# 207 Yue Woon Hiang: I am a respectful rebel

On this episode we hear from Woon. And I love how she introduced herself as a "respectful rebel and from then on out, it was as if our lives mirrored each others throughout the rest of the conversation. The thread in her career has been to "consistently try to stop the death of good ideas". She shared an interesting insight on how we view experiences as the backbone of our industry with both fascinates her and frustrates her. She likens her approach to finding the right role to match her, like that of a marriage and to be prepared to accept the warts and the joys of the job. Knowing what is important to her has allowed her to say 'No' with more confidence.Woon also spoke passionately about the challenges of being an Asian female in middle management and what kind of 'sandwich' it is these days. Woon talked about the lack of managing upwards, putting pressure on your teams as a result and then conflict avoidance.You can reach out to Woon to talk about:⛰️ What is it like to be an Asian female manager⛰️ How to drive change and innovation in a way that doesn’t burn bridges❤️ Who inspired Woon: Her maternal grandmother

Get to know Marion Schonkeren, facilitator at the upcoming Inspire Influence Live in London on the 7th of November. Who says that 'every person has the power to influence'👉 Find out more here: https://www.inspiringwomeninhospitality.com/eventsThis is what Marion had to say about influence: Let us make influence a word that is approachable as she believes that every single person has the power to influence. Most importantly it to stay true to yourself and your values, use your voice, raise people up and everyone can participate in influence.Listen to our full conversation here and get to know Marion's experiences, that she will be bringing with her to the tableRegister your interest here: https://subscribepage.io/RXANly🙋‍♀️ And you might be lucky to get her on your table as your facilitator.

Erika shares how influence is about trust and relationship.Find out more about Inspire Influence Live London here: https://www.inspiringwomeninhospitality.com/events

What was suppose to be a 5 minute conversation, became a 25 minute one. That is how important influence is to Laura.Get to know Laura Brinkmann, facilitator at the upcoming Inspire Influence Live in London on the 7th of November.With 20 years of professional experience in the investment and asset management in hospitality.She has like many women found herself as the only woman in the room, but she did have one great example to share from her time at Brookfield as a board director at a boardroom table with both women and men. This is when she felt'we are making a difference.'Laurashares stories of what she calls both proactive and reactive influence from hercareer. How being naïve and curious early on in your career is your path to influence. And how working together collectively you can influence thematernity policy. Find out more here: https://www.inspiringwomeninhospitality.com/events Register your interest here: https://subscribepage.io/RXANly

Introducing Jane Lees, facilitator at the upcoming Inspire Influence Live in London on the 7th of November.With a career in operating real estate valuation in both Hong Kong and the UK, Jane not only is a well recognised and respected professional in our industry, but someone whowill always invest in her team. Every person who has had the privilege to work with her has said the same thing.And on the 7th of November, you might be that lucky person who gets a seat at her table and learn from her career.Find out more here: https://www.inspiringwomeninhospitality.com/eventsRegister your interest here: https://subscribepage.io/RXANly

On this episode we hear from Delnaz. And at her core she describes herself as someone who is drawn to the idea of creating experiences that people remember. This isalso how she chose hospitality because she wanted to be part od an industry that is about creating things for people that stay with them emotionally, rather than selling a product. In the past five year within the same organisation she has been able to move her role several times. It was not easy finding a role during covid, but what was important to her was to get her footin the door, say yes and then once in get noticed and ask for theopportunities. Even if it is daunting, ask.

From podcast to community to global movement — Inspire has been a journey I never could have predicted when I first hit record five years ago.In this special episode, I reflect on how it all began: the conversations that shaped the Inspiring Women in Hospitalitypodcast, the small roundtables that sparked bigger ideas, and how it grew into a worldwide network of women supporting each other.It’s a story of growth, connection, and the belief that together, we can change the face of leadership in our industry.Check out the website for more details: https://www.inspiringwomeninhospitality.com/

On 7 November 2025, we’ll be gathering in Londonfor the inaugural Inspire Influence Live — a fully immersive one-day workshop designed to equip women in hospitality with the skills, confidence, and influence to make a real impact.With guidance from an incredible advisory board and inspiring facilitators, this closed-door event will give you the chance to:⛰️ Build and pitch a business case with live feedback⛰️ Practise self-advocacy through role-play in a safe space ⛰️ Connect across generations, roles, and companies ⛰️ Be mentored by influential leaders in our industrySeats are limited to keep it intimate and impactful — secure your spot today!🌍 And if this goes well, we’ll be bringing it to more cities in 2026.👉Learn more & book your place: https://www.inspiringwomeninhospitality.com/events

On this episode we hear from Iana. Having started her career in education, she then decided to transition to becoming an entrepreneur and training soft skills and English language skills in hospitality based out of Cambodia through herdigital learning start-up LX Labs. She really believes that it is through training that you can have an impact on someone's career. She is on a mission to multiply this impact by making it accessible through all.You can contact her via LI or email for discovery calls about LX Labs or for women who want to start their own business. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iana-galai/Email: [email protected] Her inspiration are the young generation, the energy they bring, willing to grow and how fast they learn.

Guest: Sucheta RawalOn this episode we hear from Sucheta. A multi-passionate in food and travel. She is a writer, founder of a non-profit to travel sustainably and a speaker. But she started her career more traditionally as an investment banker in the US,before she transitioned into what she loves doing today. It was a journey of discovery and identifying the values of her life and leaning fully into them. It was when she was sharing about her inspiration, her grandmother, was whenshe was exposed to travel and how they can be 'windows to the world'. Sign up to Sucheta's substack here: https://suchetarawal.substack.com/p/the-pr-relationship-rollercoaster Connect with heron LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suchetarawal/ Her inspiration is her grandmother.