Episodes
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How many of us get to say that we truly feel confident in our own skin? My guest today, Stephanie Er, is founder and creative director of multi-disciplinary creative agency Cream Pie Studio. Her journey of coming into her own began when she first had her daughter nine years ago, and it did not happen without its fair share of trials and tribulations.
In the midst of navigating new motherhood while managing her businesses, she found herself a single parent overnight. It was also through this most challenging time that began her shift into the person she is proud to be today. I get to sit down with her as she shares her lessons on entrepreneurship, leadership, family and relationships.
In this episode, we talk about:
- How she nurtures creativity and prevents burnout
- What draws her to interior design and creating spaces
- What makes a house a home
- What it takes to be a modern business leader managing a young team
- Managing her businesses while solo parenting
- How her mental health and self care journey began
- How her worldview on family and relationships have changed since her engagement
- The one thing she would say to all single parents
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Connect with Stephanie Er on Instagram
Follow Cream Pie Studio’s projects on Instagram
Listen to Stephanie's podcast Arch Conversations
-Working Moms Asia is produced and led by Natalie Goh. To contact us, email [email protected]
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Follow us @workingmomsasia on social media for updates -
You know that saying: Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing perfectly. It feels like today’s guest, Wendy, brings this phrase to life. Her latest venture Coastberry is the result of trials and errors not just in her other entrepreneurial pursuits, but also in her career choices through the years. Finding her true love for running her own business and serving her customers was a journey that took over 10 years, as she navigated modelling, working for her family business, several jobs in the corporate world, multiple side hustles, and now motherhood.
As a brand with thoughtfully designed baby bath and bedtime essentials, Coastberry's mission is to bring joy as much as it brings practicality and quality to a routine all parents are familiar with.
If you’d like to give it a try, I’m happy to share that Wendy is offering a promo specially for the WMA community - get 15% off a minimum of 2 items from Coastberry’s regular collection with code WMA15 upon checkout. This promo code is valid for a limited time only.
What we talked about:
- Her e-commerce journey and how it began as a university student modelling for blogshops
- Her involvement in her family business that exposed her to and nurtured her love for entrepreneurship
- Looking for stability and flexibility through a remote corporate role as a new mom, and realising that it was not for her
- How her last corporate role where she served blogshop merchants helped her understand where her true desires lie
- Having the courage to carve her own path and coming full circle as a brand owner
- Finding her flexibility and rhythm as a business owner and parent
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Shop Coastberry
Follow Coastberry on Instagram
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Working Moms Asia is produced and led by Natalie Goh. To contact us, email [email protected]
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Follow us @workingmomsasia on social media for updates -
Missing episodes?
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I get this question a lot: What is your reason for starting Working Moms Asia? Today’s episode helps answer this question in a word: Curiosity. And in the process of working on WMA, I've realized that curiosity is one of my top three values in life - something that my guest today, Ava Gao, helped me uncover and understand. As a parenting coach and founder of The Curious Mama, Ava's mission is to empower and help other moms find meaning and joy in their unique journeys.
In this episode, we talked about:
- Marrying her passion for learning and self development with her work as a coach supporting other parents
- How she navigates self doubt as a self starter and business owner
- What is the role of a coach and what can one expect at a session
- What making magic means in her current season of parenting (it’s not what you’d expect!)
- The long term impact of building a relationship foundation with your children
- Her two biggest lessons from being a present parent
If coaching is something you've been curious about exploring, I'm happy to share that Ava is offering 20% off a first-time 1-1 coaching session specially for the WMA community. Indicate "Working Moms Asia" in the signup form here.
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- Follow The Curious Mama on Instagram
- Listen to the Making Mama Magic podcast
- Purchase Mama Mantra Cards
- Join the Connected parenting community
- Book your first 1-1 coaching session with Ava (indicate "Working Moms Asia" in the signup form for 20% off)
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Working Moms Asia is produced and led by Natalie Goh. To contact us, email [email protected]
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Follow us @workingmomsasia on social media for updates -
When did you last give yourself the permission to rest?
If you're curious how a society that prioritizes productivity and achievement impacts parents, I get to unpack and explore this and more with my guest today, Victoria Yim. Victoria is in the social impact and philanthropy sector, and her reflections around rest and restoration come from her transitions in her work and personal lives.
