Premal Patel is a customer loyalty, customer success and engagement specialist with around 30 years of experience across financial services, retail and agency environments. Premal explains how his business helps corporate leaders and entrepreneurs build stronger human connections as AI and digital technology reshape the workplace. Drawing on his book, Yanga Unplugged, he offers workshops for leaders and aspiring leaders alongside strategic consultancy for enterprises, start-ups and scale-ups. The conversation explores his target audience, practical frameworks, professional experience and commitment to supporting younger people facing difficult career conditions. Premal’s central message is that organisations must not allow the pressure to adopt new technology to weaken authentic relationships, because human connection will become increasingly valuable as the world grows more complex.
Takeaways
Premal Patel helps corporate leaders and entrepreneurs create better human connections in a digital age.
His services combine leadership workshops with strategic consultancy in customer loyalty, customer success and engagement.
The workshops developed from ideas and frameworks featured in his published book, Yanga Unplugged.
His programmes are designed for enterprises as well as start-ups and scale-ups at different stages of development.
AI and rapid digital change can cause leaders to neglect important relationships inside and outside their organisations.
Premal helps leaders reframe their thinking so they can balance technological progress with authentic human connection.
His approach is informed by approximately 30 years of experience across financial services, retail and agency environments.
His frameworks combine lessons from both professional successes and situations where he failed fast and adapted.
The business aims to keep its methods simple, immediately applicable, accessible and affordable.
Premal also supports younger people through pro bono work as they navigate increasingly challenging career conditions.
Sound bites
“Helping leaders create and build better human connections in a digital age.”
“We keep it simple, we keep it accessible and we keep it affordable.”
“I think the opportunity is huge right now in terms of creating and building better human connections.”
Chapters
00:06 Introducing Premal Patel and a New Interview Approach
00:45 Premal’s Preferred Name
00:58 Helping Leaders Build Better Human Connections
02:13 The Businesses and Leaders Premal Serves
02:51 Bridging the Gap Between Technology and Relationships
03:39 Thirty Years of Experience and Practical Frameworks
04:42 Describing the Business in One Sentence
04:57 Where to Find Premal and His Work
05:38 Industries and Professional Sectors
05:44 Targeting Loyalty, Marketing and HR Leaders
06:29 Supporting Graduates Through Challenging Career Times
Dave Butler is a business coach who runs David Butler Coaching. He focuses on helping founders clarify goals, reconnect with purpose, and build structured, actionable plans for growth.
Natasha Clarke is an interior stylist specialising in staging, styling, and design for homes going on the market, holiday homes, and bespoke projects. Her work increases property appeal and can boost sale value by 3–10%. She is two years into her business journey, continually refining her offer, pricing, and client understanding while balancing family life.
Current Business / Practice Overview
Natasha’s business centres on enhancing property presentation for sale or stay. She has developed a clear three-tier pricing structure:
Power Hour — A whole-home assessment with practical recommendations and a written report, allowing owners to complete improvements themselves.
Light Staging & Styling — Hands-on styling for the three core rooms: kitchen, lounge, and master bedroom.
Full-Home Service — A complete, hands-off staging solution, including sourcing tradespeople for decorating or upgrades through Natasha’s network.
Her strategic priority is building a reliable client funnel, strengthening relationships with estate agents, and directly approaching homeowners whose properties are slow to sell.
Key Themes
Gaining clarity on purpose, direction, and desired destination
Designing offerings that build trust quickly
Using pricing tiers as a funnel into deeper work
Learning to value one’s expertise and price accordingly
Overcoming imposter syndrome and self-doubt
Taking consistent action rather than staying in planning mode
Balancing business demands with family life
The emotional journey of entrepreneurship
Tactical & Strategic Insights
Pricing as a Funnel: The Power Hour acts as an entry point, providing value while identifying clients who want fuller support.
Client Fit Matters: Not every client is the right match; filtering protects quality and wellbeing.
Clarity Reduces Fear: Understanding the “why, what, and how” creates confidence and momentum.
Action Beats Over-Planning: Progress emerges from consistent outreach and experimentation.
