The Imperfect Rainbow

Some of us hate making small talk. Some of us don’t know how to make small talk. Jeremy and Maddy share their experiences of them being put into situations where they have to make small talk. Like it or hate it, small talk is an important part of our lives. It helps us make the crucial initial connection with someone you just met or a colleague whom you have not talked to much. Instead of dreading it, why not make the most of it?

Show notes

(04:58) One key factor that contributes to longevity. (08:40) Lessons from a teenager. (15:40) Questions we should avoid. (19:35) An embarrassing moment from one of your hosts. (23:37) Making the best out of a tough situation. (26:40) Best way to approach small talk? (29:45) Tips to make small talk. (38:25) Getting out of a small talk situation. (47:45) Making social connections through small talk. (50:15) Quotes of the day.

Jeremy's quote, by Stephen R. Covey: The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply.

Maddy's quote, by Mark Twain: You'll worry less about what people think about you when you realize how seldom they do.

Hosts: Jeremy Lee (@jemcocktails) and Madeline Liew (@maddyliew)

Producer: Paul Ng (@wanderwavestudio)

Your hosts take the courageous step in revealing moments of their life that left them feeling exposed and vulnerable. But what's interesting is that after telling their stories, they gained more from this than they lost. We are not perfect, but it’s ok to not be perfect.

Show notes

(01:20) Definition of vulnerability. (10:35) Interview tips. (14:42) Do men find it harder to connect on a deeper emotional level? (21:00) Maddy’s latest revelation. (29:00) Anecdote about Maddy’s daughter overcoming fear. (31:00) Showing vulnerability when you are in a leadership position. (41:43) Fostering an environment where you can show vulnerability at the workspace. (54:08) Quotes of the day.

Maddy's quote, by Steve Jobs: Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

Jeremy's quote, by Brené Brown from her book I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn't): One of the benefits of sharing our story is experiencing 'knowing laughter'. Knowing laughter is the laughter that results from recognising the universality of our shared experiences, both positive and negative. It embodies the relief and connection we experience when we share our stories.

Hosts: Jeremy Lee (@jemcocktails) and Madeline Liew (@maddyliew)

Producer: Paul Ng (@wanderwavestudio)

Jeremy and Maddy show their gratitude to the people that made this show a success. But perhaps more importantly, they show us why and how we all can practise self-gratitude in our lives.

Show notes

(02:00) Why is gratitude important? (08:25) Maddy and Jeremy expressing their gratitude. (15:35) Practising self-gratitude. (19:00) Exercise 1 — Self-gratitude video recording. (28:05) Exercise 2 — Gratitude journaling. (44:50) Quotes of the day.

Maddy's quote, from the song 爱，很简单 by 陶喆：I love you。一直在这里陪, 一直在爱你。I love you，oh yes I do。永远都不放弃，这爱你的权利。如果你还有一些困惑 oh no。贴著我的心倾听。听我说著，爱你 yes I do。

Jeremy's quote: Today I learned about a term called a "glimmer". Which is the opposite of a trigger. Glimmers are those moments in your day that make you feel joy, happiness, peace, or gratitude. Once you train your brain to be on the lookout for glimmers, these tiny moments will appear more and more.

Extras

The Niecy Nash-Betts video where she thanked herself in her Emmys’ speech, as mentioned by Maddy.

Recency bias, a cognitive bias that makes us give greater importance to the most recent event. Producer Paul’s recommendation: Check out Daniel Kahneman’s book Thinking Fast, and Slow to know more. Or if you are looking for a quick and easy read, check out The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli.

Hosts: Jeremy Lee (@jemcocktails) and Madeline Liew (@maddyliew)

Producer: Paul Ng (@wanderwavestudio)

Jeremy and Maddy talk about coaches and how we can all benefit from coaching in our lives. They share their experiences with coaches and how they have helped your hosts overcome their problems and reframe their approach to issues.

Show notes

(06:45) Who and what is a coach? (13:37) Your hosts’ experience with coaches. (23:50) An example of coaching intervention. (35:30) When do you need a coach? (41:10) Key takeaways from this episode. (44:10) Quotes of the day.

Maddy's quote, by 老子: When the student is ready, the teacher appears.

Jeremy’s quote, by @momentaryhappiness: Please stop overthinking life like you have to have an answer to every feeling or situation. That’s not how life works. We figure it out all by just living. By messing it up. By missing an opportunity. By seeking advice and not taking it. We learn what’s important and what isn’t. Sometimes, we have no damn clue what to do and that’s okay. Always trust your gut and know that everything works out the way it’s meant to be. It always does. Relax. We were never in control anyway.

Hosts: Jeremy Lee (@jemcocktails) and Madeline Liew (@maddyliew)

Producer: Paul Ng (@wanderwavestudio)

Jeremy and Maddy are joined by Genevieve Toh, a professional voice coach and singer-songwriter who spent a decade in New York City and is now back in Singapore. Genevieve revealed how a shift in mindset flipped a switch and she is now living her best life. She is more than just a voice coach, and that is evident with her injecting pearls of wisdom throughout this conversation.

