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The 25 Year-Old Kid that Took the AI World by Storm, Annabelle Kwok

Annabelle Kwok, 25 is the founder of NeuralBay, an Artificial Intelligence company that specialises in vision analytics.

She consults for companies on A.I. driven solutions and was previously the founding CEO of SmartCow.

At 20, she travelled alone for 6 weeks in Togo, West Africa. She has witnessed people fainting from malaria, got robbed at knife-point, and balanced buckets of water on her head.

At 22, she met U.S. President Barack Obama under a youth programme representing Singapore.

Annabelle is a black-belt in Taekwondo, a licensed windsurfer, and an avid runner.

In this conversation, we spoke about

  • Why did Annabelle join the 10-day silent retreat, twice
  • Why she decided to run a marathon in North Korea
  • Her experiences travelling alone in Togo, West Africa
  • and much more!

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

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In 2018, I am getting my health in order. I have already lost 5kg in one month. If you have similar goals, and tried a bunch of diet and regime that didn’t help. I want to work with you. I have enough time for 3 people at the moment to help achieve their health goals. The session would be free of charge, as I learning and testing things out.

I also ask that you only sign up if you are really ready to make some changes. I will motivate you and keep you accountable, but you’ll get the most out of my time if we can spend the bulk of our time analysing what you’ve done and implementing changes.

If you are interested, please email me a little introduction of yourself and your goals. Amongst potential candidate who I think we are a good fit, I’ll accept people first come first serve. Get in touch by emailing to ask [at] bryanvictor.com. 

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

Annabelle shares her experience of sleep hacking [00:00]
Why did Annabelle decide to go to North Korea? [12:02]
The weirdest thing Annabelle bought on Fiverr [16:46]
Annabelle Kwok shares her holy trifecta of learning [18:36]
How does Annabelle Kwok define success? [31:26]
What made Annabelle decide to travel alone to Togo, Africa [37:39]
Annabelle Kwok on the joy of helping people [54:46]
Why did Annabelle decide to go on a 10-day silent retreat TWICE? [56:59]
Annabelle Kwok on friendship [01:16:59]
Annabelle Kwok shares her favourite failure [01:22:42]
Annabelle Kwok shares stories on her terrible Math’s grades [01:35:16]
Annabelle Kwok on competitiveness in her life [01:40:23]
What is Annabelle afraid of? [01:41:35]
What has Annabelle Kwok got better at saying ‘No’ to? [01:55:57]
What are the new jobs that would emerge in AI? [02:01:07]
How much storage space does “AI” require? [02:16:01]
Annabelle shares resources on how can one learn more about AI? [02:24:02]
Annabelle Kwok on how to building a hardware business [02:26:52]

Links Mentioned

Connect with Annabelle Kwok:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Why do we buy roses on Valentines day
A rose on any other day by NPR
Pyongyang Marathon
The Reductive Seduction of Other People’s Problems by Courtney Martin
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and How To Get Started – Creative Crew Singapore
Google Vision API
TensorFlow

Thanks for listening!

And if you have any experience 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 of 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 Annabelle for the candid conversation. Until next time!

The Psychiatrist Who Started the Addiction Management Department at IMH | Dr Munidasa Winslow

“No one says that they decided to start drinking because my ambition in life is to be an alcoholic. It’s rubbish.”
– Dr Munidasa Winslow

Munidasa Winslow is a psychiatrist and the executive director of Promises Healthcare. He has been practising psychiatry since 1988 and is known for his work in addiction medicine and impulse control disorders.

He was also responsible for the setting up the Addiction Management Department at the Institute of Mental Health. His last appointment at IMH was the Chief of the Department of Addiction Medicine Department at IMH Singapore.

Dr Winslow is accredited as a master addiction counsellor and a clinical supervisor.

In this conversation, we spoke about

  • Simple yardstick to test if one has an addiction
  • The framework recovery process for addictions
  • Dr Winslow’s views on ADHD
  • and much more!

