Crazy Smart Asia lifts the lid on the unexpected stories behind some of Asia’s boldest disruptors. Every week we talk with a young leader about the crazy-smart approaches they’re taking to achieve success and tackle some of the biggest issues facing Asia today.
This week, we pick out five inspiring quotes from the seventh season of Crazy Smart Asia to help you build a better world, better business or better you. Listen for a quickfire highlights reel of crazy-smart perspectives from our guests-from a record-breaking powerlifter to a heel-wearing Japanese monk.
"I never really thought cooking was my thing," says culinary anthropologist Nithiya Laila, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T's Chong Seow Wei, Laila shares how she's built a business around communal eating, how the produce we grow and eat tells the story of who we are and the surprising reason she played truant at school.
"I really believe in the power of small steps. That discipline has been key in achieving certain things in my life," says Christine-Amour Levar, the Singapore-based founder of NGOs Women on a Mission and Her Planet Earth, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T's Chong Seow Wei, the avid mountaineer shares how her divorce reconnected her with nature, why her mother calls her a "little ant" and how she's supporting other women, one expedition at a time.
"I might be homosexual, but it does not matter. Anybody can be enlightened," says Japanese author, Buddhist monk and LGBTQ+ icon Kodo Nishimura, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T's Chong Seow Wei, Nishimura shares his journey growing up queer in a temple, how to build your uniqueness into a brand and why he's got love for Sailor Moon, Drew Barrymore and Super Mario.
"If you want to be first rate at your work, it can't be all that you are," says Rachel Lim, the co-founder of multimillion-dollar fashion brand Love Bonito, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T's Chong Seow Wei, Lim shares how she's built Singapore's fastest-growing fashion brand, why timing is everything when it comes to having difficult conversations, and why an email titled 'A Cry for Help' changed everything.
"If your creativity is not solving a problem, it's not creative," says world-renowned chef André Chiang, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with restaurateur Syed Asim Hussain of Black Sheep and food and travel editor Johannes Pong, he shares the less glamorous realities of running a restaurant empire, why creativity is an essential tool for innovation, and how to motivate and manage your teams.
"Being that stubborn and committed to a cause can take you really far," says three-time record-breaking powerlifter Farhanna Farid, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T's Chong Seow Wei, Farhanna shares the moment she discovered her knack for powerlifting, why her ultimate goal is to be a competitive "silver lifter" at 70 years old and how the psychological benefits of lifting are empowering women in Singapore and around the world.
"There's a growing interest for investors to put their money where their heart is," says Dorothy Lam, the co-founder and chief catalyst officer of Dream Impact, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen. T's Chong Seow Wei, Lam shares why building a community isn't as easy as it looks, how she went from NYC art student to impact investing founder, and navigating the thorny road of investment matchmaking.
"I have to train my mind just as much as my body, because it's like a muscle, it needs to be prepared for the competition," says Nicol David, a record-breaking squash champion, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T's Sean Fitzpatrick, David shares the visualisation techniques she uses to secure gold medals, why the mind is just as much a muscle as the body, and how she's setting up a Malaysian squash legacy for the future.