Estate-Agent Strategy:
Engage agents persistently but professionally.
Supplement with proactive door-knocking for unsold homes staying too long on the market.
Track the Numbers: Weekly and monthly target clarity helps guide decisions.
Purpose Drives Resilience: Remembering the dream sustains entrepreneurs through doubt.
Notable Quotes
“There’s so much learning… it’s a constant journey for us all.” — Natasha
“Until we embrace the gap between where we are and where we want to be, we can’t put a plan together.” — Dave
“Not every client is the right client.” — Natasha
“Nothing happens in business until somebody sells something.” — Dave
“I don’t ever want to get to a stage where I have regrets.” — Natasha
“The last thing that comes in business is the cash flow and the money.” — Dave
“You’ve reconnected your goals with why you started — now we’re connecting the how.” — Dave
Key Takeaways
Clear packages create clarity for clients and allow natural upsell paths.
Trust is built fastest through upfront value, not persuasion.
A business grows when the founder reconnects to purpose.
Imposter syndrome is universal — even coaches experience it.
Door-knocking and proactive outreach can create momentum when pipelines are low.
Planning is essential, but action is what changes revenue.
Tracking daily and weekly activity builds discipline and confidence.
The entrepreneurial path requires courage, emotional resilience, and persistent clarity.
Staging: Preparing a home for sale using design improvements to enhance appeal.
Styling: Arranging furniture and décor to highlight a space’s strengths.
Power Hour: A one-hour expert consultation providing tailored improvement recommendations.
Funnel: A structured pathway that moves prospects from initial contact to deeper engagement.
Timestamped Chapters
00:07 – Introductions and purpose of the coaching session 00:21 – Dave’s background and coaching philosophy 00:37 – Natasha’s business overview and service scope 01:14 – Early business reflections: clarity, alignment, and pricing 02:05 – How expert staging increases property value 02:28 – The emotional reality of entrepreneurship and continuous learning 03:21 – Understanding the gap between where the business is and where it needs to be 03:49 – Natasha’s three-tier pricing model explained 05:37 – Dave reframes the Power Hour as a strategic client funnel 06:31 – Building trust quickly and choosing the right clients 07:20 – Confidence, imposter syndrome, and valuing expertise 09:33 – Connecting purpose, packages, pricing, and planning 11:07 – Ideal clients and outreach strategy (estate agents + door-knocking) 13:28 – Transitioning from planning to action and consistent execution 15:17 – Purpose, self-belief, long-term progress, and closing reflections
Hari Pudipeddi’s Background and Career Transition Early Influences and Career Path: Hari is a seasoned health-tech professional with a BSc and MSc in Computer Science, followed by a master’s in General Management. He spent 12.5 years at Cerner, joining as one of the company’s first ten hires in India (2004–2016). Exposure to large-scale healthcare systems, product thinking, and APAC operations shaped his strengths in product strategy, go-to-market, and translating real problems into workable solutions. He splits time between Melbourne and Bangalore to stay close to customers, teams, and new business models. Previous Corporate Career: At Cerner, Hari gained deep experience in complex, regulated environments and scaled product delivery, which informs his emphasis on clarity of problem definition, operational discipline, and commercially viable execution. He also teaches product and GTM in universities and institutes, and hosts conversations with founders who are bootstrapping rather than fundraising. Transition to Entrepreneurship: In 2016, Hari left corporate to build a co-working SaaS. After securing a few clients, he exited the model, recognising it wouldn’t scale in the Indian context. In 2019, he moved into PropTech and later founded/led product strategy at HAPLO. To bootstrap responsibly, he cleared personal loans, sold his house, and reduced fixed costs to extend runway—advocating for MVPs, fast customer feedback loops, and frugal use of grants over premature fundraising.
The Business: Product Strategy and Venture Building Hari focuses on product strategy, venture design, and fractional product leadership across APAC. His philosophy is to pursue “meaningful problem + process improvement” over novelty for its own sake. He champions layered validation: define the monetisable pain, size the magnitude, and prove early revenue potential before seeking capital.