If you’ve only got 2 minutes, here’s a short video on (Can ADHD Be a Superpower?)

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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

Why did Dr Winslow choose to study Psychology in NUS? [00:59]
The difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist? [11:49]
In what cases are drugs used to treat mental wellness? [22:09]
What are some simple and effective solutions for depression? [33:01]
Dr Winslow shares his experience at St Vincent Hospital, Melbourne [36:37]
Why does Dr Winslow think that the Australians are more open about their mistakes? [42:55]
What has Singapore done well in the mental wellness? [45:16]
Dr Winslow shares the best treatment in the industry for addiction? [48:19]
Dr Winslow shares application of human behaviour modification models [54:44]
What was the series of events that made Dr Winslow start the addiction management department at Institue of Mental Health [58:10]
How would one know that one is having an addiction? [01:02:42]
Dr Winslow shares the framework of the recovery process for addictions [01:06:55]
Dr Winslow shares the most common pitfalls when people relapse into an addiction? [01:10:18]
Dr Winslow’s views on the legal mandate for psychiatrists to report illegal addictions [01:12:54]
Why did Dr Winslow decide to start his own practice? [01:18:31]

Links Mentioned

Connect with Dr Munidasa Winslow (Promise Clinic):
Website | Facebook
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
Narcotics Anonymous Singapore
Alcoholics Anonymous Singapore
Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous by Bob Smith & Bill Wilson
Flight (2012)
WeCare Community Services

Thanks for listening!

And if you have any experience 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 Dr Winslow. Until next time!

The Couple that Built JobsCentral and Cashed Out, Lim Der Shing and Huang Shao-Ning

Lim Der Shing is currently a private investor, Venture Advisor with Jungle Seedplus and board member with several organizations. Huang Shao-Ning is the Managing Partner of Hub Ventures Fund and a Partner at Entrepreneur First, the world’s leading company builder.

Together, they are the co-founders of JobsCentral Group and manage a regional portfolio of over 17 angel investments in startups.

JobsCentral grew from a 2-man startup into an organization with 150 employees over a period of 14 years.  In 2011, JobsCentral was acquired by CareerBuilder, making it one of Singapore’s largest tech exits at the time.

They did all of that while raising a family of 4 kids.

In this conversation, we spoke about

  • How to discern good advice from noise
  • Strategies for hiring and managing talents
  • Effective communication between a couple
  • and much more!

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

Show Notes

Huang Shao-Ning shares about her childhood [01:04]
Lim Der Shing shares about his childhood [04:18]
How did Der Shing and Shao-Ning end up at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor [08:17]
How did Der Shing first meet Shao Ning? [12:10]
Shao-Ning and Der Shing shares views about taking advice from the elderly [17:14]
How do Der Shing and Shao Ning discern good advice from noise? [26:01]
Why did Shao-Ning and Der Shing quit their jobs to start JobsCentral? [37:10]
What are the different stages of JobsCentral’s growth? [46:13]
Shao Ning and Der Shing shares insights on hiring [51:52]
How do you develop a “bullshit” meter for sussing out candidates? [56:12]
How do Shao Ning and Der Shing define and view entrepreneurship? [59:14]
What did Shao Ning learn from Der Shing? [01:06:23]

Links Mentioned

Connect with Lim Der Shing and Huang Shao-Ning:
Website (Der Shing) | LinkedIn (Shao-Ning)

Special thanks to Shao-Ning and Der Shing. Until next time!

From Building the Red Rhino to Creating an Iron-Man, Peter Ho

Peter Ho is the CEO of HOPE Technik, an engineering company specializing in Unmanned systems, Defence, Bio-medical, Smart Logistics and Special Vehicles.

The company has delivered over 400 projects across 18 countries to date and projects included (but not limited to) the last 4 versions of Red Rhino for the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

HOPE Technik was awarded the Most Technologically Disruptive Collaboration (Collaboration Towards Smart Factory Using Autonomous Guided Vehicles) from SICC in 2017.

