Meet Lim Pinn Yang, co-founder of Foodie Media Berhad - IPOing today at a RM70 million valuation!

He once sold woks at the morning market with his dad, scored 1A in SPM exam and earned $0.20/day from his 1st blog

But he’d always dreamt of being a “business entrepreneur”.

And today, his dream comes true.

That little blog he started in 2016 has turned into a 46M+ follower digital media empire. And just in 2024 alone, it hit:

• 20+ lifestyle brands, including Penang Foodie, KL Foodie, Halal Foodie, Malaysia Homie, Car Buddie and Techie
• 2.8B views
• 70 people
• RM24 million in revenue

But… who IS Pinn Yang?

What drove him to do what he does?

How did he end up with an investor like Bryan Loo of Loob Holdings?

And… what does success mean for him?

Listen to find out.

Thanks Foodie for sponsoring this episode!

🙊 Want to support STIMY for as little as $0.10/day? https://www.sothisismywhy.com/support-stimy/

🍿 YouTube: https://youtu.be/lhIUOf7jSKs

📍Show notes: https://www.sothisismywhy.com/155

💌 Weekly STIMY Newsletter on the art of storytelling + building your personal brand (+snippets of STIMY behind-the-scenes): https://sothisismywhy.ck.page/profile

When Vietnamese refugee Senh Duong fled after the fall of Saigon, he could never have imagined he’d one day co-found one of the most influential movie sites in the world - Rotten Tomatoes.

A kid who grew up on Hong Kong kung fu flicks, Senh was obsessed with Jackie Chan. 

So when Jackie tried to break into Hollywood again, Senh went looking for honest reviews... 

But couldn’t find any. 

Every critic said the movies were great (even when they weren’t).

So Senh decided to build a site that told the truth.

What began as a side project coded through sleepless nights turned into a cultural phenomenon - one that raised $1 million (2 months before the dot com bubble burst!!), sold for $10 million, and changed how audiences everywhere judge movies.

In this episode, Senh opens up about:

🔸 Fleeing Vietnam and growing up in a refugee camp in Hong Kong

🔸 How Jackie Chan inspired the birth of Rotten Tomatoes

🔸 Almost quitting Rotten Tomatoes due to burnout 

🔸 Being treated as “second-class citizens” by film publicists at screenings (and when that changed!)

🔸 Raising $1M, surviving the dot-com crash & selling too early?!

🔸 Why he says he’s proud to be a “one-hit wonder”

This is the story of how a movie-obsessed refugee created one of the most iconic brands in film history - all because he wanted Jackie Chan to get the credit he deserved.

Highlights:

• 2:08 The Fall of Saigon
• 4:48 Arriving in the US
• 6:01 Falling in love with Hong Kong movies & TV series
• 8:55 The mafia controls the film industry?! 
• 10:14 Studying computer science at Berkeley
• 13:14 Dreaming of becoming a PIXAR animator? 
• 14:00 Founding a startup design studio with friends, Patrick Lee & Stephen Wang
• 15:52 Landing Disney as a 7-figure client due to pizza party?!
• 20:52 Launching Rotten Tomatoes as a side project
• 23:58 What kept you going?
• 26:22 Leaving Design Reactor & feeling lost
• 28:52 Rotten Tomatoes’ traffic explodes
• 31:34 Turning a side project → company (+ raising $1 million)
• 35:30 Building a relationship with film critics
• 36:52 Tomatometer
• 38:42 Investors saying, ‘Are you crazy?!’
• 43:46 Internet bubble bursts, layoffs & living in the office
• 47:02 What kept everyone going?
• 48:49 Major turning point
• 53:18 Selling for $10 million
• 54:47 What’s next?
• 56:03 IGN buys Rotten Tomatoes for $650 million (1 year later?!)

🙊 Want to support STIMY for as little as $0.10/day? https://www.sothisismywhy.com/support-stimy/

🍿 YouTube: https://youtu.be/pWO2IVYZvlI&list=UULFSZlcS5ooyCjj_MkrmH_WhQ

📍Show notes: https://www.sothisismywhy.com/154 

💌 Weekly STIMY Newsletter on the art of storytelling + building your personal brand (+snippets of STIMY behind-the-scenes): https://sothisismywhy.ck.page/profile

Hui Jing’s life reads like a TVB drama.

