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Category: Before We Get There

  • Glen Lee on Fighting, Focus, and Making an Impact Beyond the Mats

    Glen Lee on Fighting, Focus, and Making an Impact Beyond the Mats

    Intro

    Glen Lee is an amateur MMA fighter, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai coach, and strength and conditioning trainer at Field Assembly and The Physio Circle in Singapore. With a record of five wins and one loss, Glen represents a new generation of hybrid martial artists — balancing full-time coaching with competitive fighting.

    In this episode, we talk about Glen’s path from student athlete to coach, what drives him to keep competing, and how he balances ambition with responsibility. He opens up about the physical and mental demands of training, the lessons he’s learned from losing, and why his definition of success has shifted from chasing titles to making an impact.

    Story Highlights

    • How he started training Muay Thai at 14 and evolved into MMA
    • The challenge of balancing work, coaching, and competition
    • What overtraining taught him about discipline and recovery
    • How COVID-19 shaped his career path and mindset
    • Why he now defines success as helping others grow

    Quote

    “I just want to be able to still do it when I’m young and not wait ten years down the road and then not be able to compete. If I have any kind of regret, I hate it.”

    About Glen Lee

    Glen Lee is a Singapore-based MMA fighter and coach specializing in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and strength and conditioning. He teaches at Field Assembly and The Physio Circle, where he works with both competitive athletes and everyday clients. A graduate of Nanyang Technological University with a degree in Sports Science and Management, Glen combines academic understanding with practical experience. His coaching philosophy centers on consistency, discipline, and helping people achieve lasting change.

    Why This Conversation Matters

    Glen’s journey captures what it means to balance passion and purpose. From fighting in local promotions to mentoring beginners, his story shows that success isn’t only measured in wins but in the lives you influence. His reflections on overtraining, mindset, and motivation offer valuable lessons for anyone trying to sustain performance over time.

    Turning Points

    After switching from business studies to sports science, Glen faced uncertainty during the pandemic when gyms closed and job prospects disappeared. A friend’s invitation to join a new fitness startup changed everything, leading him into coaching full-time. Along the way, he learned to merge his competitive drive with empathy — recognizing that every student, whether an athlete or hobbyist, deserves personalized guidance. Today, Glen’s goals have evolved from chasing victories to mentoring others and building community through sport.

    Key Lessons

    • Discipline is balance. Knowing when to push and when to rest sustains progress.
    • Purpose matters more than titles. Impact outlasts individual achievement.
    • Adaptation fuels growth. Career pivots can become lifelong callings.
    • Coaching is service. Helping others succeed sharpens your own craft.
    • Stay curious. Learning never stops, whether in sport or life.

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    Ariff Zin on Heritage, Reinvention, and the Future of Nasi Padang — balancing tradition, ambition, and growth.

    Kenneth Tay on Fighting, Failure, and Finding Balance — about rebuilding structure and purpose through sport.

  • Abby Ling on Career Growth, Motherhood, and Finding Strength in Community

    Abby Ling on Career Growth, Motherhood, and Finding Strength in Community

    Intro

    Abby Ling is a marketing leader and community builder who currently heads the Singapore branch of a fast-growing international agency. With a career that spans global brands like Meta, Ogilvy, and McCann, Abby has navigated career pivots, parenthood, and leadership while staying deeply connected to her community through her volunteer work with TEDxSingapore and the People’s Association.

    In this episode, we talk about how Abby built her career after moving from Beijing to Singapore, what she’s learned about networking, and how she defines work-life integration as a working mother. She shares candid lessons about career breaks, leadership, and why she believes success comes from knowing what season of life you’re in.

    Story Highlights

    • Moving from Beijing to Singapore and rebuilding her career
    • How volunteering with TEDxSingapore shaped her network and perspective
    • Navigating long job searches and learning to stay patient
    • Her approach to leadership, hiring, and mentoring young marketers
    • Why she sees “work-life balance” as “integration,” not perfection

    Quote

    “There isn’t any work-life balance. I never call it balance because you cannot get everything you want. I think it’s integration. You have to choose a lifestyle, and then convince people what you’re doing is important to you and how they can support you.”

    About Abby Ling

    Abby Ling is an experienced marketing professional and agency leader with over 15 years of experience across international brands and markets. She currently leads the Singapore branch of a regional marketing agency, overseeing teams and campaigns across Asia. Beyond her professional work, Abby is an active volunteer with TEDxSingapore and the People’s Association, contributing to events that bridge creativity, storytelling, and community.

