Kevin Wee: Behind Radical Kindness

“He’s the one who eats dog poop!” “He’s like the Mr Beast of Singapore…” Scrolling through Kevin Wee’s TikTok comments left me perplexed, trying to make sense of the clashing information. The stark contrast in the comments left me wondering if there was a deeper story to the entrepreneur who preaches about kindness and resilience.

In a video I viewed, Kevin Wee, 29, entrepreneur, was standing under the hot sun blindfolded, surrounded by a variety of toys, holding a sign that said, “IF YOU WOULD LIKE CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR YOUR KIDS BUT FIND IT TOUGH, COME TAKE ONE”.

Eager to learn more, I decided to sit down with Kevin to find out more.

Storm before the rainbow

Kevin grew up as the poster child, early on in life, for both academics and sports, accompanied with the strong support from his parents. However, his life took an unexpected turn while he was in junior college.

He shares that the pressure of ‘A’ Levels got to him and his anxiety built up, resulting in a complete mental block for his ‘A’ Level Math paper. He handed up blank sheets of paper for his exam. This caused him to struggle through the rest of his papers and also triggered the start of his depression.

Kevin recalls how he was plunged into darkness. He had pushed his mind to its limits and had fully lost control. Thoughts of death filled his mind, he felt hollow and no longer human. Kevin shares, “To date, it’s the most petrifying feeling I had ever felt.”

In December 2012, Kevin was hospitalised at Mount Elizabeth Hospital. He was eventually discharged, nonetheless, the months that followed weren’t all great. He was on antidepressants and antipsychotic medication.

After three months, Kevin recovered with the help and support of family and friends. In the meantime, he also found a desire to give back, he started volunteering for youth programs and animal welfare. Volunteering also played a huge part in his recovery as it helped him realise that he still had value despite his failure.

But ironically, this sudden high led him to transition into mania. He reached an extreme state of a high where he lost touch with reality and did extreme stuff . On his Instagram, he states, “I was myself still, but possessed.”

During his state of mania, he filmed a four-hour video of himself:

- Burning his ‘A’ Level certificate

- Drinking his pee

- Eating his dog’s faeces

- Dancing in his mom’s nightgown

- Cooking a frog in Bedok Reservoir

Feeling lost and lacking in direction, Kevin found hope in caring and wise mentors. Kevin shared, “I felt very validated and empowered, I would not be where I am today.” They recognised his potential and taught him foundations in entrepreneurship. Most importantly, they taught him to be “human”. At last, he came out of his mania and life got better.

Sparking Resilience

Thereafter, through discretionary admission, Kevin made it into Nanyang Technological University’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information.

In November 2018, Kevin and his group mates started Rebound with Resilience as their final year project. This campaign was started with the aim to improve the resilience and mental health of students.

The campaign was well-received and Kevin eventually embarked on his entrepreneurial journey alone. Kevin added, “I can take feedback but not instructions, I didn’t want to be in the position where I got sick of listening.” Hence, Kevin took a leap of faith and transformed the campaign into a social enterprise in April 2019.

Overall, the programme hopes to create inspiration and spark a change in personal development. Additionally, Kevin also uses this opportunity to encourage students to check out his social media account, Radical Kindness.

Radical Beginning

Radical Kindness is Kevin’s social media account which currently has more than 28,700 followers and 350,000 likes on TikTok.

Kevin created this account in November 2023 after a heartbreak. He shared on Instagram, “Instead of closing my heart to love, I will love and give x10 more than I ever had.” He added, “I started Radical Kindness because of pain, and I need an outlet. I always had a dream to want to start a media company that gives back.”

Random acts of kindness are Kevin’s specialty. His content usually features him offering unique kinds of support: from giving away $10,000 to lending a listening ear while blindfolded.

“I don’t want to put a weight to kindness, every act in itself is valuable and worthy.” Kevin shared that every moment in Radical Kindness is equally as impactful. He emphasises, “I am grateful for every interaction, whether it’s an auntie smiling when I give her $5 or when an auntie and uncle hug me for giving them $50,000.”

Looking Ahead

Kevin’s story is a testament to the power of resilience. He said, “I will not change anything, these experiences have shaped me, I had to learn it the hard way.”

However, Kevin’s journey is not over yet, he plans to start a podcast called Radical Growth where he works on collaborations with other influencers.

To tie things up, here is Kevin’s message for youths in Singapore, “Be radical with your dreams, don’t give up on life, don’t stop loving.”

Kevin Wee: Behind Radical Kindness

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