Malaysians are investing more than ever, but many are doing so in a market flooded with hype, social media tips, and unverified “gurus.” The result? Emotional decision-making, rising losses, and growing distrust among retail investors.



We speak with Warren Mak, CEO and Co-Founder of Ted Optimus, about why so many Malaysians struggle to invest sustainably, and how his platform aims to help investors slow down, think rationally, and separate real opportunities from costly noise.



He shares how his experience in investor education led him to build Trade Wizard, a platform that combines AI-powered stock insights with practical financial education, designed specifically for local retail traders.



From scam culture and Telegram tips to building discipline, trust, and long-term investing habits, we take a candid look at what smarter investing in Malaysia could, and should look like.



Image credit: Shutterstock

Malaysians are investing more than ever, but many are doing so in a market flooded with hype, social media tips, and unverified “gurus.” The result? Emotional decision-making, rising losses, and growing distrust among retail investors.We speak with Warren Mak, CEO and Co-Founder of Ted Optimus, about why so many Malaysians struggle to invest sustainably, and how his platform aims to help investors slow down, think rationally, and separate real opportunities from costly noise.He shares how his experience in investor education led him to build Trade Wizard, a platform that combines AI-powered stock insights with practical financial education, designed specifically for local retail traders.From scam culture and Telegram tips to building discipline, trust, and long-term investing habits, we take a candid look at what smarter investing in Malaysia could, and should look like.Image credit: Shutterstock

The flagship entrepreneurship show on BFM, featuring personal business stories from early stage start-ups, all the way to billionaire octogenarians in Malaysia and abroad. Notable guests include Martin Cooper (father of the mobile phone), Julian Assange (founder of WikiLeaks), Ralph Henry Baer (father of video games), Tony Buzan (Mindmap Guru), Isaac Tigrett (Hard Rock Cafe founder), Robert Kiyosaki (Financial Guru), Nick Vujicic (motivational speaker) and more. Tap into this valuable resource of shared experiences for the SME industry, which also touches on news, issues and trends affecting the business community and beyond.

Open For Business

Discover fresh concepts, tackle obstacles, and unleash growth - Open For Business is the dynamic show where BFM engages with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and industry trailblazers, igniting inspiration, sparking success, and exploring new business models.

Can Ted Optimus Fix Retail Investing?

Perimenopause is rarely discussed in boardrooms, yet it causes 1 in 4 women to consider leaving the workforce — often at the absolute peak of their careers and earning potential.



Joanne Ho knows this firsthand. After successfully building Malaysia’s first retail cupcake chain - Cupcake Chic, and scaling an online flower delivery business - Happy Bunch, Joanne found herself stepping away from her work. She assumed she was dealing with severe executive burnout. In reality, she was experiencing perimenopause.



Realising that millions of women lack the language, awareness, and access to personalised hormonal care, she launched Menopause Asia in October 2025. The bootstrapped digital health platform connects midlife women directly with licensed doctors for hormone therapy, metabolic health programmes, and lifestyle support.



Joanne shares the emotional and strategic journey of building a health-tech startup, plus the steep learning curve of entering a regulated medical space, and why supporting women through midlife is not just a healthcare issue, but a critical corporate retention strategy.

Perimenopause is rarely discussed in boardrooms, yet it causes 1 in 4 women to consider leaving the workforce — often at the absolute peak of their careers and earning potential.Joanne Ho knows this firsthand. After successfully building Malaysia’s first retail cupcake chain - Cupcake Chic, and scaling an online flower delivery business - Happy Bunch, Joanne found herself stepping away from her work. She assumed she was dealing with severe executive burnout. In reality, she was experiencing perimenopause.Realising that millions of women lack the language, awareness, and access to personalised hormonal care, she launched Menopause Asia in October 2025. The bootstrapped digital health platform connects midlife women directly with licensed doctors for hormone therapy, metabolic health programmes, and lifestyle support.Joanne shares the emotional and strategic journey of building a health-tech startup, plus the steep learning curve of entering a regulated medical space, and why supporting women through midlife is not just a healthcare issue, but a critical corporate retention strategy.

