Sandiaga Uno was tasked with a nearly impossible job - helming the Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia during the pandemic. Now, with the border opening, Indonesia is expecting 1.5 million visitors. But, Pak Sandi wants to aim higher. It's not just the quantity, the quality that counts. On this episode, Sandi talks to Shoeb Kagda of SCCI he's on the hunt for investors. He also has a grand plan to add another 3S to tourism: Serenity, Spirituality, and Sustainability.

Making your way in Indonesia’s vast market takes time. But during nearly four decades working as an insurance broker in Indonesia, Murray Samuel has coupled the diligent pursuit of opportunities with an eye on improving people’s lives. After years of visiting Indonesia for a week a month since the early 1980s, he set up a business in Jakarta during the Asian financial crisis in part so that his colleagues here could count on steady work. Murray told Shoeb Kagda, chairman of SingCham, who conducts this week’s interview, that deep local knowledge and developing a reputation for delivering what’s promised are his guiding principles. Here’s Murray Samuel and how doing well and doing good go hand in hand.

Taking his cues from the Jedi master Obi wan Kenobi, Ben Wong reckons a life well lived is one where limits are tested in the pursuit of something new. Ben’s consultancy Kinobi proffers advice on acing interviews and constructing winning resumes as well as other guidance while keeping in mind that when we push the envelope we may fail. 

We are all, from time to time, “fish climbing trees”, Ben says. Obi-wan learned that people and life are nuanced. We all have our own paths. Ben is betting that Kinobi will resonate in Indonesia where its young hungry work force not only compete for relatively few good jobs, but are also more willing to strike out on their own but still need a helping hand. Sadly there are no Jedi mind tricks, just talent, hard work and an unrelenting focus on your destiny.