Asian Business Owners - A.B.O.

Hosted by Carmen Salameh

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202

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Asian Business Owners is the podcast that explores the real human journey behind building a business in Asia. Hosted by Carmen Salameh, each episode features honest conversations with founders, entrepreneurs and business leaders across Asia. I go beyond the highlight reel to talk about the parts of entrepreneurship people relate to most deeply: doubt, loneliness, pivots, identity shifts, pressure, resilience and the quiet wins that rarely make headlines. Through candid conversations with founders and solo episodes, you’ll hear the stories behind the businesses, practical lessons learned the hard way and the realities of building something meaningful without any guarantees. Whether you’re a founder, solopreneur or aspiring entrepreneur, this podcast will help you feel less alone, more inspired and better equipped to navigate your own journey. New episodes every week. 🎧 Follow me on LinkedIn and on Instagram for more content and behind-the-scenes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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60 recent

October 21, 202647 min

Knowing When to Walk Away and Start Again | Li Tan, Audacy

How do you know when it's time to stop trying and walk away? Li Tan spent years building a business before accepting that it wasn't going to work. Walking away meant facing the money she'd lost, the time she'd invested and the uncomfortable feeling of failure. Once she's made peace with that decision, she changed the way she approached business, risk and success and went on to co-found more businesses. Today, she's the co-founder of Audacy, a Hong Kong-based climate-tech investment firm helping industries across Asia-Pacific reduce their carbon emissions. In this episode, we talk about: Knowing when to quit instead of holding on Growing up with family expectations and learning to set boundaries Questioning what you really want to dedicate your life to Building Audacy and putting capital to work for climate solutions Why making money and doing good don't have to be opposites ✅ Get your free day pass at Garage Society! Timestamps: (00:00) Teaser and Podcast Intro (00:27) Welcome And Guest Intro (01:46) Wine Night Turning Point (03:40) Inequality Meets Climate (06:32) Growing Up Family Business (08:48) Boundaries With Family (09:57) First Startup Reality Check (11:02) Knowing When To Quit (13:33) Processing Failure Emotions (15:42) Whisky Fund Origins (18:53) Hustle Myth And Branding (21:54) Audacy Takes Action (25:05) Bootstrapping for Trust (25:49) Aligning Public and Private (28:34) Proving the Fund Model (29:31) Audacy Explained (30:52) Missing Middle Investing (33:19) Fundraising and System Upgrade (35:19) Corporate Mindset Shift (36:11) Profit Meets Sustainability (38:26) Wealth With Intention (40:03) Redefining Success and Family (43:54) Entrepreneur Lessons (47:01) Wrap Up 👉 To find out more: Audacy's w ebsite To follow my journey: 📲 Find me on LinkedIn 💬 Follow abo.pod 🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

October 7, 202644 min

He Built His Business Slowly And It Paid Off | The Wine Guild

What if building slowly is the reason your business survives? Jean-Baptiste didn't take a straight path to entrepreneurship. He studied vine biology in Bordeaux, worked for a skateboard company, moved to Hong Kong, worked in different industries and started his first business. One conversation changed everything: a winemaker simply told him to import wine and sell it in Hong Kong. So he did and it all started from there. In this episode, we talk about: Getting your first customers Opening the first shop Expanding to new locations Making decisions without knowing whether they're the right ones Timestamps: (00:00) Teaser and Podcast Intro (00:32) Welcome And Guest Intro (02:08) Vine Studies And Early Direction (04:38) Skateboards To Business Development (06:58) Moving To Hong Kong (09:19) Starting The Wine Guild (13:03) First Clients And Restaurant Hustle (15:06) Pop Ups To Opening A Shop (18:22) Second Store And Retail Costs (21:20) Closing a Shop To Focus (22:00) Regrets and Decisions (24:08) Expansion Lessons (24:39) Letting Go and Hiring (27:49) Second Shop Reality (30:47) Branding Versus Sales (31:38) Post COVID Hangover (33:32) Loyalty and Retention (35:30) Founder Workload (38:24) Rest and Thinking Time (40:11) Advice to Younger Self (41:53) Founder Takeaways (43:42) New Ventures Ahead (44:41) Wrap Up 👉 To find out more: The Wine Guild's w ebsite To follow my journey: 📲 Find me on LinkedIn 💬 Follow abo.pod 🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 30, 20268 min

