Tell Craig Your Story

Please welcome today's guest, 李彦漪Yanyi Li, also known as Jenny Li. Born in Shanghai, she studied in Vancouver, Canada, before postgraduate studies in Japan. She is the President of the Aijia Group and the founder and CEO of the White Tea Plain (Bai Cha Yuan) project in Anji, Zhejiang. Under her leadership, White Tea Plain has become one of China's most innovative rural revitalization projects,...

⚽The wait is over—the 2026 FIFA World Cup is finally here! On the eve of kick-off in Mexico, USA and Canada, I sit down with hardcore Leeds United and England fan Josh Pemberton to preview the biggest tournament in world football. We break down all 12 groups, discuss the main contenders and dark horses, and reveal our predictions for who will make it to the knockout stages. We also talk Italy's s...

🎙️ Part 2 – Josh Pemberton | Full Throttle – It's What The Fans Want In Part 2, Josh Pemberton joins me as we continue our track-by-track deep dive into the second half of Full Throttle's debut album, It's What The Fans Want. We discuss: 🎵 Josh's favourite song on the album 😂 The story behind All My Friends Have Slept With Ray and Ray's reaction to hearing it live for the first 🎸 Playing the so...

🎙️ Part 1 – Josh Pemberton (Full Throttle) The voice of Full Throttle, Josh Pemberton, joins me to celebrate the release of our band's debut album, It's What The Fans Want. We take a deep dive track-by-track into how the album was made, including: 🔥 Why it took so long to finally release the album 🎸 Previous attempts to record it 🎚️ Working with new producer Reed 😂 Hilarious studio stories and...

Part 2 – John Shanghai Singer, Author, Entrepreneur John moved to China in 2005 and became the Official MC and part of the management team at Shanghai's iconic Bar Rouge. In 2006, he launched Johnjamsession, a live music concept that became a key part of Shanghai's music scene and later partnered with the French Consulate's La Fête de la Musique. Beyond music, John managed Anar restaurant and co-f...

Part 1 – John Shanghai Singer: Author-Composer, Entertainer & Entrepreneur Born in Paris, John built an international music career before becoming a well-known figure in Shanghai’s nightlife and live music scene. From signing with major labels like Polygram/Universal and BMG-EMI to performing, producing music in New York, and launching the legendary “Johnjamsession” in Shanghai, John has lived...

🎙️ Episode 190 – Part 2: Alejandra Mendoza Welcome back to Tell Craig Your Story. In Part 2 of my conversation with Mexican entrepreneur Alejandra Mendoza, we dive into her bold decision to move to China and explore the powerful cultural exchange between Mexico and China. Alejandra shares insights into building her language business, her passion for communication, and practical tips for improving...

🎙️ Tell Craig Your Story — Episode 189 In Part 1 of this episode, we’re joined by Mexican entrepreneur Alejandra Mendoza, exploring her journey between Mexico and China — from her humble upbringing in Guadalajara to building a life abroad and navigating the real struggles of living in a foreign country, including language barriers, cultural differences, and starting over in a new environment. Alej...

🎙️ Donut Larsen — In Part 2 of Tell Craig Your Story, we continue our conversation with one of the most compelling new voices in American roots music Donut Larsen — rose from street performances to global attention through viral videos. His 2025 album Maybe blends Americana, blues, folk-punk, and modern country, delivering raw storytelling and deeply personal reflections. In this episode, we explo...

🎙️ Donut Larsen — (Part 1) Today on Tell Craig Your Story, we meet one of the most raw and authentic new voices in American roots music Donut Larsen — is an Americana, blues, and folk-punk artist from Birmingham, Alabama. After years of hitchhiking, riding freight trains, and performing on street corners across the country, his powerful voice and deeply personal songs have captured the attention o...

Today on Tell Craig Your Story, I’m joined by Fiony — a professional wrestler from Thailand who’s making serious waves across Asia. After building her reputation on the Thai wrestling scene, Fiony took a major step forward by signing with the China Wrestling Alliance (CWA) and stepping onto the international stage. We caught up backstage before her match at the Fight VGM Fight show at Phase Live H...

With the NRL 2026 season about to kick off in Las Vegas next month, I couldn’t think of a better person to welcome onto the podcast than Dean Smith. Born in Maitland, Australia, Dean is the host of the KTP Podcast, recorded live every Tuesday night from their studio, where they break down all things Rugby League. I was lucky enough to jump on the show last year and had an absolute blast. Beyond th...

🎉 Happy New Year and welcome to a new season of the Tell Craig Your Story podcast! Let’s kick off 2026 with our first guest, Chloe Trujillo. Chloe is a multidisciplinary artist, vocalist, and designer, best known as the frontwoman of the heavy alternative band BLVD OF EYES. She recently released her new single “Lies,”, showcasing her powerful vocals and emotionally driven song writing. Known for...

