Asian Business Owners - A.B.O.

Building a business changes more than your work, it changes how you handle clients, how you set boundaries and who you spend time with.In this special episode with Rasheed, host of the Entrepreneurs Stories podcast, we talk openly about the less visible side of entrepreneurship.Here's what we cover:Why building in public feels vulnerable at firstThe challenge of setting boundaries with demanding clientsPeople, teams, delegation and the difficulty of letting goHow entrepreneurship changes your friendships, priorities and support systemWhy energy matters so muchTimestamps:(00:00) Welcome to Asian Business Owners(00:37) The Fear of Building in Public(02:18) Entrepreneurship Never Stops(05:20) How Carmen Started Her Marketing Agency(06:48) Client Boundaries Reality(07:39) Cross Platform Marketing Agency(08:45) Small Clients Ask More(12:54) Rasheed's Multiple Businesses(14:09) People and Team Energy(16:32) Delegation and Trust(18:04) Hands Off vs Micromanage(21:35) Reframing Client Conflict(24:18) Setting Client Boundaries(26:03) Friendships and Entrepreneurship(30:05) Changing Priorities and Drinking(31:08) Support Systems and Spouses(32:51) Entrepreneurs See Each Other(34:38) Closing of Part 1👉 To find out more: Listen to Entrepreneur Stories podcastCheck out Rasheed on LinkedInTo follow my journey: 💬 abo.pod📲 Find me on LinkedIn🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners wherever you listen to it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I thought some things would get easier with time but they didn’t so I just learned to live with them.This is Part 2 of this personal solo episode of Asian Business Owners. I continue sharing what I still find difficult as a founder, what the reality behind running a business is.If you haven't listened to Part 1, where I talk about unstable income, ups and downs and mental load, go have a listen before tuning to Part 2.In this second part, I talk about:The challenge of managing timeThe weight of responsibility that comes with entrepreneurshipThe expectations we carry as foundersThese are things we don’t talk about enough but that most founders experience.Timestamps:(00:00) Welcome to Asian Business Owners(00:45) More Aspects of Entrepreneurship I Struggle With(01:19) Time Management(02:37) How to Deal With Priorities And Energy(04:49) Carrying The Weight On Your Shoulders(06:18) A Vision Without Guarantees(08:01) Support the Podcast(08:52) OutroFollow the journey:💬 abo.pod📲 Find me on LinkedIn🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners wherever you listen to it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When things feel off, most founders try to reset by doing more: more goals, higher objectives, more expectations, which goes with more pressure.That’s the mistake.In this Quick Wins episode, I talk about a different way to reset, to actually create clarity and sustainability.You’ll hear:Why you should stopping adding moreHow to redefine success Why motivation isn’t the problemTimestamps:(00:00) Welcome to A.B.O. Quick Wins(00:13) Do you reset by addiing new goals?(00:27) #1 Remove before you add(00:48) #2 What does success mean to you?(01:15) #3 This is what to reset instead of blaming motivation(01:46) ConclusionFollow me on LinkedIn and Instagram for more tips and behind-the-scenes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I thought some things would get easier with time but hey didn’t. So I just learned to live with them.In this solo episode of Asian Business Owners, I share, very honestly, what I still find difficult as a founder. Just the reality behind running a business.In this first part, I talk about:Unstable income and what money really representsThe constant ups and downsWhy doubt never fully goes awayThe mental load that never switches offThese are things we don’t talk about enough but that most founders experience.Keep an eye out, part 2 is coming next week!Timestamps:(00:00) Welcome to Asian Business Owners(00:37) What Aspects of Entrepreneurship Do You Struggle With?(01:24) Unstable Income (03:33) Never Ending Ups and Downs(05:10) Doubt and Big Questions(08:24) Constant Mental Load(10:56) Wrap Up, Don't Miss Part TwoFollow the journey:💬 abo.pod📲 Find me on LinkedIn🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners wherever you listen to it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You post consistently, people follow you, like your content but... they never become clients.Do you know why?In this Quick Wins episode, I break down why your audience isn’t converting and what to change to turn attention into actual business.What you'll learn:Why most followers don’t understand what you offerHow to communicate your offer clearly without feeling repetitiveHow to create urgency with the right offersTimestamps:(00:00) Welcome to A.B.O. Quick Wins(00:13) Your follows don't buy anything from you?(00:23) #1 Stop assuming this(00:55) #2 Decision-making content (01:34) #3 Human interactions(02:05) ConclusionFollow me on LinkedIn and Instagram for more tips and behind-the-scenes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Data is supposed to help founders make better decisions. But how much of it is actually reliable?And what happens when the data looks solid but the assumptions behind it aren’t?In this episode of Asian Business Owners, I sit down with Tamir Abdel-Wahab, co-founder of Preferences AI, to talk about how founders can use data more critically, what most companies still get wrong about market research and why AI and Web3 may change the way businesses understand customers.We talk about:Why many companies still make decisions based more on instinct than real dataHow bias, incentives and blind spots affect market researchWhy traditional market research is deadHow AI tools can help founders understand customers fasterWhat Web3 really means beyond the buzzwords and why it overpromisedThe keys for founders to think more clearly about data, ownership and decision-making✅ Get your free day pass at Garage Society!Timestamps:(00:00) Welcome to Asian Business Owners(00:54) Behind-the-scenes: Family Legacy and Values(02:49) Behind-the-scenes: When to Have Kids As a Founder(04:00) Behind-the-scenes: Always On Founder Mindset(05:01) Meet Tamir and Preferences AI(07:19) Data Bias and Confirmation(10:59) Market Research Is Dead(12:33) Digital Twins and Simulations(15:31) Memory Layers Explained(19:28) Philosophy of Prediction(24:25) Trust and Data Quality(26:21) Web3 for Verifiable Responses(27:15) Enriching User Data(28:11) Training the Digital Twin(29:06) Tamir's Story: From Finance to Web3(33:08) Web3 Explained Simply(35:37) Web3 Hype vs Reality(40:09) Data Ownership Incentives(41:03) Next Two Years in AI(42:53) Autonomous Agents and Safety(45:30) Choosing Trusted Tools(47:16) Founder Lessons From Tamir(50:49) Outro✅ Get your free day pass at Garage Society!👉 To find out more:Tamir on LinkedInPreferences AI websitePreferences AI on LinkedInTo follow my journey: 💬 abo.pod📲 Find me on LinkedIn🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners wherever you listen to it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Micro communities, AI-generated content, interactive emails… new marketing trends appear all the time.They look exciting, promise growth and they often make you wonder if you’re missing something.But not every trend deserves your time.In this A.B.O. Quick Wins episode, I share three simple questions founders can use to decide whether a marketing trend is actually worth exploring.I talk about:Your audience’s attention matters more than the trend itselfHow trends should amplify your strengths, not create new onesTesting small to evaluate new marketing ideasMarketing trends can be useful but only if they align with your audience, your strengths and your capacity to execute consistently.Timestamps:(00:13) Which trends should you follow?(00:31) Where is your audience's attention?(01:02) Does a trend match your strength?(01:34) Can you test it small before scaling?(01:58) ConclusionFollow me on LinkedIn and Instagram for more tips and behind-the-scenes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a founder, you’re constantly faced with opportunities, requests, collaborations and ideas.Some look exciting, some feel urgent, some sound too good to say no to.But one of the most important skills in entrepreneurship is learning when saying no is actually the healthiest decision for your business.In this episode of Asian Business Owners, I share five situations where I’ve learned that saying no protects your time, energy and long-term focus as a founder.I talk about:When someone else’s urgency becomes your emergencyProjects that look interesting but come with messy contextOpportunities that start with too many unknownsHidden free workSaying yes when you’re already overloadedYour business doesn’t only grow through the things you say yes to, it also grows through the opportunities you decide not to take on.Timestamps:(00:00) Welcome to Asian Business Owners(00:38) Why Saying No Matters(01:37) Urgency Is Not Yours(03:23) Heavy Project Context(04:54) Too Many Unknowns(06:33) Hidden Free Work(08:00) Overloaded Schedule Trap(09:29) Final Takeaways Follow the journey:💬 abo.pod📲 Find me on LinkedIn🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners wherever you listen to it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you have a client who pays relatively little but takes up a lot of your time?Constant emails.Extra requests.More reassurance than expected.If this sounds familiar, the issue usually isn’t the client, it’s the boundaries that were never clearly set.In this Quick Wins episode, I share 3 practical ways founders can build healthier client relationships while protecting their time and focus.We talk about:Defining scope clearly at the start of a projectWhy over-delivering creates new expectations instead of gratitudeTurning boundaries into systems instead of awkward conversationsSetting boundaries isn’t about pushing clients away.Timestamps:(00:13) Do You Have Very Demanding Clients Who Pay Little?(00:43) Define the Scope Super Clearly(01:26) Stop Over-Delivering(02:16) Turn Boundaries Into Systems(02:45) Don't Be Afraid to Set BoundariesFollow me on LinkedIn and Instagram for more tips and behind-the-scenes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’re a people pleaser, being a founder can become even more exhausting.Saying yes too fast, replying instantly, overdelivering more than expected, explaining and justifying every decision.In this episode of Asian Business Owners, I share five boundaries I had to learn as a people-pleasing founder to protect my time, regain clarity and grow a more sustainable business.These shifts didn’t happen overnight, they took years of noticing patterns and learning to respond differently.What I talk about:why replying instantly can create unnecessary pressuretaking time before committing to requestsclarifying expectations instead of overdeliveringwhy you don’t need to overexplain your decisionsdeciding in advance who gets access to your timeTimestamps:(00:00) Welcome to Asian Business Owners(00:31) Are you a people pleaser?(00:45) What being a people pleasing founder costs(01:36) Tip 1 Pause replies(03:15) Tip 2 Delay commitments(04:15) Tip 3 Clarify expectations(05:20) Tip 4 Stop overexplaining(06:42) Tip 5 Protect access(07:50) Wrap up(08:35) OutroFollow the journey:💬 abo.pod📲 Find me on LinkedIn🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners wherever you listen to it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You make a decision. It feels right. And then doubt creeps in.You revisit it. Question it. Sometimes even consider undoing it completely.In this Quick Wins episode, I break down why, as founders, we second-guess our decisions so often and how to stop letting doubt take over our headspace.The way to overcome this isn't to become more confidence but rather to better understand what’s actually happening when we doubt ourselves.What you'll hear:Why most founder decisions are made in isolationHow lack of anchoring creates endless mental loopsEmotional discomfort vs real strategic riskReversible vs irreversible decisionsWhy clarity comes after commitmentTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction to A.B.O. Quick Wins(00:13) You Make a Decision And Keep Revisiting It(00:39) Reduce Isolation Before Deciding(01:58) Don't Confuse Emotional Discomfort With Strategic Risk(03:06) Commitment Rule Over Certainty(04:15) ConclusionFollow me on LinkedIn and Instagram for more tips and behind-the-scenes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You don’t need to say much for people to form an opinion. Your voice does it for you.In this episode of Asian Business Owners, we explore how your voice shapes confidence, credibility and leadership often before your words are fully heard.Together with executive voice coach David Pope, we unpack why many founders and leaders sound less confident than they actually are and how voice, presence and authenticity are deeply connected.We talk about:How people subconsciously judge confidence through voiceWhy leadership presence is often heard before it’s understoodThe difference between sounding confident and sounding authenticCommon voice habits that undermine credibilityHow founders and leaders can find a voice that truly reflects who they are✅ Get your free day pass at Garage Society!Timestamps:(00:00) Welcome to Asian Business Owners(00:31) Meet My Guest: David Pope(01:41) Beginnings In the Media London(03:21) Working For the BBC (04:21) Hong Kong for Six Months(07:36) Founding All Voice Talent(09:51) From Producer to Voice Coach(14:12) This or That Quickfire(14:56) Voice Coaching Process (18:40) Confidence Tips and Programmes(20:52) Culture Accent and Intelligibility(23:31) Speak Up to Lead(24:23) High Pitch Voices and Credibility(26:30) Posture Breath and Resonance(27:35) Top Speaking Mistakes(29:37) Three Pillars of Communication(30:42) Record Review and Transcribe(32:13) Storytelling for Recall(33:09) Gender Patterns and Confidence(35:57) Authentic Feedback and Care(39:32) Lessons For Founders(43:13) Closing✅ Get your free day pass at Garage Society!👉 To find out more:David on LinkedInAll Voice Talent's websiteTo follow my journey: 💬 abo.pod📲 Find me on LinkedIn🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners wherever you listen to it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People say they’re interested, they want to “stay in touch” snd then… nothing happens.In this Quick Wins episode, I share 3 simple ways to turn conversations into clients, without pitching, forcing, or sounding salesy. If this keeps happening to you, it’s usually because the conversation never actually moves forward.What you'll hear:why solving too early kills momentumhow to listen for signals instead of surface interestasking permission instead of pitchingTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction to A.B.O. Quick Wins(00:13) People Are Interested But Nothing Happens(00:37) Stop Solving Too Early(01:14) Listen For Signals(01:52) Ask Before PitchingFollow me on LinkedIn and Instagram for more tips and behind-the-scenes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ChatGPT won’t run your business for you but used well, it can save you hours and help you think more clearly as a founder.In this episode of Asian Business Owners, I share 7 concrete ways I use ChatGPT in my day-to-day as a founder to reduce mental load, save time and make better decisions.Spoiler alert: there's no magic prompts, no overnight success. I share real use cases from my work.You’ll hear how I use ChatGPT for:generating content ideas with context, not generic promptsorganising my thinking with one thread per topictranslating content accuratelyrefining strategy and turning ideas into next stepspreparing quotations and pricing with more confidenceimproving podcast metadatagetting an external perspective when things feel stuckTimestamps:(00:00) Welcome to Asian Business Owners(00:38) Why founders should use ChatGPT (and what this episode covers)(01:27) 1- Content ideas that actually match your niche(02:53) 2- One ChatGPT thread per topic to keep context(03:35) 3- Translating content(04:10) 4- Refining strategy: challenge assumptions & turn ideas into next steps(05:03) 5- Quotations & pricing: scope checks, benchmarks, confidence(05:53) 6- Podcast metadata, descriptions, thumbnails & SEO(06:43) 7- External perspective: stuck moments, client issues, hard emails(07:34) Wrap-up: ChatGPT doesn’t replace thinking + final piece of advice(08:29) DM me, subscribe and leave a reviewFollow the journey:💬 abo.pod📲 Find me on LinkedIn🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners wherever you listen to it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your to-do list keeps growing and everything feels urgent.You end each day frustrated, thinking about all the things you haven't done.In this Quick Wins episode, I share 3 simple prioritisation rules for founders who feel overwhelmed, reactive and stuck in constant urgency. When everything feels like a priority, nothing really is.What this episode covers:Why urgent doesn’t always mean importantHow to identify tasks that truly move the needleChoosing one or two real priorities per dayProtecting thinking and strategy timeTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction to A.B.O. Quick Wins(00:13) How to Handle Endless To-Do Lists?(00:35) Urgent Doesn't Mean Important(01:42) Choose Your Priority Every Day(02:13) Protect Your Thinking Time(02:44) Important Reminder to Prioritise Your WorkFollow me on LinkedIn and Instagram for more tips and behind-the-scenes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.