What happens when a former CFO and a veteran marketing strategist sit down to talk about risk, reinvention, and purpose? In this episode of *Clean Your Toilet*, Pei Ying and Will unpack what it *really* means to “go big or go home” when the stakes are high and the safety net is gone.

Most people romanticize the leap from corporate to entrepreneurship as a bold, passion-fuelled adventure. But Pei Ying — who walked away from a secure C-suite role to build her own business — knows the truth: the leap is less about adrenaline and more about wrestling with uncertainty, self-belief, and the parts of yourself you’ve avoided for years.

Her journey began with a laser-focused goal: become a CFO. And she did — within ten years, faster than most. But once she got there, the question shifted: What now? The shiny title wasn’t enough. The pull toward work that felt purposeful grew too strong to ignore. Leaving wasn’t just a career move — it was an identity shift.

Will’s path was less linear but no less revealing. From aspiring athlete to musician to engineer to advertising professional, he stumbled through false starts, firings, and frustrations until he realized he could no longer work for leaders without vision. Starting his own agency wasn’t just about creative control — it was about refusing to settle for mediocrity.

Together, they explore the messy middle that comes after you’ve said no to the old path but haven’t fully built the new one:

- Navigating the gap between who you were and who you’re becoming

- Developing the inner confidence to keep going when external validation disappears

- Bridging the disconnect between ground-level employees and strategic decision-makers

- Playing roles beyond your pay grade — and turning that into leverage

It’s a conversation about ambition without the burnout, leadership without the ego, and impact without the illusion that you have to do it all alone. Pei Ying shares how coaching sharpened her ability to spot and bridge gaps inside organizations — a skill that accelerated her corporate climb and later became the foundation of her entrepreneurial work. Will reflects on how caring deeply (even to the point of conflict) can be the very thing that sets you apart in a crowded marketplace.

If you’ve ever:

- Wondered if you’re “wasting” your potential by staying safe

- Felt caught between chasing impact and protecting stability

- Struggled to trust yourself when the plan isn’t clear

…this episode will give you both the permission and the push to redefine what “going big” actually means for you.

Because sometimes, going big isn’t about more money, more followers, or more recognition. It’s about the courage to clean out the inner clutter that keeps you chained to a version of success you’ve outgrown.

🧼 Your clarity is the clean water.

🚽 Your old definitions of success are the drain.

💩 The fear, self-doubt, and people-pleasing? That’s the clog.

Flush it out. Step in. And build something that matters.

When a restless maker who’s been designing since his teens sits down with a marketing strategist, you don’t just get a chat about aesthetics—you get a hard-edged interrogation of what it really means to turn an idea into a brand that survives. In this episode of *Clean Your Toilet*, Freddy and Will talk about crafts and commerce, toys and trade-offs, and why creators must become uncomfortable hybrid-operators if their art is going to pay the rent.

Most people picture an artist’s life as romantic: sketchbooks, midnight inspiration, gallery openings. Freddy’s life shows the other side. He started drawing as a kid, launched his first company while still young, and spent decades learning both craft and the messy business of making things people want to buy. Hungry Hamster Club is the result — an IP that started as collectible toys and artworks. Freddy also has an interest in NFTs, Web3 collaborations, and a variety of product experiments. But building an IP isn’t the same as building a business; the two require wildly different muscles.

This conversation pulls no punches. Freddy admits the survival moves: taking odd jobs (waiting tables, restaurant management), doing paid work to fund toys, and taking a day job in Web3 to sustain production. He’s honest about the compromises and the weird humility of pitching your passion as a commercial product. Will pushes on the tough marketing truths: a brilliant object doesn’t always sell itself, and visibility is not the same as value.

They unpack the creative paradox at the center of every maker’s life:

- How do you keep a creative spark alive when production calendars and cashflow start dictating what you make?

- When is a passion project allowed to remain "just" passion, and when must it be productized?

- Can you scale a collectible without turning it into a soulless commodity?

Freddy’s craft philosophies emerge as practical playbooks. He draws a clear line between art (conceptual, expressive) and design (user-focused, functional). He describes the role he plays now: creative director, provocateur, mentor, negotiator — someone who must “switch heads” between artist, salesman, and client whisperer. That tension gives birth to one of his favorite lessons: “The best ideas aren’t only created — they’re sold.” Execution, packaging, and the ability to sell the vision to a partner (or a retailer, or a licensee) are what turn an IP into a global toy.

Will reframes this as marketing truth: narrative is leverage. Hungry Hamster isn’t only a toy — it can be a story, a license, a tiny cultural world that other brands want to plug into. The commercial pathway Freddy sketches — 12 activations in a year, licensing deals, and retail presence — is ambitious but deliberate. Freddy doesn’t want to sell out; he wants to learn how to sell smart.

If you’ve ever:

- Felt guilty about “selling out” but needed the money anyway

- Wanted to keep making the things you love while scaling a business

- Wondered whether to take paid client work or guard your creative time

…this episode hands you both the hard questions and the practical reframes. Freddy’s journey shows that being an artist in business isn’t betrayal — it’s evolution.

🧼 Your creativity is the clean water.

🚽 Monetisation pressures are the drain.

💩 Compromise, fear, and procrastination — that’s the clog.

Clear it. Build slowly. License wisely. And let what you make carry your voice to the world.

When a first-time meeting between a fearless life-explorer and a seasoned marketing strategist turns into a conversation, it’s never just small talk — it’s an unfiltered deep dive into conviction, courage, and the messy business of walking a path you can’t quite see until you’ve lived it. In this episode of Clean Your Toilet, Phoebe and Will meet for the very first time — ten minutes before hitting record — and jump straight into what it really means to live and work off the beaten path.

Most people think clarity comes first, then action. Phoebe’s life is proof that sometimes you act first — and the clarity comes later. From rejecting the “safe” route of junior college for a more self-discovering polytechnic education, to choosing a scrappy startup over a dream-brand corporate gig, she has repeatedly chosen growth over guarantees. Her philosophy? Let your heart lead and let your mind catch up.

It’s a mindset that took years to cultivate. Growing up as a self-described people pleaser, Phoebe often deferred to others’ opinions — until she realised that external validation is a shaky foundation for a fulfilling life. The turning point? A week-long yoga and meditation retreat in Cambodia that reawakened her inner joy and reminded her of a childlike curiosity she had almost lost to “adulting.” That clarity sparked a radical decision: to leave a stable role in sales and customer success to embrace uncertainty, trusting it would lead somewhere truer.

One of those unexpected turns was publishing her own poetry and prose book — now sitting on Kinokuniya’s shelves — alongside training in healing modalities like breathwork and Akashic records. Another was shaving her waist-length hair for Hair for Hope, a personal act of non-attachment that also challenged societal ideas of beauty. “When I come from a space of inner conviction,” she says, “there’s no room for challenge — I see it through.”

Will, ever the challenger, probes Phoebe’s thinking on intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation, the myths of entrepreneurship, and why not every bout of dissatisfaction means you should quit your job. Together, they explore the tension between trusting your gut and rationalising it, between holding core values and turning them into actionable verbs, between keeping life “safe” and letting a little bit of crazy seep out.

Key questions surface:

- How do you know if you’re walking *your* path, not one shaped by conditioning?

- When is discomfort a sign to push forward — and when is it a cue to pause?

- What anchors you when your choices make sense to no one but you?

Phoebe’s anchors are authenticity and courage — but lived as actions, not just words. Staying true through the noise. Choosing the braver option when fear whispers “play small.” And perhaps most importantly, remembering to find joy in the mess.

If you’ve ever:

- Felt pulled towards something without being able to explain why

- Wondered if stability is costing you growth

- Wanted to live by your own definitions, even when they defy expectations

…this episode is your permission slip to act before you have the map, to trust the steps you can’t yet see, and to clean out the clutter of shoulds so you can make space for what actually matters.

🧼 Your conviction is the clean water.

🚽 Fear of judgment is the drain.

💩 Old conditioning and people-pleasing? That’s the clog.

Flush it. Live it. And let your heart lead you somewhere your head hasn’t yet imagined.