Her mum was forced to be the sole provider for the family after her dad landed them in bad debt. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Hui Jing understood the importance of money & joined the work force young - at the below-legal age of 15 - for a mediocre RM4/hour.

It wasn’t easy.

But it kickstarted a series of jobs that saw her go from working as at McDonald’s to The Body Shop to becoming a finalist for the Red Bull Female Driver Search in 2009 (they were offering a cash prize) to becoming an insurance agent (where she learned the joys of passive income) to joining a radio station as a road runner and finally…

Co-founding one of Malaysia’s fastest growing local convenience store chains, Bila-Bila Mart.

Which is on track to hit a whooping RM150+ million in revenue & 100 stores by the end of 2025, with an IPO on the horizon!

Not bad for a Brickfields girl who was once kidnapped & held ransom due to bad family debts. 

If there’s one thing that clearly stands out about Hui Jing’s story, it’s this: Taking risk

During the interview, she spoke of how:

“Throwing everything outta the window (i.e. leaving corporate) sounded like an adventure. I wanted that adventure.

 Because I was just thinking, okay, now I have no commitments. I don't have a family… If I don't do it, if I don't risk it, I don't really see how is the world outside, when am I gonna do it?”

That said, life hasn’t been without its challenges.

Once at a bar, she was told, “Jing, you talk too much as a female. Can you shut up?”

And also advised to stop working and to “ask your husband to feed you.”

Needless to say, that lit a fire in Hui Jing that led to the founding of Bila-Bila Mart, where she also spoke about:

✨ How Dettol saved Bila-Bila Mart (they opened their first physical store during MCO)

✨ Their first breakthrough (pivoting from the idea of selling hot food → kedai runcit model)

✨ The process for local SMEs getting their items into Bila-Bila Mart

✨ Dealing with chauvinistic men who question Jing’s very young team

✨ Why you are the decision maker of your own fate

Don't forget to subscribe for future STIMY episodes!

Special thanks to Bila-Bila Mart for sponsoring this episode.

🙊 Want to support STIMY for as little as $0.10/day? https://www.sothisismywhy.com/support-stimy/

🍿 YouTube: https://youtu.be/MyM_uFevyJI&list=UULFSZlcS5ooyCjj_MkrmH_WhQ

💌 Weekly STIMY Newsletter on the art of storytelling + building your personal brand (+snippets of STIMY behind-the-scenes): https://sothisismywhy.ck.page/profile

✍🏻 Leave a review on STIMY: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/so-this-is-my-why/id1521191442

We're back with Part 2 with Ken Perenyi, arguably one of the art world's greatest and most successful conman?!

In Part 1 of Ken's STIMY interview (do check it out if you haven't already done so), we covered his journey including how he first launched his art forgery 'career' (hint: it involves a broken bathroom that crashed through the ceiling to the restaurant below!).

In Part 2, Ken discusses his motivations, the thrill of creating and selling fake art, and how he managed to avoid capture by both the mafia and the FBI.

Highlights include a $750,000 art piece he painted, adopting his daughter due to a CNN documentary by Christiane Amanpour, and the psychological tactics he employed to fool art experts.

Despite the rather questionable nature of his work, Ken views his career with a mix of pride and reflection, acknowledging missed opportunities and his philosophical outlook on life.

He also recounts his controversial friendships with high-profile figures like Roy Cohn (the notorious lawyer/fixer who helped Donald Trump gain a footing in New York) and his thoughts on the challenges for contemporary artists breaking into the industry.

