The Adrian Tan Show

What does being your own boss really cost? In this guest conversation from EP.IC Podcast, Edric Poon interviews Adrian Tan about entrepreneurship, setbacks and the lessons behind No More Bosses.

Adrian reflects on starting and running businesses, moving into career coaching and fractional marketing, and learning to set boundaries. They also discuss fear, regret, validation and the pressures that can accompany self-employment.

In this episode:

• Early business experiences and lessons from setbacks.

• Moving into coaching and fractional marketing.

• Personal reflections on stress, burnout and coping.

• Setting goals, handling criticism and saying no.

Republished on The Adrian Tan Show in January 2025. Originally a conversation on EP.IC Podcast, hosted by Edric Poon.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

00:56 Adrian’s entrepreneurial journey

03:30 Business challenges and lessons

06:09 Career coaching and marketing

14:43 Burnout and personal struggles

18:07 Coping and reflections

23:35 Fear and regret

26:55 Self-praise

28:09 The Singaporean mindset

29:17 Criticism and praise

29:38 Stress and overthinking

30:48 Validation

33:02 Setting goals and avoiding burnout

43:10 Saying no

45:10 Quick-fire round

48:18 Conclusion

EP.IC Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2l2Zzr6vZis2dSnbuCz1Rj

Connect with Edric: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edricpoon/

More from Adrian: https://www.adriantan.com.sg/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/

Where can companies find the people they need as demand for AI skills grows? Mark Samlal joins Adrian Tan to discuss Singapore’s AI talent crunch, global hiring and the need for human oversight.

At the time of the conversation, Mark was Deel’s General Manager for APAC. Drawing on Deel’s workforce and hiring research, he discusses creative recruitment, salary expectations and how companies can combine local and international talent while testing new markets.

In this episode:

• Singapore’s AI talent landscape and hiring challenges.

• Creative recruitment approaches and global talent pools.

• Salary expectations and market dynamics.

• Balancing AI adoption with human skills and judgement.

• Lessons from entering and leaving overseas markets.

Originally published in November 2024. Roles, survey findings and industry references reflect the original conversation.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

00:55 Singapore’s AI talent landscape

02:43 Recruitment strategies

04:59 Global hiring

08:07 Salary expectations and market dynamics

14:46 AI’s impact on jobs and skills

17:11 AI integration and human skills

21:35 Advice for business leaders

28:20 Conclusion

Connect with Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marksamlal/

Deel APAC workforce and hiring report: https://www.deel.com/resources/apac-workforce-hiring-report/

Global Payroll Community: https://www.deel.com/community/globalpayroll/

More from Adrian: https://www.adriantan.com.sg/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/

How can businesses find talent beyond their home market? Charles Ferguson returns to The Adrian Tan Show to discuss global hiring, new markets and the changing role of AI at work.

Drawing on G-P’s World at Work report, Charles and Adrian explore talent pools across APAC, Singapore’s role as a regional hub, and the challenges of entering unfamiliar markets. They also discuss the employer of record model and the gap between AI hype and practical use.

In this episode:

• Global expansion and access to talent across APAC.

• Different generations’ perspectives on global work.

• Singapore’s talent landscape and regional role.

• Employer of record models and market entry.

• AI’s effect on work, followed by a light-hearted hiring game.

Originally published in October 2024. Roles, report findings and industry references reflect the original conversation.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:12 Welcoming back Charles Ferguson

02:04 The World at Work report

04:09 Global expansion and talent acquisition

11:49 Generational perspectives

16:11 AI in the workplace

19:46 Singapore’s talent landscape

21:20 Global companies and Singapore

22:15 Global opportunities and AI

23:32 Setting up in new markets

26:43 The employer of record model

29:36 AI and the future of work

32:08 Personal insights and future plans

35:06 Hiring game and conclusion

Connect with Charles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesferguson/

World at Work report: https://www.globalization-partners.com/resources/report-world-at-work-future-global-employment/

More from Adrian: https://www.adriantan.com.sg/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/

Design thinking goes beyond a wall of sticky notes. Alfred Tan and Ken Kwan, founding partners of The Curious People, join Adrian Tan to explain how businesses can understand people’s needs and test better solutions.

Using examples from Heavenly Wang Cafe and DBS, they discuss empathy, prototyping, co-creation and workflow redesign. They also explore common misconceptions, the difference from business process re-engineering, and HEARyou, their AI-powered empathy tool.

