The Creative Heart

Elvin is a lifestyle portrait photographer, whose works look very much like stills from an Asian drama, filling you with whimsical and nostalgic vibes. We talked about photography being the art form that helps him to be a better communicator, the importance of connecting with subjects emotionally in creating compelling portraits, and many more good stuff in this episode.

Hailing from Manila, Nikko is an accomplished art director and photographer specializing in food & beverage and travel. His body of work is one I’d describe as tantalizing to the point that I have a hard time holding back my drool. Just hop over to his socials and see them for yourself. In this episode, we talked about his photography journey thus far since his budding years, creative challenges, use of social media as well as some tips to improve your photography.

Dogs are in the house in this episode! To sum it up, Ethan is the man that helps nurture harmony between dog owners and their pups. A master trainer and dog behaviourist at Urban K9, he shares with us his philosophy which centers around educating and training dog owners, while rehabilitating dogs. Among other things, I also learned about the concept of energy and misconceptions in dog behaviour. Ethan was also the winner of Cesar’s Recruit Asia season 1, and co-host for season 2 & 3.

“Passion may come and go, but it is the determination to give your best that makes the difference.” A leading hairstylist with more than 16 years of experience, Sham’s key sharing in this episode includes his success as a consequence of his relationship with his customers and employees, also how his childhood in Alor Setar (Kedah, Malaysia) forms the humility and authenticity in his approach to business. Founder of Be Salon, Sham now finds happiness in grooming new talents while continuing to be on the ground with his team to provide quality hairdressing experience.

BomBom not only sounds cute, but it also stands for Bones Offal Meat - Asia’s largest company that provides scientifically balanced fresh diet for your canine and feline pet. At its helm sits Jason Wang, the founder, also more fondly known as the Dogfather amongst the furry friends that he and his team care for. An accomplished founder and CEO in the finance world prior, he also has decades of research experience in agricultural and livestock farming, as well as companion animal nutrition. Jason is definitely a capable individual by most standards. But what I find myself most drawn to is his genuine love for animals and his relationship with Kyubi (his Shiba Inu) being the driving force behind his vision to leave a legacy for pets.

"Whatever good things we build ends up building us." That is Jay's Instagram account description which pretty much sums up his bold heart. Bold not because of physical strength, but his courage to fight on when life seemed battered. A financial services professional with 6 years of experience, a martial arts fighter, a techie, a friend to whoever pours him a glass of whiskey, Jay shared about his insights on balancing your WHY in life and being grounded in practicality. We also chat about owning self-ego and learning from one's shortcomings being key to self-improvement. 

“A measure of a man is not what you do with your life but what you leave behind” is the mantra that Gerald lives by. And his passion for food and beverages, specifically wine, is the medium through which he shares positivity with the people he crosses paths with. In this episode he shares his perspective on loving what you do, and what it means to take care of the people that truly matter. This personable, jolly and heartwarming dude is the Head Sommelier of Praelum wine bistro, 2-time National Sommelier Champion, and current active President of Sommelier Association of Singapore.