Taking Batik to New Places: Fern Chua, Malaysia
A Life Less Ordinary
Fern Chua is the award-winning founder of , a Malaysian sustainable and high-end fashion label rediscovering the elegance of the ancient Asian fabric art form, Batik. Fern and I chatted earlier this year on the unexpected path that led her to Batik, the challenges building and growing her team of artisans from the ground up, and pushing the boundaries of the UNESCO listed heritage. Check out FERN’s incredible looks at or follow on Instagram.
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Creating Australia’s First Anti-Racist Comedy Club: Tina Zaman, Australia
A Life Less Ordinary
Show host Udhara chatted with comedian, writer and founder of Tight5Comedy about creating Australia’s first and only platform for comedians of colour and allies.
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The Relentless Optimist: Matthew Chapman, Singapore & New Zealand
A Life Less Ordinary
A conversation with entrepreneur Matthew Chapman on his beginnings in rural New South Wales, Australia, why he fell in love with Singapore and became a Singaporean citizen, how he builds his businesses, as well as his thoughts on remote work and the future of the 5-day work week.
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On writing her first book, rejection, and diversity: T.P. Tovenaar, Sri Lanka
A Life Less Ordinary
is a writer from London, born to Sri Lankan parents. For the last decade, she’s called Colombo home. Her book, '', is a collection of hilarious and heartwarming stories about the relationship between a Sri Lankan mother and her British-born daughter, both trying to live within a complex mix of cultures, customs and environment. The stories light-heartedly remind us that we’re more than our place of birth and that immigration isn’t a bad thing. Show host and Tovenaar spoke about her career at the BBC, how she learned from crushing rejection, why diversity is one of humanity’s...
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The Warrior of Singapore’s Kranji Countryside: Ivy Singh-Lim, Singapore
A Life Less Ordinary
Hosts Vanessa Fernandez and Udhara de Silva meet Ivy Singh-Lim, founder of Bollywood Veggies, an organic farm on the outskirts of Singapore.
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Becoming MoneySmart: Vinod Nair, Singapore
A Life Less Ordinary
Udhara de Silva & Vanessa Fernandez meet Vinod Nair, founder and CEO of MoneySmart, Southeast Asia’s leading personal finance portal, to talk about building a fintech company, the financial landscape of Singapore, and how to find trustworthy financial experts.
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Irreverence is an Asset: Rosalyn Lee (Rozz), Singapore
A Life Less Ordinary
Udhara & Vanessa speak to Singaporean radio DJ and TV host Rozz about her incredibly adventurous career and how she dealt with challenges along the way.
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How to Make Things Cool: Andrew Ing, Singapore
A Life Less Ordinary
Vanessa and Udhara chat to culture connoisseur Andrew Ing about his early adventures leading to a career in marketing, developing the nightclub Zouk into the epicentre of Youth Culture in Singapore, and his work with the Lo and Behold Group.
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The King of the Jacket: Thomas Wee, Singapore
A Life Less Ordinary
Udhara and Vanessa chat with Singaporean fashion legend Thomas Wee about his childhood in colonial Singapore, building multiple labels, and being a lifelong learner.
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Breaking World Records & Breaking Taboos: Theresa Goh, Singapore
A Life Less Ordinary
Vanessa & Udhara speak with the first female Singaporean swimmer to qualify for the Paralympics and Pink Dot ambassador Theresa Goh.
info_outlineThis episode’s guest has a life deeply rooted in music. His grandfather was a pioneering Sri Lankan pop music entrepreneur. And today, at just 25 years old, our guest is turning the Sri Lankan music industry on its head through the creative haven he founded, The Sooriya Village.
The Sooriya Village gives musicians and creatives a space to compose, record, and perform their work. All the while, the Village initiates international collaborations so that local musicians can get the global audience that they deserve.
During the recording of this episode, our guest revealed his preference to remain as anonymous as possible. He wants people to know his work, and not its creator. You’ll see through the course of our conversation that his inspiration comes from his love of creating, his love of music, and his desire to help others, and not the inevitable recognition and attention that his projects attract.