Vanilla magazine August
Valuable life lessons gleaned from 20 of Singapore’s movers and shakers.
Successful people and their magic formulas have always fascinated me. In my view, a successful person does not have to make millions. He (or she) is someone who pursues his dream, remains steadfast to his vision and emerges as the leader in his chosen field. I decided to find out what makes successful people tick by interviewing 20 local heroes and have compiled my findings into a book called, Boss of Me!.
All my interviewees pursued their dream jobs with a dynamic combination of bravery, inspiration, support from family and friends, and lots of drive and determination. What they have done can be repeated in many different fields and you too can transform your passion into something gratifying and profitable. Here are five key qualities that will help you succeed in the right job, right now.
1. Develop a clear sense of what you want to achieve
The mind is an amazing tool and if you have a goal in sight, you will achieve what you focus on. That was what happened for Wendy Leong, one of the only five female pilots out of 120 pilots at SilkAir. She knew she wanted to be a pilot when she was 10 years old after a family friend brought her onboard a light aeroplane for a joyride. Even though airlines did not hire female pilots back then, Wendy was undeterred and enrolled in a mechanical engineering diploma course at Singapore Polytechnic to learn about the construction and engineering aspects of aircraft. She knew that this would be an advantage for her when she became a pilot as she would understand plane engineers better.
After graduating from the United Kingdom with a degree in Mechanical Manufacturing, she returned to Singapore Polytechnic to be a lecturer. During this time, she continued to keep an eye out for the chance to pursue her dream job. She even saved diligently while she was lecturing so that she would have cash to tide her through the months of pilot training. Wendy’s wishes were finally answered when she was watching television one day in early 2002. “I saw the first female pilots in SilkAir and the Air Force being interviewed. Without wasting any time, I sent in a letter of application to SilkAir and was delighted to be accepted!” She is now Senior First Officer and has her sights set on being Captain in the next two years.
2. Think big and compete on an international field
Singaporeans tend to favour international brands over local ones. However, some entrepreneurs have overcome that hurdle by having an extraordinary idea and the guts to pull it through. Back when most day spas were medical or European-style spas that imported most of their treatments and philosophies wholesale, Cynthia Chua, managing director of Spa Esprit Group, revolutionised the spa industry by offering treatments, like hot stones massages, that were not yet available in Singapore. Today, she has a burgeoning empire of 30 shops and has also expanded to Dubai, London, Malaysia and Jakarta. “Going international is a big endorsement for my company. It is great when people acknowledge what you have done and want to have your business.”
Another entrepreneur creating waves regionally is Daniel Tay, founder of Bakerzin. From a small bakery in a low-key condominium in Sembawang supplying French bread and pastries to hotels and restaurants, he now has 20 outlets in Singapore, Shanghai, Indonesia and Malaysia, and he intends to expand to the United States in the next few years – giving global café chains a run for their money. “I want to have 100 Bakerzin cafés globally in five to 10 years time.” His business philosophy - “If Starbucks can do it, why can’t I?”
3. Don’t get attached to money
Face the fact that if you go into something purely to make lots of dough, chances are you will not succeed. Walking the talk is prominent animal activist, Louis Ng, who believes that feeling like a million dollars is better than actually having it. He founded and runs the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) - a wildlife research and education centre, and earns $1,400 monthly despite having a Masters of Science from an American school. So far, ACRES has helped in the rescue of more than 160 animals from the illegal wildlife trade in Singapore and it has also raised more than $700,000 in funds.
Another “giver” is well-known aesthetics doctor, Dr Georgia Lee. Known in the media for her penchant for designer labels, not many people are aware that Dr Lee is also renowned for her generosity - not in the material sense, but in her genuine desire to help people. She frequently organises “self-improvement” parties for her customers, like a make-up class conducted by famous make-up artist, Andy Lee, and she pays for these parties out of her own pocket. She also told one of her clients, a stressed-out housewife, to take time-out daily for herself, and if she succeeds, her next treatment will be on the house. It is no wonder there is a three-month waitlist to see her!
4. Reprogram your mind - paper qualifications are not that important
In Singapore, where it has been instilled that a degree is necessary to make a living, fashion photographer, Geoff Ang, has defied the odds. Bad at school, he dropped out of Primary 6 to be a photographer at his dad’s production house and now makes up to $80,000 a day as one of Asia’s most sought after photographers.