    Why This Conversation Matters

    Abby’s story is about ambition grounded in purpose. Her honesty about motherhood, leadership, and burnout offers a realistic look at what it means to pursue growth while staying human. She reminds us that career success doesn’t have to mean constant hustle — it can also mean clarity, boundaries, and meaningful relationships.

    Turning Points

    Abby’s first major transition came when she moved to Singapore and spent almost a year searching for the right job. Later, after having her daughter, she took a 14-month career break to prioritize family — a decision that gave her perspective on what she truly wanted from work. Returning to marketing, she focused on roles that aligned with her values: collaboration, mentorship, and impact. Today, she continues to lead by example, advocating for women in leadership and redefining what a sustainable career looks like.

    Key Lessons

    • Work-life balance is a myth. Integration and planning create sustainability.
    • Community builds opportunity. Giving your time often brings more back than expected.
    • Be intentional with choices. The wrong role can slow long-term growth.
    • Support matters. Success at work starts with help at home.
    • Representation inspires. Visibility helps the next generation believe they can too.

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  • Davis Ng on Boxing, Barbecue, and Building Singapore’s First Texan-Japanese Smokehouse

    Davis Ng on Boxing, Barbecue, and Building Singapore’s First Texan-Japanese Smokehouse

    Intro

    Davis Ng is a professional boxer, chef, and founder of Kumari BBQ and BaconKing.sg, Singapore’s first fusion of Texan-style barbecue and Japanese flavors. He’s also the WBC Asia Silver Middleweight Champion, a title earned after more than a decade of balancing two worlds — the intensity of professional fighting and the discipline of culinary craftsmanship.

    In this episode, we talk about Davis’s journey from culinary school to the boxing ring, how a backyard bacon experiment became a thriving business, and the lessons he’s learned from pressure, loss, and persistence. From cooking brisket for 12 hours to cutting weight for a fight, Davis’s story is about grit, focus, and staying true to your craft.

    Story Highlights

    • Starting boxing at 15 and training under the same coach for 11 years
    • Winning the WBC Asia Silver Middleweight Championship
    • How a class on curing meats led to his first business, BaconKing.sg
    • Turning a backyard hobby into a full-fledged smokehouse
    • Balancing entrepreneurship, family, and competition

    Quote

    “Things like that in professional boxing happen. Yeah, so you just gotta take it and move on and be stronger.”

    About Davis Ng

    Davis Ng is a Singaporean professional boxer and chef, best known as the founder of Kumari BBQ and BaconKing.sg, which combine Texas-style barbecue with Japanese flavors. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (Singapore), Davis trained at LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue in Austin, Texas, before returning home to start his own concept. Alongside his culinary career, he has competed in over 40 boxing matches, earning the WBC Asia Silver Middleweight title.

    Why This Conversation Matters

    Davis’s story captures what it means to balance extremes — sport and business, intensity and patience, risk and reward. His evolution from student to champion and from chef to entrepreneur shows that mastery often comes through trial and error. It’s about staying adaptable while pursuing excellence in any craft.

    Turning Points

    What began as a culinary school experiment with bacon turned into a home business that grew faster than expected. As orders piled up, Davis turned his passion into a brand — BaconKing.sg — and later expanded into Kumari BBQ, a dine-in smokehouse fusing Texas techniques with Japanese ingredients. At the same time, he continued to train and compete, juggling long nights at the smoker with early morning sparring sessions. Winning the WBC Asia Silver Middleweight Championship marked not just a personal milestone but proof of his philosophy: keep showing up, no matter how hard it gets.

    Key Lessons

    • Discipline is universal. The same focus that wins fights can build businesses.
    • Failure teaches faster than success. Every loss becomes data for the next round.
    • Authenticity connects. Craftsmanship and heart always show through.
    • Support systems matter. Family and friends make big dreams possible.
    • Adaptation keeps you alive. Whether in sport or business, you evolve or you stall.

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  • Michael Thompson on Game Design, Grit, and Two Decades on the Mats

    Michael Thompson on Game Design, Grit, and Two Decades on the Mats

    Intro

    Michael Thompson is a UX and game designer turned educator who has worked on some of the world’s biggest titles, including FIFA, NBA Live, and Need for Speed. After nearly two decades in the video game industry, he transitioned into teaching, helping the next generation of designers learn how to create meaningful, immersive experiences.

    In this conversation, Michael shares how he went from growing up on Vancouver Island to working at Electronic Arts and Ubisoft, the creative highs and burnout that come with game development, and how Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu became his lifelong anchor. We talk about creativity, perseverance, and what both games and martial arts can teach us about learning, ego, and endurance.

