The Decode Diary

By Ray Low

The Decode Diary isn't just a podcast; it's your passport to the untold stories of the average-looking but extraordinary Joes who try their best to make it in life. I first stumbled upon the idea of p... more

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FAQs about The Decode Diary:

How many episodes does The Decode Diary have?

The podcast currently has 135 episodes available.

The Decode Diary episodes:

February 26, 2024 Snippet: Dropping His Scholarship In MCKL For THIS And What He Would Tell His Younger Self
It may be a stupid decision to some but personally, this is one of the boldest moves a young kid could make right out of high school. Puvan dropped his scholarship that he originally had in MCKL because he saw value in the Prefectorial Board of Methodist Boys' School. He never looked back since.
Looking at his journey and comparing it to mine, I think there were countless points where we could have each taken entirely different decisions and could have ended up not meeting for this episode, but be it a good or bad decision, I believe one can always redirect the course of their lives. In his case, even after losing his scholarship and having his parents pay for his tuition, he went on fully focused on what he knows he needs to do and never second-guessed his decision along the way. We need to do that more often.
Listen to the full conversation here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1OeNpgDMy5U46fO71g4y3O?si=bPExUHsfTEaJbXOyEAhabQ
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12min
February 25, 2024 [FULL] Puvan: “I Believe In The Power Of Networking”, Ending Business Relationships & His Days As A Prefect And School Captain Helped Him Start A Business!
If you are from Methodist Boys’ School, you are in for a treat. As an average student, I always wondered what sort of great things student leaders in my school would end up doing, whether they would be successful politicians or even tech billionaires. Of course, those were the questions when I was younger. Today, as I started this podcast, I went after a different set of questions.
In this episode, Puvan shared with me how he runs his businesses today and he demonstrated precisely the personalities a school captain should possess.
We talked about:
[00:00] He believes in the power of storytelling, like I do
[01:52] How he started Luxphoria Media with his co-founders, the dynamics of the team
[04:27] What his day at work looks like
[06:23] How being a prefect in high school enabled him to start a business
[07:13] All about being respected as the head prefect AKA school captain
[10:42] He dropped his scholarship at MCKL for THIS
[11:47] Point of conflict with a junior prefect
[14:20] Being an average student
[15:31] Making connections
[17:31] What he would tell his younger self
[18:00] The story of coming back to Form 6
[19:34] Solving the conflict between the Prefectorial Board and the School Management
[21:57] Maintaining relationships helped him in Luxphoria Media
[24:18] His parents wanted him to do law, but he started a media company
[26:40] All about Lane Ventures and being featured in Spain’s Film Festival
[32:03] Support from parents
[32:47] Stepping out of Lane Ventures
[34:59] The experience in Lane Ventures helped him to run Luxphoria Media
[36:07] The lowest period of his life
[42:20] Wanting to prove a point
[42:47] Things could have been different if it weren’t for his friends who stood by him
[43:36] Steps to get back up
[47:10] Responding to clients’ harsh comments
[50:30] A happier person now
[50:50] Time Machine - a business venture nobody knew about
[52:54] Getting paid last as the founder while his staff are living a better life than him
[58:12] Is health part of his big picture?
[59:16] Starting a football club Haggyo FC to fund his escape
[01:02:08] Challenges at his current venture
[01:05:34] Developing a system to fix communication problems
[01:06:51] Managing the team’s emotions
[01:08:23] The whip-diplomat system from MBS prefectorial board
[01:10:53] North star of Luxphoria Media
[01:14:54] Running a media business vs running a podcast
Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com
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1h 39min
February 22, 2024 Snippet: Road To Redemption After Losing Almost All Matches As A High-Ranked Gamer
I personally believe everything in life depends on how best we can stand back up whenever we face losses or failures. I've seen my loved ones being defeated again and again but never able to stand back up. I vow not to be like them.

In this snippet, Joon Wei shared how being "defeated" in a relationship led him to start competitive gaming which eventually taught him everything about resilience. You can lose 9 out of 10 games, but if you can't pick yourself back up to play the next game, you're not ready for the 1%.

