Asian Business Owners - A.B.O.

Burnout almost forced her to stop but it turned out to become the turning point of her life.In this episode of Asian Business Owners, I sit down with Jasmine Liu, a former banker who experienced burnout in 2017 while working in the fast-paced banking world in Hong Kong.What followed was not just a career change but a complete shift in perspective.After a transformative trip to Bhutan, Jasmine began questioning the corporate lifestyle she once embraced. She eventually founded Maestro Wellness, a B2B platform focused on improving corporate wellbeing and launched the Build Well, Live Well Summit to help organisations rethink performance, health and longevity.We talk about:What burnout really feels like behind closed doorsWhy high performers often ignore early warning signsTransitioning from corporate banking to entrepreneurshipBuilding a wellness business from scratchLaunching a B2B platformRedefining ambition and long-term successGet your free day pass at Garage Society!Timestamps:(00:00) Introduction to Asian Business Owners Podcast(00:30) Get a free day pass at Garage Society(00:49) Jasmine's Background(01:48) Experiencing Burnout and Its Impact(06:52) Journey to Bhutan: A Turning Point(09:20) Returning to Hong Kong: A New Perspective(13:59) Transition to FinTech and Learning(15:48) Building a Meaningful Business from Scratch(19:27) Starting an E-Commerce Platform(20:20) Sourcing High-Quality Products(21:06) Managing Logistics and Operations(22:24) Transition to MaestroWellness(22:51) Addressing Corporate Wellbeing(25:10) Building the B2B Wellness Platform(32:26) What Companies Get Wrong about Corporate Wellbeing(33:39) The Build Well, Live Well Summit(36:06) Lessons for Future Founders(37:56) Conclusion and Event Reminder👉 To find out more:Jasmine on LinkedInAttend the Build Well, Live Well Summit hereTo follow my journey:💬 abo.pod📲 Find me on LinkedIn🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners wherever you listen to it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Creating content shouldn’t feel like a full-time job.In this episode, I share:- Why most founders repurpose content the wrong way- A simple system to multiply content without losing quality- How to stay consistent without posting dailyTimestamps:(00:13) Are You Tired of Creating Content?(00:26) One Strong Core Idea(00:55) Repurpose It(01:30) Adapt But Never Duplicate(02:15) ConclusionFollow me on LinkedIn and Instagram for more tips and behind-the-scenes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cyril Dhenaut scaled fast, built companies and lived inside high-pressure startup environments.Then life changed and his definition of success evolved with it.In this episode of Asian Business Owners, I sit down with Cyril Dhenaut, an entrepreneur shaped by Southeast Asia’s intense startup ecosystem, who experienced hypergrowth, agency building, exits and executive roles before making intentional career and life shifts after becoming a father.We talk about:the real cost of hypergrowthhow success evolves as founders evolvestartup exits and identitybalancing ambition, health and familychoosing alignment over constant accelerationListen to the story of an entrepreneur entering a new chapter, moving away from a successful path to find alignment in another successful one.Timestamps:(00:00) Introduction to Asian Business Owners Podcast(00:31) Meet Cyril Dhenaut: A Journey Through High-Intensity Careers(01:37) Misconceptions About Success(04:16) Early Career Ambitions in France(07:06) First Steps in Malaysia: A New Beginning(08:40) The Fast-Paced Startup Environment(11:22) Unexpected Layoff and New Opportunities(14:00) Founding the First Agency(16:43) Scaling the Agency Quickly(22:40) Acquisition and Transition to CMO(24:44) This or That Questions(26:08) Reflecting on Career Choices(26:29) Embracing Transitions: Career and Country Changes(27:46) A New Opportunity: Joining a MarTech Company(28:52) A Short Stint and a New Agency Idea(31:22) Founding A Second Agency(32:56) Balancing Entrepreneurship and Personal Life(34:29) Scaling the Agency and Facing Challenges(43:02) Exiting the Agency and Choosing Family(48:14) A New Chapter: Interim Executive and Advisor(53:31) Defining Success and Lessons Learned👉 To find out more:Cyril on LinkedInTo follow my journey:💬 abo.pod📲 Find me on LinkedIn🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners wherever you listen to it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You’re posting on Instagram, LinkedIn, in your newsletters, maybe even in YouTube.Do you manage to get conversions?In this Quick Wins episode, I explain how to choose one marketing channel to focus on based on your business model and your target audience.You’ll learn:- Why being everywhere is killing your results- How to identify the channel that matches how you sell- What to ignoreTimestamps:(00:12) You Feel Scattered Between Multiple Platforms?