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Emcee Singapore: Charmaine chatted with Drea Chong, a professional blogger and influencer, who has gained a following of 296,000 followers on Instagram and over 5,190 subscribers on YouTube as of May 2023. She shared insights into how she continues to utilize her platform to create content for her Instagram feed to showcase her personal style and fashion choices. With her following on Instagram and YouTube, Drea sees her platform as an opportunity to inspire others and connect with her audience. Beyond her social media presence, Charmaine talked to Drea Chong about her venture into entrepreneurship. She uses her brand to share her own fashion sense in her label called Good Addition. Prior to that, she had already gained experience in fashion design by creating capsule collections for local labels. They discussed Drea’s personal life of balancing motherhood and work by having a strong support system, being flexible, practicing self-care and setting boundaries. She is juggling motherhood with her career as an influencer and entrepreneur is undoubtedly challenging, but Drea has found a way to balance both aspects of her life. As a parent in the modern era, Drea recognizes the importance of adapting to the technological advancements of this generation. She acknowledges that her children will be tech-savvy and emphasizes the need to teach them how to navigate the digital world. Drea and her husband, Imran, understand the significance of staying informed and evolving with the times to effectively raise their children. Drea Chong’s journey from a blogshop model to a successful influencer and fashion entrepreneur is a testament to her hard work and dedication. She continues to inspire others through her content, while also prioritizing her family and sharing her experiences of balancing motherhood and work. For full audio on Inside the Spotlight, pls tune in to: https://www.awedio.sg/podcast-ep/ad9fa009-9f80-4260-8e10-afd3016d5661/

Emcee Singapore: Charmaine had a conversation with Iman Fandi, a talented singer, songwriter, model and social media content creator on Inside The Spotlight. Iman, being the daughter of Singaporean football legend Fandi Ahmad and former model Wendy Jacobs, grew up in a family with notable personalities. She developed a passion for the arts and pursued a career in music. As a singer and songwriter, Iman Fandi has been exploring various genres such as pop, R&B, and electronic music. Recently, she released a new song titled ‘Top Bop’. This song is about success and is intended to make people feel uplifted and inspired. Emcee Singapore Charmaine chatted with Iman on her music career and collaboration with different artists to create unique and captivating tracks. Her music is characterized by catchy melodies, relatable lyrics and a contemporary sound. In addition to her music journey, Iman has made a name for herself as a model and social media content creator. Her striking looks and vibrant personality have attracted a significant following of 80,700 on Instagram, where she shares glimpses of her daily life, fashion, and travels. Iman’s journey as an artist, along with her close relationship with her parents, is inspiring. When she first entered the modeling world at the age of 14, Wendy encouraged her to embrace her unique qualities and not conform to conventional standards. This advice empowered Iman to forge her own path and define success on her own terms. By embracing her petite stature and developing her own style and approach, Iman was able to establish herself in the modeling industry. The advice Iman received from her mother resonates beyond modeling and applies to many aspects of her life. Emcee Singapore Charmaine talked to Iman about how it is inspiring to witness her growth as an artist and her willingness to explore new creative avenues while remaining true to herself. Her work showcases her diverse talents and her dedication to creating meaningful and enjoyable music. For more insights to the Inside he Spotlight podcast, please visit: https://www.awedio.sg/podcast-ep/58fa4914-beb8-4452-bf3b-aff70135e495/

Emcee Singapore: Charmaine spoke with John Pabon, sustainability author and consultant, on KISS92FM on the impact of consumer choices on the environment and importance of informed decisions to promote sustainability and work towards creating a greener future. Charmaine and John had a conversation on KISS92FM about water waste and paper usage. They discussed various environmental issues, including greenwashing i.e. businesses making false claims about their sustainability efforts. Charmaine mentioned her involvement as an ambassador for DocuSign’s sustainability campaign, encouraging people to use digital signing instead of printing on paper. She highlighted the fact that it takes 10 litres of water to produce a single sheet of A4 paper and emphasized the need for a holistic approach to saving the world. During the show, Charmaine and Josh presented ‘Two Truths and A Lie’ about paper usage. The statements were: i) Nearly half of the paper printed is thrown away daily (truth) ii) The average office worker uses around 50 kg of paper a year, equivalent to some 10,000 sheets of A4 paper (truth) iii) The average business is increasing its paper usage by 10%, even with the advancements of technology (lie; because thetruth is 22%). Charmaine then invited John to discuss the state of the world and corporate efforts in sustainability. They delved into the topic of greenwashing, with John explaining that many brands have realized the profitability of being sustainable and may falsely claim to be green without following through on their promises. He emphasized the importance of consumers doing their own research and due diligence to identify signs of greenwashing, such as vague claims without specific details or the creation of fake certification stamps by marketing teams. Charmaine mentioned that while reducing plastic usage is essential, it’s also crucial to address paper usage because it contributes to water wastage. She expressed optimism about the future, envisioning a time when corporations compete not only on profits but also on being socially and environmentally responsible. She encouraged listeners to reduce their own printing, embrace e-signatures, and bring their own tote bags when shopping to contribute to positive change. Listen to the full podcast here: https://omny.fm/shows/sph-radio-inside-the-spotlight/sustainability

