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Ikigai with Jennifer ShinkaiAuthor: Jennifer Shinkai
Youve probably heard of the Japanese concept of Ikigai but are wondering how you can successfully apply it to your life. How do you start living a life of purpose, jumping out of bed, excited to face the day? Join the Tokyo based, British born facilitator and coach, Jennifer Shinkai and her guests to hear real-life stories of how regular people found and integrated their ikigai. Be inspired by how they took their first steps and how their lives have changed. Still dont know what you want to be when you grow up? Looking for practical tips to find your ikigai? Then this show is for you. Language: en Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Awakening Your Ikigai: Unveiling Strengths with Hendrik Kwee
Episode 3
Thursday, 18 December, 2025
In this episode of Ikigai with Jennifer Shinkai, I welcome Hendrik, a friend and professional contact since 2019, to discuss talents and strengths. We reconnect after several years and reflect on how their collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic was crucial for Jennifer's business survival. Hendrik shares his experience working at Manulife Japan, emphasizing the importance of cultural diversity and the positive energy at the Indonesian Pavilion Expo. We delve into Hendrik's journey to Japan, his struggles and learnings in a different culture, and his newfound passion for Gallup’s CliftonStrengths assessment. Hendrik highlights the importance of knowing one’s talents and leveraging them to live a fulfilled life, aligning this with the concept of Ikigai. We also discuss the potential pitfalls of overusing strengths and the paradigm shift required in corporate environments to focus on strengths rather than weaknesses. If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. In this episode you’ll hear:How Hendrik discovered his passion and Ikigai through the CliftonStrengths assessment, including his journey from Indonesia to Japan and his unique experiences in the Japanese workplaceThe importance of focusing on strengths rather than weaknesses, and how a strengths-based approach differs from trying to fix weaknessesHow leveraging individual strengths can boost workplace morale, enhance engagement, and improve overall quality of lifePractical steps to uncover and use your hidden talents in daily lifeThe crucial role that connections and community play in achieving professional success and finding purposeThings mentioned in the episode:CliftonStrengths: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/253676/how-cliftonstrengths-works.aspx32 CliftonStrengths team synergy sessions, 498 people over the last 2 years (Jan 2024 – Dec 2025)About Hendrik:Hendrik joined Manulife in January 2023 as Global Learning Partner, reporting into Asia Learning Lead and rolled up to Katherine MacNaughton`s organization. While sitting in the global team, Hendrik`s role is to build a learning culture in the Japan market. Hendrik ensures Japan programs are aligned with Manulife strategies & priorities while meeting the Japan market needs. Prior to joining Manulife, Hendrik had similar roles and responsibilities in companies such as Philip Morris International and Bridgestone. Hendrik also performed an APAC regional role during his time in Bridgestone where he led regional talent management related projects covering 11 countries working in the Regional HQ of Bridgestone in Singapore. Hendrik`s background is in talent management and development areas. Hendrik was awarded an MBA from Murdoch University in Singapore in 2018 and graduated with a Bachelor of Business from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia.Outside of work, Hendrik is a father of 2 daughters.Connect with Hendrik:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-kwee-2512474b/Contact: https://www.gallup.com/learning/certification/en/10644108/profile.aspxConnect with Jennifer:Linked In:
