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

In this episode, we sit down with Alberto Zandi, the co-founder of Emerald Hospitality Group, Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree, and the host of the 30 & Thriving Podcast.

Zandi shares valuable insights on his entrepreneurship journey, building iconic restaurant brands, and the importance of happiness for success.⁠00:00⁠ - Intro⁠00:33⁠ - Alberto's story⁠04:13⁠ - Finding the right business model ⁠05:08⁠ - Finding the right opportunity ⁠08:19⁠ - Travelling and building a brand⁠10:50⁠ - Working with his twin brother ⁠15:00⁠ - Curating a quality restaurant experience⁠17:10⁠ - 30 & Thriving Podcast⁠21:00⁠ - Success is never final, failure is never fatal⁠21:45⁠ - Defining Success⁠24:06⁠ - Advice to his 21 year old self ⁠25:09⁠ - What's Next Emperor Nero Okwa: ⁠ / nerookwa ⁠, IG: @nero_okwaAlberto Zandi: ⁠ / alberto-zandi-ba0a54130 ⁠Emerald Hospitality Group: ⁠https://emerald-hospitality-group.com/⁠30 & Thriving Podcast: ⁠https://30-and-thriving.com/⁠

After the amazing conversation on Creativity and Entrepreneurship with @BukaTheBuilder we were having an amazing 'back stage' chat and decided to just keep rolling the camera. We covered a lot of interesting themes on navigating identities from growing up somewhere else, Nigeria Culture 4.0, and Predictions for Africa.00:00 - Intro00:33 - Navigating Identities 01:12 - Nigeria Culture 4.001:32 - Add the Old, Enjoy the New 01:42 - African Diaspora 02:14 – Back to the source 02:36 - The Year of Return Ghana 201903:38 - Burna Boy: African Giant Album07:09 - Burna Boy: Touring Craft07:57 – Between 2 options, why not both?08:40 – Culturally Multilingual 08:54 – Creating Nigeria Culture 4.009:16 – We are creating history, right now09:40 – Being aware of the moment 10:04 – New tools to create 10:16 - Nigeria10:40 – Future of Africa, Agenda 206311:03 – Africa Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)12:15 – Mansa Musa, Europe 13:07 – Knowing where you came from 13:17 – We Need New Narratives13:52 – A Time to be Alive 14:43 – African High Speed Railway 16:15 – Africa Ecommerce 17:55 – Learning about my Culture18:24 – PREDICTIONS for Africa21:12 - Travelling across Africa, Hubs 22:16 – AfCFTA22:44 – People follow Opportunities. 23:55 - That’s a Wrap Emperor Nero: IG: @nero_okwaBuka The Builder: IG: @bukathebuilder