You Never Know with Nicole Lee
Welcome to You Never Know where we talk about life, career, change & the stories of people who have taken the unconventional road & embraced the unknown. Where we talk about things we don’t normally talk about with our families and sometimes even with our friends, especially here in Asia. After more than a decade in a top private bank and a transformational experience at a startup which changed my life, I am now rewriting my life story, walking into the unknown, and inspiring others to thrive in life. Thank you so much for your support, wherever you are in the world. It means a lot to me. - Nicole
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 48 minutes
- Episodes
- 29
- Years Active
- 2025
#28 - How To Get Into Top US Universities From Asia: Polytechnic To Ivy League | Joash Lee: “It’s Not Just About Grades. What’s Your Story?” “You Never Know If You Never Try!”
If you're applying to U.S. universities from outside the U.S. — especially from Asia — this episode reveals what it really takes to break in.
In this insightful episode of the You Never Know Podcast, …
#27 - How Gut Health Affects Hormones, Anxiety & Autoimmune Disease | Jo Brownlow: “The Root Of Autoimmune Diseases Is A Leaky Gut!” “You Can Eat Healthy & Still Have Type 2 Diabetes!”
Could your anxiety, fatigue, or arthritis actually be coming from your gut?
In episode 27 of the You Never Know podcast, Nicole Lee sits down with functional medicine coach Jo Brownlow to explore the …
#26 - The #1 Factor That Beats a Company’s Financials! Gold, Coffee & Why Singapore’s Market Surprises | Nirgunan Tiruchelvam: “A company’s financial health is not directly correlated to its stock price!” “Boring isn’t bad in the equities market.”
Many investors obsess over numbers, charts, earnings, and market noise. But what if the real edge came from something far less obvious?
In this episode, I speak with Nirgunan Tiruchelvam — Head of Con…
#25 - StashAway CEO: Building A Fintech That Doesn’t Burn out | Michele Ferrario: “Passion Gives You Grit & Stamina During Tough Times.” “The Most Important Factor Is People.”
Michele Ferrario, CEO of StashAway, didn’t set out to build a fintech company because it was trendy.
He built it because the banks didn’t align with the kind of investment approach he wanted for his h…
#24 — Commodities, Gold & Tokenization Of Real-World Assets | Eren Zekioglu: “What If Gold Pays You Like Rent?” “Everything Is A Derivative Of Crude Oil.” “Financing Doesn’t Always Have to Happen Through Banks.”
What if gold could pay you like rent, without you having to sell it?
In Episode 24, Eren Elvis Zekioglu returns to talk about one of the most important forces shaping the global economy—and one that p…
#23 — Property In 5 Moves & Growing Up Malay in Singapore | Farhan Adenan: “Your First Home Is Your First Chess Move.” “Someone Else’s Limitation Isn’t Yours.”
Did you know buying property in Singapore is a 5-move strategy—and most people stop at move one?
In this episode, I sit down with Farhan Adenan, a proud Malay-Singaporean who’s helping everyday peopl…
#22 — Gender-Fluid & Pansexual: From Arrests To Fatherhood | Shawn Lim: “I Told My Wife I Wasn’t Straight.” “Sometimes I Wonder If It’s Worth It Coming Out.” “I Can Only Be Authentic With My Daughter If I Am Myself.”
He told his wife he wasn’t straight. Then became a father. Then came out as pansexual and gender-fluid. At 34 years old, Shawn Lim spent most of his life taking the arduous journey of navigating sexu…
#21 — Part 1: From Theatre to Trading, Without a Degree: Investment Banking, Hedge Funds & Commodities | Eren Elvis Zekioglu: “Working At Big Brand Companies Matter.” “Build Yourself A Persona.” “If You Can Represent Yourself, Doors Will Open.”
From studying theatre to landing a job on Citi’s trading floor, building a hedge fund backed by Glencore, and running operations at Gunvor—one of the world’s largest independent commodity trading hou…
#20 — The Real ER: Cockroaches, Chaos & Confessions | Dr. LIEW Wai Wai: “I Landed An A380!” “Doctors Can Cry Too.” “Being An ER Doctor Is Easier Than Being A Mom!”
You’ve seen it on screen. But what’s it really like in the real ER? Dr. LIEW Wai Wai shares the raw, unfiltered truth about life as an emergency doctor—what it takes, what people don’t see, and why b…
#19 — Life Isn’t Just A Movie. It’s Your Cinema. Rewrite Your Story. | Nicole Lee: “Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe!” “Your Past Doesn’t Define What’s Next.”
