EDIT HISTORY

For years, Simon Alexander Ong told his strict Asian father that the job was "going okay." What he didn't say was that he'd already quietly started coaching clients on the side - building a business in secret, evenings and weekends, until he had three paying clients and a decision to make.

Today, Simon is a bestselling author, international keynote speaker, and one of the most-watched creators in his space - his video "I'm 40. If You're In Your 20s or 30s, Watch This" has 3.9M views. In this episode, we go behind the highlight reel: the double life, the conversations he had with his father once he finally had something to show, and why he says the biggest mistake career-changers make is quitting cold with no foundation.

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Introduction

(01:26) Being boxed in by titles

(03:35) Becoming a brand

(06:14) Simon's objections

(08:52) A partner who supports your goals

(15:44) The pressure of having it together

(18:05) A compelling vision

(19:49) Learning vs being an expert

(23:05) Creativity as a differentiator

(25:18) What Simon is working on

(26:41) Transferable skills

(27:40) Does your family get what you do?

(31:14) Should I quit my job?

(35:00) How to do it all

(40:25) 3 Tips for entrepreneurs & creators

(46:01) Actionable takeaways

CONNECT WITH SIMON ALEXANDER ONG

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@simonalexandero

Website: https://simonalexanderong.com

Book: https://simonalexanderong.com/book

Newsletter: https://simonalexanderong.com/shots-of-energy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonalexandero

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonalexanderong

CONNECT WITH CHERYL LAU

Website: https://cheryllau.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cheryltheory

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheryltheory

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryllau

WORK WITH CHERYL LAU

I produce distinctive and deeply resonant podcasts for leaders and organizations who want their content to command attention, spark meaningful conversations, and attract high-value opportunities.

I ensure your podcast isn't just another show in the feed - it's an asset that elevates your authority and moves your work forward.

Here are 3 ways we can work together:

✨ 1:1 Editorial Podcast Production

✨ Corporate Podcast Producing & Consulting

✨ Hosting for Corporate Shows

Schedule a discovery call for us to explore what working together might look like: https://cheryllau.com/discovery

CONTACT

Please email [email protected] for business inquiries.

In this unscripted bonus episode, I answer delightfully weird and deeply personal questions from friends - Covering everything from past insecurities, podcast advice, to how my friendships have evolved.

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Introduction

(0:35) What crime would you commit if it were legal for 12 hours?

(0:59) If you were a cult leader, what's your cult's name and aesthetic?

(01:41) What's the weirdest compliment that would absolutely make your day?

(03:03) You're suddenly famous for something stupid. What did you do?

(03:44) If you woke up as a brand new person, where would you want to live?

(04:20) If you woke up as a brand new person, what job do you want to do

(05:08) If you woke up as a brand new person, what superpower will you have?

(05:22) What would you tell baby podcaster cheryl?

(07:12) If we caught you doomscrolling, what would you be watching?

(09:16) What used to be an insecurity that no longer is?

(10:26) What is an insecurity you still have?

(11:15) What is your pet peeve/most annoying trait about a person?

(11:44) Which emoji do you spiritually identify with?

(12:27) What are 3 telling "first impression" signs of a podcast that is likely to be successful?

(14:52) How has your friendships evolved overtime?

CONNECT WITH CHERYL LAU

Website: https://cheryllau.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cheryltheory

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheryltheory

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryllau

WORK WITH CHERYL LAU

I produce distinctive and deeply resonant podcasts for leaders and organizations who want their content to command attention, spark meaningful conversations, and attract high-value opportunities.

I ensure your podcast isn't just another show in the feed - it's an asset that elevates your authority and moves your work forward.

Here are 3 ways we can work together:

✨ 1:1 Editorial Podcast Production

✨ Corporate Podcast Producing & Consulting

✨ Hosting for Corporate Shows

Schedule a discovery call for us to explore what working together might look like: https://cheryllau.com/discovery

CONTACT

Please email [email protected] for business inquiries.

Most people think podcast production is editing. Clean the audio, add the music, hit publish.

But here's what that misses: if the pre-production is weak, no amount of editing will save the episode. In this solo episode, I take you through the four stages of producing an authority-building podcast - the way I do it for organizations like the Institute of Mental Health Singapore and established shows like The Financial Coconut.

If you're building a podcast - or wondering why your existing one isn't landing - this one's for you.

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Introduction

(02:09) Stage 1: Pre-Production

(08:58) Stage 2: Recording

(11:44) Stage 3: Editorial Post-Production

(15:19) Stage 4: Technical Post-Production

CONNECT WITH CHERYL LAU

Website: https://cheryllau.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cheryltheory

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheryltheory

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryllau

WORK WITH CHERYL LAU

I produce distinctive and deeply resonant podcasts for leaders and organizations who want their content to command attention, spark meaningful conversations, and attract high-value opportunities.

