Ctrl + Alt + Career

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Ctrl + Alt + Career goes behind the scenes of people who have embarked on an alternative career in Asia and the challenges they face in a society where we are often expected to follow a traditional career path.

Jennifer Ong


    • Nov 17, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 42m AVG DURATION
    • 49 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Ctrl + Alt + Career

    45: Benjamin Wong, from Law School and Private Equity to CEO of Kinobi

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2023


    Benjamin is the Co-Founder and CEO of Kinobi, an education tech startup focused on helping university students find jobs. He dropped out of law school, pivoted into finance and spent time working in private equity and family offices before pivoting again into entrepreneurship. Ben is also currently a Board Member of the Singapore Chamber of Commerce Indonesia.—-In this conversation, Benjamin shares - (i) His journey of leaving law school and pivoting from private equity(ii) How to build a great working relationship with clients(iii) The impact that storytelling can have on sales(iv) And many more…!Find out more about Kinobi - https://kinobi.tech/ To connect with Benjamin, find him on LinkedIn.—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance, you can find me on -(i) Instagram @ongjennifer_ (ii) LinkedIn(iii) Or download my free guide to finding your passion here.(iv) Want to work with me 1:1? Sign up for a FREE discovery call to learn more about my career coaching program here.

    44: Jeremy Au, from Co-Founding Two Companies to VC at Monk's Hill Ventures

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2023


    Jeremy is a venture capitalist at Monk's Hill Ventures. He's also the host of BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast, which focuses on startups and VCs in Southeast Asia. Prior to this, he started his career as a management consultant at Bain before going to founding two startups - one in Singapore and one in the US before pivoting into VC. Additionally, he is an angel investor in multiple companies. —-In this conversation, Jeremy shares - (i) How to know when you to move on from your job(ii) Where your business should be when looking for VC funding (iii) The most important aspect for an entrepreneur (iv) And many more…!Find out more about Monk's Hill Ventures - https://www.monkshill.com/ BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast - https://www.bravesea.com/ To connect with Jeremy, find him on LinkedIn.—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance, you can find me on -(i) Instagram @ongjennifer_ (ii) LinkedIn(iii) Or download my free guide to finding your passion here.(iv) Want to work with me 1:1? Sign up for a FREE discovery call to learn more about my career coaching program here.

    43: Sabrina Joseph, from St. Regis and Oglivy to founding HuntStreet

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2023


    Sabrina is the Co-Founder and CMO of HuntStreet, an online luxury marketplace based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Outside of fashion, she's also very involved in church and set up the Catholic Fellowship Jakarta. She studied in Switzerland and graduated with a bachelor's in hospitality management and moved to Shanghai to study Mandarin. She realized that agency life was not for her, and also found that there wasn't a luxury marketplace in Jakarta. Thus, moving on to co-founding Hunt Street—-In this conversation, Sabrina shares - (i) Her move from agency to entrepreneurship (ii) What to look for in a co-founder(iii) The 3 keys to a successful platform(iv) And many more…!Find out more about HuntStreet - https://www.huntstreet.com/ To connect with Sabrina, find heron LinkedIn.—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance, you can find me on -(i) Instagram @ongjennifer_ (ii) LinkedIn(iii) Or download my free guide to finding your passion here.(iv) Want to work with me 1:1? Sign up for a FREE discovery call to learn more about my career coaching program here.

    42: Kai Yuan Neo, from coding at Facebook and Alibaba to founding Rocket Academy

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2023


    Kai is the Founder and CEO of Rocket Academy, an online coding bootcamp that helps people become software engineers. He spent 5 years at Stanford University, where he graduated with a Master's Degree in Computer Science. In his time there, he did internships at Alibaba and Facebook as a Software EngineerKai wanted to start a business when he returned to Singapore, but his first venture, Project We Forgot, did not take off. He eventually founded Rocket Academy in 2019 after realising his desire of teaching and his expertise in coding.—-In this conversation, Kai shares - (i) Why he chose to pursue entrepreneurship over large tech companies(ii) The initial start of Rocket Academy(iii) His experience when looking for a first job after graduating(iv) And many more…!Find out more about Rocket Academy - https://www.rocketacademy.co/ To connect with Kai, find him on LinkedIn.—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance, you can find me on -(i) Instagram @ongjennifer_ (ii) LinkedIn(iii) Or download my free guide to finding your passion here.(iv) Want to work with me 1:1? Sign up for a FREE discovery call to learn more about my career coaching program here.

