Mr. Tok Show

Jacky is a Singapore-based mural artist who first picked up a brush in 2009. He immediately realised he had to pursue painting for the rest of his life. Most well-known for his massive murals of vivid landscape scenes & animal portraits, he is deeply inspired by the original Impressionists.

He is constantly looking for bigger walls to paint upon & share how he sees the world. He has come a long way since taking art as a subject in school, to making a full time living with his art via commercial and commissioned work.

In this conversation, we talk about his journey as an artist, how he approaches online & personal branding, and his parents' reaction to him pursuing art full time.

Jacky Mak
Jacky's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackyvsthewall/

Timestamps
0:00 Meeting Jacky at his First Solo Exhibition 
1:05 Plans for Second Exhibition? 
1:33 What does this Exhibition mean for Jacky?/Preparation Process 
3:21 Memorable Experiences from the Exhibition/Learning Lessons 
6:40 Vision for the Next Exhibition 
8:08 Jacky's Journey as an Artist 
9:17 Parents' Reaction to his Inclination to Pursue Art as a Career 
13:03 First Time Making Money with his Art 
14:34 When did he First Thought of Pursuing Art Full Time? 
17:05 Promoting Himself on Social Media 
18:02 The Importance of Leveraging Social Media 
20:16 The Internet Changing the Art Marketplace 
23:09 Networking as an Artist 
24:45 Tips for Artists who Struggle with Self Promotion 
26:51 How does he View Competition as an Artist 
30:21 The Importance of Putting Bread & Butter on the Table (Part 1) 
31:19 The Singapore Art Community 
32:20 Bread & Butter (Part 2) 
33:49 Connecting with the Singapore Art Community 
34:41 How has his Artistic Style Evolved over the Years 
37:15 Mentors 
37:58 Has he Settled on Art as his Full Time Career 
38:53 Talent vs. Hard Work/What does it Take to get to the Top as an Artist? 
40:48 Humility vs. Self Confidence as an Artist 
42:43 Views on NFTs 
45:07 Explore other Art Forms?/Moving out into a Dedicated Work Space 
46:52 Plans for the Next 6 Months 
49:30 How does he Balance the Stress of Commercial Work & Ensuring his Creative Best 
52:21 Getting Busy ("Busy is good, busy is the best") 
54:52 Views on Societal Expectations 
57:44 There are Many Pathways to Success/Support is Always Appreciated when Starting Out 
59:34 Taking Accountability for our Own Decision 
1:00:01 What does Success Mean to Him/Plans for the Future 
1:01:27 Does he Intend to Remain a Solo Artist or Scale his Art Business? 
1:03:16 Advice to Aspiring Artists 
1:04:33 Outro 

OKJ is a Singapore-based documentary storyteller. He is working on his biggest and most ambitious feature documentary yet, "The Feeling of Music Playing". He is embarking on this project as an independent documentary filmmaker, self funding the production in its entirety.

I speak to him about his recent projects, including a series on Tiktok, the business of a documentary filmmaker, the risk he's taking on this latest and biggest project, and why the risk of regret ultimately outweighs everything.

OKJ Telegram Channel: @okjworks
Learning Mandarin Docu-Series on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@okjworks
Why Monkey Bars Started Disappearing from Playgrounds?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zITMym7IOIQ&t=5s

Timestamps
0:00 Starting a Tiktok Docu-series on him Learning Mandarin Again
5:33 Learning Mother Tongue vs. Picking up a Third Language Debate
10:43 Why was Tiktok the Chosen Platform
14:00 Producing what the Audience Wants vs. Exercising our Creative Freedom
18:02 Working On Screen
21:00 Motivation to be On Screen
23:16 Appeal of Video Podcasting for JJ
26:37 What does it Mean to do Justice to the Story?
29:23 How does he Reflect Upon whether he has done Justice to his Work?
30:53 On Commercial Success & Innate Talent
33:24 Aspiration in Life (To Replicate what his Parents Gave him for his Children)
35:53 What is the Business of a Documentary Filmmaker in Singapore?
39:01 "Life is not a Finite Multiple-choice"
42:44 Carving our Life's Destiny/Recognising our Blessings in Life
46:56 Risk Taking/Money Philosophy as an Independent Film Maker
49:29 The Risk of Regrets
52:56 Giving Himself a 10 Years Checkpoint in his Career/Setting Multiple Checkpoints in Life
1:00:19 JJ Dropping A Maths/Experience in Ngee Ann Poly School of Film & Media Studies
1:01:46 Producing & Funding his Upcoming Feature Documentary
1:05:58 How does he Plan to Sell this Feature Documentary
1:10:23 Going on the Film Festivals Circuit
1:11:21 How has the Documentary Industry Evolved in the last 10 Years
1:13:29 What is this Documentary "The Feeling of Music Playing" About?
1:20:01 What does the Film Hope to Achieve?
1:22:25 The Choice of Instruments Featured/Challenges of Making the Documentary
1:25:13 When will "The Feeling of Music Playing" be Available to Screen?
1:28:20 The Difficulty & Complexities of Capturing the Essence of Music
1:29:39 Innate Talent is not a Prerequisite to Succeed at or Enjoy doing Something
1:32:45 Work Smart or Work Hard? (Why not both?!)
1:35:28 What Made him Take this Leap of Faith to Self Fund this Documentary
1:37:59 The Role of Luck/Embracing the Serendipities of Life
1:42:00 Connecting the Dots Backwards/Reflecting upon his Journey
1:46:08 Getting in Touch with OKJ
1:47:44 Outro

