The Female Founded Series

The New Era of Female Foundership with Charis Ow and Nurin Afiqah | The Female Founded Series

A full circle moment for The Female Founded Series. What started as a podcast back in 2022 with Audio+ has now taken the stage — LIVE at KL Podfest 2025. In this special episode, Yasmin Shahira hosts the very first live recording of The Female Founded Series, joined by two incredible women founders: Charis Ow, founder of Niko & Clare and sleep optimisation advocate, and Nurin Afiqah, founder of Nada Identity, a modest activewear brand that champions authenticity and community. Together, they dive into The New Era of Female Foundership, an unfiltered conversation on building brands, creating content, navigating motherhood, and managing burnout while redefining what success means for women today. It’s real, it’s honest, and it’s here to remind every woman that your dreams are worth chasing. Tune in and be inspired to keep going, keep creating, and keep building your own version of success! Episode Highlights * Yasmin celebrates a full-circle moment — from starting the podcast in 2022 with Audio+ to hosting her first-ever LIVE podcast at KL Podfest. * Charis Ow shares how content creation shaped her journey from creator to founder of Niko & Clare. * Nurin Afiqah talks about building Nada Identity through community and authenticity. * Honest conversations on burnout, balance, and what it really means to “do it all.” * Redefining success as a modern founder — from hustle to harmony. * A heartfelt reminder to all women founders: keep going, keep dreaming, and keep building. Links: * https://www.instagram.com/charisow [https://www.instagram.com/charisow] * https://www.instagram.com/nurinafiqaaah/ [https://www.instagram.com/nurinafiqaaah/] Follow Us * Yasmin Shahira: @yasminshahira [https://www.instagram.com/yasminshahira/] * The Female Founded Series: @femalefoundedseries [https://www.instagram.com/femalefoundedseries/] * The Female Founder Academy: @thefemalefounderacademy [https://www.instagram.com/thefemalefounderacademy/] * www.thefemalefounderacademy.com * Audio+: @myaudioplus [https://www.instagram.com/myaudioplus/] Let us know if you enjoy this episode by dropping a comment here or tagging us on our social media!

From Corporate Girlie to Wellness Founder: How a Sabbatical Sparked Ashley Suelyn’s Leap Into Wellness Omakase | The Female Founded Series

In this episode of The Female Founded Series, I sit down once again with Ashley Suelyn, founder of Wellness Omakase. Ashley was one of the very first guests back in Season 1, and she’s back to share her incredible journey from corporate life to taking a sabbatical that sparked the birth of her wellness brand. We dive into what it really means to build a trusted wellness provider and recovery partner, how she curates retreats that go beyond the usual wellness experience, and the lessons she carried from corporate into entrepreneurship. Ashley also opens up about redefining wellness as a lifestyle essential, avoiding burnout as a founder, and her vision for the future of Wellness Omakase. If you’ve ever thought about leaving corporate for a purpose-driven path, or simply want to rethink what wellness truly means, this conversation is for you. Episode Highlights * Ashley shares her journey from corporate girlie to taking a bold sabbatical that sparked the birth of Wellness Omakase. * How Wellness Omakase became a trusted wellness provider and recovery partner, curating transformative wellness retreats.  * Redefining wellness as a lifestyle essential — not a luxury — and the practices Ashley personally swears by. * The biggest lessons Ashley carried from corporate life into entrepreneurship, and how she avoids burnout while holding space for others. * Ashley’s advice for women ready to pivot from corporate to purpose-driven business, and her vision for the future of Wellness Omakase. Links: * https://www.instagram.com/ashleysuelyn/ [https://www.instagram.com/ashleysuelyn/] * https://www.instagram.com/wellnessomakase/ [https://www.instagram.com/wellnessomakase/] * https://wellnessomakase.com/ [https://wellnessomakase.com/] Follow Us * Yasmin Shahira: @yasminshahira [https://www.instagram.com/yasminshahira/] * The Female Founded Series: @femalefoundedseries [https://www.instagram.com/femalefoundedseries/] * The Female Founder Academy: @thefemalefounderacademy [https://www.instagram.com/thefemalefounderacademy/] * www.thefemalefounderacademy.com * Audio+: @myaudioplus [https://www.instagram.com/myaudioplus/] Let us know if you enjoy this episode by dropping a comment here or tagging us on our social media!

