Ep 11 - Lin Loke: From Corporate Burnout to Building Nuwa - Trust, Networks & Taking the First Step

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