#AMoT24: Dr. Mark Leong, The Wellness Advocate

During the Lunar New Year period this year, Farmz Asia set a national record for longest lohei yusheng in a numeral formation. There were giveaways, singing, and dancing — a fascinating mix of merriment and audacity, which is the kind of spirit that helps the wellness company stand out from the crowd. Leading Farmz Asia is Dr Mark Leong, PhD, its intrepid CEO and Co-Founder. Dr Mark has spent his life trying to solve health and wellness issues that pervades our society.

He began his business career with a small juicing store, and that has since evolved into a movement in Singapore and Malaysia addressing not only individual well-being but also societal afflictions. His products and services aimed at reversing aging, managing chronic illnesses, and promoting the health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Farmz Asia also provides tailored solutions to aid weight loss through personalised assessments and expert nutritionists. Embarking on a mission to dispel industry myths, Farmz Asia initiated a food revolution in 2016, kickstarting a 23-day juicing detox programme.

Through Farmz Asia, Dr Mark is a huge proponent of biohacking, a concept inspired by human beings who achieved the seemingly impossible by ‘hacking’ their body into performing in extreme conditions.

“There is a gentleman who was able to climb Mount Everest in only his underwear, something not many would believe is doable. His name is Wim Hof,” he says, referring to the famed Dutch extreme athlete. “His story got me very intrigued. How can someone achieve possibilities beyond the limits of the human body?”  

He goes on to explain: “Biohacking is the ability to push our body to peak performance through technology, medication, herbs, and supplements.”

Biohacking has taken Dr Mark far. In the United States, he is celebrated, with Forbes, the New York Times and USA Today having featured him over the past few years. Some publications have named him among the Top 100 Global Healthcare Leaders. 

In doing so, he has become an ambassador for a rethinking in how we approach healthcare and wellness.

He says: “After travelling the world, I see that Western medicine tends to be divided about traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). But over the past five years, I’m glad to see that more people in the West are more open towards the TCM approach.”

While a visionary in the health and wellness scene, Dr Mark also has a fresh approach to business. In our conversations with him, we tried to learn more about the businessman underneath the wellness advocate.

We asked him about the art of persuasion in his field — surely, it must be difficult to pull people out of their health and wellness habits or prejudices. 

He replies firmly: “I don’t believe in the art of persuasion, in telling or convincing someone to do certain things.” 

He continues: “The most powerful thing that I practice in my everyday life, in my business, is knowing my craft. That is important: to know what we’re great at and how we can add value. Secondly, it’s important to know who we’re reaching out to, who we’re serving. If you’re a general practitioner, a surgeon, or specialist, it’s very clear who you’re serving. You don’t need to convince anyone. Depending on their situation, people will come to you for specifics. There is no convincing required if you know who you’re serving.”

Ultimately, the thing that drives Dr Mark is courage. It drives him as an entrepreneur — and as a gentleman.

He elaborates: “Today, a lot of people are afraid of speaking up, to be vulnerable, just to appear strong. As a man, you have to be strong, successful, confident; you have to know it all. We have to know ourselves better than anyone else. We have to be able to confront things that are difficult; we have to be able to have challenging conversations. We live in a crazy world where there are many things that are so wrong, and nobody challenges it for fear of being judged or looking stupid. We need to dare speak up, even when not everybody in the room supports you.”