Make It Work

From $2K Salary to Financial Independence: A Working Mom’s Playbook ft. SG Budget Babe | Ep 37

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

From saving $20,000 on a $2,000 salary to making work optional while raising two young boys, Dawn Fiona Cher—better known online as SG Budget Babe—has spent the last decade helping others take back control of their money and mindset. A mom, author, Director of Government Affairs , and financial educator, Dawn continues to work in both corporate and content creation—not because she has to, but because it fuels her purpose.

In this episode, I sit down with Dawn to talk about what it really takes to grow your wealth while juggling motherhood, ambition, and a life you actually want to live. She shares the turning point that made her chase financial freedom harder than ever (hint: it happened mid-breastfeeding), the unglamorous truth of building a side hustle, and how she successfully negotiated for flexibility at work after proving her worth.

Dawn opens up about how her own childhood struggles with money shaped her, why time-blocking (not 5AM routines) keeps her grounded, and the life lessons she’s deliberately modeling for her kids. Her practical, no-nonsense wisdom is a refreshing reminder that success isn’t about balance—it’s about clarity, discipline, and alignment.

In this energizing conversation, we explored:

📈 How Dawn reached financial independence in slightly over a decade (and still works by choice)

👶 The raw truth about managing work while mothering two young kids

🧠 Why “imposter syndrome” is actually a signpost—not a dead end

🗂️ How she schedules her chaotic week using time-blocking, not rigidity

💡 What it means to be visible, credible, and irreplaceable at work

✍️ Her journey from corporate employee to trusted voice in finance—and what’s next

Checkout:

💻 Dawn’s 7-Day Investing Challenge (Discount code: MIW) →https://nas.io/budgetbabe/challenges/investing-101-crash-course?discountCode=MIW

📘 Take Back Control of Your Money by Dawn Fiona Cher → https://www.amazon.sg/Take-Back-Control-Your-Money/dp/9815323075

🎤Sarah’s interview with Dawn on The Financial Coconut: I Left My Job to Care for My Family - Was It Worth It? [W&S 144]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6p3G4lZjBk&list=PLpo30qPT9yc6yAyrtqz7506sfiYaorR8Z&index=6

—-----------------------------------------------

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:07 Meet SG Budget Babe: PI, Mom, Finfluencer

02:08 From $2K Salary to Financial Freedom

05:39 How She Actually Juggles It All

13:26 The Call That Changed Everything

25:50 How She Earned Trust at Work

26:26 Are You Invisible at Work?

31:06 How She Negotiated Flexibility

34:09 The Rule Behind Her Side Hustle Growth

42:31 How She’s Raising Money-Smart Kids

—-----------------------------------------------

Connect with Dawn here:

👋 Website: https://sgbudgetbabe.com/

👋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionacher/

👋 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sgbudgetbabe/

Follow and connect with Sarah & Make It Work! ⁠https://linktr.ee/makeitwork.podcast⁠

📷 ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

💼⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

🎵 ⁠Facebook⁠: https://www.facebook.com/people/Make-It-Work/61566472637714/

🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085

🎵Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943be

📥⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

Join our free ⁠Mommas Making It Work whatsapp community⁠ to find a group of like-minded mommas:

https://bit.ly/MIWcommunity

—-------------------------------

➤ Thank you for your support!🧡💙

🧡 Please share your feedback on our video conversation in the comments box👏👏

💙 Help us make quality interviews by leaving a comment

#WorkingMom #FinancialFreedom #SGbudgetbabe #CareerTips #InvestingForBeginners #ProductivityForMoms #MakeItWorkPodcast #WomenWhoLead #SideHustleSuccess

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Around But Not Present - A Working Mom's Honest Confession And More | Elena Chow Ep 36

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 15:13:13 GMT

From a 15-year career at Procter & Gamble to taking a 4 year career pause to be a stay-home-mom to building ConnectOne, a company that helps high-growth startups find and develop their teams — Elena Chow has spent decades helping others build meaningful careers, all while raising four children and navigating her own seasons of work and motherhood.

In this episode, I sit down with Elena, who shares her rare honesty about the paradox of being around but not present, what “balance” really looks like in different seasons of life, and why sometimes, the bravest thing a woman can do is pause.

Elena opens up about stepping away from corporate life, starting over as an entrepreneur in her 40s, and how faith, community, and purpose guided her through each transition. As a recruiter and pioneer member of the Portfolio Careers Asia group, she also shares her candid advice for mothers today — whether you’re taking a break, returning to work, or exploring a more flexible, fractional path.

As a mother, founder, and mentor to many, Elena reminds us that having it all doesn’t mean doing it all — it means understanding the season you’re in, and choosing what matters most in it.

In this heartfelt conversation, we explored:

💼 How Elena pivoted from corporate to entrepreneurship — and built Connect One from scratch

🧭 What it means to “fake it till you make it” with courage and humility

👩‍👧‍👧 The hardest lesson about being present as a working mom

💬 Why there’s no such thing as perfect work-life balance — only shifting seasons

✨ How women can thrive in today’s world of fractional work, portfolio careers, and flexible opportunities

—-----------------------------------------------

Chapters:

00:00 Debunking Work-Life Balance Myths

01:01 Introduction

03:14 How She Knew It Was Time to Leave Corporate

07:56 The Hardest Part of Being a Mom-Entrepreneur

16:08 What She Wishes She Knew Earlier

24:52 The Unexpected Way Her Kids Learned

26:25 Why Volunteering Changed Everything

27:16 The Trips That Shifted Her Family’s Worldview

31:06 The Truth About Career Pivots for Moms

42:21 The One Thing Moms Returning to Work Must Hear

—-----------------------------------------------

Connect with Elena here:

👋 ConnectOne: https://www.connectone.com.sg/

👋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenachow/

👋 Join Portfolio Careers Asia group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14287306

Watch more:

When You Show Up Anyway: A Mother’s Story of Loss and Leadership - Maria Li: https://youtu.be/Pwv8XfGJp9A

Navigating Life's Transitions With Belief - Sarah Wong | On The Soft Power Project: https://youtu.be/H2Lb05Awnm8

Parenthood Across 10 Countries: The Village Every Parent Needs - Marina Lopes: https://youtu.be/hDMbVn725uA

29 Weeks Too Soon: Motherhood, Identity, and Building Something Radically New: https://youtu.be/Yau2wLUNS5U?si=srWjlnBhnBKuqZ9o

Follow and connect with Sarah & Make It Work! ⁠https://linktr.ee/makeitwork.podcast⁠

📷 ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

💼⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

🎵 ⁠Facebook⁠: https://www.facebook.com/people/Make-It-Work/61566472637714/

🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085

🎵Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943be

📥⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

Join our free ⁠Mommas Making It Work whatsapp community⁠ to find a group of like-minded mommas:

https://bit.ly/MIWcommunity

—-------------------------------

🧡 Please share your feedback on our video conversation in the comments box👏👏

💙 Help us make quality interviews by leaving a comment

#WorkingMoms #CareerTransitions #FractionalCareers #WomenInLeadership #MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMom #FutureOfWork

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

When You Show Up Anyway: A Mother’s Story of Loss and Leadership - Maria Li | Ep35

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 12:30:01 GMT

What happens when a tech leader, mother of two, and expat in Singapore decides to redefine what “having it all” really means? From leading one of Asia’s most prominent startup platforms through an acquisition — to navigating miscarriage, maternity, and mom guilt — Maria Li, COO of Tech in Asia, has lived through the highs and heartbreaks of making both career and motherhood work.

In this episode, I sit down with Maria Li, who moved from Silicon Valley to Singapore eight years ago, expecting to stay for a year or two. But somewhere between building a company, building a family, and building a village, Singapore became home. 🇸🇬

Maria opens up about the reality behind the title — what it means to lead through loss, to parent with purpose, and to show up authentically at work when life feels anything but perfect. She shares how community support, flexible work, and honest leadership helped her find balance in the chaos.

As a mother and leader, Maria is rewriting the playbook for working women everywhere — reminding us that “having it all” isn’t about doing it all, but about choosing what matters most.

In this heartfelt conversation, we explored:

💼 How motherhood reshapes your leadership and priorities at work

💬 Why being authentic at work makes you a stronger, not weaker, leader

👩‍👧‍👦The tradeoffs she has had to make to prioritize family in this season

💔 How Maria navigated a miscarriage while leading her company through an acquisition

✨ Why redefining “having it all” starts with owning your trade-offs and your truth

—----------------------------------------------------------------

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:23 Meet Maria Li: COO and Mom of Two

03:05 How Singapore became home in ways she never expected.

06:46 What Maria learned about asking for help.

10:41 How becoming a mom reshaped her work — and herself.

23:27 Why stepping away might be the smartest move you make.

24:16 What employers really think about moms returning to work

27:59 How Maria learned to trade perfection for peace.

32:21 The surprising lesson her kids taught her about leadership.

37:20 The advice every ambitious woman needs to hear.

—--------------------------------------------------------------

Connect with Maria here:

👋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariasli/

👋 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marialiiiii/

Get to know Maria Li and her work:

👉 https://share.google/AQD31CHB0ZBiPJpzZ

👉 https://share.google/tdvJ2FIGP206UK7mG

👉 https://share.google/37LILv0l0Vdj39KXd

👉 https://www.techinasia.com/video/unfiltered-maria-li-coo-tech-asia

Watch more:

29 Weeks Too Soon: Motherhood, Identity, and Building Something Radically New: https://youtu.be/Yau2wLUNS5U?si=srWjlnBhnBKuqZ9o

From Stay-At-Home to Single Working Mom: What Divorce Taught Me with Sherry Fang: https://youtu.be/pw6r_MizOuI?si=Ykt0wLV_YBToMWdhHow This Mom Built a Million-Dollar Brand with Zero Marketing - Cheryl Yeo: https://youtu.be/Gz0dPLB74BM?si=9OpJFlCE-AAy0rFy

SME vs Big Tech: Why Small Might Be The BEST Career Move! - Louisa Lee: https://youtu.be/7pSNn8KZMZ0?si=Y2vWnNJrSvobwpdE

Follow and connect with Sarah & Make It Work! ⁠https://linktr.ee/makeitwork.podcast⁠

📷 ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

💼⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

🎵 ⁠Facebook⁠: https://www.facebook.com/people/Make-It-Work/61566472637714/

🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085

🎵Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943be

📥⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

Join our free ⁠Mommas Making It Work whatsapp community⁠ to find a group of like-minded mommas:

https://bit.ly/MIWcommunity

—-------------------------------

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WomenInLeadership #WorkingMoms #WomenInTech #FemaleLeaders #WomenEmpowerment #SingaporeMoms #CareerMoms #CareerGrowth #LeadershipJourney

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Navigating Life's Transitions With Belief with Sarah Wong - On The Soft Power Project | Ep34

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 12:30:01 GMT

Working mothers, career transitions, and the power of becoming — Sarah Wong joins Sherry Fang on the Soft Power Project for an honest conversation about navigating uncertainty, motherhood, and identity. 🌱

In this special episode, the mic flips — and this time, I’m the one being interviewed. 🎙️ Sherry invited me to open up about the messy but transformative seasons of my life: moving countries while pregnant, juggling family responsibilities with career shifts, and rediscovering who I was when nothing seemed stable. These were the moments that looked like chaos on the outside — but in hindsight, they were shaping me from the inside out. And also laid the foundation for the Make It Work podcast!

In this heartfelt conversation, we talk about:

👩‍👧‍👦 How becoming a mum shook up everything I thought I knew about who I was and what mattered most.

🌊 The shaping role of my faith in a season of uncertainty

💡 Why feeling “lost” can actually be the most powerful season of growth.

❤️ How I’m reshaping the way I speak to my children about who they are, not just what they’ll do.

🕊️ The surprising truth about boundaries, Sabbath, and modeling rest for the next generation.

This episode is for anyone balancing career transitions, family life, and the constant juggle of being a working mom — or anyone who’s ever looked around at the chaos and wondered if it could lead to something more. If you’ve ever felt caught between roles, pulled by change, or unsure of your next step, this conversation is a reminder that you’re not alone.

—------------------------------------------

Chapters:00:00 Introduction

01:58 Welcome to Soft Power Project

02:58 When Life Changes Direction

14:08 The Therapeutic Power of Podcasting

21:29 How Do You Create When Life Doesn’t Slow Down?

22:08 Why Your Wins Matter More Than You Think

23:34 Why Soft Power Matters More Than Ever

26:24 Are Your Boundaries Helping or Holding You Back?

35:12 The Next Chapter: Letting Go to Move Forward

—------------------------------------------

Follow Sherry here:

👋 Executive Plus Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1xDeKFTTBH45GUbZL77V5G?si=1T26Ifd9QfaWPPnT_EFgGA

👋 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/tw/podcast/soft-power-project/id1795635125👋 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SoftPowerProject

👋 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soft_power_project

👋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherryfang83/

Follow and connect with Sarah & Make It Work! ⁠https://linktr.ee/makeitwork.podcast⁠

📷 ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

💼⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

🎵 ⁠Facebook⁠: https://www.facebook.com/people/Make-It-Work/61566472637714/

🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085

🎵Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943be

📥⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

Join our free ⁠Mommas Making It Work whatsapp community⁠:

https://bit.ly/MIWcommunity

—-------------------------------

#MakeItWorkPodcast #TheSoftPowerProject #WorkingMoms #MotherhoodJourney #CareerTransitions #Identity #WomenInLeadership #WorkLifeBalance #Resilience #PersonalGrowth #MotherhoodUnfiltered #PodcastGuest #FutureOfWork #Inspiration

From Stay-At-Home to Single Working Mom: What Divorce Taught Me (That I Never Saw Coming): https://youtu.be/pw6r_MizOuI?si=tjv3ApPNuKX5B3E5Parenthood Across 10 Countries: The Village Every Parent Needs - Marina Lopes: https://youtu.be/hDMbVn725uA?si=rOV7qljsePBkfWKZ29 Weeks Too Soon: Motherhood, Identity, and Building Something Radically New - Luanne Poh: https://youtu.be/Yau2wLUNS5U?si=KVPYE4CBI9IQPBjd

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Parenthood Across 10 Countries: The Village Every Parent Needs - Marina Lopes | Ep33

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 12:18:24 GMT

What happens when a journalist travels to 10 different countries, across cultures and continents, to gather the best lessons about parenting? From the way Swedish parents share the mental load, to the way Brazilian grandmothers descend on a new mother’s hospital room, to the way Mozambican villages raise children as a community — each culture holds a piece of wisdom that challenges how we think about raising the next generation.

