nicholasbraman.com

Category: Before We Get There

  • Marion Müller on Starting Over, Online Hate, and Choosing an Unscripted Path

    Marion Müller on Starting Over, Online Hate, and Choosing an Unscripted Path

    Intro

    Marion Müller didn’t set out to become a content creator. When her original plans fell through, she found herself in a position many people recognise but rarely talk about — no clear next step, no roadmap, and no certainty that what came next would work.

    In this episode, Marion shares how stumbling across a mentorship program became a turning point, pulling her into the world of content creation at a time when she felt she didn’t have many other options. We talk about what it’s like to build something publicly while still figuring things out privately, and the emotional whiplash of gaining visibility alongside criticism.

    She opens up about receiving direct messages telling her to kill herself, the mental toll of being your own boss with no off switch, and the quiet longing for structure, clarity, and rest. This is a conversation about being in-between — between careers, identities, and versions of yourself — and learning to keep going anyway.

    Story Highlights

    • Moving to Singapore and immediately feeling at home
    • Having original career plans fall through
    • Discovering a content creation mentorship program by chance
    • Choosing content creation when there didn’t feel like many other options
    • Navigating identity without a clear professional roadmap
    • Receiving hateful DMs telling her to kill herself
    • The emotional cost of being visible online
    • Wanting the simplicity of having a boss and fixed working hours
    • Learning what people don’t see behind online “success”
    • Continuing despite uncertainty and self-doubt

    Quote

    “Sometimes I honestly just wish I had a boss who tells me what to do, and then I go home by six and rest on the weekend.”

    About Marion Müller

    Marion Müller, also known as @swizzyinsg, is a content creator based in Singapore. After her initial plans didn’t work out, she pivoted into content creation through a mentorship program, building an online presence while navigating uncertainty, visibility, and criticism. Her story reflects the reality of modern work — where independence, exposure, and instability often coexist.

    Why This Conversation Matters

    A lot of career stories are told in hindsight, once things make sense. Marion’s story sits in the middle — where decisions are made without guarantees, and confidence comes after action, not before.

    This episode speaks to anyone who has had to pivot without feeling ready, who has questioned whether freedom is worth the mental load, or who has quietly wished for something simpler while pushing forward anyway.

    Turning Points

    When Marion’s original plans fell through, she found herself searching for direction without a clear alternative. Discovering a content creation mentorship program became an unexpected entry point into a new path. As her visibility grew, so did the pressure — including receiving deeply hurtful messages that forced her to confront the emotional risks of putting yourself online. At the same time, being fully self-directed made her realise how much she missed structure, boundaries, and rest. Rather than walking away, Marion chose to stay with the discomfort and continue building, even while questioning what sustainability really looks like.

    Key Lessons

    • Not all pivots are planned
    • Visibility comes with emotional risk
    • Freedom without structure can be exhausting
    • Online success hides invisible labor
    • Uncertainty doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong
    • You can keep going while still questioning the path
    • Being in-between is a real phase, not a failure

    If You Enjoyed This Episode

    You might also like:

  • Shanice Stanislaus on Masks, Failure, and the Serious Work of Clowning

    Shanice Stanislaus on Masks, Failure, and the Serious Work of Clowning

    Intro

    Shanice Stanislaus is a Singaporean professional clown, performer, and educator whose work sits at the intersection of comedy, vulnerability, and social critique. In a country known for discipline, success, and emotional restraint, Shanice chose a path built on failure, play, and showing up exactly as you are.

    In this episode, we talk about how Shanice discovered clowning at NYU, why it shattered her ideas of what performance could be, and how learning to “take off the mask” became a personal and political act. She shares what it’s like to feel unseen in your own country, to be celebrated abroad but doubted at home, and to keep coming back anyway.

    From being kicked out of clown class in France, to winning international awards, to running workshops that help engineers, teachers, and students reconnect with joy, this is a conversation about identity, belonging, and the courage to look foolish in order to feel whole.