Highlights:

• 01:44 Ken's Artistic Journey and Motivations
• 05:46 The Art of Deception: Techniques and Challenges
• 10:53 Close Calls with the Mafia and FBI
• 16:04 The Investigation and Its Aftermath
• 33:32 Reflections on Life Choices and Missed Opportunities
• 38:23 Rescuing a Daughter from Sex Slavery
• 39:47 A Life Transformed by Art
• 40:04 The Rescue Mission in Ghana
• 43:52 Adopting Bridget and Her Journey
• 46:02 Reflections on Life Choices
• 01:04:28 The Art World and Its Challenges
• 01:15:22 Final Thoughts and Legacy

🙊 Want to support STIMY for as little as $0.10/day? https://www.sothisismywhy.com/support-stimy/

🍿 YouTube: https://youtu.be/MoZ5YOdHyJ4

📍Show notes: https://www.sothisismywhy.com/152

💌 Weekly STIMY Newsletter on the art of storytelling + building your personal brand (+snippets of STIMY behind-the-scenes): https://sothisismywhy.ck.page/profile

Would you break the law if it made you a multimillionaire?

That’s what happened with Ken Perenyi - one of the most “successful” art forgers in the world.

His works have been sold all over the world, including in Christie’s and Sotheby’s, with one painting going for as high as $717,000!

He was also close friends with Roy Cohn - the notorious lawyer who helped Trump enter the New York market. The Independent called him the evil master architect who mentored Donald Trump (to Ken, he was just a great friend and protector).

Was hunted for decades by the Mafia and the FBI.

And got away with it all without even a slap on the wrist.

When the statute of limitation passed for his “crimes”, Ken then published a book telling everyone exactly how he did it. 😂

(Talk about giving everyone the finger!!)

And lest you wonder whether that’s all there is to Ken’s story, believe me.

It is not.

Ken’s childhood was spent hanging out with Tony, an influential Mafia member, who introduced him to the world of fine art. 

He was so enamoured with art that he taught himself to paint. To crack the paintings and mimic the black spots that flies would leave on very, very old paintings. 

He was also neighbours with Andy Warhol. 

One memorable incident: He was sharing a flat with Tony who found an abandoned bathtub in the streets. 

They didn’t have a bathtub so they decided to steal one (in a stolen car) and install it themselves in their flat.

The installation wasn’t done well. 

Water leaked. 

The flooring cracked. 

And one evening, everything - the ceiling, bathtub and all - crashed from the first floor down to the ground floor, on top of a bustling Jewish restaurant.

Needless to say, Ken and Tony were kicked out of said flat. 

And he spent a miserable 2 weeks wandering around New York before eventually finding a new place that would lead him to Roy Cohen’s doors.

*

This is just the tiniest glimpse of Ken’s life and it’s so epic - we ended up having a 3 hour conversation! - that I had to split his story into 2 parts.

Are you ready to get started?

Highlights: 

• 3:36 An Unlikely Artist growing up in the summer of love
• 5:51 Life changed forever when…
• 6:36 Hanging out with the real New Yorkers
• 8:12 Being introduced to fine art world
• 9:23 Being friends with a Mafia associate
• 12:06 Trying out art forgery
• 16:53 Imposter syndrome when calling himself an ‘artist’
• 19:10 Self-validation?
• 21:53 Andy Warhol - his neighbour
• 23:53 The bathtub
• 26:59 His biggest regret with Andy Warhol
• 31:15 Making fake art to survive
• 32:46 Finding his niche in life
• 35:24 Being evicted - another great turning point in life
• 37:35 The notorious Mafia fixer & lawyer, Roy Cohn
• 41:49 Donald Trump’s mentor
• 51:20 The greatest validation of his work
• 56:15 “I had a fantastic career…”
• 59:43 Entering the elite art world
• 1:03:04 How much art isn’t genuine in art galleries?
• 1:08:05 Is it harder to sell fake art today?

🙊 Want to support STIMY for as little as $0.10/day? https://www.sothisismywhy.com/support-stimy/

🧠 Build Your Why course: https://ling-yah-wong.mykajabi.com/joinus 

📍Show notes: https://www.sothisismywhy.com/152

🍿 YouTube: https://youtu.be/QmsqswrOCN4

💌 Subscribe to the weekly STIMY Newsletter on the art of storytelling + building your personal brand (+snippets of STIMY behind-the-scenes): https://sothisismywhy.ck.page/profile

Imagine growing up in a hair salon.

Being thrown out of the house and sleeping in an abandoned cupboard.

Being bullied in school and almost failing SPM.

But knowing deep down inside that you love storytelling.

You just… don’t know what that means.