Peter is an adjunct professor at National University of Singapore (NUS) and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).

Peter is also a board member of Composite Cluster Singapore and Airgo Design.

In this conversation, we spoke about

  • The story of how Peter brought the rarest vintage car in Singapore
  • How did Hope Technik clinch the Red Rhino project?
  • Why did Peter leave his job as a Chief Engineer at Petronas?

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

If you’ve only got 2 minutes, here’s a short video on (How Peter Ho lost a MILLION dollar on Skate Scooter?)

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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

Peter Ho shares his love of vintage cars [01:57]
Peter Ho on his ACJC days as a national debater [06:55]
How did Peter get promoted to Chief Engineer at Petronas [10:37]
Why did Peter leave his job as a Chief Engineer at Petronas [15:26]
Peter shares story on how Hope Technik was when it first got started [23:16
The first product that Hope Technik designed [26:35]
Peter Ho shares his struggles during the start of Hope Technik [33:09]
How did Hope Technik get into a $40,000 debt? [37:14]
How did Hope Technik clinch the Red Rhino project? [40:44]
Peter Ho shares the inner workings of an engineering company [49:26]
How does Peter Ho define an engineering company [01:04:09]
What did Peter learn from the failures of the “Skate Scooter” and “Bed Mover” projects? [01:05:18]
Peter’s decision-making process on deciding which project to take up [04:14:07]
How did Hope Technik clinch the deal with AirBus [01:19:07]
Peter Ho shares the inspiration for the 10 company commandments [01:22:55]
How does Hope Technik uphold its company culture of “No finger pointing” [01:30:16]
What is the ONE lecture Peter would give to Year 3 engineering student? [01:32:25]
Peter Ho on innovation and disruptive technology [01:35:10]
What does Hope Technik mean to Peter in the current season of life? [01:40:07]

Links Mentioned

Connect with Peter Ho:
Website | Facebook

https://racecarsdirect.com/
Skunk work by Ben R. Rich
IBM Watson
OverDrive
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
The Dark Knight (2008)
Torx keys

Thanks for listening!

And if you have any experience 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 Peter Ho. Until next time!

 

The Singaporean Toymaker Who Kickstarted to the Global TED Conference, Michael Sng

Michael Sng is the principal designer of Machination Studio.

He is the creator of the Codename Colossus – a Walking War Machine with 435 individually 3D-printed parts.

Michael is the first Singaporean who spoke on the main stage at the TED Conference (2016) in Vancouver.

He holds a Bachelor of Graphic Design (Advertising) from the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design (2000).

In this conversation, we spoke about:

  • Tools and skills to design and build a 3D printed & moving toy
  • Hacking Kickstarter to conclude a 442% funded Campaign
  • Michael’s experience preparing for TED
  • and much more!

If you’ve only got 2 minutes, here’s a short video on (The Designer Snobs From Central Saint Martins)

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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

How does Michael Sng introduce himself to a stranger? [0:01:49]
Michael Sng on his childhood [0:12:48]
What is Michael Sng’s superpower when he was younger? [0:1858]
What are the lessons Michael learnt from his time in design school? [0:24:13]
What is the value of an education at a design school when we can learn design from Youtube?  [0:30:51]
How did Michael get started with building the ultimate toy “Colosuss”? [0:36:47]
What are the software and skills required to design a toy? [0:4956]
Why did Michael decide to go to Comic Con? [01:02:44]
Did Michael achieve what he wanted at Comic Con? [01:05:09]
How did Michael get invited to TED? [01:09:07]
Michael Sng shares his experience preparing for his TED talk [01:11:41]
Michael Sng shares common mistakes people make with their Kickstarter campaigns [01:24:30]
Why did Michael set a low Kickstarter budget? [01:28:46]
What would Michael do differently for his Kickstarter campaign? [01:30:43]
How did Michael’s Kickstarter project get funded within 6 hours of its launch? [01:34:08]
Michael Sng shares the economics behind his Kickstarter campaign [01:39:49]

Links Mentioned

Connect with Michael Sng:
Website | YouTube | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Photo Credit: Marla Aufmuth (TED)
Arduino
Fusion 360
SolidWorks
Ultimaker (3D printer)
Wanhao (3D printer)
Comic Con (New York)
Introducing Codename Colossus (Viral Video)
Singapore Toy and Games Comic Convention

Thanks for listening!