In this episode, I sit down with Marina Lopes — longtime journalist, foreign correspondent for The Washington Post, and most recently the author of Please Yell At My Kids. In her book, Marina does just that: capturing stories and insights from around the world to reframe how we think about parenting and community.

For Marina, this journey began with her own contrasting experiences: an emergency C-section in Brazil, surrounded by forty relatives and neighbors in the hospital room… and later, the complete isolation of raising her second baby during COVID in the United States. 🌍💔

As a Brazilian-American married to an Asian-American diplomat, Marina has witnessed how families around the world nurture children, share responsibility, and create belonging. Her book reminds us that parenting was never meant to be done alone — and that building our “village” may be the most important parenting skill of all.

In this intimate conversation, we explored:

👶 Why the “rosy” picture of motherhood can leave first-time moms feeling broken

🌍 What cultures from Brazil to Mozambique can teach us about raising children together

💡 How to split the “mental load” in marriage without resentment

🤱 Why your second child can sometimes heal the traumas of the first

💛 Why building your “village” might be the most important parenting skill of all

—-------------------------

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:24 Welcome to Make It Work

03:12 Covering Headlines While Navigating Home Life

06:03 Motherhood Struggles No One Talks About

13:25 What Parenting Across 10 Countries Taught Me

26:13 Why Moms Get Stuck in the Cycle of Frustration

27:23 Marriage Isn’t 50/50 — So What Works Instead?

29:13 Is Modern Life Killing Our Sense of Community?

37:51 Working Mom or Just Mom? The Identity Tug-of-War

48:25 Why Parents Can’t Survive Without a Village

—-----------------------------------

Connect with Marina here:

👋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marinalopes1/

👋 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinalopesauthor/

👋Purchase Book ‘Please Yell At My Kids’: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/marina-lopes/please-yell-at-my-kids/9780306834417/?fbclid=PAT01DUANAssdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABp63kJM3AhmsWu96m7Y6kf4eAaOxsqIUe6gauPOSkRvyry4jrZLv_OVfU_rlV_aem_7Zz03NqkzG-UImCA6Y03pw

Follow and connect with Sarah & Make It Work! ⁠https://linktr.ee/makeitwork.podcast⁠

📷 ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

💼⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

🎵 ⁠Facebook⁠: https://www.facebook.com/people/Make-It-Work/61566472637714/

🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085

🎵Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943be

📥⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

Join our free ⁠Mommas Making It Work whatsapp community⁠ to find a group of like-minded mommas:

https://bit.ly/MIWcommunity

—-------------------------------

Stay tuned to our channel for more 🌟

➤ Thank you for your support!🧡💙

#MillennialParents #MotherhoodUnfiltered #ParentingCommunity #MotherhoodJourney #WorkingMoms #ParentingRealTalk #WorkLifeBalance #MotherhoodTruths #MotherhoodStories #MakeItWorkPodcast #ModernMotherhood

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

29 Weeks Too Soon: Motherhood, Identity, and Building Something Radically New - Luanne Poh | Ep32

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 13:26:23 GMT

A pregnancy loss after a long journey of fertility struggles. And then her twins were born at just 29 weeks. And all this whilst building Singapore’s first of its kind artspace for children.

Luanne Poh, co-founder of The Artground in Singapore and mom to twin girls, has lived through the quiet struggles that many working mothers never speak aloud.

For years, she juggled a high-pressure career in the arts at the Esplanade 🎭 while enduring the heartbreak of fertility challenges. A single pink line on a test changed everything—forcing her to confront the question: Was the way she was working destroying her dreams of building her own family?

Leaving behind a decade-long career, Luanne stepped into the unknown - eventually co-founding Singapore’s first multidisciplinary children’s arts center and embracing a different kind of leadership: one shaped by motherhood, creativity, and resilience. All while parenting premature babies born at 29 weeks. If you’re juggling the balance between ambition, identity, and parenting, this episode is for you.

In this intimate conversation, we explored:

👩‍👧‍👧 What if you’ve only been a mom for as long as your child has been alive?

💔 How do you navigate the guilt, anger, and heartbreak of fertility struggles?

⚖️ Can you really walk away from a dream career for the chance at motherhood?

😰 Why does parenting feel more precious—and yet more pressurizing—than ever before?

🎨 How can creativity and art become bridges between parents and children?

—----------------------------------------------------------------

Chapters:

00:00 “Mommy, you’ve only been a mom for 6 years”

01:30 Welcome to Make It Work

04:39 What happened after that pink line?

08:26 Why we started The Artground (and what it means to families)

14:58 How do you parent with love and limits?

24:01 Screen time rules: what works (and what doesn’t)

26:02 The unexpected rule that replaced screen time

30:15 What balance really looks like behind closed doors

33:47 Parenting preemies: the hardest and most precious lessons

39:26 The secret every flexible mom knows

—----------------------------------------------------------------

Connect with Luanne here:

👋 Website: https://www.theartground.com.sg

👋 The Artground Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theartground/

------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow and connect with Sarah & Make It Work! ⁠https://linktr.ee/makeitwork.podcast⁠

📷 ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

💼⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

🎵 ⁠Facebook⁠: https://www.facebook.com/people/Make-It-Work/61566472637714/

🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085

🎵Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943be

📥⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

Join our free ⁠Mommas Making It Work whatsapp community⁠ to find a group of like-minded mommas:

https://bit.ly/MIWcommunity

—-------------------------------

Stay tuned to our channel for more 🌟

➤ Thank you for your support!🧡💙
#MillennialParents #FertilityStruggles #MotherhoodJourney #WorkingMoms #ParentingRealTalk #WorkLifeBalance #MotherhoodTruths #ParentingCommunity #MakeItWorkPodcast #FertilityJourney

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

From Stay-At-Home to Single Working Mom: What Divorce Taught Me (I Never Saw Coming) - Sherry Fang | Ep31

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Sherry Fang, mom to an 11-year-old and based in Taiwan, has worn many hats—from stay-at-home mom to single mom, executive coach, podcaster, and brand specialist. At 35, her life was turned upside down by a painful divorce and the bold decision to start her own consultancy. Despite experiencing what she called a “violent year”, Sherry pushed forward with no formal business plans or prior experience to launch her consultancy and two impactful podcasts: The Executive Plus (Apple & Spotify Top 50 podcast with >1.3 million downloads), and The Soft Power Project, which explores the powerful transformations women undergo when they combine strength with softness.

In this intimate conversation, we talked about:

👥 Can you build a career from nothing

💔 What if divorce and launching a company in the same year was the breakthrough you didn’t see coming?

👩‍👦 Is time the only measure of motherhood—or is independence the gift we don’t talk about?

😢 What changes when you stop hiding and let yourself feel everything?

🎨 What if the “right path” never felt right—because you were meant to create something entirely your own?

—-------------------------------------------------------------

Chapters:

00:00 What divorce taught me (that I never expected)

01:21 Welcome to Make It Work

01:59 Is life truly "starting over again and again"?

03:58 The "violent" year: Divorce, business, and transformation

07:39 What coaching revealed to me (it’s not what you think)

24:40 Why believe less, celebrate less?

25:16 How I juggle motherhood/career

30:08 Being a top podcaster:: lessons learnt

36:54 What is Soft Power all about?

—------------------------------------------------------------

Follow Sherry here:

👋 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1xDeKFTTBH45GUbZL77V5G?si=1T26Ifd9QfaWPPnT_EFgGA

👋 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/tw/podcast/soft-power-project/id1795635125👋 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SoftPowerProject

👋 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soft_power_project

👋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherryfang83/

Watch more:

Unexpectedly Flourishing: The Unforeseen Benefits of a Career Downshift with Sharon Fan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtoRL21T2vc

How This Mom Built a Million-Dollar Brand with Zero Marketing - Cheryl Yeo: https://youtu.be/Gz0dPLB74BM?si=9OpJFlCE-AAy0rFy

SME vs Big Tech: Why Small Might Be The BEST Career Move! - Louisa Lee: https://youtu.be/7pSNn8KZMZ0?si=Y2vWnNJrSvobwpdE

Children' s Book Author: Why The Stories We Tell Our Kids And Ourselves-Matter: https://youtu.be/PhWeM3XZQC0?si=WS3Emu0XroWHfQ4g

How to Design a Calm Home (And Life) That Actually Works for Your Family! - Winnie Tam : https://youtu.be/iPBCdz6oq74?si=U5DAaa27SjMFumNE

Follow and connect with Sarah & Make It Work! ⁠https://linktr.ee/makeitwork.podcast⁠

📷 ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

💼⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

🎵 ⁠Facebook⁠: https://www.facebook.com/people/Make-It-Work/61566472637714/

🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085

🎵Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943be

📥⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

Join our free ⁠Mommas Making It Work whatsapp community⁠:

https://bit.ly/MIWcommunity

—-------------------------------

Stay tuned to our channel for more 🌟

➤ Thank you for your support!🧡💙

🧡 Please share your feedback on our video conversation in the comments box👏👏

💙 Help us make quality interviews by leaving a comment

(stay-at-home mom, working mom, single mom, divorce, executive coach, communications coach, podcaster, personal branding, motherhood and career, work-life balance, female leadership, parenting tips, women entrepreneurs, career transition, branding strategy, mompreneur)

#MakeItWorkPodcast #Divorce #WorkingMomLife #WomenInBusiness #CareerChange #SingleMomJourney #PersonalGrowth #ExecutiveCoach #PodcastInterview #MentalHealth #PersonalGrowth #MomReinvented #BossMomLife

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

From Silicon Valley Burnout to Podcasting Success: Sarah Wong's Journey! On The Adrian Tan Show | Ep30

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 08:58:19 GMT

In this special episode, the tables were turned and the mic was on me this time, as I joined career coach and HR guru Adrian Tan on The Adrian Tan Show to unpack the messy, beautiful journey that led to my own personal and professional transformation as well as the birth of the Make It Work Podcast. 👩‍👧‍👦✨

In this raw, honest conversation, I dive into:

🎙️ Redefining Purpose: How becoming a mum reshaped everything I thought I knew about success

🔄 The Pivot Point: Why the biggest career shifts often begin with deep personal transformation

🎨 Portfolio Life: My journey into crafting a career that’s part-time CEO, part-podcaster, part-community-builder
🤝 Power of Community: Real strategies for leaning on your tribe when everything feels up in the air
💌 Letter to Younger Me: The advice I wish I’d had before those first steps into motherhood and entrepreneurship

Tune in for unfiltered reflections, actionable insights, and the reassurance that none of us have it all figured out—and that’s exactly where the magic happens. I hope it inspires you in your journey!

Connect with Adrian here:

👋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/the-adrian-tan-show/

👋 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tanadrian18/

👋 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdrianTan18

—-------------------------------

Chapters

01:55 What’s This Interview All About?

02:36 Introduction To The Adrian Tan Show

03:02 Who is Sarah Wong, Really?

03:56 Sarah's Portfolio Career

04:38 Can You Truly Be Present at Work and Home?

05:24 What Snapped Sarah Onto a Different Path?

13:16 Starting the Podcast Journey

16:37 What's the Real Grind of Podcasting?

21:22 Why is Mentorship Crucial for Women in Tech?

23:03 How Do You Launch a Successful Mentorship Initiative?

24:12 What Support Do Mothers Truly Need?

25:28 What Are the Hidden Rules of Effective Networking?

30:36 How Do You Master Personal and Professional Demands?

31:02 Is 'Sabbath' the Ultimate Productivity Hack?

34:01 What Fuels Daily Energy and Focus?

39:20 What Would You Tell Your Younger, Ambitious Self?

—-------------------------------

Join our free ⁠Mommas Making It Work whatsapp community⁠:

https://tinyurl.com/miwgroup

Follow and connect with us! ⁠https://linktr.ee/makeitwork.podcast⁠

We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

📷 ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

🎵Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943be

🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085

💼⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

📥⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

—-------------------------------

💙 You can help us make another new video by leaving a comment

Keywords:

(Working mothers, Women in leadership, Flexible work, 4-day work week, Mompreneur, Female co-founder, Rediscovering identity, Motherhood and career, Personal growth, Empowering women, Small business journey, Balancing family and business, Purpose-driven leadership, Self-worth and confidence, Podcast for Moms, Portfolio Careers Asia, Career Journey, Motherhood)

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMom #WomenInBusiness #MomBoss #PurposeDriven #WorkLifeBalance #MotherhoodUnfiltered #LeadershipJourney #FemaleFounder #FlexWork #BuildYourVoice #EmpoweredWomen #OwnYourStory #FromSupportToLeader #RedefiningSuccess #FamilyMotto #PodcastForMoms #inspiration #Healthcare #Podcasts #Portfolio #Career #CareerJourney #job

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

How This Mom Built a Million-Dollar Brand with Zero Marketing - Cheryl Yeo | Ep29

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 14:57:04 GMT

🎉 SPECIAL PROMO 🎉 Enjoy 10% OFF all products from iAM health! Just use the code “MAKEITWORK10” at checkout.

Listen to the remarkable journey of Dr. Cheryl Yeo, who transitioned from a stable career in a lab to building a thriving health supplement company while navigating the complexities of motherhood, (mostly) solo parenting, and personal growth.