And how to make that dream a reality.

That was Jared Lee - one of Malaysia’s most famous YouTubers and the founder of the award-winning production house, Grim Film.

Jared started his journey in an event company, while also freelancing as a storyboard artist and production assistant.

Being passionate about storytelling, he decided to create a short film called The Long Distance Relationship. A film that, for him, he had to make happen, no matter what.

And it blew up.

✨ Within a day, it hit 10k views. 

✨ Within a week, it hit 70k views

✨ Within a month, it hit 1 million views

This short film opened doors and led to the creation of his production house, The Grim Film.

Which has since bagged multiple awards, including Best Drama at America’s Soul 4 Reel International Film Festival 2013 for The Long Distance Relationship and Best Pilot and Best Special Effects at the 2018 Vancouver WebFest in Canada for The Last 7.

His most recent piece of work, Horologist, even won Best Animation at the San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) Film Festival 2023 and USA Film Festival! It was also a finalist for Poland's Animator Film Festival (Best Animation & Audience Choice Award) and nominated for the 2024 Eisner Award in the Best Single Issue/One-Shot category.

Proving how Jared’s wild gamble has paid off.

Although… life wasn’t easy. 

In 2018, Jared was diagnosed with stage 1 testicular cancer. And he later found out that he could not have children.

But in spite of these challenges, Jared is someone who has always believed in pursuing his dreams and hustling against the odds. 

Which is why I’m so thrilled to share his story as the latest guest on STIMY!

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to triumph against all odds and pursue your passion, what it takes to go from being a YouTuber to a legitimate film producer, and the personal struggles with cancer and childlessness, then this episode is for you.

So are you ready?

Let’s go.

Highlights:

• 2:02: Growing up in a single mum household
• 3:45 Finding escape in storytelling
• 5:18 Liking things that other boys don’t like
• 7:40 Worst year of my life
• 8:52 Getting kicked out 
• 9:40 Finding his calling
• 11:13 A Kingdom of Paos
• 11:55 The Long Distance
• 13:42 YouTube
• 14:37 Going viral
• 17:19 There was no money!
• 20:16 Burning bridges
• 21:10 What it’s like to run a production company
• 24:54 Second-guessing himself
• 27:02 There is no joy in production?!
• 29:34 Making the switch & losing fans
• 32:58 The most successful work Jared’s done
• 34:30 Diagnosed with cancer
• 41:34 Do awards matter?
• 44:34 Any regrets?
• 45:07 Is your work acknowledged more overseas?
• 47:20 What kind of work has influenced your style?
• 50:39 What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?
• 51:07 What are the most important qualities of a successful person?
• 51:28 Sharing your private life in public

🧠 Join the Build Your Why course: https://ling-yah-wong.mykajabi.com/joinus 

🙊 Want to support STIMY for as little as $0.10/day? https://www.sothisismywhy.com/support-stimy/

📍Show notes: https://www.sothisismywhy.com/151 

🍿 YouTube: https://youtu.be/jsbc2xuaj0I

💌 Weekly STIMY Newsletter on the art of storytelling + building your personal brand (+snippets of STIMY behind-the-scenes): https://sothisismywhy.ck.page/profile

Jonathan Mildenhall is the former Managing Director of TBWA, SVP of the Coca-Cola Company, first CMO at Airbnb and Independent Board Member at Peloton Interactive, Co-Founder of TwentyFirstCenturyBrand and current Chief Marketing Officer at Rocket Companies.

And we are back this week with Part 2 of our interview with Jonathan.

Last week, we dove deep into his childhood growing up & how everything was stacked against him: he was the only black person in his family and community, was working class and grew up in a housing estate, attended a polytechnic, experienced blatant racism and physical abuse and also had zero connections in advertising

The very industry that he rose to the very top in.

In Part 2, we delve deep into his career. 

What it means to join Coca-Cola when it was creatively bankrupt, the stories behind some of his biggest and most successful advertising campaigns including have two ads being featured at the same Superbowl, why he gave it all up for a then unknown startup called Airbnb, what it takes to ‘make it’ in his team and so much more.

And in case you didn’t know, this interview is also available on Youtube. Check it out via the links below.