(00:34) Where Is Your Audience?(01:08) One Channel = One Goal(01:42) Consistency Beats Creativity(02:02) ConclusionFollow me on LinkedIn and Instagram for more tips and behind-the-scenes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you know if you have bad habits when you start a business? Some habits look like dedication and being “serious”.But after a while, developing your business, you realise some of the things that you do drain your energy and blur your focus, which ends up slowing your growth.In this solo episode, I share 8 bad habits I had to unlearn while running my business and growing Asian Business Owners podcast. For example, I stopped making weekly to-do lists, instant responsiveness... I'd be curious to know your bad habits, share them with me on LinkedIn or Instagram (links below).Timestamps:(00:00) Welcome to Asian Business Owners(00:52) What I Learned from Business and Podcasting(01:09) Bad Habit 1: Perfectionism(02:18) Bad Habit 2: Weekly To-Do Lists(03:02) Bad Habit 3: Instant Responses(03:50) Bad Habit 4: Doing Admin Tasks(04:27) Bad Habit 5: Saying Yes Against My Gut(05:16) Bad Habit 6: Back-to-Back Calls(06:08) Bad Habit 7: Delaying Strategic Thinking(07:02) Bad Habit 8: Letting Meetings Dictate Workouts(08:10) Bonus Bad Habit(08:59) Conclusion Follow the journey:💬 abo.pod📲 Find me on LinkedIn🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners wherever you listen to it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most founders know they should delegate but they just don’t know what.In this episode, I break down:- The different types of tasks- The tasks you shouldn't be doing yourself- A simple test to decide what stays with you and what goesTimestamps:(00:13) Do you struggle to delegate?(00:37) The types of tasks easy to delegate and the best practices(01:08) Low-risks tasks and setting expectations(01:36) Which tasks drain your energy?(02:07) ConclusionFollow me on LinkedIn and Instagram for more tips and behind-the-scenes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After recording more than 80 episodes of Asian Business Owners, I often get asked the same question:“What’s your favourite episode?” “Which founder left the biggest impression on you?”To be honest, I don’t remember everything but there’s always one thing that stays.In this solo episode, I share how I changed the way I listen to other's stories and I tell a few stories that truly stayed with me.You’ll hear about:The % of a conversation we actually rememberThe power of one key insight over more informationStories of patience, resilience and determination from past guestsTimestamps:(00:00) Welcome to Asian Business Owners(00:47) Reflecting on How Much We Remember From a Conversation(04:24) Alison Chan's Father's Inspiring Journey(07:55) Laurie Mias's Determination with MONO Skincare(11:14) Jingjin Liu on Pricing with Confidence(13:16) Conclusion Listen to the entire episodes:Alison Chan and her father's storyLaurie Mias and how she built MONO SkincareJingjin Liu about building confidence and owning up to your pricingFollow the journey:💬 abo.pod📲 Find me on LinkedIn🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners wherever you listen to it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If talking about your offer makes you uncomfortable, you're not alone.In this episode, we cover:- Why selling feels awkward for founders- The mindset shift that makes selling feel natural- How to talk about your offer through problems, not promisesTimestamps:(0:23) Share problems, not solutions(0:58) Talk about decisions, not features(1:26) Invite instead of pushingFollow me on LinkedIn and Instagram for more tips and behind-the-scenes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy New Year everyone! I'm thrilled to be back for a new season of Asian Business Owners.This week, meet Mehroo, coach and founder of Mums at Play. Mehroo shares her journey from Miss India and corporate career in India to navigating motherhood, career pivots and starting her own coaching business in Hong Kong.In this episode, you’ll hear:How to navigate identity shifts and transitionsStrategies to overcome imposter syndrome and limiting beliefsThe importance of mental fitness, consistency and persistence in businessI love stories of reinvention and I can tell you this one is fascinating. Enjoy!Timestamps:(00:00) Introduction to Asian Business Owners Podcast(00:32) Meet Mehroo: Coach and Founder(02:02) Mehroo's Journey: From Miss India to Motherhood(04:30) Navigating Career Transitions and Motherhood(08:22) Starting a Blog and a Community(10:55) This or That Questions(12:27) Creating the Mums at Play Community(17:32) Adapting During COVID: Reinvention and Coaching(20:31) Defining the Role of a Coach(20:38) The Journey to Becoming a Coach(22:42) Addressing Imposter Syndrome(27:48) The Importance of Mental Fitness(34:29) Upcoming Projects and Initiatives(37:10) Final Thoughts and Advice for Business Owners👉 To find out more:Reboot Your Business event - 23.01.2026Mums at PlayMehroo on LinkedIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You’re posting consistently and you're getting views and likes but no or very few leads or enquiries. Why does nothing happen?In this Quick Wins episode, let's break down why content often fails to convert even when it looks “good”. We’ll cover:• Why content without direction kills conversions• The biggest messaging mistake founders make• Why clarity beats persuasionConversion doesn't mean being pushy or salesy. You simply need to help people connect the dots.Timestamps:(0:32) No direction = no conversions(1:12) The outcomes mistake(1:33) Connect the dotsFollow me on LinkedIn and Instagram for more tips and behind-the-scenes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever come across big roadblocks in your career or founder's journey?In this special medley episode of Asian Business Owners, listen to founders who faced major setbacks:Gianne — when a business shuts down and a pivot followsAlan Law — burnout, wellness and redefining successCarmen — stepping away to reset, reflect and evolveTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction to Asian Business Owners Podcast(00:29) Overcoming Setbacks: A Special Episode(01:03) The CBD Business Shutdown: A Personal Story(02:51) Building a Support Network for CBD Entrepreneurs(04:45) From CBD to Lexi Media: A New Beginning(07:04) Allen Law's Journey: From Burnout to Wellness(11:04) Founding Seveno Capital: Investing in Wellness(12:16) The Bali Reset: Embracing Authenticity(19:56) Conclusion and Final ThoughtsListen to the entire episodes:GianneAllenCarmenFollow the journey:💬 abo.pod📲 Find me on LinkedIn🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners wherever you listen to it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy New Year! To kick off this new year, (re)listen to these two Quick Wins episodes that focus on making your marketing clearer, lighter and more effective.What it covers:Creating content that actually worksUnderstand your audienceBalance content formatsBut also:How to use Instagram Stories as a sales toolCreate time-sensitive offersSpark conversations and build trustStart the year focused, sharp and aligned.For more content, follow me on LinkedIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the beginning of a new year, are you secretly dreaming of switching careers, changing life, reinventing yourself?In this special medley episode of Asian Business Owners, listen to stories of reinvention from founders who chose alignment over comfort.What's covered:Jessie Li — from banking to building influenceCarmen — leaving corporate life in Paris to rebuild a career in Hong KongRenaud-Louis — from Rolex to entrepreneurshipTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction to Asian Business Owners Podcast(01:10) Reinvention Stories: From Banking to Influence with Jessie (04:23) Personal Branding and Influencer Marketing(08:09) From Corporate Life to Entrepreneurship in Hong Kong with Carmen(14:11) Rolex to Retail: A Journey of Humility and Family Business with Renaud-Louis(19:06) Conclusion and Final ThoughtsListen to the entire episodes:JessieCarmenRenaud-LouisFollow the journey:💬 abo.pod📲 Find me on LinkedIn🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners wherever you listen to it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Quick Wins episode, revisit two powerful lessons many founders miss when it comes to marketing.1/ Let's break down how to collaborate with KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) without a big budget2/ Let's uncover the most common social media mistakes that hurt your growth Short, practical, easy to apply: don't miss this special episode, especially if you're reconsidering your marketing strategy for 2026.For more content, follow me on LinkedIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the year comes to an end, I wanted to pause and revisit the advice that stayed with me the most.I've put together this special medley episode of Asian Business Owners, you'll hear some grounding and inspiring pieces of advice by business owners I invited on the podcast.Hit play and listen to them as you slow down, reflect and close the year. To listen to the whole episodes with the guests, tap the links below.(00:00) Introduction and Welcome(00:31) Reflecting on the Year(01:03) Gabriella Montandon: Why Fun Matters(03:22) Allen Law: Stress, Purpose & Sustainability(04:27) Gianne Chan: Gratitude & Personal Happiness(05:32) ConclusionListen to the entire episodes:GianneAllenGabriellaFollow the journey:💬 abo.pod📲 Find me on LinkedIn🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners wherever you listen to it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the year comes to an end, I’ve curated a Best of Quick Wins 2025 episode with some useful and practical tips shared this year on Asian Business Owners.In this episode, we cover three areas many founders struggle with:Building a strong personal brand using LinkedInUsing virtual assistants (VAs) to save time and focus on what really mattersExploring funding options beyond venture capitalFor more content, follow me on LinkedIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2025 didn’t come with a big breakthrough moment.Instead, it quietly taught me lessons that reshaped how I think about business, creativity and myself as a founder.In this solo episode of Asian Business Owners, I reflect on:Figuring things out as I go (even if I want control)Listening to that inner voice when something feels “off”Being okay with being misunderstoodThese lessons didn’t arrive loudly but they made me more confident, more aligned and more resilient.I hope these lessons will help you too and I'd love to know what you learned this year. Tell me on IG (@abo.pod) or LinkedIn (link below).Timestamps:(00:00) Welcome To Asian Business Owners(00:32) Reflecting on 2025: Key Lessons Learned(01:25) Lesson 1(05:05) Lesson 2(07:37) Lesson 3(09:29) ConclusionFollow the journey:💬 abo.pod📲 Find me on LinkedIn🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners wherever you listen to it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cold emailing makes you uncomfortable? You’re not alone.In this new Quick Wins episode, I walk you through 3 practical ways to attract new clients organically without sending a single cold email.We’ll break down:• How to pick ONE platform and own it• How to partner with complementary businesses & influencers• Why events still work and how to use them to your advantagePlus, a bonus pro tip that instantly makes your brand more relatable and memorable.Content:(00:15) You Hate Cold Emailing?(00:43) #1 Pick One Platform(01:29) #2 Partner With Local Businesses(02:10) #3 Host Events(02:39) #4 Paid Ads & SEO(03:20) Bonus Pro Tip To Make Your Brand Relatable(03:41) Final Tips & ConclusionFollow me on LinkedIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this solo episode, I share about my bandwidth limit and what happens when I ignore it.What are the early signals your brain sends when it needs a break?I talk through my own recent experience of pushing too far, what it taught me and how I created the space I needed to reset.You’ll hear:– The difference between being tired and being mentally overloaded– Practical ways to recharge quickly– Why recovery is actually a business skill– How to stay grounded while juggling multiple rolesTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction to Asian Business Owners Podcast(00:28) Personal Struggles and Realisations(01:11) Signs You Need a Break(01:52) Lessons Learned from Exhaustion(04:02) Creating Space for Recovery(05:16) Practical Tips to Recharge(07:41) Final Thoughts 08:29 Closing Remarks and Call to ActionFollow the journey:💬 abo.pod📲 Find me on LinkedIn🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners wherever you listen to it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to get repeat customers who love your brand?This Quick Wins episode is here to help. Learn how to:Personalise your customer experience from day oneLaunch a simple but effective loyalty programmeStay top-of-mind with consistent social engagementGrow your online community, not just traffic and build an engaged audience with brand ambassadors.Content:(00:00) Introduction to ABO Quick Wins(00:39) Personalise Your Customer Experience(01:33) Create a Simple Loyalty Programme(02:16) Engage Customers on Social Media(02:50) Conclusion and Final TipsFollow me on LinkedIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.