I ensure your podcast isn't just another show in the feed - it's an asset that elevates your authority and moves your work forward.

Here are 3 ways we can work together:

✨ 1:1 Editorial Podcast Production

✨ Corporate Podcast Producing & Consulting

✨ Hosting for Corporate Shows

Schedule a discovery call for us to explore what working together might look like: https://cheryllau.com/discovery

CONTACT

Please email [email protected] for business inquiries.

A lot of us don't like how we sound. We cringe at our recorded voice, worry our accent makes us seem less credible, and sometimes never start at all because of it.

Caitanya Tan - actress, host, voiceover artist, and content creator with over 200,000 followers on both TikTok and Instagram - has spent years being asked to explain and defend how she sounds. In this episode, she responds to a 300+ comment Reddit thread asking why Singapore podcasters are so cringe, breaks down what it actually means to represent your people, and shares the one line from her mentor that completely changed how she handles opinions.

Oh, and she built all 200K followers using just her phone. The barrier to entry is low. The price, she says, is the audacity.

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Introduction

(01:21) Cait's voice

(02:57) Pressure to sound less Singaporean

(04:45) How Cait learned to speak

(06:35) Singlish isn't represented

(08:16) Cait's past content

(10:14) Feeling embarrassed by your accent or voice

(15:03) Authenticity and using your voice

(16:29) Cait's insecurities

(18:13) Not trying because you're scared

(21:43) Assumptions about Cait's success

(25:20) Cait's morning routine

(27:16) Doing everything with just a phone

(27:58) Singaporean podcasts

(33:31) Actionable Takeaways

CONNECT WITH CAITANYA TAN

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caitofalltraits

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caitofalltraits

Website: https://www.caitanyatan.com

CONNECT WITH CHERYL LAU

Website: https://cheryllau.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cheryltheory

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheryltheory

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryllau

WORK WITH CHERYL LAU

I produce distinctive and deeply resonant podcasts for leaders and organizations who want their content to command attention, spark meaningful conversations, and attract high-value opportunities.

I ensure your podcast isn't just another show in the feed - it's an asset that elevates your authority and moves your work forward.

Here are 3 ways we can work together:

✨ 1:1 Editorial Podcast Production

✨ Corporate Podcast Producing & Consulting

✨ Hosting for Corporate Shows

Schedule a discovery call for us to explore what working together might look like: https://cheryllau.com/discovery

CONTACT

Please email [email protected] for business inquiries.

What if the most important part of building something wasn't the strategy or the talent, but the willingness to keep going through the seasons when nothing seems to be working?

Laurie Wang built a YouTube channel with nearly 200K subscribers. But before that, she ran a startup that failed, sat in what she calls the "liminal space" - that in-between period when you don't know what comes next - and had to learn how to keep going without knowing where she was going.

In this conversation, we talk about what consistency actually builds (hint: it's not just a following), the failed supper club startup she launched after leaving Google, why she stopped comparing herself to creators ahead of her, and how her calendar became her most honest mirror of what she actually values.

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Introduction

(01:06) What kept you going?

(05:10) Laurie's insecurities

(06:32) When your husband is also a YouTuber

(10:00) Cultivating the entrepreneurial spark

(14:45) Habits & decisions

(16:01) Networking tips

(21:38) AI vs Youtubers

(25:05) A lesson from Laurie

(26:35) Connecting the dots

(28:44) A failed startup

(31:01) Pickup yourself up after failure

(33:20) Challenges outside of YouTube

(36:56) Things you like & dislike about yourself

(40:44) Building a business around your life

(46:39) Actionable Takeaways

CONNECT WITH LAURIE WANG

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lauriexwang

Website: https://lauriewang.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriewang/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamlauriewang/

CONNECT WITH CHERYL LAU

Website: https://cheryllau.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cheryltheory

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheryltheory

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryllau

WORK WITH CHERYL LAU

I produce distinctive and deeply resonant podcasts for leaders and organizations who want their content to command attention, spark meaningful conversations, and attract high-value opportunities.

I ensure your podcast isn't just another show in the feed - it's an asset that elevates your authority and moves your work forward.

Here are 3 ways we can work together:

✨ 1:1 Editorial Podcast Production

✨ Corporate Podcast Producing & Consulting

✨ Hosting for Corporate Shows

Schedule a discovery call for us to explore what working together might look like: https://cheryllau.com/discovery

CONTACT

Please email [email protected] for business inquiries.

In this impromptu bonus episode of EDIT HISTORY, I answer spontaneous questions from my friends after a last-minute guest cancellation.