Have you ever felt like your life was a movie?
One minute, you’re in a romantic comedy. The next, a drama with a plot twist no one saw coming.
But what if life isn’t just a movie? What if it’s a whol…
#18 — You Shouldn’t Need A Bank To Buy A Bond: Blockchain, Tokenisation & Banking | Aaron Gwak: “We Don’t Need More Middlemen!” “Finance Should Be A Birthright — Not A Privilege.”
You shouldn’t need a bank — or 4x your country’s GDP per capita — just to buy a government bond. But in many parts of the world, that’s still the reality. And for Aaron Gwak, it was a problem worth s…
#17 — What Men Don’t Talk About: Failure, Sales & The Darker Sides Of Entrepreneurship | Neil Patwardhan: “Vulnerability Is The Hidden Sales Superpower!” “It’s OK To Be Not OK!” “Men Need To Have Open Conversations!”
Men don’t talk enough about the failure, burnout, or mental toll of running a business or leading in the workplace — but perhaps they should.
In this episode of You Never Know, Neil Patwardhan shares…
#16 — Knowledge Isn’t Your Biggest Asset. Your Brand Is! | Rae Fung: “People Want Your Story & Perspective!” “Owning Your Voice Is Like Going To The Gym. Put In the Reps!”
Your voice is your personal brand. And your brand is your biggest asset. Not your knowledge. Not your picture-perfect image. Not even your business card.
In this episode of You Never Know, I sit down…
#15 — Award-Winning Marketer: Why Purpose Leads To Real Success | Anser Aly: “Marketing Is The New Finance!” “A Good Leader Listens!” “Purpose Is Why You Get Out Of Bed!”
What if winning awards doesn’t mean you’ve truly succeeded? What if purpose matters more than, and can even lead to, success?
In this episode I speak with Anser Aly, an award-winning "accidental mark…
#14 — Do This For Better Teeth & Sleep!: From Teacher To CEO | Louisa Lee: “I Can Be Anything I Want To Be!” “I Was Struggling As A Teacher!” “More In Business Doesn’t Mean Better.”
From teacher to CEO of a dental practice and health & wellness group, DP Healthverse, Louisa Lee’s career journey is anything but ordinary.
In this episode of You Never Know, Louisa opens up about th…
#13 — Speaking Out At 21: What This Content Creator Learned The Hard Way | Jeraldine Phneah: “I Stress Every Time I Post!” “I've Learned To Be Accountable & Not To Run!” “Everyone Has Something Valuable.”
At just 21, Jeraldine Phneah started speaking out online about things that mattered to her and her millennial generation — even when many of her peers didn’t.
In this episode of You Never Know, she op…
#12 — Want To Thrive In Banking & Finance? Learn This! | Paul Hodes: "Raise Both Hands!" "Be Your Own Career Counsellor." "Use Your Network!" "AI Is A Game-Changer."
If you want to thrive in banking and finance, this episode is for you. Finance veteran, Paul Hodes, shares about the key moves that shaped his long-standing career, including experiences at Fidelity,…
#11 – Starting A Business At 19: Why You Are Your Biggest Enemy | Amanda Cua: “I Thought Being Young Was A Disadvantage!” “There Is No Best Path In Business!” “I Found The 3rd Door!”
Most people wait until they’re fully ready to start a business. 23-year-old Amanda Cua didn’t.
At 19, she skipped university and launched Backscoop, a media startup covering Southeast Asia’s startup …
#10 – Money Blocks That Keep You From Getting Wealthy: The Journey From Abuse To Abundance | Crystal Chow: “I Needed An Exit Plan.” “Rewrite Your Money Narratives!”
Let’s face it. We all want and need money, but most of us don’t like to talk about it. I speak with Crystal Chow, a Money Consciousness Coach, as we dive into her transformative journey—from abuse to…
#9 — From Woman To Mom, Bank To Startup: Letting Go Of Being Perfect | Nicole Lee: “I Thought I Could Control Everything!” “It’s So Hard To be A Super Mom!” “It’s OK To Make Mistakes.”
Have you ever felt like you needed to be "perfect" to be enough? I have.
For years, I thought I had to be in control. I thought I could. I planned everything. I strived to meet every expectation. I an…