Entrepreneurship Is Like Therapy, But Accelerated

Entrepreneurship changes much more than the way you work. Recently, I was invited by Robin Wong on his podcast Leaders Beyond the Stage for a conversation about my journey from corporate life to entrepreneurship. In this snippet, we agree on the fact that entrepreneurship is like therapy, but accelerated. Building a business forces you to learn about yourself quickly. Your resilience, your ego and the way you deal with uncertainty and problems get tested. We also talked about the mental load of running your own business and about not switching off completely. Timestamps: (00:00) Teaser and Podcast Intro (00:49) My Founder Story (02:12) Hong Kong Hustle Spirit (02:40) Therapy of Building (03:56) Community and Freedom (04:59) Corporate Versus Founder (06:23) Mental Load Never Stops (07:34) Work Life Blend (08:20) Closing 👉 Listen to the entire episode on Leaders Beyond the Stage podcast To follow my journey: 📲 Find me on LinkedIn 💬 Follow abo.pod 🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 23, 202653 min

Building a Consumer Brand With $20K | Ryan Black, Founder of Buddy Bites

What does it actually take to build a consumer brand from scratch? In 2020, Ryan Black was working in commercial real estate when a dinner with his now co-founder, Chris Lee, sparked an idea. That conversation eventually became Buddy Bites , a premium pet food brand built around subscription, strong branding and giving back to the community by donating to shelters. Ryan and Chris had no background in pet food, they bootstrapped the business before raising funds. In this episode, Ryan shares: how they went from idea to first customers why competing against much bigger brands can actually be an advantage the challenge of cash flow and inventory how Buddy Bites built a community around its mission Timestamps: (00:00) Teaser (00:44) Podcast Intro (01:47) Ryan Background Podcasts (02:17) Dinner Spark Idea (04:39) Pet Food Pain Points (06:50) Why D2C Works in HK (08:55) MBA Career Shift (11:45) Beating Big Brands (13:38) Uncopyable Experience (16:13) From Idea to Launch (17:50) Recipe Supplier Setup (20:19) First Shelter Orders (23:56) Going Full Time Burnout (27:16) Meeting The Angel Investor (28:34) Founder Identity Shift (30:23) Bootstrapping And Cashflow (33:08) Raising In Hong Kong (34:40) Shelter Giveback Strategy (39:52) Supply Chain Crisis (43:10) How Founding Changes You (44:29) Learning To Lead Teams (47:18) Founder Support Systems (50:04) Lessons And Advice 👉 To find out more: Buddy Bites's w ebsite Ryan on LinkedIn To follow my journey: 📲 Find me on LinkedIn 💬 Follow abo.pod 🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 17, 202617 min

What If the Path You Chose Isn't the One for You?

What happens when the path you've been following no longer feels like yours? In this special episode, I bring together stories from three founders, including me, who changed direction. One thought he would become a doctor before discovering a completely different path through business in Asia. Another realised that being an observer wasn't enough anymore and wanted to build something himself. And lastly, I share my story, when I arrived in Hong Kong without knowing what I would eventually do there before turning my skills into a business and starting my podcast Asian Business Owners. Three different stories, but the same question: What do you do when the life you imagined isn't the life you want anymore? Timestamps: (00:00) Teaser and Podcast Intro (01:08) Aurelien: Dream Of Medicine (02:14) Travel And Languages (04:04) Business School And China (05:13) Fresh Start in Hong Kong (06:31) Anthony: From Journalist To Builder (09:19) Entrepreneurship Mindset (11:51) My Story: Moving To Hong Kong (13:00) Monetising Digital Marketing (14:05) Building A Network (15:17) Starting My Podcast (15:51) First Guest First Recording (17:06) Wrap Up 👉 Listen to the entire episodes: Aurelien Joly — Walking Away From the Life He Was Supposed to Have Anthony Sar — The Story Behind Hong Kong FinTech Week My Story — Leaving Corporate Life and Starting Over Abroad To follow my journey: 📲 Find me on LinkedIn 💬 Follow abo.pod 🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 9, 202648 min

Success Wasn't Enough | Romita Ghosh, Founder of Maap AI

What happens when you achieve the success you once thought you wanted and realise it isn't enough? Romita Ghosh has spent around 20 years building companies. She's had successful exits, awards and the kind of achievements that traditionally define entrepreneurial success. But over time, she started asking: what makes me feel fulfilled? That question eventually led her to build Maap AI, an AI-powered child growth monitoring system to help detect child malnutrition and create personalised nutrition interventions. In this conversation, Romita and I talk about: why conventional success stopped feeling sufficient how surviving cancer as a child shaped her sense of purpose what she learned from failing and rebuilding multiple startups the real-world problem she discovered while travelling across India building a sustainable business around impact fundraising, scale and patient capital the personal sacrifices entrepreneurship demanded from her Timestamps: (00:00) Teaser (00:50) Podcast and Guest Intro (02:31) Why She Became a Founder (03:05) Cancer Survival Purpose (05:21) First Startup in LEDs (06:30) Addicted to Building (08:49) Co-Founder Lessons (11:05) Fieldwork in India (12:17) The Measurement Moment (16:30) Choosing Malnutrition Mission (18:47) Building the Partnership Model (22:06) AI R&D and Bias (23:45) What Maap AI Delivers (24:43) Go-to-Market and Pricing (26:03) Funding the R&D (26:11) Who Backed Maap AI (27:32) Community Trust And Nutrition Plans 29:38) Fundraising Tips And Processes (31:45) Slow Progress And Perseverance (34:56) Impact Versus Startup Success (38:31) Global Expansion Vision (40:22) Personal Sacrifices Of Founding (43:11) Lessons For Fellow Founders (46:45) Wrap Up 👉 To find out more: Maap AI's w ebsite Romita on LinkedIn To follow my journey: 📲 Find me on LinkedIn 💬 Follow abo.pod 🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 26, 202626 min

Does Growth Always Mean Going Faster? | ☀️ Summer Series

Does growth always mean going faster? In this last episode of the Summer Series, I chatted with Julien Gaubert for the second time. Julien runs Ykone, a creative influence agency operating across Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore. He's spent his career in some of the fastest-moving industries and cities in the world, from Hermès in New York to building creative agencies across Asia. But this summer, he takes some time to reflect and reset. Instead of pushing harder, he's learning to listen more to his body, to his team and to his own teenage kids, who are teaching him more about culture and attention spans than any market report could. We talk about: How AI is reshaping his agency Why experiential marketing matters more than ever What his teenagers taught him about patience and content His plans to expand across Asia 📣 This episode is in partnership with The Hive Poho , coworking space in Hong Kong. Listen to the first episode with Julien here Timestamps (00:00) Teaser (00:42) Podcast Intro: the Summer Series (01:42) Meet Julien (03:51) What Brings Him Joy (07:21) Rethinking AI And Productivity (12:02) Business Shift Acquisitions (15:55) Reflection on Time, Speed And Growth (19:03) Expanding Across Asia (21:59) Three Goals And a Flexible Plan (23:42) Summer Recommendation (25:54) Wrap Up 👉 To find out more: Ykone To follow my journey 📲 Find me on LinkedIn 💬 Follow abo.pod 🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 19, 202624 min

