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Make It Work

Make It Work

By: Sarah Wong
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 🌏 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐈𝐍 πŸ’πŸŽ π‚πŽπ”ππ“π‘πˆπ„π’ & > πŸ”,πŸ“πŸŽπŸŽ πƒπŽπ–ππ‹πŽπ€πƒπ’ πŸŽ‰ Hi! I'm Sarah, a working mom of two πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§β€πŸ‘¦ πŸ‡ΈπŸ‡¬βœοΈ If you're seeking work-life balance inspiration or ever wondered, "Can one have it all?", this podcast is for you. Join me every other Wednesday as I uncover stories of ambitious moms in Asia redefining work, family, and everything in between. Follow along and let's Make It Work together! πŸ’ͺ Check us out on Instagram for the best moments in our episodes, parenting comedy, inspiration and more πŸ‘‰πŸ» https://linktr.ee/makeitwork.podcastSarah Wong Parenting & Families Relationships
Episodes
  • When You Show Up Anyway: A Mother’s Story of Loss and Leadership - Maria Li | Ep35

    When You Show Up Anyway: A Mother’s Story of Loss and Leadership - Maria Li | Ep35
    Oct 29 2025
    What happens when a tech leader, mother of two, and expat in Singapore decides to redefine what β€œhaving it all” really means? From leading one of Asia’s most prominent startup platforms through an acquisition β€” to navigating miscarriage, maternity, and mom guilt β€” Maria Li, COO of Tech in Asia, has lived through the highs and heartbreaks of making both career and motherhood work.In this episode, I sit down with Maria Li, who moved from Silicon Valley to Singapore eight years ago, expecting to stay for a year or two. But somewhere between building a company, building a family, and building a village, Singapore became home. πŸ‡ΈπŸ‡¬Maria opens up about the reality behind the title β€” what it means to lead through loss, to parent with purpose, and to show up authentically at work when life feels anything but perfect. She shares how community support, flexible work, and honest leadership helped her find balance in the chaos.As a mother and leader, Maria is rewriting the playbook for working women everywhere β€” reminding us that β€œhaving it all” isn’t about doing it all, but about choosing what matters most.In this heartfelt conversation, we explored:πŸ’Ό How motherhood reshapes your leadership and priorities at workπŸ’¬ Why being authentic at work makes you a stronger, not weaker, leaderπŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§β€πŸ‘¦The tradeoffs she has had to make to prioritize family in this seasonπŸ’” How Maria navigated a miscarriage while leading her company through an acquisition✨ Why redefining β€œhaving it all” starts with owning your trade-offs and your truthβ€”----------------------------------------------------------------Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:23 Meet Maria Li: COO and Mom of Two03:05 How Singapore became home in ways she never expected.06:46 What Maria learned about asking for help.10:41 How becoming a mom reshaped her work β€” and herself.23:27 Why stepping away might be the smartest move you make.24:16 What employers really think about moms returning to work27:59 How Maria learned to trade perfection for peace.32:21 The surprising lesson her kids taught her about leadership.37:20 The advice every ambitious woman needs to hear.β€”--------------------------------------------------------------Connect with Maria here:πŸ‘‹ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariasli/πŸ‘‹ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marialiiiii/Get to know Maria Li and her work:πŸ‘‰ https://share.google/AQD31CHB0ZBiPJpzZπŸ‘‰ https://share.google/tdvJ2FIGP206UK7mGπŸ‘‰ https://share.google/37LILv0l0Vdj39KXdπŸ‘‰ https://www.techinasia.com/video/unfiltered-maria-li-coo-tech-asiaWatch more:29 Weeks Too Soon: Motherhood, Identity, and Building Something Radically New: https://youtu.be/Yau2wLUNS5U?si=srWjlnBhnBKuqZ9oFrom Stay-At-Home to Single Working Mom: What Divorce Taught Me with Sherry Fang: https://youtu.be/pw6r_MizOuI?si=Ykt0wLV_YBToMWdhHow This Mom Built a Million-Dollar Brand with Zero Marketing - Cheryl Yeo: https://youtu.be/Gz0dPLB74BM?si=9OpJFlCE-AAy0rFySME vs Big Tech: Why Small Might Be The BEST Career Move! - Louisa Lee: https://youtu.be/7pSNn8KZMZ0?si=Y2vWnNJrSvobwpdEFollow and connect with Sarah & Make It Work! ⁠https://linktr.ee/makeitwork.podcastβ πŸ“· ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/πŸ’Όβ LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/🎡 ⁠Facebook⁠: https://www.facebook.com/people/Make-It-Work/61566472637714/🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085🎡Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943beπŸ“₯⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.comJoin our free ⁠Mommas Making It Work whatsapp community⁠ to find a group of like-minded mommas: https://bit.ly/MIWcommunityβ€”-------------------------------#MakeItWorkPodcast #WomenInLeadership #WorkingMoms #WomenInTech #FemaleLeaders #WomenEmpowerment #SingaporeMoms #CareerMoms #CareerGrowth #LeadershipJourney
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    44 mins
  • Navigating Life's Transitions With Belief with Sarah Wong - On The Soft Power Project | Ep34