    Story Highlights

    • Growing up in Singapore feeling pressure to be serious and successful
    • Discovering clowning at NYU and realising failure could be a skill
    • Learning to remove emotional “masks” through play
    • Being rejected and doubted by arts institutions at home
    • Finding validation and confidence through international training and touring
    • Winning awards abroad before being recognised locally
    • Teaching clown workshops to adults who believe they “aren’t funny”
    • Using the red nose as a safe way to be vulnerable
    • Helping others reconnect with joy, play, and self-trust

    Quote

    “It almost felt like you always had to put a mask on. In Singapore, you need to be successful. Clown class was the first place where I learned how to take the mask off.”

    About Shanice Stanislaus

    Shanice Stanislaus is a Singaporean professional clown, performer, and educator who has trained internationally in France, the UK, and the US. Her award-winning shows have toured globally, earning recognition in Canada and beyond. Alongside performing, she runs clown workshops through Creatives in Spirit, working with students, professionals, and communities to help people reconnect with play, confidence, and emotional freedom. Her work challenges conventional ideas of success, seriousness, and what it means to be an artist in Singapore.

    Why This Conversation Matters

    Shanice’s story captures a tension many people feel but struggle to name: the gap between who we are expected to be and who we actually are. This episode goes beyond performance and art, touching on fear, identity, cultural pressure, and the cost of constantly wearing a mask. It is a reminder that joy, play, and failure are not distractions from real life — they are essential parts of it.

    Turning Points

    After discovering clowning at NYU, Shanice returned to Singapore and tried to balance creative ambition with stability through a corporate marketing job. Feeling increasingly disconnected, she took the risk to train in France and later the UK, where harsh feedback and rejection forced her to confront her own loss of playfulness. Despite international success and awards, returning home brought skepticism and doubt from institutions that didn’t know how to place her work. Rather than leaving for good, Shanice chose to stay engaged with Singapore — teaching, performing, and slowly building space for clowning to exist locally.

    Key Lessons

    • Failure can be learned and practiced
    • Play is not childish — it is essential
    • Being unseen does not mean you lack value
    • External validation is unreliable but revealing
    • Cultural pressure shapes identity more than we realise
    • Safety and vulnerability are deeply connected
    • Joy can be taught, modeled, and reclaimed

    If You Enjoyed This Episode

    You might also like:
    Neonomora on Identity, Motherhood, and Finding Her Own Sound
    Christel Goh on Leaving Corporate, Taking Risks, and Building a PR Business

  • Neonomora on Identity, Motherhood, and Finding Her Own Sound

    Neonomora on Identity, Motherhood, and Finding Her Own Sound

    Intro

    Neonomora is an award-winning indie musician from Jakarta whose work has always lived in the shadows — dark, emotional, and unapologetically intense. But behind the sound is a deeper story about not fitting neatly into any box, learning to trust her instincts, and slowly redefining herself through major life changes.

    In this episode, we talk about how Neonomora discovered music as a child, why she never felt fully represented by the artists she saw around her, and how that absence pushed her to create the artist she wished existed. We explore how synesthesia shapes the way she hears and sees music, how loss and a painful divorce marked the lowest point of her life, and how becoming a mother has quietly transformed her creative energy.

    From writing in darkness to experimenting with light, pop, and play, this conversation is about identity, reinvention, and learning to keep creating even when life pulls the ground out from under you.

    Story Highlights

    • Feeling unrepresented as a female artist and choosing to create her own space
    • Discovering synesthesia and how it shapes her songwriting and visuals
    • Navigating strict parental expectations and hiding her music career early on
    • Hitting the lowest point of her life after divorce and personal loss
    • Becoming a mother and how it reshaped her identity as an artist
    • Moving from dark, metaphor-heavy writing toward brighter, more direct expression
    • Learning to trust her instincts instead of seeking permission or validation

    Quote

    “ I didn’t see the kind of female artist I wanted to be. So I made myself one. ”

    About Neonomora

    Neonomora is an award-winning indie musician from Jakarta, Indonesia, known for her dark, cinematic sound and emotionally raw songwriting. She began performing at a young age and later discovered she experiences synesthesia, allowing her to see visuals and colors when she hears music. Over the years, she has built a distinct artistic identity shaped by personal loss, global experiences, and creative independence. Today, as a new mother, she is entering a new chapter — both personally and musically — exploring lighter sounds while staying true to her emotional core.