From podcasting highs and moments of self-doubt to K-pop playlists and unpopular opinions, I get candid about my personal quirks, creative process, and what keeps me going as a solopreneur podcaster.

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Introduction

(00:23) What's one decision you're so proud of?

(01:57) What do you do to make guests feel comfortable?

(04:20) Have you ever replaced a bad habit with another bad habit?

(06:05) Have you ever wanted to give up on your podcast?

(08:20) What are your qualifying conditions for choosing guests?

(10:40) If the world were ruled by cats, how would life be different?

(11:49) Would you rather only be able to use public restrooms or be 10 minutes late to everything?

(12:58) What's a hot take/unpopular opinion of yours?

(17:47) Who or what it is Cheryl fiercely loyal to?

(19:19) Intermission break

(20:27) Favorite kpop groups

(21:10) What's on your repeat playlist?

(21:44) What would you pay lots of money for? What would you refuse to pay for?

(22:56) What was your dream job when you were a kid?

CONNECT WITH CHERYL LAU

Website: https://cheryllau.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cheryltheory

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheryltheory

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryllau

WORK WITH CHERYL LAU

I produce distinctive and deeply resonant podcasts for leaders and organizations who want their content to command attention, spark meaningful conversations, and attract high-value opportunities.

I ensure your podcast isn't just another show in the feed - it's an asset that elevates your authority and moves your work forward.

Here are 3 ways we can work together:

✨ 1:1 Editorial Podcast Production

✨ Corporate Podcast Producing & Consulting

✨ Hosting for Corporate Shows

Schedule a discovery call for us to explore what working together might look like: https://cheryllau.com/discovery

CONTACT

Please email [email protected] for business inquiries.

Anna Ong spent 15 years in banking hoping her work would speak for itself. It didn't. What she learned instead: great ideas don't win. Great storytellers do.

After leaving banking, Anna couldn't find a stage for the kind of stories she wanted to tell - raw, vulnerable, real - so she built one. What's Your Story Slam is now Singapore's longest-running live storytelling show, and Anna has coached over 300 leaders to tell theirs.

In this conversation, we talk about why she rejects polished TED Talks and humblebrags on her stage, the question she asks every storyteller before they're allowed to perform ("is this a wound or a scar?"), why she believes everyone has a story worth telling - even if they don't believe it yet - and what happened when her five-year-old niece said "I love you, good night" for the first time.

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Introduction

(01:51) Telling stories that show your flaws

(03:10) What's Your Story Slam

(06:06) Telling stories to impress

(09:42) Humble bragging

(15:23) The impact of storytelling

(19:59) A storytelling stage built in Asia

(26:26) Anna's past content

(31:29) AI and storytelling

(35:16) A story Anna is working on

(39:35) Actionable takeaways

CONNECT WITH ANNA ONG

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-ong/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whatsyourstoryslam

Website: https://www.anna-ong.com/

CONNECT WITH CHERYL LAU

Website: https://cheryllau.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cheryltheory

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheryltheory

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryllau

WORK WITH CHERYL LAU

I produce distinctive and deeply resonant podcasts for leaders and organizations who want their content to command attention, spark meaningful conversations, and attract high-value opportunities.

I ensure your podcast isn't just another show in the feed - it's an asset that elevates your authority and moves your work forward.

Here are 3 ways we can work together:

✨ 1:1 Editorial Podcast Production

✨ Corporate Podcast Producing & Consulting

✨ Hosting for Corporate Shows

Schedule a discovery call for us to explore what working together might look like: https://cheryllau.com/discovery

CONTACT

Please email [email protected] for business inquiries.

In 2018, Dr. Gertrude Nonterah lost her postdoc position. For the next 18 months, she applied for jobs with a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology — and heard nothing. During that stretch, she googled "famous people who were fired" just to find something to hold onto.

Today, Dr. G is the founder of The Bold PhD, helping graduate students navigate careers beyond academia. She's spoken at Oxford, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins - and Brown University, where she was invited not by faculty or administrators, but by a graduate student who'd been watching her videos.

She never attended an Ivy League school. She now speaks at them regularly.

In this episode, we talk about what it actually costs to stay quiet, why hard work alone stopped being enough, how she built a body of work during her most uncertain season, and what seven years of consistency quietly communicates to the people watching.

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Introduction

(02:05) Being passed over for opportunities

(04:41) Work ethic isn't enough

(06:16) Feeling helpless amidst unfair circumstances

(11:18) Regaining power over your situation

(15:27) Building a body of work

(20:19) Not quitting = reliability

(23:26) Insecurities Dr. G faced

(29:39) Your content is helping people

(34:22) Reviewing Dr. G's past content

(41:14) Take back control of your outcomes

(45:45) Actionable takeaways

CONNECT WITH DR. GERTRUDE NONTERAH

Website: https://theboldphd.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theboldphd

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBoldPhD

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geenonterah/

Newsletter: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/63c76e31b4f015f30446ce4d

CONNECT WITH CHERYL LAU

Website: https://cheryllau.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cheryltheory

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheryltheory

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryllau

WORK WITH CHERYL LAU

I produce distinctive and deeply resonant podcasts for leaders and organizations who want their content to command attention, spark meaningful conversations, and attract high-value opportunities.