    41 Part 2: Dr Jane Horan, Navigating Workplace Politics for Better Networks

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2023


    Jane is the Founder and CEO of The Horan Group, a strategic consulting firm helping individuals and organizations build inclusion and purpose. Dr. Jane Horan is an expert in career transitions, unconscious bias and cross-cultural leadership. Her life has lead her to the US, China, Hong Kong, and Singapore where she currently resides. She has a Doctor of Education in Asian Women Leaders and has written multiple books with topics ranging from workplace politics to leadership of Asian women.—-In part 2 of this conversation, she shares - (i) Tips on building your network in and out of your company(ii) How to build mentor relationships either organically or deliberately (iii) Questions to find meaning and purpose at work(iv) And many more…!Find out more about The Horan Group - https://thehorangroup.com/ To connect with Dr Horan, find her on LinkedIn.Jane's BooksHow Asian Women Lead: Lessons for Global CorporationsI Wish I'd Known That Earlier in My Career: The Power of Positive Workplace PoliticsNow It's Clear The Career You Own—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance, you can find me on -(i) Instagram @ongjennifer_ (ii) LinkedIn(iii) Or download my free guide to finding your passion here.(iv) Want to work with me 1:1? Sign up for a FREE discovery call to learn more about my career coaching program here.

    41 Part 1: Dr Jane Horan, from Dream Job at Disney to founding The Horan Group

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2023


    Jane is the Founder and CEO of The Horan Group, a strategic consulting firm helping individuals and organizations build inclusion and purpose. Dr. Jane Horan is an expert in career transitions, unconscious bias and cross-cultural leadership. Her life has lead her to the US, China, Hong Kong, and Singapore where she currently resides. She has a Doctor of Education in Asian Women Leaders and has written multiple books with topics ranging from workplace politics to leadership of Asian women.—-In part 1 of this conversation, she shares - (i) Her journey across the US and Asia to founding The Horan Group(ii) Her thoughts on impostor syndrome, core values, and opportunities(iii) Her learnings when speaking to Asian women leaders(iv) And many more…!Find out more about The Horan Group - https://thehorangroup.com/ To connect with Dr Horan, find her on LinkedIn.Jane's BooksHow Asian Women Lead: Lessons for Global CorporationsI Wish I'd Known That Earlier in My Career: The Power of Positive Workplace PoliticsNow It's Clear The Career You Own—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance, you can find me on -(i) Instagram @ongjennifer_ (ii) LinkedIn(iii) Or download my free guide to finding your passion here.(iv) Want to work with me 1:1? Sign up for a FREE discovery call to learn more about my career coaching program here.

    40: Felix Lee, from starting a Google Sheet to the founder of ADPList

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2023


    Felix is the Co-Founder and CEO of ADPList, an online platform hosting a community of mentors and learners. He has always been interested in building his own company, and his first business was Packdat, which he founded with his brother while still in school, that was eventually acquired. Felix went on to work at other startups before embarking on his own. The first version of ADP List was a tab on Google Sheets with a list of volunteer mentors. It has since grown to have 13,000 mentors today.In this conversation, he shares - (i) The founding of ADPList(ii) Tips on cold outreach and networking with senior executives(iii) His lessons and conversations with other founders(iv) And many more…!Find out more about ADP List - https://adplist.org/ To connect with Felix, find him on LinkedIn.—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance, you can find me on -(i) Instagram @ongjennifer_ (ii) LinkedIn(iii) Or download my free guide to finding your passion here.(iv) Want to work with me 1:1? Sign up for a FREE discovery call to learn more about my career coaching program here.

    39 Part 2: Nellie Wartoft, from Recruiting to the founder of Tigerhall

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2023


    Nellie is the Founder and CEO of Tigerhall, a social learning platform focused on empowering professionals in their career. She hails from Sweden, having her first experiences in entrepreneurship there. She then moved halfway across the world to study in Singapore, and after taking on a role in sales and marketing at Michael Page. In 2018, she founded Tigerhall in Singapore and has since expanded to the US market as well.In part 2 of this conversation, she shares - (i) How Nellie founded Tigerhall(ii) Tapping on purpose to start a business(iii) Tips on recruiting(iv) And many more…!Find out more about Tigerhall - https://tigerhall.com/ To connect with Nellie, find her on LinkedIn.—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance, you can find me on -(i) Instagram @ongjennifer_ (ii) LinkedIn(iii) Or download my free guide to finding your passion here.(iv) Want to work with me 1:1? Sign up for a FREE discovery call to learn more about my career coaching program here.

    39 Part 1: Nellie Wartoft, How to Successfully Fundraise from the founder of Tigerhall

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2023


    Nellie is the Founder and CEO of Tigerhall, a social learning platform focused on empowering professionals in their career. She hails from Sweden, having her first experiences in entrepreneurship there. She then moved halfway across the world to study in Singapore, and after taking on a role in sales and marketing at Michael Page. In 2018, she founded Tigerhall in Singapore and has since expanded to the US market as well.In this conversation, she shares - (i) Her rule of thumbs to fundraising(ii) Building relations and networking for fundraising (iii) Things to note when starting a business(iv) And many more…!Find out more about Tigerhall - https://tigerhall.com/ To connect with Nellie, find her on LinkedIn.—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance, you can find me on -(i) Instagram @ongjennifer_ (ii) LinkedIn(iii) Or download my free guide to finding your passion here.(iv) Want to work with me 1:1? Sign up for a FREE discovery call to learn more about my career coaching program here.