Services Offered: Product Strategy & GTM: Defining the problem, shaping the solution, and creating a path to first customers and revenue. Fractional Product Leadership: Part-time/short-term engagements to establish product foundations, discovery cadences, and execution rhythms. Advisory & Education: Teaching product and GTM, mentoring founders on MVPs, metrics, and capital efficiency.
Differentiating Bootstrapping and Fundraising Bootstrapping: Founder belief plus prudent capital allocation; create a multi-year runway, build an MVP, validate with customers, and iterate quickly. Grants can help, but must be used frugally and onshore (India/Australia) to serve employment and local-impact goals. Fundraising: In today’s market, investors expect evidence of traction and a working model. “AI” on a slide can signal high capex (GPUs, infra). Most SMEs should deploy AI to improve efficiency, not attempt to build foundational models.
Founder Interaction, Policy Context, and Challenges When advising founders, Hari probes the “why now,” time pressures, and end goals, then researches the ideal customer’s context to align solution and message. He highlights how grants and incubators (India/Australia) work similarly, with Australian programmes often state-level and both countries enforcing onshore spend. He stresses Rural Cyclic Economies (RCEs) in India—keeping value, skills, and spend local to reduce brain drain—and contrasts “futuristic” moonshots with granular, locally relevant solutions (citing UPI, Digi Yatra, and accessibility tech examples). A recurring challenge is expectation management: prioritising solvable, monetisable pains over assumed problems or hype cycles.
AI: Practical Perspective and Adoption Curve Hari distinguishes AI from automation and frames today’s LLMs as AI tools, not “AI itself.” Real value appears inside trusted ecosystems (e.g., productivity suites) that reduce task time. He sees AI adoption as early-stage: model quality, costs, and infra constraints (notably GPUs) limit widespread impact today; meaningful shifts in software development may land 2030–2045. For most organisations, the near-term win is using AI to drive efficiency, not displace teams.
Personal Notes and Contact Hari’s work straddles India and Australia to stay close to customers and talent. He engages widely with practitioners across branding, sales, marketing, finance, and security to map realistic AI impact by function. Website: studionavaka.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/harinathpv
Key Takeaways (Quick Scan)
Validate before you fundraise: MVP + customer conversations > pitch decks.
Extend runway deliberately; reduce fixed costs and iterate fast.
Use grants and incubators, but spend frugally and onshore.
Prefer meaningful, monetisable pains over speculative “futuristic” problems.
AI’s near-term value is efficiency within existing workflows; infra costs are real.
Distinctiveness and clear communication drive durable advantage.
Notable Quotes
“If you don’t believe in your idea and invest in it… who will?” — Hari
“Solve the small piece; the big piece falls in place.” — Hari’s coach (via Hari)
“Grant money is for creating jobs at home.” — Hari
“AI’s job is helping you become more efficient.” — Hari
“Progress begins when you trust your instincts and take that first step.” — Neville
Links Mentioned
Studio Navaka — studionavaka.com
Hari on LinkedIn — linkedin.com/in/harinathpv
Entrepreneurs in Action — asiabizstories.com
Technical Terms & Jargon (Listener Glossary)
Bootstrapping: Building with personal funds and operating revenue instead of external capital.
Runway: Months you can operate before needing new cash.
MVP (Minimum Viable Product): The lightest version that tests real demand.
PropTech: Technology for real estate markets and operations.
APAC: Asia–Pacific region.
Rural Cyclic Economies (RCEs): Self-sustaining local economies that retain value and employment.
UPI: India’s instant real-time payments system.
Digi Yatra: Face-ID based, paperless domestic airport journey in India.
GPU: Hardware essential for training/running many AI models; expensive and capacity-constrained.
Micro-investor: Early-stage investor typically writing smaller cheques (e.g., ~£100k).
Blue Ocean Strategy: Creating uncontested market space via differentiation.
AI vs Automation: Automation repeats predefined steps; AI generalises/reasons across tasks.