We talked about:

👩‍👧 The health scare with her child that sparked a bold career shift

🚗 Hustling through side gigs (including Grab Hitch!) to fund a dream from the ground up

📉 Facing rejection, failure, and zero business background—and pushing through anyway

🧠 Why probiotics are misunderstood—and how iAM Health is changing the game with science-backed strains (especially for Asians!)

💬 Her honest advice for working moms

Dr. Cheryl Yeo, a mom of two with a PhD in Cellular Biology, worked in a lab before starting her company, iAM Health. Her decision was driven by the need for flexibility for her children and her passion for helping others through nutritional supplements. Without family in Singapore and a husband who traveled frequently, she lacked a traditional "village" support system. A scary incident involving her young son's seizure made her confront the conflict between her demanding job and her family's needs, solidifying her decision to make a change.

Today, Dr. Cheryl leads iAM Health, an award-winning health supplement company known for its high-quality, research-driven probiotic products tailored to specific health needs. Despite starting with minimal marketing expenditure, the company experienced significant organic growth, now boasting revenue over a million. Her journey highlights the power of resilience, conviction, and finding balance in the challenging intersection of entrepreneurship and motherhood.

—--------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapters:

01:08 Welcome to Make It Work Podcast

01:34 Dr. Cheryl Yeo: From PhD Lab to Probiotic Powerhouse

02:03 Why a Mother Left Her Stable Lab Job for Zero Income

02:45 The Pivotal Moment That Sparked Change

03:50 Unpacking the Invisible Mental Load of Solo Parenting

07:08 How a Birthday Party Taught Cheryl to 'Let Go'

10:33 Strategic Side Hustles Paved the Way to Entrepreneurship

11:03 The Humble Beginnings of iAM Health

13:06 When Rejection Hit Hard (and 4-Star Grab Ratings Hurt More!)

15:33 Why Your Gut is the Key to 90% of Your Health

17:06 The Science Behind iAM Health's Probiotics

19:32 How iAM Health Tailors Formulas for Asia's Hidden Deficiencies

22:16 How a Celebrity Testimonial Exploded iAM Health's Growth

27:44 Life-Changing Lessons (and Tough Love Advice) for Every Working Mom

—-------------------------------

Connect with Cheryl here:

👋 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamhealth.live/

👋 Website: iamhealth.live

Follow and connect with Sarah & Make It Work! ⁠https://linktr.ee/makeitwork.podcast⁠

💼⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

📷 ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

🎵 ⁠TikTok⁠: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@makeitwork.podcast⁠

🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085

🎵Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943be

📥⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

Join our free ⁠Mommas Making It Work whatsapp community⁠: https://bit.ly/MIWcommunity

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

SME vs Big Tech: Why Small Might Be The BEST Career Move! - Louisa Lee | Ep 28

Make It Work Podcast — Thu, 22 May 2025 02:57:11 GMT

In this episode, we explore what it really looks like to grow a business, raise a family, and reclaim your identity along the way.

We talk about:

🌱 Raising children and a business at the same time

💡 Why workplace flexibility isn’t a luxury—it’s essential for working moms

💼 How a 4-day work week can support mothers returning to work

🧭 The years she felt like a “vice captain” in her own business—and how she reclaimed her voice

😮‍💨 The power of learning how to breathe right (yes, really!)

👶🏼 How motherhood shaped her leadership in unexpected ways

🌟 Why Louisa believes you can do it all—and do it well

For over a decade, Louisa Lee worked quietly behind the scenes of her husband’s dental practice DP Dental —never calling herself a co-founder, even as she helped build the business from scratch.

A trained teacher by background, she didn’t plan to become an entrepreneur. But life had other ideas. While raising two boys and helping run the clinic alongside her husband, Louisa also carried the emotional load many working mothers know all too well: invisible labor, guilt, and the tension between being there for others and showing up for yourself.

That all changed the day she stopped seeing herself as the “vice captain” and stepped fully into her role as co-leader.

Today, Louisa is an award-winning entrepreneur (Entrepreneur of the Year 2017), advocate for working mothers, and champion of the 4-day work week—a structure she believes is game-changing for women navigating motherhood and career.

00:52 Welcome to Make It Work

01:03 Meet Louisa Lee: Teacher to Titan

04:27 The 4-Day Work Week: Built on Trust

09:33 Return to Work Advice for Moms: Hire for Will, Train for Skills

12:35 Find Your Fit: Why SMEs Might Be Your Best Bet

14:52 Is This Company Real? Aligning Values with Work

18:23 Myofunctional Therapy: Breathe Right, Sleep Right?

20:28 Practical Tips for Better Health

23:15 The Importance of Proper Breathing

25:50 The Dreamer, Doer, and Village: Juggling It All

28:06 When I Stopped Dimming My Light

37:27 Raising Healthy and Independent Children

39:32 Can We Have It All?

40:55 Special Offers and Promotions

Connect with Louisa here:

👋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisalee/

👋 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louisalee/

👋 Website: www.dpdental.com

Follow and connect with Sarah & Make It Work! ⁠https://linktr.ee/makeitwork.podcast⁠

💼⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

📷 ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

🎵 ⁠TikTok⁠: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@makeitwork.podcast⁠

🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085

🎵Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943be

📥⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

Join our free ⁠Mommas Making It Work whatsapp community⁠: https://airtable.com/app1HHdrC7pUPHIoc/pagRBdb8PU9PRXGJ9/form

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Mother’s Day Special: A Poem from Me to You

Make It Work Podcast — Fri, 16 May 2025 08:51:00 GMT

If you’ve been following Make It Work, you’ll know I usually bring you stories from other mothers and other women — their pivots, their resilience, their brilliance.

But for this Mother’s Day, I did something a little different.

This episode is a poem I wrote — a slice of my heart, and an honest tribute to what motherhood has been for me. It’s about the mess, the detours, the ups and downs… and the quiet, sacred work of becoming someone new.

To every mother on that journey: this is for you. 🧡

Chapters

00:35 My Poem

#MakeItWorkPodcast #MothersDay2025 #SpokenWord #ModernMotherhood #MakeItWork #SarahWong #MotherhoodUnfiltered #ParentingPoetry

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Children' s Book Author: Why The Stories We Tell Our Kids - And Ourselves- Matter! | Ep27

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 12:30:00 GMT

🎉 SPECIAL PROMO 🎉 Enjoy 10% OFF all children’s titles by Ames Chen at https://graceworks.com.sg/store/ for the entire month of May 2025! Just use code “MAKEITWORK” at checkout.

—------------------------------------------------------------

She didn’t set out to be a children’s author. She just wanted to survive motherhood.

After being told she might never conceive, Ames Chen’s entry into motherhood was already complicated. A difficult pregnancy followed. Isolation crept in. So she started writing letters—first, just to her daughter. What started as a private act of reflection became the early beginnings of writing for thousands of other children.

Today, Ames is a mother of three and the author of over 10 children’s books—many of which explore themes of social inclusion, empathy, and the stories we often overlook. (Fun fact: several are personal favorites in my own home!)

A true multi-hyphenate, Ames is also a communications trainer for youth, and member of a church missions team.

Ames, who is also my childhood friend, shares a deeply honest conversation about what it really takes to mother with purpose—and live with conviction.

In this episode, we talk about:

🌱 Why writing through pain can unlock your purpose

📚 How real conversations with migrant workers shaped a children’s book series that’s now read in schools

🌍 What happens when your kids witness humanitarian work firsthand

🛠️ The small, old-school parenting hacks that build real independence

💬 How her family lives by the motto: “Live simply to love generously.”

While many of us talk about juggling the different parts of life, Ames’s story is about convergence—how she brings together her work, her faith, and her family in intentional, deeply connected ways.

Why not also consider supporting Ames’ then 8 year old Mya’s work “The Runaway Dream” , an e-book about “her beloved refugees” after visiting a refugee centre. All proceeds go towards the centre.

Connect with Ames:

📧 Email: ameschenjie@gmail.com

📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ameschen/

—-------------------------------

Chapters

00:45 Intro to Make It Work

00:59 Intro to Ames Chen: She Never Thought To Write Books. She Was Just Trying To Breathe.

01:55 “I Was Alone and Overwhelmed”: The Hardest Part of Motherhood

03:20 Parenting Hacks That Actually Build Independence

05:50 Mother. Author. Trainer. Missions Worker.

10:39 The Journey of Becoming an Author

14:41 When Kids See the Invisible: The Birth of One of Us

15:02 Mya's (Amy's Daughter) Quest

16:39 Why Teaching Empathy Starts with a Dishcloth and a Dustpan

18:59 When Kids Witness Humanitarian Work Firsthand

22:19 The Annual Family Tradition That’s Not About Holidays

23:06 How to Raise Children Who Love Generously

25:06 Are Today’s Youth Lost… or Just Misunderstood?

27:10 This Is What I Want My Kids To Learn From Me

29:12 The Final Word—and a Gift for Families Who Read Together

—-------------------------------

Join our free ⁠Mommas Making It Work whatsapp community⁠: https://airtable.com/app1HHdrC7pUPHIoc/pagRBdb8PU9PRXGJ9/form

Follow and connect with us! ⁠https://linktr.ee/makeitwork.podcast⁠

We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

💼⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

📷 ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

🎵 ⁠TikTok⁠: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@makeitwork.podcast⁠

🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085

🎵Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943be
📥⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

#MakeItWorkPodcast #ChildrensBookAuthor #EmpathyThroughStorytelling #MotherhoodJourney #RaisingEmpatheticKids #ParentingWithPurpose #CompassionateParenting #AuthorMom #KidsWhoMakeADifference #FamilyValues #LivingSimply #IntentionalParenting #KidHacks #MomsWhoLead #RealMoms #EmpoweredMoms #ParenthoodReflections #WritingForSocialChange #ImpactfulStorytelling #FamilyMotto #PodcastForMoms

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

The Architect's Secret: How to Design a Calm Home (And Life) That Actually Works for Your Family! | Ep26

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 04:45:03 GMT

Winnie Tam is a designer-architect and a mom of an almost 2-year-old, based in London, UK. Born and raised in Hong Kong, she moved to the United Kingdom for college and launched her career at globally renowned architectural firms. In 2022, she founded 14 AM, an architecture and interior design studio focused on creating restorative spaces for city dwellers.

Blending her Eastern upbringing with a Western lifestyle has shaped the way she approaches both design and motherhood—sometimes challenging societal norms and even making her question whether she was "doing the right thing."

In this special episode, Winnie takes a hands-on approach, personally analyzing my living room setup (!!) and sharing expert insights on how to improve it. If you love what she does, great news—she's offering a masterclass for anyone looking to design their own restorative spaces at home.

🎟️ Use code “MIW25” for £25 off her two-hour live course with Q&A: "Cultivating Your Sanctuary: The Architect's Guide" (Regular price: £150) 👉 Sign up here : https://www.fourteen-am.com/course-1

In this episode Winnie and I also talked about:

🌟 How becoming a mother reshaped her approach to designing restorative spaces for city dwellers.

🌟 How cultural differences in motherhood shaped her experience, from Hong Kong to London, and influenced her career.

🌟 The challenges she faced while building her business and becoming a mother, and the key realizations she gained along the way.

🌟 How to design child-friendly, restorative spaces that are both practical and calming for busy families.

🌟 How motherhood and career enriched each other, providing unexpected lessons and growth in both areas.

Connect with Winnie:

👋 Email: winnietam@fourteen-am.com

👋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/winniewingyitam/

👋 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fourteen.a.m/

👋 Website: https://www.fourteen-am.com/

—-------------------------------

Chapters:

00:44 Intro to Make It Work

00:56 Winnie’s Intro

02:16 Winnie's Background and Studio

04:33 Balancing Motherhood and Career

06:35 Challenges and Realizations

11:49 Cultural Differences in Motherhood

16:24 Designing Child-Friendly Spaces

23:27 Hands-On Design Session

31:05 Final Thoughts and Course Promotion

—-------------------------------

Join our free ⁠Mommas Making It Work whatsapp community⁠: https://airtable.com/app1HHdrC7pUPHIoc/pagRBdb8PU9PRXGJ9/form

Follow and connect with us! ⁠https://linktr.ee/makeitwork.podcast⁠

We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

💼⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

📷 ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

🎵 ⁠TikTok⁠: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@makeitwork.podcast⁠

🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085

🎵Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943be

📥⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

—-------------------------------

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #CareerJourney #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #Entrepreneur #momlife #career #tips #InteriorDesigner #designer #journey #tips

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Find True Flexibility At Work! Innovative Strategies for Modern Moms!

Make It Work Podcast — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 01:00:00 GMT

Almost every working mom has, at point, wondered about the elusive work-life balance, wondering if there's a way to find true flexibility at work. That’s why we brought together this amazing panel of experts to share their stories, insights, and advice as we dive into fresh, game-changing ideas on how to juggle career and motherhood—whether you're exploring portfolio careers, solopreneurship, job sharing, or planning your return to work. 💡💪🔗 Check out the highlights of our oversubscribed virtual event - Innovative Work Strategies for Modern Moms.

Speakers are incredible former podcast guests:

🌟 Niti Nadarajah - Freelance legal counsel, coach and speaker.

Check out our previous episode with Niti - Why We Get Stuck In Life And How To Get Unstuck!

🌟 Khatija Aslam – Founder of Moxy, a platform for workplace equity, and marketing job-sharer at Zespri.

Check out our previous episode with Khatija - Job Sharing Saved My Career! Why Women Should Question The Feedback They Receive!

🌟 Sara Pantry – Workplace leader at LinkedIn, community leader, and matrescence practitioner.

Check out our previous episode with Sara - On Matrescence: The Transformations of Motherhood⁠

🌟 Karen Tay - Founder of Inherent Journey, Fractional C-suite & Coach

Check out our previous episode with Karen - ⁠On Limits, Burnouts, & Workplace Adversity

Get ready for real stories, real struggles, and real solutions for making work work alongside motherhood.