    38: Sarah Garner, from Fashion Buyer to Founding Retykle

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2022


    Sarah is the Founder and CEO of Retykle, a luxury resale platform for secondhand children's wear. She started off her career in America, working at Bloomington and Holt Renfrew, before upending her life and moving across the world to Hong Kong. Then she gained more experience in the fashion industry at Lane Crawford, DFS, and Shanghai Tang. Sarah left the workforce when she became a mother for a couple of years, and came back wanting to build something she can be proud of. Her experience in bringing up her kids led to the founding of Retykle.In this conversation, she shares - (i) Why she moved halfway across the world(ii) The Founding of Retykle(iii) Juggling entrepreneurship and motherhood.(iv) And many more…!Find out more about Retykle - https://retykle.com/To connect with Tanya, find her on LinkedIn.—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance, you can find me on -(i) Instagram @ongjennifer_ (ii) LinkedIn(iii) Or download my free guide to finding your passion here.(iv) Want to work with me 1:1? Sign up for a FREE discovery call to learn more about my career coaching program here.

    36: Coral Chung, from Bain Consultant to Co-Founder of SENREVE

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2022


    Coral is the Co-Founder and CEO of SENREVE, a digitally native brand revolutionising the luxury industry, which pioneered the luxury convertible handbag and backpack category with the iconic Maestra Bag. Growing up in a multicultural and entrepreneurial household, she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a double degree in Finance & Management and International Studies. Her first job out of college was as a consultant at Bain & Company, before returning to business school at Stanford.After spending a few more years at Bain, she left to join Medallia, then a fast growing tech unicorn, focusing on their retail vertical, where she gained operational experience working in a startup. With her accumulated experience, she founded SENREVE.In this conversation, she shares - Her consultancy experience and it's relation to entrepreneurshipThe founding and initial growth of SENREVETips on networking, finding a co-founder, starting a companyAnd many more…!Find out more about SENREVE - https://www.senreve.com/ To connect with Coral, find her on Instagram or LinkedIn.—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance to find a more fulfilling career, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @ongjennifer_ or LinkedIn, I'd love to see how I can help!Download my free guide to finding your passion here.

    35 Part 2: Lauren Dai, from Goldman Sachs to Co-Founder of Cocoon

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2022


    Lauren is the Co-Founder and COO of Cocoon, a leave management platform that simplifies the complexities of compliance, claims, and payroll for a seamless, more empathetic employee leave experience. Prior to the founding of her company, she was a research analyst at Goldman Sachs. Later, she took the risk in leaving her “safe and comfortable” job at Goldman Sachs to join the then relatively unknown startup Stripe.In part 2 of this conversation, she shares - How and Why she founded CocoonFundraising, hiring and finding her first clients He greatest tips for starting your own businessAnd many more…!Find out more about the Cocoon - https://www.meetcocoon.com/ To connect with Lauren, find her on LinkedIn.—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance to find a more fulfilling career, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @ongjennifer_ or LinkedIn, I'd love to see how I can help!Download my free guide to finding your passion here.

    35 Part 1: Lauren Dai, from Goldman Sachs Research Analyst to Co-Founder of Cocoon.

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2022


    Lauren is the Co-Founder and COO of Cocoon, a leave management platform that simplifies the complexities of compliance, claims, and payroll for a seamless, more empathetic employee leave experience. Prior to the founding of her company, she was a research analyst at Goldman Sachs. Later, she took the risk in leaving her “safe and comfortable” job at Goldman Sachs to join the then relatively unknown startup Stripe.In this conversation, she shares - Her first taste of entrepreneurship while studying.First working experience at Goldman SachsReasons for her pivot to StripeAnd many more…!Find out more about the Cocoon - https://www.meetcocoon.com/ To connect with Chris, find her on LinkedIn.—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance to find a more fulfilling career, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @ongjennifer_ or LinkedIn, I'd love to see how I can help!Download my free guide to finding your passion here.

    34: Tips to Land Your Dream Job Right Now!

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2022 3:15


    "How do I get to my dream job?" is such a huge, demanding question, and I know, we some times don't have the time or effort to figure out the answer. This episode will help you break down the whole process, making you one step closer to where you want to be!I do a lot of work on this topic in my 1:1 career coaching program, so if you're feeling lost and would like some guidance, send me a message and let's see how I can help! You can find me on Instagram @ongjennifer_, YouTube and Linkedin.

    33: 6 Ways to Figure Out If You Should Quit Your Job in 2022

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2022 6:50


    With the Great Resignation still in full swing, many of us have one question in mind: Should we quit our jobs? This episode will help frame your thinking and decision making, providing you with tips and questions that will help in deciding whether you should quit your job or not.I do a lot of work on this topic in my 1:1 career coaching program, so if you're feeling lost and would like some guidance, send me a message and let's see how I can help! You can find me on Instagram @ongjennifer_, YouTube and Linkedin.

    32: Why I Left My Dream Job

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2022 8:37


    In this episode, I talked about my role at Style Theory and why it was my dream job, and how I made the decision to quit that job. I also shared the one question that helped me gained clarity to make such an immense career move. This episode is also the first in the newest season to be posted on YouTube! Catch the episode to find out what that question is. I do a lot of work on this topic in my 1:1 career coaching program, so if you're feeling lost and would like some guidance, send me a message and let's see how I can help! You can find me on Instagram @ongjennifer_, YouTube and Linkedin.