Watch the Video Podcast on Youtube!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCORhVKcas-PmIfjtv0_Xh3w/videos

Follow OKJ his Social Media!
OKJ Work's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/OKJWorks
OKJ's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/okjworks/
OKJ's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/okjworks/
OKJ's Twitter: https://twitter.com/OKJWorks
OKJ's Tiktok (The Chinese Docu-series): https://www.tiktok.com/@okjworks 

Cherie founded Planner Bee to put a mobile financial advisor in everyone's pocket. They reached 10,000 users in the first 7 months, and the app is now available across the region. Her career started in financial advisory, and she has always saw her role as an educator, helping clients make better financial decisions. 

Passionate about raising financial literacy, she is now driving Planner Bee with her Co-Founder (who happens to be her Brother) to empower users to reach their money goals. 

In this episode, we chat about our respective experience in the Financial Advisory industry, why she started Planner Bee, the challenges she faced, and an impromptu "app review" where we exchanged ideas on the apps' various features.

Watch the Video Podcast on Youtube!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCORhVKcas-PmIfjtv0_Xh3w/videos

Follow Us on our Social Media!

Cherie Wang
Cherie's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherie-wang/
Email (for feedback on Planner Bee app): [email protected]

JJ & The Mr. Tok Show
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrtokshow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrtokshow
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tokjiajie
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrtokshow
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrtokshow

JJ's Post Production Notes "There is a select group of insurance practitioners who aspire to do a lot more than just serve many clients and make lots of money while doing so. They think more deeply of the problem, often from a First Principles perspective and seek out to revolutionize the insurance industry. Cherie is one of them. It's a really tough pursuit because the industry is heavily regulated and many ideas are very capital intensive as well. I really applaud Cherie's courage to even have a go at it. My family and I are beneficiaries of life insurance. I have spent 12 years of my career with AIA Singapore, advising clients on their insurance needs. I absolutely agree with Cherie that many practices and structure are very backwards, outdated, and probably ripe for disruption. I wish Cherie and Planner Bee all the best in their endeavors. Her success will mean many good things. People are more aware of their financial status, own more insurance cover, and also keep the very traditional life insurance industry on their toes to keep innovating for their benefit of consumers. All the best to Planner Bee! "

DISCLAIMER: NSFW. This interview discusses transgenderism, religion, bullying, and there are also sexual references. Minors below the Age of 18 may want to seek guidance from a trusted adult when watching this interview. 

Aerie Rei is a transgender woman, independent content creator, and porn star. 

Our full conversation is more than 2.5 hours long, and I am releasing them in 3 parts. 

In Part 1, we talk about her decision and process coming out as a transgender woman, her family's reaction to it, why she decided to quit her job as a civil servant, childhood, school life, and experience in army. 

Follow Us on our Social Media!

Aerie Rei
Aerie Rei's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aerie_rei/
Aerie Rei's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aerie_Rei

JJ & The Mr. Tok Show
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrtokshow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrtokshow
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tokjiajie
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrtokshow
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrtokshow

JJ's Post Production Notes "What should I say... Well, first of all, I thank Aerie for accepting my invitation to come on the podcast to share her story. It's a huge privilege, for her to trust me to present her story to the world. She shared, so generously, so candidly, from the bottom of her heart. Coming out as a transgender takes so much courage and determination. I tried my best to ask the difficult questions while maintaining 100% respect for Aerie and her journey. That's very important to me, I have no intention to sensationalize anything for the sake of "content". And this is my aspiration for the Mr. Tok Show from the very start, giving a voice to everyone, and for it to be a trusted platform for life stories to be shared. I hope you enjoyed Part 1 of this interview, thank you!"

DISCLAIMER: NSFW. This interview discusses transgenderism, religion, bullying, and there are also explicit sexual references. Minors below the Age of 18 may want to seek guidance from a trusted adult when watching this interview. 

Aerie Rei is a transgender woman, independent content creator, and porn star. 

Our full conversation is more than 2.5 hours long, and I am releasing them in 3 parts. This is the final Part 3. 

