E41: Simone Heng - Let's talk about loneliness with Human Connection Expert

Simone Heng is a human connection expert, entrepreneur, and international keynote speaker who has helped thousands of people connect in a world thirsty for connection. From her experiences growing up between Australia, Switzerland, Dubai, and Singapore to becoming an international broadcaster and respected keynote speaker working with Fortune 500 organizations, Simone has profound insights on loneliness, which are laid out in her new book "Let's Talk About Loneliness". In this episode, we dive deep into loneliness, addictions, modern dating dilemmas, attachment styles, creativity, entrepreneurial isolation, and why today's constant digital connection can't replace real human belonging. Simone also opens up about childhood trauma, healing work, and learning to embrace vulnerability rather than people-pleasing perfectionism. If you want to gain an edge by becoming smarter about emotions and relationships, Simone is a gem! Let her upgrade your mind, heart, and life! Key topics: [00:00:00] Meet Simone Heng [00:03:11] What loneliness really is - the gap between the connections you need and have [00:07:33] How the lack of caregiver connection wires you to distrust humans [00:11:12] Watching my dad die showed me there's something greater [00:15:43] The genius parenting tactic behind mostly criticism, little praise [00:26:54] Love is small positive moments, not an everlasting phase [00:37:29] Cities make commitments hard - I bond better with rural folk [00:49:31] My carefree year in Switzerland - played the game perfectly before dad's death [00:59:04] Hold and listen to your past self to heal old wounds [01:04:43] The tragedy of following "be strong" advice rather than grieving [01:15:58] Phones: Have boundaries, keep them out of the bedroom [01:19:31] Attachment style affects who you attract and how you act [01:28:21] Open minds can't fully close again - the curse of awareness [01:37:29] Quality people aren't on apps - but we're all addicted somewhat [01:53:43] Speaking is creative - when it gets stale, pull back and refresh [01:58:21] Have faith that the right person exists for you too Sponsor: We are proud to partner with Coinsilium, a focused Web3 investor and venture builder supporting innovative startups building a decentralized future. Coinsilium provides vital funding and expert advice to Web3 and AI-powered early-stage technology companies. Coinsilium also provides strategic advisory services to projects looking to issue tokens. With deep expertise across crypto, DeFi, and Web3, Coinsilium helps accelerate ambitious Web3 startups to the next level. Learn more at https://www.coinsilium.com Follow Simone: Website: https://simoneheng.com/ Youtube: @SimoneHengSpeaking Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simoneheng/?hl=en Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simone-heng-speaker/?originalSubdomain=sg Follow When Shift Happens: Website: https://www.when-shift-happens.co/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinffollonier/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinfollonier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinfollonier/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/yieldlabs