“Always challenge your teacher. The second your teacher fubar you from challenging him or her. He is no longer your teacher.”
– Richard Chong

Richard Chong retired from the Australian Army at the peak of his military career as a Paratrooper after more than 13 years of service, serving in multiple deployments at several theatres of conflict around the globe.

He is also a practitioner of several martial arts codes including Krav Maga, Silat, Filipino Martial Arts, slacklining and body flying.

In 2010, Richard was my first Couchsurfing host in Melbourne and he had opened up my world. We became good friends and he brought me to my first indoor skydiving experience in KL. I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to interview him when he passed by Singapore.

In this conversation, we spoke about:

• Richard stories as a paratrooper in the Australian army
• How Richard became one of the first person to be paid for teaching slacklining in Melbourne
• Self-defence advice for solo-travellers
• and much more…

“The problem with complaining is.. you just piss people off.”
– Richard Chong

If you’ve only got 3 minutes, here’s a short video on (The Joy and Wonders of Solo Travel)

• Listen to the full interview on iTunes.
• Stream by clicking here.
• Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

This podcast is brought to you by Altizen. If you don’t know already, research is concluding that sitting all day is terrible for you (“Sitting is the new smoking” is the new health phrase).  If you are like me, I went to Ikea and tried one of the self-cranking desk – it’s not for me.

Altizen desk is a smart motorized workstation that transforms the tabletop into a healthy standing desk. It is also intelligent – it tracks and coaches you to develop this new habit with its sensors and smartphone app.  Models start at $1,349. Check out Alitizen.com to see which one might be right fit for you. If you decide to get one, quote “MISFITS” to get $400 off Altizen immediately! Offer is limited to the first 10 customers.

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 did Richard and Bryan first meet? [0:02:17]
Richard Chong on his childhood [0:12:30]
Does Richard face any racism while growing up in Australia? [0:14:03]
What led Richard to join the Australian Army [0:19:30]
Richard Chong’s experiences as a paratrooper in the army? [0:27:40]
How did Richard carry a 3-wheel truck up a mountain? [0:32:32]
How did Richard cope with the loss of fellow men? [0:35:05]
Why did Richard choose to leave the army? [0:42:32]
Richard Chong shares the difference between a Soldier and a Warrior [0:52:07]
Richard Chong shares experience of his first day after leaving the service [0:56:48]
What are the few factors that caused Richard to get into depression after leaving the army? [0:58:57]
Richard Chong shares his experience in a mental facility [1:04:19]
What had Richard learnt from solo-traveling? [1:12:19]
Why does Richard carry a knife wherever he goes? [1:16:22]
What self-defence advice would Richard give to solo female travellers? [1:21:11]
How does Richard feel about living the ‘retired life’ for 10 years now? [1:32:47]
How did Richard become the first person in Victoria, Australia to be charging for slacklining? [1:37:39]

Links Mentioned

Connect with Richard Chong:
Website (CASD) | Facebook

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
Life on Earth by David Attenborough
Tactical Writing Pen by Hardcore Hardware

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 everyone of them.

Special thanks to Richard for sharing these experiences. Until next time!

Violet Lim is the co-founder and CEO of Lunch Actually, the largest dating company in South East Asia, which started humbly in Singapore. Since 2004, Lunch Actually has acquired 5 companies and now have offices in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Bangkok. She is also the CEO of esync, an online-to-offline dating platform and LunchClick, a dating app that prides itself on disallowing the messaging function.

Violet is also the president of Matchmaking Institute in Singapore and President of Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) Singapore. She is also the first Asian to be certified by the Matchmaking Institute, United States (New York).

When Singapore was looking to solve the falling birth rates’ issue, she is one of the “go-to” person to discuss the topic.

For busy professionals who are looking for that special someone, Violet and her team at Lunch Actually will help you. The first consultation is complimentary – contact them here.

In this conversation, we spoke about

• How to increase the odds of successful dates
• How Violet kickstarted Lunch Actually
• Violet’s advice on when to commit to a marriage
• and much more!

Enjoy!

If you’ve only got 3 minutes, here’s a short video on (Your Political Correct Answer are Doing More Harm than Good)

• Listen to the full interview on iTunes.
• Stream by clicking here.
• Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

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

This podcast is brought to you by Altizen. If you don’t know already, research is concluding that sitting all day is terrible for you (“Sitting is the new smoking” is the new health phrase).  If you are like me, I went to Ikea and tried one of the self-cranking desk – it’s not for me.

