Entrepreneurship Isn’t Bali Beaches & Laptops ☕
In this episode of Man on a Mission Show, we sit down with Lee Hao Ming — the visionary behind Artbox Singapore, scaling House Coffee during the pandemic, and now CEO of Louken Group.
He opens up about the raw truth of entrepreneurship: the sleepless nights, public scrutiny, mental health struggles, and why money is never the ultimate goal. Instead, Hao Ming shares what makes the fight worth it — purpose, people, and possibilities.
If you’ve ever thought of becoming an entrepreneur, this episode will give you the real, unfiltered side of the journey.
What You’ll Get From This Episode
- Why entrepreneurship is not for everyone (and that’s okay)
- The behind-the-scenes story of bringing Artbox to Singapore and attracting 700,000 visitors
- The leap of faith mindset every entrepreneur needs to succeed
- How to cope with public scrutiny, burnout, and anxiety as a founder
- Hao Ming’s definition of true success (spoiler: it’s not money, it’s freedom)
- The importance of rest, discipline, and perspective for long-term survival
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – The harsh truth about entrepreneurship
00:33 – Introducing Lee Hao Ming
01:05 – From Artbox to House Coffee to Louken
02:31 – The “man bun” origin story
05:00 – Taking the leap of faith with Artbox
09:56 – Facing doubt, rainstorms & 700,000 visitors
12:12 – Why young entrepreneurs succeed (foolish courage)
15:00 – Learning from failure & why trying = winning
17:56 – Success, responsibility & the pressure to scale
22:00 – Coping with public scrutiny & mental health
25:41 – Building routines & the “discipline to rest”
29:30 – Mindset shift: life is tough by default
31:00 – Why entrepreneurship is not for everyone
34:57 – The insane metaphor of running a business
36:15 – The dark side: suicide, burnout & sacrifices
38:36 – What makes it worth it for Hao Ming
41:26 – Money as a concept & tool for possibilities
45:00 – What success really means (freedom & stewardship)
49:37 – Closing thoughts: entrepreneurship as stewardship
👇 Your hosts:
👩🏫 Tammy Ng
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ngtammyyy/
🎬 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ngtammyyy
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ngtammyyy/
🧠 Adeline Ng
🌐 Website: https://adelineng.com/
📝Free Marketing Notes: https://linktr.ee/adeline.ng
📱Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ng.adelinee
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ade_ysc/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ade-ng/
🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ng.ade
Get to know Lee Hao Ming:
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haominglee/
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_xiaominggg/?igsh=MTR3dXVrMnQ0aGo2bQ%3D%3D#
📷 Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/loukengroup?igsh=MzNkZ2FzZTF4eXo=
🎥 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@_xiaominggg?_t=ZS-8yERsy1fn04&_r=1
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