Emcee Singapore: Charmaine spoke to Estelle Low, editor of Singapore Women’s Weekly on the hard truths of parenthood and how magic happens when parents keep cool and adapt their knowledge with empathy and intuition in ‘most’ situations. Here are highlights of the Inside The Spotlight podcast: Charmaine : We’re sharing this amazing lesson : what you wish you knew when you started out, now that you are so many years into parenthood? What do you wish you knew earlier? Estelle : I think the biggest realizations all hit me after I had my child. So it was actually the fourth trimester onwards. After popping the baby, I realized it was just so difficult and that motherhood actually requires so much help and support from people around me. And I think just enabling people to help me was difficult on its own because I just had this mindset that I could deal with most of the things myself. Because having kids at quite a young age compared to my peers, I had my first child at 28.I think a lot of them were not even in the head space of becoming mothers yet. So I think that was my biggest challenge, like, lack of support around me. And I was just constantly turning to Google for help. But now that I’ve gone through eight years of motherhood, I know better and I have more mum friends now. And I think that one important thing that I overlooked was actually asking for more help and letting people help me. Yeah. A lot of people talk to me about letting go. Charmaine: Is that something you resonate with, Estelle? Like letting go of perfection? Can you let go of everything? It depends on how high the standards you have set for yourself and your baby, right? Estelle: I think I had quite high expectations for everything just because I wasn’t in tune with the realities of motherhood at the time. So I think I set a couple of goals. Like, by the time I return back to work after my maternity leave, I have to be in shape, be mentally well enough to take on my job again. And I expected to actually bounce back to the way I was pre pregnancy. Charmaine: Did you give yourself a fixed time to bounce back? I’ve given myself two months: I don’t know whether that is, like, crazy stressful. Estelle: It wasn’t enough for me. I mean, after two months, I still felt like a mental wreck, even though physically I was recovering quite well. I just felt like it’s just not the same anymore. I didn’t feel like I could just switch back into work mode like that. And I’m glad I took a longer period of leave. So I took four months. And there were people who suggested, just taking two months first and then clear the rest of the leave later on so that you give yourself a bit more flexibility with your work arrangements. But I decided that I would just want to take the four months all in one shot. Sure. Just so I could take the time to recover, be with my baby. But then I realized that four months doesn’t feel enough. Charmaine: Really? Because every time I tell people I’ll be back on radio in two months. I’ll see you guys in August as my EDD is in June. And quite a few people have said, I don’t think you should put that kind of stress – actually, nobody put this stress on me, by the way. It’s not society or anything, it’s just me. Estelle: It’s easy to say now, two months, right. That’s why a lot of people talk to me at the month and a half mark. Maybe my mind might change. I think it’s important to give yourself more grace if you need it and if you need more time. Because, after all, it’s a very crucial period of life for you. Charmaine : Now, you do these stories on Women’s Weekly, right? Every Monday you have MOM story. So have you featured moms, for example, that have spoken about this? The stress of going back to work or bouncing back? Who came up with that? Like bouncing back to be in shape. Do you recall interviewing somebody like that? Or mom sharing a story like this as part of the hashtag Mom Story Weekly segments? Estelle: I think of all the moms I’ve interviewed, there’s no one mom who said it was easy. Everyone felt the stress, felt the pressure from outside, and also internally. So these postpartum struggles, these are very, very real. Charmaine: I think when you cover all these stories of working mothers and their own struggles, we realize we are putting a label on the period of postpartum? Why does it have to be three months, six months, or even two years? Why can’t postpartum be forever? Estelle: Because it is true that with the birth of a baby comes the birth of a mum. Charmaine: Yeah, that’s so interesting. You mentioned to me that you’ve been introduced to this concept that postpartum is forever. Is that something that you read about, or is this a personal anecdote? Estelle: I think it’s coming from a combination of articles I’ve been reading, and also recently we featured a mom who introduced to me the concept of Matrices. Matrices is a relatively new word. It generally involves the process of transitioning into motherhood, very much like adolescence, where a child is slowly transforming, becoming an adult, physically, emotionally and socially. Matrices refers to that transformation for a woman to become a mother. And there shouldn’t be a timestamp on that. But I think somehow society likes to dictate that we just immediately snap and transform into moms the minute our child is born. Right. Like immediately after the child is in your arms, you become a mother. You have to be all loving to cradle your baby and know exactly what to do. That’s quite insane. Actually, now that I think of this because I’m very hyper aware of this postpartum depression or rather just a postpartum life. Charmaine: When you interviewed me (for the Singapore Women’s weekly article), we were talking about everything from my egg freezing journey to preparing for motherhood. But you just put that spotlight on postpartum, maybe let’s talk about that. It starts with Matrices? Estelle: So, Matrices