We may be emerging from the pandemic, but we continue to see its after effects in one way or another globally. It seems that we are bombarded almost on a daily basis with news of conflicts, war, and one form of crises or another in times like these, it can be hard for us to prioritize our wellbeing, especially our mental wellbeing with so much negativity and uncertainty that pervades our lives.

And that is not to mention our own personal challenges, be it in our careers, relationships, physical health, finances, and so on. Happiness becomes an almost elusive concept. But is that truly the case? Well, we cannot think of anyone better than Shireena Shroff Manchharam for this episode to share with us, her valuable insights and tips on mindfulness, increasing our overall wellbeing and creating happiness in our lives.

Shireena is the creator of Getting to Happy and is dedicated to spreading happy, positive vibes through science-based activities and tips that are proven to increase your overall wellbeing. She's a trained life coach, and the founder and principal consultant of Sheens Image Consulting.

In this the era of the side hustle, what does it take to start a passion project and scale it to a lucrative side hustle? Is it possible to juggle a side hustle alongside a full-time career? In today’s episode of YWLChats, we chat with Lily Wu, whose work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit has seen her grow her side hustle and passion projects into million-dollar businesses. She is a currently a Startup Partner Lead for Southeast Asia with Stripe and co-founder of WoW Pixies NFT.

Hearing people's stories about career changes can be often inspiring, yet, the thought of making our own career change can be particularly daunting! Changing careers are never easy, and it is a journey that is fraught with practical challenges, emotional hurdles, and personal struggles. Yet, those who of us who eventually make the leap can find our careers moving in a more meaningful and fulfilling direction. In this special episode, co-hosts Halynne Shi and Nisha Rajoo are joined by their guest, Danielle Chan, to engage in a candid and honest conversation on their personal experiences navigating their own career changes, and the lessons it has thought them along the way. 

Women must advocate for themselves if they want to move their careers forward and to succeed, they can’t go at it alone. All successful leaders need a network of champions — including mentors and sponsors. Mentors and sponsors are critical in helping aspiring women leaders gain the perspective and connections they need to take on larger roles and advance their careers. Wherever you are in your career, you need a network of champions — not just colleagues, but also mentors and sponsors — to help you shift the way you think and act.

Joining us for this episode is a mentor-mentee pair from the YWLC Mentorship Programme 2020. Our mentor, Jaelle Ang, is the CEO and Founder of The Great Room, a flexible workspace that serves a roster of Fortune 1000 enterprises, start-ups, industry thought-leaders and change makers. Our mentee, Yunita Ong, is a trained business journalist and currently an Editor with LinkedIn News, covering the Asia region.

We chat with Jaelle and Yunita as they share their experiences and insights on finding a mentor, how to get the most out of your mentoring relationship, and the importance of building rapport and trust with your mentor or mentee.

In this episode, we commemorate International Women's Day, which celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. It also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality. International Women's Day sees a number of missions to help forge a gender equal world - one of which is to celebrate women in technology and innovation, who are trailblazers in their own right and forging their own paths to success in a field that is traditionally male-dominated. Our guest for this episode ticks all these boxes- and more! 

Ka Yi Ling is a scientist and the co-founder of Shiok Meats, a cell-based meat company that is the first of its kind in Singapore and South-East Asia. It bio-engineers meat from healthy cells instead of animals, and aims to bring delicious, clean, and healthy seafood (crustaceans like shrimps, crabs, lobsters) to our tables. 

Join us as we unpack misconceptions about pursuing a career in STEM as a woman, co-founding and leading a fast-growing food-tech start-up with over 70% female employees, and the importance of building trust and cultivating honest relationships, and more. Ka Yi also shares how she charted her path to success in tech and innovation, and what it means to be bold, fearless and female.

As we ease into our routines this year, many of us would be setting goals - be it professional, career, or personal ones - as we look to achieving the many things that we might have had to put aside. Our YWLC member, Ratna Juita, a mindfulness facilitator, shares her powerful personal story of overcoming her fear of public speaking and using that experience to propel her personal and professional goals. Through the use of practical goal-setting frameworks, we can progress into a state of mindfulness. In doing so, we can set long-term goals that are sustainable because they align closely to who we are and where we aspire to be.

Hear from our members - Nikko Aw and Elaine Law as they give their take on why women-focused communities matter and how being a part of YWLC has impacted their personal and professional lives. Nikko is an Assistant Director leading workforce planning at a government economic agency and a new mother of one, who is also a member of the YWLC Mummies Circle, while Elaine Law runs a successful e-commerce business selling custom neon signs for businesses and homes, she is also a member of YWLC's Entrepreneur's Circle. Nikko and Elaine will also share some valuable tips on how you can make the most of being a part of a women-focused community like YWLC.