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Bjorn Shen: Singapore’s Most Rebellious Chef

“Chefs need arrogance, business that wants to build a brand needs arrogance”
– Bjorn Shen

Bjorn Shen (IG: @bjornshen) is the chef-owner of Artichoke, Bird Bird and an ice-cream brand, Neh Neh Pop – their Instagram feed make my stomach growl.

Bjorn Shen is also the author of the Artichoke cookbook and writes a monthly column titled “Bjorn says” for Time Out Magazine.

On the side, he also is a lecturer at Culinary Institute of America.

In this conversation, we spoke about:

  • Story of Bjorn getting robbed while working in a 7/11 store
  • Advice on structuring rental agreement
  • How Bjorn lost $230,000 in 3 months with OverDough
  • Why does Bjorn insist taking his staff on oversea trips and lots more

If you’ve only got 4 minutes, here’s a short video on (How Did Bjorn Shen losing 230K in 3 months?)

This is an interview I will hold close to my heart. Hope you enjoy it!

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Click “continue reading” for the link and show notes…

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favourite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

Show Notes

Bjorn Shen on his childhood [1:40]
How did Bjorn end up studying hospitality in Brisbane, Australia? [7:52]
What did Bjorn learn from his mentor [19:06]
What other mentors or incidents have contributed to your success? [24:12]
How much money did Bjorn spend to kickstart Artichoke? [29:24]
How much financial leeway should one prepare when opening a restaurant? [30:25]
What were the few breaks that lifted Artichoke off ground zero? [38:35]
How did Bjorn find the current location of Artichoke? [40:07]
Bjorn shares advice on structuring rental agreement [47:10]
Would Artichoke be a success if it was opened 5 years later? [53:09]
What experiences shaped Bjorn anti-fine dining stance? [54:30]
Why does Bjorn place emphasis on his staff? [56:27]
How does Artichoke attract talents? [58:45]
What does the hiring process of Artichoke look like? [1:00:22]
Why does Bjorn close his restaurants to take his staffs on company vacation? [1:01:56]
Bjorn shares his experience of burning out in the F&B industry [1:12:05]
Bjorn shares his experiences working with the new generation of chefs [1:15:50]
Does Bjorn still cook in the kitchen? [1:18:59]
Bjorn shares advice on managing people [1:21:14]
Why did OverDough close 3 months after opening? [1:31:16]
Why does Bjorn teach at Culinary Institute of America (CIA)? [1:36:14]
Bjorn describes the new generation of student chefs from CIA [1:38:13]
Why did Bjorn start Bird Bird? [1:41:33]
Why did Bird Bird move and change its concept? [1:45:42]
How did Bjorn got involve in Bro-Cation? [1:51:22]
How does Bjorn balance his bold character in his relationships? [1:57:06]
How does being a father affect Bjorn’s view his life and business? [1:58:18]

Links Mentioned in the Episode

Connect with Bjorn Shen:
Artichoke | Instagram | PornHub (R21)
Penis Pocky by Christopher Behrens (M18)
Candlenut Restuarant
Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice

Thanks for listening!

And if you have any experiences with anything we talked about, I’d love for you to open up in the comments.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post.

Share your story in the comments.

Also, please leave an honest review for Misfits Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.

Special thanks to Bjorn Shen for such generous stories. Until next time!

How to Live Thoughtfully with Passion, Kuik Shiao-Yin

“Who cares if I get you the ‘A’… and then you come out and have a fake idea of the world.”
– Kuik Shiao-Yin

Kuik Shiao-Yin is the co-founder and creative director of The Thought Collective. It is comprised of various companies – School of Thought, which offers tuition for General Paper and Language Arts; Food for Thought, a socially ethical restaurant chain and Think Tank, a branding and content curation agency.

She is also a two-term Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP).

(All at the same time! Where does she find an extra 6 hours in her day?)

School of Thought is celebrating it’s 15th anniversary and is opening up limited slots for the general public to attend it’s school lectures. They are also offering free trial classes for students so parents can take advantage of that offer. Apply here.

In this conversation, we spoke about:

  • Caveats to the advice on “following your passion”
  • A good teacher vs a great teacher
  • Experiences as a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP)
  • and much more…

If you’ve only got 2 minutes, here’s a short video on (Drugs, No! Prostitutes, No! Pirated Goods, Yes!)

I hope you enjoy this conversation with Shiao-Yin as much as I did recording it.

