Thriving as a

The Business Times

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thrive is the young audience initiative of The Business Times. In this new series by thrive, we’ll be uncovering the day-to-day realities of various jobs in Singapore. Taking an unfiltered look behind the scenes, we aim to debunk myths about these careers. Podcaster: thrive Produced by: The Business Times, SPH Media

11/17/2025

The truth behind recent F&B closures + reality of being a chef | Thriving as a F&B entrepreneur

2025 hasn't been the best year for F&B in Singapore, with multiple restaurants and chains closing down. In today's episode, we sit down with Alex Chua and Jose Alonso from AC Concepts to discuss all things F&B. Are landlords are really to blame for the recent F&B closures? Are Home-based businesses unfairly competing with restaurants? What is it really like to work as a chef, and more. Timestamps: 01:16 - Alex and Jose introduction 01:51 - What is AC concepts 03:50 - The reality of working as a chef 06:27 - How they decide on the menu 08:39 - “restaurant is not food” 13:58 - Singaporeans = experts on Japanese food? 18:53 - On F&B businesses shutting down 20:54 - On landlords raising rent 24:54 - Are people dining out less? 26:49 - Home-based businesses = competition? 30:02 - On Chinese brands like Haidilao and Mixue etc 32:41 - Is local hawker culture dying? 34:48 - Thoughts on food influencers/social media 36:43 - Final words of advice Credits: Written by: Daryl Choo and Andrew Wong Hosted by: Lynette Koh and Andrew Wong Edited by: Andrew Wong Produced by: Daryl Choo Send your questions, thoughts, story ideas, and feedback to thrivebt@sph.com.sg ------ Discover more BT podcast series: BT Mark To Market at: bt.sg/btmark2mkt WealthBT at: bt.sg/btpropertybt PropertyBT at: bt.sg/btmktfocus BT Money Hacks at: bt.sg/btmoneyhacks BT Market Focus at: bt.sg/btmktfocus BT Podcasts at: bt.sg/podcasts BT Branded Podcasts at: bt.sg/brpod BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlenson See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

39 min
10/08/2025

Dyson engineers gets REAL on hairdryer dupes | Thriving as a Dyson engineer

In today's episode we sit down with two Dyson engineers, Shawn Lim and James Dsouza, to find out what it's like being an engineer at Dyson. We find out why there's so many hair samples in their office and how Dyson's motor are made right here in Singapore. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 3:07 - Shawn as a chemical engineer 8:32 - Grab drivers asking do you work at Dyson? 10:06 - Different temperature settings 12:47 - Dyson motors are made in Singapore 27:16 - Thought and design behind Dyson products 28:18 - Engineering fails 32:01 - Importance of continuous learning 32:52 - How you got into engineering 35:01 - One product you could design without limitations? 39:29 - Creative ways to solve modern problems 40:01 - Final advice for aspiring engineers 42:58 - Outro Credits: Written by: Daryl Choo and Vivien Shiao Hosted by: Daryl Choo and Lynette Koh Edited by: Rasuna Azrayl Produced by: Rasuna Azrayl Send your questions, thoughts, story ideas, and feedback to thrivebt@sph.com.sg ------ Discover more BT podcast series: BT Mark To Market at: bt.sg/btmark2mkt WealthBT at: bt.sg/btpropertybt PropertyBT at: bt.sg/btmktfocus BT Money Hacks at: bt.sg/btmoneyhacks BT Market Focus at: bt.sg/btmktfocus BT Podcasts at: bt.sg/podcasts BT Branded Podcasts at: bt.sg/brpod BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlenson See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

