Joshua Lau is a 17-year-old piano prodigy. After obtaining his Licentiate from Trinity College London at age 15 with distinction, he now strikes again, being the first Malaysian to win the 5th Steinway South-East Asia Pacific Regional Finals. He is set to represent South-East Asia Pacific to perform in International Steinway Festival in Hamburg, Germany in 2022. In this episode, SueLyn sat down with Joshua as he shares how it feels to balance his success, academics and the social life of being a teenager.

The Recess Podcast brings you short interviews of how inspiring creators in Southeast Asia do it all. New episodes every Wednesday at 6PM. Hosted by Kessyl and SueLyn, content producer and editor at Good Foodie Media.

From an aspiring rapper to starting his own streetwear brand, Malaysian entrepreneur Koh Yung Shen also runs his own speakeasy bar. He was subsequently named Penang’s Bartender of the Year in 2019. Known for creating the Vaccine Cocktail, Yung Shen is the founder of Backdoor Bodega and one of the most sought-after branding guys in town. He’s got some branding tips for your business!

Timestamps:

[01:40] - How his streetwear brand Lansi started from a rap show

[03:58] - Viral marketing and sales in 2009 vs. now

[08:25] - Lansi’s first big break at the Tiger Asian Music Festival

[10:25] - The switch from Lansi to The Swagger Salon

[12:12] - From a pantry bar to an overpriced pin shop

[13:02] - How Backdoor Bodega thrived in Penang with no marketing

[15:36] - How he created the vaccine-inspired cocktails

[18:41] - Most interesting/mundane branding campaign

[21:02] - Why is branding so important?

[22:40] - Tips on branding for your business

[23:58] - “Always take a deposit first”

Fully vaccinated individuals are now allowed to dine-in at restaurants in Phase Two and Phase Three states, i.e. Penang and Perlis. We spoke to two restaurateurs from Urban Daybreak (open on weekends for dine-in) and MyLaksa (closed for dine-in) to discuss their thoughts, struggles and how they are making customers feel safe again to dine-in.

The Recess Podcast brings you short interviews of how inspiring creators in Southeast Asia do it all. New episodes every Wednesday at 6PM. Hosted by Kessyl and SueLyn, content producer and editor at Good Foodie Media.

From a biotech graduate to owning close to 700 bubble tea outlets across the globe, the founder of Tealive, Bryan Loo shared how he started from ground zero and lessons he learned in the past decade. From his first hustle as a kid renting out comic books, to how he stayed persistent in the Chatime vs. Tealive legal battle and becoming Malaysia’s very own bubble tea mogul.

Timestamps:

[01:34] - Bryan’s childhood in Perlis and the beginning of his entrepreneurship

[03:52] - Tealive’s early days and the “Yum Cha” lingo

[05:28] - The call that changed his life - from biotech to designing his own career path

[11:21] - Chatime vs. Tealive legal battle in Bryan’s own words

[15:29] - Tealive’s 35-day intensive rebranding exercise

[18:00] - Making Tealive a global brand

[19:34] - How Tealive successfully scale with a vision & cracking the petrol station model

[22:17] - Build a culture, not a trend

[24:53] - From a bubble tea player to a lifestyle tea player

[26:26] - The next global drinking trend to watch out for

[27:33] - Building a brand that appeals to the world

[28:57] - Deciding factors for Loob Holding when bringing a brand into their portfolio

[31:43] - Creador and Tealive’s partnership

[33:30] - “Entrepreneurship is like a marathon, keeping the right pace is the key to victory.”

[34:36] - Bryan’s advice for young entrepreneurs

Claudia Tan is a Malaysian author and singer-songwriter. Her hit novel “Perfect Addiction,” with more than 81 million reads on Wattpad, is set to become a movie in Hollywood! With Kiana Madeira, Ross Butler and Matthew Noszka to star in the romance-action movie, Claudia tells us during Recess how her childhood dream came true.

The Recess Podcast brings you short interviews of how inspiring creators in Southeast Asia do it all. New episodes every Wednesday at 6PM. Hosted by Kessyl and SueLyn, content producer and editor at Good Foodie Media.

From a celebrity chef to an entrepreneur, Ili Sulaiman takes on the world with her bubbly personality. She recalls the days when she first started out as a television presenter, along with some of her favourite moments travelling the world and cooking on TV. She openly chats about her diagnosis of PCOS and endometriosis and how it led her to press the reset button.

Timestamps:

[01:50] - Ili’s earliest kitchen memories

[02:50] - Her culinary experience in London

[04:21] - Being a wedding coordinator for the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton

[06:19] - Her decision to come back to Malaysia after spending 8 years in the UK

[07:31] - “I didn’t want to be on TV to be famous”

[08:45] - The power of food

[09:30] - Winning Food Hero 2015

[11:30] - How the adventures with her parents impacted her life

[15:29] - Traveling and shooting cooking shows with Ili Sulaiman

[18:35] - Neglecting relationships, health and personal life

[20:40] - Ili’s PCOS and endometriosis diagnosis and how it changed her life

[27:34] - “Skipped period is not normal”

[28:51] - Letting go of herself, the business and a whole lot of friendships

[30:12] - Importance of decluttering and taking time off work

[32:30] - How the diagnosis change her relationship with food

[34:36] - “I am more sure of who I am now”

[36:37] - How cooking plays a part in her personal life

[37:30] - Cooking as a form of therapy

[38:30] - What’s next for Ili Sulaiman?

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Copywriter by day, comic creator by evening. Daniel Mok is the mastermind behind Mokumentary, a social page featuring witty and intelligent webcomics and drawings. He shares tips on how to create webcomics and his creative process behind “Don’t Let Your Dreams Become Memes.”

The Recess Podcast brings you short interviews of how inspiring creators in Southeast Asia do it all. New episodes every Wednesday at 6PM. Hosted by Kessyl and SueLyn, content producer and editor at Good Foodie Media.

Getting a job during the pandemic, some might say it's "luck," or others might say it's "perseverance." A survey by the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives shows 49% of the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector are under the risk of failing by October and potentially furloughing seven million jobs. (The Edge)

In this episode of Recess, SueLyn recalls how she landed this job during the pandemic and we discussed ways to potentially secure a job during these tough times.

Recess is a week-day segment where we bring you the latest headlines, hosted by Kessyl and SueLyn, content producer and editor at Good Foodie Media.

Cameron Highlands in Pahang, Malaysia will soon boast its own European-themed ESCAPE theme park in 2023! The nature-based adventure park will house Malaysia’s first 1.2km dry ski slope & the world’s first dry ski slope in an equatorial region. This news couldn’t come at a better time as we are all cooped up at home. Listen in for more exciting deets!

For more information on Tropical Spice Garden “Join the Family, Save the Garden" campaign, visit here.

Recess is a week-day segment where we bring you the latest headlines, hosted by Kessyl and SueLyn, content producer and editor at Good Foodie Media.

It might seem far-fetched now but eventually, we will all go back to our cubicles and enjoy lunches with our colleagues again. Then comes the pressing question, “Will I feel safe working with unvaccinated colleagues or will I be fired if I’m not vaccinated?”

On July 28, Malaysia’s Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs was reported to be in the final phase of making vaccination of all employees in the retail sector one of the pre-conditions for approval for companies to resume operation. We also read about companies like Google and Facebook requiring employees to be vaccinated before stepping foot in their offices. What is the legal standpoint and how can the workplace go about it?

Recess is a week-day segment where we bring you the latest headlines, hosted by Kessyl and SueLyn, content producer and editor at Good Foodie Media.