    31: Chris Edwards, from Marketing Manager to founder of The Honeycombers

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2022 77:35


    Chris Edwards is the Founder and CEO of The Honeycombers, a leading digital lifestyle magazine in Singapore, Bali and Hong Kong. She has also founded other companies, including Launchpad, a community of ambitious, daring and smart entrepreneurs that supports one another in their endeavors, and Digital Collective Asia, which helps businesses explode their sales through ROI and performance driven marketing strategies. Prior to her entrepreneurial journey, she was the Marketing Manager at Krispy Kreme Australia and General Manager at Asia City Publishing.In this conversation, she shares -How she got started in entrepreneurshipHer journey building Honeycombers, Launchpad & other businessesAdvice on starting your own businessAnd many more…!For more about the Honeycombers - https://thehoneycombers.com/singapore/ & Launchpad - https://thelaunchpad.group/sg/To connect with Chris, find her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/chris_edwards_au/) and LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisedwardshoneycombers/).—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance to find a more fulfilling career, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @ongjennifer_ or LinkedIn, I'd love to see how I can help!Download my free guide to finding your passion here.

    30 Part 2: Lily Wu, from two-time entrepreneur to co-founder of WOW Pixies NFT

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2022 39:54


    Lily Wu is the Startup Partner Lead at Stripe and the co-founder of WOW Pixies NFT, a social DAO investing in women- and diversity-led projects in the NFT space. Prior to this, she is a two-time seven-figure entrepreneur, selling shoes and building a startup in the education space.In part 2 of this conversation, she shares - What social DAO WOW Pixies NFT is all aboutHow to build a communityAdvice on being an entrepreneur and starting your own side hustleAnd many more…!For more about WOW Pixies NFT - https://wowpixies.com/To connect with Lily, find her on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance to find a more fulfilling career, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @ongjennifer_ or LinkedIn, I'd love to see how I can help!Download my free guide to finding your passion here.

    30 Part 1: Lily Wu, from two-time entrepreneur to co-founder of WOW Pixies NFT

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 57:41


    Lily Wu is the Startup Partner Lead at Stripe and the co-founder of WOW Pixies NFT, a social DAO investing in women- and diversity-led projects in the NFT space. Prior to this, she is a two-time seven-figure entrepreneur, selling shoes and building a startup in the education space.In part 1 of this conversation, she shares - How she built two seven-figure businesses before graduating universityHow to effectively scale your businessHow she travelled the world while working full-timeAnd many more…!For more about WOW Pixies NFT - https://wowpixies.com/—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance to find a more fulfilling career, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @ongjennifer_ or LinkedIn, I'd love to see how I can help!Download my free guide to finding your passion here.

    29: Aaron Chin, from GM of BoConcept to co-founding The Editors Company

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2022 59:13


    Aaron is the co-founder of The Editors Company, which provides online interior styling services dedicated to making home design accessible for everyday people. Prior to this, he sold credit data at Dun & Bradstreet, and was the general manager of BoConcept Hong Kong.In this episode he shares - Why he started his career in salesHis journey to becoming an entrepreneurHow to appeal to customers most effectivelyAnd many more…!For more about The Editor's Company - https://www.editorscompany.com/—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance to find a more fulfilling career, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @ongjennifer_ or LinkedIn, I'd love to see how I can help!Download my free guide to finding your passion here.

    28: JJ Wu Chang, from matchmaker to meat charcutier

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2022 51:35


    JJ Wu Chang is a matchmaker and date coach at The Love Consultant, and he recently launched The Meat Consultant, a meat charcuterie business. Before this, JJ worked in advertising and marketing, and studied business management at Boston University.In this episode he shares - Why he decided to go into matchmakingHow he pivoted his career from matchmaking into meat curingLessons learned from his multi-faceted careerAnd many more…!For more about The Love Consultant - https://www.instagram.com/theloveconsultanthk/For more about The Meat Consultant - https://themeatconsultant.com/—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance to find a more fulfilling career, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @ongjennifer_ or LinkedIn, I'd love to see how I can help! Download my free guide to finding your passion here.

    27: Ee Chien Chua, from Goldman Sachs & Uber to owning Jekyll & Hyde

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2021 48:25


    Ee Chien is currently the director of business development at Endowus. On the side, he owns and runs Jekyll & Hyde, a cocktail bar in Singapore. Prior to this, Ee Chien worked at Goldman Sachs, Uber and Grab.In this episode he shares - Why he chose to buy a business instead of starting one from scratchWhat it is like to own a F&B businessLessons learned from his corporate jobs at Goldman Sachs, Uber and GrabAnd many more…!For more about Jekyll & Hyde - https://jekyll.sg/—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance to find a more fulfilling career, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @ongjennifer_ or LinkedIn, I'd love to see how I can help!Download my free guide to finding your passion here.