Chapters: 00:00 Intro01:02 Episode Introduction - What is This Event All About02:19 Start of Event 03:26 Our Guests & Answering "One Thing They Wished They Knew Before Becoming A Working Mom"13:20 3 Big Questions14:24 Qn 1: How Do You think About Your Both/And of Career & Motherhood26:33 Qn 2: How Do You Find Flexibility At Work - In Corporate34:08 How To Find Flexibility At Work - Outside Corporate47:26 Qn 3: How Do I Stay Relevant During A Career Break52:49 Last Words

—-------------------------------

Join our free ⁠Mommas Making It Work whatsapp community⁠: https://airtable.com/app1HHdrC7pUPHIoc/pagRBdb8PU9PRXGJ9/form

Follow and connect with us! ⁠https://linktr.ee/makeitwork.podcast⁠

We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

💼⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

📷 ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

🎵 ⁠TikTok⁠: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@makeitwork.podcast⁠

🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085

🎵Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943be

📥⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

—-------------------------------

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #productivitytips #CareerJourney #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #Entrepreneur #momlife #career #tips #motherhood #parenting #freelance #helpingmothers #coaching #counselling

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Making Periods Sustainable, Stylish and Stress-free

Make It Work Podcast — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 08:20:49 GMT

This International Women’s Day, we at Make It Work are excited to support @summerwine.shop, a female-founded, innovative and socially conscious period lingerie brand!

SummerWine is all about making periods sustainable, stylish and stress free.

🌸 Say Hello to Effortless Periods with SummerWine! 🌸

Busy moms, we get it—your period shouldn’t slow you down! That’s why SummerWine, a female-founded brand, has created period wear that keeps you looking and feeling amazing, even on your heaviest days. 💃✨

💡 Why You’ll Love It:

Stylish options, from chic underpants to lingerie-inspired designs, perfect for women always on the go.
No more dealing with fussy pads, tampons, or cups—just wear, feel safe and dry, wash, and reuse.
Anti-UTI coating and fabrics blends that are moisturizing, summerwine lingerie is hygienic, sustainable, and designed to make your life easier (and comfier!). 🌍

💖 Your Purchase Makes a Difference:For every pair of SummerWine underwear you buy, a portion goes toward alleviating period poverty for women in rural communities, in support of NGO @theskyisthelimit. Together, we’re making periods more sustainable and impactful! 🙌

🛒 Shop Now:Visit @summerwine.shop or SummerWine.shop to place your pre-order today!

🎁 Special Offer:20% off for 2 pieces and more with the code MIW20!

Let’s revolutionize periods—because they can be sustainable, sexy, and stress-free! 💕

#makeitworkpodcast #perios #periodunderwear #leakproof #nopads #notampons #mensuration #mensurationcup #business #video #pomote

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Bonus for YOU!: Work Options Beyond the 9 to 5 - A Unique Virtual Event!

Make It Work Podcast — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 06:35:40 GMT

Hello mommas ⭐

Ever wondered about different working arrangements beyond the full time hustle?💻 💼

It's a little bit of a different episode today because I wanted to introduce our first-ever virtual session on Innovative Work Strategies for Modern Moms! This means so much to me because I’ve been there. Becoming a mom can feel so overwhelming that figuring out how to thrive at work again just gets pushed way down the list (that was me 🙈).

Truth is —almost every working mom has, at point, wondered about alternatives to their pre-mom work life. That’s why I’m beyond excited to bring together this amazing panel of experts to share their stories, insights, and advice as we dive into fresh, game-changing ideas on how to juggle career and motherhood—whether you're exploring portfolio careers, solopreneurship, job sharing, or planning your return to work. 💡💪🔗

🎤 Our incredible speakers:

🌟 Niti Nadarajah – Freelance legal counsel, Coach & Speaker

🌟 Khatija Aslam – Founder of Moxy & Marketing job-sharer at Zespri

🌟 Sara Pantry – Workplace leader at LinkedIn & Matrescence practitioner

🌟 Karen Tay - Founder of Inherent Journey, Fractional C-suite & Coach

📅 Monday March 3, 2025 | 8:00 PM (GMT+8) SG time

#iwd2025 #acceleratingaction #workingmoms #event #work #job #career

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Why We Get Stuck In Life And How To Get Unstuck! - Niti Nadarajah | Ep24

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 10:35:16 GMT

Niti Nadarajah is a mom of 2 based in Melbourne, Australia. Born to Indian migrant parents, she nailed it in school, earned herself a law degree, and climbed the corporate ladder to become Senior Counsel at a big multinational. But despite all that, she felt stuck and uninspired. So, she took a leap and stepped off the corporate treadmill. Today, she is a freelance legal counsel, coach, and passionate advocate for empowering women, helping them "to get unstuck". She is passionate about DEI work, supporting moms returning to work, as well as those who have suffered pregnancy loss.

In this episode, Niti and I chat about:

🌟 How Niti transitioned from a full-time legal career to freelance counsel and the trade-offs she had to accept while building a business to empower women.

🌟 How her Asian upbringing impacted her parenting and how this shapes her advice for other women.

🌟 How Niti helps women get "unstuck" and her number one advice for those feeling stuck in their personal or professional lives.

🌟 The power of sharing personal stories and vulnerability to empower women and create meaningful change.

Connect with Niti on:

👋 LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/niti-nadarajah/

👋 Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/storiesbyniti/

👋 Website: https://www.coachingbyniti.com/

—-------------------------------

Chapters

00:49 Welcome and Guest Introduction

01:45 Hello Niti The Multi-Hyphenate!

02:42 Transformational Journey That Brought Me To Coaching

07:04 Early Motherhood & Possible Postpartum Depression

14:20 Advice on Navigating Back To Work Transitions

19:59 Influences of My Asian Upbringing

23:08 Leaving a Legal Career To Coach: Was It Worth It?

25:13 Being My Boss Was Harder Than I Thought!

29:41 How Sharing My Own Stories Online Grew My Business

31:46 How Do Women Get Stuck?

34:28 Advice for Those Feeling Stuck

36:53 Through The Eyes of My Child…

—-------------------------------

Join our free ⁠Mommas Making It Work whatsapp community⁠: https://chat.whatsapp.com/I8RGbw6W5lC8BeqjeLyowu

Follow and connect with us! ⁠https://linktr.ee/makeitwork.podcast⁠

We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

💼⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

📷 ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

🎵 ⁠TikTok⁠: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@makeitwork.podcast⁠

🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085

🎵Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943be

📥⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

—-------------------------------

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #productivitytips #CareerJourney #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #Entrepreneur #momlife #career #tips #motherhood #parenting #lawyer #law #freelance #helpingmothers #coaching #counselling #freelancing

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

How To Turn Your Career Pause Into Your Greatest Advantage! - Anh Bourcet | Ep23

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 12:30:00 GMT

Highlights of our episode “Ep 23: How To Turn Your Career Pause Into Your Greatest Advantage! - Anh Bourcet":

🌟 How to handle career transitions and rediscover your professional identity after leaving a senior role.

🌟 What it takes to build a personal brand and leverage your network for career growth.

🌟How to navigate between corporate life to being self-employed and back to corporate

🌟 What the HOPE framework is and how it helps women navigate career-life integration with flexibility.

🌟For a special 20% discount on Anh’s book “Journeys of Women Leaders Pushing Boundaries in Asia and Healthcare”, use the code hFA84rLzMNKpGb at this checkout page https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-97-0009-7. Valid till Feb 17, 2025!

About Anh….

Anh Bourcet is a Vietnamese-French mother of two teenagers, currently based in Dubai where she has called home for a year now. With a career in healthcare that spans continents, Anh has lived in Europe, Asia, and now - the Middle East.

She has spent years as a Market Access leader in the healthcare industry, working on patient access to health care innovations. As a female leader in an environment that’s still largely male-dominated, particularly at the senior levels, she has also co-authored a book on Women Leaders in Healthcare In Asia. Look out for her very personal chapter on her motherhood experience and how she struggled with her own biases at work!

After spending nearly a decade climbing the corporate ladder, Anh made a difficult choice to halt her progression to accommodate a global move for the family. After a confronting period of self-discovery, she started freelancing as a healthcare market access consultant. Today, she is also a speaker, and university lecturer, specializing in healthcare market access.

Connect with Anh on:

👋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anh-bourcet

👋 Website: https://www.has4p.com

👋 Email: anh.bourcet@has4p.com

—-------------------------------

Join our free Mommas Making It Work whatsapp community

Follow and connect with us! https://linktr.ee/makeitwork.podcast

We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

💼⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

📷 ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

🎵 ⁠TikTok⁠: https://www.tiktok.com/@makeitwork.podcast

🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085

🎵Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943be

📥⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

Chapters

00:36 Intro

02:50 Introduction to Anh Bourcet

04:32 My Constants In A Life Of Change

08:00 How I Rediscovered Myself During My Career Transition

08:54 Who Was I Without A Business Card Anymore?

16:04 Returning to Corporate Life: WHY??

18:22 Navigating Family Decisions and Career Moves

22:31 Insights from the Book: Women in Healthcare

31:07 HOPE Framework for Career and Life Balance

—-------

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #productivitytips #CareerJourney #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #Entrepreneur #momlife #career #tips #motherhood #parenting #healthcare

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Welcome to Make It Work! (Updated 2025)

Make It Work Podcast — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 16:22:16 GMT

👋🏽 Hey there, I'm so glad you're here! ✨
Make It Work 🎙️is your go-to podcast for real conversations with ambitious women redefining success to make space for what matters most—family. 💼💖
🎙️ You can expect bite-sized but power-packed episodes (<45 mins) designed for busy mommas on the move. New episodes drop every other Wednesday!
💡 On my socials, you’ll also find specially curated parenting humor, work-life wisdom hacks, and the best podcast highlights!
Follow along for laughs, tips, and stories to help you make it work! 🌟
And a little about me, Sarah Wong...
🌟 Mom of 2 - Life now with 2 kids under five = beautiful mess 🧒🏻👧🏻
🌍 Home - I’ve lived and worked in Singapore (my current home), India, France, and the U.S.
🎓 Work - INSEAD MBA & first female hire at a Silicon Valley health tech unicorn 🦄. Currently building a dynamic portfolio career!
💡 Interests: Health tech, mentoring women, work-life integration, the future of work, and faith-driven work.
🧗‍♀️ Rock Climbing Buddy? Always looking for partners who don’t mind a kid or two tagging along.
✝️ Faith: Follower of Christ (am married to a pastor - which alone could be another podcast..😅)
📌 Connect with me in all these places!
DM or email me with questions, collab, or just to say hi. 💌
Anyhow, I’m so grateful you’re here. Here's to you, Making It Work! 🧡💙
PS. The podcast started in September 2023, not 2022! 🤦🏻‍♀️ (hello #mombrain)
(intro, podcast, mom, mum, motherhood, about me, parent)
#intro #makeitworkpodcast #podcast #workingmoms #mom #mumpreneur #aboutme

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Job Sharing Saved My Career! Why Women Should Question Feedback They Get! - Khatija Aslam | Ep22

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Khatija Aslam is a job-sharing Global Innovation Marketing Lead for Zespri and Founder of Moxy, a platform that ignites important conversations about building inclusive workplaces. Originally from Pakistan, Khatija is a mom of 3 girls. She grew up in Malaysia and has called Singapore home for over 18 years now.

With close to 15 years in corporate life, Khatija was inspired by her own experiences and the stories of other career-driven women, to found Moxy, with the goal of creating environments that support all working women, particularly mothers, in balancing their career and family responsibilities. Moxy has partnered with organizations like Lean In, LinkedIn, and others, striving to foster meaningful behavior change and push for more family-friendly workspaces.

Khatija and I chat about:

🌟 What job sharing is, how she found her job sharing role and advice if you are looking for such roles

🌟How to tell you boss when you are pregnant

🌟 How Moxy’s card game has helped to spark uncomfortable but much needed conversations around building inclusive workplaces for working moms

🌟How she shares the mental load with her spouse in their own family life

🌟Questions to ask in a job interview to find out exactly how females-friendly workplaces really are.

⁠If you want to get help / advice on how to navigate asking for a part time or job share role then get in touch with Khatija

👋 Connect with Khatija: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khatija-aslam/

👋 Moxy: https://itsmoxy.com/

Helpful resources:

1) Simple questions to ask your future employer : @64b59b9fcb2a3337b2bd1322/t/664c9484cdb56372e43152c6/1716294789224/MU+x+TMP+-+TOOLKIT+PDF++%281%29.pdf

2) The flexibility advantage blog - if you are thinking about what flexibility means the momproject provides a good framework https://blog.themomproject.com/flexibility-advantage-0

Report here - https://work.themomproject.com/hubfs/WerkLabs/The%20Flexibility%20Advantage_Werklabs.pdf

Some resources on Asking for Flexibility in the Workplace : https://blog.itsmoxy.com/how-to-ask-for-flexibility-in-your-workplace-clvf2zmh8001ji3a1upnc2g0n/

⁠Resources for Job share : https://www.mom.gov.sg/-/media/mom/documents/employment-practices/work-life-grant/job-sharing-implementation-guide.pdf

Build up your working momma toolkit and save this episode! Or share it with someone who might need to hear this!

Join our supportive Mommas Making It Work whatsapp community - https://chat.whatsapp.com/GYQ1x8UIBSZFw0ftoBUv0A

Follow and connect with me - https://linktr.ee/makeitwork.podcast

Chapters

00:26 Intro

00:38 Introduction to Khatija Aslam

02:33 Khatija's Personal Life and Fun Fact

03:39 Career Changes and Job Sharing

05:03 Why Purpose Becomes So Important After Parenthood

09:32 Job Sharing: What Is it??