And if you have any experience 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 Michael Sng. Until next time!

Claire Chiang – The Woman Behind the Banyan Tree Resort Group

“If you allow all these barriers and challenges around you to impact you, you’ll never walk out of the house and have terrible mental health. So, get over it.” – Claire Chiang

Claire Chiang is the co-founder of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts. She is also first of two women who to break the long-standing tradition of an all-male member of Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI).

On top of that, Claire is also the chairperson of the Wildlife Reserves Singapore Conservation Fund, the Shirin Fozdar Program and the National Book Development Council of Singapore (NBDCS).

She occasionally contributes to and leads various committees in the Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs, National Arts Council and Raffles Girls’ Secondary School.

She was named Singapore’s Woman of the Year (1999).

In this conversation, we spoke about

  • How to deal with the “glass ceiling”
  • How to be a mum while running a business
  • What Claire learnt from the study of Sociology
  • and much more!

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I do.

If you’ve only got 2 minutes, here’s a short video on (The Truth About Shattering The “Glass Ceiling”)

 

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Show Notes

Claire Chiang on her childhood [0:07:30]
Why did Claire choose to study Sociology? [0:14:11]
Claire Chiang on her parents’ reaction to her studying oversea [0:18:43]
How does Claire define the study of Sociology? [0:21:37]
What lesson has Claire learnt from Sociology that she still carries today? [0:23:29]
Claire Chiang shares about the people she surrounds herself with [0:29:57]
Claire Chiang shares advice on imparting self-agency [0:38:30]
What are the characteristics of Claire’s best mentee [0:54:56]
Claire Chiang shares advice on eliminating negative relationship [1:03:53]
Claire Chiang shares stories about her early travels [1:09:01]
Claire Chiang shares advice on raising a children while running a business [1:14:39]
How does Claire balance instilling discipline and creativity while raising a child [1:22:19]
What are the rules or habits that Claire has learned to build a successful marriage? [1:31:55]
Claire Chiang shares advice on juggling work and family duties [1:41:54]
Claire Chiang on “being water” [1:47:25]
What book would Claire give a class of year 3 Sociology students to read [1:56:05]
The first 90 minutes of Claire’s day [1:56:35]
What areas of Claire Chiang’s current life is she seeking to improve [2:04:34]

 

Links Mentioned

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
Wu Tang Association
Shrines and Streetlights by Ho Ren Chun
Water by Christopher Chang & Susan Ho Quek
The Qing Empire (TV Show)

ShiGGa Shay – The Hip Hop Artist From Singapore Who Made It

Pek Jin Shen, 25, better known by his stage name ShiGGa Shay is a Singaporean hip-hop artist, songwriter, director, and music producer.

In 2012, ShiGGa was named the “Unsigned Talent of The Week” by WorldStarHipHop.

He was the first Singaporean hip-hop Artist that made it to iTunes top chart with his song, LimPeh.

In 2016, ShiGGa Shay was invited by the US Ambassador to perform at the White House State Dinner after-party.

ShiGGa is also a founder member of hip hop group Grizzle Grind Crew, as well as production company Grizzle Films.

He films and art-directs most of his music videos.

In this conversation, we spoke about

  • ShiGGa Shay’s vision for his career
  • How ShiGGa Shay dealt with the passing of his father
  • ShiGGa’s advice for young budding artists
  • and much more!