Now are you ready?

Let’s go!

Highlights:

• 2:17 Coca-Cola was creatively bankrupt?!
• 7:31 Being Coca-Cola's poster child for diversity - 2014 Super Bowl [America the Beautiful]
• 15:35 The only CMO to have 2 Super Bowl ads play at the same time
• 16:14 How Brian Chesky convinced Jonathan to commit career suicide
• 22:10 Building an Olympic marketing team
• 26:08 Why 25% of people don't make it in Jonathan's team
• 27:17 Who is Jonathan Mildenhall the leader?
• 29:25 Launching his own company
• 37:12 A Colourful View from the Top
• 41:52 Advice to any aspiring CMO before they take the seat?
• 44:20 Brand marketing or customer marketing?

🙊 Want to support STIMY for as little as $0.10/day? https://www.sothisismywhy.com/support-stimy/

📍Show notes: https://www.sothisismywhy.com/150 

🍿 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cumagnVOlRQ&t=1s&list=UULFSZlcS5ooyCjj_MkrmH_WhQ 

💌 Weekly STIMY Newsletter on the art of storytelling + building your personal brand (+snippets of STIMY behind-the-scenes): https://sothisismywhy.ck.page/profile

✍🏻 Leave a review on STIMY: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/so-this-is-my-why/id1521191442

Jonathan Mildenhall is the former Managing Director of TBWA, Senior Vice President of the Coca-Cola Company, first CMO at Airbnb and Independent Board Member at Peloton Interactive, Co-Founder of TwentyFirstCenturyBrand and current Chief Marketing Officer at Rocket Companies.

In other words, someone at the very top of the marketing industry.

Who was once treated as an experiment.

Growing up in Leed, Jonathan faced tremendous physical and racial abuse. It got so bad that he once ran to his mum, telling her that he didn’t want to be black!

But his mum responded by saying, “Unfortunately, there are ignorant people who will always be frightened because you look different. And they're going to say hurtful things and sometimes they will do hurtful things.

You can't change your packaging but they can never ever damage what's inside of your packaging.”

Eventually, Jonathan found his calling - in marketing!

Even though the odds were stacked against him: he was from a polytechnic, grew up in a council estate, was black and had no family name to fall back on.

But as it turns out, he had a spark.

And that spark was what drew people to him.

Allowed him to rise to the top of the London marketing scene and dominate the global scene later as he became a Senior Vice President at the Coca-Cola Company and the first CMO at Airbnb.

If ever there was a story of someone who has triumphed against all odds, it would be Jonathan.

So are you ready to learn how he did it?

Let’s go.

Highlights

• 3:23 The 8-year-old Jonathan
• 8:08 Keeping a childlike wonder
• 12:01 Show a bit of leg!
• 15:51 Protecting his mum’s independence
• 19:12 Advertising is NOT for you?!
• 22:03 The awkward “oh my goodness, you’re a black guy”
• 24:22 The energy of the 80s advertising industry
• 26:17 You’re an experiment
• 30:43 Meeting John Hegarty of BBH (Bartle Bogle Hegarty)
• 35:35 Cindy Gallup dragged him out of the closet!
• 43:47 Living authentically
• 45:10 I was shit scared
• 50:10 Phil Mooney - Director of Heritage Communications for 40+ years at the Coca-Cola Company

🙊 Want to support STIMY for as little as $0.10/day? https://www.sothisismywhy.com/support-stimy/

📍Show notes: https://www.sothisismywhy.com/150 

🍿 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cumagnVOlRQ&t=1s&list=UULFSZlcS5ooyCjj_MkrmH_WhQ 

💌 Weekly STIMY Newsletter on the art of storytelling + building your personal brand (+snippets of STIMY behind-the-scenes): https://sothisismywhy.ck.page/profile

✍🏻 Leave a review on STIMY: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/so-this-is-my-why/id1521191442

Rodney Wong is the CEO of Munchy's, one of the largest Malaysia-based snack food manufacturer with presence in over 60 countries globally.

Which makes him the Willy Wonka of Malaysia!

And he's had quite the varied career.