We also talk about:
- The role her side businesses play
- How progressive workplace cultures empower its people to lead with compassion
- What she practices before going into a new role
- How to set boundaries at work
- Why a mindset shift for what maternity leave is needs to happen
- Learning to give herself the permission to accept help and to rest
- Modern parenting styles and why they can be counterintuitive
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Follow Hello Bao on Instagram
Follow kit-un on Instagram
The Comfort Book - as recommended by Victoria
-Working Moms Asia is produced and led by Natalie Goh. To contact us, email [email protected]
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Follow us @workingmomsasia on social media for updates -
Today’s guest Elaine is an old friend from university that I reconnected with because she became a mom around the same time that I did. I was particularly curious about her stories of transition to parenthood while pursuing her career in communications and PR at a global tech company. What struck me the most about our conversation was seeing how having a progressive employer, a supportive co-parent in her husband Pierce, and a close-knit village of family and friends enabled her to continuously find her footing, come into her own calm, and grow into advocating for herself.
How a family-friendly culture fosters a safe space for employees to practise empathy and care for each otherBeing inspired by how her global coworkers in other cultures parentMaking sense of her new role as a parent, and learning to advocate for herself at workUnderstanding her shifts in priorities and drawing boundaries for herselfWhy moms may tend to experience more guilt returning to work versus dadsAcknowledging and embracing the good and the bad that comes with each seasonHow having a supportive co-parent makes the parenting journey more enjoyable and excitingHow developing a foundation of values helps in navigating new roles and challenging situationsCelebrating the small wins and defining her own metrics of success
If the workplace could play such a pivotal role during a time of change and uncertainty for its employees, how can we as a society take our learnings from this and encourage more family-first organizations?
In this episode, we talk about:-
Working Moms Asia is produced and led by Natalie Goh. To contact us, email [email protected]
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Follow us @workingmomsasia on social media for updates -
When did you last cry? Today’s guest Siti Zahidah created the Why Mothers Cry community to encourage parents to talk about their feelings, in the hopes that others will feel less alone with theirs. If you are in a season of change, this episode is for you. Zahidah was a teacher for most of her career - over 8 years to be exact - before taking the plunge and making the switch to corporate communications for a non-profit organization.
Highlights of the episode:
05:53 What inspired Why Mothers Cry07:17 Being a teacher09:06 The switch from civil service to corporate life 14:11 Standing up for herself in her career 17:46 Flexibility as a mindset in the workplace21:07 Being a singer-songwriter and discovering her love for sharing others’ stories25:43 What makes a good communicator29:39 Thoughts on raising children in Singapore’s education system as a former educator and mom of two young boys33:35 Impact of academic stress on students’ mental health 37:12 Supporting children through their struggles and emotions from a young age38:38 Raising children who can be vulnerable and acknowledge their feelings 44:43 Fostering a safe space for conversations with young children51:35 Being the default parent and how the parenting dynamic had to change with two children57:48 Lessons from her first solo trip 01:05:26 Leaning on her proverbial kampong to raise her family01:09:21 Growing with her friends through motherhood-
Connect with Zahidah on Instagram
Follow Why Mothers Cry on Instagram
Subscribe to the Why Mothers Cry newsletter
-Working Moms Asia is produced and led by Natalie Goh. To contact us, email [email protected]
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Follow us @workingmomsasia on social media for updates -
I’m not going to lie - I felt equal parts awe and envy when I got to get personal with today’s guest, Jade Swee. How many of us get to say that we are living our childhood dream? Jade is the fashion designer behind bespoke label Time Taken to Make a Dress, and counts having a solid friend in her business partner Leticia Phay as a key factor in their success. Mom to 8-year-old Lucas and 5-year-old Elliot, Jade is on an ongoing discovery of her parenting style and often finds herself tapping on her skills as a bespoke designer - curiosity and creativity - to adapt to her family’s growing needs and changing dynamics.
