Juliana Chan, PhD

Creating a new career path at 34 🤯

In 2017, I was a biomedical engineer and an Assistant Professor at a medical school in Singapore.

I taught physiology to a class of 200 engineering students, and I supervised post-doctoral fellows, PhD students, Master’s students, research technicians and undergraduate students in my lab.

I wrote grant proposals to support my lab financially, and gave talks at scientific conferences. My KPIs were measured in top-tier publications, citations, H-index, grant funding and other relevant academic metrics.

I was also a mother of two young children: one an infant, and another three years old. 🐥🐥

Everyone pretty much knew me as Prof Chan or Dr Chan, the scientist who had spent 15+ years in R&D training, of which 8-9 years were spent overseas studying in the coldest of winters.

But I decided that year that my story had not been fully written. Actually, scratch that - I decided my story had not BEGUN. 🤯

At the still-young age of 34, I left academia to become a media entrepreneur, as the founder and CEO of Wildtype Media Group.

We launched the company at a fun party at my home on Star Wars Day, May 4, 2018. Many friends came to support me from all walks of life and I hope they are happy to know we are still around and growing stronger every year. #thankyou

Five years later, this is my professional scorecard:

🙏 I am now a full-time entrepreneur and COVID-19 pandemic battle-hardened
🙏 I have found a better balance between work, play, life and purpose
🙏 I have achieved milestones on my bucket list that I didn’t even think possible, such as moderating a panel on Alzheimer’s disease with Dr. Francis Collins at Davos
🙏 I have received offers to acquire the company, including a FTSE 100-listed buyer, which has given me greater confidence as a new entrepreneur

—

This week, I am visiting Paris to moderate a panel on education and skills for the future of humanity at the Women's Forum for the Economy & Society Global Meeting 2022.

We will be discussing how to get girls and women a seat at the table, and I have a Minister, two CEOs and the President of a University leading the discussion.

PS: I had a lovely afternoon on the river Seine 🇫🇷👨‍🎨🥖

#julianaCEOmom #ceo #media #wildtypemedia #asianscientist #paris #france #business #entrepreneur #education #skills #womensforum #founder #mission #linkedintopvoices

I understand the assignment 💜

When I was a rookie founder and CEO, I used to bring my male investor to all of my big pitches and he would pretend to be my boss. I did this thinking that I would persuade potential clients that someone senior and competent (read: a dude) was in charge around here.

Later, when I began experiencing results from my years of hard work, I started getting pushback from people who criticized my likeability or opinions. I tried to appear meeker and smaller, so that they would stop. I learnt that societies everywhere still expect women to behave a certain way: obliging, agreeable, surbordinate.

At networking events, I would meet senior folks who would inevitably try to flex. I am always open to new ideas, don’t get me wrong. But I still remember being exasperated by someone who was advising me how to “reach my potential” that I asked him how much he earned. Strangely, he went quiet after I replied on mine.

Many years later, I’m wiser now. As I turn 41 in a week’s time, I better appreciate my voice and my worth.

When they finish criticizing our looks, our dressing, our age (too old/too young), our marital status, our partners, our kids or lack of kids (overheard once: “she looks like the type who likes to get pregnant”), they will default to “she is unlikeable”. Arguments that are ad hominem and a knife to the heart.

Are we still in high school?

Don’t listen to them.

They only say this about you and me because they feel insecure about their achievements. They are projecting on us.

Not every guy is like that.

A secure, successful and supportive male ally would NEVER say such a thing to us.

They would raise us up and champion us.

I celebrate my male allies, male investors, male mentors, male bosses, male clients, male colleagues and male partner.

I wouldn’t be here without you.

To all my fearless females and male allies out there, we have an assignment to do.

I understand the assignment.

Do you? 💜

#julianalinkedin #pleasevote #roevwade #professionalwomen #maleallies #linkedintopvoices

🏎️: this car is how I feel right now (thanks McLaren for lending me the Artura electric car last year)

So this is how Crazy Rich Asians live 🏎

Honestly, I never thought I’d ever sit in a supercar, let alone drive one in my lifetime.

Why? I’m an SUV-driving mother of two young kids and a media entrepreneur and founder of Wildtype Media Group who is bootstrapping for growth.

I ain’t some billionaire VC or unicorn founder.

But thanks to Robb Report Singapore, Eurokars Group and McLaren Group, I’ve been entrusted with the coolest, baddest, sleekest car in town: the McLaren 720S supercar. 🏁🏎

Imma have it for the rest of the week until Sunday.

Many of my friends have made appointments with me to go for a spin in the car… happy to oblige!

On a more philosophical note, I pinch myself on how my life and career trajectory has given rise such unique moments and memories.

I’m glad I chose the road less traveled. I’m glad I didn’t choose the “conservative, safe option” that my parents asked me to take.