Altizen desk is a smart motorized workstation that transforms the tabletop into a healthy standing desk. It is also intelligent – it tracks and coaches you to develop this new habit with its sensors and smartphone app.  Models start at $1,349. Check out Alitizen.com to see which one might be right fit for you. If you decide to get one, quote “MISFITS” to get $400 off Altizen immediately! Offer is limited to the first 10 customers.

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

Show Notes

Why is Violet Lim always wearing purple? [0:00:47]
How did Violet Lim meet Jamie? [0:03:19]
What was the vision of Lunch Actually when it first started? [0:09:13]
Why did Violet decide to change her degree of study midway? [0:12:36]
How did Violet get her first round of investment, $150K for Lunch Actually? [0:18:48]
As a manager, how does Violet strike the balance between being firm and friendly? [0:24:21]
What is the process that Violet uses to find and hire great people? [0:30:36]
Violet Lim shares Lunch Actually subsidiary services?[0:39:18]
When did Violet take the stance of “abundance”? [0:48:17]
How did Violet grow her company through acquisition [0:52:00]
Why beautiful and successful woman finish last in dating? [0:57:08]
Violet Lim shares insight about “Lust at first sight” [1:10:23]
Violet Lim shares advice to increase your dating odds [1:21:08]
What are questions that one should ask themselves before “starting to date”? [1:25:58]
What are some interesting data  Lunch Actually collected? [1:30:58]
What are some yardsticks to measure before one commits to a marriage? [1:38:34]
How should one think of divorce? [1:45:38]
How did Violet Lim maintain the relationship with Claire Chiang? [1:50:38]

Links Mentioned

Connect with Violet Lim:
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Why Men Marry Some Women and Not Others by  John T. Molloy
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman
“Courage” Band by The Mindful Company

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.

Big thank you to Violet Lim. Until next time!

Gina Tow is the founder and owner of Happy Rollies. Happy Rollies was started in 2015 and has since grown from a humble flea market stall selling ice cream at Geylang Serai market to having 20 ice-cream carts and 2 mini-vans now.

Gina Tow has since developed other food items such as Churros, Watermelon Volcano, Toasted Smores and Cheese Chicken Cubes.

If you are heading down to Geylang Serai Bazaar this year, keep a look-out for her stall(s). She is cooking up some excitement for all of us.

In this conversation, we spoke about:

• How Gina Tow earned 10K a month by trading second-hand luxury bags?
• Gina’s experience of being bullied in school
• How Gina start a successful ice-cream cart business

If you’ve only got 2 minutes, here’s a short video on (The Danger of your Job when it Shaped your Reality)

• Listen to the full interview on iTunes.
• Stream by clicking here.
• Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

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

This podcast is brought to you by Altizen. If you don’t know already, research is concluding that sitting all day is terrible for you (“Sitting is the new smoking” is the new health phrase).  If you are like me, I went to Ikea and tried one of the self-cranking desk – it’s not for me.

Altizen desk is a smart motorized workstation that transforms the tabletop into a healthy standing desk. It is also intelligent – it tracks and coaches you to develop this new habit with its sensors and smartphone app.  Models start at $1,349. Check out Alitizen.com to see which one might be right fit for you. If you decide to get one, quote “MISFITS” to get $400 off Altizen immediately! Offer is limited to the first 10 customers.

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

Show Notes
Gina shares her story of how she bought and sold a BMW at the age of 21 [0:00:20]
How does Gina come to the goal of owning a BMW? [0:07:52]
Gina Tow describes her childhood [0:16:09]
Gina Tow shares experience of being bullied in school [0:21:29]
How did Gina Tow lose 25kg? [0:23:29]
Gina Tow shares about her suicidal experience [0:25:29]
Gina Tow shares the story of being proposed to during polytechnic days [0:32:42]
How did Gina start working in insurance while studying in polytechnic? [0:33:24]
How did Gina Tow start a second-hand luxury bag business, Happybagsg? [0:37:13]
How does one colour dye a branded bag? [0:42:39]
Why did Gina start Happy Rollies?[0:44:35]
How did Gina scale up Happy Rollies? [0:55:39]

Links Mentioned
Connect with Gina Tow:
Facebook | Instagram

HappyBagsg (Instagram)
Gina’s BMW

Thanks for listening!

And if you have learnt any lesson 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.

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 Gina Tow. Hasta la vista, baby!