    Navigating Life's Transitions With Belief with Sarah Wong - On The Soft Power Project | Ep34
    Oct 8 2025
    Working mothers, career transitions, and the power of becoming β€” Sarah Wong joins Sherry Fang on the Soft Power Project for an honest conversation about navigating uncertainty, motherhood, and identity. 🌱In this special episode, the mic flips β€” and this time, I’m the one being interviewed. πŸŽ™οΈ Sherry invited me to open up about the messy but transformative seasons of my life: moving countries while pregnant, juggling family responsibilities with career shifts, and rediscovering who I was when nothing seemed stable. These were the moments that looked like chaos on the outside β€” but in hindsight, they were shaping me from the inside out. And also laid the foundation for the Make It Work podcast!In this heartfelt conversation, we talk about:πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§β€πŸ‘¦ How becoming a mum shook up everything I thought I knew about who I was and what mattered most.🌊 The shaping role of my faith in a season of uncertainty πŸ’‘ Why feeling β€œlost” can actually be the most powerful season of growth.❀️ How I’m reshaping the way I speak to my children about who they are, not just what they’ll do.πŸ•ŠοΈ The surprising truth about boundaries, Sabbath, and modeling rest for the next generation.This episode is for anyone balancing career transitions, family life, and the constant juggle of being a working mom β€” or anyone who’s ever looked around at the chaos and wondered if it could lead to something more. If you’ve ever felt caught between roles, pulled by change, or unsure of your next step, this conversation is a reminder that you’re not alone.β€”------------------------------------------Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:58 Welcome to Soft Power Project02:58 When Life Changes Direction14:08 The Therapeutic Power of Podcasting21:29 How Do You Create When Life Doesn’t Slow Down?22:08 Why Your Wins Matter More Than You Think23:34 Why Soft Power Matters More Than Ever26:24 Are Your Boundaries Helping or Holding You Back?35:12 The Next Chapter: Letting Go to Move Forwardβ€”------------------------------------------Follow Sherry here:πŸ‘‹ Executive Plus Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1xDeKFTTBH45GUbZL77V5G?si=1T26Ifd9QfaWPPnT_EFgGAπŸ‘‹ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/tw/podcast/soft-power-project/id1795635125πŸ‘‹ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SoftPowerProjectπŸ‘‹ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soft_power_projectπŸ‘‹ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherryfang83/ Follow and connect with Sarah & Make It Work! ⁠https://linktr.ee/makeitwork.podcastβ πŸ“· ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/πŸ’Όβ LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/🎡 ⁠Facebook⁠: https://www.facebook.com/people/Make-It-Work/61566472637714/🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085🎡Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943beπŸ“₯⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.comJoin our free ⁠Mommas Making It Work whatsapp community⁠: https://bit.ly/MIWcommunityβ€”-------------------------------#MakeItWorkPodcast #TheSoftPowerProject #WorkingMoms #MotherhoodJourney #CareerTransitions #Identity #WomenInLeadership #WorkLifeBalance #Resilience #PersonalGrowth #MotherhoodUnfiltered #PodcastGuest #FutureOfWork #InspirationFrom Stay-At-Home to Single Working Mom: What Divorce Taught Me (That I Never Saw Coming): https://youtu.be/pw6r_MizOuI?si=tjv3ApPNuKX5B3E5Parenthood Across 10 Countries: The Village Every Parent Needs - Marina Lopes: https://youtu.be/hDMbVn725uA?si=rOV7qljsePBkfWKZ29 Weeks Too Soon: Motherhood, Identity, and Building Something Radically New - Luanne Poh: https://youtu.be/Yau2wLUNS5U?si=KVPYE4CBI9IQPBjd
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    40 mins
  • Parenthood Across 10 Countries: The Village Every Parent Needs - Marina Lopes | Ep33