In this episode:

• Applying human-centred design in SMEs.

• Listening to customers and employees before redesigning a service.

• Prototyping and co-creating practical solutions.

• When design thinking is useful and where AI can support research.

Originally published in October 2024. Roles, case studies and tools reflect the original conversation.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:17 Welcome

01:20 Understanding design thinking

01:53 Introducing Alfred and Ken

02:37 Defining design thinking

04:43 Personal stories and inspiration

06:59 Design thinking in SMEs

11:56 The Wang Cafe case study

22:34 Prototyping and co-creation

23:53 Common misconceptions

24:44 Empathy

26:37 Business process re-engineering versus design thinking

27:53 Workflow redesign

29:38 Customer perspective

34:04 When to implement design thinking

36:31 Empathy in business

42:07 Conclusion and resources

The Curious People: https://www.thecuriouspeoplesolutions.com.sg/

HEARyou: https://www.thecuriouspeoplesolutions.com/hearyou

More from Adrian: https://www.adriantan.com.sg/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/

What changes when an executive assistant has AI tools in their workflow? Hoyin Cheung returns to The Adrian Tan Show to discuss executive support, delegation and the role of a chief of staff.

Hoyin reflects on Remo’s growth during the pandemic and introduces Hermessi, his venture offering executive assistant and chief of staff services. He explains how assistants are trained, where AI fits into their work, and why trust matters when delegating to a virtual team member.

In this episode:

• Remo’s pandemic growth and the challenges that followed.

• Executive assistants versus chiefs of staff.

• Training, career development and effective delegation.

• Integrating AI into executive support workflows.

• Security, trust and balancing work with personal life.

Originally published in September 2024. Roles, businesses and AI references reflect the original conversation.

Chapters

00:00 Book announcement

01:12 Welcome to season four

01:49 Catching up with Hoyin and Remo

03:18 Remo during the pandemic

05:40 Remo after the pandemic

07:32 Introducing Hermessi

09:35 The importance of executive support

14:03 Training and career growth

16:54 The role of a chief of staff

26:25 AI in executive assistance

33:44 Security and trust with virtual assistants

35:48 Conclusion and resources

Connect with Hoyin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hoyincheung/

Remo: https://www.remo.co/

Hermessi: https://www.hermessi.com/

More from Adrian: https://www.adriantan.com.sg/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/

Creative talent is only part of running a creative business. Neal Moore joins Adrian Tan to discuss why sales, communication and listening matter just as much.

Neal shares his journey from acting and journalism into content marketing and entrepreneurship. They explore building a business around the life you want, balancing creativity with commercial responsibilities, and the human skills that remain valuable as AI changes creative work.

In this episode:

• Moving from acting into content marketing and running an agency.

• Sales skills and the challenges of creative entrepreneurship.

• Aligning a business with personal goals and lifestyle.

• AI, empathy, listening and human connection.

Originally published in August 2024. Roles and industry references reflect the original conversation.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and book announcement

01:17 Welcome

01:29 Introducing Neal Moore

02:10 From acting to content marketing

02:51 Transitioning to sales

03:42 Starting a business in Singapore

04:31 Building a content marketing agency

05:38 Sales techniques

09:24 Challenges for creative entrepreneurs

11:48 Balancing creativity and business

16:49 Aligning business with lifestyle

24:23 Work and happiness

24:45 Divine discontent and societal roles

25:46 The value of diverse skills

26:21 Challenges for creative professionals

27:49 Learning business skills

30:06 AI’s impact on creativity

34:04 Human connection

39:31 Sales as an essential skill

46:27 Final thoughts and resources

Neal’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nealpmoore/

Neal’s website: https://www.mooreslore.com/

Neal’s blog: https://nealmoore.substack.com/

More from Adrian: https://www.adriantan.com.sg/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/

What if financial independence meant doing work you enjoy rather than stopping work altogether? Dexter Zhuang joins Adrian Tan to discuss his shift from pursuing FIRE to exploring semi-retirement.

Dexter shares his journey from San Francisco’s tech industry to life abroad, including Singapore and Mexico City. He reflects on aligning work with personal values, using side projects to build skills and connections, and how culture influences ideas about money and careers.

In this episode:

• Why FIRE did not fully fit Dexter’s values.

• Semi-retirement and finding work you want to keep doing.

• Career transitions, side hustles and learning new skills.