You can watch the other 2 parts here: 
Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OA1SaP86cM&t=3116s 
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7FOU7SKX3I&t=2117s 

In Part 3, we talk about her marriage, the concept of polyamorous relationships, the woes of dating as a transgender woman and family ties.

Follow Us on our Social Media!
Aerie Rei
Aerie Rei's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aerie_rei/
Aerie Rei's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aerie_Rei

JJ & The Mr. Tok Show
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrtokshow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrtokshow
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tokjiajie
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrtokshow
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrtokshow

JJ's Post Production Notes "Ahhh... I really... you know, had to hold my tears back. What happens if my son comes along to tell me one day she is a woman? It's tough right. I know it's tough. But I strongly believe love can transcend all notions of gender, religion and philosophy. We have come to Part 3, and the final release of my interview with Aerie. She came across as someone intellectual, kind, and thoughtful. We went into this interview not knowing what we would discuss. We had a small set of questions prepared, but threw it away as soon as the interview started. This interview brought me to many places I never thought I would explore. I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation with Aerie. And once again, I thank her for giving me this opportunity to present her story. It's been an honour. I wish her all the best in all her future endeavors! "

DISCLAIMER: NSFW. This interview discusses transgenderism, religion, bullying, and there are also sexual references. Minors below the Age of 18 may want to seek guidance from a trusted adult when watching this interview. 

Aerie Rei is a transgender woman, independent content creator, and porn star. 

Our full conversation is more than 2.5 hours long, and I am releasing them in 3 parts. 

This is Part 2. 

You can watch Part 1 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OA1SaP86cM&t=2080s 

In Part 2, we talk about her desire and motivation behind becoming a porn star, her work as an escort, and experience shooting porn in the USA. 

Follow Us on our Social Media!
Aerie Rei
Aerie Rei's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aerie_rei/
Aerie Rei's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aerie_Rei

JJ & The Mr. Tok Show
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrtokshow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrtokshow
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tokjiajie
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrtokshow
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrtokshow

JJ's Post Production Notes 
"What should I say... Well, first of all, I thank Aerie for accepting my invitation to come on the podcast to share her story. It's a huge privilege, for her to trust me to present her story to the world. She shared, so generously, so candidly, from the bottom of her heart. Coming out as a transgender takes so much courage and determination. I tried my best to ask the difficult questions while maintaining 100% respect for Aerie and her journey. That's very important to me, I have no intention to sensationalize anything for the sake of "content". And this is my aspiration for the Mr. Tok Show from the very start, giving a voice to everyone, and for it to be a trusted platform for life stories to be shared. I hope you enjoyed Part 1 of this interview, thank you!"

France is a Financial Services Manager from AIA Singapore. 

France arrived in Singapore from the Philippines, on an internship. He graduated with a Degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management, and was offered a full time role in the F&B industry after he completed his internship. 

He took the offer to live and work in Singapore, but was constantly on the lookout for other opportunities. His life changed after one of his friends introduced him to the Financial Advisory industry. 

Today he is a consistent MDRT qualifier, with 4 times MDRT and 1 time COT qualification. He is now paying it forward by supporting various charities both in Singapore, and back home in Philippines. 

He also started a bubble tea chain back home, and currently runs 16 outlets, employing nearly 100 people. 

Listen to his inspiring story of success, and selfless sharing of how he excels in the Financial Advisory industry. 

Follow Us on our Social Media!
JJ & The Mr. Tok Show/Miracle in a Briefcase
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrtokshow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrtokshow
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tokjiajie
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrtokshow
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrtokshow

France Zaguirre
France's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/france.zaguirre
France's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frnczgr/
France's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/france-zaguirre-81385b98/

About Miracle in a Briefcase 
Miracle in a Briefcase is a podcast series showcasing professionals and practitioners of the Financial Advisory industry. JJ, the Producer and Host of the show, is a practitioner himself for nearly 12 years in the industry. He is now the Founder of KEI Advisory (Media), which produces the Mr. Tok Show and the Miracle in a Briefcase. 

He believes a commissioned podcast is one of the best tools for personal branding and video marketing on social media. It's one of the most effective ways to show the world, and your clients what you stand for. Your values, philosophy and ideas. 

For Directors/Managers, looking to power up your recruitment, imagine what a portfolio of interviews showcasing your top consultants can do to help potential candidates better understand your organisation and its culture. 

For Consultants, who believe in the power of building a personal brand online and leveraging on social media to position yourself in front of clients and prospects, imagine what an interview like this can do to boost your presence online. 

Your organisation and you will now be searchable on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast and more. 

If you are keen to feature on Miracle in a Briefcase, please contact us at Whatsapp: 8168 6224

Serene Seah is a Financial Advisor with a Financial Advisory Firm. 