43 min
08/27/2025

99% of startups will not make it? | Thriving as a venture capitalist

In today's episode we sit down with Vishal Harnal, managing partner of 500 Global, to find out what it's like being a venture capitalist, why he still invests in companies with only 1% chance of making it big, and the importance of enjoying what you do. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 0:53 - Introduction of Vishal: What is a venture capitalist? 3:38 - How does venture capital firms / venture capitalists make money? 6:28 - Qualities Vishal look for in potential businesses before investing 7:51 - Where do VC firms get their funds from? 10:33 - The story behind investing in Grain 14:48 - Before Vishal became a venture capitalist 16:53 - Importance of enjoying what you do 18:23 - Networking with people from LinkedIn 21:03 - What is Vishal’s day like? 21:55 - Hunting for deals Vishal wants 24:38 - Vishal’s favorite part of the job 26:58 - What will the world look like in 10 years to Vishal? 28:43 - Artificial General Intelligence 29:18 - Vishal’s thoughts about the future 31:58 - Does Vishal dream of becoming a Shark? 33:14 - Do you need a finance/business degree to join VC? 35:00 - What Vishal looks out for when hiring 37:03 - An unspoken rule in the VC industry? 38:36 - 99% of startups cannot make it 39:43 - Looking for companies that give asymmetrical returns 40:43 - Personal investing vs venture capital firms 43:08 - The weirdest pitch Vishal heard 46:20 - What to say during coffee chats? 50:33 - People have a superficial understanding of themselves 51:13 - Never too late to restart 54:08 - Outro Credits: Written by: Daryl Choo and Vivien Shiao Hosted by: Daryl Choo and Lynette Koh Edited by: Rasuna Azrayl Produced by: Rasuna Azrayl Send your questions, thoughts, story ideas, and feedback to thrivebt@sph.com.sg services. Please consult professional advisors for independent advice. ------ Discover more BT podcast series: BT Mark To Market at: bt.sg/btmark2mkt WealthBT at: bt.sg/btpropertybt PropertyBT at: bt.sg/btmktfocus BT Money Hacks at: bt.sg/btmoneyhacks BT Market Focus at: bt.sg/btmktfocus BT Podcasts at: bt.sg/podcasts BT Branded Podcasts at: bt.sg/brpod BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlenson See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

54 min
06/02/2025

Top 3 BTO reno red flags, & more | Thriving as an interior designer

In today's episode Thrive co-hosts Daryl and Estelle chats with Ng Sze Wee, co-founder of interior design firm Office Of_, about top red flags new home owners should look out for, scams in the ID industry, and what he really thinks about trends like Japandi. Timestamps: 00:00 - Hook 00:40 - Intro 01:08 - Difference between architect vs ID 02:19 - His exact jobscope 04:33 - Long working hours 06:31 - Designing during construction stage 07:58 - Likes/dislikes of the job 09:16 - Honest thoughts about Japandi/arches 12:29 - Need formal qualification to become ID? 16:19 - Scams in the industry 17:13 - 🚩 Red flag 1: downpayment too high 19:03 - Too much built-in?? 21:09 - 🚩 Red flag 2: push product too hard 23:27 - 🚩 Red flag 3: cost too low 25:22 - Thoughts on Taobao furniture 27:46 - Most rewarding part of the job 28:38 - High turnover in the industry 30:17 - What made him want to stay 31:58 - Hire contractor = cheaper?? 34:53 - Advice to young designers Credits: Written by: Daryl Choo and Vivien Shiao Hosted by: Daryl Choo and Estelle Edited by: Andrew Wong and Rasuna Azrayl Produced by: Andrew Wong Send your questions, thoughts, story ideas, and feedback to thrivebt@sph.com.sg services. Please consult professional advisors for independent advice. ------ Discover more BT podcast series: BT Mark To Market at: bt.sg/btmark2mkt WealthBT at: bt.sg/btpropertybt PropertyBT at: bt.sg/btmktfocus BT Money Hacks at: bt.sg/btmoneyhacks BT Market Focus at: bt.sg/btmktfocus BT Podcasts at: bt.sg/podcasts BT Branded Podcasts at: bt.sg/brpod BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlenson See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

