It worked out! Here’s the point where we changed the title and thumbnail—people started clicking on the video much more!

That’s the game of YouTube.

By the way, I’ll be hosting an online YouTube workshop for those who want to start their own channel. Grab your seat here (it’s free): https://www.shym.sg/workshop

Just got the black badge tick for our channel! It’s pretty rare to get verified by YouTube these days — even many large channels never receive it. So this feels like a cool achievement. I’m happy!

Btw, we’ve strategically decided to stop posting YouTube Shorts for now. The reason is simple — to get big results with Shorts, we’d need a fully dedicated team and business process just for them. So far, they’ve only been a second priority. We’ve been creating Shorts from our long-form videos, using AI and some manual tweaks — but that’s not enough.

Instead, we’re shifting our main focus to producing long-form videos for a broader audience. More planning, more preparation, and even more interesting people to interview. Our internal goal is to create a long-form video that hits 10 million views. Let’s see if we can make it happen.

Our first interview in Hong Kong — I’m super excited!
I’ve been planning to do interviews there, and this one is just mind-blowing.

British activist Judith Mackay is 81 and has lived in Hong Kong for 60 years, fighting global tobacco corporations. She’s met world leaders and advised them on tobacco regulations — from Putin to Lee Kuan Yew and many more.

Every time I meet someone like this, I remind myself — I have the best job in the world!

Alright, watch the video now:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dJF89_sHVI

Still looking for a personal assistant.

My interviewee today is Ho Kwon Ping, the founder of Banyan Tree — one of the most inspirational people I’ve ever met.

He’s one of the richest people in Singapore — a 73-year-old prominent entrepreneur who built a hotel empire across 28 countries.

One of the key takeaways from our conversation: don’t sleepwalk through your life.

I’m not Singaporean, but I love this place.

Many of Singapore’s values resonate with me.

Though I’ve had my ups and downs here, I feel like part of the family.

Sometimes I meet viewers who say I’ve motivated them to move here or even apply for citizenship.

I’m low-key proud to have played my part in showing this beautiful place to the world and breaking some of the misconceptions that exist about Singapore abroad.

So, happy National Day! Happy birthday, Singapore 🇸🇬

Just came back to my hotel room from a YouTubers conference in Bangkok. I met quite a lot of new people, and in most cases I was the one to start the conversation. It felt very natural, and I had an inner confidence.

That actually surprised me a little. I’ve always been active in networking at business events, but I remember how I used to force myself to approach someone first. I still did it, but often it felt cringy, or like I was trying too hard.

But somehow that changed over time. Maybe it’s because in the last three years I’ve conducted hundreds of interviews with so many different people. Or maybe I’ve just become more confident in how I look, talk, and move haha.

Anyway, an interesting bit of self-reflection.

Scoot Plus is the best. Going back home.

One of those interviews that makes me proud of what I do.

Meet Ho Kwon Ping, the founder of Banyan Tree, part of a group with 15,000 employees that runs hotels and resorts in 26 countries. But his first business was a failure. Born in Hong Kong, raised in Bangkok, and went to university in Taiwan, Ho Kwon Ping is now a Singaporean citizen. He went from being a Stanford dropout and detained under Singapore’s national security law to dining with Lee Kuan Yew and teaching at top universities. He shared how the time in a Singapore jail changed his life, what is the hidden reason for the tension between China and America, and what truly defines a Singaporean identity. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tP7QksbJVQ

Just finished the longest call of my life - 6 hours of brainstorming for the new videos we're shooting in China soon.

I've got the most legendary YouTube production team out there 💪