Links Mentioned

Connect with Shiao-Yin:
Website | Facebook

Illicit by Moises Naim
Learn more about, Ontological Teaching
Strength Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath
Learn more about the classes offered at the Brave New World, The Thought Collective
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

Show Notes

Kuik Shiao-Yin on her childhood [2:01]
What’s on Shiao-Yin ‘No’ list these days? [06:04]
How does Shiao-Yin define ‘Passion’? [09:08]
The evolution of Shiao-Yin’s passion? [17:15]
Why did Shiao-Yin decide to leave her job as a creative director at Connected Machine Studios and Acmabook.com? [26:28]
Kuik Shiao-Yin on the most common mistakes of “following your passion”? [27:35]
Kuik Shiao-Yin on multiple passions [31:35]
Why did Shiao-Yin start the School of Thought? [32:46]
What is the marketing angle for the School of Thought? [37:21]
How is the teaching approach at School of Thought different from others’? [40:18]
What factors shaped the teaching method at the School of Thought? [49:41]
What is the difference between a good teacher and a great teacher? [55:37]
Kuik Shiao-Yin on the internship program at the School of Thought [58:29]
Were there any failures/tough times that set Shiao-Yin up for later success? [01:03:12]
Kuik Shiao-Yin shares struggles of running Food for Thought [01:04:31]
What are the qualities in her co-founders that Shiao-Yin most appreciates? [01:07:20]
What are Shiao-Yin’s criteria when committing on the next project/ideas? [01:10:04]
Kuik Shiao-Yin shares her experiences as a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) [01:11:25]
What are Shiao-Yin’s roles in The Thought Collective? [01:18:10]

The Sh*t that Put Him on the United Nation Map, Jack Sim

Jack Sim is the founder of the World Toilet Organization (WTO), Base of Pyramid Hub (BoP Hub), World Toilet College (WTC) and the Restroom Association of Singapore.

At the age of 40, he attained financial independence after creating a series of 16 successful businesses. Thereafter, he decided to retire and devote his life to social work.

Jack has been named the Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur and is an Ashoka Global fellow. Jack also sits on the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Councils (GAC) for Water Security and the GAC for Social Entrepreneurship.

Time Magazine named him Hero of the Environment in 2008.

WTO declared November 19 as World Toilet Day which is now been recognised as UN World Toilet Day.

In 2013, at the age of 56, he graduated with Master’s in Public Administration at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. At 59, he graduated from a Silicon Valley think-tank – Singularity University. He is now Adjunct Associate Professor at National University of Singapore and Social-Entrepreneur-in-Residence INSEAD.

In this episode, we talk about:

  • Using the power of leverage in the world of social enterprise
  • The pitfall of having a “definition”
  • What Jack learned in Singularity University
  • And much, much more

Please enjoy this episode with Jack Sim!

Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your favorite podcast platform. You can watch the interview on YouTube here.

If you’ve only got 3 minutes, here’s a short video on (The Real Currency that You’re Spending is not Money)

Click more for the link and show notes…

Show Notes

Jack Sim on his childhood [00:10]
Why did Jack not do well in school? [01:50]
What are the different businesses that Jack started? [07:06]
Jack Sim shares advice on business [11:51]
Why did Jack turn to social work? [17:43]
Jack Sim shares his views on failures [21:47]
Jack Sim shares his experience on suicide counselling [23:58]
Jack Sim’s efforts to conserve old heritage buildings [27:37]
How did Jack start the Restroom Association [29:30]
Jack Sim shares lesson from Mechai, Mr Condom of Thailand [34:34]
The root cause of the sanitation problem [38:12]
Jack Sim shares misconception of social enterprise [39:06]
Jack Sim shares his leverage process for WTO [41:49]
The pros and cons of labels: NPO vs Social Enterprise [46:13]
Jack Sim on Singapore [50:15]
Jack Sim explains the Base of Pyramid (BOP) approach [53:02]
Why did Jack go back to study in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy? [56:59]
What did Jack learn from Singularity University [01:00:03]
How did Jack go about making multiple movies? [01:03:51]
The decision making process that Jack choose on the next idea or project to commit? [01:06:27]
Jack Sim shares the cornerstone of starting a movement [01:10:36]

Links Mentioned

Samaritans of Singapore, Suicide hotline
Mechai Viravaidya, Mr Condom of Thailand
A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
In Time (2011)
Everybody’s Business (2013)
Meet Mr Toilet
Flush Revolution

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favourite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for Misfits Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and everyone of them.

Meet the Bestselling Author of The Teenage Textbook, Adrian Tan

 adrian-tan
“You can’t see good writing, you can only see what’s behind it.” – Adrian Tan

Adrian Tan is the author of The Teenage Textbook and The Teenage Workbook which were both national bestsellers. The two books sold over 50,000 copies. The books were made into a film – The Teenage Textbook Movie, which topped the box office in Singapore for four weeks. In 2015, The Teenage Textbook was selected by The Business Times as one of the Top 10 English Singapore books from 1965–2015.

Adrian is currently a lawyer with Morgan Lewis in Singapore and specialises in intellectual property and information technology law. On his off-duty days, Adrian also judges on the International Emmy Award-nominated debate TV show – The Arena.