was coined to describe the process or the transition into motherhood that involves the physical, emotional and social development of a woman. So it’s trying to say that becoming a mother is a process, it’s not instant. Matrices have also been compared to adolescence, the period of time where a child slowly learns to become an adult. So matrices likewise means a woman slowly learns how to become a mother. And I think this is a very important concept for us to know in this day because the pressures of becoming a mother are just getting more and more insane. I think it’s important that we keep this in mind. It is a process, it’s not instant. And everybody develops differently, right? And everyone at their own time and own pace. And even people who seem to want to have children and look like they are the most motherly sort, they themselves also face struggles in learning to become a mother. So I think if we just give ourselves more time, more grace to ease into this and just kind of not be so bothered by the external pressures that we have from other people and just be a lot kinder to ourselves, I think that’s how becoming a mother would feel easier for ourselves. Charmaine: We see a lot of things on social media, right? Like there’s so many perfect looking moms. Is there something that you saw on social media before you’re eight years into parenthood? And after you became a mom, you’re like, ‘Nah, that’s not true’. Is that something that you just avoid it as best as you can. Estelle: Yeah, totally. Just take it with a pinch of salt. It’s natural for everyone to want to put forward their best selves when they’re online. Even I do that. I mean, I will post happy family photos, but I wouldn’t post pictures of my kid crying or myself losing my mind. I do know parents who do that though : when their child has a meltdown, they are properly recording them. Look at this child. Some parents like to keep it real, right? Yeah, I guess that’s a good one. But yeah, some interesting moments that we spoke about. Charmaine: We were having a chat about this yesterday – that social media gives you so much pressure. Estelle: I think the best thing for recovering postpartum mom is to just avoid it as best as you can. You’ll see all these happy babies. Well, I think if you can’t avoid, at least rewire, just reframe your mindset and tell yourself that these are people just showing the highlights, the best parts of parenting. I mean, who doesn’t want to show the best parts of their lives online? Just know that behind every happy, successful looking post is a story. Everyone has a struggle behind everything. So keep that in mind, okay? Because we don’t often get a platform to share our motherhood struggles and that’s what we want to do with our weekly series called Mom story on womensweekly.com SG. Charmaine: I always see people share pictures during Chinese New Year, Christmas or any holiday. I see parents say this was the best photo we could get and one child is looking, one child is facing the other way, the other child is about to run off and only the parents are smiling right at the camera. And it’s like they took about 500 photos and this was the best shot. I do appreciate the realness to it as well. Right? Well, I think it’s definitely relatable at some point. The kids might not even want to be in the pictures at all once they grow up. Estelle: Oh, true. Like mom and dad. You have understood the concept of consent. They’re just going to run away, hide their faces. Even my kids are starting to realize that whenever I try to take pictures together with them, they are quite conscious and if they are not feeling up to it, they will just hide their faces or run off. Charmaine: So, you know in our article where you interviewed me? We spoke about parenting styles. And when you go online, there are so many parenting styles, right. In fact, there’s authoritarian, helicopter parenting and gentle parenting. We actually brought this up with on radio once, and I remember many of our KISS fans support gentle parenting – essentially like not being so harsh to your child. Estelle: Right. So if let’s just say you’re upset with your child, the child is still in the same room as you, they know that you are still there. And we had quite a few parents actually say that gentle parenting only works to a point. Charmaine: You’ve interviewed so many moms and dads. What seems to be our Singaporean parenting style? Do we have one? I really think it’s not that uniform. I know parents who will not hesitate to do the disciplinarian style of parenting where they believe in physical discipline or even, like, verbal discipline by shouting or scolding their kids. I think that’s still a very common form of discipline here. And gentle parenting, I think it started to pick up pace in the recent years right. Estelle: When we were more exposed to Western concepts of parenting, I feel, because it’s quite different from the traditional Asian styles of parenting that I was exposed to as I grew up. It was more like: you listen to your parents, and if you don’t, then your parents can cane you or they can scold you. But now it’s no longer that acceptable anymore in this day and age when it comes to millennial parenting; if you scold your child or you can your child in public, especially, people are going to judge you and they’re going to take videos of you and put it up online. It’s so easy to get that. But personally, I think I would definitely be adopting a mix of parenting styles. Like, really whatever works for me at the moment. Maybe it’s a blessing to be a working mom because I spend my day away from the kids, so I essentially only have my weekday nights and weekends with them. Charmaine: But that’s a lot of us, working parents. Estelle: I think I am the gentler parent of the two. Charmaine: Oh, your husband is the disciplinarian. Estelle: Yeah, he is the one. He’s the bad cop. And because of that, the kids actually listen to him, and they know how to be on the best behaviour when he’s around, whereas the kids, they will try to push boundaries with me. They can climb onto my head. So I think our approaches are very different, and we have discussed and realized that it’s okay