She's also my form teacher back in Secondary 3, at Catholic High School. She made Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), Top of the Table (TOT) qualification last year. Less than 1% of all Financial Advisors would achieve Top of the Table Qualification in their entire career. However, she started out struggling in the business, and at one time would even hesitate to get for herself a $1 drink. 

Find out what happened in her amazing transformation from stray cat to king of the jungle. We talk about her mindset, attitude and philosophy in the FA business, her client-centric approach, and how her family and manager has played a big role supporting her career. 

Follow Us on Our Social!
Serene Seah
Serene's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrincessBrashness
Serene's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/serene-seah-28489b56/

JJ & The Mr. Tok Show/Miracle in a Briefcase
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrtokshow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrtokshow
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tokjiajie
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrtokshow
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrtokshow

About Miracle in a Briefcase 
Miracle in a Briefcase is a podcast series showcasing professionals and practitioners of the Financial Advisory industry. JJ, the Producer and Host of the show, is a practitioner himself for nearly 12 years in the industry. He is now the Founder of KEI Advisory (Media), which produces the Mr. Tok Show and the Miracle in a Briefcase. 

He believes a commissioned podcast is one of the best tools for personal branding and video marketing on social media. It's one of the most effective ways to show the world, and your clients what you stand for. Your values, philosophy and ideas. 

For Directors/Managers, looking to power up your recruitment, imagine what a portfolio of interviews showcasing your top consultants can do to help potential candidates better understand your organisation and its culture. 

For Consultants, who believe in the power of building a personal brand online and leveraging on social media to position yourself in front of clients and prospects, imagine what an interview like this can do to boost your presence online. 

Your organisation and you will now be searchable on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast and more. 

If you are keen to feature on Miracle in a Briefcase, please contact us at Whatsapp: 8168 6224

Vivian Tan is a Personal Wealth Manager from AIA Singapore Pte Ltd. 

She has a Degree in Law, but decided during her training days that a career in Law is probably not for her. She then thought she might be interested in giving the Financial Advisory (FA) industry a shot. She's interested in Finance, it's a people facing role and most importantly, she can be herself and aspire to build long term relationship with clients. 

She told her friend about her plan, and turns out her friend's Father is a veteran in the FA industry with 30 years of experience. She met him, and the rest is history. 

In this interview, Vivian shares her journey in the business, her plans to build her own agency, and an inspiring story her Mum told her during the lowest point in the career. 

Follow Us on Our Social! 
Vivian Tan 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivian_tsl/ 
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivian-tan-771b73156/ 

JJ & The Mr. Tok Show/Miracle in a Briefcase
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrtokshow 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrtokshow 
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tokjiajie 
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrtokshow 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrtokshow

About Miracle in a Briefcase 
Miracle in a Briefcase is a podcast series showcasing professionals and practitioners of the Financial Advisory industry. JJ, the Producer and Host of the show, is a practitioner himself for nearly 12 years in the industry. He is now the Founder of KEI Advisory (Media), which produces the Mr. Tok Show and the Miracle in a Briefcase. 

He believes a commissioned podcast is one of the best tools for personal branding and video marketing on social media. It's one of the most effective ways to show the world, and your clients what you stand for. Your values, philosophy and ideas. 

For Directors/Managers, looking to power up your recruitment, imagine what a portfolio of interviews showcasing your top consultants can do to help potential candidates better understand your organisation and its culture. 

For Consultants, who believe in the power of building a personal brand online and leveraging on social media to position yourself in front of clients and prospects, imagine what an interview like this can do to boost your presence online.

Your organisation and you will now be searchable on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast and more. 

If you are keen to feature on Miracle in a Briefcase, please contact us at Whatsapp: 8168 6224

Jack Sim is Founder of World Toilet Organization (WTO). 

He started out as a salesman and having achieved financial success in his 40s, Jack felt the need to change his direction in life and give back to humanity. He wanted to live his life according to the motto “Live a useful life”. 

Jack soon left his business and embarked on a journey that saw him being the voice for those who cannot speak out and fighting for the dignity, rights and health for the vulnerable and poor worldwide.

Follow Us on our Social Media!

JJ & The Mr. Tok Show
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrtokshow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrtokshow
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tokjiajie
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrtokshow
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrtokshow

Jack Sim
Jack Sim's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-sim-75732313b/
Jack Sim's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jack.sim.1671

JJ's Post Production Notes 
"I certainly enjoyed my conversation with Mr. Sim very much. Before the interview, he asked if he can share more about lessons in life, other than his work with World Toilet Organisation. Of course I said yes! He spoke candidly and with a lot of passion. Our conversation soon strayed into SG politics,  how he manages to keep his wife happy while pursuing his passions. I got so upset that my camera was out of focus... damn! This is yet another painful learning lesson. Well taken!" 

- JJ