From tobacco to Coca-Cola, Petronas and now the world of snacks and sweets, Rodney is testimony to the fact that we all need to take charge of our own career and personal development to get to where we want.

The question is... how?

While everyone's path is different, Rodney's shared his personal journey, highlighting the people who were significant in his journey, why paying forward is so important him, what it's like working with founders on their 'baby' and his vision for the future.

Want to hear what one of Malaysia's top entrepreneurs has to say about building success career?

Stick around and you'll find out!

Highlights

• 2:41 Rooted in family
• 3:18 Being an archaeologist
• 6:21 Structured way of working
• 7:23 Connecting the dots
• 8:45 Take charge of your own development
• 11:41 What success looks like
• 13:43 I have a hard rule
• 15:05 Paying it forward
• 16:28 Major learnings
• 18:35 Gen Z
• 23:31 Being in Shanghai
• 25:11 KOLs
• 27:07 Do you want to expand the market or improve the bottom line?
• 29:03 The challenge of working with founders
• 31:58 We're going to sell...
• 34:50 Progression & growth
• 36:38 Personal growth
• 42:35 Soka Gakkai
• 44:38 How can people help you?
• 48:53 Do you feel like you've found your why?
• 48:54 What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?
• 50:47 What do you think are the most important qualities of a successful person?

🙊 Want to support STIMY for as little as $0.10/day? https://www.sothisismywhy.com/support-stimy/

🍿 YouTube: https://youtu.be/dx_ePevgoRU&list=UULFSZlcS5ooyCjj_MkrmH_WhQ

🎙️Show notes/transcript for this episode: https://www.sothisismywhy.com/149

💌 Subscribe to the weekly STIMY newsletter: https://sothisismywhy.ck.page/ebf231f605

We're back with Part 2 with Dato' Sri Idris Jala - the former CEO of Malaysia Airlines, Managing Director of Shell Sri Lanka and Senator & Minister in the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Office, and current Chairman of PEMANDU.

In Part 1 of this So This Is My Why feature, we delved into his tribal origins, how becoming top of his class was a matter of life and death, and his journey to becoming the Managing Director in Shell Sri Lanka - still his toughest gig to date. Listen here: https://youtu.be/KekuCGZJYlk

In Part 2, we go even deeper, exploring things like:

🔸 If Dato' Sri Idris would act the same way if he had a chance to redo everything?

🔸 How Shell moved Idris out of Sri Lanka because he was taking huge risks and they thought, “We should take you out before you kill yourself!”

🔸 What he learned from Michael Black

🔸 How he put Eddy Leong as the first CEO of Firefly because “he’s a bit crazy but he has the tenacity to push it”

🔸 Why he gave up the job he really wanted - to be the Chairman of Shell - to become the CEO of Malaysia Airlines

🔸 The advice he has for his sons

Want to learn more?

You’ll just have to tune in.

Highlights:

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:30 If you had a chance, would you redo anything?
• 6:01 Shell was a fantastic school of management
• 6:43 Why Michael Black left such an impact on him
• 10:52 If you really want to do the real impossible stuff, you must put everything on the line
• 12:06 The line between the impossible goal v being foolhardy
• 14:54 The best way to tell you what you don't want to hear?
• 15:39 Why did you reject your dream job?!
• 16:46 Huge leap of faith - MNC to GLC
• 18:46 Launching a budget airline, Firefly
• 23:36 Common values of incredible people
• 24:43 Making it sustainable
• 29:07 Common issues
• 35:27 Lessons from PEMANDU operating in other countries
• 37:23 Check into Hotel California
• 39:14 Having a soulmate
• 44:16 SOW Club - Scared of Wife Club
• 48:58 Advice to sons
• 53:46 Legacy you want to leave behind?
• 54:03 What do you think are the most important qualities of a successful person?

🙊 Want to support STIMY for as little as $0.10/day? https://www.sothisismywhy.com/support-stimy/

🍿 YouTube: https://youtu.be/lhIUOf7jSKs 

📍Show notes: https://www.sothisismywhy.com/148

💌 Weekly STIMY Newsletter on the art of storytelling + building your personal brand (+snippets of STIMY behind-the-scenes): https://sothisismywhy.ck.page/profile