His lucky break came when he had to take portraits of Daniel Yun (of Mediacorp Raintree Productions) for Dunhill and Daniel loved his photos so much that he tasked Geoff to shoot promotional pictures for their top 30 artistes in Mediacorp. Geoff impressed everyone with his stylised, avant-garde pictures of the stars which were publicised in 8-Days magazine. This forward-thinking lens man then ploughed all the profits he got from the job, all $38,000 of it, into a digital photography system which allowed him to tweak, enhance and make his photos into surreal-looking works of art. It was refreshing and had never been done before. It jolted the fashion industry and magazine editors started calling him to do fashion shoots for them.
5. Being a pioneer will give you an unfair advantage
Use what makes you different to your advantage and embrace the unknown. That is what Zouk’s founder, Lincoln Cheng, did. A former hippy who was a regular at legendary festivals like Summer of Love and Woodstock, he travelled around the world to party in uber-cool clubs like Studio 54, Paradise Garage and Hacienda. It was during one of his yearly jaunts to party island, Ibiza, where he caught a deejay playing a new blend of dance music that was very different from the usual pop tunes played commercially back then. This new sound intrigued Lincoln’s ears and he promoted it at the newly-opened Zouk back in 1996. It caught on in a big way and Zouk is now touted as one of the best clubs in the world.
Lincoln had always believed in being the pioneer – he introduced steel structures for high-rise buildings in Hong Kong while everyone was still using cement, and started the boating lifestyle there by selling luxury yachts. In fact, he had the foresight to propose building a world-class marina on Marina South in 1983, but it was rejected by the URA. He was the leading system furniture supplier in Singapore and handled numerous turnkey projects for the government sector. “I’ve always liked niche markets and I like to be original, doing things that haven’t been done before,” says Lincoln sharing his success philosophy.
Her World magazine August
Interview in Women Now section: Three things I've learnt from my book.
1. Buy books that you have no interest in
That is how Ban Yinh Jheow, founder of multi-million dollar toy empire, Stikfas, keeps his mind active. “I have books ranging from Aids to quantum physics and this approach ensures that I never stop learning.” This constant cultivation of his mind has enabled Yinh Jheow to come out with innovative ways of promoting his business. For example, instead of going to the distributors, he went direct to the consumer by selling Stikfas exclusively online, creating a consumer push so that distributors came to him instead. He used another unique strategy to score a distribution licence with international toy giant Hasbro in 2002. “We placed a full-page teaser ad with our website address in Toyfair, a top US magazine. That caught the attention of Hasbro and they approached us.” From 2002 to 2004, Stikfas was licensed to Hasbro and this move saw a significant increase in its product range, distribution network as well as market recognition.
2. That you can make good money being an artist
Artist Lee Wai Leng commands an impressive $2,000 to $4,000 per artwork, depending on how intricate it is and has worked with branded clients like Levi’s and Chanel. “People have the misconception that artists don’t make a good living but we can. Like all freelancers, how much you make is dependent on how hard you want to work,” she says, dispelling the notion of ‘struggling artist’. She works hard for her money though, promoting her work via yearly exhibitions and handing out her namecards at social events, which she calls a “necessary evil”. To boost her portfolio with big-name clients, Wai Leng also works closely with advertising agencies who call upon her for her distinctive artwork. “I’m old-fashioned and believe that hard work pays off. I add value by offering my two-cents worth to all my projects. That is my edge and my clients appreciate that as an illustrator’s eye offers a different perspective to things,” she shares.
3. Don’t get attached to money
Face the fact that if you go into something purely to make lots of dough, chances are you will not succeed. Walking the talk is prominent animal activist, Louis Ng, who believes that feeling like a million dollars is better than actually having it. He founded and runs the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) - a wildlife research and education centre, and earns $1,400 monthly despite having a Masters of Science from an American school. So far, ACRES has helped in the rescue of more than 160 animals from the illegal wildlife trade in Singapore and it has also raised more than $700,000 in funds.
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To write my first book, Boss of Me!, I had the privilege of hanging out with many successful people and hours were spent chatting as I delved into their psyche to find out what makes them tick. I realized that great entrepreneurs have a three-step formula that's present across the board. And, I am going to share my privileged knowledge with you.