I’m glad I followed my ❤️ over my 🧠, to pursue my passions and dreams to start my own publication.

Finally, thank you Kah Wei Chong, Hannah Choo and Joelyn Ho for this experience.

3… 2… 1… go! 🏁

#julianaCEOmom #singapore #media #entrepreneur #founder #mclaren #robbreport #startup #thankyou #fun #linkedintopvoices

I’m double-vaxxed, baby! 💪💉

COVID-19, you may have:
Grounded planes
Killed millions of people
Taken away our freedoms
Closed schools everywhere
Shut down restaurants and events
Caused retrenchments and job losses
Devastated small businesses and livelihoods

But I got myself double-vaxxed today because:
I refuse to die from you
I refuse to be a long-hauler
I refuse to place my family at risk
I refuse to be a COVID-19 statistic
I refuse to be hooked up to a ventilator
I refuse to lose my sense of taste and smell

Getting vaccinated represents MY resistance.

Scientists and doctors will fight you around the world.

Governments will help countries that need ventilators, oxygen tanks and vaccine supplies.

Together we will prevail.

But first, I must do my part. 🙏

#julianaCEOmom #covid #vaccine #pfizer #biontech #moderna #sgunited #singapore #coronavirus #linkedintopvoices #resistance #thisisourshot

I really love my job. I really do. 💗

Because I get to laugh until I'm in tears.

On Thursday evening, I was the moderator to National Research Foundation Singapore Chairman Mr Heng Swee Keat for the A*STAR Global Network Platinum Fireside Chat.

Mr Heng Swee Keat has had a front-row seat to the Singapore story for decades. He began as a police officer. Then Principal Private Secretary to the late founding Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Then Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Then Education Minister. Then Finance Minister.

Then, most significantly, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies. 🙏

I first met Mr Heng in 2011. I was a returning A*STAR scholar, fresh from my PhD studies at MIT, working at IMCB for Sydney Brenner. I had a big mission: to tell stories of Asian researchers to the world, which I called Asian Scientist Magazine.

I was introduced by founding A*STAR Chairman Mr Philip Yeo to Mr Heng, who was the newly appointed Minister for Education at the time.

I am glad to say that was the start of five wonderful collaborations over fifteen years.

Mr Heng was the guest of honor at my Asian Scientist Writing Prize with Science Centre Singapore, he helped me to launch my six-part Asian Scientist Junior children's book series, and my Women in STEM summit with the Elsevier Foundation.

He showed up. Every single time, to support science communication and women in STEM.

And he showed up again last night for the staff and alumni of A*STAR and EDB, to regale us with tales of his stint as a police officer; of how he got scolded by Mr Lee Kuan Yew; and the five budgets he had to release as Finance Minister during the COVID pandemic.

I am grateful for the privilege I have to ask questions to Singapore's most respected leaders, to harness my natural inquisitiveness in a professional setting, to keep learning from the greats, and to get exposed to new ways of thinking.

This is our fifth collaboration, Chairman.

Till the next time! 🚀


📸 Photos by Cyril T. C. Ng
🧪 Event organizer A*STAR Global Network
💯 Event supporter EDB Society - Individual
💟 Venue sponsor CapitaLand

You don't need to blow up your life and move to Bali 🌴
 
If you've been feeling stuck, restless or disconnected from the career you built---please read this post.
 
This is for the achievers. The overthinkers. The high-functioning adults who are great at managing everyone else's expectations but unsure how to ask, what do I want now?
 
I know this terrain intimately. As a former scientist who pivoted to brand coaching, I've navigated my own significant career pivots. 
 
I've pressed reset more than once.
 
It involved questioning my identity, reimagining my future, and finding ways to translate my analytical skills into a completely different domain. But that journey has given me the fulfillment to wake up on Monday morning excited for work.
 
Since then, I've coached hundreds of leaders, experts, and business owners who have felt this same internal dissonance in my 12-month Brand Builder Mastermind program. 
 
On the outside, they're thriving. 
 
On the inside, they're asking big questions:
- Is this all there is?
- Why does success feel so empty?
- Am I allowed to want something else?
 
What if we could challenge conventional thinking about career development being a straight line that goes upwards like a ladder?
 
What if you we could approach this exploration with compassion?
 
Change isn't easy, especially when you've invested years building a particular version of yourself. There will be grief in letting go, uncertainty in the middle space, and vulnerability in becoming something new. All of these feelings deserve acknowledgment.
 
But there's also freedom waiting on the other side. 
 
The freedom to define success in your own terms. 
 
The freedom to keep evolving as you learn and grow.
 
The freedom to align your external work with your internal values.
 
PS: Who's with me? 
  
Love,
Juliana Chan, PhD 💌


PS: LAST CALL! Don't navigate your career-pivot and brand-building journey alone. Join my VIP 12-month Brand Builder Mastermind program and let's grow together. 80% full and closing soon! 🚨