In this episode, we talk about:
- Pursuing her passion in fashion and following through with dedication for over two decades and counting
- Going into business with her good friend, and journeying through life's milestones together
- How she is considering a career switch to early childhood education
- Appreciating her own upbringing, and at the same time being aware of the parts she wants to break away from as a parent herself
- Discovering positive parenting through her network and parenting coach
- How her personal, business and parenting values align
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To connect with Jade: Time Taken to Make a Dress
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Working Moms Asia is produced and led by Natalie Goh. To contact us, email [email protected]
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Follow us @workingmomsasia on social media for updates -
My conversation with today’s guest, Francesca Khor, reminded me to embrace life’s uncertainties and surprises. As General Manager of global advertising agency SalesWorks, she’s progressed with the company for 15 years and counting, and has come to count her coworkers as family as they saw her through milestones like marriage, pregnancy and motherhood. She credits her work family as one of the unwavering pillars in her village, especially during a challenging time when her three-year-old daughter Ellie was diagnosed with a rare disorder Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) at just four months old.
In this episode, we talk about:
Finding her rhythm at work and at home while caring for a child with a rare disorderFeeling lost about the diagnosis and eventually finding an outlet that helps her make sense of the ongoing situationFinding her network of support through Rare Disorders Society Singapore (RDSS) and TSC SingaporeThe mental health of caregivers of people with rare disorders, and what we can do to be there for themHow to communicate something that’s important to you at the workplaceThe discovery that her village extended beyond immediate familyHow self care can take the form of drawing boundaries for herselfBeing a constant work-in-progress, going with the flow, and yet being present in the moment_
Rare Disorders Society Singapore (RDSS) is currently running its flagship fundraising campaign <Carry Hope 2023> till 30 April 2023. Carry Hope 2023 empowers rare diseases patients and their families to navigate the challenges of their condition and live a fulfilling life. RDSS’s board committee and management are 100% volunteer-run, and all funds go towards financing various programmes like financial assistance, medical and therapy intervention, and emotional support to its beneficiaries, their caregivers, and their siblings at home. To donate: https://give.asia/campaign/carry-hope-2023#/
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To learn more about rare disorders, or connect with Francesca:
RDSS charity: https://www.instagram.com/rdss_sg/
Francesca’s main account: https://www.instagram.com/heytwolittlepeas/
TSC Singapore: https://www.instagram.com/tsc_singapore/
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Working Moms Asia is produced and led by Natalie Goh. To contact us, email [email protected]
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Follow us @workingmomsasia on social media for updates -
In this episode, I tap on the wisdom of an old acquaintance. Sarah is mom of two-year-old Elijah, and her family will be welcoming a new member this month (exciting!). Sarah discovered her passion for social impact work in the earlier days of her career, and is currently effecting change at the policy level as Head of Government and Regulatory Affairs at a global tech MNC.
In this episode, we talked about:
- Finding a career that aligns with her values
- How progressive employers foster an environment for open, honest, and at times difficult (but necessary) conversations
- How crying at the workplace may not always be a bad thing
- Finding a like-minded parenting community and coach to support her family
- Owning your relationship with your child
- Respectful Parenting and applying it to all aspects of her life
I learned so much from her experience, and hope that you will find it of great value too.
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Working Moms Asia is produced and led by Natalie Goh. To contact us, email [email protected]
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Follow us @workingmomsasia on social media for updates -
This episode is not only a special one because it’s the very first, but also because my guest Mei Chin Tan is an old friend of close to 14 years. Mei Chin is mom of two, and has over ten years of experience in the digital marketing and events space. She is today as I’ve always remembered her - fiercely independent, self motivated and no nonsense. I am grateful to be invited to be part of her journey and growth as we unpack some of the pros, the cons and the learnings of being a highly driven person, both in the workplace and at home. And I’m glad I get to, in some ways, encapsulate the eye-opening, soul-warming conversation we had when we reconnected over sushi recently, with this podcast episode.
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Working Moms Asia is produced and hosted by Natalie Goh. To contact us, email [email protected]
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Follow us @workingmomsasia on social media for updates
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Kicking off the podcast series with a quick introduction about me, Natalie Goh, and the reason behind creating Working Moms Asia.
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Working Moms Asia is a podcast that seeks to unlearn and relearn what it means for parents to thrive in both their personal and work lives.
What does work look like after one’s transition to a parent? How does our culture impact how we look at parenting and careers? Can the workplace do more for parents? Is staying home to care for our children not work?Together with Natalie Goh, Working Moms Asia deep dives into these questions and more, and is for anyone curious to know the real stories of evolving identities and shifting priorities amidst personal and career ambitions.