LLM (Large Language Model): AI model class powering tools like ChatGPT/Claude.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Hari Pudipeddi’s Journey 03:59 Bootstrapping: The Entrepreneurial Path 06:44 Navigating Funding and Grants in India and Australia 09:45 Rural Cyclic Economies: A New Approach 12:59 Comparative Insights: India vs Australia 15:41 The Role of Technology in Economic Development 18:51 Local Solutions vs Global Aspirations 21:42 Generational Perspectives on Problem Solving 29:10 Granular Problem Solving 33:42 The Role of AI in Business 41:25 Understanding AI’s Current Landscape 48:16 The Future of Ideas and Innovation 51:31 Summary
“Today’s guest, Natasha, has a story that proves your passion can quietly follow you through life — until the moment you’re ready to step fully into it. From her early years surrounded by building, redecorating, and antiques, to a demanding career as a social worker, Natasha always carried a love for transforming spaces. It was only after raising her two boys and returning briefly to her old profession that she realised her joy was in design — in creating rooms that feel calm, warm, and full of possibility. Now, she runs a business that stages and styles homes, helping families, sellers, and businesses unlock the true potential of their spaces. And today, she’s here to share that journey with us.”
Natasha Clarke’s Background and Career Transition
Early Influences and Passion: Natasha’s early life cultivated a hands-on approach to property; her father was a builder, her mother was always redecorating, and the family frequently visited antique fairs and markets. This immersion led to her realisation that she loved interior design and “making a space look amazing” when she renovated her first cottage while receiving help from family. While her now-husband also renovated his fisherman’s cottage, building up shared knowledge of property. Over the years, they bought and sold several properties, where Natasha would personally handle the interior design and styling before market listing.
Previous Career as a Social Worker: Natasha trained and began her career as a social worker in her very early twenties. She predominantly worked with local authorities, supporting adults and older adults in the community, including those being discharged from hospitals. Her role involved assessing needs, risks, problem-solving, and acting as an advocate during challenging times. Before leaving the profession, she managed a large project for Hertfordshire County Council.
Transition to Entrepreneurship: Social work was described as incredibly intense and stressful. After getting married and having her first child, Natasha made the decision to step away from social work to be a stay-at-home mother for 13 years, raising her two boys (William, 13, and Eddie, 9). As her children grew older, she felt it was the right time to pursue her passion. A brief return stint confirmed she wanted a change, which solidified when redecorating one of her boys’ bedrooms brought her joy. She recognised that her previous professional skills—managing large caseloads, handling stressful situations, problem-solving, and meeting quick timelines—would be beneficial in her new business venture.
The Business: Property Styling and Design
Natasha runs a business focused on property staging, interior design, and styling, using her skills and experience to help clients. Her design philosophy is centered on creating warm, calm, textured, layered, and luxurious design.
Services Offered: Natasha serves three main client types:
Staging Homes (For Sellers): Preparing and styling properties specifically for sale.
Residential Interior Design (For Occupiers): Helping clients reimagine a space, such as transforming a tired room, creating a den for teenagers, or setting up a hobby room for those whose children have left home.
Business Clients and Holiday Homes: Styling workshop spaces to reflect a business, creating tablescapes for corporate events, or designing holiday homes and serviced accommodations.
Differentiating Staging and Interior Design: Natasha clarifies that her work involves solving slightly different problems depending on the client:
Interior Design: This service is specific and bespoke to the individual client, catering to their personal taste, needs, and desired look/feel. This applies to residential properties and holiday homes.
Staging (for sale): This is specific to selling a property. Since the market is broader, the styling is not personalised to the current homeowner. The goal is to appeal to the specific target audience or “dream buyer” by de-personalising the space (but avoiding a “stark” or too minimalist look). Advice often involves reducing clutter, advising on storage, and removing objects that might be too unconventional or not to everyone’s taste (like zebra wallpaper).
Client Interaction and Challenges
When beginning work with a property seller, Natasha first ascertains crucial information like why they are selling, their timelines, pressures, and their “end goal” (e.g., securing a dream home). She researches the demographics of their ideal buyer to ensure the styling appeals directly to that specific market.