    Story Highlights

    • Moving from Vancouver Island to Singapore to join Electronic Arts
    • The reality behind “dream jobs” in the gaming industry
    • Working on major franchises like FIFA, NBA Live, and Need for Speed
    • The challenges of creative burnout and career transition
    • What 20 years of Jiu-Jitsu taught him about persistence and humility

    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 Michael Thompson

    Michael Thompson is a Canadian UX and game designer, educator, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt based in Singapore. Over his career, he has held senior roles at Electronic Arts and Ubisoft, contributing to global franchises such as FIFA Online, NBA Live, and Ghost Recon Phantoms. Today, he teaches at DigiPen Institute of Technology in Singapore, where he trains aspiring designers to combine technical skill with creative empathy. Outside the classroom, he continues to train and teach Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at FAMA and SG Grappling.

    Why This Conversation Matters

    Michael’s story bridges two worlds — the creativity of game design and the discipline of martial arts. His reflections on failure, teaching, and consistency reveal how mastery is built over time, not through talent alone. Whether in art, sport, or life, his message is simple: stay curious, keep showing up, and never stop learning.

    Turning Points

    After more than 15 years in the games industry, Michael hit a wall. The long hours, intense deadlines, and constant creative churn had taken their toll. He decided to pivot to teaching, first at Singapore Polytechnic and later at DigiPen. In parallel, he deepened his commitment to Jiu-Jitsu — a practice that taught him patience, humility, and resilience. His journey from “dream job” to meaningful work reflects how success can evolve from ambition to impact.

    Key Lessons

    • Dream jobs have trade-offs. Passion doesn’t erase pressure.
    • Persistence beats talent. Keep showing up — that’s how you get better.
    • Creativity is discipline. The best ideas come from consistency, not chaos.
    • Teaching gives perspective. Sharing knowledge sharpens your own craft.
    • Movement is meditation. Physical practice grounds the mind.

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  • Eliza Koo on Motherhood, Courage, and Building a Business from the Heart

    Eliza Koo on Motherhood, Courage, and Building a Business from the Heart

    Intro

    Eliza Koo is a marketing professional turned lactation consultant and founder of Tender Loving Milk, a practice dedicated to supporting new mothers through breastfeeding and early parenthood. After more than a decade in B2B tech marketing, she made the leap from corporate life to entrepreneurship — while pregnant with her third child.

    In this episode, we talk about how Eliza made that bold transition, the doubts and tears that came with it, and what it means to build a business around purpose rather than safety. She shares what she’s learned about anxiety, identity, and the importance of listening to your body — and why she now defines success not by income, but by freedom, flexibility, and fulfillment.

    Story Highlights

    • How corporate burnout led her to start Tender Loving Milk
    • Studying, volunteering, and launching her business while raising two kids
    • The fear and courage behind leaving a stable job for purpose-driven work
    • Why success means more than money — it means freedom and alignment
    • How she’s now helping other working mothers through life coaching

    Quote

    “I just needed to stop and go figure myself out. I had to come to this place of acceptance that I have to chase my dream without my mom’s approval.”

    About Eliza Koo

    Eliza Koo is a Singapore-based entrepreneur and International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She is the founder of Tender Loving Milk, which provides lactation consultations, workshops, and resources for new parents. A former tech marketer with regional experience, Eliza now helps families navigate the challenges of early parenthood while also coaching working mothers through major life transitions. Her work bridges compassion, education, and empowerment — helping parents thrive, not just survive.

    Why This Conversation Matters

    Eliza’s story is about courage in transition — trading certainty for purpose and redefining what success means. Her reflections on anxiety, motherhood, and entrepreneurship reveal the emotional reality behind career change. It’s a conversation about choosing alignment over approval, and learning that strength can look like slowing down.

    Turning Points

    Eliza’s journey to entrepreneurship began while she was still in corporate marketing, studying for her lactation certification, volunteering, and managing pregnancy and parenting all at once. The real turning point came during maternity leave, when she realized that returning to the corporate world made her body “shrink.” Choosing instead to build her own practice, she embraced the uncertainty with courage and support from her family. A year later, she found herself not only running a thriving consultancy but also guiding other mothers through their own journeys of identity and growth.

    Key Lessons

    • Listen to your body. Alignment shows up as calm, not anxiety.
    • Courage comes before confidence. You grow by taking small brave steps.
    • Redefine success. Freedom and fulfillment are currencies too.
    • Boundaries sustain purpose. Rest and structure protect creativity.
    • Community heals. Support from family and peers turns fear into strength.

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  • 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.

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  • 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.

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