264 - John Lin, TL, BM: BRICS Series, BORG Consulting - Osmosis: The Unbroken Self. East-West Bridge Builder

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Episode Title: 🇨🇳Osmosis: The Unbroken Self🇳🇱

We rarely pause to see those caught in between the acceleration of AI and the shifting of Geopolitical lines - the living bridges silently carrying the weight of nations.

Sometimes, a conversation about technology stops being about machines and progress and instead reveals the quiet, very real toll on a human holding 2 worlds together.

This is one of those conversations.

What began as a standard episode recording that quite quickly became something far more profound.

My guest didn’t just speak about digital transformation, the strategic dance of cross-border innovation, and geopolitical manoeuvring, he actually embodied it! The dialogue shifted from mechanics and marvels of tech to something deeply human. I found myself listening not to expertise alone, but to a person who has become a living bridge between nations.

Through this exchange, I witnessed the toll such a role can take, the weight of carrying two flags in an age dominated by AI and relentless digital progress. It made me wonder: how many other unseen bridges walk among us, silently holding worlds together while bearing the unspoken cost of connection?

We often say, “this is a must-listen,” but this episode truly earns it. Beyond what you’ll hear on the mic, there were moments of candour, vulnerability, and rare insight. For that, I’m grateful to my guest, whose honesty turns this discussion into something far more resonant than a technical exploration.

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John Lin is a rare, compelling figure. Someone who walks the fault line between East and West, carrying with him a dual cultural identity (Chinese and Dutch) that few can navigate so seamlessly; building bridges along the way. But that balancing act is never straightforward. In boardrooms and negotiations, the question looms: Which self do I lead with? Which identity wins the deal?

It all started as a clinical exploration of bridging East and West in commerce and innovation, then it quickly changed. What emerged wasn’t just the mechanics of deal-making across hemispheres, but the PERSON who is the bridge. And in that space, the questioning stopped being tactical; it was human.

As mentioned, this is not your standard Heads Talk episode. But in the BRICS & Geopolitics Series, we have to talk about blurred lines and border crossings, not only for trade and diplomacy but for people and minds.

Humans moving across cultures are like osmosis and diffusion in motion, reshaping the space they enter and carrying traces of each place they’ve been.

I relate deeply to John’s journey. I too have felt the weight of expectation, the silent request to perform for approval. But with age, time, stubbornness and a sharper instinct for self-preservation, I’ve learnt to resist.

For every John out there: walk into those less-than-welcoming spaces and deliver your genius - nothing else. That’s the bridge. That’s enough.

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