Menopause Asia: No, It’s Not Just Burnout

For decades, Mum’s Place was an institutional dining destination in Petaling Jaya, famous for its comforting, Peranakan-influenced Malaysian dishes. When the original founders, Christopher De Mello and Jennifer Tee, retired and closed the restaurant in December 2021, it left a massive hole in the local culinary scene.



But in January 2026, niece and nephew duo Nureen and Zareef Thajudeen, stepped up to resurrect the beloved brand. But instead of trying to replicate the massive scale of the original restaurant — which spanned 5 shop lots and employed 16 cooks — the new generation has completely scaled down, operating at a quarter of the original capacity and shrinking the menu from 120 dishes down to just 30.



Zareef and Nureen join us in the studio to discuss the immense pressure of cooking for a deeply nostalgic customer base. We also dissect the decision to shrink operations to maintain quality, the unit economics of a bootstrapped family revival, and the operational paradox of trying to scale "home-cooked meals" through a future central kitchen.

For decades, Mum’s Place was an institutional dining destination in Petaling Jaya, famous for its comforting, Peranakan-influenced Malaysian dishes. When the original founders, Christopher De Mello and Jennifer Tee, retired and closed the restaurant in December 2021, it left a massive hole in the local culinary scene.But in January 2026, niece and nephew duo Nureen and Zareef Thajudeen, stepped up to resurrect the beloved brand. But instead of trying to replicate the massive scale of the original restaurant — which spanned 5 shop lots and employed 16 cooks — the new generation has completely scaled down, operating at a quarter of the original capacity and shrinking the menu from 120 dishes down to just 30.Zareef and Nureen join us in the studio to discuss the immense pressure of cooking for a deeply nostalgic customer base. We also dissect the decision to shrink operations to maintain quality, the unit economics of a bootstrapped family revival, and the operational paradox of trying to scale "home-cooked meals" through a future central kitchen.

Inside the Revival of Mum’s Place

The local Malaysian beauty industry is dominated by aggressive marketing, promising consumers "flawless skin in 3 days" and chasing the latest viral TikTok trends. 



But when Sarah Shah Nor suffered from severe postpartum eczema, she realized those harsh, trend-chasing products were exactly what sensitive skin couldn't handle.



Leaving behind her background in the fashion industry, Sarah founded Cuura—a beauty and wellness brand built on gentle, effective, and innovative skincare designed specifically for busy working mothers. Today, Cuura has scaled into a 7-figure, highly profitable, and 100% bootstrapped business that includes both physical retail stores and the Cuura Skin Spa.



Sarah talks to us about the operational reality of building a beauty brand from scratch, the financial discipline required to bootstrap a physical retail and spa business, and the deeply emotional, often lonely "messy middle" of trying to scale an empire while navigating motherhood.

The local Malaysian beauty industry is dominated by aggressive marketing, promising consumers "flawless skin in 3 days" and chasing the latest viral TikTok trends. But when Sarah Shah Nor suffered from severe postpartum eczema, she realized those harsh, trend-chasing products were exactly what sensitive skin couldn't handle.Leaving behind her background in the fashion industry, Sarah founded Cuura—a beauty and wellness brand built on gentle, effective, and innovative skincare designed specifically for busy working mothers. Today, Cuura has scaled into a 7-figure, highly profitable, and 100% bootstrapped business that includes both physical retail stores and the Cuura Skin Spa.Sarah talks to us about the operational reality of building a beauty brand from scratch, the financial discipline required to bootstrap a physical retail and spa business, and the deeply emotional, often lonely "messy middle" of trying to scale an empire while navigating motherhood.

Can Ted Optimus Fix Retail Investing?

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