If you’ve only got 2 minutes, here’s a short video on (Dealing With the Death of His Father)

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

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

Show Notes
ShiGG Shay on his childhood [0:02:01]
What is ShiGGa’s on first paid performance [0:09:51]
ShiGGa Shay shares about his music’s heroes [0:11:11]
When was ShiGGa Shay’s first big break? [0:13:08]
What is the passion that drives ShiGGa? [0:13:55]
What was Jin Shen’s parents’ reactions to his career? [0:15:35]
ShiGGa Shay shares backstory of the song he did with Stefanie Sun [0:19:33]
Why did ShiGGa choose to study for a Diploma in Media and Communication? [0:25:52]
What was ShiGGa Shay’s vision for his career? [0:28:02]
ShiGGa Shay on the passing of his father [0:32:48]
What is ShiGGa Shay’s take on “making money” and “selling out” [0:37:36]
Mentors that helped ShiGGa Shay along his journey [0:40:10]
ShiGGa Shay shares what it means to be an all-rounded performer? [0:46:34]
ShiGGa Shay on “talent” vs “hard work” [0:50:01]
ShiGGa Shay shares advice for young artists? [0:57:52]
ShiGGa Shay shares what does it means to be a director? [1:06:37]
Why did ShiGGa Shay decide to take up the role in 3688? [1:07:59]
What did ShiGGa Shay learn from film director Royston Tan? [1:10:03]

Links Mentioned

Connect with ShiGGa Shay:
Website | YouTube | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Photo Credit: Daryl Adamz (Instagram)

Liang Wern Fook (Song-writer)
Simply, Love by Stefanie Sun and ShiGGa Shay
3688 by Royston Tan
The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
Hip-Hop Evolution (2016)
Departures (2008)
Charlie Lim

Thanks for listening!

And if you have any experience 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 ShiGGa and Yasmeen. Until next time!

The Architect Behind the Iconic People’s Park Complex, Tay Kheng Soon

Tay Kheng Soon is the founder and principal partner of the architect firm, Akitek Tenggara.

In the span of his career, he was responsible for many iconic buildings around Singapore. Some of these include (but not limited to) People’s park Complex, Golden Mile Complex and KK Woman’s and Children hospital.

He was president of the Singapore Institute of Architects (1991-1993); the founding member and chairman of the Singapore Planning and Urban Research Group (1970-1971); chairman of The Substation and founding member of DP Architects (1967-1974).

On the side, he is an adjunct architecture professor at the National University of Singapore.

In this conversation, we spoke about

  • Kheng Soon’s backpacking experience in the 1960s
  • Kheng Soon’s encounter with our late PM Lee Kuan Yew
  • The relationship between architecture and politics

If you’ve only got 2 minutes, here’s a short video on (The “Funny” Generation of Architects)

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

 

Show Notes
Tay Kheng Soon on his childhood [0:01:27]
Why did Kheng Soon decide to study architecture? [0:12:27]
What did Kheng Soon learn from Singapore Poly in the 1960s? [0:22:57]
Tay Kheng Soon share thoughts on how architecture is taught in school today? [0:28:07]
What does architecture mean to Kheng Soon’s students? [0:47:08]
What does architecture mean to Kheng Soon? [0:50:37]
Tay Kheng Soon shares advice for young architects [0:54:22]
Why did Kheng Soon start Singapore Planning and Urban Research (SPUR)? [1:06:43]
Tay Kheng Soon shares his solo-travelling experience in the 1960s [1:23:18]
Tay Kheng Soon on “Rubanisation” [0:35:01]
Kheng Soon shares the relationship between architecture and politics [1:48:49]
Tay Kheng Soon shares story about his encounter with Lee Kuan Yew [1:54:43]

 

Links Mentioned
Meccano
Friedrich Fröbel (German educator)
The Interlace
Lim Chong Keat
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
The Empire of Illusion by Chris Hedges
Europe on 5 Dollars a Day by Arthur Frommer
Kibbutz Israel
The Children of the Dream by Bruno Battleheim
Ekistics movement

Thanks for listening!

And if you have any experience 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 Tay Kheng Soon. Until next time!

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