    Why This Conversation Matters

    Neonomora’s story speaks to anyone who has felt out of place — creatively, culturally, or emotionally. It captures the tension between who we are expected to be and who we slowly become through experience, pain, and responsibility. This is a conversation about identity that isn’t fixed, creativity that evolves, and how motherhood, loss, and self-acceptance can quietly reshape a life.

    Turning Points

    Early confidence on stage clashed with years of hiding her career from strict parents. As her music career grew, personal loss and the end of her marriage marked the lowest point of her life, leaving her questioning who she was and whether she could keep going. Becoming a mother became an unexpected catalyst — grounding her, softening her sound, and pushing her to experiment creatively. Instead of abandoning her past, she began integrating it.

    Key Lessons

    • Identity is something you build, not something you’re given
    • Creativity often comes from absence and longing
    • Loss can strip you down — and also clear space to rebuild
    • Motherhood doesn’t end creativity; it reshapes it
    • Trusting your instincts matters more than fitting expectations
    • Artistic evolution is a sign of honesty, not inconsistency

    If You Enjoyed This Episode

    You might also like:
    Christel Goh on Leaving Corporate, Taking Risks, and Building a PR Business
    Heema Izzati on Classical Perfection and Authentic Expression

  • Cassandra Ong on Layoffs, Confidence, and Building OtterHalf

    Cassandra Ong on Layoffs, Confidence, and Building OtterHalf

    Intro

    Cassandra Ong is a Singaporean marketer and founder who rebuilt her career after an unexpected layoff shook her confidence and sense of identity. From leading teams at FoodPanda, Chope, and TripAdvisor to launching her own agency, OtterHalf, her story is about starting again when you’re unsure, overwhelmed, and not convinced you’re ready.

    In this episode, we talk about what really happens after a layoff, how confidence breaks and slowly returns, and the long process of figuring out how to build something of your own. Cassandra shares how she used “grief in motion” to turn fear into forward momentum, why her first four months in business weren’t actually “real business” at all, and how a simple card game she created with her daughter opened unexpected doors.

    From retrenchment shock to her first non-friend sale, this is a conversation about rebuilding from the inside out — one small step at a time.

    Story Highlights

    • Discovering the emotional aftermath of a layoff and the identity shock that followed
    • Using grief as fuel to start OtterHalf
    • Realizing her early work was “social credit,” not real business traction
    • Losing money for consecutive months and having to rethink her business model
    • Pivoting toward retainers and more predictable income
    • Creating a marketing card game with her seven-year-old daughter
    • Learning sales for the first time after a decade in marketing
    • Balancing motherhood, ambition, and rebuilding self-belief

    Quote

    “Nothing prepares you for a layoff. Even when I expected it, when it finally happened I just thought… oh my God, why is it me?”

    About Cassandra Ong

    Cassandra Ong is the founder of OtterHalf, a fractional marketing agency supporting startups and SMEs in Singapore. Before starting her own business, she held marketing roles at FoodPanda, Chope, and TripAdvisor. After being laid off in 2023, she used the setback as a turning point, launching OtterHalf and later creating Ottie’s Fishy Business, a card game designed to make marketing fun and accessible. Today, she runs workshops for kids, students, and communities, blending creativity, education, and practical marketing know-how.

    Why This Conversation Matters

    Cassandra’s story is one many people recognise: the quiet pain of a layoff, the slow erosion of confidence, and the messy process of rebuilding a career when your belief in yourself feels shaky. This conversation dives into the emotional side of reinvention and the internal questions that surface when everything familiar falls away. It is about fear, identity, motherhood, and the small wins that eventually rebuild confidence. It is a reminder that progress is rarely clean, but it is always possible.

    Turning Points

    After her layoff, Cassandra faced a sudden shock to her identity and confidence. She tested three directions at once — job hunting, upskilling, and starting her own business — while realising her early clients were relying on social credit rather than true traction. Her first non-friend sale became the moment she finally felt real validation, but a year in she hit her lowest financial point, forcing a pivot toward a more sustainable retainer model. Around the same time, a small project with her daughter grew into Ottie’s Fishy Business, opening an unexpected creative path and giving new meaning to the work she was building.

