Notes For The Aspiring Entrepreneur In 2024

 A couple of months ago, I participated in an all women panel discussion focused on the topic of entrepreneurship.  At this  event organised by Media Clubroom in collaboration with She Brilliance  land the SMU Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, my fellow panelists and I shared our respective journeys, offering tips to kickstart a business, as well as advice on dealing with setbacks, fears and other pitfalls. 

 Here are some nuggets from my experience in running Bravery Communications for those seeking to start up this year.

1. There's never a perfect time.  The time to start is now!

Starting my own business was much like catapulting myself into the wilderness. After 25 comfortable years of being part of the corporate machinery, I found myself in a career crossroad when I was tipped out of my comfort zone as a corporate animal into the opportunity to establish my own company. When and how do I start? I needed many things sorted out, including money, contacts, clients, an office, and a work laptop. There was simply no perfect time to start. I had to do what was necessary. I decided to push past the over-thinking and self-limiting beliefs to start my business with whatever I had in the simplest way possible. No office space? Work from home.  No clients yet? Reach out and connect with people I knew. 

2. Overcome imposter syndrome.

Can I really do it? What will others think? Regardless of age or experience, there will always be a seed of self-doubt hiding in a corner of everyone's hearts and minds. What do you choose to believe about yourself? Remove this by reflecting on your superpowers and believing that your talents are meant to serve a purpose. I reflected on my corporate achievements and identified my superpower of shaping powerful brand narratives that touched millions of lives.  

3. Network, network, network.

Start getting to know people widely. It could be on LinkedIn, community groups, and associations. When I first left the corporate world, most of my contacts were from work and I barely had friends beyond that circle. I almost had to start from scratch.  I started to join communities and built a network of contacts who became very good friends so ready to support me in any way they could.

4. Be brave enough to ask for help, and be open to help.

Yes they are two different things.  Some people I know are so afraid to ask for help, for fear that they might be perceived negatively.  Some people are not even open to receiving help because they might feel that they have had years of experience and skills behind them, and they could  do without help.  

When I first started, I knew I could never do this alone.  I reached out to an ex-boss, ex-colleagues, friends and colleagues from the Pr and creative agencies that I had worked with throughout my career.  I was very transparent about the help I needed. Some offered advice, others offered to connect me with the right people and a couple more  offered me the opportunity to work with their team on a retainer basis.  One of which was my ex-boss who is still my client today.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help.  Contrary to what I thought,  there really are so many people out there whether they are close contacts or mere strangers, who are willing to help if only you’d ask. 

5.  Essential qualities for a successful entrepreneur: Be curious, sincere, and brave  

I found it helpful to co-create a problem statement with a client and understand the gap they are facing before supporting them in resolving their challenges. You want your clients to buy into your sincerity and genuine desire to partner with them for greater growth. And it helps to never say die. There's always a way to make things work if you give it a chance. Most times, it's all about perspectives and angles.

If you are thinking of starting your own business,  do connect with me should you need someone to talk to.

The Value Of Values

 

Many years ago, I invited my son's ex-girlfriend to dinner. I remembered it was Chap Goh Mei or the final day of the 15 days Lunar New Year celebrations which traditionally was an important day for familial gatherings.  Yes I treated her like family. She arrived nearly two hours late without notice, but we waited since she was “family”. Imagine our shock when she said: "You should have started without me!" when she finally sauntered through the door, with no apology or thanks for being late. The incident would have passed and faded out of our memories if she had not been preoccupied with her phone for most of the dinner. There were no attempts at having a conversation, or any offer of reciprocity to help with the dishes. Did she enjoy dinner? Were we able to make her feel special? We did what we could, but in the 10 years of their courtship, similar episodes have convinced us that we could not connect with this young lady despite our best attempts. 

I have always said that I could only work with people aligned with my values.  In the same vein, I connect best with people who hold dear to the right values.   This lady clearly lacked values.  She did not reciprocate our goodwill, she had never shown kindness, and she lacked respect.