Listen to the full conversation here： https://open.spotify.com/episode/1NJLIpOs2zysUXUmWDvQfU?si=aRh1xi0HR-iojciS2B9H4w
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28min
February 20, 2024 Snippet: "People Who Care Will Always Show Emotions" & How He Got Into E-Sports
Relationships can teach us a lot of things, be it a bad breakup or an ongoing sweet one. Particularly in this case, Joon Wei learnt to read between the lines when it comes to understanding people. This took off especially when he tried to blend in with his e-sports teams.
In this snippet, he shared with me how a bad breakup helped him understand people in general. By being able to read the tiny details embedded in the facial expressions of his teammates, he was able to pick up what he needed to do when the time comes. This, in turn, led to a highly cohesive teamwork applicable to both his e-sports journey and his businesses.
Listen to the full story here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1NJLIpOs2zysUXUmWDvQfU?si=HZmUMZA5SYWcBV9Mso7DOQ
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5min
February 19, 2024 Snippet: What A Successful Day At His Cafe Looked Like & Running It With A Team
The cafe business, according to him, was once a flourishing venture and of course, much of the success was attributed to the efforts of his team. Without his team, the outcome wouldn't have been positive.
In this snippet, Joon Wei shared how he will always start something with a trusted and talented team, knowing he would limit the possibilities if he went alone. I share his view wholeheartedly as I have started ventures with and without a team before. Things go better and further with a team.
Listen to the full conversation here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1NJLIpOs2zysUXUmWDvQfU?si=QvMvUBVnRgWpoSHBGug6lg
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11min
February 18, 2024 [FULL] Joon Wei: “The Maximum Potential In The Team Is The Foundation” & How He Ran A Cafe Business Using The E-sports Mentality
When we were playing basketball during high school, it didn’t occur to me that he was already morphing and shaping his character to a point he was ready to run a business right out of high school. Meanwhile I was a nerd studying the hard skills which can be obtained any time later in life. He comes off as a person who looks on the outside like he doesn’t care about the people and matters around him, but deep down he understands that teamwork is the only way to success. I learnt that a lot later in life.
In this conversation, Joon Wei shares his ways of running a cafe business inherited from his parents, which ultimately led to a failure for reasons uncontrolled by him. In hindsight, he credited most of his methods to his years in the esports industry. He was once in the top 4 in terms of ELO ranking for CS:GO in Malaysia and being at the top of the sport taught him some very valuable lessons. More importantly, he was just like you and me, who skipped class in high school to play more basketball.
We talked about:
[00:00] His trial period of running a business started when he was in high school
[03:17] The foundation of the cafe business and the system he put into the business to maintain the consistency
[12:46] How professional gaming taught him how to run his business
[18:59] Inside stories of the professional gaming industry
[21:19] What sort of moments kept him going
[22:56] How managing a basketball team taught him how to be considerate and empathetic towards another human being
[23:40] What a successful day at his cafe looked like
[25:00] Braving through the pandemic
[27:02] If he could do everything again
[28:20] His cousin retained the customers because he could do this
[29:29] Retaining the kitchen staff during tough times
[34:08] Gaining corporate experience to see how businesses are run
[37:43] The awkward relationship with his family in the family business
[41:50] Making a system for the business
[42:48] Taking less than RM2,000 per month as salary vs Taking care of his staff
[46:56] Bad habits that brought the business down and finding a system that fits the team
[50:31] What would he have done differently?
[52:14] What was a low moment for him?
[56:59] The transition into a new F&B business
[01:03:35] Feeling relieved when he exited the business & reviewing what cost the business
[01:07:07] What did he lose then?
[01:12:33] Getting into the esports industry
[01:15:13] Picking yourself up all the time & understanding your teammates’ tone, behavior and emotions
[01:16:37] All about gaming
[01:23:44] How he handles losses
[01:39:45] Do you need a coach for gaming?
[01:44:41] Being a perfectionist as a gamer helped him in his business
[01:45:36] Improving yourself on gameplay without a coach
[01:46:29] Was he happy?
[01:50:50] Pushing for genuine feedback for maximum growth
[01:55:29] What is next for him?
Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com
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2h 4min
February 15, 2024 Snippet: His Story Of Becoming A Dentist
In this last snippet for this episode this week, let's try to uncover the story behind why Dr. Bruce Lee became the man he is today - as a dentist. You might have known from the show notes in the episode that he plays badminton regularly. It turns out there is a lot of correlation between the two. If you can guess it, let me know in the comments!
In this snippet, Dr. Bruce Lee shared how he got into dentistry and the many fun parts of being a dentist. If you have the goal of becoming a dentist, listen in for a few tips on how to be the better dentist!
Listen to the full conversation here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2K2DHrKdXTij9oNcNSZUDW?si=6u9_u4ZISZSoN4pzvKO4mA
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25min
February 14, 2024 Snippet: The Extrinsic And Intrinsic Factors Of Your Teeth Yellowing
When I was young, I looked into the mirror and saw my deciduous or baby teeth start yellowing. As a kid, I took in all kinds of food but never really took good care of my teeth. Growing up, being aware of my appearance made me pause for a while when standing in front of the mirror. Brushing as hard didn't help either. It turns out there are two categories of factors why our teeth yellow, even when we are doing all the right things!
Dr. Bruce Lee shared the many factors of teeth yellowing, and some are not what we think are under our control! But as many things, there is always something we can do to prevent our teeth from yellowing. Like the saying goes: "Prevention is better than cure!"
Listen to the full conversation here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2K2DHrKdXTij9oNcNSZUDW?si=6u9_u4ZISZSoN4pzvKO4mA
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20min
February 13, 2024 Snippet: Periodontal Disease Can Lead To Higher Risks Of Heart Attack
I never thought I would care as much but after doing my own research and listening to Dr. Bruce's opinions as a dentist, our teeth, though tough on the outside, are very susceptible to attacks that may not stand in our favor of being healthy. In fact, there is a possibility an unhealthy set of teeth can lead to heart attacks. Think about it.
Of course, there is always a step one. A step one that leads to what dentists call periodontal disease that may cause heart attacks, but also a step one to start taking care of our teeth using the right techniques.
Listen to the full conversation with Dr. Bruce Lee here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2K2DHrKdXTij9oNcNSZUDW?si=6u9_u4ZISZSoN4pzvKO4mA
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10min
February 12, 2024 Snippet: Can You Brush Your Teeth Without Toothpaste?
I think we have all tried this when we were younger, brushing our teeth without toothpaste and thinking we did the right thing. Or did we?
Dr. Bruce Lee shared with me how we can try to make up for cases where we might not have toothpaste with us, like at the airport! Remember, the whole goal is to make sure that the environment in our mouth has a balanced level of good and bad bacteria.
If you're not sure what that means, I'll link the full conversation here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2K2DHrKdXTij9oNcNSZUDW?si=6u9_u4ZISZSoN4pzvKO4mA
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14min

FAQs about The Decode Diary:

How many episodes does The Decode Diary have?

The podcast currently has 135 episodes available.