What inspires Leaders in Asia? What is the best piece of advice they've ever been given? What have they recently learnt that blew them away? #CallumConnects

1. CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects
Callum Laing
What is this presentation all
about?
Just a collection of quotes I have put
together from some of the many
Leaders in Asia that I have the
privilege to interview on a daily
basis. Enjoy!
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/callum/

2. CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects
Kara Bensley,
Founder of theWYLDshop.com
What’s the best piece of advice you
ever received?
“You should never be afraid of failure
because it is not final and it only gives
you the ability to learn and grow. It is
part of success”.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/kara-bensley-founder-of-thewyldshop-
com

3. CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects
What have you just learnt recently that blew you
away?
How we can influence our genetic material and coax
favourable outcomes from unfavourable genetic
predispositions.
It is all a part of a newer discipline in genetics called
epigenetics. Our genes don’t change but their expression
can.
Moreover, the way our own bacteria can interact with our
genome and force us into different behaviours is also a
mind-blowing perspective of what human existence is!
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/dr-konstantinos-papadopoulos-ceo-of-
thai-stemlife/
Dr. Konstantinos Papadopoulos, CEO
of THAI StemLife

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#CallumConnects
Padmini Pandya, Strategic Business
Planning of SapientNitro
What’s the best piece of advice
you ever received?
“Get out of your own way.” there’s
nothing more dangerous than self-
doubt. 100 people can encourage
you, but if one person says
something harsh, you’ll remember
those words, especially if they’re
yours.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/padmini-pandya-strategic-business-
planning-of-sapientnitro/

5. CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Nothing is that important that it can’t wait until tomorrow – sleep first.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/paul-carr-founder-of-paul-carr-media/
Paul Carr, Founder of Paul Carr Media

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#CallumConnects
Adrien Choux, Founder of The
Chinese Timekeeper
Who inspires you?
Guy Laliberte (founder of
Cirque du Soleil). Visionary,
passionate, philanthropist and
a great poker player … quite
an inspiration!
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/adrien-choux-founder-of-the-chinese-
timekeeper/

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#CallumConnects
Aimee Barnes, Founder of Tangram
Fitness
What have you just learnt recently that blew
you away?
The average American household spends $1,000 a
year on lottery tickets.
The average Singapore household spends $4,000
annually on the lotto!
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/aimee-barnes-founder-of-tangram-
fitness/

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#CallumConnects
Habiba Raffa, Founder of Ayelli
What have you just learnt recently that blew you
away?
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/habiba-raffa-founder-of-ayelli/
Did you know that Bukit Timah’s Nature
Reserve in Singapore has more species
of trees than the entire North American
continent? Talk about a green dot!

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Serena Forlino, Founder of Bohology
What have you just learnt
recently that blew you away?
Learning to say No. I never
had this ability, but to become
an entrepreneur you must
become more assertive.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/serena-forlino-founder-of-bohology/

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#CallumConnects
Nadya Saib, CEO of Wangsa Jelita
What have you just learnt recently that blew you
away?
It seems easy to answer “what is your priority in life?” But
when we ask ourselves—where do we spend most of our
time, what do we think when we get up, what do we stay
up at night worrying about, what makes us cry most—and
find that the reality reflects otherwise, then it means we
don’t know what our priorities are. And I think that’s
problematic, because I believe life balance starts with
getting our priorities straight. The fact that many people
actually don’t know (nor really question)—what the real
priorities are—just blew me away.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/nadya-saib-ceo-of-wangsa-jelita/

11. CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects
What have you just learnt recently that blew you
away?
That the failures I had were in fact the best things that
ever happened to me. Only recently have I realized the
importance of failing and that my success could never
happen unless I acknowledge and leverage on my
learning from that failure. It has shifted the way I think,
the way I work and interact with people around me.
And yes that is to me mind blowing!
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/mouna-aouri-langendorf-founder-of-
woomentum/
Mouna Aouri Langendorf, Founder of
Woomentum

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#CallumConnects
Robin Low,
Principal Consultant of Patatas
What have you just learnt recently
that blew you away?
‘Youths’ in Singapore are aged
15-35.
35 year old youths?!
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/robin-low-principal-consultant-of-patatas

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#CallumConnects
What’s the best piece of advice
you ever received?
Never take ‘No’ for an answer.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/talenia-phua-gajardo-ceo-of-the-artling/
Talenia Phua Gajardo, CEO of The
Artling

14. CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects
What’s the best piece of
advice you ever received?
People remember generosity.
Be generous, be kind, be
direct, be remembered.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/howard-lo-founder-of-standing-sushi-
bar/
Howard Lo, Founder of Standing Sushi Bar

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#CallumConnects
Who inspires you?
Oprah Winfrey. She’s the first self-made black woman billionaire in world history. And she did
it by building a media empire from scratch. She also overcame much adversity in her youth to
rise to where she is today. More significantly, she has achieved such phenomenal success
through a very holistic focus on personal development and the message of hope she
champions, which has inspired thousands over the years.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/jamie-nonis-founder-of-the-writers-club/
Jamie Nonis, Founder of The Writers Club

16. CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
I’m going to be annoying and go for two bits of wisdom:
1: Frustration is the mother of innovation. If something
regularly bothers you, there’s a good chance you can build
a business out of improving it, and it’s better to be an
entrepreneur than a complainer.
2: Communication is about what other people understand,
not what you say. Too much business communication –
especially marketing – obsesses about the message
instead of the take-out. Build outcomes, not outputs.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/simon-kemp-founder-of-we-are-social/
Simon Kemp, Regional Managing Partner
of We Are Social

17. Who inspires you?
Richard Branson. He’s all about fun and
passion and being a bit rebellious. I love that.
Also Joel Gascoign from Buffer. He’s disrupting
the typical startup mentality by focusing on
transparency, values and culture.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/gina-romero-founder-of-executive-
lifestyle/
Gina Romero, Founder of Executive Lifestyle
CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects

18. What’s the best piece of advice you ever
received?
There is no point doing what you are doing
without an end game. Choose where you
want to be, what you want to do and work
out a way to get there.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/charlie-brazier-founder-of-bw-furniture/
Charlie Brazier, Founder of BW Furniture
CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects

19. What’s the best piece of advice you ever
received?
“Be bold and yet be meticulous in everything
you do”
Set clear and precise goals, do your
groundwork, move forward and do not look
back.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/jerome-lim-director-of-ming-fa-fishball/
Jerome Lim, Director of Ming Fa Fishball
CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects

20. Who inspires you?
James Altucher. I’m a big fan of his
writing and love how he makes the
complex simple with his personal
stories.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/benjamin-loh-public-speaking-coach/
Benjamin Loh, Public Speaking Coach
CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects

21. What’s the best piece of
advice you ever received?
Believe in yourself. If you
don’t, no one else will.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/christine-edwards-founder-of-
honeycombers/
Christine Edwards, Founder of
Honeycombers
CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects

22. What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Building routines around the high pay-off tasks is probably
one of the best-kept secrets for mastery of personal
leadership. Most people are quick to say that the top-notch
athletes are successful because they’re talented. But pay
attention to their routines and you will realize they are very
discipline when it comes to investing time in high-payoff
activities. Tiger Woods commits himself to an insane, 12-
hour routine that not only shows his dedication to his craft,
but also to other aspects of his life.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/chua-weng-foofounder-of-sales-faktor-
training/
Chua Weng Foo,Founder of Sales Faktor
Training
CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects

23. What’s the best piece of advice
you ever received?
Remember the people who helped
you along the way and in turn…help
the people along your journey.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/hossan-leong-founder-of-paul-carr-
consultancy/
Hossan Leong, Founder Of Double Confirm
CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects

24. What’s the best piece of advice you ever
received?
If you care for others, your consciousness
expands and you’re happy. If you care only
for yourself, your consciousness contracts
and you’re miserable.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/jack-sim-founder-of-world-toilet-
organization/
Jack Sim, Founder of World Toilet
Organization
CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects

25. What’s the best piece of advice
you ever received?
That nothing in life comes easy. It
reminds me that I must always work
hard, be determined and persistent.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/jia-en-teo-co-founder-of-roomorama/
Jia En Teo, Co-Founder of Roomorama
CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects

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Who inspires you?
My children, their creativity,
unadulterated vision of the
world, their energy.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/meri-rosich-founder-of-app-strategy-
labs/
Meri Rosich, Founder of App Strategy Labs

27. CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects
What’s the best piece of
advice you ever received?
Smiling causes fewer wrinkles
than frowning.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/george-hwang-lawyer/
George Hwang, Lawyer

28. CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects
What’s the best piece of advice you ever
received?
Trust in the universe. What you think you want
will not always be what you get and it could be a
blessing in disguise. Growing up in the West,
there’s a strong sense to control your destiny. In
Asia, karma is at play and the universe conspires
to take you to the next level if you let it.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/khun-patcharee-pantoomano-founder-
of-brand-now/
Patcharee Pantoomano, Founder of Brand
Now

29. CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects
Who inspires you?
Stories of women from the past –
who did it all without the internet,
washing machines, or iphones!
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/michaela-anchan-founder-of-woolf-
works/
Michaela Anchan, Founder Of Woolf Works

30. CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects
Who inspires you?
Singapore’s founding father Mr Lee Kuan Yew has
been a source of inspiration.
Running a company is hard enough, let alone a
country, but he did it extremely well.
During the era when he was building Singapore, it
was even more difficult but he overcame all odds. I
am inspired by his strong sense of vision and tenacity;
it’s not easy to be visionary.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/keithtan/
Keith Tan, Founder of Aileron Wellness

31. CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
One that I live my life by is to always think “how can I
help you” when meeting people without expecting
anything in return.
Doing business is about developing trust, especially in
Asia. I am always happy to provide an introduction or a
connection if I can help.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/sam-lau-founder-of-total-loyalty/
Sam Lau, Founder of Total Loyalty

32. CallumLaing.com
#CallumConnects
What’s the best piece of advice
you ever received?
“Enjoy what you do”
I think it is easier to say, “Do what
you enjoy” but we should remember
that we can choose to enjoy
anything we do as well.
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/masami-soto-founder-of-buy-one-give-
one/
Masami Soto, Founder of Buy One Give
One

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“Hope you enjoyed it. Do feel free
to share it with anyone you think
might be inspired.”
- Callum, February 2015
Link: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/callum/