39 min
05/09/2025

"Do things outside of work." | Thriving as a banker

In today's episode Thrive co-hosts Daryl and Estelle chats with Lee Lung-Nien, Chairman of Citi Private Bank, Asia South to find out what it takes to succeed as an investment banker, why he thinks you should stay in the same company and more. Timestamps: 00:00 - Hook 00:28 - Intro 00:42 - Lung-Nien's introduction 01:13 - What does a banker do? 02:21 - On staying in the same company 03:07 - How he ended up in banking 04:18 - "You don't need to study banking." 05:50 - What he looks out for when hiring 08:15 - Trick question during interviews 11:27 - "Do things outside of work" 12:00 - On bankers working long hours 14:48 - What investment bankers really do 16:09 - Investment bankers earing 5-figures 19:06 - "Young people have no patience." 20:45 - Job switching vs loyalty 23:27 - Quickfire questions 27:46 - What he would tell his younger self 29:06 - Stressing over internships 32:50 - Final quote Credits: Written by: Daryl Choo and Vivien Shiao Hosted by: Daryl Choo and Estelle Edited by: Andrew Wong and Rasuna Azrayl Produced by: Andrew Wong Send your questions, thoughts, story ideas, and feedback to thrivebt@sph.com.sg services. Please consult professional advisors for independent advice. ------ Discover more BT podcast series: BT Mark To Market at: bt.sg/btmark2mkt WealthBT at: bt.sg/btpropertybt PropertyBT at: bt.sg/btmktfocus BT Money Hacks at: bt.sg/btmoneyhacks BT Market Focus at: bt.sg/btmktfocus BT Podcasts at: bt.sg/podcasts BT Branded Podcasts at: bt.sg/brpod BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlenson See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

34 min
04/08/2025

On defending someone who's guilty | Thriving as a lawyer

Defending a client who's clearly guilty?? Thrive co-hosts Daryl and Estelle chat with Lee Ee Yang, managing director at Covenant Chambers LLC on long hours as a lawyer in the Big 4, burnout in the industry and more. Timestamps: 00:00 - Hook 00:31 - Intro 01:10 - Ee Yang's introduction 01:26 - Lawyer = arguing in courtroom? 03:09 - Defending someone who's guilty 05:36 - Serving document to high profile member in SG 07:16 - On young laywers being overworked 09:30 - What are The Big 4 firms 13:34 - Long working hours 14:35 - Is it harder to be a lawyer now? 17:48 - Winning arguments at home 19:50 - Traits of a lawyer 22:26 - On suing in personal capacity 23:30 - People defending themselves in court 25:54 - Longer training for trainee lawyers 28:45 - Do working hours improve? 30:24 - Start at big vs small firm 31:33 - Tearing up in court 34:41 - Final advice Credits: Written by: Daryl Choo and Vivien Shiao Hosted by: Daryl Choo and Estelle Edited by: Andrew Wong and Rasuna Azrayl Produced by: Andrew Wong Send your questions, thoughts, story ideas, and feedback to thrivebt@sph.com.sg services. Please consult professional advisors for independent advice. ------ Discover more BT podcast series: BT Mark To Market at: bt.sg/btmark2mkt WealthBT at: bt.sg/btpropertybt PropertyBT at: bt.sg/btmktfocus BT Money Hacks at: bt.sg/btmoneyhacks BT Market Focus at: bt.sg/btmktfocus BT Podcasts at: bt.sg/podcasts BT Branded Podcasts at: bt.sg/brpod BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlenson See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

