The Purpose Effect

Rozella Mahjhrin is a diversity, disability and body inclusivity advocate, TED X speaker, face of it Cosmetics and founder of the community platform True Complexion which celebrates difference and diversity in all its beauty.  Rozella has a nevus flammeus (birthmark) on her face and has endured bullying, unwanted comments and staring.  She has suffered with anxiety, an eating disorder and alcohol...

Izzana Salleh is a co-founder of the global NGO Project Girls4Girls, which aims to give young women the courage, vision and skills needed to take on public leadership.  She also leads the organisation's Malaysian chapter. We talk about how Project Girls4Girls was born, the cultural, institutional and political changes required for gender equity in leadership and why this conversation needs to...

Deborah Henry is a T.V host, model and founder of Fugee Org – a not for profit organization that provides education and vocational opportunities for refugee children and youth in Malaysia.   In 2009,  Deborah co-founded the Fugee School to provide maths and English tuition to 4 refugee children.  Fugee Org now encompasses not only the school, but also Fugeelah – a social enterprise jewellery brand...

Freda Liu is a broadcast interviewer, writer, speaker and futurist.  The thread that ties together these different skills and careers is communication and her desire to spread ideas that create impact.  We discuss whether curating portfolio careers make all of us, but particularly women, more resilient to the huge disruptions our work lives are going through;  what success looks like when we tear...

Min Lim is the Head of Production at Double Vision, one of Malaysia's largest independent production and media groups. She is also the showrunner behind television series such as Viu and HBO Asia’s adaptation of The Bridge and the reboot of 90s sitcom Kopitiam .  We talk about how to recognise a good story, what authentic representation of Asian stories and characters really looks like and th...

Malaysian comedian Luwita Hana Randhawa debuted her multimedia comedy show INTROVERT in Kuala Lumpur in 2020.  It was then accepted to be performed at the inaugural NYC Asian Comedy Festival in New York City.  However, the Covid 19 pandemic put an end to her plans to continue touring the show and she began creating a series of cringe-ing-ly funny videos for Instagram exploring the absurdity of Cov...

Sex and body positivity advocate Jasmine King is all for sexual empowerment in Southeast Asia.  On her platform @jasexplains, Jasmine discusses consent, sexual health and boundaries as well as busts common myths and misconceptions about sex and pleasure.  She also hosts her own podcast I Wish Someone Told Me, where she discusses all the questions or issues you might have been too shy to ask. Jasmi...

Aisha Preece is a side hustle coach and the founder of outandbeyond.com , a platform that provides coaching on how to make money online, save more and live life on your own terms.  In 2017, Aisha left a career in banking to find a way to live, work and earn remotely.  She has now replaced her banking income, has the freedom to live and work wherever she chooses and teaches others how they can achi...

Kylie Gates is a Transformational Coach as well as the Head Program Coach and Creative Director for Les Mills International.  A former dancer and athlete, she coaches and empowers Les Mills trainers as well as her own private clients, to reach their full potential.  She is also responsible for developing the Les Mills Advanced Training for Instructors Programme.  Kylie embodies a growth mindset an...

Racheal Kwacz is a child and family development specialist who, through her eponymous company Racheal Kwacz, works with with parents, educators, leaders and physicians in brain based and heart centred approaches to childcare, education and parenting.  Racheal also owns a retail store – RachealKate -  which stocks a beautifully curated selection of stationary and gifts for mums and littles.   Rache...

In the first season of The Purpose Effect, I've tried to collect as many dots as I can on how women who have transformed their lives into ones of Purpose are doing it.  In this Special Episode, I'm going though all of the conversations I have had so far to pick out the dots that I think will be most helpful in your own journey towards discovering, building and growing purpose in your own...

Emma Jory wants her clients to use movement to be happy and healthy.  She has over 18 years of experience coaching pilates through the studio she founded in Sydney - Emergy Pilates and now through her online coaching programmes at epilates online.   We talk about Emma's holistic approach to health and wellbeing, which starts with small bites of daily movement.  This encourages us to stay in t...

Joan Low left a banking career at JP Morgan to take on the challenge of making mental healthcare seamless and affordable.  A mental health caregiver herself,  Joan saw first hand the need for better mental health literacy, affordability and access in Asia.   As the Covid 19 pandemic and lockdowns around the world highlighted the importance of mental wellness, in late 2020, ThoughtFull launched the...

Tracy Minnoch-Nuku has done a lot of things throughout her career in fitness.  She is the co-founder of the Fire Station chain of fitness studios, was Asia Director for Les Mills Asia-Pacific and has consulted numerous gyms and fitness products on their courses and offerings. Since noticing the lack of space in the fitness industry for women of her 'vintage', Tracy is now focusing on wom...

Nina Ebsworth is a fertility guide based in Bali.  She uses coaching reiki, hypnotherapy and hypnosis to empower and support women through their fertile journeys.  Nina began this work after eight failed rounds of IVF, medical investigations, baby loss and heartbreak left her feeling completely disconnected and unable to recognise herself.  After a long journey of healing, Nina realised that emoti...

Nikola Hassan is the founder and managing director of Avant-X, a brand experience consultancy in Kuala Lumpur and a self-confessed branding and marketing geek.  She is also a fellow gemini, a storyteller and a woman with an insatiably inquisitive mind.  Nikola and I talk about the 'click factor' that tells her she is on the right path, why she focuses on goals over dreams and on achievin...

Shireen Olikh – A.K.A the Illuminated Psychologist, helps her clients become the highest versions of themselves.  We talk through the practical steps you can take to discover what the highest version of yourself looks like and how to stay on the course towards this once you’ve found it.   Shireen practices what she preaches.  Since starting her own practice only six months ago (and in the middle o...

Franki, founder and creator of Frankitas invites me to her new home away from home – Bungalow 18 by Frankitas.  Bungalow 18 was born by seizing an opportunity that originally didn't feel like an opportunity.  After needing to leave Frankitas older space, the Frankitas gallery, at short notice, Franki and her business partner Gaya decided to realise a dream 15 years in the making. Bungalow 18...

After being asked "What would you do if you could do anything?" Kylie Denis surprised herself by immediately answering "I would open a yoga studio and teach yoga every day".  This led her to establish Omology Yoga in 2017 and quickly grow a loyal community of students and teachers.  However, when the Covid Pandemic forced many fitness businesses to close their doors, Kylie laun...