In this conversation, we spoke about:

  • Argument vs. persuasion, and how he has used the latter in his law practice
  • The writing process for The Teenage Textbook
  • Why he chose law as his career and much much more

It was a really fun and wide-ranging conversation. Adrian is such an insightful and a hilarious guy.

If you’ve only got 2 minutes, here’s a short video on (How Did Donald Trump Get Away with Half-Truths?)

Enjoy!

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Show Notes
Adrian Tan shares stories from childhood [1:05]
Adrian Tan on how he started writing [21:01]
Adrian recalls his enrolment to a Chinese School (Hwa Chong Institution) [24:55]
Adrian Tan shares advice on debating [32:14]
Adrian Tan on writing better [41:07]
Adrian Tan on his first paid writing gig [44:58]
Adrian Tan describes his writing style [51:13]
The writing process for The Teenage Textbook [54:31]
Adrian Tan on writer fees [56:39]
Adrian Tan on economics of writing [57:53]
Adrian Tan on why he chose to do law [01:02:46]
Adrian shares view on Singlish [01:07:45]
Adrian on his motivation to be a lawyer [01:14:54]
Adrian Tan on the Millennial Generation [01:20:09]
Adrian Tan on when to see a lawyer [01:28:42]
The overlaps between law and creative writing [01:35:34]
Adrian on the balance of law and creative work [01:36:18]
Adrian Tan on the intellectuals in Singapore [01:40:35]
Adrian Tan on Singapore’s over governance [01:44:28]
Links Mentioned
Animal Farm by George Orwell
6 Questions/6 Rules by George Orwell
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Pupil (TV Show)
Brave New Animal Farm – An SWF 2013 Lecture by Adrian Tan & Gwee Li Sui
The Teenage Textbook by Adrian Tan

Thanks for listening!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for Misfits Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and everyone of them.

Special thanks to Adrian. Until next time!

The Godfather of Singapore’s Boutique Hospitality, Loh Lik Peng

Loh Lik Peng is the owner and director of Unlisted Collection.

His career began as a litigator during the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997. He mainly dealt with company bankruptcy.

His transition to hospitality occurred in 2000 when he bought a property, now known as Hotel 1929, on a bargain and treated it as a passion project.

Today, he owns several boutique hotels and restaurants in Singapore, London, Shanghai and Sydney. Some of these include (but not limited to) New Majestic Hotel, Wanderlust Hotel,  Burnt Ends and Pollen. He also chairs the Shatec Institute and Singapore Hotel Association and holds directorships at the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre, Asian Civilisations Museum and the Peranakan Museum.

We dived into topics including:
– The economics of the hospitality business
– Why Loh Lik Peng only opens restaurants with a co-chef owner
– Hiring practices in the competitive hospitality industry
– Old barbers’ chairs and lots more

If you’ve only got 2 minutes, here’s a short video on (Being a Good Chef is Not Enough to Get You That Dream Restaurant)

Enjoy!

 

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Show Notes

Loh Lik Peng shares stories from his childhood [2:09]
The decision to study law [7:21]
Loh Lik Peng on the birth of Hotel 1929 [11:32]
Loh Lik Peng on why he sold Hotel 1929 [16:51]
Loh Lik Peng on the economics of running a hotel business [20:04]
Loh Lik Peng on why he only opens restaurant with a co-chef owner [20:51]
Loh Lik Peng shares the story of his first restaurant, Ember [22:54]
Why did Loh Lik Peng start investing in more restaurant? [25:17]
What does Loh Lik Peng look for in a co-owner? [28:03]
Loh Lik Peng shares advice on people management [32:11]
Advice on hiring in the competitive F&B industry [34:18]
Loh Lik Peng shares lesson from his biggest failures [39:00]
Loh Lik Peng on time management [47:05]
Loh Lik Peng on his fascination for old barbers’ chair? [48:40]
What motivates Loh Lik Peng to continue running the business? [52:06]

Links Mentioned

Connect with Loh Lik Peng:
Website | Instagram

Books by Nadine Gordimer
Restaurant Ember 
Pollen Restaurant

The World Renowned Beatboxer from Singapore, Dharni Ng

Dharni Ng

Dharni Ng (@dharniofficial) started beatboxing at age 15.

He studied at Temasek Polytechnic. In 2011, he won Emperor of the The Mic in Canada. He is the first person in history to win The Grand Beatbox Battle Championship twice in a row. He has also has opened for artistes like Black Eyed Peas, Kanye West, Lady Gaga and performed during Mariah Carey’s concert.

If you’ve only got 5 minutes, here’s a short video on (Why a Beatboxer can Also BE a Good Businessman?)

And here is the video of the (Final round (Dharni vs TWO.H) at Grand Beatboxing Battle 2014)

Enjoy!