    Key Lessons

    • Rebuilding confidence takes time and action, not just intention
    • Early wins do not always equal real traction
    • Fear and uncertainty are natural parts of reinvention
    • Career change is rarely linear
    • Self-belief grows through small steps and real-world feedback
    • Creativity can emerge from unexpected moments
    • You find out what works only by trying

    If You Enjoyed This Episode

    You might also like:

    Christel Goh on Leaving Corporate, Taking Risks, and Building a PR Business – A candid look at stepping away from stability, navigating uncertainty, and building something of her own from the ground up.

    JingJin Liu on Invisible Labor, Redefining Support, and the Modern Family – A conversation about identity, ambition, partnership, and the structural forces shaping how we live and work today.

  • Aisyah Rafaee on the Olympic Journey, Identity, and Life After Rowing

    Aisyah Rafaee on the Olympic Journey, Identity, and Life After Rowing

    Intro

    Aisyah Rafaee is Singapore’s first Olympic rower, representing the nation at both the Rio 2016 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games. From her early years in netball to becoming a SEA Games gold medalist and two-time Olympian, her story is one of resilience, courage, and reinvention.

    In this episode, we talk about the ten-year journey it took for Aisyah to qualify for her first Olympics, the emotional highs and lows of being a professional athlete, and how she’s learned to redefine her identity after sport. From burnout and tears in the boat to finding new meaning in coaching and entrepreneurship, Aisyah’s story shows what it really takes to rebuild after the finish line.

    Story Highlights

    • Discovering rowing by chance after playing netball
    • Taking ten years to qualify for her first Olympics
    • Training full-time in Australia after crowdfunding her way there
    • Dealing with burnout and identity loss after Rio
    • Returning to compete in the Paris 2024 Olympics with a new mindset

    Quote

    “All I remember was like a sense of relief. Oh my God, I did it, ’cause it took me almost ten years to try and qualify.”

    About Aisyah Rafaee

    Aisyah Rafaee is a Singaporean rower, two-time Olympian, and SEA Games gold medalist. She became the first Singaporean to qualify for the Olympics in rowing, competing at Rio 2016 and Paris 2024. After retiring from competitive sport, she founded 3HP Athlete, where she coaches athletes on mental performance and personal growth. Drawing from her own experiences of burnout, self-doubt, and recovery, Aisyah now helps others find clarity and resilience in both sport and life.

    Why This Conversation Matters

    Aisyah’s story goes beyond athletic achievement — it’s about the emotional journey of purpose, identity, and self-worth. Her reflections on burnout, transition, and rebuilding highlight what many high performers face once the spotlight fades. This episode reminds us that resilience isn’t just about pushing harder; sometimes, it’s about learning to stop, reflect, and start again.

    Turning Points

    After failing to qualify for the Olympics multiple times, Aisyah finally achieved her dream at the 2016 Rio Games — only to face burnout and identity loss soon after. The two years that followed were some of her hardest, filled with doubt, emotional exhaustion, and tears on the water. Eventually, she found grounding through mental coaching, travel, and meeting her husband in the US, where she began to rediscover who she was beyond rowing. When she returned for the Paris 2024 Olympics, it wasn’t out of pressure, but curiosity — to see how strong she could become again, on her own terms.

    Key Lessons

    • Success takes time. It took her nearly ten years to reach her Olympic dream.
    • Burnout is real. Rest is not weakness — it’s wisdom.
    • Identity evolves. You are more than your title or achievements.
    • Growth is cyclical. It’s okay to return to something with a different purpose.
    • Mindset matters. Mental strength is built through self-awareness and balance.

    If You Enjoyed This Episode

    You might also like:

  • Rohit Jha on Space, Startups, and Building the Future of Global Connectivity

    Rohit Jha on Space, Startups, and Building the Future of Global Connectivity

    Intro

    Rohit Jha is the co-founder and CEO of Transcelestial, a Singapore-based startup using laser technology to deliver ultra-fast internet from Earth to space. What began as an idea over two beers became one of Asia’s most ambitious deep-tech ventures, backed by global investors and already operating in markets across the US and Asia.

    In this episode, we talk about Rohit’s journey from a small industrial town in India to leading a company that’s literally beaming data through light. He shares the lessons he’s learned about ambition, failure, and building a company that could transform how the world connects — from neighborhoods without broadband to orbital networks circling the planet.