    26: Vinnie Ong, from Morgan Stanley & Blackstone to founding Happy Human

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2021 46:51


    Vinnie Ong is the founder of Happy Human, a sustainable startup selling refillable cleaning care that reduces single-use plastic waste and carbon emissions. Prior to this, Vinnie worked in finance at Morgan Stanley and Blackstone.In this episode she shares - How she started her own business from scratchWhat customer research and product testing is likeHow to get funding for your businessAnd many more…!For more about Happy Human - https://www.heyhappyhuman.com/—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance to find a more fulfilling career, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @ongjennifer_ or LinkedIn, I'd love to see how I can help!Download my free guide to finding your passion here.

    25: Renée Chow, YouTuber, Gothamista

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2021 53:59


    Renée Chow is a YouTuber with her popular YouTube channel, Gothamista, where she covers beauty and skincare from a very scientific angle and has currently over 650,000 subscribers. Before this, Renée started her career as a buyer at the fashion retailer company, Toppy, and then at luxury brand Hermès, eventually working her way up to being the General Manager of Hermès China. After that, she started her own brick and mortar lifestyle store in New York City, selling products from skincare, cosmetics, specialty toys and more. She eventually sold her business to Walgreens.In this episode she shares - How she started her own brick and mortar storeHow she stumbled into building her YouTube channelHer thoughts on entrepreneurship and starting a career in social mediaAnd many more…!For more about Renée - https://www.gothamista.com/—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance to find a more fulfilling career, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @ongjennifer_ or LinkedIn, I'd love to see how I can help! Download my free guide to finding your passion here.

    24: Amanda Chong, lawyer, poet and co-founder of ReadAble

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2021 52:33


    Amanda Chong is a full-time lawyer trained at Cambridge and Harvard with a focus on gender justice. On the side, she is also a published poet and the co-founder of ReadAble, a non-profit organization that runs weekly English literacy classes for children and migrant women in an underserved neighbourhood with the aim of improving social mobility.In this episode she shares - How to find your passionHow she balanced her full-time career, side hustles and also me-timeHer thoughts on careers in general and pursuing the arts as a side hustleAnd many more…!For more about ReadAble - https://www.readablesg.com/—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance to find a more fulfilling career, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @ongjennifer_ or LinkedIn, I'd love to see how I can help! Download my free guide to finding your passion here.

    23: Christina Wong, from doctor to founding 10X Study Academy

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2021 52:15


    Christina Wong is the founder of 10X Study Academy, an online training programme that has helped thousands of students around the world learn how to study better and achieve better results in school. Before starting 10X Study Academy, Christina studied medicine at Imperial College London and served as a junior doctor in the United Kingdom.In this episode she shares - How she turned her tutoring side hustle into a full-time businessFactors to consider when pricing your servicesHow to balance both a traditional full-time career with your passionAnd many more…!For more about 10X Study Academy - www.10xstudy.org—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance to find a more fulfilling career, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @ongjennifer_ or LinkedIn, I'd love to see how I can help! Download my free guide to finding your passion here.

    22: Gregory Van, from UBS and Grab to founding Endowus

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2021 42:13


    Gregory Van is the founder of Endowus, a digital wealth platform and robo-advisory based in Singapore. Before starting Endowus, Greg worked as an investment banker at UBS as well as in the payments team at Grab.In this episode he shares - His transition from finance to tech to starting his own companyHow entrepreneurs can build a successful businessFactors to consider when fundraising for your businessAnd many more…!—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance to find a more fulfilling career, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @ongjennifer_ or LinkedIn, I'd love to see how I can help! Download my free guide to finding your passion here.

    21: Jamie Lee, co-founder of The Kind Friend

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2021 49:10


    Jamie Lee is the co-founder of The Kind Friend, a wellness company that helps people live a more mindful life through kindness. Prior to this, she started two education businesses and was also helped Carousell expand their operations to Australia as their regional partnerships lead. In this episode she shares - Her journey and lessons learned from building and growing three separate businessesHow to build relationships and gain connections throughout your careerHer thoughts on pursuing success while prioritising physical and mental healthAnd many more…!—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance to find a more fulfilling career, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @ongjennifer_ or LinkedIn, I'd love to see how I can help! Download my free guide to finding your passion here.

    20: Renee Wu, from Microsoft to owning a pole dance studio

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2021 46:41


    Renee Wu is the owner of a pole dance studio Inspiration Studios and national champion of many pole dancing competitions. Before all this, Renee studied physics at Caltech, pursued a PhD at Stanford with plans to become a professor, and had a stint in Microsoft as an engineer.In this episode she shares - How she shifted from pursuing the sciences to chasing her passion in pole danceHow she coped with the pandemic and her plans for the studio moving forwardHer approach to taking risks and making life-changing decisionsAnd many more…For more about Renee's pole dance studio - https://www.inspirationstudios.com/—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance to find a more fulfilling career, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @ongjennifer_, I'd love to see how I can help!