    Parenthood Across 10 Countries: The Village Every Parent Needs - Marina Lopes | Ep33
    Sep 24 2025
    What happens when a journalist travels to 10 different countries, across cultures and continents, to gather the best lessons about parenting? From the way Swedish parents share the mental load, to the way Brazilian grandmothers descend on a new mother’s hospital room, to the way Mozambican villages raise children as a community β€” each culture holds a piece of wisdom that challenges how we think about raising the next generation.In this episode, I sit down with Marina Lopes β€” longtime journalist, foreign correspondent for The Washington Post, and most recently the author of Please Yell At My Kids. In her book, Marina does just that: capturing stories and insights from around the world to reframe how we think about parenting and community.For Marina, this journey began with her own contrasting experiences: an emergency C-section in Brazil, surrounded by forty relatives and neighbors in the hospital room… and later, the complete isolation of raising her second baby during COVID in the United States. πŸŒπŸ’”As a Brazilian-American married to an Asian-American diplomat, Marina has witnessed how families around the world nurture children, share responsibility, and create belonging. Her book reminds us that parenting was never meant to be done alone β€” and that building our β€œvillage” may be the most important parenting skill of all.In this intimate conversation, we explored:πŸ‘Ά Why the β€œrosy” picture of motherhood can leave first-time moms feeling broken🌍 What cultures from Brazil to Mozambique can teach us about raising children togetherπŸ’‘ How to split the β€œmental load” in marriage without resentment🀱 Why your second child can sometimes heal the traumas of the firstπŸ’› Why building your β€œvillage” might be the most important parenting skill of allβ€”-------------------------Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:24 Welcome to Make It Work03:12 Covering Headlines While Navigating Home Life06:03 Motherhood Struggles No One Talks About13:25 What Parenting Across 10 Countries Taught Me26:13 Why Moms Get Stuck in the Cycle of Frustration27:23 Marriage Isn’t 50/50 β€” So What Works Instead?29:13 Is Modern Life Killing Our Sense of Community?37:51 Working Mom or Just Mom? The Identity Tug-of-War48:25 Why Parents Can’t Survive Without a Villageβ€”-----------------------------------Connect with Marina here:πŸ‘‹ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marinalopes1/πŸ‘‹ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinalopesauthor/πŸ‘‹Purchase Book β€˜Please Yell At My Kids’: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/marina-lopes/please-yell-at-my-kids/9780306834417/?fbclid=PAT01DUANAssdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABp63kJM3AhmsWu96m7Y6kf4eAaOxsqIUe6gauPOSkRvyry4jrZLv_OVfU_rlV_aem_7Zz03NqkzG-UImCA6Y03pwFollow and connect with Sarah & Make It Work! ⁠https://linktr.ee/makeitwork.podcastβ πŸ“· ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/πŸ’Όβ LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/🎡 ⁠Facebook⁠: https://www.facebook.com/people/Make-It-Work/61566472637714/🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085🎡Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943beπŸ“₯⁠Email⁠: makeitwork.asia@gmail.comJoin our free ⁠Mommas Making It Work whatsapp community⁠ to find a group of like-minded mommas: https://bit.ly/MIWcommunityβ€”-------------------------------Stay tuned to our channel for more 🌟➀ Thank you for your support!πŸ§‘πŸ’™#MillennialParents #MotherhoodUnfiltered #ParentingCommunity #MotherhoodJourney #WorkingMoms #ParentingRealTalk #WorkLifeBalance #MotherhoodTruths #MotherhoodStories #MakeItWorkPodcast #ModernMotherhood
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    51 mins
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