Her service is bespoke, ranging from minor advice to major decluttering projects. She notes that lighting design, though seemingly simple, can have a major positive or negative impact on a room; she advises on using low, warm lighting alongside practical ceiling lights.
The biggest challenge Natasha faces is managing people’s expectations. She must reassure clients that she is the expert and needs to be trusted, especially when styling decisions conflict with the homeowner’s personal taste. Her role requires being both honest and diplomatic when explaining that changes must be made to attract the target audience.
Personal Life and Contact
Natasha’s family is very supportive; her husband is described as her “biggest fan” and assists in the background. She actively teaches her sons about how businesses work.
People can contact Natasha via her website, www.clarkandclarkpropystaging.com, or by email at info@clarkandclarkpropystaging.com.
“What would make someone walk away from a six-figure salary, a senior leadership role, and the comfort of a corporate career… to start over with nothing but a blank sheet of paper? For David Butler, it was a single moment — a moment that revealed what truly mattered most. In this episode, David takes us inside that life-changing decision, sharing the highs, the doubts, the wins, and the lessons from building a coaching business that transforms not only careers but lives. From facing skepticism and imposter syndrome to helping business owners reclaim their time, income, and purpose — David’s journey is a masterclass in courage, reinvention, and the power of coaching. So, whether you’re dreaming of leaving your 9-to-5, growing your own business, or simply seeking inspiration, this conversation will give you insights you won’t want to miss.”
David Butler’s background in sales and his transition from a corporate six-figure job to starting his own coaching business.
The critical role of family and friends in supporting small business owners, encompassing both support and doubt.
The multi-layered benefits and necessity of coaching for individuals, their families, and even for the coach themselves.
The realities of the entrepreneurial journey, including personal experiences with doubts, worries, anxieties, and imposter syndrome.
Achieving credibility and recognition, as exemplified by winning the National Business Coach of the Year award.
David Butler’s role as a “coach’s coach,” guiding other coaches in growing their businesses and overcoming self-doubt.
The continuous need for personal coaching and support, even for experienced coaches like David Butler.
The services David Butler offers, including one-to-one coaching, group programs, a business club, and contact information.
Summary
In this episode, we gain insights from David Butler, a seasoned sales and business coach, on his journey navigating the entrepreneurial landscape. Drawing from his extensive background in sales, where he started with a week’s trial at a local newspaper, and later worked for media companies and Monster Worldwide, David recounts his transition from a corporate career to becoming a dedicated coach. He realized his passion for managing and coaching people while working as a sales trainer and director. David emphasises the importance of understanding one’s true calling, detailing a “light bulb moment” when, despite a six-figure salary, he was unhappy and a specific trigger (being told he’d have to make up time after leaving early to watch his son’s football game) propelled him to leave his job and start his own coaching business. This decision was driven by a desire to help people and achieve freedom of time and money, using his business as a vehicle to live his ideal life.
Delving deeper, he explores the critical role of family and friends in supporting small business owners, noting the “polar opposites” of support and doubt he encountered. While his immediate family was supportive despite thinking he was “a bit mad” for giving up a senior position, others “questioned what [he] was doing” and “said [he] was going to fail”. David shares invaluable insights on how these challenges, particularly skepticism, can further fuel one’s drive for success.
Next, David examines the multi-layered benefits of coaching, asserting that “everyone needs a coach”. He explains how coaching not only empowers the individual coachee to achieve their ideal life and goals, but also positively impacts their friends and family, providing them a better life. He illustrates this with an example of a plumbing business owner who, through coaching, reduced his working hours, earned more, and achieved a better work-life balance, moving from working “in the business” to “on the business”. David also highlights the reciprocal learning he gains from working with others, finding huge happiness in seeing people “live their ideal life or live life on their terms”.
Moving forward, we explore the realities of the entrepreneurial journey, including the prevalence of doubts and imposter syndrome. David candidly shares his own experiences with these feelings, admitting he still has doubts, worries, anxieties, and “imposter syndrome”. He recounts how he sat there thinking, “what the hell have I done?” after leaving a six-figure job to start with “a blank piece of paper”. He discusses how winning the National Business Coach of the Year award from the Entrepreneur Circle provided credibility, showing that his work was “truly worthwhile,” and served as “payback for the risk, the heartache, [and] the hard work” he had put in. This achievement also inspires other coaches.