• Cultural perspectives on money and the future of work.

Originally published in August 2024. This episode shares personal experiences and perspectives from the original conversation.

Chapters

00:00 Introducing Dexter Zhuang

01:17 From the US to Singapore and beyond

05:46 Financial independence and FIRE

10:04 Semi-retirement

14:03 Career transitions

17:39 The value of side hustles

23:34 Cultural perspectives on money

30:36 Financial independence and AI

35:25 Career advice for the next generation

39:41 Conclusion

Dexter’s newsletter: https://www.moneyabroad.co/

Connect with Dexter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dexterzhuang/

More from Adrian: https://www.adriantan.com.sg/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/

How do you lead when a company’s survival and its employees’ livelihoods are on the line? How Meng Hock of OMS joins Adrian Tan to discuss Project Ironman and the company’s response to potential liquidation in 2019.

He explains the management buyout decision, financial and operational hurdles, and the support systems that helped the team navigate a prolonged negotiation process. The conversation explores treating employees as people, balancing stakeholders’ needs and learning from past mistakes.

In this episode:

• The origins of Project Ironman and the management buyout.

• Cash flow, resilience and the realities of the oil and gas industry.

• Employee retention and balancing social and economic responsibilities.

• Humility, acquisitions and books that shaped his leadership.

Originally published in July 2024. Company roles and business events reflect the original conversation.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

00:11 Ironman as a role model

01:00 The birth of Project Ironman

01:52 Announcing job cuts

03:19 Understanding the oil and gas industry

05:16 OMS’s role in the upstream sector

06:58 The management buyout decision

09:21 Financial and operational hurdles

20:53 Support systems and team resilience

27:30 Personal philosophy and early career lessons

31:26 Balancing social and economic units

31:48 Challenges in the oil and gas industry

32:42 Employee retention

33:35 Stakeholders versus shareholders

34:43 Cash flow

35:17 Short-term and long-term goals

37:34 Humility in leadership

39:40 Corporate acquisitions

42:38 Books and leadership

50:59 Reflecting on past mistakes

53:03 Advice to his younger self

54:44 Conclusion

More from Adrian: https://www.adriantan.com.sg/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/

How does influencer marketing work beyond the big celebrity accounts? Jonathan Eg joins Adrian Tan to discuss building Partipost and the role of everyday creators in brand campaigns.

Jonathan shares his path from electrical engineering through finance and private equity to entrepreneurship. The conversation covers his leadership influences, micro and nano influencers, AI-generated influencers and the challenges of paying creators.

In this episode:

• Moving from engineering and finance into a technology business.

• How parents can shape a founder’s leadership style.

• Micro and nano influencers versus traditional influencers.

• AI and B2B influencer marketing.

• Delayed payments and operational challenges in creator campaigns.

Originally published in July 2024. Company roles and industry references reflect the original conversation.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

00:33 From electrical engineering to finance

02:27 Transition to private equity and tech

03:22 Founding an influencer marketing platform

05:30 Parental influence on leadership

08:18 Evolution of influencer marketing

11:30 Micro and nano influencers

16:24 AI influencers: future or fad?

19:56 B2B influencer marketing

23:02 Challenges in influencer payments

Connect with Jonathan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-eg/

Partipost: https://www.partipost.com/

More from Adrian: https://www.adriantan.com.sg/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/

What makes an office worth coming into? Qiu Jianhan joins Adrian Tan to explore workplace design, employee involvement and the changing role of the office.

At the time of this conversation, Jianhan was Principal of Strategy at Unispace Asia. He shares his journey from card magic and finance into workplace strategy, and explains how human-centred design can help organisations create spaces that support their people.

In this episode:

• Common workspace design mistakes and how to involve employees early.

• Flexible work arrangements and planning for lower office occupancy.

• Balancing work, life and play in the office.

• What to consider when choosing a new workspace.

Originally published in June 2024. Roles and workplace references reflect the original conversation.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

00:20 Discovering magic tricks

01:12 From finance to workspace strategy

02:38 Common workspace design mistakes

04:06 Engaging employees in workspace design

07:24 Flexible work arrangements

11:22 Designing for low occupancy

15:46 Balancing work, life and play in the office

18:06 Choosing a new workspace

24:07 Conclusion

Connect with Qiu Jianhan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jianhanqiu/

Unispace: https://www.unispace.com/

More from Adrian: https://www.adriantan.com.sg/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/