2025 has been an exhilarating year. I knew I’d leave my job, but didn’t know what was next. I’d imagined getting another corporate job, but my life is full of plot twists — as always.
DZY 丁志勇工作室 was launched on 25.7.25. The DZY Show shot up to #1 on Apple Podcasts in Singapore within 36 hours, while DZY LIVE garners about 100,000 likes on TikTok from 9.30PM every Wednesday.
I’m sincerely grateful that you’d allowed me to enter your life back then and that you’ve remembered me all this while, so I’ve prepared a new year gift.
2026 無憂自在
Junle was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. He practises writing daily by transcribing The Heart Sutra and this led to an unexpected creation of the simple and unique JunLe Font.
I’ve purchased the 2026 calendar, which Junle and his parents put together, and I can’t wait to share these with you.
Terms and conditions
Everyone can participate in this giveaway, whether you’re residing in Singapore, Malaysia or anywhere else in the world. Please submit one entry per person. We won’t be doing any detective work; this is based on trust.
All entries will be assigned a number and 15 winners will be chosen at random by a number generator. We won’t be hiring any external auditors to witness the draw; this is based on trust.
The giveaway will close at 11.59PM on 1 Dec 2025. The full list of winners will be published on this site by 8 Dec 2025.
We’ll be sending the calendars via an untracked mail service, so we cannot guarantee that you’ll receive the package. Because of limited stock, we’re not be able to guarantee that we’ll provide a substitute item in the event that you do not receive the package. You agree that you’ll not sue us for compensation or bitch about us on social media.
Date privacy
We take data privacy very seriously.
We may reproduce your answers on The DZY Show, DZY LIVE or certain social media platforms, and by taking part in this giveaway, you agree that we’re allowed to do so.
We’ll reach out for your mailing address only if you’re a winner, and we’ll delete all records by 28 Feb 2026.
We’ll not share your data with anyone else (except of course, the organisation in charge of the mailing.)
Do drop us an email at hello@dzy.sg if you have any questions.
I was drafting the communications plan for the launch on 25.7.25, when I panicked slightly as I realised that I needed a profile picture.
Oh no. I’m so fat now. How?!
Ten years away from the limelight, I wasn’t the least perturbed when people commented on my weight gain again and again. “Well, I’m not in the public eye now, so it’s fine. And you really shouldn’t be so obsessed with me.” Age is a factor, but the main cause is really binge drinking.
“Bob, helppppppp! I’m so fat now. I need a profile picture. Can you help me please? Shoot from a higher angle? Use lighting, create shadows and conceal as much baggage as possible? Just minor edits, because people can tell…”
He laughed very hard and agreed to help as much as he could.
Hours before the shoot, I rushed to a cosmetics counter. I haven’t owned makeup or applied makeup on my own for 10 years. Apparently, the products I was familiar with had been phased out years ago. LOL. I had the store assistant help me pick a suitable compact powder and bronzer, plus a new brush, and off I went to take photos. (I might have consumed a curry puff on the way there.)
Jane, Bob’s assistant, commented that he hadn’t taken photographs in a while.
“Oh? Who was the last person you shot?”
The answer – a former prime minister of Singapore in April.
Now you know what I mean when I say he’s a renowned photographer.
I’m truly pleased with this portrait. Slight edits, but still authentic and not flawless. It totally fits the message that this person is back after a decade-long hiatus and perfectly complements the quote in the media release.
“Radio shaped who I am, but podcasting could very well let me be who I’ve become – wiser, with a few more battle scars, and certainly a lot more to say.”
This isn’t just a thank you note to Bob and Jane.
If you aren’t comfortable with photoshoots, do articulate your concerns to your photographer. Let them understand your concerns — is it a double chin you wish to hide, or crooked and yellowish teeth you don’t wish to show? Tell them the attributes which you’re proud of and wish to accentuate, or let them know that you’re uncomfortable or unconfident with certain poses or angles.
Also, please don’t make unrealistic requests – e.g. you’re 70 and you want ALL wrinkles removed, or if you’re 120 kg and you want a sharp chin. Just like how I didn’t ask them to make me look like I’m 30 years old.
I really appreciate this photoshoot with Bob. I hope you’ll enjoy good rapport and take great photos with your photographer.
Alternatively, don’t waste time and just look forBoblah.
And deeply appreciative of the support. THANK YOU!
Within a day, The DZY Show became the #3 show in Singapore on Apple Podcasts. A day later, it ranked #1.
#1.
WOAH.
In the last few weeks, I was preoccupied with the start-up operations. It’d take a fair bit of time to build the base. I was in an experimental phase and I didn’t give myself any targets. I’ll just do, observe and improvise. Never mind if there’re only 20 listeners in the beginning.
And then, we (meaning YOU and I) became #1 in Singapore on Apple Podcasts.
WHUT?!?!??!?!??!?!?
As someone who’s been around for a while, I can tell you that the stats for the pilot would be considered an anomaly and wouldn’t be a credible indicator for future episodes. On 25.7.25, I had media publicity (thank you Lianhe Zaobao and vibes by 8world). There’s the novelty factor of me speaking into a microphone after a decade and there’s that congratulatory clip by folks I’d known for 23 years — Energy.
There’ll surely be an ebb and flow for future episodes. The DZY Show will probably drop out of the top 10 soon. But it’s fine, cos I’m not doing this for vanity or chart rankings.
Thank you very much for your overwhelming outpour of support and kind messages via various channels. It has been a splendid start and my heart is full.
I started a blog on Xanga in 2004, before moving to Blogspot and then WordPress. By the following year, I’d registered my own domain and I had plenty of fun blogging in English and engaging folks online, alongside my primary role as a Mandarin radio presenter on Singapore’s #1 radio station. As social platforms emerged, many didn’t have the appetite to read blogs anymore, so my site sank into oblivion.
It sure feels very nostalgic to register a domain again, to roll out a new site again, to draft a blog post again and to create content again. I’m also excited to use Pro Tools again — it took a while, but all those production tips and hacks just came back to me.
It’s been a decade
I left Radio in November 2015. No matter which industry I joined, no matter what title I had on my name card and no matter whether it was an informal occasion or a high-stakes huddle in a board room, people would go, “You ARE a 933 DJ.”
I would instantly respond, “No I’m not. I am Head of <corporate communications/ corporate marketing/ brand/ content/ client experience/ CSR/ events> at <company>. I might even hold up the security pass dangling on my neck.
They wouldn’t budge, “YES! You ARE a 933 DJ.”
“Ok, ok. I was. WAS. And by the way, I WAS an award-winning 933 DJ. Thanks.” Hahaha. This has gone on for ten years.
I left my last corporate role on 20 May 2025 (but that’s not to say I’d never return to being a white-collar executive). I’d quit without a job and planned to take a few weeks off to reset, recharge and think about what I’d do for the next chapter. If you’ve been following my Instagram, you’d have seen that I spent a full week in Bangkok, followed by 18 days in Australia. It was truly awesome.
Several incidents occured one after another in a fast and furious fashion. It was as if the Universe was telling me to take those signs seriously, start on this new project and forget about taking a long break.
Singapore’s newest content and communications consultancy
DZY is a new venture to leverage what I’ve learnt in media and communications the last 30 years. I’m not that old— it’s just that I started really early. In Mandarin, it’s 丁志勇工作室 — simple and straight to the point, cos life’s too short to be pretentious.
Just in case, anyone is overwhelmed by this announcement and fail to understand what DZY stands for, it’s my name in hanyu pinyin — Ding Zhiyong. Ten years in corporate, I realised more people have heard of Ding Zhiyong, rather than Cruz Teng. LOL.
I. Content
This site was launched at 7:25:25AM on 25.7.25. It’s FRIDAY! The DZY Show, Singapore’s newest podcast, is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other platforms.
Yes, I checked the almanac. It’s an auspicious day and timeslot to start operations i.e. 「開市」. Yes, the five digits add up to 21 — something one would love to have when playing blackjack. And nope, there isn’t a Chinese title for the podcast, cos I’m sure my base (i.e. affluent Singaporeans aged 30 and above, and based in Singapore) is bilingual and can handle this.
I’m resuming most of what I used to do – content creation, events hosting, panel moderation, voiceovers, etc. People who’d seen me host global town halls and corporate events in the last few years can prove that my hosting skills hasn’t turned rusty. Let me know if anyone needs their testimonials.
However, I really, really need to lose weight, so until then, I won’t be putting out too many videos. The DZY Show will be in an audio-only format until the team thinks I can appear on video. The podcast themes will range from entertainment to local trends, current affairs, and so on. Years of reading and watching commentaries on US and Taiwan politics have turned me into an armchair critic, but I doubt that’s what you’re really interested in. Those who grew up (or grew old) listening to me on Radio would know that I’ve never been an expert in a particular field — unless you consider sarcasm as a niche.
II. Communications
I’ll also be providing advisory services for business leaders who wish to build influence and confidence, and better manage their corporate and executive reputation. Whether it’s bespoke public speaking and media training, or a review of corporate communications strategies and crisis management plans, I hope to provide sound advice, based on what I’d learnt and experienced in the last decade in banking, insurance, automotive and land transport.
The big boys would have established teams and agencies supporting this, so I’ll be speaking to, and providing preferential pricing for, SME owners and start-up founders like me, who intend to make a difference.
Hello again, world. It’s Ding Zhiyong. And it’s time to reconnect.
SINGAPORE, 25 July 2025 — Ten years after signing off from his last radio show, former award-winning radio personality and station head Cruz Teng makes a highly anticipated return. He resumes the role of a bilingual host for digital content and ‘live’ events, and launches his own content and communications consultancy DZY.
The DZY Show is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and major streaming platforms. With new episodes weekly, the podcast features entertainment commentary, behind-the-scenes stories, news analysis and reflections from his career in media and the corporate world. The show will mirror the tone of his former morning broadcast — light-hearted yet thought-provoking and with substance beneath the humour.
In the debut episode titled: “10 Years Away from Radio: What Has Cruz Teng Been Up To?”, Cruz shares how he once oversaw a seven-figure brand and communications budget and had to provide regular management updates. He had his team prepare a monthly “show-off slide”, highlighting key performance metrics such as brand awareness, public sentiments and share of voice. He encourages listeners to do the same — to regularly track and showcase their own progress, not just for external validation, but to recognise their own achievements and invest time and resources in areas that really matter.
Charting a new course
DZY, representing Cruz’s Chinese name in hanyu pinyin, Ding Zhiyong, is the culmination of his three-decade journey in media and communications. He said, “Most people seem to know me by my Chinese name. I’d introduce myself as Cruz, and months later someone would suddenly go, ‘Wait, you’re Ding Zhiyong? Why didn’t you say so earlier?’”
The consultancy will provide strategic and tailored counsel for C-suite and emerging leaders to help them navigate public speaking engagements, media interviews and crisis communications with greater clarity and confidence. In its early phase, DZY will focus on supporting small and medium enterprises and startups, along with their leadership teams.
Having started his career behind a microphone, Cruz believes deeply in the power of voice and the art of telling a good story. “Whether you’re a shy executive, an overwhelmed spokesperson or someone with an incredible story yet to be told, DZY can be your starting point,” he said.
Coming full circle with deeper purpose
From 1996 to 2015, Cruz was one of the most recognisable voices in Singapore, producing and anchoring iconic radio broadcasts and a television talk show. A four-time recipient of the Most Popular Radio Personality award, he was appointed station head in 2013 and delivered higher year-on-year core audience ratings and advertising revenue.
After successfully chairing the Singapore Hit Awards and the Global Chinese Music Awards, Cruz transitioned into senior communications roles in the banking, insurance, automotive and land transport sectors. During this time, he helped companies craft powerful stories, raise awareness and enhance corporate reputation. He also serves as a board member of Singapore-listed NoonTalk Media Limited, having been appointed in 2022.
Cruz said, “It has been a privilege to work behind the scenes and support numerous CEOs, whom I deeply admire and respect. Being in the trenches shaping strategy and managing outcomes has been very fruitful and memorable. However, the desire to connect with the masses hasn’t diminished. Radio shaped who I am, but podcasting could very well let me be who I have become – wiser, with a few more battle scars and certainly a lot more to say.”
