SINGAPORE – As a young boy, Mr Nabill Shukry Johari, 27, always saw entrepreneurship as a way out of poverty – and he has proven himself right.

Now in his final semester as a part-time marketing student at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, he runs two businesses: Cheekies, a meal prep company supplying five food and beverage outlets, and Cheeky Media, a creative agency that helps brands thrive on TikTok Shop.

He said: “Through this entrepreneurship route, I’m able to save a lot of money and pay for my mother’s medical expenses. And when we go out for dinner, we don’t have to think about the bill. I can just treat my parents to a good dinner.”

In the second edition of ST Podcasts Live, Mr Nabill was joined by Ms Adella Yeo Rae-Nyse, 27, a fellow entrepreneur and co-founder of career-matching platform MatcHub.

Explaining why she turned her back on a nine-to-five job, Ms Yeo said: “Back then, our parents’ definition of success was a good stable job, a good income, and a basic standard of living... But what I really look for is happiness and self-accomplishment.”

The conversation, part of The Straits Times’ In Your Opinion podcast aired on April 15, was hosted by ST assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong.

About 100 people attended the live broadcast at indie cinema The Projector at Golden Mile Tower.

At the event, Mr Nabill and Ms Yeo responded to questions about how young people should handle setbacks when they choose to go into business for themselves.

Ms Yeo, who now works remotely as an account manager at a software firm, recalled how an internship once left her overwhelmed and demotivated when her manager reprimanded her for not completing a design task well.

Her former school teachers and mentors advised her not to be bogged down by her weaknesses, but to find ways to shine using her strengths. So, she asked her manger to switch her to a client-facing role, and she started to excel.

Ms Yeo said: “So seek advice from others, try to change or get out of the (bad) situation and see opportunities.”

Since starting Cheekies in 2021, Mr Nabill has been tempted to throw in ...