The BordersLess Podcast BordersLess

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Episode Themes (timestamps below)


The impact of COVID-19 on Chinatown, retail property & startups
Brad’s upbringing & struggles to fit in as an Asian-Australian
Haymarket HQ & helping startups expand to Asia
The challenges of running a family business
The importance of self-awareness & the strengths of introversion

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Topics covered in this episode:


How to start a side project after work in a low-risk way?
Fintech landscape in the US
Resources & tips on how you can get started

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This podcast episode touches on:


Karen’s journey from Australia to Singapore
Career advice for young professionals
Workplace Diversity & Inclusion
Utilising Australia’s diaspora and expat communities
Australian companies expanding to Asia

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Episode Themes


Shelli’s upbringing in Australia as a refugee
Her non-linear career path (Scientist → Real Estate → Venture Capitalist)\
The importance of networking & taking chances
Proptech investment themes across APAC & impact of COVID-19 on startups
Thoughts on cultural & gender barriers in the workplace

Re-upload from the PDF Podcast for archival purposes. Find out more about PDF here: https://professionaldevelopmentforum.org/

Episode Themes


Losing a job during the GFC and pivoting careers. Advice for others in similar situations.
Diversity and racism in Australia.
The Australia-China relationship.
The lack of understanding about Asia.
The journalism industry in Australia, HK and advice for young journalists.
Pushing your comfort zone and being curious.



From Accounting to Journalism


Born in Malaysia, Su-Lin came to Australia in her early teens. After losing her finance job during the 2008 Global Financial Crisis (GFC), Su-Lin embarked on a journey to pursue meaning over money. Over 2 years, Su-Lin sampled a variety of potential careers such as law, child-care, chemistry, and at one point, wanted to be a concert pianist. Eventually, she settled on journalism and hasn’t looked back.

Timestamps


1:20 – Su-Lin’s introduction, life in Malaysia, moving to Australia.
3:45 – Why she chose accounting as a career.
4:40 – Losing her job during the 2008 Financial Crisis. How and why she pursued journalism.
7:40 – Advice for others who may be affected by COVID-19 and in similar positions as Su-Lin was.
10:25 – how she got her break in journalism.
11:30 – her time at the Australian Financial Review.
13:00 – the bamboo ceiling in Australia, how her Asian background was an advantage in the newsroom.
14:25 – thoughts on the lack of diversity in journalism.
17:20 – how she got stories, what was her favourite piece?
20:25 – why she moved to the SCMP. Differences between journalism in HK and Australia.
22:15 – about her stories on racism in Australia.
27:20 – thoughts on the Aus-China relationship.
35:00 – Australia and its relationship with Asia. Lack of grassroots education about Asia in Australia.
38:25 – is Australia multicultural or multi-cultures?
39:50 – how do we build better relations between countries and within our own societies? Be curious, be uncomfortable, explore the world.
43:35 – thoughts on journalism in Australia, revenue models, the impact of social media, South China Morning Post & Alibaba.
50:20 – advice for young journalists.
51:50 – biggest challenges in Su-Lin’s career. How she pushed on.54:30 – closing thoughts.

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Episode Themes



Cultural & gender barriers in Australia & what we can do to improve these,
Diversity in Australia vs Japan,
Her entrepreneurial journey & advice for others on a similar journey,
Why COVID has unfairly impacted women in their careers and what she’s doing to help them,
The opportunities for women in the tech industry,
Having a positive mindset and turning your obstacles into opportunities.



About The Dream Collective


The Dream Collective was founded in 2012 by Sarah Liu, a passionate advocate for women in leadership and furthering diversity and inclusivity practises in corporate culture to transform the way we work.Sarah was named one of the “40 under 40: Most Influential Asian-Australians” in the Entrepreneurship category at the 2019 Asian-Australian Leadership Summit.The Dream Collective is a global leadership consultancy, helping businesses across Sydney, Shanghai, Melbourne, Tokyo & Singapore build diverse and inclusive workplaces: https://www.thedreamcollective.com.au/our-story/



Timestamps


1:20 – Introduction
3:50 – Cultural & diversity barriers in the workplace.
6:00 – Advice for others…career journey, upbringing, entrepreneurship.
9:25 – How did the Dream Collective start?
12:00 – Sarah’s transition from corporate to startup. Thoughts on having a “safety net” & taking risk.
12:40 – Seeing a gap in the market for mid-career level women
13:55 – What exactly are the barriers for women in the workplace?
15:40 – How is Sarah & The Dream Collective solving the lack of female leaders?
17:25 – thoughts around diversity & inclusion quotas in the workplace. The importance of having measurable targets. The lack of meritocracy in the workplace.
21:40 – utilising cultural & gender barriers to your advantage, addressing cultural barriers.
24:35 – why women have been unfairly impacted by COVID? What is the ShePivots program? How is it addressing this problem?
26:40 – opportunities for women in tech. You don’t need a technical/coding background to succeed. Using your diversity as a strength
28:25 – thoughts around entrepreneurship, advice for others on a similar journey, understand your “why”, impacts of COVID.
31:00 – Expanding globally to expand into other markets, differences in diversity & inclusion between countries.
34:10 – Using Japan vs Australia as an example
36:10 – COVID impacts and how to turn obstacles into opportunities
38:15 – Wrapping up, final thoughts, the launch of 50/50 in 100 days
41:15 – how to find out more about The Dream Collective, ShePivots, other programs & initiatives.