I ensure your podcast isn't just another show in the feed - it's an asset that elevates your authority and moves your work forward.

Here are 3 ways we can work together:

✨ 1:1 Editorial Podcast Production

✨ Corporate Podcast Producing & Consulting

✨ Hosting for Corporate Shows

Schedule a discovery call for us to explore what working together might look like: https://cheryllau.com/discovery

CONTACT

Please email [email protected] for business inquiries.

Most podcasting advice is about tactics: the mic, the posting schedule, the SEO. This episode is about something harder to find and more valuable to build.

In this solo episode, I share the five internal qualities I see in the most successful podcasters I know - the ones whose shows hold up years after they started. Not the ones with the biggest numbers, but the ones people keep coming back to.

We cover: why discernment matters more than consistency, how to create from lived conviction instead of borrowed frameworks, what it actually means to protect the essence of your work when growth pressures start to creep in, and why the podcasters who last are playing a completely different game from the ones chasing weekly spikes.

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Introduction

(01:35) Characteristic 1

(04:06) Characteristic 2

(06:31) Characteristic 3

(08:30) Characteristic 4

(11:58) Characteristic 5

(15:31) Closing

CONNECT WITH CHERYL LAU

Website: https://cheryllau.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cheryltheory

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheryltheory

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryllau

WORK WITH CHERYL LAU

I produce distinctive and deeply resonant podcasts for leaders and organizations who want their content to command attention, spark meaningful conversations, and attract high-value opportunities.

I ensure your podcast isn't just another show in the feed - it's an asset that elevates your authority and moves your work forward.

Here are 3 ways we can work together:

✨ 1:1 Editorial Podcast Production

✨ Corporate Podcast Producing & Consulting

✨ Hosting for Corporate Shows

Schedule a discovery call for us to explore what working together might look like: https://cheryllau.com/discovery

CONTACT

Please email [email protected] for business inquiries.

Jennifer Van Alstyne posted about academics being paid for their speaking. It went viral - but not in the way she hoped. The comments were hateful. Some were racist. Fellow academics pushed back.

She kept showing up anyway.

Jennifer is the founder of The Academic Designer, where she helps professors build their online presence through website design, social media, and bio writing. But before any of that, she was 18 years old, away at college, having lost her parents and left an abusive marriage - figuring out how to make her way in the world alone.

In this conversation, we talk about what it means to build an online presence from your values rather than your metrics, why she stopped chasing views after a blog post with 15 readers changed one person's entire career, and how she learned that real community starts with one person who wouldn't take no for an answer.

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Introduction

(01:40) Showing up after hate comments and going viral

(06:11) Reviewing Jennifer's past content

(09:24) Developing your character as an entrepreneur

(12:56) Separating personal challenges from business

(16:34) Finding community online

(20:58) Realizing you are making an impact via your content

(24:38) Low engagement and small audience size

(28:44) Changes amidst AI

(31:39) Safety vs AI

(36:24) The meaning behind your work

(40:30) Actionable Takeaways

CONNECT WITH JENNIFER VAN ALSTYNE

Website: https://theacademicdesigner.com/

Website: https://jennifervanalstyne.com/

Work with Jennifer: https://higheredpr.as.me/meet-with-jennifer

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifervanalstyne/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jenvanalstyne.bsky.social

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@higheredpr

Instagram: http://instagram.com/higheredpr

YouTube: http://youtube.com/@higheredpr

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0BCuleBpXeRcpko3t3AYC4?si=a2e570d559354141

Facebook: https://facebook.com/higheredpr

X: http://x.com/higheredpr

CONNECT WITH CHERYL LAU

Website: https://cheryllau.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cheryltheory

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheryltheory

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryllau

WORK WITH CHERYL LAU

I produce distinctive and deeply resonant podcasts for leaders and organizations who want their content to command attention, spark meaningful conversations, and attract high-value opportunities.

I ensure your podcast isn't just another show in the feed - it's an asset that elevates your authority and moves your work forward.

Here are 3 ways we can work together:

✨ 1:1 Editorial Podcast Production

✨ Corporate Podcast Producing & Consulting

✨ Hosting for Corporate Shows

Schedule a discovery call for us to explore what working together might look like: https://cheryllau.com/discovery

CONTACT

Please email [email protected] for business inquiries.