    Story Highlights

    • How growing up in a steel town shaped his fascination with technology and space
    • What inspired Transcelestial’s mission to build “a ring around the planet”
    • Turning science-fiction dreams into engineering reality
    • The challenges of fundraising and scaling deep-tech from Asia
    • Why storytelling is one of a founder’s most important skills

    Quote

    “The principles and the frameworks and the policies of the world that we live in are made by people like you and me. So that means people like you and me should be able to change it as well.”

    About Rohit Jha

    Rohit Jha is the co-founder and CEO of Transcelestial, a deep-tech startup developing laser-based wireless communication systems that aim to replace fiber optics with “wireless fiber.” The company has been recognized as one of Asia’s most promising space-tech ventures, building technology to expand global internet access and, eventually, enable interplanetary communication. Before Transcelestial, Rohit worked in high-frequency trading and holds a degree in Engineering from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore.

    Why This Conversation Matters

    Rohit’s story blends vision and pragmatism. His journey from finance to space technology shows how ambition, curiosity, and persistence can drive innovation even in unlikely places. It’s a reminder that big ideas don’t start in Silicon Valley — they can start anywhere someone dares to ask “why not?”

    Turning Points

    After years in the finance world, Rohit realized that chasing money no longer fulfilled him. Inspired by SpaceX’s early successes, he quit his job and took a year off to travel and reflect. Searching for “where Paris is today” — the modern center of creativity and innovation — he found his answer in Singapore, where he launched Transcelestial in 2016. What began as an idea about “space lasers” is now a company installing high-speed laser links across Asia and testing systems for orbital communication.

    Key Lessons

    • Vision needs grounding. Big ideas must solve real problems today.
    • Storytelling is leadership. Founders have to inspire investors, employees, and the public.
    • Failure teaches direction. Mistakes are data for the next iteration.
    • Innovation isn’t location-bound. Great ideas can start anywhere with the right ecosystem.
    • Think in decades. Work backward from the future you want to create.

    If You Enjoyed This Episode

    You might also like:

  • Put Down Your Fork and Laugh with Jacky Ng; Singapore Comedy, Resilience & Authenticity

    Put Down Your Fork and Laugh with Jacky Ng; Singapore Comedy, Resilience & Authenticity

    Intro

    Jacky Ng has spent more than a decade sharpening his wit in Singapore’s rapidly evolving stand-up comedy scene. From his early days performing open mics at Blue Jazz to taking the stage at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, he’s built a career defined by consistency, courage, and connection. Along the way he’s faced silent rooms, restless crowds, and the quiet self-doubt that comes with turning laughter into a livelihood.

    In this conversation, Jacky reflects on what bombing taught him about humility, how the local scene has matured, and why Singaporean humor deserves a louder voice on the global stage. We also talk about what happens behind the curtain: the craft, the grind, and the unfiltered reality of making strangers laugh night after night.

    If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to keep showing up for your passion even when the crowd doesn’t respond, this episode is for you.

    Story Highlights

    • The lessons Jacky took from his worst bomb at the Perth Fringe Festival
    • How the local comedy scene has evolved—from one open mic a week to multiple shows nightly
    • Why Singaporeans “love coffee-shop humor,” and how that shapes his voice
    • The hidden grind behind performing for corporate crowds who just want to eat
    • Why he values real laughter over viral fame

    Featured Quotes

    “There’s always nervousness — if you stop feeling nervous, it means you don’t care anymore.”

    “I’d like to get to a point where people want to see me for twenty minutes—and they put down everything they’re doing and just watch.”

    About Jacky Ng

    Jacky Ng is a Singapore-based stand-up comedian who has performed at festivals and clubs throughout Southeast Asia, including the Melbourne Comedy Festival. Known for blending everyday Singaporean humor with sharp storytelling, Jacky also hosts regular shows under Jacky & Friends, where he spotlights rising local comics. Find his upcoming dates at jacky.sg or follow @jackyngcomedy.

    Why This Conversation Matters
    Jacky’s story captures what so many of us face – the balance between self-doubt and showing up anyway. His perspective on failure and belonging echoes what Before We Get There is all about: growth through doing. It’s not a polished highlight reel; it’s the messy middle where we find the real lessons.