To put this point in context, let me share a past blogpost where I had alluded to how the right values are important to me.  https://thecrazyangmoandhisangrywife.blogspot.com/2016/10/extending-olive-branch-to-my-son.html?m=1

Before I get mistaken as the disgruntled potential mother-in-law, complaining about my son’s underwhelming choice in women, let me explain why this incident stuck in my mind as a reminder of how much emphasis I put on values.

Some months back, I wrote an article at my personal LinkedIn page about emotional desensitization as a result of our prolonged interactions online. The ghosting culture is widely practised, further normalising impolite behaviour. Plus, the lack of consideration for others is exactly how we lose the 'human touch'. Before the internet removed tonality from our daily interactions, people were raised to recognise and reciprocate goodwill. Communication required a lot more effort: meeting someone face-to-face, writing a note by hand, paying for expensive phone calls or actual telegrams (not that app). That was how bonds were strengthened. Be it through a gift or a call, it's clear when people cared and their actions were often appreciated.

As we begin the new year, it's apt to use this new season to reflect on the goodness around us. Cherish every connection, mirror every kind gesture, and make a concrete effort to demonstrate care.  Always be kind. 

Constant reminders of how one is valued and appreciated enhance our human experience because unlike technology, we have emotions.  

From Layoff To Lift-off

 

While it's common for people to share their experiences of resigning from a job that no longer brings them happiness, there seems to be a reluctance to discuss being laid off due to the stigma attached to it. Despite this, I choose to open up and share what I went through, as I believe it can provide comfort and guidance to those currently going through similar situations.

I had spent about 25 years in the corporate world.  While many would celebrate this silver jubilee with a luxurious vacation, mine ended with an unexpected layoff.

Though I saw it coming, the emotions didn't hit until I wheeled my belongings out of the office I'd occupied for over a decade.

Losing a job is one of the most stressful experiences in life, and even if it's foreseeable, it's hard to be fully prepared.

From my own experience, I know that initial emotions are usually anger and anxiety. 

Being retrenched feels personal, and the initial thoughts are often about how good one's performance had been. But it's crucial to understand that it's a corporate decision, not a reflection of one's capabilities. 

In the current climate of news regarding job losses, I'd like to share three things I've learned from my experience.

1. Take time to process your emotions but adopt a positive mindset once you're ready to move forward.

Losing a job can be a traumatic experience that can greatly affect one's self-esteem and mental health. I experienced depression and had to process emotions of anger, sadness, and anxiety. 

During this time, I also had a series of interviews with my favorite brands, but my imposter syndrome got the best of me, and I failed spectacularly. 

It's true that negative thoughts can attract negative outcomes.

However, after acknowledging my feelings and taking an objective view of the situation, I realized that my layoff was not a reflection of my capabilities. 

It was a corporate decision made to reduce headcount, or whatever strategic business decision it was that frankly, based on my track record reflected in my annual appraisals, had nothing to do with my performance. 

Rather than feeling bitter and inadequate, I reminded myself of my 25 years of marketing communications experience, and that I could apply my skills and knowledge in various areas. That experience is my super power.

This shift in mindset was empowering and allowed me to shed my ego and connect with others, which brings me to my next point:

2. Communicate and connect with your professional circle.

Despite feeling dejected and hopeless after my layoff, I was pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming support I received from my network once I opened up about my experience. 

Their warm words and advice, such as "Nothing changes the fact that you're a great marketer," "Don't get angry, get on with it," and "What can I do for you?" still stick in my mind today.

my network, I was introduced to various associates who generously referred me to potential job opportunities. 

For example, the ex CHRO of the company I had worked for, Jonas Ang, introduced me to May Cheng who then introduced me to the inspiring and energetic Kim Underhill, who invited me to join  She Brilliance, a women's mentoring and support group at which I remain actively involved in today.

My friends and business contacts rallied around me with advice, supported me with introductions, invited me into their respective communities, and that helped grow my network of friendships out of which some had become my clients today.

Many people view being laid off as a taboo topic, but we shouldn't treat it as a stigma. There are many people out there ready to offer us the support we need; we just need to be open to receiving it.

3. Review your finances, and consider your next steps.

As the primary earner for my family, I had to thoroughly assess my financial situation and determine how many months my family could survive without my income. 