37 min
04/03/2025

Night-shift horror stories & more | Thriving as a nurse in Singapore

Creepy night shift stories in the hospital? Thrive co-hosts Daryl and Estelle chat with Kimberley-Ann Tan and Lim Wei Heong, both senior staff nurses from Tan Tock Seng Hospital on the reality of being a nurse in Singapore, their career progression and more. Timestamps: 00:00 - Hook 00:31 - Intro 01:00 - Dual roles as a nurse 02:10 - What brought them to this role? 05:29 - Roll Call podcast 07:32 - Teased as a male nurse? 09:03 - Working hours/shift schedule 15:38 - Downsides of being a nurse 18:46 - "I held her hand." 21:07 - How real is Grey's Anatomy? 25:29 - Night shift horror stories 29:03 - Not enough nurses in SG 31:20 - Career progression as a nurse 33:43 - Ever regret being a nurse? 35:56 - Final words of advice Credits: Written by: Daryl Choo and Vivien Shiao Hosted by: Daryl Choo and Estelle Edited by: Andrew Wong and Rasuna Azrayl Produced by: Andrew Wong Send your questions, thoughts, story ideas, and feedback to thrivebt@sph.com.sg services. Please consult professional advisors for independent advice. ------ Discover more BT podcast series: BT Mark To Market at: bt.sg/btmark2mkt WealthBT at: bt.sg/btpropertybt PropertyBT at: bt.sg/btmktfocus BT Money Hacks at: bt.sg/btmoneyhacks BT Market Focus at: bt.sg/btmktfocus BT Podcasts at: bt.sg/podcasts BT Branded Podcasts at: bt.sg/brpod BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlenson See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

37 min
03/25/2025

Thriving as a content creator

Is being a content creator all about glamour and freebies? Thrive co-hosts Daryl and Estelle find out from Sya (@syafiqapls) and Leah Shannon (@mizchiefmagik) what being a content creator is REALLY like. Time stamps:02:52 - Content creator is a dream job? 05:22 - Oversaturation in the market 08:35 - Agency vs independent 10:34 - Who pays you? 12:58 - Influencer vs content creator 18:01 - Comparing with office job 23:38 - Dealing with burnout 34:34 - Best and worst parts of job 46:29 - Sponsored content 50:30 - Is content creation sustainable? 53:34 - Final advice Credits: Written by: Daryl Choo and Vivien Shiao Hosted by: Daryl Choo and Estelle Edited by: Andrew Wong and Rasuna Azrayl Produced by: Andrew Wong Send your questions, thoughts, story ideas, and feedback to thrivebt@sph.com.sg services. Please consult professional advisors for independent advice. ------ Discover more BT podcast series: BT Mark To Market at: bt.sg/btmark2mkt WealthBT at: bt.sg/btpropertybt PropertyBT at: bt.sg/btmktfocus BT Money Hacks at: bt.sg/btmoneyhacks BT Market Focus at: bt.sg/btmktfocus BT Podcasts at: bt.sg/podcasts BT Branded Podcasts at: bt.sg/brpod BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlenson See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

55 min
03/25/2025

Thriving as a counsellor/therapist

What do counsellors really think about TikTok therapy? Thrive co-hosts Daryl and Estelle chat with Ether Kum and Dr Ong Mian-Li on whether young adults should follow mental health advice on social media. Time stamps: 02:42 - Difference between counsellors and therapists 08:43 - Following the police?? 10:53 - Career progression 14:50 - Client confidentiality 18:05 - On sharing with friends and family 22:33 - Is TikTok therapy legit? 28:33 - Misconceptions about their job 31:04 - The ~therapist~ voice 33:14 - Friends asking for free counselling 36:03 - Hobbies 40:16 - Do they gossip with therapist friends 43:17 - Confidentiality in school/workplace ------ Discover more BT podcast series: BT Mark To Market at: bt.sg/btmark2mkt WealthBT at: bt.sg/btpropertybt PropertyBT at: bt.sg/btmktfocus BT Money Hacks at: bt.sg/btmoneyhacks BT Market Focus at: bt.sg/btmktfocus BT Podcasts at: bt.sg/podcasts BT Branded Podcasts at: bt.sg/brpod BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlenson See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

52 min
03/24/2025

A thrive teaser

Introducing a brand new podcast series from thrive! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

27 sec

10 Episodes

thrive is the young audience initiative of The Business Times. In this new series by thrive, we’ll be uncovering the day-to-day realities of various jobs in Singapore. Taking an unfiltered look behind the scenes, we aim to debunk myths about these careers. Podcaster: thrive Produced by: The Business Times, SPH Media

Creator

The Business Times
Years Active

2K
Episodes

10
Rating

Clean
Show Website

Thriving as a