Show notes

(02:13) Introducing today’s guest. (15:10) Genevieve’s songwriting career. (32:40) Lessons from her career. (35:00) Identifying and forming your core group of friends. (38:10) Learning to say no and normalize choosing what’s good for yourself. (49:54) Voice coaching with Genevieve. (59:15) Quote of the day.

Genevieve’s quote, by Jerry Seinfeld: Breakthroughs in skill come not from eureka moments but from the accumulation of consistent, focused effort. It's never been about the money. Instead, it's about the joy of work. It's similar to calligraphy or samurai. I want to make cricket cages. You know those Japanese cricket cages? Tiny, with the doors? That's it for me: solitude and precision, refining a tiny thing for the sake of it. If you're more interested in what you have achieved or what your financial position enables you to do, than that thing that got you those things — you're screwed. In my opinion, you're screwed.

Extras

Discover more about Genevieve here.

Hosts: Jeremy Lee (@jemcocktails) and Madeline Liew (@maddyliew)

Guest: Genevieve Toh (@genevievetoh)

Producer: Paul Ng (@wanderwavestudio)

Jeremy and Maddy spill the tea in this juicy episode. Your hosts are their usual candid selves and they share stories about how negative comments in the workplace affected them, and how they navigated this minefield that is office politics.

Show notes

(07:05) Maddy’s hypothetical response to feedback said behind her back. (10:40) How Jeremy responded to an actual comment said behind his back. (15:00) Common triggering statements. (19:30) Forging genuine connections, not forced networking. (27:40) Understanding power dynamics in the corporate world. (36:50) Being smart to be in touch with what’s happening in your office space. (42:43) Quotes of the day.

Maddy’s quote, by Brené Brown: Because we can feel belonging only if we have the courage to share our most authentic selves with people, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.

Jeremy’s quote, by @risingwoman: Stop asking why they did what they did. Why they left, hurt you, betrayed you… They can’t give you the answers you need. Rein your energy back and remember that you have the power to heal without their explanation.

Hosts: Jeremy Lee (@jemcocktails) and Madeline Liew (@maddyliew)

Producer: Paul Ng (@wanderwavestudio)

Hear what Jeremy and Maddy have to say about micro habits and how applying these small and easy changes to your routine can have a major effect on your well-being. Your hosts reveal the bad habits that have held them back in the past, and also talk about how their life has improved after implementing some of the micro habits they have picked up over the years.

Show notes

(02:00) What are micro habits? (05:25) Your hosts’ reflection of their bad habits. (18:12) Schedule personal events in your calendar. (23:50) Setting your morning routine. (26:06) Not checking social media in the morning. (28:30) Micro learning. (33:22) Getting simple things done immediately. (36:36) Social media hack part 2. (39:36) Taking stock of what you do with your time. (43:00) Quotes of the day.

Maddy’s quote, from the book The Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett: The smallest seeds of today’s negligence will bloom into tomorrow’s biggest regrets.

Jeremy’s quote, by @mental.aspect: Don’t think about what can happen in a month. Don’t think about what can happen in a year. Just focus on the 24 hours in front of you and do what you can to get closer to where you want to be.

Extras

Planning & Time Use Worksheet mentioned by Maddy.

Hosts: Jeremy Lee (@jemcocktails) and Madeline Liew (@maddyliew)

Producer: Paul Ng (@wanderwavestudio)

Are there any lessons we can learn from being a parent or pawrent? More than just a cheeky play on words, in this episode Jeremy and Maddy discuss their learnings and reflections from taking care of their kids and furkids, and how both their experiences changed their parenting and pawrenting styles for the better.

Show notes

(01:35) The reason why your hosts are doing this episode. (09:20) Lessons from pawrenting. (20:00) Lessons from parenting. (28:50) Imparting values to our children. (33:00) Parallels between parenting and the corporate world. (34:07) How pawrenting can make us a better person. (44:15) Quotes of the day.

Maddy’s quote, by Philip Pullman: After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.

Jeremy’s quote, by Brené Brown: Marriage is not something that's 50/50. A partnership works when you can carry their 20 or they can carry your 20 and that when you both just have 20 you have a plan where you don't hurt each other.

Hosts: Jeremy Lee (@jemcocktails) and Madeline Liew (@maddyliew)

Producer: Paul Ng (@wanderwavestudio)

Jeremy and Maddy return with a new season of The Imperfect Rainbow with guests in this first episode. Your hosts chat with the people behind the scenes of this show and talk about what motivates them, and how they work around their doubts and discomfort. If there is one thing to take away from this episode, it is this: do it first, and learn along the way.

Show notes

(04:45) Introducing today’s guests. (06:05) Wanderwave Studio and what it is about. (08:30) Origin of how this show and Wanderwave Studio came about. (19:37) Pursuing the purpose in life. (35:30) Quotes of the day.

Paul’s quote, from a plaque in Rome: What you are, they once were. What they are, you will be.

Kat’s quote, by Marshall Sylver: Everything begins with a thought, and thoughts are turned into plans, and plans into reality.

Hosts: Jeremy Lee (@jemcocktails) and Madeline Liew (@maddyliew)

Guests: Kat Zhang (@katzhangmua) and Paul Ng

Producer: Paul Ng (@wanderwavestudio)