14:39 Supportive Partnerships and Family Dynamic

17:41 Introducing Moxy: Building Inclusive Workplace

20:23 Innovative Solutions: Moxy Table Top Talk

28:37 How Do You Tell Your Boss "I am Pregnant

31:25 Finding Female-Friendly Workplace

37:53 Final Thoughts and Takeaway

—-------

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #productivitytips #CareerJourney #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #Entrepreneur #mom #momlife #women

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Breakups And Busts: Bouncing Back Better with Lily Kew| Ep21 (Part 2 of 2)

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 12:30:00 GMT

SPECIAL PROMO FOR SINGAPORE-BASED LISTENERS of 35% off ANY FACIAL FOR 1ST TIMERS TO KEW ORGANICS & SUGAR K SPAS !

To enjoy this amazing promotion, WhatsApp MIW35 to +65-8805-0065 to make an appointment or quote MIW35 when booking online.

Offer valid until 30/6/2025.
For more information, please visit http://www.keworganics.com
—-----------------
Lily Kew is an award-winning entrepreneur and founder of Kew Organics and Sugar K, two popular organic facial spa brands in Singapore. For over a decade in the wellness industry, Lily has built a thriving business that offers organic skincare treatments with their focus on natural, effective treatments and products through three outlets and an online store.
Beyond her professional achievements, Lily’s personal journey is equally inspiring. She has experienced a unique relationship dynamic—having married, divorced, and remarried the same person.She also first became a mother at 45 years old and went on to have a second child at 48 years old.
In our raw and wide-ranging conversation, Lily also shares on:
🌟 How she balances the juggling demands of entrepreneurship and motherhood.
🌟 Lily discusses her experiences and reflections on becoming a mother later in life, and how this has shaped her perspective on parenting and life.
🌟 What are the Lily’s experiences to gain practical advice on achieving success and personal growth.
🌟 The emotional and professional challenges she faced when her family business partnership fell apart, and how she navigated this difficult period in her life.

Check out our latest episode “Breakups And Busts: Bouncing Back Better with Lily Kew“ now available on:

🎙Apple (audio only)- https://tinyurl.com/2ypqmafn
🎙Spotify (video+audio) - https://tinyurl.com/24dm6vfv
🎙YouTube (video+audio) - https://tinyurl.com/24jwedlj

Connect with Lily on:
👋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-kew-b256499b
👋 Kew Organics : https://keworganics.com
👋 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keworganics

Follow and connect with us! We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.
—-------------------------------
💼⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast
📷 ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia
🎵 ⁠TikTok⁠: https://www.tiktok.com/@makeitwork.podcast
🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085
🎵Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943be
📥⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

Chapters

00:28 Intro

01:19 Lessons from a Family Partnership

02:34 Advice on Business Partnerships

03:20 My Spouse's Role

06:25 My Darkest Moment: When My Family Business Partnership Failed

08:28 Starting Anew and Finding Support

12:36 Bring Business Lessons Into The Home

15:27 Navigating COVID-19 as a B2C Business

19:24 Balancing Business and Family

21:12 Special Discount For Listeners

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #productivitytips #CareerJourney #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #Entrepreneur #mom #motherhood #marriage #children

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Breakups And Busts: Bouncing Back Better with Lily Kew | Ep 21 (Part 1 of 2)

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 12:00:00 GMT

SPECIAL PROMO FOR SINGAPORE-BASED LISTENERS of 35% off ANY FACIAL FOR 1ST TIMERS TO KEW ORGANICS & SUGAR K SPAS !

To enjoy this amazing promotion, WhatsApp MIW35 to +65-8805-0065 to make an appointment or quote MIW35 when booking online.

Offer valid until 30/6/2025.

For more information, please visit www.keworganics.com.

—-----------------

Lily Kew is an award-winning entrepreneur and founder of Kew Organics and Sugar K, two popular organic facial spa brands in Singapore. For over a decade in the wellness industry, Lily has built a thriving business that offers organic skincare treatments with their focus on natural, effective treatments and products through three outlets and an online store.

Beyond her professional achievements, Lily’s personal journey is equally inspiring. She has experienced a unique relationship dynamic—having married, divorced, and remarried the same person.She also first became a mother at 45 years old and went on to have a second child at 48 years old.

In our raw and wide-ranging conversation, Lily also shares on:

🌟 How she balances the juggling demands of entrepreneurship and motherhood.

🌟 Lily discusses her experiences and reflections on becoming a mother later in life, and how this has shaped her perspective on parenting and life.

🌟 What are the Lily’s experiences to gain practical advice on achieving success and personal growth.

🌟 The emotional and professional challenges she faced when her family business partnership fell apart, and how she navigated this difficult period in her life.

Check out our latest episode “Breakups And Busts: Bouncing Back Better with Lily Kew“ now available on:

🎙Apple (audio only)- https://tinyurl.com/2ypqmafn

🎙Spotify (video+audio) - https://tinyurl.com/24dm6vfv

🎙YouTube (video+audio) - https://tinyurl.com/24jwedlj

Connect with Lily on:

👋 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lily-kew-b256499b

👋 Kew Organics : https://keworganics.com/

👋 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keworganics/

Follow and connect with us! We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

—-------------------------------

💼⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

📷 ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

🎵 ⁠TikTok⁠: https://www.tiktok.com/@makeitwork.podcast

🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085

🎵Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943be

📥⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

Chapters

00:42 Introduction and Special Guest Announcement

02:03 Lily Kew's Personal and Professional Background

02:52 Daily Routine and Health Practices

03:48 Managing Stress and Work-Life Balance

04:32 Compartmentalizing Work and Family Time

08:36 A Cautionary Tale: How Not To Stay Married

15:30 On Having Children at 45 and 48 Years Old Respectively

19:43 Pros and Cons of Being an Older Parent

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #productivitytips #CareerJourney #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #Entrepreneur #mom #motherhood #marriage #children

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Ask Me Anything (Part 2): On Tips, Lessons, and Dreams

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 11:30:00 GMT

Ask Me Anything Part 2 is here! I answer the questions:

Chapters:
00:20 - Top tip for structuring your day
02:01 - How do you stay calm in frustrating calls?
03:06 - Lessons to tell my new mom self
06:33 - Do you have a dream guest?

#askmeanything #askmequestions #qanda #qandasession #questionsandanswers #questions #mom #momlife #momlifestyle #parenthood

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Ask Me Anything (Part 1): I Didn't Expect It Would Be So Personal!

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 11:30:00 GMT

You asked and I answered in this first part of Ask Me Anything! 💙

Watch to the end to hear what has been the most unexpected thing for me since starting this podcast!

I hope you enjoy this slice of my personal story! ✨

Chapters
00:25 - How Did You Start The Podcast?
03:09 - How Do You Choose Your Guests?
05:50 - Which Has Been Your Favourite Episode To Record?

#askmeanything #askme #askmequestions #qanda #qandasession #question #questions #questionanswer #podcast #podcasts #mom #momlife #parents

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

The Importance of Not Taking Yourself Too Seriously with Merve Hokamp| Ep20

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Merve Hokamp, is a mother of two, an avid traveler, and an expat originally from Istanbul, Turkey now living in Dublin and married to an American. She is an ICF (International Coaching Federation) -accredited executive coach and the founder of Leadrise Coaching. Prior to that, she completed her MBA from INSEAD, and spent 11 years at Google leading Customer Success and Project Leaders in global teams and also counts management consulting in her professional experience. Today, Merve empowers corporate and business leaders to elevate their careers, build high-performing teams, and drive impactful change.

Beyond her professional achievements, Merve brings a deeply multicultural perspective to her life and work, and is a strong believer in the Ikigai framework to help one find purposeful work. Merve is passionate about fostering cultural diversity, creating spaces for reflection and growth, and empowering leaders to root themselves in self-awareness before rising to new heights of success.

When she's not coaching, Merve can be found planning her next world travel destination, immersing herself in a good novel, or doing yoga to center her mind and spirit.

In our wide-ranging conversation, Merve also shares on:

🌟 How she balances family and her business, even if it means working more hours.

🌟 Her number one productivity hack - separating "manager time" from "maker time"

🌟 Why asking the right questions can be empowering as a manager and how to do that well

🌟Her experiences in bringing her children up in a multicultural environment

🌟 The importance community in her life as a expat mother

🌟 Merve’s ABCDs for building a strong personal brand at work

Connect with Merve Hokamp on:

👋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mervehokamp/

👋 Leadrise Coaching: www.leadrisecoaching.com

👋 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadrisecoaching/

👋 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553448626981

Follow and connect with us! We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

—-------------------------------

💼⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

📷 ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

🎵 ⁠TikTok⁠: https://www.tiktok.com/@makeitwork.podcast

🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085

📥⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

Chapters

00:18 Introduction to Make It Work

00:29 Hello Merve

01:49 Merve's Background and Career Journey

03:07 Fun Fact: Cleopatra the Cow

03:38 Daily Rhythms and Work-Life Balance

06:50 Maker Time vs. Manager Time

10:50 Motherhood and Career Impact

15:11 Multicultural Family Life

18:41 Challenges and Overcoming Adversity

19:54 Feeling Overwhelmed and Lonely

20:08 Building My Support Network

20:46 Coping with Grief

22:24 Discovering a Passion for Coaching

23:19 The Power of Open-Ended Questions

24:37 Transitioning to a Coaching Career

25:29 Common Challenges in Coaching

29:15 The ABCDs of Personal Branding and Professional Growth

—-------

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #Productivitytips #CareerJourney #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #Entrepreneur #Coaching #Ikigai

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

On Why Every Mom Needs Unsexy Role Models with Sher-li Torrey| Ep19 (Part 2 of 2)

Make It Work Podcast — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 05:59:25 GMT

“One of the messages I share with a lot of women that I meet is that, when you are making a decision of whether you want to continue working, stay at home, or be a mompreneur, at any point in time, you have to really know what it is that you want for your life stage. It's very easy to be influenced by what you hear around you, right? But ultimately, you know yourself best. You know your own family best as well, what works best. “

If you missd Part 1 of the episode, listen here 👉 https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/makeitworkasia-podcast/episodes/On-Why-Every-Mom-Needs-Unsexy-Role-Models-with-Sher-li-Torrey--Ep19-Part-1-of-2-e2nehe1

Sher-li Torrey is a Singaporean mom of 2 - a 16-year-old daughter and a 12-year-old son. She is best known as the founder of Mums @ Work and Career Navigators, organizations dedicated to supporting and empowering mothers as they return to the workforce. Inspired by her own journey to find flexible work arrangements as a young mother 14 years ago, Mums@Work has since grown into a vibrant community of almost 70,000 members. The platform offers flexible work solutions, a portal for Mumpreneurs to list their services, volunteer opportunities, workshops for working mothers, and returneeship programs to help those transitioning back into the workforce after a career break.

With more than a decade of experience working with mothers and partnering with public and private organizations, Sher-li has become a pivotal figure in advocating for this important demographic in Singapore and beyond. In our two-part conversation, she candidly shares:

🌟 The role of work in providing an identity beyond caregiving

🌟 The power of learning to let go and asking for help

🌟 Her "40 Women Over 40" initiative and why every woman needs unsexy role models

🌟 Insights and lessons she never expected from her journey with other moms

🌟 Learning about the different Asian ecosystems in supporting working mms

Check out our latest episode “On Why Every Mom Needs Unsexy Role Models with Sher-li Torrey “ now available on:

🎙Apple (audio only)- https://tinyurl.com/2ypqmafn

🎙Spotify (video+audio) - https://tinyurl.com/24dm6vfv

🎙YouTube (video+audio) - https://tinyurl.com/24jwedlj

Connect with Sher-li on:

👋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherlitorrey/

👋 Mums at Work: https://www.mumsatwork.net/

Follow and connect with us! We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

—-------------------------------

💼⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

📷 ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

🎵 ⁠TikTok⁠: https://www.tiktok.com/@makeitwork.podcast

🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085

🎵Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943be

📥⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

Chapters

00:00 Episode Snippet

00:23 Introduction to Episode

01:21 Understanding Personality in the Workplace

02:24 The Importance of Personality Frameworks

03:57 Challenges and Changes for Working Moms

04:46 Segmenting the Needs of Moms

06:47 The Impact of National Exams on Moms

12:09 Comparing Global Childcare Systems

13:18 Insights on Japan's Work Culture

17:19 Empowering Moms to Make Personal Choices

—-------

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #productivitytips #CareerJourney #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #Entrepreneur

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

On Why Every Mom Needs Unsexy Role Models with Sher-li Torrey | Ep19 (Part 1 of 2)

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 14:45:30 GMT

🌟 The role of work in providing an identity beyond caregiving

🌟 The power of learning to let go and asking for help

🌟 Her "40 Women Over 40" initiative and why every woman needs unsexy role models

🌟 Insights and lessons she never expected from her journey with other mums

Connect with Sher-li on:

👋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherlitorrey/

👋 Mums at Work: https://www.mumsatwork.net/

Follow and connect with us! We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

💼⁠ LinkedIn⁠

📷 ⁠Instagram:

🎵 ⁠TikTok⁠

🍏 Apple

📥 ⁠Email⁠

Chapters

00:00 Episode Snippet

00:27 Introduction to Make It Work

00:37 Hello Sher-Li

01:42 Balancing Work and Family Life

02:13 Daily Routines and Time Management

04:04 Non-Negotiables and Flexibility

05:22 The Importance of Asking for Help

09:21 Unsexy Role Models and Other Inspirations

11:03 When We Transmit Our Insecurities To Our Kids

15:57 When I Hit Rock Bottom

21:21 Advice To My Younger Self

23:25 Finding Purpose and Career Transitions

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #CareerBreak #CareerJourney #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #Entrepreneur #Mothers #Mom #Parents #Parenting #Mum #Family

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

On Matrescence: The Transformations of Motherhood with Sara Pantry| Ep18

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 15:54:30 GMT

“…I'd always had a successful career and was always achieving and they just collided. I didn't feel like I could be the mother that I wanted to be, I also felt like at work I wasn't the person that I was before and that was when I started to get panic attacks, and that was the point where I was like, this isn't how life is meant to be like this.”

