In this episode of The Generalists Podcast, hosts Michael Smith Jr. and Razko Kotler welcome Alan Soon, Co-Founder & CEO of Splice Media, to discuss:

• His journey from radio and TV newsrooms across Asia to roles at CNBC and Yahoo
• The community-driven success of Splice Beta and its impact on media entrepreneurship
• Transitioning into a media entrepreneurship coach, Alan explains how AI and live community events are transforming journalistic practice.
• Navigating mid-life - not a crisis but an opportunity

Hosts:

• Michael Smith Jr.: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smittysgp/
• Razko Kotler: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/razko282/ ⁠

Guest:

Alan Soon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alansoon/

Resources & Links:

• Splice Media: https://splicemedia.com
• Splice Beta: https://splicemedia.com/beta-2025
• Splice Nano: https://splicemedia.com/nano
• Yahoo: https://www.yahoo.com
• CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com
• Computerworld: https://www.computerworld.com
• Do Not Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen: https://a.co/d/eIEK1t2

In this episode of The Generalists, hosts Michael Smith Jr. and Razko Kotler welcome Michel de Rijk, Founder of Kredit Hero, to discuss:

• His journey from adtech (iWonder) to building programmatic platforms like Xaxis and leading growth at S4 Capital
• Co-founding 19Volt’s venture-builder model and launching Kredit Hero, an AI-powered SME lending marketplace in the Philippines
• How Kredit Hero matches lenders and borrowers digitally—closing Asia’s SME financing gap with speed, transparency, and competitive pricing

Hosts:

• Michael Smith Jr.: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smittysgp/
• Razko Kotler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/razko282/

Guest:

Michel de Rijk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mderijk/

Resources & Links:

• The Generalists Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGeneralistsPodcast

• Kredit Hero: https://kredithero.com
• 19Volt: https://www.19volt.com
• S4 Capital: https://www.s4capital.com
• WPP: https://www.wpp.com/

In this episode of The Generalists, hosts Michael Smith Jr. and Razko Kotler welcome Mimi Nicklin, Empathy Advocate, to discuss:

• Transforming leadership through empathy—drawing on frameworks from her bestselling books and training over 16,500 leaders
• Tackling workplace loneliness via the OpenRoom initiative and comparing Southeast Asia’s evolving business ecosystem to Europe
• Operationalizing empathy across organizations, including the generalist-versus-specialist debate and practical steps for building empathetic cultures

Hosts:

• Michael Smith Jr.: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smittysgp/
• Razko Kotler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/razko282/

Guest:

• Mimi Nicklin – Empathy Advocate: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miminicklin/

Resources & Links:

• Empathy Everywhere: https://www.empathyeverywhere.co/
• Softening the Edge – Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Softening-Edge-Mimi-Nicklin/dp/9948340094
• Empathy at Work – Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Empathy-At-Work-Using-Change/dp/811972643X
• The MiMi YouYou Show (Apple Podcasts): https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-mimi-youyou-show-creating-empathy/id1687806240
• Mimi YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxv635q-WB871-OA6KuUdpg
• The Cafe on the Edge of the World: https://www.amazon.sg/Cafe-Edge-World-Story-Meaning/dp/0991392051