Podcast: The Golden Nuggets Podcast
Series: ParentPreneur
Episode: 1
Hosts: Nazreen, Amir, Hanafi
Production: The Golden Nuggets Podcast
Episode Context
The ParentPreneur Series exists because a gap keeps appearing in business conversations. Many founders talk about growth. Many parents talk about family. Very few talk about both at the same time.
Nazreen and Hanafi see this gap clearly. Most guests on The Golden Nuggets Podcast run businesses and raise children. They manage cash flow, deadlines, sleep loss, and emotional load at the same time. These pressures rarely get honest airtime.
This episode sets the foundation. It explains why the series exists and why the conversation matters.
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What “ParentPreneur” Means
The hosts define a ParentPreneur as a person who runs a business while raising a family.
They share their own context:
- Nazreen is a father of two boys.
- Amir is a father of three girls.
- Hanafi jokes that his two cats still count as dependents.
All three also run young businesses. Their companies still feel like start-ups. Income can fluctuate. Systems still evolve. This overlap creates pressure that deserves open discussion.
The First Core Principle: Be Present
Nazreen shares a simple rule.
A parent must be fully present with children. A founder must be fully present at work. Mixing both weakens both roles.
He explains the problem clearly. A parent may sit with children but still answer messages. Children notice attention gaps. Over time, this erodes trust.
So the rule stays firm.
When you are with your kids, be with them.
When you are at work, work.
Building an Operating System
Nazreen explains how he protects focus.
He separates work and family by location. He keeps an office outside the home. The office switches his brain into work mode. Home stays reserved for family.
This system creates discipline:
- Work happens at work.
- Family time stays clean.
- Focus improves on both sides.
The cost of the office also forces intention. If the space exists, it must produce value.
Financial Stress Hits Differently With Children
Nazreen speaks openly about unstable months.
He shares moments when clients dropped without warning. Cash flow tightened. Pressure rose quickly because food, school, and daily needs do not pause.
He also shares something many founders avoid saying.
He had to involve his partner in hard conversations. Income drops affect both people. Transparency matters more than pride.
His recovery came slowly. He increased online presence. He joined networking groups. He built relationships that later became income.
The lesson is direct.
Cash flow planning is not optional when children depend on you.
Loans Can Steal Mental Clarity
The conversation turns to debt.
Nazreen admits he took loans that later felt heavy. The relief lasted one month. The stress lasted much longer.
Amir adds a clear warning. Loans at the start add mental noise. Founders stop thinking clearly. They start reacting instead of building.
They agree on one rule.
Only take loans that can produce return.
Never take loans to delay reality.
Know Your Numbers Or Lose Control
The hosts repeat one message several times.
A ParentPreneur must know their numbers.
This includes:
- Monthly family expenses
- Business overheads
- Savings runway
- Minimum survival income
Nazreen shares how this lesson came from his food business. Guessing costs caused silent losses. Calculation created control.
The takeaway stays simple.
Clarity comes from numbers, not hope.
Insurance Is Not Glamorous But It Matters
They discuss insurance without sales language.
Nazreen admits he lapsed policies before to survive short months. He also admits this risk can backfire fast.
Amir takes a firm stance.
Health and life insurance matter more for founders than employees. Founders lack company buffers. A single hospital bill can destroy cash flow.
They suggest a practical approach:
- Prioritise health and life cover.
- Skip investment plans if needed.
- Pay monthly if yearly feels unsafe.
The rule stays grounded.
Protection buys time when life turns unpredictable.
Support Systems Keep You Standing
The hosts discuss emotional support.
Nazreen lists his core support:
- His wife
- His children
- Faith
He also values close friends who show up without judgment. He values partners who share responsibility.
Hanafi adds another angle. Pets reduce stress. Calm moments matter when pressure builds daily.
They also acknowledge family help. They note modern realities. Many grandparents still work. Support looks different now.
The truth stays clear.
No ParentPreneur survives alone.
ParentPreneur Live Event
This episode also introduces a milestone.
The team announces ParentPreneur Live, the first flagship event by The Golden Nuggets Podcast.
Early details:
- Date: 21 January
- Venue: Guoco Midtown (final confirmation pending)
- Format: Live podcast panels
Past guests and new voices will share real stories. Topics will expand beyond business tactics into family, health, and mental load.
What’s Coming Next
The next episode features Jasmin Dhillon. The topic focuses on sleep loss and decision quality for parents running businesses.
Future episodes will also cover parenting while raising neurodivergent children, with founder-parents as guests.
Extract Your Golden Nuggets
This episode proves one thing.
Business advice breaks down without life context. Parenting pressure reshapes every decision. Systems, numbers, and support decide survival more than motivation.
If you build while raising a family, this series is for you.
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This is just the beginning.Introduction: we needed this conversation
Nazreen and Hanafi start the ParentPreneur series because they see a gap. Many founders talk about business. Many parents talk about family. Few people talk about both at the same time.
They see the same pattern in many guests. Their guests run businesses and raise kids. They juggle work, sleep, money, and relationships. They also do it while they build something from scratch.
They decide to hold space for these stories. They decide to make it real and public.