    Key Lessons

    • Repetition builds resilience. Every comic bombs, it’s what you do after that defines you.
    • Authenticity connects. Embracing his Singaporean accent and humor made Jacky’s performances stronger, not smaller.
    • Success takes patience. From open mics to international festivals, the path isn’t linear, but every stage matters.
    • Craft over clicks. Social media can amplify your work, but it can’t replace the magic of a live audience.
    • Representation matters. Sharing Singaporean stories on global stages helps audiences see a different side of the country.

    Related Episodes

    If you enjoyed this episode, try:

  • Naomi Black on Dating Standards, Resilience, and Reinvention

    Naomi Black on Dating Standards, Resilience, and Reinvention

    Intro

    In August 2025, Naomi Black went viral after rejecting a first date at Lau Pa Sat, one of Singapore’s most famous hawker centres. Overnight she was labeled entitled and out of touch—but that headline missed the real story.

    Naomi has built a multifaceted career across modelling, hospitality, and real estate. She’s lived and worked across Europe, faced online backlash, endured bullying in corporate jobs and kitchens, and come out stronger for it. In this conversation, she opens up about what really happened behind the viral moment, what it’s like to rebuild confidence in public, and how her years abroad taught her to stay grounded in her own voice—no matter what others say.

    Story Highlights

    • The real story behind the “Lau Pa Sat first-date” saga and what people got wrong
    • How Naomi handled waves of online criticism and cyber-bullying
    • From paralegal student to model to chef to real-estate professional—her winding career path
    • Lessons from working in a Michelin-star kitchen in France and experiencing racism for the first time
    • Why she believes women should say no, set boundaries, and support one another

    Featured Quote

    “That whole experience made me the person I am today — full of grit and resilience.”

    About Naomi Black

    Naomi Black is a Singaporean model, entrepreneur, and real-estate professional. After studying law, she worked across Europe in modeling and hospitality before returning home to Singapore. She’s also trained as a chef in a Michelin-star restaurant in France and is known for her outspoken views on confidence and self-respect. Follow her at @naomiblackk or explore her projects and merch line through her Instagram bio.

    Why This Conversation Matters

    Naomi’s story isn’t just about dating standards — it’s about knowing your worth and staying steady when the internet turns against you. Beyond the viral noise, she reflects on career pivots, self-doubt, and resilience. Her openness shows that confidence isn’t arrogance; it’s the courage to live on your own terms, even when others don’t understand.

    Turning Points

    Throughout her journey, Naomi has continually reinvented herself. She’s pivoted from law to modelling, from working in Michelin-star kitchens to thriving in real estate. Each transition came with its own challenges—loneliness abroad, burnout, and self-doubt—but she learned to see them as lessons rather than failures. Whether rebuilding after a tough experience in France or facing public scrutiny online, Naomi’s turning points reveal her core belief: life’s hardest chapters often lead to the most authentic version of ourselves.

    Key Lessons

    • Know your standards. Setting boundaries doesn’t make you difficult — it makes you clear.
    • Do the inner work. Self-belief protects you when criticism comes.
    • Adapt and explore. Each career pivot — from law to culinary arts to sales — taught Naomi new dimensions of herself.
    • Learn through adversity. Harsh experiences in France shaped her resilience and empathy.
    • Support other women. Empowerment means lifting others up instead of tearing them down.

    If You Enjoyed This Episode

    You might also like:

  • Parul Sharma on Writing, Homesickness, and Creative Persistence

    Parul Sharma on Writing, Homesickness, and Creative Persistence

    Parul Sharma is an author whose novels explore memory, belonging, and the quiet struggles of everyday life. Her latest book, 17 Morris Road, tells the story of a woman at a crossroads who revisits her childhood home to reconsider the life she wants. In this conversation, we talk about her writing process, the years she spent balancing creativity with corporate life, and how she rediscovered her voice during the pandemic lockdowns.

    Parul shares the difference between nostalgia and homesickness, the agony of not writing, and the joy of finally finishing a story that had lived inside her for years. It’s an intimate, thoughtful look at what drives a writer to keep creating — even when life gets in the way.

    Story Highlights

    • The difference between nostalgia and homesickness, and how both shaped 17 Morris Road
    • Why writing is both a gift and a burden
    • The heartbreak of not writing during busy seasons of life
    • How motherhood, corporate work, and creativity can coexist
    • The long road to publishing and how it changed her view of success

    Quote

    “The toughest part about writing is not writing. It’s when you don’t write — and the misery that it gives you.”