    19: Jada Poon, from lawyer to award-winning photographer

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2021 46:58


    Jada Poon is an award-winning wedding and portrait photographer based in Hong Kong, and the founder of Jada Poon Photography. Prior to this, she studied law at Oxford University and was a practicing lawyer for a couple of years.In this episode she shares - How she found her passion in photography and pivoted from a career in lawHow to price your services and set your own ratesWhat she hopes to achieve through her work, such as the empowerment of other womenHer thoughts on balancing both financial security and passionAnd many more…For more about Jada - https://www.jadapoonphotography.com/—-If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance to find a more fulfilling career, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @ongjennifer_, I'd love to see how I can help!

    18: John Lim, from architect to founding This Humid House - botanical design studio

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2021 37:58


    John Lim is the founder of This Humid House, a botanical design studio in Singapore whose clients include Cartier, Dior, and Singapore's Housing Development Board, to private homes and weddings. John has been named Prestige's 40 under 40, and his work has been featured in publications like Vogue.Prior to this, he studied architecture at The Cooper Union in New York City, and practiced architecture in New York, Tokyo and Beijing. In this episode he shares - How he stumbled into landscape and floral designHow his strong vision for botanical design led him to found This Humid HouseHow to work with a team to execute your visionHis thoughts on career paths in today's worldAnd many more…For more about This Humid House - https://humidhouse.com/ —-BTW - I just launched my 1:1 Career Coaching Program, if you're interested to find out more, head on over to my Instagram @ongjennifer_!

    17: How to find your dream career

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2021 8:37


    A lot of us out there know that we hate our jobs, but what's not so easy to figure out is what DO we like? What job would we want that's better suited to us? This was something I personally struggled with for a long time - I knew my finance job wasn't the best fit for me, but what else was I even interested in, what else do I even like? I want to compile this episode for you guys because a lot of my guests shared some really great advice and actionable steps you can take if you too are feeling a bit lost in your career.I do a lot of work on this topic in my 1:1 career coaching program, so if you're feeling lost and would like some guidance, send me a message and let's see how I can help! You can find me on Instagram @ongjennifer_ or Linkedin.

    16: Carolyn Yim, from Saks Fifth Avenue to founding Ply-Knits

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2021 52:44


    Carolyn Yim is a multi-hyphenate designer-businesswoman. She founded two knitwear labels, Ply-Knits and Dreyden, and also helps her family modernize their three-generation knitwear manufacturing business. Her work, particularly on design-forward sustainable knitwear, has earned praise in Vogue, Wallpaper, Business of Fashion, and WWD. She sells her knitwear through Lane Crawford, FarFetch, and online. Prior to this she studied English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, and worked at Saks Fifth Avenue, Jack Dorsey and Kering-funded e-commerce startup Fancy.com. In this episode she shares - How she built her direct to consumer knitwear brand How to work with suppliers and find wholesale partners Her thoughts on sustainable fashion And many more… For more about Ply-Knits - https://ply-knits.com/ —- BTW - I just launched my 1:1 Career Coaching Program, if you're interested to find out more, head on over to my Instagram @ongjennifer_!

    15: Fengru Lin, from Google to founder of cell-based milk company Turtle Tree

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2021 52:04


    14: Financial Security vs Following your Passion when choosing a career

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2021


    When choosing a career - should you follow your passion or a more financially secure path? Hear what some of my guests from prior episodes have to say about this.

    13: Scott Lee, founder of education tech startup Gooroo

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2021


    Scott is the founder of Gooroo, an online education tech startup based in the US that started off as a marketplace to connect tutors and students, and has now expanded to become a Netflix for education content. In this episode he shares - (i) How to build a two sided marketplace (ii) How to fundraise (iii) How to figure out what your passion is and whether entrepreneurship is for you (iv) And many more… For more about Gooroo - https://www.gooroo.com/ —- If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance, you can find me on - (i) Instagram @ongjennifer_ (ii) LinkedIn (iii) Or download my free guide to finding your passion here. (iv) Want to work with me 1:1? Sign up for a FREE discovery call to learn more about my career coaching program here.

    12: Alex Fan & Clara Teo, founders of Sunday Bedding

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2021


    Alex and Clara are the married couple and founders of Sunday Bedding, a direct to consumer bedding company based in Singapore. In this episode they share - (i) How to start a direct to consumer brand in Singapore (ii) How to leverage and modernize a family business (iii) And many more… For more about Sunday Bedding - https://sundaybedding.com/ —- If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance, you can find me on - (i) Instagram @ongjennifer_ (ii) LinkedIn (iii) Or download my free guide to finding your passion here. (iv) Want to work with me 1:1? Sign up for a FREE discovery call to learn more about my career coaching program here.

    11: Nathan Chan, Cellist Seattle Symphony

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2021


    Nathan Chan is a cellist at the Seattle Symphony. On the side, he also runs a popular Youtube channel with over 6 million views where he does pop renditions with a classical twist. In this episode he shares - (i) How he managed to conduct an orchestra at the age of 3 (ii) What mentality he had that gave him the successes he enjoys today (iii) Why he chose to pursue music professionally (rather than take on a finance or tech job) (iv) And many more… You can find out more about Nathan via his Instagram @nathanchancello or his Youtube channel! —- If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance, you can find me on - (i) Instagram @ongjennifer_ (ii) LinkedIn (iii) Or download my free guide to finding your passion here. (iv) Want to work with me 1:1? Sign up for a FREE discovery call to learn more about my career coaching program here.

    10: Jennifer Ong, your podcast host

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2020


    For the season finale, I'm turning the mic onto myself today. Hear how I went from Columbia to BlackRock (with stints in NY, HK & London) to Style Theory, how I got started with this podcast, and the exciting new online course I am launching at www.ongjennifer.com/ctrl-your-career. === To learn more about Kevin (my podcast host today), you can find his very own podcast Almost Home here - https://open.spotify.com/show/6gBAc9Ioo4omBvPC8MXPXP —- If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance, you can find me on - (i) Instagram @ongjennifer_ (ii) LinkedIn (iii) Or download my free guide to finding your passion here. (iv) Want to work with me 1:1? Sign up for a FREE discovery call to learn more about my career coaching program here.

    09: From Marketer at Marina Bay Sands to Musician, Priscilla Tan

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2020


    Priscilla started her career as a marketer in Marina Bay Sands, and left to pursue a career in singing after a few years. She then decided to return to the corporate world and spent almost 5 years at Singapore Press Holdings before breaking out again to pursue music full time. In this episode she shares - (i) Her journey and struggle between a traditional and alternative career path (ii) How she pivoted her business when all her gigs/income disappeared because of COVID (iii) How she balances motherhood and work (iv) And many more… You can find out more about Priscilla via her Instagram @priscillatanmusic ! —- If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance, you can find me on - (i) Instagram @ongjennifer_ (ii) LinkedIn (iii) Or download my free guide to finding your passion here. (iv) Want to work with me 1:1? Sign up for a FREE discovery call to learn more about my career coaching program here.

    08: From high school to Chief Business Officer of Chope, Dinesh Balasingam

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2020


    Dinesh is the Chief Business Officer and one of the founding members of Chope, an online restaurant booking platform with operations in SG, HK, China, Thailand, and Indonesia. Dinesh chose to forego furthering his studies at New York University and was one of the founding members of the Chope team. He hasn't looked back since, and was recently listed as one of Forbes' 30 under 30 for his work with Chope. In this episode he shares - (i) Why he decided to forego his studies at NYU (ii) How he got started at Chope (iii) What has kept him at Chope for the last 10 years (iv) The importance of a strong team (v) And many more… In celebration of 3 months of podcasting - I'd love it if you could leave me your feedback so I can keep making content that's relevant and helpful for you! https://forms.gle/Q7z2t3TopyzVB77G6 —- If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance, you can find me on - (i) Instagram @ongjennifer_ (ii) LinkedIn (iii) Or download my free guide to finding your passion here. (iv) Want to work with me 1:1? Sign up for a FREE discovery call to learn more about my career coaching program here.

    07: From consulting to founding Forested Foods, Ariana Yuen

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2020


    Ariana is the founder of Forested Foods, an agroforestry enterprise who's main goal is to combat deforestation. They do this by incentivizing farmers in Ethiopia to grow honey and other products in the forest instead of clearing out the forest to grow crops. Before starting Forested Foods, Ariana worked at Booz Allen Hamilton as a management consultant. In this episode she shares - (i) How she left her consulting job in the US and moved to live in Ethiopia full time (ii) How she discovered her passion for agriculture (iii) How she balances having one foot in the supply chain in Ethiopia and one foot in the US with customers of her premium honey (iv) Why she decided to go to business school (v) And many more… In celebration of 3 months of podcasting - I'd love it if you could leave me your feedback so I can keep making content that's relevant and helpful for you! https://forms.gle/Q7z2t3TopyzVB77G6 —- If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance, you can find me on - (i) Instagram @ongjennifer_ (ii) LinkedIn (iii) Or download my free guide to finding your passion here. (iv) Want to work with me 1:1? Sign up for a FREE discovery call to learn more about my career coaching program here.

    06: From BlackRock to founding Liquefy (fintech startup), Adrian Lai

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2020


    Adrian is the founder of Liquefy, a technology platform that uses blockchain to tokenize illiquid assets such as real estate, and mutual funds. Outside of Liquefy, he is also an angel investor in FinTech startups. Before starting Liquefy, Adrian worked at BlackRock as an ESG analyst. In this episode he shares - (i) What tokenization and blockchain means (ii) The power of relationships and how to start building your network from zero (iii) Not all emails are spam - a hilarious story on how he landed a major deal in UAE (iv) How to find a Chief Technology Officer and why they might not need to be the best coder (v) And many more… —- If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance, you can find me on - (i) Instagram @ongjennifer_ (ii) LinkedIn (iii) Or download my free guide to finding your passion here. (iv) Want to work with me 1:1? Sign up for a FREE discovery call to learn more about my career coaching program here.