Finally, David delves into his role as a “coach’s coach,” leveraging his personal journey of building a business from scratch to guide other business coaches in growing their ventures and overcoming self-doubt. He emphasizes that because he has “been there” with the blank page and the doubts, he can pass on valuable knowledge to others. He concludes by underscoring the continuous need for personal coaching and support, even for experienced coaches like himself, as he has his own coach who keeps him “straight,” challenges him, and supports him when he’s “having one of those days”. He believes it’s “really important for a lot of business owners to have somebody to reach because it can be really lonely”.
Neville McKenzie discusses the rapid development of AI technologies and their integration into his production processes. He notes that new AI tools are constantly emerging, requiring continuous learning.
The AI Threat: The concern about the potential for AI to make podcasters redundant, necessitating a “radical readjustment” in the podcasting field. He mentions a peer already using AI platforms to produce podcasts without human guests.
Experiment: Neville conducts an experiment using a recently launched AI platform to produce a podcast based on his own career documents. He acknowledges that the AI-generated content may contain errors or “hallucinations” that might seem real to unfamiliar listeners.
The Experiment: A deep dive into Neville McKenzie’s Career with the podcast transitioning into a discussion of Neville’s career, analysing his diverse experiences and entrepreneurial journey Neville’s Early Work Career as an electronics test engineer, then into IT and Project Management. His Career path changes with a move to China where he immerses himself into the culture, even learning 600 technical Chinese words.
The move to Singapore and AsiaBizStories are discussed and the Use of AI in Podcasting to streamline podcast production, such as refining show notes and generating interview questions.
The Educator: As an adjunct lecturer at the University of Newcastle in Singapore, teaching creative industries entrepreneurship.
Athletic Background: Neville’s is also revealed to be a professional volleyball player for the England national team, earning 71 international caps. Where he developed as an athlete, such as discipline and resilience, that have contributed to his entrepreneurial success.
Key Takeaways: The show notes suggest several key takeaways for the future of podcasting: AI integration is becoming inevitable, requiring podcasters to integrate AI technologies into their production processes. This integration may lead to a “radical readjustment” of the field, potentially impacting the role of human podcasters. Despite AI advancements, human creativity remains essential, particularly in creative industries. Podcasters will need to engage in constant learning to adapt to new AI tools and platforms. Experimentation with AI can reveal valuable insights, but podcasters must be aware of potential errors or “hallucinations” in AI-generated content which are present in this experiment.
Morten Damgaard Andersen talks on “Leadership Perspectives: Navigating Multicultural Environments,” in this podcast and also available as a video podcast Morten as a seasoned leader shares insights on emotional intelligence, effective communication, and cultural competence in diverse workplaces.
In this episode, we explore how self-awareness contributes to a leader’s emotional intelligence. Morten has over 25 years of experience in Asia’s dynamic business landscape, and emphasises the importance of understanding one’s own emotions, strengths, and weaknesses to make informed decisions and empathise with others.
Delving deeper, he adds the potential drawbacks of overemphasising emotional intelligence and how leaders can balance competing priorities without succumbing to procrastination. Our guest’s practical approach involves committing to action and engaging in open dialogue with peers and team members.
Next, Morten examines the role of cultural competence in managing diverse behaviours. He emphasises the need to understand cultural norms and communication styles to foster effective collaboration across multicultural teams.
Moving forward, we explore the key components of a leadership style that resonates with team members in multicultural environments. From having a clear vision and effective communication to setting non-negotiable behaviours and demonstrating authenticity, Morten shares invaluable insights on inspiring and empowering teams to achieve success.
Join us for an enriching conversation that delves into the nuances of leadership in multicultural settings. Subscribe now at “AsiaBizStories.com: Entrepreneurs in Action” via audio only or on Google video podcast for actionable strategies and thought-provoking discussions with seasoned leaders.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:54 How does self-awareness contribute to a leader’s emotional intelligence?
