nicholasbraman.com

Category: Before We Get There

  • Kyson Xu on Personal Branding, Perseverance, and Building a Career with Heart

    Kyson Xu on Personal Branding, Perseverance, and Building a Career with Heart

    Intro

    Kyson Xu is a marketing professional, content creator, and LinkedIn storyteller whose thoughtful posts on career growth, resilience, and authenticity have made him one of Singapore’s most relatable marketing voices. A former business development executive turned regional marketer, he’s built his career across industries — from education to FMCG to tech — while steadily growing his personal brand online.

    In this episode, we talk about Kyson’s journey from failing his A-levels to finding his footing in marketing, how he overcame imposter syndrome, and what it means to build a career that’s not just successful but meaningful. He shares lessons on LinkedIn growth, fatherhood, leadership, and how to keep showing up even when life doesn’t go as planned.

    Story Highlights

    • How failing his A-levels became a turning point in his life
    • Moving from business development to marketing
    • Growing an authentic personal brand on LinkedIn
    • Lessons on engagement, content, and community
    • Redefining success as balance, not status

    Quote

    “You fall down seven, you get up eight. That’s the spirit I think all of us should have, regardless of whatever environment we’re caught up in. It’s always about moving forward, understanding what worked, what didn’t work, and how we can do better.”

    About Kyson Xu

    Kyson Xu is a Singapore-based marketer and content creator known for his authentic, high-engagement presence on LinkedIn. With a background spanning sales, FMCG, and technology, he has built a career rooted in curiosity and resilience. Kyson is also a husband and father, balancing work, family, and personal growth while mentoring young professionals on building sustainable careers and personal brands.

    Why This Conversation Matters

    Kyson’s story is a reminder that success isn’t linear. His journey from academic setbacks to professional stability shows how persistence, self-awareness, and authenticity can redefine what achievement looks like. For anyone navigating uncertainty or feeling behind, this episode offers perspective on progress, humility, and the quiet power of consistency.

    Turning Points

    After failing his A-levels, Kyson questioned everything — his education, his direction, his worth. Over time, he found clarity through small steps, moving into business development and later into marketing, where his curiosity and people skills flourished. His transition into tech and content creation gave him the freedom to combine creativity and impact. As he built a family, he also redefined success: not as position or pay, but as balance, kindness, and fulfillment.

    Key Lessons

    • Authenticity builds trust. Your real voice attracts the right audience.
    • Failure is feedback. Every setback helps refine your direction.
    • Consistency compounds. Show up, even when it’s uncomfortable.
    • Work-life balance is built, not found. Life comes before work.
    • Success is kindness. Leadership is about integrity and care.

    If You Enjoyed This Episode

    You might also like:

  • Mathew Yuhico on Creativity, Courage, and Learning to Keep Making Things

    Mathew Yuhico on Creativity, Courage, and Learning to Keep Making Things

    Intro

    Mathew Yuhico is a video producer, visual storyteller, and creative all-rounder whose journey has taken him from the Philippines to Singapore — from designing corporate campaigns to producing stories for VICE. Along the way, he’s learned what it means to build a creative career, navigate burnout, and rediscover joy in making things for their own sake.

    In this episode, we talk about how Mathew moved from graphic design to video production, how a rap video landed him a job at VICE during the pandemic, and why Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has become his anchor outside of work. It’s a conversation about creativity, courage, and finding meaning in the process, not the outcome.

    Story Highlights

    • Growing up in a creative family and discovering art through his mother
    • Transitioning from business school to visual design and storytelling
    • Making a viral rap video that got him hired by VICE
    • How burnout changed his relationship with creativity
    • What Jiu-Jitsu and filmmaking have in common

    Quote

    “If anything, Jiu-Jitsu has taught me it’s just perseverance. You keep going in any endeavor, whether it’s a career-based endeavor or something in your life. Most people, most of the time, will quit. If you just keep going, you’re going to be the successful one at the end.”

    About Mathew Yuhico

    Mathew Yuhico is a Singapore-based video producer, content creator, and storyteller. Originally from Manila, he studied at Singapore Management University before beginning his career in PR and design. His creative path led him to VICE, where his innovative approach to visual storytelling helped shape their digital and social content. Outside of media, he’s a dedicated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and continues to create personal films exploring emotion, mental health, and everyday life.

    Why This Conversation Matters

    Mathew’s story is about following creative instincts even when the path isn’t clear. From rejection to reinvention, his journey reminds us that growth doesn’t always mean climbing a ladder — sometimes it’s about rediscovering joy in what you do, making things for yourself, and learning to embrace imperfection.

    Turning Points

    After starting in business school, Mathew realized his true interests lay in design and visual storytelling. He built a small portfolio through freelance projects and eventually transitioned into video. During the pandemic, after losing his job and a planned move to film school, he took a bold risk — submitting a rap video as his job application to VICE. That video went viral, earning him the role that would change his career. Today, whether he’s filming, training Jiu-Jitsu, or creating short pieces about life, Mathew continues to chase meaning through creativity, not metrics.

    Key Lessons

    Do it for the joy. Not every project needs to be a career move.

    Make time for what feeds you. Creativity needs space, not just deadlines.

    Start before you’re ready. You can figure it out as you go.

    Perseverance outlasts talent. Keep showing up — that’s what matters most.

    Let yourself evolve. What fulfills you at 25 may change by 30.

    If You Enjoyed This Episode

    You might also like: