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You never know where one choice might take you. One story that could change your life. One conversation that shifts everything you thought you knew.
I’m Nicole — host of You Never Know, a podcast with real conversations about life, career, finance, and health, featuring visionary people who’ve taken the unconventional road and embraced the unknowns.
After 13 years at a top private bank and a transformational leap into fintech and entrepreneurship, I created You Never Know to inspire people to discover the different truths in life — and the infinite pathways that emerge when we look within.
Thank you so much for being here. If this resonates with you, I’d love for you to like, comment, subscribe, and share it with someone who might need it today.
With ❤️ from Singapore,
Nicole
35 Episodes
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Sales is like dating. You read the signals. You invest the time. And sometimes, you get ghosted. In this episode of the You Never Know Podcast, host Nicole Lee sits down with Jahnavi Bhagwati, founder of Koka Capital, as she shares candid insights on sales and private markets in Asia from over a decade in finance and deal-making at Goldman Sachs, Nomura, and Bank of Singapore. From learning how to set boundaries as a young saleswoman, to why investors in Asia are increasingly drawn to pri...
Veteran banking leader Philip Kunz dismantles the biggest myths about rising in banking — from promotions and politics to influencing people who don’t report to you. Across 40 years in wealth management, Philip held senior leadership roles at UBS, ABN AMRO, and Credit Suisse, led Global Private Banking for South Asia at HSBC, and is now Senior Advisor & Group Head Southeast Asia at Nomura International Wealth Management. In this episode, we dive into what it really takes to rise — and sta...
What if gold could pay you like rent, without you having to sell it? In Episode 24, Eren Elvis Zekioglu returns to talk about one of the most important forces shaping the global economy—and one that powers how we live: commodities. From oil and agriculture to gold, we explore how everything around us is ultimately a derivative of crude oil—and how this often-overlooked sector is entering a new chapter through tokenization. We dive into why commodities are more relevant than ever, how token...
Did you know buying property in Singapore is a 5-move strategy—and most people stop at move one? In this episode, I sit down with Farhan Adenan, a proud Malay-Singaporean who’s helping everyday people rethink what property really means—and how it can help them build long-term financial freedom. We talk about what it’s like growing up Malay in Singapore, breaking out of cultural expectations, and how he’s reshaping the way his community sees ambition, ownership, and wealth. ...
He told his wife he wasn’t straight. Then became a father. Then came out as pansexual and gender-fluid. At 34 years old, Shawn Lim spent most of his life taking the arduous journey of navigating sexuality, gender, identity, marriage, and the emotional toll of suppressing who he truly is. From gang fights and getting arrested twice as a young teen, to building a new path forward as a husband, father, and now starting his own company—this isn’t just a story about coming out. It’s about courage...
From studying theatre to landing a job on Citi’s trading floor, building a hedge fund backed by Glencore, and running operations at Gunvor—one of the world’s largest independent commodity trading houses—Eren Elvis Zekioglu broke into finance without a degree, armed only with a bold letter, acting experience, and a lot of hustle. In Part 1 of Episode 21 of You Never Know, we talk about how he navigated his way through Citi, Credit Suisse, UBS, and Glencore, what it really takes to thriv...
You’ve seen it on screen. But what’s it really like in the real ER? Dr. LIEW Wai Wai shares the raw, unfiltered truth about life as an emergency doctor—what it takes, what people don’t see, and why being an ER doctor is actually easier than being a mom. We dive into the most surprising cases ER doctors have to face (cockroaches included…), the reality of working in the ER—shift work, emotional tolls, and what it demands from your life, and how different personalities fit different medical s...
Have you ever felt like your life was a movie? One minute, you’re in a romantic comedy. The next, a drama with a plot twist no one saw coming. But what if life isn’t just a movie? What if it’s a whole cinema? You get to choose which movie to be in. Write it. Rewrite it. I know—it sounds crazy. But what if it’s real? What if you’re more powerful than you think? 🚀 Follow me for real conversations on life, career, taking the unconventional road and embracing th...
You shouldn’t need a bank — or 4x your country’s GDP per capita — just to buy a government bond. But in many parts of the world, that’s still the reality. And for Aaron Gwak, it was a problem worth solving. Born in Korea, raised in Ghana, and shaped by two decades in investment banking, Aaron spent years helping governments and financial institutions raise capital through bonds. From UBS to Standard Chartered, he saw how the system worked — and who it left behind. Today, he’s th...
Men don’t talk enough about the failure, burnout, or mental toll of running a business or leading in the workplace — but perhaps they should. In this episode of You Never Know, Neil Patwardhan shares what it’s really like behind the scenes — from working in the corporate world at Dell and Accenture to becoming an “accidental founder,” and learning the sometimes-dark lessons of entrepreneurship. Growing up as an immigrant kid in the U.S., Neil had to learn how to fit in, fail fas...
Your voice is your personal brand. And your brand is your biggest asset. Not your knowledge. Not your picture-perfect image. Not even your business card. In this episode of You Never Know, I sit down with Own Your Voice coach, speaker, and emcee, Rae Fung for a real conversation about what it means to find — and own — your voice. From starting out as an emcee at 15, to navigating the raw hunger for validation, battling the complexities of unhealthy mentorship, and discovering th...
What if winning awards doesn’t mean you’ve truly succeeded? What if purpose matters more than, and can even lead to, success? In this episode I speak with Anser Aly, an award-winning "accidental marketer" who spent nearly two decades at Unilever leading campaigns at global brands — including three Cannes Lions wins. But despite all the accolades, something was missing. And that something was purpose. That was when Anser found his why, transitioned into learning and leader...
From teacher to CEO of a dental practice and health & wellness group, DP Healthverse, Louisa Lee’s career journey is anything but ordinary. In this episode of You Never Know, Louisa opens up about the internal struggles many don’t see behind the teaching profession, why she left it to build a business with her husband, how she grew it without being a dentist herself, and the surprising truths about oral health. If you’re curious about what goes into running a health-related ...
At just 21, Jeraldine Phneah started speaking out online about things that mattered to her and her millennial generation — even when many of her peers didn’t. In this episode of You Never Know, she opens up about why social issues have always interested her, the emotional cost and personal growth of speaking out, and her experiences from investing to dating in her 30s. For anyone who’s ever struggled with using their voice or creating content in public — this one’s for you. I hope th...
If you want to thrive in banking and finance, this episode is for you. Finance veteran, Paul Hodes, shares about the key moves that shaped his long-standing career, including experiences at Fidelity, more than 25 years at senior positions in Citi, and his transition to fintech at Privé Technologies, where he is now CEO. We dive deep into what really makes a difference in your career — how networking and corporate dynamics shape success, why mindset shifts are essential when moving from...
Most people wait until they’re fully ready to start a business. 23-year-old Amanda Cua didn’t. At 19, she skipped university and launched Backscoop, a media startup covering Southeast Asia’s startup scene. No degree, little experience—just an idea, a problem to solve, and the determination to make it work. Now, at 23, she’s a Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia entrepreneur. But her biggest challenge? Managing herself. In this episode, we talk about what it really takes to start a bu...
Let’s face it. We all want and need money, but most of us don’t like to talk about it. I speak with Crystal Chow, a Money Consciousness Coach, as we dive into her transformative journey—from abuse to abundance, banking to crypto, and starting her own business. We go deep into how scarcity beliefs and self-doubt block wealth, the powerful role of self-worth in shaping our financial reality, and how healing your relationship with money and people can unlock true freedom. If you st...
Have you ever felt like you needed to be "perfect" to be enough? I have. For years, I thought I had to be in control. I thought I could. I planned everything. I strived to meet every expectation. I anticipated people's needs. In this special edition of You Never Know, the mic gets turned on me! Guest host Daria Huck leads a deep and honest conversation about my journey as a woman and a mom with a career, my move from a top bank to a startup, and the pressure to be perfect. If you’...
Everyone talks about their wins, but not many talk about their failures. Ned Phillips spent 8 years building Bambu, a prominent robo-advisory fintech firm based in Singapore. Then one day, he had to face the brutal truth – they ran out of money. And it was over. Shutting it down wasn’t just a business decision. It was an emotional toll, a hit to his identity, and a reckoning with what it really means to give it all up and accept “failure”. In Episode 8 of You Never Know, Ned and...
Sometimes, the hardest moments in life are the ones that bring us back to who we truly are. For Will Finn, that moment came when he was diagnosed with cancer. It wasn’t just a health battle — it was a wake-up call. A moment that forced him to step back and ask: Am I living in alignment with who I truly am? Or am I just following a path that was expected of me? For years, he was a lawyer at top-tier law firms and big corporations across the world until cancer made hi...
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