Sara Pantry is a UK transplant in Singapore for the past 8 years and mother to a 3 year old. She is a Senior Workplace Leader at Linkedin and a passionate advocate and expert on the topic of matrescence, a term that refers to the profound developmental transition a woman undergoes as she becomes a new mother who is navigating the early stages of motherhood. Her work sheds light on how this period impacts not only a woman’s identity but also her mental and emotional well-being. As a Matrescence Practitioner, Accredited ICF Coach and LeanIn Circle leader, Sara has been at the forefront of exploring and discussing this important phenomenon, providing invaluable insights into the complex interplay between motherhood and personal growth with a community of mothers in Singapore. We’re excited to dive into this conversation and explore how matrescence can help us better understand the journey of motherhood.

In our enlightening conversation, Sara also shares on:

🌟 Motherhood: Understanding what makes transitioning into motherhood so difficult

🌟 Navigating maternal load with her partner and working on resolving resentment in parenthood.

🌟 Her experiences and unexpected learnings from creating a LeanIn circle for mothers in Singapore

🌟 The significance of having peer-to-peer mentoring at the workplace who can support and understand the transition back to work after maternity leave.

Also available on:

🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085

▶️YouTube : https://youtube.com/@makeitwork.podcast

Connect with Sara on:

👋Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/she_thrives_tribe

👋Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/src357/

👋LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-pantry/

👋Email: sara@shethrives.net

Connect with us! We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

➡⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

➡⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

➡ ⁠TikTok⁠: https://www.tiktok.com/@makeitwork.podcast

➡⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

—-------

Chapters

00:00 Episode Snippet

00:23 Introduction to Make It Work

01:07 Hello Sara

02:08 A Day in the Life of Sara

03:12 Balancing Work and Family

06:13 The Challenges of Motherhood

09:45 Discovering Matrescence

19:17 Navigating the Maternal Load

20:46 Understanding Resentment in Parenthood

22:01 Balancing Responsibilities and Communication

24:22 Raising a Child Abroad: Finding Your Tribe

25:47 Creating Support Networks: The Lean In Circle

26:59 Championing Working Moms at LinkedIn

28:02 The Importance of Peer-to-Peer Mentoring

29:57 The Two-Year Transition: Returning to Work

31:10 Global Perspectives on Maternity Support

32:52 Starting a Mentoring Program in Your Company

34:27 The Power of Community Support

36:05 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

—-------

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #productivitytips #CareerJourney #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #Entrepreneur

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

On Parenting Well In A Digital Age with Carol Loi | Ep17

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 14:01:52 GMT

Carol Loi is a much sought-after expert in an all-important area that has profound impact on our lives as modern working parents - digital wellness. From learning how we and our children can develop healthy relationships with our devices, to figuring out how AI will affect our kids - Carol has the answers. She is a Singaporean mum of 2 young adult daughters and has been teaching on digital wellness for the past decade. Blending her personal story with the tools and advice that she regularly gives to families and organizations, you’ll hear fantastic implementable steps on how we can better parents in this digital age.

Come listen!

In this very practical and insightful interview, Carol also shares on:

🌟 Mom guilt and Carol’s strategies for managing and transforming guilt into positive actions

🌟 Digital Wellness:How to develop a healthy relationship with digital devices in the home

🌟 Interesting and implementable family rhythms to help build trust

🌟 The significance of having family SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for safety and communication

🌟The value of regular feedback within the family, similar to work appraisals.

Our latest episode “On Parenting Well In A Digital Age with Carol Loi" is available on:

Connect with Carol on:

👋Carol's linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolloi/

👋Carol’s linktree: https://linktr.ee/carol_loi

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #DigitalWellness #FamilyFirst #ParentingInTheDigitalAge #WorkLifeBalance #MentalWellbeing #LeadershipInParenting #ParentingTips #MomGuilt #DigitalParenting

Chapters

00:37 Episode Introduction

01:33 Hello Carol

01:38 Carol's Background: 20 Years In Public Service

04:05 Balancing Technology and Family - My Role As your Cheerleader

10:09 The Power of Family Protocols

16:59 Dealing with Mom Guilt

24:20 Ever Heard of the Family Member 360 Appraisal?

27:46 My Three "R"s: Relationship, Reasoning, Rhythm

34:11 Digital Wellness Tips

35:48 Closing Thoughts and Contact Information

—-------

Follow along! We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

💼Linkedin: https://lnkd.in/gK3DKTEB

🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085

▶️YouTube : https://youtube.com/@makeitwork.podcast

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@makeitwork.podcast

Email Us: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

On Raising Kids Whilst Building Empires with Chris Edwards | Ep16

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 13:47:25 GMT

Chris Edwards, originally from Australia, lived in Singapore for 11 years, where she had her three kids and launched the well-known Honeycombers website. She is now based in Byron Bay, Australia, and most recently has launched her fourth business, Launchpad, an all-in-one platform and community looking to provide the necessary tools and support for impactful entrepreneurs. From advice on finding good people in your life to tips on how to juggle it all, this conversation is packed with valuable insights. Hint: there’s more “life” in the “work-life balance” equation.

In today’s candid and thought-provoking conversation, Chris delves into:

🌟The importance of prioritization and why she lives by the 80/20 rule

🌟Work-life balance or “life-work balance” as she likes to call it and starting the day by doing something enjoyable

🌟How she effectively retired her husband from his corporate job and how they balance roles in family life

🌟Valuable strategies that can be leveraged both in the workplace as well as around the dinner table

🌟Last but not least, the significance of surrounding yourself with good people in life and how she does it

Don’t miss out the special promotion for listeners to gain ONE MONTH FREE access to Chris’ Launchpad community of business owners (now 700+ members strong)! Use the promocode ‘makeitwork’ (not case sensitive) to join the “world’s kindest startup community”!

Connect with Chris on:

👋Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chris_edwards_au/

👋LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisedwardshoneycombers/?originalSubdomain=au

👋Launchpad: https://thelaunchpad.group/

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #CareerJourney #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #Solopreneur

*Special thanks to Bianca Boranda for helping with this episode!*

Chapters

00:00 Episode Snippet

00:33 Introducing Make It Work

00:46 Introduction and Welcoming Chris

02:08 Hello Chris

03:19 Balancing Work and Family Life

05:03 Productivity Tips and Prioritization

12:20 How Do You Find Good People

16:49 On Retiring My Husband...

18:31 ...And Balancing New Roles in Family Life

20:14 Transition from Singapore to Australia

21:45 Reflecting on Past Decisions

22:47 Lessons From Running A Business And Having A 3rd Kid

28:43 Interchanging Parenting and Business Strategies

32:50 How To Reach Chris

—-------

Follow along! We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

PS. We are always looking for great stories to be featured!

➡LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

➡Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/
➡Email: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

On Limits, Burnouts, & Workplace Adversity with Karen Tay | Ep 15

Make It Work Podcast — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 06:17:34 GMT

Karen Tay is a Singaporean transplant in San Francisco, USA, and a mom of two. She is the founder of Inherent, a platform dedicated to supporting women through career transitions and workplace challenges. In our intimate conversation, Karen shares her journey from being a senior public servant in the Singapore government to joining corporate America and becoming an entrepreneur. We discuss her viral Her World article entitled “Modern Motherhood: The Blessings of Not Having It All”, revisit some of her darkest times in her personal and professional life, and explore the lessons she's learned since then.

Join us as we reflect on her work supporting women through workplace adversity and uncover enduring wisdom about navigating difficult transitions, career breaks, and making impactful comebacks. Tune in!

Karen also opens up on:

🌟 Navigating the challenges of balancing career aspirations amidst limitations in moving to the US as a young family

🌟 Her personal journey through burnout during COVID

🌟 The importance of healing and nurturing personal relationships during times of strain

🌟 Lessons from providing first aid to women in workplace adversity through Inherent

🌟 How to navigate career breaks and make a comeback

Connect with Karen on:

👋Karen's linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenzytay/

👋Inherent website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inherentjourney/

Other resources mentioned:

📚White Paper with Princeton University on Supporting Women Leaders through Workplace First Aid: Pilot Findings - https://drive.google.com/file/d/11rbHF6CGh5_6jj7H7cMg7Kt2M0CvqUTd/view

📚Couples That Work by Jennifer Petriglieri

Chapters

01:09 Hello Karen

02:34 A Day in the Life of Karen

03:47 My Productivity Hack: Calendar Blocking

04:45 The Pottery Connection

06:49 From Optimising Life to Learning To Enjoy Limitations

13:03 Having The Freedom vs Giving Yourself The Freedom

18:17 Struggling with Burnout: A Personal Journey

19:10 Healing and Rebuilding Relationship with My Spouse

21:06 Inherent: Providing Workplace Adversity First Aid

31:12 Navigating Career Breaks and Making Comebacks

—-------

Follow along! We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

➡LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

➡Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

➡Email: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Strength Through Vulnerability: How A Difficult Pregnancy and Loss Shaped Me with Amra Naidoo | Ep14

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 08:59:15 GMT

Amra Naidoo is an Australian mother of an 18-month-old, currently based in Bangkok, Thailand, after years of living and working in Singapore. She is also the co-founder and General Partner of Accelerating Asia, a leading early-stage venture capital fund in Southeast Asia. In our conversation today which is full of personal and professional inspiration, Amra shared openly about many areas including how, despite her priding herself being an avid fitness enthusiast (practicing Muay Thai, Brazilian Jujitsu, aerial arts, AND yoga sometimes 6 days a week), her pregnancy, recovery and a miscarriage later literally stopped her in her tracks and taught her some of life's toughest lessons. 🥋🤰🏽✨

In our conversation, Amra also opens up on:

🌟How Accelerating Asia’s 4 day work week and unlimited leave has impacted productivity

🌟Why she decided to move to Thailand from Singapore whilst pregnant and cultural differences observed

🌟Her unique philosophy in hiring nannies

🌟Her story of a difficult pregnancy, recovery and miscarriage later on

🌟The importance of consciously designing one's life and career.

Connect with Amra on:

👋Amra's linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amranaidoo/

👋Amra's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amranaidoo/

👋Accelerating Asia website: https://www.acceleratingasia.com/

👋AA's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/accelerating_asia/

Chapters

0:00 Episode and Guest Introduction

01:06 Hello Amra

02:39 Daily Routine and Productivity Hacks

06:50 Why The Move to Thailand

13:09 My Company’s 4 Day Work Week & Unlimited Leave Policies

16:47 Becoming A Mom: What I Didn't Expect

25:08 Why I Hated Pregnancy... And Lessons Learnt

33:34 Final Thoughts: Not 1 but 2 Takeaways For Listeners

—-------

Follow along! We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

➡LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

➡Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/
➡Email: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

#MakeItWorkPodcast #Resilience #MotherhoodJourney #EntrepreneurLife #PregnancyJourney #ProfessionalGrowth #GlobalCareers #Inspiration #WomenInBusiness #CareerDevelopment #VentureCapital #StartUp

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Relaunching Careers: Personal Lessons and Cross-Cultural Insights From Enabling 4,000 Professionals With Carolina Yeo | Ep13

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 22 May 2024 10:18:54 GMT

Carolina Yeo is a Singaporean mom of two living in Germany, and founder of &ahead, a talent platform that has enabled more than 4,000 professionals who have taken career breaks to relaunch their careers. Our episode covers a wide range - Carolina reflects on her early corporate life in talent management that brought her all around the world before becoming a young mom in a country where she could barely speak the language- whilst working on her startup. Drawing from her experience of working with thousands of career relaunchers in Singapore and Germany, Carolina also shares about how the two countries' societal contexts impact career and family choices, and why she thinks fathers need more support as caregivers.

In our conversation, Carolina also opens up on:

🌟Her global journey from Singapore to Germany

🌟Simultaneously managing the zero-to-one phase of baby and startup

🌟Finding community and family overseas

🌟Empowering career transitioners through the &ahead platform

🌟How policies in Germany and Singapore affect career and parenting choices

🌟Her Takeaway Lesson: The importance of cheerleaders in your journey

Connect with Carolina/ &ahead on:

👋Website: https://andahead.com/

👋LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinayeo/

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #CareerTransition #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #Entrepreneur

Chapters

00:00 Episode and Guest Introduction

01:02 Hello Carolina

01:13 Carolina's Global Journey: From Singapore to Germany

02:31 The Birth of an Entrepreneur: Starting a Business Abroad

09:34 Navigating Career and Motherhood: A Personal Tale

11:56 Building a support network overseas

19:47 Germany and Singapore: structural differences impacting parents

24:31 The Need: More Progressive Parental Leave Policies

27:30 Advice for Returning to Work: Overcoming Fear and Finding Support

30:48 The Importance of Cheerleaders in Your Journey

—-------

Follow along! We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

➡LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

➡Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

➡Email: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Redefining Success: Through Corporate Leadership, Fractional Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Motherhood - Rachel Tan | Ep12

Make It Work Podcast — Tue, 07 May 2024 23:30:00 GMT

Rachel Tan, an e-commerce whiz based in Malaysia, has made waves in leadership positions at the likes of Shopee, L’Oreal, Nuffnang and Oxwhite, the Malaysian retail company famous for selling 2,500 white shirts in just three hours. She's also the founder of In Real Life, a digital publishing platform, which was sold in 2020. But that's not all. Rachel's story takes a unique turn after welcoming three children into her life. She realized the potential to merge her love for nurturing kids with her marketing prowess, leading to the birth of The Nurts, an innovative venture that offers books, toys, and games designed to foster precious parent-child bonds. For those intrigued by the concept of fractional work, Rachel also shares her journey of securing a two day a week marketing leadership role at Oxwhite, whilst growing The Nurts, her own business inspired by her kids.

Rachel is also extending a special offer to listeners of Make it Work for products purchased on The Nurts' online store. Valid until 30 June 2024, use the code, MAKEITWORK10 for a 10% discount with a minimum spend of RM 120 (~ USD25)!

