Welcome to Made in Asia, Lifestyle Asia’s podcast series that aims to connect cultural dots and communities across Southeast Asia through the power of voices and storytelling. This episode, powered by Roku Gin, explores what success and fulfillment mean today in line with the theme ‘Live Your Peak’ that extends from the theme of ‘Community’ in the pilot episodes. In this episode, we have radio presenter, host and multihyphenate Sonia Chew.
Sonia Chew is charismatic. Her voice travels and vibrates not just through the radio channel but resonates deeply with listeners across generations, inspiring many along the way. Yet her journey isn’t something she initially planned out.
Her breakthrough came through Singapore’s 987FM Radio Star competition, a moment she still describes as surreal. “I didn’t grow up dreaming of radio, but I loved storytelling. When I found radio, it felt like my voice finally found a home.
The early days, however, were far from glamorous. “I was terrified of messing up. I overthought everything.” she recalls. That vulnerability – often associated with imposter syndrome – is something many can relate to, particularly in today’s fast-paced, hyper-sensible world. Over time, her voice became unmistakably her own. Finding your voice, Sonia reflects, isn’t about volume but honesty. “You learn to hear yourself beneath the noise.”
Beyond the confident on-air presence, Sonia steadily carved out her place in the industry through growth and consistency over the past decade. It was only a few years ago that she began to realise the impact her voice could have beyond entertainment – to make a difference.
“I never noticed that about myself.” she opens. “Over the past few years, I wanted to help people get over the fear of public speaking. I was inspired after speaking at a TEDTalk a few years ago. After the session, there was a long line of students wanting to listen to me and how I got there. In my mind, I was like “Wow, there are people who want to listen to my story!”
Her calling becomes clearer. From that moment, she finds something others describe as ‘purpose’ The intent is to help others get better and use their voices for change.
Shaping Her Beliefs
“Living Your Peak” carries a nuanced meaning for Sonia. She believes that the word ‘peak’ is somewhat a sensitive topic especially in the entertainment field. “I feel like every person ‘peaks’ at different stages of life, and there is no one set rule on ‘peaking’. Being at your peak doesn’t mean that you’ve made it because after every peak is a drop,” she enthuses, adding that people should embrace both the ups and downs gracefully, taking things at their own pace.
She finds herself holding on to the grounding values growing up – what she has been taught by her parents.
“I get a little bit of both my mom and dad. My mom is super warm and caring, and she’s great with language. And I always looked up to that. She’s always the go-to for english related questions. I adopted that from her. What I got from my dad is the resilience I saw in him building his own company. He’s a typical Capricorn, hardworker… and I’m also a Capricorn. He’s always been focused on the business, making sure it worked. I picked up a bit of both of these qualities.” Sonia ponders.
She wants to be a good example to her audience. “That’s cool, I wanna be her,” she says. “That’s what I want the young people to feel when they listen to me.” Public scrutiny, however, is part of the bargain. “It can be overwhelming. People project what they think you should be.”
Does she feel pressure to perform? “Of course. But I remind myself: you’re allowed to be human.”
When asked if she feels the pressure to always be at her best, Sonia laughs it off. “I’m a master of decompartmentalising.” She’s able to separate work and personal matters, professionalism and emotions all at the same time.
Curiosity, Creativity and Community
Beyond radio, Sonia ventured into entrepreneurship with Izy Fook several years ago. Her never-try-never-know attitude had led her to learning the ropes of the business.
“Entrepreneurship has also taught me how to manage people,” she expresses. It is about creating experiences and understanding the varied needs.
She leans towards her father as her main anchor. “I’ve watched my dad manage his business and grow it into a major production house in Singapore. So that motivates me further to start something like that.”
Also in this episode, Sonia opens about the misconception of the media industry – there is no monotony in this field. “Whether you’re doing this for two years or ten years, we experience something new every time. It is an industry that keeps growing, moving and going ahead of time,” she laments. Curiosity drives her creative side while community fuels her personal growth.
“People see the confidence now,” she laughs as she settles into the room, sipping on her Roku Gin & Tonic. “But if I had to introduce myself, I’d say I’m still figuring things out, still learning, still curious.”
Hosted by Martin Teo, Editor-in-Chief of Lifestyle Asia KL & SG, Made in Asia headlines “Community” for its pilot season and followed by the theme ‘Live Your Peak’ in the second season. Stay tuned as we bring you fresh conversations with some of the brightest trailblazers and voices in Malaysia and Singapore.
Special thanks: InterContinental Singapore Robertson Quay by IHG
Follow us on:
Spotify: @MadeInAsia
Instagram: @lifestyleasiakl & @lifestyleasiasg
YouTube: @LSAMadeInAsia
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.