In this episode, we sit down with Lin Loke, founder of Nuwa wellness brand and former management consultant. Lin shares her journey from corporate burnout to building a health and wellness company, the power of picking up the phone, and why trust is the foundation of every business. We dive deep into career pivots, the reality of launching a consumer brand, and the importance of taking that crucial first step.

00:00 - Introduction

01:00 - Career Foundation & Early Experiences

01:04 - Lin's UCL journey and early career exploration

07:20 - Summer internships: From surveying buildings to inspecting Wembley Stadium

12:56 - Lin: Early career exploration eliminates what you don't want to 13:53 - Nero: Business is about people - rapport building and stakeholder management

16:04 - Lin's 5 years at Arup: M&A infrastructure and due diligence

17:21 - Meeting Hael Kobayashi: From Star Wars to digital transformation mentor

20:28 - The importance of mentors and international exposurePivoting from Corporate to Entrepreneurship

22:05 - Lin: Escaping the linear career path - why consulting wasn't enough

23:35 - Nero's story: From engineering to discovering lean startup methodology

27:20 - Lin: Creative energy and the birth of Nuwa wellness brand

29:15 - The burnout that inspired the product ideaBuilding Nuwa: From Idea to Execution

34:00 - From trademark to product development: The research process

36:31 - East meets West philosophy in wellness products

39:10 - Packaging innovation: Why she chose biodegradable tea bags over bottles

42:43 - Finding manufacturing partners: The power of picking up the phone

Golden Insights on Entrepreneurship

46:29 - Nero's Jetseta story: Uber for private jets in Nigeria

49:50 - Marketing photoshoot as MVP56:02 - Dogfooding your product changes how you sell

The Reality of Launching

56:51 - Lin: The misconception about "selling out" on launch day

59:22 - Nero: Trust before the trust - preparation meets opportunity

Philosophy & Final Advice

01:01:03 - "The frog in the well knows nothing about the ocean"

01:03:33 - Lin: Learning by doing vs. learning about doing01:07:57 - Most rewarding aspects of building Nuwa

01:10:55 - Final advice: Find a problem you care about and care deeper

01:13:22 - Nero's closing thoughts: Keep taking risks, the best is yet to come

Guest: Lin Loke - Founder of Nuwa Wellness