In our conversation, we chat about:

🌟Juggling Mum-preneurship and 3 kids

🌟Fractional Work: How Rachel Found a 2-day-a-week Marketing Leadership Role

🌟Combining Work and Play: Starting The Nurts

🌟The 3 Most Important Relationships

🌟The Importance of Knowing Thyself

🌟How to Overcome Self-doubt

Connect with Rachel on:

👋The Nurts https://www.thenurts.com/

👋LinkedIn ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/racheltan88/

👋Email: rachel@thenurts.com

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #CareerJourney #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #FractionalLeadership #TheNurts

Chapters

0:00 Make It Work Introduction

00:02 Episode and Guest Intro

01:32 Hello Rachel

01:46 Rachel's Journey: From Marketing to Motherhood and Entrepreneurship

03:58 Childcare Arrangements - A Different Experience with Each Child

05:53 Starting a Business Amidst Family Life

07:35 Rachel's Career Shifts and Embracing Flexibility

10:51 How I got a 2-day-a-week Marketing Leadership position

16:56 Advice for Pursuing Flexible, Fractional Roles

18:40 Balancing Entrepreneurship and Parenthood - Know Thyself

21:19 Inspiration from Parenting: The Birth of The Nurts

23:49 The Role of Supportive Partners in Entrepreneurial Journeys

27:42 Reflections and Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

30:43 Connecting with Rachel Tan

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Building The Support System For Moms That We Always Wanted with Rajani Patel And Anu Shenoy From Veira Life | Ep11

Make It Work Podcast — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 23:30:00 GMT

Rajani Patel and Anu Shenoy are the co-founders of FemTech Startup Veira Life. Presently based in Singapore, they have diverse backgrounds - Rajani was an engineer turned stay home mom and later pursued a career path in early childhood education whilst Anu is a former management consultant. What they share in common is that they both took career breaks to care for their children and later found their second calling to start Veira Life, an online platform which provides personalised coaching for mothers from pregnancy through to their post-natal journey, early childhood parenting and transitioning back to work. Or in their own words, creating the support system they wish they’d had. Join us as we chat about how they are filling a gap for women and empowering spouses along the journey too.

Today, Veira Life is extending a very special offer to listeners of Make it Work. Use the code MIWFREE to get access to all their virtual prenatal classes FREE when you register on their website.

In our conversation, we also discuss:

🌟How they navigated multiple career changes

🌟Veira Life: Anu and Rajani’s venture to change the way support is given to mothers

🌟The biggest lesson learnt after interviewing hundreds of mothers across geographies and age groups

🌟What keeps them motivated as first time entrepreneurs in their 40s and 50s

Connect with Rajani and Anu on:

👋Veira Life’s website https://veiralife.com/

👋Rajani’s LinkedIn ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajani-patel-4141876/

👋Anu’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/anupamashenoy/

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #CareerJourney #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #Veiralife #CareerTransitions

Chapters

0:00 Make It Work Intro

00:12 Episode and Guest Introduction

01:36 Hello Anu and Rajani

04:44 Challenges Faced as Working Mothers

06:32 Rajani: Figuring Out A New Career After 8 Years As SAHM

10:05 Anu: New Motherhood Taught Me A Tough Lesson: To Be Kinder To Myself

15:21 Veira Life: Providing The Support For Mothers We Wish We Had

17:21 Why Support Spouses?

19:30 What Keeps Us Going as Entrepreneurs Despite Our Life Stage

27:49 The One Thing to Takeaway From This

29:56 Outro

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Building Your Professional Village: Navigating Career Shifts, Parenthood, and Workplace Dynamics with Nila Bhattacharyya | Ep10

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 15:01:58 GMT

Nila Bhattacharyya is currently based in Bangalore India with her husband and 3 year old. Prior to embracing motherhood, Nila's career spanned diverse roles; from serving as an oil rig engineer in Brazil to working as a global-traveling management consultant based in the United States.

However, following the arrival of her first child, Nila made a pivotal decision to return to India, leaving consulting and starting a new career in product management for a healthtech company headquartered in the United States. Join us to hear how and why Nila made these significant shifts to balance family needs whilst staying true to her career ‘north star’.

In today’s honest and practical conversation, Nila also shares about:

🌟The structured framework guiding her career transitions

🌟Candid observations of parenting in the US vs India

🌟How she expanded the proverbial village to her workplace, breaking taboos by integrating pregnancy openly into professional life early on

🌟How embedding frameworks such as “Jobs To Be Done” and “Operational Key Results” help her prioritize her parenting goals

Connect with Nila on:

👋Email: nilanjana.bhattacharyya@gmail.com

👋LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/in/nilanjana-b-3b36651a

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #CareerJourney #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #UStoIndia #CareerTransitions

Chapters

00:00 Make It Work Introduction

00:11 Episode and Guest Introduction

03:07 Motherhood: An Internal Shift In Perspective Toward Work

05:58 It Takes A Village.. Which Includes Your Workplace

09:03 Getting Help And Figuring My Priorities

09:57 Exploring Career Options - Why I Pivoted Into Product After Motherhood

15:55 Making A Geographical Shift For Family - A Move Beset With Doubt

18:19 Parenting in US vs India/Asia: Some Big Differences Observed

22:28 My Spouse Is My Biggest Cheerleader

26:54 Looking Back, What Would I Do Differently?

29:51 How I Embed Jobs To Be Done and OKRs In Parenting

31:54 Key Takeaways: New Ways to Define and Grow Your Village

—-------

Follow along! We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

PS. We are always looking for great stories to be featured!

➡LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

➡Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/
➡Email: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Unexpectedly Flourishing: The Unforeseen Benefits of a Career Downshift with Sharon Fan | Ep9

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 04:58:03 GMT

Sharon Fan, a Canadian-Taiwanese, had lived and worked in Asia, North America, Europe before taking charge as the Managing Director of the Taiwan office of a fast growing regional health tech startup. Leading a growing team, she dedicated herself to 15-hour workdays until a significant change reshaped her priorities: motherhood.

Opting for a transformative career pivot, Sharon chose to return to her former company, embracing a downshift, including a 50% pay cut, to transition into an individual contributor role. How and why did she do it? And what are her thoughts on it, since making the shift 2 years ago?

In our eye-opening conversation today, Sharon also shares about:

🌟Her challenges as a first time mom (“the minutiae of it all”)

🌟Why she embraces the concept of a career downshift and her unique perspective on it

🌟How she balances traveling for work and leisure for up to 30% of a year with her spouse and toddler

🌟Interesting aspects of the work culture in Taiwan that affect family life

Connect with Sharon on:

👋LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonfan/

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #CareerDownshift #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #

Chapters

00:00 Make It Work Introduction

00:11 Episode & Guest Introduction

02:01 Day In A Life

03:56 Why Motherhood Was So Tough For Me

06:49 Why Taking A 50% paycut Was Worth it

11:17 Why I Love The Term "Career downshift"

16:02 Work-life Integration In Taiwan

20:21 Working With My Spouse

25:53 Outro

—-------

Follow along! We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

PS. We are always looking for great stories to be featured!

➡LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

➡Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/
➡Email: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

How To Find A New Way Of Being When Life Gets Disrupted with Claire Harbour (2 of 2) | Ep8

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 10:13:28 GMT

Claire Harbour is a mother of four, an avid traveller with an equally interesting career path. She has worked as a strategy consultant, a retail director and a headhunter. Now as a coach, she is on a mission to help women cope with change and find their very own ‘a-ha’ moments in life. Claire recently completed The 100 Women project, where she coached 100 young women in 100 days What has she learnt along her journey?

We chat about:

🌟Ashley Connell’s story: empowering women to fulfil unmet needs for small businesses

🌟Building a priorities list to dump, delegate or delay

🌟Practical exercise: Plan your ideal ordinary day

🌟What she has learnt from coaching 100 women in 100 days and creating ‘The Safe’, a sharing community for women

🌟Figuring out your values so you can be honest about what you want and live with purpose

Connect with Claire on:

👋Claire’s website ⁠www.claireharbour.com⁠

👋The Safe ⁠https://the-safe.mailchimpsites.com/⁠

👋LinkedIn ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairemjharbour/⁠

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #CareerJourney #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #Coaching #DisruptYourCareer

Chapters

00:00 Make It Work Introduction

00:10 Episode Intro

01:00 Ashley Connell: Training SAHMs for business owners

03:06 Build a priorities list: dump, delegate or delay

07:45 Embrace your new identity as a mother, grief the loss of your old identity

08:33 Practical exercise: Plan your ideal ordinary day

10:29 The 100 Women in 100 Days Project

15:22 The Safe: A community for young women to reflect and explore

16:29 Key takeaways

Special credits to Kash Baden in helping with the production of this episode!

—-------

Follow along! We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

PS. We are always looking for great stories to be featured!

➡LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

➡Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/
➡Email: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

How To Find A New Way Of Being When Life Gets Disrupted with Claire Harbour (1 of 2) | Ep7 (Special Series Part 4)

Make It Work Podcast — Sat, 02 Dec 2023 15:49:31 GMT

In Claire Harbour’s own words, she “fits in everywhere and belongs nowhere”. Claire holds French and British passports but really is the quintessential global citizen, having lived in almost 20 countries and can speak 8 languages. Claire started her career in Asia, was once the General Manager for Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy in the UK, and since entering coaching 20 years ago, she has now coached over 2000 people. All this whilst single-handedly raising four children (who are now well-adjusted adults!).

Amongst the many hats Claire wears, she is currently advisor to the Harvard Business Review, has written a book and co-hosts a podcast both entitled “Disrupt Your Career”, a program interviewing those at the forefront of talent and career management. Claire is especially special to me because she was one of my first cheerleaders in starting this podcast! I cannot wait to share Claire’s unique wisdom and style in this podcast with you.

In our conversation, we chat about:

🌟The secret ingredient that helped her cope as a single working mother of four: her client relationships

🌟What she learned from her children as they pursued unconventional paths

🌟Why asking for what you need is so important - and powerful

🌟Setting priorities so you can dump, delegate, delay

🌟Figuring out your values so you can be honest about what you want

Connect with Claire on:

👋Claire’s website www.claireharbour.com

👋The Safe https://the-safe.mailchimpsites.com/

👋LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairemjharbour/

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #CareerJourney #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #Coaching #DisruptYourCareer

Chapters

0:00 Make It Work Introduction

01:09 Hello Claire

03:39 Claire's journey: Moving out of the corporate world

06:46 Finding work-life compromise with 4 children

09:07 Am I just my work?

13:44 Letting my children pursue unconventional paths

17:16 Coaching hat on: Cultural differences observed across clients

21:20 Learning to ask for what you need

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Special credits to Kash Baden in helping with the production of this episode!

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Follow along! We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

PS. We are always looking for great stories to be featured!

➡LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

➡Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/
➡Email: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Why My Crazy Schedule Actually Gives Me Life with Joanne Tan | Ep6 (Special Series Part 3)

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Joanne Tan leads an unconventional life as a working mum by most standards in Asia but is totally thriving in it. She moved to Singapore from Australia four years ago with her family, is a certified and practising counsellor of her own practice The Cultivated Life Project, and also homeschools her three boys (3, 6 and 8 years old).

Yes.. I know.. How on earth does she do it?? Join me in today’s refreshing conversation to find out!

We also chat about:

🌟How and what drives her everyday- juggling between homeschooling and counselling

🌟Her biggest challenge is managing conflicting ideals and desires but emphases the importance of trusting in God's guidance

🌟Common challenges from working mum clients such as adjusting to new relationships and a new identity, the practical challenges of balancing work and family life

🌟The differences between coaching and counselling and how to decide which is appropriate for you

🌟Advice to her younger self

Connect with Jo on:

👋Jo’s website www.thecultivatedlifeproject.com

👋Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mrs.jo.tan/

👋Email: Thecultivatedlifeproject@gmail.com

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #CareerJourney #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #Counselling

Chapters

0:00 Make It Work Introduction

00:12 Episode & Guest Introduction

00:47 Hello Jo

02:14 Day In A Life

04:57 My Biggest Challenge: Too Many Ideals!

06:35 Motherhood Felt Like My Life As I Know It Was Coming To An End

09:45 Why I Homeschool My Kids

11:43 Advice To My Younger Self

12:35 Common Things I Hear From My Clients: How Tos, Identity, Loneliness

17:22 How I Counsel My Clients: Looking Inward and Looking Upward

19:03 Difference Between Coach and Counselor

20:35 How Do You Choose Between Finding A Coach vs Counselor?

23:15 Takeaway For Listeners

24:15 Connect With Jo About

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Follow along! We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

PS. We are always looking for great stories to be featured!

➡LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

➡Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

➡Email: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Becoming a Parent Unleashes Superpowers You Didn’t Know You Had with Vandana Ahuja | Ep5 (Special Series Part 2)

Make It Work Podcast — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 14:20:57 GMT

Welcome to Part 2 of our Special Coaches & Counselors Series!

Originally from India, Vandana Ahuja, HR Adviser, Executive Coach has now called Singapore home for over 6 years. Formerly a Human Resources leader in corporate teams for three decades, Vandana currently runs her own HR consultancy Metamorph Dynamics Consulting. Vandana is also a certified executive coach with the International Coaching Federation.

In this helpful conversation, I had the special privilege to tap into Vandana’s professional experience to shed light on:

🌟The evolution of HR policies and corporate initiates through the decades to support dual working families

🌟The changing attitudes of working parent employees as well as modes of working

🌟Common questions and challenges that her working mum clients bring to her as well as her coaching secrets in address them

🌟The importance of finding a sounding board as well as how to employ some simple techniques to work through the all-to-familiar feeling of being overwhelmed

Check out our latest episode “Becoming a Parent Unleashes Superpowers You Didn’t Know You Had with Vandana Ahuja”. Come join us to get some practical tips on how to make it work!