After carefully considering my options, I ultimately decided to establish Bravery Communications, a marketing communications consultancy, instead of seeking employment with another company.

Being a solopreneur allows me greater flexibility as well as the opportunity to work only with clients that are aligned with my values.

While my fixed salary covers household expenses and my mother's allowance, I supplement my income by increasing my focus on my side hustle, which generates additional income each month.  

The experience forced me to be practical with my finances, and acknowledge how much was really enough to allow my family and I to have a reasonably good quality of life.  I even called on the professional expertise of my financial planner to do a financial review at this juncture when I lost my job and was about to embark on a new entreneurial journey, and map a financial gameplan for me based on my new circumstance. 

We need to approach our finances and future plans in a feasible manner, and it helps to do a sense-check with the family too.  My husband was my main pillar of support throughout the whole ordeal then and even now,  as a key member of my team within my firm, managing all the invoicing, expenses, and tax matters.

If you’ve recently lost your job or know someone going through tough times, please know this: you are not alone. With a positive mindset, you can turn from layoff to lift-off and stride forward in your career. Please reach out to me if you need to talk, my inbox is always open.

This blogpost was written for and on behalf of me by the talented Lena Loke.

 

Owning My Own Story With Bravery Communications

Many have told me that this was a difficult year, particularly those who had faced redundancies, job restructuring and business closures.  For me, this year was unprecedented, but I beg to differ on that opinion about how difficult it was.   If I had to walk through the year all over again, I would, because I believe in owning my own story.

You see,  I lost my job after spending more than 10 years at it, but i had not lost my spirit.  In fact, it gave me the opportunity to rest, restore my energy, re-evaluate my goals and revitalise that determination to regain control of my life.  

I turned my focus back to my health when I discovered that I was suffering from hormonal imbalance   and got my health back on the mend through a combination of better nutrition, regular workouts and plenty of rest.

I picked up a new sport and won Gold in my age group at the Singapore Masters Athletics mini competition. 

I poured through several courses and took pleasure in that learning journey to sharpen my skills. 

I reached out to  old friends, and made new ones, who had encouraged me to set up my own communications practice. Very quickly, I landed myself with my first few clients for Bravery Communications, whose visions  were aligned to my company’s values of authenticity.  I am so grateful to them for taking a chance on me to help them tell their respective brand stories authentically.

You know what they say about things that happen for a purpose?  I found my purpose because of what I had been through this year. “Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we’ll ever do.” - Brene Brown Many have told me that this was a difficult year, particularly those who had faced redundancies, job restructuring and business closures.  For me, this year was unprecedented, but I beg to differ on that opinion about how difficult it was.   If I had to walk through the year all over again, I would, because I believe in owning my own story.

You see,  I lost my job after spending more than 10 years at it, but i had not lost my spirit.  In fact, it gave me the opportunity to rest, restore my energy, re-evaluate my goals and revitalise that determination to regain control of my life.  

I turned my focus back to my health when I discovered that I was suffering from hormonal imbalance   and got my health back on the mend through a combination of better nutrition, regular workouts and plenty of rest.

I picked up a new sport and won Gold in my age group at the Singapore Masters Athletics mini competition. 

I poured through several courses and took pleasure in that learning journey to sharpen my skills. 

I reached out to  old friends, and made new ones, who had encouraged me to set up my own communications practice. Very quickly, I landed myself with my first few clients for Bravery Communications, whose visions  were aligned to my company’s values of authenticity.  I am so grateful to them for taking a chance on me to help them tell their respective brand stories authentically.

You know what they say about things that happen for a purpose?  I found my purpose because of what I had been through this year. “Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we’ll ever do.” - Brene Brown

My Commencement Speech Addressed To Graduates Of The NUS Arts & Social Sciences Faculty 2023

 

Truly honoured to be invited to deliver the National University of Singapore Commencement Speech to the 2023 graduating cohort from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences yesterday evening. Even more proud that my alma mater had recently attained the accolade of being the first Asian institution to break into the top 10 in the world university rankings. It was such an awesome evening spent with the students and lecturers, joined by my family. I took the opportunity to share with the audience about my super power to shape perspectives through purposeful communications. I wanted to drive home the message that each and everyone in the audience had the ability to write their own story, and shape and reshape narratives to create impact in the most meaningful way that could add value to the community. I would like to share my speech in this blogpost below:

Good evening,

• Mr Po’ad Mattar, NUS Pro-Chancellor;

• Assoc Professor Reuben Wong, Assoc VP, Global Relations;

• Distinguished Guests; and

• Graduates;

 

Thank you for inviting me to share this special day with you and the graduating cohort from my alma mater which had recently attained the accolade of being the first Asian institution to break into the top 10 in the world university rankings. I am truly proud and honored to be here.

