S2E51: High anxiety, spiking cortisol: it's tough making friends as an adult, is it worth the trouble?
Season 2 · Episode 51
Monday, September 21, 2026 • Duration 41:53
Our friend circles shrink as we get older. How do we deal with it?
In this episode, therapist Cao Zhikai shares how we can deal with losing friends as we enter adulthood, and what we can do to combat that feeling of loss. She also shares about the grief of friendship breakups, which don’t often get given enough attention in a society that prioritises romantic relationships.
Hosts Kai Wen and Sue-Ann discuss why it’s nerve-wrecking making friends as adults, yet having the payoff of a purposeful adult connection is worth it.
Highlights (click/tap above):
0:00 Introduction
0:32 Shrinking adult friend circles?
4:35 Why proximity matters
8:39 The grief of losing friends
16:26 Being intentional in keeping friendships alive
Do note: All analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast are for your general information only. You should not rely on them in making any decision. Please consult a fully qualified financial adviser or professional expert for independent advice and verification. To the fullest extent permitted by law, SPH Media shall not be liable for any loss arising from the use of or reliance on any analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast. SPH Media accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever that may result or arise from the products, services or information of any third parties.
S2E50: Why travelling with friends can lead to meltdowns and broken friendships
Season 2 · Episode 50
Monday, September 14, 2026 • Duration 20:16
Is travelling with friends worth the risk when all hell breaks loose?
From disagreements over budget to one person wanting to “travelmax” while another wants to wake up at noon, a trip can become a horror story.
In this episode, Kai Wen and Sue-Ann discuss whether you should travel with friends and the red flags that can spell disaster instead of a fun holiday.
S2E48: Pay transparency: what to do after finding out a colleague’s salary is higher than yours
Season 2 · Episode 48
Monday, August 17, 2026 • Duration 30:41
Would you reveal your salary to your colleagues? What to do if you are underpaid?
In this episode, ST’s own manpower correspondent Sharon Salim talks about navigating conversations around salary transparency and how being too transparent can affect workplace dynamics.
Hosts Kai Wen and Sue-Ann discuss transparency being crucial to benchmarking against peers in the same industry, and whether firms discourage employees from salary transparency to maintain an advantage in salary negotiations.
Highlights (click/tap above):
0:00: Intro
3:55 Utilising salary guides & public sector disparity
Produced & edited by: Eden Soh, Fa’izah Sani and Amirul Karim
Executive producer: Elizabeth Law
S2E47: Invest in stocks and ETFs because your friend says so? Why friends and finances don’t always mix
Season 2 · Episode 47
Monday, August 3, 2026 • Duration 34:31
Talking to friends about money can be sensitive, here’s how to navigate it.
Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a head start in your personal finance, career and life with The Straits Times.
Friendships may be priceless, but money talk often crops up among friends - who owes who money, choosing dinner locations, trying to budget for travel together.
But how can we talk openly about money without breaking friendships?
In this episode, ST business correspondent Sue-Ann Tan and See Kai Wen talk about how to navigate this issue.
Their guest is Vivienne Ong from MoneyOwl.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:49 How will it affect the friend group if everyone knows each other’s pay?
7:43 People pleasing vs guarding your own finances
S2E46: 7 jobs in 14 years: A comms director explains why job hopping isn't always bad
Season 2 · Episode 46
Monday, July 20, 2026 • Duration 37:27
Job hopping: Career suicide or a way to learn what works for you?
Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a head start in your personal finance, career and life with The Straits Times.
In this episode, Annabel Lim, Business & Reputation Director at communications firm We. Communications shares how she built her career by cycling through 7 full-time jobs.
She talks about how each change gave her a different perspective or skill that cumulated in her current role, and why “job-hopping” isn't necessarily a red flag in CVs.
Hosts Kai Wen and Sue-Ann, who have worked in two jobs and one job respectively, also discussed how long a person should hold their job before making a switch and how to tell when a role no longer works for you.
Highlights (click/tap above):
0:00 Job hopping: Is it a bad thing?
6:56 Is there a minimum time one has to stay at a job?
9:45 Rage quitting
13:28 Is company loyalty worth anything?
20:40 Push factors at work
29:52 The urge to quit: just a phase or deeper problem?
34:31 Advice for those thinking of changing careers
Executive producers: Elizabeth Law and Joanna Seow
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S2E44: ‘Comedy equals truth and pain’: a clown on taking life less seriously
Season 2 · Episode 44
Monday, June 15, 2026 • Duration 44:48
Are Singaporeans too rigid to be funny? How to take ourselves less seriously to overcome stress.
Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a head start in your personal finance, career and life with The Straits Times.
In this episode, theatrical clown and actor Shanice Stanislaus shares with host See Kai Wen about how thinking and acting like a clown can help navigate high-pressure environments.
The “Clown Mentality” includes having the audacity to dream and try, never afraid of failing and finding ways to add whimsy into your life. We all have a little clown in our pockets.
Shanice also speaks about her journey as one of the only few professional clowns in Singapore, her award-winning clown shows, and how she helps Singaporeans find their “funny” in her workshops.
Highlights (click/tap above):
0:00 What is clowning?
02:58 Are Singaporeans too uptight to be funny?
07:11 Why we need to learn how to fail
10:51 Comedy is truth and pain wrapped nicely
15:33 Using humour to break the ice in work situations
21:55 How to find your inner clown and humour
25:47 Adopting a “Clown Mentality”
27:51 Shanice’s experience performing as a clown overseas
Executive producers: Elizabeth Law and Joanna Seow
S2E42: Feel like you are not good enough? Here’s what you can do
Season 2 · Episode 42
Monday, May 18, 2026 • Duration 35:48
Feel like you are not enough? Learn how to become your ideal self by acting as if you already are.
Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a head start in your personal finance, career and life with The Straits Times.
In this episode, Singapore theatre actor and musician Andrew Marko shares with host See Kai Wen about how the “Act As If” theory relates to his self-growth.
“Act As If” is a three-part technique that requires people to act as if they are already the ideal version of themselves, even when they are not there yet. The process includes visualisation and taking small, actionable steps towards a goal.
Besides opening up about his weight loss journey, Andrew also gets real about his experience as an actor and how he learned to “be in the moment” by playing a character on the autism spectrum.
Highlights (click/tap above):
0:00 Introduction to the “Act As If” theory
2:00 Psychology behind being an actor
6:10 Feelings of inadequacy and facing your inner critic
12:35 How to apply the “Act As If” theory to your life
16:11 Defining the most successful version of yourself
Do note: All analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast are for your general information only. You should not rely on them in making any decision. Please consult a fully qualified financial adviser or professional expert for independent advice and verification. To the fullest extent permitted by law, SPH Media shall not be liable for any loss arising from the use of or reliance on any analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast. SPH Media accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever that may result or arise from the products, services or information of any third parties.
Do note: All analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast are for your general information only. You should not rely on them in making any decision. Please consult a fully qualified financial adviser or professional expert for independent advice and verification. To the fullest extent permitted by law, SPH Media shall not be liable for any loss arising from the use of or reliance on any analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast. SPH Media accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever that may result or arise from the products, services or information of any third parties.
Do note: All analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast are for your general information only. You should not rely on them in making any decision. Please consult a fully qualified financial adviser or professional expert for independent advice and verification. To the fullest extent permitted by law, SPH Media shall not be liable for any loss arising from the use of or reliance on any analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast. SPH Media accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever that may result or arise from the products, services or information of any third parties.
Do note: All analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast are for your general information only. You should not rely on them in making any decision. Please consult a fully qualified financial adviser or professional expert for independent advice and verification. To the fullest extent permitted by law, SPH Media shall not be liable for any loss arising from the use of or reliance on any analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast. SPH Media accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever that may result or arise from the products, services or information of any third parties.
Do note: All analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast are for your general information only. You should not rely on them in making any decision. Please consult a fully qualified financial adviser or professional expert for independent advice and verification. To the fullest extent permitted by law, SPH Media shall not be liable for any loss arising from the use of or reliance on any analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast. SPH Media accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever that may result or arise from the products, services or information of any third parties.
Do note: All analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast are for your general information only. You should not rely on them in making any decision. Please consult a fully qualified financial adviser or professional expert for independent advice and verification. To the fullest extent permitted by law, SPH Media shall not be liable for any loss arising from the use of or reliance on any analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast. SPH Media accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever that may result or arise from the products, services or information of any third parties.
Do note: All analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast are for your general information only. You should not rely on them in making any decision. Please consult a fully qualified financial adviser or professional expert for independent advice and verification. To the fullest extent permitted by law, SPH Media shall not be liable for any loss arising from the use of or reliance on any analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast. SPH Media accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever that may result or arise from the products, services or information of any third parties.
Do note: All analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast are for your general information only. You should not rely on them in making any decision. Please consult a fully qualified financial adviser or professional expert for independent advice and verification. To the fullest extent permitted by law, SPH Media shall not be liable for any loss arising from the use of or reliance on any analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast. SPH Media accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever that may result or arise from the products, services or information of any third parties.
Do note: All analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast are for your general information only. You should not rely on them in making any decision. Please consult a fully qualified financial adviser or professional expert for independent advice and verification. To the fullest extent permitted by law, SPH Media shall not be liable for any loss arising from the use of or reliance on any analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast. SPH Media accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever that may result or arise from the products, services or information of any third parties.
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