From Burnout to Blueprint

Why I left the corporate world to rethink workplace wellbeing.

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When I joined a cybersecurity scaleup in the thick of their Series B raise with Sequoia Capital, I believed burnout was just part of the job. Today, I help employers understand it’s one of the biggest risks to their bottom line.

Over the span of my corporate career, I’ve worked on the Warner Brothers lot (down the hall from Christopher Nolan); at the cyber startup, complete with an in-office ping-pong table; and at one of the biggest tech companies in human history. I’ve seen how much companies invest in retaining talent – and how often they miss the mark.

It’s not enough to offer free fruit (fellow Amazonians will remember the banana stands) or tell us to take the stairs. I speak from experience because while working a full-time job in Ads, I was also volunteering off the side of my desk, leading internal mindfulness programs for colleagues. Which begs the question: if one of the biggest, most well-resourced companies in the world leaves its employees to solve the problem of workplace wellbeing by themselves, how do you think your firm is doing?

Wellbeing isn’t a soft topic; it’s a supply chain issue, it’s a retention issue, and it's a business continuity issue. When employees are supported, they’re more productive, work better, and stay longer. That continuity attracts new talent and sustains client trust. I’ve heard this directly from firms like Temasek, who don’t want a “revolving door” of associates; clients need stability in the form of lawyers who know their risk appetite.

Incredible things are happening across the industry here in Singapore – with champions like Jeffery Tan pushing for reform from the top down, influencing government policy and getting buy-in from fellow leaders. It’s encouraging to see the upper echelons of the profession unite around the idea of building a legal sector their children would want to join.

But we can't wait for that future to arrive, because too many associates will suffer before it gets here. When the nature of the job involves long hours and high pressure, leaders have a responsibility to equip their employees with the skills they need – not tomorrow, but today. Skills that will a) make an immediate impact in real time and b) build the resilience required for long-term, sustainable careers.

Today, I work with law firms, tech leaders, and financial institutions with a focus on wellbeing through the lens of operational outcomes. My job is to equip as many people as possible with practical tools and skills they can use right now: because change happens from the bottom up, as well as the top down. If you’re a leader ready to challenge the status quo – whether you’re exploring cultural change, seeking better retention, or simply want to share ideas – let’s talk.