What “ParentPreneur” means to them
The hosts define a ParentPreneur as a person who raises a family and runs a business at the same time.
They also share context:
- Nazreen has two boys.
- Amir has three young girls.
- Hanafi has two cats, and he jokes that it still counts.
They also share one more thing. All of them run businesses that are still young. Their companies still feel like start-ups. That matters because start-ups do not give you a stable rhythm. A child also does not give you a stable rhythm.
So the series exists because the pressure stacks up.
Lesson 1: be where your feet are
Nazreen shares a core principle.
He says a parent needs to give full attention when he is with his kids. He also says a founder needs to give full attention when he is at work. He calls this “compartmentalising your energy”.
He gives a clear example.
He says a parent can sit with the kids but still reply to WhatsApp. The kids notice that. The parent is present in the room but absent in attention. He says that breaks trust over time.
So his goal is simple.
He wants to switch modes. He wants to show up fully.
Lesson 2: design a system that protects focus
Nazreen explains his current system.
He uses a physical separation.
He keeps work and home in different places. He uses an office to switch his mind into work mode. He says he does not “need” an office, but the office creates discipline. He also says the cost forces him to use the space properly.
This is his operating system:
- Home stays for family.
- Office stays for work.
- The switch protects both roles.
Lesson 3: financial stress hits harder when you have kids
Nazreen shares a tough part of his journey.
He describes months where clients drop. He describes a thin cash flow. He describes the pressure of feeding a family while income feels unstable.
He also shares something many founders hide.
He says he had moments where he needed to ask his partner for help because income dropped suddenly. He says this can create tension, but the conversation matters.
He also shares a turning point.
He says he started to show up online more. He says he joined networking groups. He says he built relationships that later became clients.
He frames the lesson in one line:
You need a plan for cash flow before cash flow breaks you.
Lesson 4: do not take loans when you are at zero
They talk about loans and pressure.
Nazreen says he took credit and later felt overwhelmed. He also says he took a COVID bridging loan because it looked attractive. He later regretted it because the debt became heavier than the relief.
Amir adds a strong point.
He says loans at the start do not only add repayments. Loans also add mental load. The founder starts to think about interest and instalments. The founder stops thinking clearly about growth.
They agree on a clean rule:
- If you take a loan, you need a clear reason.
- If the loan cannot create a return, skip it.
Lesson 5: know your numbers like your life depends on it
They return to one theme again and again.
They say a ParentPreneur needs to know the numbers.
They mean:
- Monthly household needs
- Business overheads
- Cash in and cash out
- How long savings can last
- How much runway remains
Nazreen shares an example from his food business.
He says he learned to calculate every ingredient cost. He says he needed to stop guessing. He says guessing makes you lose money quietly.
So the advice stays simple:
Know your numbers. Then decide your moves.
Lesson 6: insurance is a real debate, but health cover stays critical
They discuss insurance with honesty.
Nazreen admits he lapsed policies before. He says he did it to survive short months. He also admits it is risky because illness can wipe out cash fast.
Amir takes a firm position.
He says health and life insurance are non-negotiable for entrepreneurs. He gives a clear reason. An employee may still have company cover and buffers. A founder often has none. A hospital bill can arrive at the worst time.
They also make a practical point:
- You can skip investment-linked plans if needed.
- You should protect health and life first.
- Monthly payment can work if yearly feels hard.
They keep the message grounded:
A ParentPreneur needs a safety net because risk does not ask for permission.
Lesson 7: support systems keep you standing
They talk about support beyond money.
Nazreen shares his first support system:
- His wife
- His kids
- God
He also shares a second layer:
- Close friends who show up during hard days
- Business partners who share the load
Hanafi adds his own support system.
He says his cats help him calm down after stressful days. He says research supports the idea that pets reduce stress.
They also mention family support.
They say grandparents can help, but they also note a modern reality. Many grandparents still work in Singapore. So the old model does not always apply.
The point stays clear:
A ParentPreneur does not survive alone.
The event: ParentPreneur Live in January
They announce a live event.
They plan to run ParentPreneur as the first flagship event for The Golden Nuggets Podcast. They want real conversations in a live setting, with panels and guests.
They share early details:
- Date: 21 January
- Venue: likely Guoco Midtown (final confirmation pending)
- Format: two rounds of live podcast panels
- Guests mentioned: Nina Zazali, Amanda (pending), and more names to be revealed
They also invite sponsors.
They mention parent-focused brands and services. They mention products that support parents and families.
What to expect next
They preview the next episode.
They mention Jasmin Dhillon as the next guest. The topic will focus on sleep deprivation and business performance as a parent.
They also tease future topics, including parenting while raising neurodivergent children, with a founder-parent guest.
Closing: this is bigger than a podcast
Nazreen closes with a clear goal.
He says the podcast has run for two years. He says the team wants to build it into something bigger than they expected. He says the live event is the next step.
They invite listeners to follow and subscribe:
- Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, LinkedIn
- vNewsletter: tgnpodcast.com/newsletter
They end the first ParentPreneur episode with one message:
Stay with us. This series is for people who build and raise at the same time.