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Scroll down for the link and show notes…

Show Notes

Dharni shares his lesson on winning the Grand Beatbox Battle [01:49]
The difference between working hard and working smart [5:39]
A day in the life of a beatboxer [16:27]
Dharni shares advice on working with music agents [18:44]
Dharni shares his philosophy on self expression [23:26]
Dharni speaks about his coming to adulthood [24:33]
Dharni moved to Poland and lived on his own [32:30]
Dharni shares lesson from living independently overseas [37:24]
How does one become self aware and avoid the Ego trap? [46:38]
Dharni on his forage into tech startup [51:54]
How Dharni discover the root cause of his talent [53:59]
Dharni explains how he gives back to the Beatbox community [55:35]
What is missing from Singapore’s music scene? [57:16]
Dharni shares his perspective on Singapore’s media [01:01:25]
Dharni shares his first travelling experience [01:06:43]
Why did Dharni make Poland his second home? [01:09:20]

Links Mentioned

Connect with Dharni Ng:
Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | Twitter

Dharni @ Grand Beatbox Battle 2013 | Showcase Grand Final
Reeps One interview on his art exhibition
Dharni’s Virtual Video (Polish language = Beatbox)
Dj Rattle
DJ inquisitive
Dharni’s 2nd Virtual Video (Learn To Beatbox In 6 Languages)
Foodboxer @instagram
Kwaver iOS App

Thanks for listening!

Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

Also, please leave an honest review for Misfits Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and everyone of them.

Until next time!

The Radio DJ Who Built a Million Dollar Cupcake Empire, Daniel Ong

daniel-ong-2

Daniel Ong is a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Twelve Cupcakes, with more than 40 stores around the region. He was a well-loved radio deejay from Singapore’s MediaCorp Radio 987FM and won the most popular radio personality awards in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Daniel also managed the radio station for 15 months. In 2010, he announced that he was leaving the radio industry at large. In 2011, Twelve Cupcakes was born and it has grown to more than 40 stores today.

If you’ve only got 2 minutes, here’s a short video on (The One Technique Daniel Ong Practices Daily to Success)

Enjoy!

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Scroll down for the link and show notes…

Show Notes

Daniel’s childhood, first step into business and the source of his hunger
Daniel’s education and his start in Radio
Daniel on his unwavering positivity
Daniel on how he became the top DJ
Daniel’s views on Singlish
Daniel on becoming the manager of the radio station
Daniel gives advice on how to manage people with egos
Daniel shares insight on celebrities he met along the way
Daniel’s views on money and wealth
Daniel’s lesson from his biggest failure
Behind Twelve Cupcakes’ success
Daniel Ong shares his experience on bringing Twelve Cupcake overseas
Daniel shares his future business ideas
Daniel on the contraversies from his perspective
Daniel advice for staff management
Daniel’s dog got kidnapped
Daniel on time management

Links Mentioned

Connect with Daniel Ong:
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Outliers by Malcom Gladwell
Daniel’s Ong letter to his neighbour
Pike Place Fish Market
Thanks for Listening!

Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for Misfits Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.

Until next time!

The 21 Year Old Founders of Staple Magazine, Emily Tay and Clara Lee

Staple Magazine

Clara Lee, Tan Yi Ping and Emily Tay are the 21 year old founders behind socio-culture magazine, Staple Magazine. Their pilot issue is themed Dizziness of Youth, whereby the notion of “arriving to an age” or the awkward manoeuvre between childhood to adulthood is the topic of interest.

We dived into topics including:
– The world of publishing; finding contents, curating and marketing the magazine
– How they started a magazine at the age of 21 while being full-time students who lived in different time zones
– Why one should work before entering university
– Explore being a youth and loads more

Enjoy!

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Scroll down for the link and show notes…

Links
Connect with Staple Magazine:
Website | Instagram | Facebook

STAPLE is currently stocked at Allscript, BooksActually, Basheer Graphic Books, Emporium of the Modern Man and Magpie Magazines.

Liba Studio
Middle Class Cigar
The Happy Reader
Hans Ulrich Obrist
Fountain Head by Ayn Rand
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
The Act of Killing by Joshua Oppenheimer

Show notes
Childhood of Clara [10:55]
Childhood of Emily [13:15]
The birthplace of Staple [14:57]
Personalities of Clara and Emily [21:25]
Why one should get work experience before entering university [25:40]
Work experience of Emily [30:55]
What is Staple? [34:25]
The publishing process for Staple [35:30]
How was Staple magazine produced in different time zone? [40:35]
Parents’ reaction to the magazine [46:32]
How did they decide on their roles within Staple? [47:38]
Widsom acquired along the journey? [52:00]
Advice to your younger self [57:54]
Staple’s best marketing effort [1:01:35]

(more…)

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