because kids are wiser than that. They know how to adapt to parents with different styles. And because my kids are cared for by grandparents during the day, and obviously they use their own methods of parenting, which are also very different from ours. Charmaine: Yes. This is a big topic – grandparents or your village supporting you, right. So how do you make sure that they follow the way you want to parent? So let me give you an example, right. My husband and I, we want to minimize sugar. Actually, no sugar in the household. And I was like, actually my mom and dad asked me, okay, so what rules do you want? I say no sugar : don’t take the child out for ice cream when we are not around. Have you had similar experiences when you were with your two kids? Estelle: Well, I think I would take some of the blame by saying that in the beginning when we were entrusting our kids to the grandparents, we actually did not set clear boundaries as relatively new parents. We didn’t know better. We just thought like, oh, it was just very grateful that we had grandparents to help, but for sure so that we could go through our jobs. I think all these little things just came along because I think due to the lack of communication and then we realized that when the kids were around the grandparents, they were fed a lot more things than I would have liked them to be fed, like sweets, sugar, snacks, just snacking in between meals. I think obviously in the beginning it bothered me a lot, but that’s one of the things I’ve learned to let go. Charmaine: So if your kid comes back and says, hey, Mom, I had a wonderful Haagen-Dazs ice cream today, you’re going to be okay with it? Have you reached a point where you’re like, ‘Cool’! Estelle: I think over the years I have been investing in educating my kids about portion control, knowing what sorts of food they should eat more of and what sorts of food they should eat less of. Charmaine: But which kid is going to say no to, like, McDonald’s? They’re not going to say no, but at least I just hope that when they are eating it, they know how to control themselves and they know that mom will not be happy about it. Estelle: So these days they’re a bit smarter. Like, they don’t usually come and tell me what they eat, but I can see it in their mouth, so they’re not going to be like, hey, this was a six piece Chicken McNugget. I’m only going to have four. No such thing. I don’t think kids are like that. Right, okay, so what are the what I wish I knew moments. I think that’s a good one. Charmaine: And then there’s this dream of like, I just had a baby shower over the weekend, right, and a few parents kept it real for me. They said, ‘While we were pregnant, we said, no screen time, no iPad, only educational games, no sugar, no junk food’. And all that went out the window the minute they wanted a few seconds to themselves. As parents, can you verify whether this is something I might experience? At what point will I introduce the iPad? Estelle: Yeah, just get ready for it. I’m just not telling my husband. I think we’ll need it for some sanity. And I’ve had a couple of friends also tell me, as a parent, I just want us to chat at lunch. And the children are watching, like, a little fun documentary, right, that they enjoy. And why not, right? And it gives you an adult one to one time, because we actually stayed out for lunch and we had a great time. Listen to the full Inside The Spotlight AWEDIO podcast here: https://www.awedio.sg/podcast-ep/f03e5ad5-fac6-4383-9ad0-affd017395b4

Emcee Singapore: Charmaine and Camilo were interviewed by Singapore Women’s Weekly on her egg freezing journey, the couple’s prepping for parenthood and Charmaine’s returning to hosting work from mid-July 2023. Her egg-freezing journey Charmaine opted for the procedure after her 35th birthday last year. “The first few visits involved the Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) test to check my level of fertility, the prescription of necessary vitamins and supplements, blood tests, and the necessary vaccines to ensure my body was suitable before hormone medication was introduced.” Then there was the four-stage egg-freezing process, from administering daily hormone injections to the final oocyte (an immature ovum, or egg cell) recovery and fertilisation stage. “Eventually, we successfully retrieved 12 oocytes, which gave me peace of mind to know that I had “extra chances” in the bank. A pleasant surprise Her pregnancy journey has been filled with new discoveries. It has also strengthened her relationship with Camilo, and has made them think about a life that’s beyond theirs. She says, “It gives us a lot of motivation and purpose as we evolve from being a couple to being parents.” “I am confident that I have a good support system including a personal trainer, a job that I can return to, and a village I can rely on to balance parenthood and a career.” Staying fit and eating right Physical movement has been beneficial and Charmaine has been taking long walks a few times a week, doing pregnancy stretches, and doing weekly strength training. She also shares that they have been fortunate to have brands speak with them and clarify any doubts they have had. “Every bit of advice and learning has made this otherwise daunting new phase so much easier to navigate. This is also why I’ve started a What I wish I knew series on my Instagram page (@yeecharmaine).” Of Camilo as a dad, Charmaine feels that he would be a hands-on, fun and caring father. In fact, he has already started singing Spanish songs and reading bedtime stories in both Spanish and English to their baby. “We’ve talked about the kind of parents we wish to be and constantly communicate with each other. In my opinion, that makes for a good team and a good foundation for parenting.” Prepping for the baby and parenting duties The pair have started preparing the essentials for both mother and baby, and have partnered Mothercare for the likes of baby strollers and high chairs. They are also working with PEM Confinement Nanny Agency to give Charmaine time to rest, recover and ease into the journey of motherhood. On postpartum meals, they have collaborated with Tian Wei Signatures and ReLacto for confinement food to help nourish her body for recuperating and breastfeeding. Camilo has been every part the reassuring and supportive husband in this journey to parenthood, Charmaine tells us. They have discussed fitness, nutrition and finances, and baby prep as well as what he could do to support her. “He shares my excitement and accompanies me to every doctor’s visit. When our doctor told us the importance of protein during pregnancy, he made it his mission to ensure that I meet my daily protein intake.” They have also collaborated with Thomson Medical and have secured a VIP suite to receive their friends and family post-delivery. Work Schedule Ahead Charmaine shares “I’ve also felt well enough to host events till I was almost six months pregnant.” She says, “In my case, the daily radio show on Kiss92 is one where I don’t have to be standing for long periods of time. I have also pivoted to hosting regional virtual events, hosting for corporate podcasts, and voice-over work.” As for her maternity leave, she’s planning to take two months off her radio duties and hosting, but plans to be back in mid-July 2023, or when she can. For more information, please check out: “I Used 10 Pregnancy Kits To Be Sure” — Charmaine Yee On Her Surprise Pregnancy (womensweekly.com.sg)

Emcee Charmaine had a fun and interesting podcast session with Syafiqa, also known as @Syapls, a popular TikToker with a large 275,000 following. Charmaine had a lively conversation with Sya on how to succeed on social media platforms: 📲Sya’s start in content creation: she started her career at SGAG, a popular social media platform in Singapore, where she illustrated memes. She mentioned that her parents gifted her an iPad, which empowered her to pursue her passion for art and content creation. 📲Creating a viral TikTok video: Sya shared her secret to creating a viral TikTok video, which is, it’s important to stay updated with the latest trends and challenges on the platform, and to put her own unique spin on them. She also emphasized the importance of creating content that resonates with your audience. 📲Knowing your audience: Sya mentioned that she knows her audience inside and out, and that she always keeps their preferences and interests in mind when creating content. She also stressed the importance of engaging with your audience and building a genuine connection with them. 📲Being an extrovert on social media: According to Sya, being an extrovert is not a requirement to make it on social media. She mentioned that introverts can also be successful on social media by finding their niche and creating content that resonates with their personality and interests. Highlights of the podcast: Charmaine: You started your journey as a meme creator. So tell me : were you always drawing from young? Sya: My hobby has always been drawing since I was a kid. Yeah, but the thing is, would you like to know what I studied in school before? Charmaine: Was it not art? Did you score a grade A plus for art? Sya: I studied Food Science and Nutrition. Charmaine: Food Science? Wait, so let me get this right. TikToker Sya could have been a nutritionist. Sya: I could have been working in the hospital.. Charmaine: You can dish out nutritional nutrition advice right now! So you started out doing food science. Were you drawing pictures of food? Sya: Okay, the thing is, I won’t mention my school. Charmaine: Better not, since you say you return a lot of your knowledge to the classroom. Sya: I was basically doodling in class. Who didn’t, right? But when I do that, I use digital art to doodle from secondary school. Charmaine: Okay, you started there. Sya: So during my poly days, my parents gave me a drawing tablet. Charmaine: You’re so cute ….. your parents saw the talent in you? Sya: I posted my comics on Twitter, and it went viral. And that’s how I got the job from SGAG. So three months after I graduated, I joined SGAG. Charmaine: Wow. So somebody came knocking on your door. Fortunate situation, right? People are looking for jobs now. So SGAG called you, and you started to create memes with SGAG. How did you transition that journey from meme creator to now content creator? Sya: Well, the funny thing is that I didn’t pursue content creation. I just fell into it. Back in 2018, I was still a meme creator, and my boss wanted to venture out with TikTok. So he gathered a bunch of people who watched Vine, and I was one of the people who watched Vine. Charmaine: That feels like so long ago…. it was so hot and then it died. Sya: Yes. So by then, I think Vine died, but TikTok was rising. And they needed someone to learn TikTok. So basically, I was thrown into TikTok. We explored a lot. Charmaine: Are you a dancer? Sya: I wasn’t a dancer. I guess from learning how to TikTok for SGAG, I also venture out on my own to understand the platform better. Charmaine: How do you learn how to do TikTok? Are you on TikTok all the time? How do you know what’s trending? Give us the secret sauce. Sya: I consume a lot of TikTok. Have you seen those TikTok templates? That trend … for example, music TikTok, then you just create your own content based on the music. You put in photos, videos, etc, these kinds of things. So that’s how I started at first, but I guess it went viral because some people really liked it and I focused more on a slightly niche topic. Charmaine: Okay, so for those people who are first time listeners to our podcast, what kind of content do you post on TikTok? Sya: Well, I basically do Singapore centric content. focusing more on Malay and hijabi content. But mostly it’s Singapore because I think that’s where everyone could relate the most. Charmaine: Do you remember your first viral moment? I’m sure you know that video that took off and you’re like, ‘Oh, yeah’! Do you remember which one it was? Sya: I do. It’s a very stupid video. Basically, there’s this trending song on TikTok and people basically share their problems in their life using that song. So I shared my problem as a hijabi in Singapore. And hijabis related to it and it went viral. Charmaine: Do you know the profile of your primary audience? Sya: Actually, yes, I do. So on TikTok, you can actually see the analytics. Who are your followers and how many people are from which country? Charmaine: Mostly Singapore, right? Sya: 63% Singapore. The second biggest group is Malaysians. Around like 30%. Charmaine: Oh, that’s quite big? Sya: Yes. And the rest are all quite interesting because they are from different countries, like UK, US. And for some reason, I think Brazil. Charmaine: You’re resonating with our friends there as well. And when you walk around in Singapore, it’s like, that’s cool. When you take the bus and all that, how do people react when they see you in person? Sya: I have a lot of stories, so it was quite funny. Charmaine : Okay, give me your most surprising story, where you were like, ‘I made it’! Sya: I think the first time I realized I kind of made it was back in 2019.It was a very long time. Pre pandemic, pre-COVID. And it was quite interesting because back then I wasn’t that big. But people already know me. Charmaine: So they saw you on TikTok or a trending video on another platform? Sya: But then they saw me in real life… I was wearing a Steven Universe outfit. I was excited to go to the Comic Con. A bunch of girls, they looked at me and they’re like, hey, I love your Steven Universe outfit! Listen to the full episode on AWEDIO here – https://www.awedio.sg/podcast-ep/0f6b89f5-ef1b-40d2-ba03-afef016f4530/

Charmaine uses her favourite spot in her home to manage her work commitment and plan her hosting schedule. In the second instalment of Inside The Spotlight, Charmaine engaged Natalie on reliable sources for information on fad diets and fitness resources. It can be challenging to separate fact from fiction when it comes to health and wellness, with so much conflicting information out there. One way to ensure that the information you’re getting is reliable is to look for sources that are backed by scientific research and are written or endorsed by reputable experts in the field. It’s also a good idea to approach any new diet or fitness program with a critical eye and to consult with a healthcare professional before making any significant changes to your routine. Here are excerpts of the informative podcast Charmaine has with Natalie Dau on fad diet and fitness resources: Charmaine: When you were 20, did you ever get into what is a very common thing with kids in their twenties – crash diets? Natalie: I think the worst one I ever did was probably the cabbage soup diet, where basically all you eat is cabbage soup nonstop. Charmaine: That is tasteless. Natalie: Cabbage soup for at least two meals a day. That was a big one. We are talking back in the nineties. That was interesting. And I did the liver cleansing. Charmaine: I don’t know what that is. Natalie: That was to cleanse your liver, which is actually quite ridiculous because your liver is there to cleanse your body, so you don’t need to cleanse your liver. And I ended up in hospital after that one because it’s not great for your body. Charmaine: What happens when you do a liver cleansing? Natalie: I think your body’s almost too clean and it’s got nothing to clean. Charmaine: So you were not eating? Natalie: I was eating, but you’re eating almost too clean. Everyone talks about having real food, which is important, but you can be anything at the end of the spectrum is not good. Charmaine: There are so many key opinion leaders influences, if you may, YouTubers all around the world, not just Singapore. I’m talking about Australia, London, the UK and the US. And they’ve huge numbers. I won’t name names, but there are lots of people that claim to be giving out fitness advice, how to target fat burning. And they’ve been criticised quite heavily. Natalie: There are some amazing resources out there that you can tap that are on YouTube or Instagram. But my number one thing is check the qualifications first and foremost. Because a lot of people have no qualifications. They just look skinny and pretty, or they just look muscular. So people are attracted to that body type and think they must know what they’re talking about. Number two is actually, if you are a 40 year old woman and you are following a 20 year old girl and expect to look like a 20 year old, that’s not going to happen. So think about what your goal is when you are following these and things take time. Charmaine: What’s the most ridiculous headline you’ve ever read? Natalie: There’s this guy called the Liver King. Charmaine: A lot about this liver situation. Natalie: This is a different guy. And all he eats is basically raw liver and things. He has millions of followers. He actually makes millions of dollars a year from selling his own supplements and denied being on steroids and just got this body from taking his own stuff, but was busted because he was on performance enhancing steroids. So, but yet people still follow him even knowing that and still buy his products. So shocking. Yeah, it’s always buyer beware. Do some research if it’s not right or if it’s too good to be true. You have to be patient. Things take months if you want to lose weight. It’s a slow process if you want to get fit. So you’ve got to be in it for the long term, I think. And what people go in thinking basically for vanity reasons, I want to lose weight or I want to look good, or I want to fit into my jeans. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but what is great to see is the progression when people get to a certain point and go, actually, it’s about how I feel now. And maybe I want to challenge myself and maybe I want to run a half marathon and maybe I want to set myself some goals because it’s not about how I look now. It’s about being strong and it’s about feeling good. That’s when the real breakthrough comes. Listen to the full Inside the Spotlight 💫 podcast here – https://www.awedio.sg/podcast-ep/9b0e2196-ddc2-4d03-8156-afe1016c474a/

Emcee Singapore: Charmaine hosted an engaging and informative conversation on Inside The Spotlight podcast with Natalie Dau on her inspiring fitness journey on health and well-being. Charmaine focused on Natalie’s own personal growth and insightful experiences. They talked about Natalie’s strict discipline on healthy diet and morning runs to strong determination to stay motivated to outdo herself in new physical and mental marathon challenges, despite having rheumatoid arthritis and deep vein thrombosis herself. Here is a short excerpt on fitness and health from emcee Singapore Charmaine Yee’s podcast – Charmaine: Tell us why you signed up for a 200 kms ultra marathon. Natalie: The furthest I’d done before was 160 kms so I wanted to just see if I could do it (200 kms), first and foremost. And it was in Malaysia which was in a place called Titi. It’s about an hour outside of Kuala Lumpur. So you are on roads with no street lights, with wild dogs chasing you, pretty much the whole time. I was running with a stick, so that makes it interesting. Charmaine : Did you know what you were getting yourself into? Natalie: I knew that it was going to be hard. I’d done lots of racing in Malaysia before, but this was next level. There were a lot of hill climbs and running through the night and running for 30 hours was crazy. We’ve already got comments that she’s crazy and strong. Yeah, oh I like it. Strong is the word. Yeah, mentally strong too. I was face timing Matt during the race ….. going – like, I don’t think I can do this. Charmaine: You were face timing your husband, back in Singapore? Is that allowed? Natalie: Yeah, you can do that. You can’t listen to music, but you know you have to carry a phone legally in case something happens to you. Charmaine: How does a phone battery last the whole time? Does somebody send you a power bank on the side? Natalie: No, just have a battery. You’re not using it, and it’s turned off most of the time. Charmaine: That you’re not allowed to listen to music. Actually, can I understand this? Why is that the case? Natalie: It’s a safety thing. As we’re running on roads, they want you to be aware, as I said, there’re dogs, there’re monkeys …. all sorts of things. So you need to have your wits about you and also they want to make it harder for you. Charmaine: Talk to me about running in the dark. Natalie: You’re in a very isolated place and just wearing a headlamp. And there was one spot, I was actually running with one of the other participants at the time, and we could hear all these dogs howling, hundreds of them, and we couldn’t see them, but we could hear them. But you have the lights. Yeah, but they were out in the distance. And so I said to him, you’re running with men because I don’t want to run alone. And the course was actually 210 kms loops, so I thought the next day I’ll be back running this andI’ll see where I was in the daylight, which was a bit spooky. I realized we’d been running through a cemetery at the time. Charmaine: Oh that gave me the chills. You mentioned in your Instagram post that you had hallucinations towards the end. Natalie: I had some insane hallucinations I was having from my lack of sleep. I didn’t realize I was sort of going backwards and forwards across the road towards the end in the last 10 kms and so there were marshals on the course saying, are you okay? But you know, seeing crazy things, things in the clouds. I thought there were babies around. Yeah, I thought people were coming out of the trees. It was really insane. Charmaine: And did somebody snap you out of it? Natalie: No, I just sort of realized when I got to that point. Oh, there is no one here, it’s just a tree. So it just kept coming and I knew I would hallucinate at some point, so I’m like, okay, this is a hallucination, but it’s pretty out there. It is. Charmaine: Did you think your husband was talking to you? Natalie: He wasn’t in any of them. But everyone says she’s a champ and you’re always on the podium. Yes, I know I came in first woman and third overall behind the guys. So, obviously I race my hardest but it’s always nice when you cross the line first. I mean here’s what I really want to understand, right? Charmaine: I’m going to ask you a crazy question – do you plan to outdo yourself with another (ultra run)? Natalie: If you had asked me straight after that, I would have said no. But now we’re three months later. Never say never. Charmaine: You’ve had some health challenges yourself. Natalie: Yes, I have rheumatoid arthritis, so that’s ongoing and I won’t take medication for that. I don’t want to take steroids. Doctors love to give it to you, obviously, because it’s an easy fix so for me I know my body when I’m stressed or tired when I’ve drunk alcohol and when I’ve eaten red meat it flares up massively for me so I try to avoid those things. And the other one is deep vein thrombosis. I had ten blood clots in my left leg. Charmaine: When was this? Natalie: This was actually just before I got pregnant. So I wore those medical stockings, 24/7 for two years and during pregnancy and directly after, which was interesting, and blood thinners and the whole bit. So that’s something that I am dealing with. Charmaine: But none of this has stopped you from doing 200 kms. I’m sure you talk to your doctors, but what if this stuff acts up? Natalie: I have regular checkups and regular blood work, but there’s people doing some great things with a lot worse medical conditions. Charmaine: Wow! That’s like it’s a newfound respect!! Listen to the full Inside the Spotlight 💫 podcast here – https://www.awedio.sg/podcast-ep/9b0e2196-ddc2-4d03-8156-afe1016c474a/

Emcee Singapore: Charmaine chatted with Janice Wong who is famously known as the “dessert queen” for establishing her first business i.e. 2am:dessertbar in Holland Village in 2007, and opened more dessert bars and pop-ups in other locations in Melbourne, Tokyo and Macau. Janice’s passion for desserts led her to pursue extensive training and work with notable chefs in the field. After graduating in economics at NUS, she went to Le Cordon Bleu in Paris to further her culinary skills. She then spent time learning and honing her craft by working alongside renowned chefs including Will Goldfarb at Room 4 Dessert in Manhattan. Janice’s most recent business venture, Pure Imagination, a bean-to-bar concept chocolate brand focused on cocoa purity, fair trade, and sustainability. Its first location opened in the Great World shopping centre, complete with a small-batch chocolate factory. Tune in to the Inside the Spotlight 💫 podcast episode and hear what Janice has to say on making an impact by: Empowering women to work directly with smallholder farmers in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Philippines, and Thailand to produce small-batch chocolate bars, and Having produced the first few batches of Singapore’s first single-origin chocolate, Janice is on track to plant 1,000 cacao trees. Beyond her successful business ventures. emcee Singapore Charmaine Yee had an insightful conversation with Janice. It is always fascinating to learn more about her childhood and what Janice was like growing up. Charmaine delved into some interesting topics during the podcast. She asked Janice what listeners were curious to know i.e. is she looking for love and what she may be looking for in a partner. Charmaine opened up the discussion on Janice’s experiences as a woman in a mostly male-dominated scene. They touched on issues of inspiration, diversity and representation in the culinary world. It’s always exciting to get a sneak peek at what’s next for Janice’s ventures and her upcoming plans in Singapore. Listen to the full Inside the Spotlight 💫 podcast here – https://www.awedio.sg/podcast-ep/de9cebc3-8de2-489b-b797-afda009ed141/ View vignettes of what Janice has to say about : Helping farmers – (193) Inside The Spotlight with Janice Wong on having the power to help farmers – YouTube F&B ‘Law’ – (193) Inside The Spotlight with Janice Wong – F&B Law – YouTube Culinary inspiration – (193) Inside The Spotlight on where Janice gets her inspiration from eating grass and dirt – YouTube

Emcee Singapore: World Autism Day on 2 April is an important opportunity to raise awareness about autism and promote acceptance and inclusion of people with autism. It is a chance to educate people about the strengths and challenges of individuals on the spectrum, and to advocate for practices that support their well-being. In addition to promoting awareness and understanding, there are many practical steps that communities can take to be more inclusive of people with autism. Emcee Singapore Charmaine’s family is thankful that he is gainfully employed in a public healthcare entity for more than eight years. His workplace provides accommodation such as sensory-friendly workspaces and his job coach provides communication support to help him adapt to the work requirements and environment. For Charmaine, her brother has taught her endless lessons on love, kindness, honesty, empathy and especially punctuality. He always reminds her in his own ways to just “give that little bit more”. Over the years, her family has navigated through challenges together and provided the best care and support possible as a team to ensure his well-being and happiness. ✨ Autism can present unique challenges for individuals and their families, but with understanding, patience, love and support, people with autism can live fulfilling lives and contribute positively to society. Let’s continue to work towards a more inclusive and supportive society for all individuals, regardless of their abilities or differences. Thank you for sharing Emcee Singapore Charmaine’s journey with her kor and for shining light on #worldautismday, @kindnesssg. Family IS everything ❤️

Emcee Singapore: Charmaine hosted the grand opening of Hovoh Bugis, a coliving, sustainable accommodation offering in an iconic and historical building, that is home to arts, culture, food & beverage and Singapore’s signature multiculturalism and eclecticism. Guest of honour, Dr. Teo Ho Pin, credited HOVOH for their efforts in bringing out the heritage charm of the building, deliberate enhancement of the French windows, historical architecture and embracing the primary structure. It was valuable to hear the views of the panel of judges, of whom Dr Teo was one of the judges, on what made Hovoh stand out as the Best Co-living Space at the Asia Property Award Competition. The serviced apartments, which were once commercial offices and salons on levels 2 & 3 of the pre-war shop house, has been transformed into 30 service apartment homes within the charming Bugis precinct. Wendy Yap, founder of HOVOH, shared that HOVOH draws inspiration from the concept of the egg, “ovo” means egg, and the ‘h’s on either side represents its expertise in harmonising ‘hospitality’ and ‘homes’. She went on to explain Hovoh’s commitment to its brand values of essentiality, sustainability and a complete home to the next generation of tenants. These will likely resonate with tenants who are looking for accommodations that align with their own values and priorities. And in June 2023, HOVOH will be contributing to the cultural vibrancy of the community by dedicating a portion of its space to initiate semi-annual programs to promote local talents in the Bugis Bras Basah (bbb) arts precinct.

https://www.awedio.sg/podcast-ep/b118d8e4-c3d1-471a-b189-afcc016ecfca Emcee Singapore: Charmaine chatted with Tina Yong, social media influencer and entrepreneur, who proved that it takes personality and effective skills to build a strong online presence. Tina is an Australian social media influencer who has gained a significant following on various platforms, including YouTube and Instagram. She initially gained popularity on YouTube, where she started her channel in 2013, creating makeup tutorials, product reviews, and beauty tips. She has since amassed over 3.7 million subscribers on her YouTube channel. Her content is focused on makeup, skincare, haircare and beauty products. Apart from YouTube, Tina is also active on Instagram, where she has over 211 thousand followers. She posts pictures and videos related to beauty, fashion and lifestyle. In addition to being a Singapore-based social media influencer, Tina is also a businesswoman. She founded her own beauty brand, Petite, in 2018, which focuses on eye lash products for young girls. As she dominates in her social media, she also proves that she has a strong point of view regarding social issues such as transparency of keyboard trollers. You can listen to a segment of the podcast on Inside the Spotlight 💫 https://www.awedio.sg/podcast-ep/b118d8e4-c3d1-471a-b189-afcc016ecfca Kiss92 on Instagram: “ We got candid with the beautiful @tina_yong on-air today with @yeecharmaine”. Enjoy!!