You Can't Do It All | ☀️ Summer Series

Faye thought she could do it all: Run her business, be a present mum, finish every project, keep every opportunity moving. But she realised she can't keep every plate spinning at once. In this episode of the ☀️ Summer Series, Faye Caddie, founder of Bump & Co., social antenatal programme, shares what she's learning about ambition, motherhood, business and knowing when to let something wait. We talk about: The pressure to do everything The decision to postpone projects How her customers changed the direction of her business The loneliness of being a solo founder Why having the right people around you can change your confidence 📣 This episode is in partnership with The Hive Wan Chai , coworking space in Hong Kong. Timestamps: (00:00) Teaser (00:42) Podcast Intro: the Summer Series (01:47) Meet Faye, Founder of Bump & Co (04:03) Inside The Antenatal Programme (05:14) What Brings Faye Joy (08:26) Letting Go This Summer (10:37) Business Pivot Beyond Classes (13:45) Society Motherhood And Work (15:45) Next Year Clarity And Confidence (18:13) Solopreneur Confidence Tips (19:54) Advice On Realistic Goals (22:00) Faye's Summer Recommendation (24:15) Wrap Up 👉 To find out more: Bump & Co on Instagram To follow my journey: 📲 Find me on LinkedIn 💬 Follow abo.pod 🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 12, 202626 min

She Stopped Limiting Herself | ☀️ Summer Series

☀️ This summer, I'm asking founders six short questions to understand what's on their minds. Today's guest is Sara Vazir, founder of Sara's Henna. For years, Sarah introduced herself as a henna artist. But recently, she realised that what she creates goes far beyond art itself. Her work is about telling stories, experiences, connection and exploring new possibilities. In this conversation, we talk about: Learning to set healthier boundaries Saying yes to opportunities that once felt impossible Creating memorable experiences that tell stories 📣 This episode is in partnership with The Hive Causeway Bay , coworking space in Hong Kong. Timestamps: (00:00) Teaser (00:46) Podcast Intro: the Summer Series (01:54) Meet Sara and Her Henna Brand (04:31) Relocating to Hong Kong (06:17) How to Set Healthy Boundaries (07:39) Saying Yes to Bigger Projects (10:06) Core Ethos and Community Connection (11:37) Current Summer Obsession (12:42) Big Goals For the Coming Year (15:06) Henna Retreat Story (18:01) How Sara Started Sara's Henna (19:54) Henna Benefits and Cultural Meaning (21:40) Advice From Sara (24:19) Sara's Summer Recommendation (26:02) Wrap Up 👉 To find out more: Sara on Instagram To follow my journey: 📲 Find me on LinkedIn 💬 Follow abo.pod 🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 5, 202622 min

I Stopped Fighting the Way I Work | ☀️ Summer Series

☀️ This summer, I'm asking founders six short questions to understand what's on their minds. Questions about joy, uncertainty, change and the things they can't stop thinking about. In this episode, I sit down with Anna Tee , founder of At The Table , a boutique marketing agency based in Hong Kong. Anna shares why she stopped trying to work like everyone else, what she's changed her mind about this year and why she's learning to appreciate the smaller things in life. We also talk about how hard it can be to ask for help, what embracing flexibility looks like and how to build a business that feels more aligned with who you are. In this episode: • Learning to trust your own way of working • Finding joy in slower moments • Learning to ask for help • What Anna hopes the next year will bring 📣 This episode is in partnership with The Hive Causeway Bay , coworking space in Hong Kong. Timestamps: (00:00) Teaser (00:41) Podcast Intro: the Summer Series (01:47) Meet Anna And Her Agency, At The Table (03:29) Joy In Small Moments (05:30) Rethinking Structure and Flexibility (09:34) Travel On The Mind (10:10) Future Home And Meaningful Work (12:43) AI As A Business Lever (18:17) Advice And Summer Recommendation (21:32) Wrap Up 👉 To find out more: Anna's agency website Anna on LinkedIn To follow my journey: 📲 Find me on LinkedIn 💬 Follow abo.pod 🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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