From Purpose to Product: How Bella Created A Fitness Lifestyle Brand For Women Who Do It | The Female Founded Series

In this episode of The Female Founded Series, Yasmin sits down with Bella, founder of FIT.CO, a Malaysian fitness lifestyle brand designed for women who juggle it all — motherhood, business, and everything in between. Bella shares how she turned her passion for fitness into a community-driven movement. We talk about the behind-the-scenes of product development, staying true to values while scaling, navigating entrepreneurship as a mom, and what it really means to “do it all”, without losing yourself in the process. If you're building something meaningful while managing real life, this one’s for you. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS * How Bella turned her lifelong passion for fitness into a purpose-led brand * The behind-the-scenes journey of building FIT.CO — from product testing to community building * Balancing business, motherhood, and content creation in real life * Redefining fitness, sustainability, and what it means to “do it all” as a modern woman * Honest advice for women starting messy, dreaming big, and staying true to their vision Links: * https://www.instagram.com/bellamobijohn/ [https://www.instagram.com/bellamobijohn/] * https://www.instagram.com/fit.co_my/ [https://www.instagram.com/fit.co_my/] * https://fitdotco.com/ [https://fitdotco.com/] Follow Us * Yasmin Shahira: @yasminshahira [https://www.instagram.com/yasminshahira/] * The Female Founded Series: @femalefoundedseries [https://www.instagram.com/femalefoundedseries/] * The Female Founder Academy: @thefemalefounderacademy [https://www.instagram.com/thefemalefounderacademy/] * www.thefemalefounderacademy.com * Audio+: @myaudioplus [https://www.instagram.com/myaudioplus/] Let us know if you enjoy this episode by dropping a comment here or tagging us on our social media!

The Power of Community: How Sofea Mastan Builds Safe Spaces for Moms & Brands | The Female Founded Series

In this episode of The Female Founded Series, I’m joined by Sofea Mastan, founder of Grow & Glow Mama and Grow & Glow Group. What started as a simple mom group chat turned into a powerful, values-driven community and later evolved into a PR agency helping brands build real, emotional connections. We dive into her founder journey, the behind-the-scenes of building a loyal community, and how she’s helping brands show up with purpose and presence, all while navigating life as a mother and entrepreneur. If you’re building a brand, a community, or simply trying to do both with heart, this one’s for you. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS * How Sofea turned a personal struggle in motherhood into a thriving community. * The moment Grow & Glow Mama became more than “just a support group.” * What it really takes to build a loyal, heart-led online community. * Why emotional connection is the future of community and brand building. * How Sofea helps brands shift from visibility to real impact. * Her honest take on balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship. Links: * https://www.instagram.com/sofeamastan [https://www.instagram.com/sofeamastan] * https://www.instagram.com/growandglowmama/ [https://www.instagram.com/growandglowmama/] * https://www.instagram.com/growandglowgroup/ [https://www.instagram.com/growandglowgroup/] Follow Us * Yasmin Shahira: @yasminshahira [https://www.instagram.com/yasminshahira/] * The Female Founded Series: @femalefoundedseries [https://www.instagram.com/femalefoundedseries/] * The Female Founder Academy: @thefemalefounderacademy [https://www.instagram.com/thefemalefounderacademy/] * www.thefemalefounderacademy.com * Audio+: @myaudioplus [https://www.instagram.com/myaudioplus/] Let us know if you enjoy this episode by dropping a comment here or tagging us on our social media!

Building Applecrumby: How Jesmine Tan Turned a Mother’s Concern Into a Household Brand | The Female Founded Series

In this episode, Jesmine shares how she co-founded Applecrumby with her husband, scaled it into a trusted name in baby care, and navigated the realities of being a COO, mom, and entrepreneur in a saturated market. From startup challenges to personal sacrifices, this is the story of building a brand that puts parents — and their babies — first. HIGHLIGHTS: * How a mother’s need for safe baby products led to the birth of Applecrumby * Building a household brand in a highly saturated baby care market * What it’s like co-founding and running a business with her husband * Jesmine’s behind-the-scenes role as COO in scaling the brand * The toughest lessons she’s learned as a woman in business and motherhood Links: * https://www.instagram.com/applecrumby.official [https://www.instagram.com/applecrumby.official] * https://applecrumby.com/ [https://applecrumby.com/] Follow Us * Yasmin Shahira: @yasminshahira [https://www.instagram.com/yasminshahira/] * The Female Founded Series: @femalefoundedseries [https://www.instagram.com/femalefoundedseries/] * The Female Founder Academy: @thefemalefounderacademy [https://www.instagram.com/thefemalefounderacademy/] * www.thefemalefounderacademy.com * Audio+: @myaudioplus [https://www.instagram.com/myaudioplus/] Let us know if you enjoy this episode by dropping a comment here or tagging us on our social media!