02:59 So based on that are there any potential drawbacks or challenges associated with an overemphasis on emotional intelligence and leadership?
08:54 In what situations can adapting to diverse behaviours lead to a more effective communication? Can you give us and example of situations?
10:54 How do you avoid making excuses that allow you to avoid making decisions and taking actions?
14:05 So what role does cultural competence play in understanding and managing diverse behaviours?
20:20 What are the key components of a leadership style that resonates with team members, considering multiculturalism?
26:51 Contact details on LinkedIn Morten Damgaard Andersen
Goh Sok Koon is a company secretary a vital role in any business in Singapore. I am fortunate to have met her as she has been extremely helpful to me in getting my business up and running. Even before that, I was trying to get her to appear here on this podcast. By her own admission she has been reluctant, preferring like many people to work diligently in the background of the many businesses that she is a part of. But as a business founder of her own, specifically Lioness Corporate Services, and additionally as she plays a more active role in business groups she is a member of she now feels ready and the need to appear on her first podcast.
As well as:
Goh Sok Koon introduces herself as a company secretary for Lioness Corporate Services with over five years of experience.
Describes the importance and main role of a company secretary for a businesses in Singapore.
Qualifications required to become a company secretary depend on whether one is an accountant or a lawyer, with a usual completion time of two to three years.
The route taken to become a professionally qualified company secretary in Singapore
Reasons for moving to Singapore and the impact it had on her career.
Changes that need to be kept up with in order to be a successful company secretary in Singapore.
What are the additional important areas that need to be understood beyond the core duties of a company secretary.
Key advice entrepreneurs need before starting a business.
What makes a good company secretary.
Goh Sok Koon hopes for her business in the future.
The extended role of reminding directors and CEOs of their obligations and providing guidance and support.
The benefits of Business Development Society, a supportive networking group focused on learning and sharing experiences.
How her experience and knowledge gained as a business owner help her assist others, especially foreigners, in starting businesses in Singapore.
The enjoyment from her job demonstrates how in depth Sok Koon is willing to go to help people understand the process of starting a business and providing guidance along the way.
Neville J McKenzie the usual host of AsiaBizStories Entrepreneurs in Action is asked the questions by Chris Pardey the lead of the Brunel Alumni Association, Singapore .
Neville grew up in London. At school he wanted to be a scientist but became a Radar Test Engineer after gaining an HND in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. He then moved into the world of Information Technology Systems as a Field Engineer, before leaving work to study a degree in Computer Studies with Business Studies. Up until this point he played volleyball first as a junior international and then as a senior international for the England. After graduating He worked for 10 months before the Dot-Com crises forced him out of work in October 2001. In February 2002 he was teaching in China where I remained for over fourteen and half years before moving to Singapore in 2016 where he now resides.
As well as:
Discussion of the cultural differences between China and Singapore and the personal difference of becoming an entrepreneur in China.
The hopes and dreams for the future in Singapore.
Neville talks about his involvement with the Brunel Alumni Association in Singapore and how it helps him network and connect with people who have a common connection.
Neville explains his podcasting journey, how he started in 2014 in China, and how it is evolving into a business.
Helping the Brunel Alumni Association, Singapore to win the Alumni Association Award of the Year by committing to podcasts, has now led to being nominated for the International Alumni of the Year award.
The events in the decision to pursue a degree after seeing an education shop while driving leading to acceptance to study Computer Studies with Business Studies from 1997 to 2000 at Brunel University.
Neville talks about his experience playing volleyball for England, coaching, and the impact it had on his career as an engineer.
Insights into his start and end in coaching in China but none in Singapore.
Title: Asia Biz Stories: Entrepreneurs in Action (Partnered with the Brunel Alumni Association Singapore)
Host: Chris Pardey
Guest: Neville J McKenzie
Introduction: [0:00:00 – 0:03:45]
– Neville J McKenzie introduces himself as the guest on the podcast.
– Mentions his background growing up in London, pursuing a career in engineering, and later transitioning to Information Technology systems.