    About Parul Sharma

    Parul Sharma is an Indian author and creative professional based in Singapore. She has published four novels, including 17 Morris Road, By the Water Cooler, and The Wake-Up Call. Her writing often explores themes of memory, belonging, and womanhood in modern India. Alongside her fiction, she has led a corporate research career and mentors aspiring writers. Follow her on Instagram @parulsharma or find her books on Amazon and Kindle worldwide.

    Why This Conversation Matters

    Parul’s story reminds us that creative work doesn’t disappear when we get busy — it waits. Her return to writing during lockdown is a reflection of how passion can lie dormant and still survive. This conversation isn’t just about publishing; it’s about returning to what gives life meaning after years of distraction.

    Turning Points

    From her first novel written in stolen hours after work to a long hiatus spent building a business and raising children, Parul’s path shows the patience behind creative endurance. The lockdown gave her the stillness to rediscover what she loved most — the act of writing itself. Each book marks a different season of her life, and her next, The Missing Piece, has been fifteen years in the making. Her story is proof that creativity never truly leaves us; sometimes it just waits for the right time to reemerge.

    Key Lessons

    • Honor your calling. The misery of not creating is its own reminder to start again.
    • Be patient with your craft. Some stories need years to mature.
    • Balance is imperfect. Creativity and career often coexist in tension, not harmony.
    • Feedback is part of the process. Courage is sharing your work before you feel ready.
    • Keep showing up. Writing — like growth — is about consistency, not perfection.

    If You Enjoyed This Episode

    You might also like:

  • Bow T on Content Creation, Confidence, and Life Abroad

    Bow T on Content Creation, Confidence, and Life Abroad

    Intro

    Bow Kajeeporn Techataveekijkul – better known online as @bowiehoneybaby — is a Thai content creator, storyteller, and full-time marketing professional based in Singapore. What started as a personal diary for her friends and family has grown into an audience of tens of thousands who follow her travel tips, food finds, and honest reflections on life abroad.

    In this conversation, we talk about how Bow built her platform while working full-time, what she’s learned about online safety, and why she believes authenticity always wins. We also get into what it means to live away from home, finding balance between ambition and peace, and learning to keep creating even when not every post performs.

    Story Highlights

    • How Bow turned a personal blog into a cross-platform community
    • Why she started Boring Singapore to show Thai audiences the fun side of the city
    • Her reflections on living in Thailand, Japan, and Singapore
    • The balance between honesty and controversy in social media
    • Navigating PR rejection, job changes, and uncertainty while staying adaptable

    Quote

    “Even the biggest creators have flopped videos. Negative people are just louder — they don’t represent everyone.”

    About Bow T

    Bow is a Thai content creator and marketing professional currently based in Singapore. She is the voice behind Boring Singapore on Facebook and Instagram, a community for Thais curious about life in Singapore. Across her personal channels — @bowiehoneybaby on Instagram and Threads — she shares humor, travel, lifestyle, and reflections on modern dating. Her work bridges cultures while keeping authenticity at its core.

    Why This Conversation Matters

    Bow’s story is a reminder that social media can be more than a highlight reel — it can be a space to connect, learn, and grow. Her reflections on feedback, online safety, and creative consistency highlight what it means to stay grounded when your personal life becomes public. It’s a candid look at how to keep showing up without losing yourself.

    Turning Points

    From her first blog in Japan to creating content that now reaches audiences in Thailand and Singapore, Bow’s journey has been a steady evolution of voice and purpose. She’s navigated layoffs, visa challenges, and PR rejection while continuing to create out of joy rather than pressure. Her turning points reveal a pattern of resilience — finding confidence through vulnerability and embracing the unpredictability of life abroad.

    Key Lessons

    • Stay authentic. Share what’s real, not just what performs.
    • Keep perspective. Online criticism rarely reflects the whole audience.
    • Adapt and learn. Every flop teaches you something about storytelling.
    • Separate work and self. Boundaries keep creativity sustainable.
    • Embrace uncertainty. Flexibility is what keeps you moving forward.

    If You Enjoyed This Episode

    You might also like: