen about tacklin...

Joseph Sun and his partners established Noodle Shack some 10 years ago with the aim of sharing their favourite childhood comfort food, Pan Mee with all of Kuala Lumpur. Today, Noodle Shack serves some 30,000 customers every month, despite only operating out of three shopping malls. We speak to Joseph about franchising, instagrammability, and thriving in the mall scene during what many call the ``R...

I n this  episode we chat with Fiona Chin, she is a KL based attorney who is also and entrepreneur and co-founder of IGL coatings. Fiona discusses how she balances life as an attorney, co-founder of a global startup and being a mom to two young kids. She discusses the importance of building a strong team and using the right tools to make everything work.    See omnystudio.com/listen...

Refill Houz are a small startup company with a driven passion to reduce plastic waste. Their ambition is that people will reuse all the bottles used for cleaning instead of throwing it away after single-use. They provide Delivery Service of Cleaning Products via a Refill Method. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysian entrepreneur Jeen Low is revolutionising the glitter industry in Europe with her sustainable alternative to traditional glitter, Projekt Glitter. We speak to the KL-ite about the not-so-obvious challenges in creating, distributing and marketing a more eco-friendly product, and how the startup has led the charge in creating a future where everyone can enjoy glitter without the guilt. See...

In line with World Cancer Day, we speak to Malisse Tan, who moved from an 8-year stint at Meltwater to creating her own subscription-based sustainable period product company, BOBBLE and working as Chief Strategy Officer for the Academy for Corporate Entrepreneurship. She is currently 2 years in remission from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and she joins us to discuss her journey with cancer, as well as...

Many marketers don’t know where to begin and how to compete in creating effective marketing strategies. Jeevan Sahadevan joins us in the studio to provide a framework for thinking faster and sharper, using 3 questions to structure a great marketing campaign. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eksentrika are Malaysia’s first and only arts & culture content website of its kind because we cover diverse creative art forms. They’re also a breeding ground for young and budding (and also home to the old and humble) creatives who’ve been using Eksentrika to express themselves creatively. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we chat with Jonathan Seevaratnam The founder of KL Based Event Entertainment company Jiggee. Jon might have gotten his start as a clown, but he quickly turned that experience into an entertainment empire. Find out how in this episode of beyond performance on BFM. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever wondered what purpose the stickers on your fruits actually have? Turns out generally they’re just used for labelling, but Zhafri Zainudin, CEO, co-founder, and inventor of Stixfresh, has created a sticker designed to be the solution to fruit waste worldwide. He talks about expansion obstacles, crowdfunding success, and how a Seremban boy found himself a headquarters in Seattle....

Sparadise is an online platform that allows customers to book spa-level services at the comfort of their home. While having spa treatments on-demand sounds like a treat, it also needs careful planning and has its fair share of challenges. We speak to Hafiz Safie, founder and CEO of Sparadise, about the development and deployment of Sparadise, as well as plans to expand in the future.  See omn...

Jetspree is a cross-border shopping platform which connects buyers with travelers to purchase items from anywhere around the world. This allows you to have access to many different popular brands and products that are offered overseas but not available in Malaysia. They provide you a safe and convenient cross-border shopping platform by moderating transactions between shoppers and travelers. See o...

In this episode, we chat with Troy Ananthothai, the founder and CEO of the English Language EdTech company Globish. Troy was a film student at university but quickly realized that his true calling was to inspire and help others through education. That realization led to a drastic course correction that would ultimately lead to Troy founding Globish, going bankrupt and saving the company from the b...

DNA test kits are all the rage on social media today but do they really help you understand your genetic make-up and give you practical tips on how to lead a healthier life? We speak to Genecare, the first Medtech startup in Southeast Asia that focuses on Precision Preventive Healthcare, about utilising your genome report to prevent disease and lead a healthier life. See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

Al-Ikhsan Sports has grown from a single 150sqft store in Johor back in 1993, to almost 130 stores across the country today. The homegrown sports retailer, which is known for its competitive prices and wide range for its multi-branded products, is now steering aggressively to become one of the largest sports retailers in Southeast Asia. We speak to company CEO Vach Pillutla about their growth, and...

Al-Ikhsan Sports has grown from a single 150sqft store in Johor back in 1993, to almost 130 stores across the country today. The homegrown sports retailer, which is known for its competitive prices and wide range for its multi-branded products, is now steering aggressively to become one of the largest sports retailers in Southeast Asia. We speak to company CEO Vach Pillutla about their growth, and...