– Talks about his experience playing volleyball for England and his move to China in 2002 to teach.
Living and Working in Singapore as an Entrepreneur: [0:03:45 – 0:09:20]
– Neville discusses the cultural change he experienced after moving to China and how he enjoyed the teaching and learning opportunities there.
– Compares his life in China to his life in Singapore, stating that Singapore feels like a combination of Shanghai and the UK for him.
– Shares his perspective on Singapore being a favourable place for starting a business and entrepreneurship but personally finding China more suitable for individualistic endeavours.
– Talks about his unconventional education path and how it shaped his entrepreneurial journey.
Hopes and Dreams for the Future: [0:09:20 – 0:14:40]
– Neville expresses his desire to stay in Singapore and mentions that going back to the UK doesn’t appeal to him.
– Discusses the challenges of networking and making friends in Singapore compared to China.
– Highlights the importance of the Brunel Alumni Association in providing a common connection and affinity among members.
– Mentions specific conversations with Stanley, CJ, Kelly, and Lawrence, sharing his curiosity and interest in their journeys.
Contribution to the Brunel Alumni Association: [0:14:40 – 0:17:10]
– Chris acknowledges Neville’s contribution to the association through his podcasting work.
– Mentions Neville’s involvement in the Asia Biz Stories podcast, which has covered 68 stories so far.
– Notes that Neville is the 69th podcast guest and discusses the impact of his involvement on the association’s recognition.
Podcasting Journey and Impact: [0:17:10 – 0:23:30]
– Neville shares his journey into podcasting, starting as a hobby in 2014 and gradually realizing its potential as a business venture.
– Talks about the work he has done for the Brunel Alumni Association and expresses his hope that winning the International Alumni of the Year award would validate his efforts and help his podcasting business.
Getting into Brunel University: [0:23:30 – 0:26:45]
– Neville narrates how he stumbled upon the idea of pursuing a degree at a later age and applied to various universities.
– Shares his surprise at being accepted by every university except one, but after explaining his situation, he received acceptance from Brunel.
– Explains his decision to choose Brunel due to its reputation as an excellent engineering university.
Volleyball and Sports: [0:26:45 – 0:30:15]
– Neville discusses his passion for volleyball and how he started playing at a young age.
– Talks about playing for the England national team from 1981 to 1990 and the lessons he learned about teamwork and dedication.
– Mentions his coaching experience in youth centres and Dulwich College in the UK.
Conclusion: [0:30:15 – 0:31:50]
– Chris expresses gratitude to Neville for his podcasting work with the Brunel Alumni Association.
– Acknowledges Neville’s nomination for the International Alumni of the Year award and discusses the potential impact on his podcasting business.
– Thanks Neville for his contributions and concludes the interview.
Kelly Shan is an experienced healthcare professional in the areas of nursing and public health. She started as a scrub nurse in the operating theatre before transferring to a pre-operative anesthesia assessment clinic,
“after a few years in the Outpatient Clinic you realize that a lot of even higher education background you know even there are lawyers or teachers they don’t have much knowledge about what is the meaning of the blood pressure the two numbers right so they do not understand what is the meaning or about diabetes they don’t really know much even they have higher educations “
This inspired her to take a specialist diploma in nutrition and health promotion and pursue a Master’s in public health and health promotion at Brunel University in the UK.
After returning to work in Singapore, Kelly is now looking for a career change to expand her horizons further. She has elicited the help of the Brunel Alumni to help her with this.
“I would just send a message in a group I didn’t really expect any reply but yeah Mario is one of our member I think that afternoon he messaged me for a quick call yeah to just know a little bit more what I want to do because he’s the international head of HR department”
This conversation is the seventh in the pilot for the Brunel Alumni Association (Singapore).
The format is based on Entrepreneurs in Action and we are looking to evolve it into a stand-alone podcast series focused on Brunel Alumni based in Singapore
Send your ideas and suggestions to me on LinkedIn, or in person at the next Brunel Alumni Association meetup in Singapore
So now without further delay lets begin