Available on:

🎙Spotify (video+audio) - https://tinyurl.com/24dm6vfv

🎙Apple (audio only)- https://tinyurl.com/2ypqmafn

🎙Google (audio only) - https://tinyurl.com/29pallco

🎙YouTube (video+audio) - https://tinyurl.com/24jwedlj

Connect with Vandana on:

👋Website: https://metamorphdynamics.com/contact/

👋LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vandana-s-ahuja/

👋Email: vadynamics27@gmail.com

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #CareerJourney #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #Coaching

Chapters

00:00 Make It Work Introduction

00:49 Hello Vandana

02:29 Day In A Life

03:21 Challenge As A Young Working Mum In Mumbai & Delhi

04:47 Changing HR Policies Through The Years

06:41 Have Attitudes of Working Parent Employees Changed?

13:42 Coaching Hat On: What Are Common Questions From Working Mum Clients?

16:24 Coaching Secrets For Working Mum

20:11 Takeaways For Listeners

21:11 Areas to Connect with Vandana On

22:09 Outro

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Follow along! We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

PS. We are always looking for great stories to be featured!

➡LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

➡Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/
➡Email: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

How I Survived My Midlife Crisis and Why I Think You Can Have It All with Charlotte Teo | Ep4 (Special Series Part 1)

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 00:01:00 GMT

Charlotte Teo is Singaporean working mum to three kids ages 9, 12, and 42- with the 42-year-old being her husband - and the founder and Head Coach of Whatssup Charlie Coaching and Consultancy that focuses on coaching bold working mommas “on the Path of Good To Great”. After a 17 year career as a marketer to big brands, Charlotte experienced a “halftime moment” in her professional life which led her to re-evaluate where she was in life, eventually leading her to explore coaching and is today passionate about helping others going through big life transitions, as she once did.

In today’s light hearted and sincere conversation with the self-described “pom-pom waver” and “lime green highlighter pen”, Charlotte speaks openly on:

🌟 Her "Half-Time Moment" (aka Mid Life Crisis) and how this pivotal moment led her to reevaluate her career path and to start exploring coaching

🌟 Imposter syndrome as one of the most common themes that she sees her clients come to her with as well as how she guides them through it

🌟Balancing Work and Motherhood: What is behind the identity crisis that many working moms face

🌟How she worked with her spouse through early transition into motherhood and in her most recent career transition

🌟Why she thinks that it is possible to “have it all”

Check out our latest episode “How I Survived My Midlife Crisis and Why I Think You Can Have It All with Charlotte Teo” for some candor and great advice on Making It Work!

Connect with Charlotte on:

👋LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotteteo

👋Website - https://www.wassupcharlie.com
👋Email - charlie@wassupcharlie.com

Chapters

00:00 Make It Work introduction

00:11 Episode and Guest Intro

00:36 Hello Charlotte

02:25 Charlotte's "Haf-Time Moment"

04:42 Losing Control of Life as a Form of Identity Crisis / Awakening

07:21 Why I Focus On Working Mums As My Clientele

11:43 As A Coach: Top Questions My Working Mums Clients Ask

13:27 Digger Deeper Into "Having It All": Why I Think It's Possible

15:29 Imposter Syndrome

18:53 Working with My Spouse

22:03 Post Half-Time Charlotte: Personal and Professional Changes

24:59 Takeaway For Listeners

26:28 What I Love Connecting Over

27:26 Outro

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Follow along! We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

PS. We are always looking for great stories to be featured!

➡LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

➡Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

➡Email: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

How I Transitioned From Corporate To Entrepreneurship And Found Purpose At Work With Noriko Shindo | Ep3

Make It Work Podcast — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 16:00:00 GMT

“So previously, I wanted to be in a place that was always exciting and that I grow etc cetera, the kind of things you hear about a lot, of course with a nice paycheck and stuff like that. But then I think what happened with motherhood is like, more and more, not just in work, but I think more about what kind of planet or earth or society are we leaving for our kids..”

Noriko Shindo is Japanese who grew up in Japan, the US and UK. She is a mum of two young kids under 4 years old and currently lives in Japan together with her Israeli husband. After a career in Finance and an MBA at INSEAD, she joined Amazon Japan and later left to start her own lifestyle and dining companies - twice over! In this thoughtful episode Noriko talks about:

🌟How motherhood ignited a shift in career perspective to focus on aligning her values and purpose at work

🌟Parenting approaches to teaching minimalism and making conscious choices with her kids

🌟Less-known facts about Japan's generous parental leave policies

🌟Working with her Israeli-spouse on making financial decisions to support her transition from corporate to startup life

🌟Her personal mission: Empowering women in Japan to explore entrepreneurship during motherhood, leveraging support systems.

Available on:

🎙Spotify (video+audio) - https://tinyurl.com/24dm6vfv

🎙Apple (audio only)- https://tinyurl.com/2ypqmafn

🎙Google (audio only) - https://tinyurl.com/29pallco

🎙YouTube (video+audio) - https://tinyurl.com/24jwedlj

Connect with Noriko on:

👋LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/noriko-shindo

👋Email - noriko@dokoni.co.jp

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #CareerJourney #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #Entrepreneurship #Asia

Chapters

00:00 Make It Work Introduction

00:12 Episode & Guest Introduction

00:38 Hello Noriko

01:18 A Day in My Life

03:37 I Did Not Realize How Much Motherhood Changed Me

04:33 On "Shukunin"

05:44 Leaving Amazon and Becoming An Entrepreneur

10:04 Building A World I Want For My Kids

13:17 Working With The Husband

14:22 Any Regrets?

15:36 Mum Guilt

16:17 Takeaway for Listeners

17:02 Japanese Work & Parental Leave Culture

19:40 Connecting with Noriko

20:19 Outro

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Follow along! We’d love to hear any feedback, comments, or suggestions from you.

PS. We are always looking for great stories to be featured!

➡LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

➡Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

➡Email: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

On Questioning Assumptions and Designing Her Best Life Amidst Big Changes with Anna Breimer | Ep2

Make It Work Podcast — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 00:00:57 GMT

“...I was at some point in time presenting to the board of really big companies in Asia, and two weeks later I was sitting with a newborn screaming and crying and I didn't know how to breastfeed..”

Anna Joke Breimer Bharati, originally hailing from the Netherlands, has called Singapore her home for over a decade. She is mother of three (under five years old!), and has embarked on a remarkable journey, transitioning from her role as a junior partner at McKinsey & Company to becoming the driving force behind her successful leadership development company, The Breimer Group.

In today’s candid and thought-provoking conversation, Anna opens up on:

🌟Why she decided to stop "swimming upstream” in the corporate world to "swim in her own pool”

🌟The ups and downs of navigating first time parenthood for her and her American husband in a ‘third culture” from hers and her spouse

🌟Going through postnatal depression and the transformative turning point for her

🌟The societal pressures and assumptions of a "good" mother and spouse, and how she broke free from these constraints

🌟Strategies and advice on how both she and her husband, also an entrepreneur, create opportunities to be their best selves

Check out our latest episode “On Questioning Assumptions and Designing Her Best Life Amidst Big Changes with Anna Breimer” for some raw honesty, vulnerability, and humour as we uncover insights and challenges to conventional norms about working mothers.

Connect with Anna on:

👋Instagram https://www.instagram.com/itsannapreneur/

👋LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-joke-breimer-bharati/

#MakeItWorkPodcast #WorkingMoms #CareerJourney #Inspiration #FamilyFirst #Solopreneur

Chapters

(00:00) Make It Work Introduction

(00:12) Episode & Guest Introduction

(00:50) Hello Anna

(01:50) Day In a Life

(03:31) Transitioning from Consulting to Self-Employment

(06:06) Why "Career Downshifting" Is Triggering

(10:01) Being A Foreigner: Embracing a Different Model of Parenting and Even Starting A Business

(12:29) Getting Through Post Partum Depression

(13:55) Embracing The Trauma Of Being A New Mum

(15:51) Learning True Partnership With My Spouse

(21:49) Outro

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Reach out to us with any feedback, comments, or suggestions. PS. We are always looking for great stories to be featured!

Email us at: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Navigating Life's Seasons and Being A Reluctant Leader with Fannie Lim | Ep1

Make It Work Podcast — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 16:00:00 GMT

Fannie Lim is a former Stay Home Mum to 3, entrepreneur, and now NGO leader in Singapore. In this episode, she shares insights about:

🌟 Navigating the challenges of being a stay-at-home mom after a successful career.

🌟 Balancing work and family commitments in the nonprofit sector.

🌟 Embracing leadership roles and the dynamics of working alongside a supportive spouse.

🌟 Discovering transferable skills gained during motherhood that are applicable in the professional world.

🌟 The power of reflection, humility, and learning in personal growth and parenting.

🌟 Unveiling the beauty of prioritizing and embracing different seasons in life.

Don't miss this engaging and enlightening episode with Fannie Lim, where wisdom, vulnerability, and inspiration come together to celebrate the journey of a modern working mum.

Connect with Fannie through the following platforms:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/be.the.change.you.wanna.see/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/fannie-lim-b50055158/

----------

We would love to hear your feedback, comments, or suggestions.

PS. We are always looking for great stories to be featured!

Email us at: makeitwork.asia@gmail.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit makeitworkpodcast.substack.com

Make It Work

From $2K Salary to Financial Independence: A Working Mom’s Playbook ft. SG Budget Babe | Ep 37

Around But Not Present - A Working Mom's Honest Confession And More | Elena Chow Ep 36

When You Show Up Anyway: A Mother’s Story of Loss and Leadership - Maria Li | Ep35

Navigating Life's Transitions With Belief with Sarah Wong - On The Soft Power Project | Ep34

Parenthood Across 10 Countries: The Village Every Parent Needs - Marina Lopes | Ep33

29 Weeks Too Soon: Motherhood, Identity, and Building Something Radically New - Luanne Poh | Ep32

From Stay-At-Home to Single Working Mom: What Divorce Taught Me (I Never Saw Coming) - Sherry Fang | Ep31

From Silicon Valley Burnout to Podcasting Success: Sarah Wong's Journey! On The Adrian Tan Show | Ep30

How This Mom Built a Million-Dollar Brand with Zero Marketing - Cheryl Yeo | Ep29

SME vs Big Tech: Why Small Might Be The BEST Career Move! - Louisa Lee | Ep 28

Mother’s Day Special: A Poem from Me to You

Children' s Book Author: Why The Stories We Tell Our Kids - And Ourselves- Matter! | Ep27

The Architect's Secret: How to Design a Calm Home (And Life) That Actually Works for Your Family! | Ep26

Find True Flexibility At Work! Innovative Strategies for Modern Moms!

Making Periods Sustainable, Stylish and Stress-free

Top LinkedIn Voice & HR Expert: How To Successfully Navigate Your Career Comeback - May Palabrica

Bonus for YOU!: Work Options Beyond the 9 to 5 - A Unique Virtual Event!

Why We Get Stuck In Life And How To Get Unstuck! - Niti Nadarajah | Ep24

How To Turn Your Career Pause Into Your Greatest Advantage! - Anh Bourcet | Ep23

Welcome to Make It Work! (Updated 2025)

Job Sharing Saved My Career! Why Women Should Question Feedback They Get! - Khatija Aslam | Ep22

Breakups And Busts: Bouncing Back Better with Lily Kew| Ep21 (Part 2 of 2)

Breakups And Busts: Bouncing Back Better with Lily Kew | Ep 21 (Part 1 of 2)

Ask Me Anything (Part 2): On Tips, Lessons, and Dreams

Ask Me Anything (Part 1): I Didn't Expect It Would Be So Personal!

The Importance of Not Taking Yourself Too Seriously with Merve Hokamp| Ep20

On Why Every Mom Needs Unsexy Role Models with Sher-li Torrey| Ep19 (Part 2 of 2)

On Why Every Mom Needs Unsexy Role Models with Sher-li Torrey | Ep19 (Part 1 of 2)

On Matrescence: The Transformations of Motherhood with Sara Pantry| Ep18

On Parenting Well In A Digital Age with Carol Loi | Ep17

On Raising Kids Whilst Building Empires with Chris Edwards | Ep16

On Limits, Burnouts, & Workplace Adversity with Karen Tay | Ep 15

Strength Through Vulnerability: How A Difficult Pregnancy and Loss Shaped Me with Amra Naidoo | Ep14

Relaunching Careers: Personal Lessons and Cross-Cultural Insights From Enabling 4,000 Professionals With Carolina Yeo | Ep13

Redefining Success: Through Corporate Leadership, Fractional Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Motherhood - Rachel Tan | Ep12

Building The Support System For Moms That We Always Wanted with Rajani Patel And Anu Shenoy From Veira Life | Ep11

Building Your Professional Village: Navigating Career Shifts, Parenthood, and Workplace Dynamics with Nila Bhattacharyya | Ep10

Unexpectedly Flourishing: The Unforeseen Benefits of a Career Downshift with Sharon Fan | Ep9

How To Find A New Way Of Being When Life Gets Disrupted with Claire Harbour (2 of 2) | Ep8

How To Find A New Way Of Being When Life Gets Disrupted with Claire Harbour (1 of 2) | Ep7 (Special Series Part 4)

Why My Crazy Schedule Actually Gives Me Life with Joanne Tan | Ep6 (Special Series Part 3)

Becoming a Parent Unleashes Superpowers You Didn’t Know You Had with Vandana Ahuja | Ep5 (Special Series Part 2)

How I Survived My Midlife Crisis and Why I Think You Can Have It All with Charlotte Teo | Ep4 (Special Series Part 1)

How I Transitioned From Corporate To Entrepreneurship And Found Purpose At Work With Noriko Shindo | Ep3

On Questioning Assumptions and Designing Her Best Life Amidst Big Changes with Anna Breimer | Ep2

Navigating Life's Seasons and Being A Reluctant Leader with Fannie Lim | Ep1