Lachlan Ma shares his journey from UC Irvine graduate to TikTok talent acquisition partner, exploring how finding his ikigai helped him navigate career choices and balance diverse passions.

• Born in Sydney, Australia to parents from Hong Kong and the Philippines
• Discovered his passion for recruiting after internships in finance, law, and accounting
• Explains the Japanese concept of ikigai - finding purpose at the intersection of passion, skills, market demand, and world needs
• Built TikTok's first engineering team in Australia and helped develop TikTok Shop from its early confidential stage
• Created a monetized K-pop YouTube channel and is launching a tech recruiting channel to share industry insights
• Attributes success to his "might as well do it" mindset that improves productivity and goal achievement
• Advocates for developing a strong online presence as essential for job seekers in today's market
• Balances corporate demands with personal passions through deliberate systems and prioritization

Check out his new YouTube channel "Level Up with Lachlan" launching in March 2025 for insider recruiting tips and career development strategies.

Guest bio:
Graduated from UC Irvine in 2020 (During Covid), first started working as a University Recruiter in Fortune 500 at CVS Health recruiting pharmacists, then became a Talent Acquisition Partner at TikTok specializing in global expansion for engineering teams in Australia, U.S., and Europe. He has built a K-pop news YouTube channel that is monetized and is currently building a tech recruiting channel giving free advice and insights to job seekers from a tech recruiter perspective. On the side, he dances with Passion Project and Espiritu.

• IG: @lachlan.ma / https://www.instagram.com/lachlan.ma/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lachlan-ma/

Links/resources:

• Ikigai by Hector Garcia & Francesc Miralles (book summary)
• The Mindset Mentor Podcast & Rob Dial (podcast - website)
• GRV @Vibe2025 (dance performance - YouTube)
• The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins (book summary)
• Level Up With Lachlan (YouTube channel)

One Thousand Gurus Podcast:
Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world.

www.onethousandgurus.com
Instagram: @OneThousandGurus
TikTok: @onethousandgurus
YouTube: One Thousand Gurus Podcast
Email: onethousandgurus@gmail.com