It’s an absolute honour to welcome Bernard (Barney) Haas from the Blue Man Group to the podcast. Barney was in Shanghai for a four-month residency, and I was lucky enough to attend one of the shows. I went in not knowing what to expect and came away completely blown away by the talent of the Blue Man Group performers — from drumming on bongos to create exploding paint, to catching marshmallows in...

Today on Tell Craig Your Story, I’m joined by Thomas Cleary — a writer, poet, comic creator, and radio storyteller whose journey has taken him from hospital radio and community airwaves in the UK to a creative life here in Shanghai. After losing his father during lockdown, Thomas began revaluating his life, which led him to write and self-publish a deeply personal short book titled Kelsey Left A M...

🎙️ Tell Craig Your Story – Episode 181 (Part 2) In Part 2 of my chat with Clint Lovering — front man of Damage Inc. (@damageincmetallica) — we get into the roots of Australia’s ultimate Metallica tribute band. Clint talks about how Damage Inc. was formed, the ups and downs of booking shows in the early days, and what it really takes to step into the shoes of James Hetfield. We dive into how the ba...

🎙️ Episode 180 – Part 1 “Today on Tell Craig Your Story, I’m thrilled to welcome Clint Lovering — front man of Damage Inc, Australia’s ultimate Metallica tribute band. For over 20 years, Clint and the band have brought Metallica’s music to life with passion and precision. Along the way, they’ve shared the stage with the Sydney Symphony, performed the Last Post on ANZAC Day, and even received a sho...

Episode 179 – Tell Craig Your Story Podcast | Billie Blue Blackstone In this episode, I sit down with the incredibly talented Billie Blue Blackstone, a Malaysian-American singer-songwriter who first rose to prominence as the frontwoman of Billie Blue & The Nowhere Men before stepping out on her own as a solo artist. We talk about her brand-new single “Persimmon Tree,” the creative process of r...

Episode 178 🎙️ Today on Tell Craig Your Story, I’m excited to welcome Hayley Zhao — editor, writer, and multimedia journalist with The World of Chinese. Hayley has a passion for bridging cultures through storytelling, whether it’s in print, podcasts, or multimedia projects. A graduate of Columbia Journalism School, her focus includes education, environmental reporting, and investigative journalism...

Today I’m joined by a truly incredible guest Luke Preece—an artist whose work you’ve probably seen even if you didn’t realise it. He’s a UK-based illustrator and art director, celebrated for blending the dark, powerful aesthetics of heavy metal with the imagination of science fiction and fantasy. Luke’s art has been commissioned by some of the biggest names in music and entertainment—Metallica, Sl...

🎙️ Episode 176 – Tell Craig Your Story This week, I’m joined by Qin Qin, author of the memoir Model Minority Gone Rogue. In this powerful and deeply personal story, Qin Qin reflects on navigating identity, cultural expectations, and the journey of breaking free from the “model minority” label. Born in China, now residing in Canberra Australia, Qin Qin shares her experiences growing up under the sh...

🎙️ Episode 175 – Tell Craig Your Story This week, I’m joined by Hope White, a dynamic midcourter for the Sydney Giants in the Suncorp Super Netball League. Born in Newcastle, Hope’s journey began at the Newcastle Netball Association before moving to the Central Coast Heart, where she developed under coaches Amber Cross. Her dedication led her to represent NSW and then Australia at U19 and U21 leve...

Episode [174] – Daria Vedenskaya (Fitness Coach, Zumba on the Bund) Please welcome to the podcast, Daria Vedenskaya, joining us all the way from Vladivostok, Russia. Daria studied in Shanghai, China, where she works as an Import-Export Agent. But her true passion lies in the world of fitness and personal training. She offers online classes as well as one-on-one personal coaching, tailoring each pr...

🎙️ Episode 173 – Gavin Malone (That Sound Podcast) Please welcome to the podcast Gavin Malone, co-host of That Sound Podcast based in Ireland. Gavin dives deep into album reviews, live concert experiences, and the latest news from the world of rock. We immediately connected over our mutual love for Metallica—a recurring theme in this episode. Gavin's recent podcast work includes reviewing iconic T...

Episode 172 – Xiaojiemen: China’s International Wrestling Influence In this episode, Craig sits down with Xiaojiemen, one of China’s most influential figures in the world of professional wrestling. Known for his dynamic presence on Bilibili—with over 34,000 followers and 11 million+ total views—Xiaojiemen has become a trailblazer in promoting and celebrating wrestling culture in China. We dive dee...