    05: From JPMorgan to Asia Wedding Network, Michelle Yuan

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2020


    Michelle Yuan is the founder of Asia Wedding Network, Asia's largest online wedding platform for couples planning their big day. She has been awarded Forbes 30 Under 30 for her work with Asia Wedding Network. Before this, Michelle graduated from Columbia University and started her career at JP Morgan investment bank in equity sales and was a journalist at WSJ, Reuters and Forbes.  In this episode she shares - (i) What inspired her to start her business (ii) How to grow a two sided marketplace business where you have to grow both vendors and customers at the same time (iii) How she expanded beyond Hong Kong to multiple countries in Asia (iv) How she pivoted her business during COVID-19 (v) The power of search engine optimization over paid ads (vi) And many more… You can find out more about Asia Wedding Network at https://asiaweddingnetwork.com/ —- If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance, you can find me on - (i) Instagram @ongjennifer_ (ii) LinkedIn (iii) Or download my free guide to finding your passion here. (iv) Want to work with me 1:1? Sign up for a FREE discovery call to learn more about my career coaching program here.

    04: From Goldman Sachs & Bain to Style Theory founders, Raena Lim & Chris Halim

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2020


    Chris and Raena are the co-founders and married couple behind Style Theory - Southeast Asia's largest fashion subscription rental platform, where for a monthly fee, you can rent clothes and designer bags and get access to an unlimited closet. Style Theory was founded just 4 years ago in 2016 and has since expanded beyond Singapore into Indonesia and Hong Kong. To support its growth, the company is venture backed and just closed its Series B in 2019. Before starting Style Theory, Chris started his career as a management consultant at Bain & Co, and Raena worked at Goldman Sachs in the Prime Brokerage division.  In this episode they share - (i) Why they left their corporate careers to start Style Theory (ii) How they tested demand for their product at the beginning and what their minimum viable product (MVP) looked like (iii) How they built a business in fashion with no prior experience or connections to the fashion world (iv) How the fundraising process works in Southeast Asia (v) How they went about hiring and in particular what they did when they didn't have a CTO (Chief Technology Officer) at the beginning (vi) What it's like working together as a married couple (vii) And many more… You can find out more about Style Theory at https://www.styletheory.co/ —- If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance, you can find me on - (i) Instagram @ongjennifer_ (ii) LinkedIn (iii) Or download my free guide to finding your passion here. (iv) Want to work with me 1:1? Sign up for a FREE discovery call to learn more about my career coaching program here.

    03: From Yale to Social Entrepreneur, Jasmine Lau

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2020


    Jasmine is a Yale graduate and the founder of PIM (Purpose in Motion), a social enterprise focused on teaching young leaders in China how to be the social entrepreneurs of the future. PIM has two main arms - (1) where they partner with universities to offer immersive courses to teach students the business behind philanthropy, and (2) is an accelerator program that incubates social impact start ups.  Along the way, Jasmine has been awarded Forbes 30 under 30 for her work with PIM, and aside from her day job running PIM, she is also part of the Gates Foundation Goalkeepers Initiative and serves as an advisory board member for them. In this episode she shares - (i) How she went from a girl who had no idea what she wanted to do after graduating from college to turning her interest in community service into a company (ii) How she managed to redefine success for herself and found the courage to pursue an alternative career (iii) How she managed to get the CFO of Alibaba Joe Tsai to reply to her cold email (iv) The difference between for-profit and non-profit fundraising (v) What the philanthropy landscape looks like in China (vi) How she found ways to get the corporate experience since she had never worked in the corporate world (vii) And many more… You can find out more about PIM at https://pimglobal.org/ —- If you're feeling unhappy with your corporate job and looking for some guidance, you can find me on - (i) Instagram @ongjennifer_ (ii) LinkedIn (iii) Or download my free guide to finding your passion here. (iv) Want to work with me 1:1? Sign up for a FREE discovery call to learn more about my career coaching program here.

    02: From Architect to Artist & Calligrapher, Joyce Chiang

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2020


    Joyce Chiang is a licensed architect, calligrapher, artist and the founder of Joyce Chiang Design Studio.In this episode she shares how she found the courage to leave her job as an architect, how she found her first corporate customers, how she prices her work, and more.You can find out more about Joyce via her instagram @joycechiang_ or her website www.joycechiang.co.She has also been very kind to offer a free guide on the 5 stages of building a creative career, which you can download here - https://view.flodesk.com/pages/5edeb70d2eacb000260d4557

    01: From Unilever to Restaurateur, Chris Cheung

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2020


    Chris Cheung is a restaurateur and have started multiple food and beverage concepts in Hong Kong, (Bread & Beast, Kong, White Lemon and Black Garlic). After graduating from Columbia University, he started his career doing marketing at Unilever. In this episode he shares why he left his corporate job, his experience launching multiple F&B concepts in HK and how he has navigated the recent protests in HK and COVID-19.

    Introducing Ctrl + Alt + Career & your host Jennifer Ong

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2020


    Feel stuck at your corporate job? Want to quit but unsure what's out there? Or maybe you already have a side hustle but you're not sure how to translate it into a full time career? Welcome to Ctrl+Alt+Career, a podcast where we will be sharing stories of those in Asia who have successfully taken the leap from their corporate job to an alternative career. In this first episode, get to know your host Jennifer Ong and hear her candid story from a well paid job in finance to life at a fashion start up, and why she decided to start this podcast.

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