Congratulations.

I am Joanna, I founded Bravery Communications, a marketing communications consultancy specialized in  shaping brand perceptions through the power of story telling.

I wrote a speech initially, with all the politically correct  messages to celebrate you and your achievements.  But at last minute last night I had decided to change it, because I wanted to  stand in my truth, so that you can walk out of this room tonight knowing that you each,  do have a super power to create an impact with the stories you are about to write when you leave this school, which had undoubtedly laid the foundation stones of your future success.  

 After tonight, as you go embrace a world of firsts, first job, first home, new family, kids, the main message I want to convey is that your super power is actually your ability to write your own story.

My super power is the ability to build impactful narratives that could shape the perceptions of people in a meaningful way.

And how did this superpower came about?

It started when I was 8 years old.  My father was a political detainee for views that were not aligned with the government’s.  A journalist visited our home then, to take a statement from Mom and I.  I remembered that he asked “What do you think about your daddy?”  The 8 year old me who hadn’t seen Daddy for a long time, could only respond “ Daddy is so naughty.” 

That quote became part of a story about my family and I which I had to live with on national press.  I grew up with that clipping thinking “ Wow! How powerful communications can be, to shape public perceptions.”  And from then onwards, I wanted to grow up to be like my favourite CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour. 

When it was time to select my courses at this university, I picked English and Political Science as my majors which became subjects I truly loved.  Political Science showed me how valuable it was to have an opinion, while English opened my eyes to what a beautiful language it truly was and I saw it from a different perspective, beyond just using it as a communication tool.

When those ‘powers’ combined, I learnt how to merge having perspectives and excellent communication skills, which thus became the foundation of my very successful 25-year career of being a brand and corporate communications specialist. 

I would like to share an example of what I did with my super power when I spent 10 years with AIA Singapore as it’s head of brand and corporate communications.  

For the longest time, insurance was associated with Death or Sickness.  My role was to change this negative narrative and to build trust and better connection with its customers.  I wanted it to be a brand that incentivised customers to live healthier longer better lives.

3 years into the job, I launched the revolutionary wellness platform called AIA Vitality, which completely changed the conversations of the insurance industry,   a legacy I was proud to leave behind when I left the company 3 years ago due to a retrenchment at the height of covid.

Leaving AIA forced me to question what my super power was.   It was then I realised it had evolved. My new super power was my 25 years of experience in marketing communications.

So when retrenchment came, how did I use my super powers? That was when Bravery Communications was born to help smaller businesses, startups and non-profit organizations shape consumer perceptions.

So to  this graduating cohort, I congratulate you for coming this far. I am so excited for you as you explore the world beyond the walls of this university. 

I welcome you to uncover your super powers as you navigate your journey through life. Know that your superpowers will change along the way, and it is ok. 

Having an open mind that is resilient to change, and your swift ability  to pivot according to the challenges you face, can only strengthen your super powers to help you write your own story and make it even more impactful in a way that will add value to your community.

I like to leave you with my favourite quote by Brene Brown “Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we’ll ever do.”

With that, I thank you for this opportunity  to celebrate your special day and I look forward to working with some of you someday.

The Importance Of Doing Nothing

Mother and Daughter Roadtrip

The last time Mom and I did a roadtrip together, was about 2 years ago when we travelled to Kuching and Sibu in Sarawak.  There, I got to reunite with my aunts, and members of my Kuching family whom I had not met since I was a child.  We revisited old family history when Mom shared with me stories about her grandparents and life in Kuching and Sibu.

During that trip we ate the entire Kuching and Sibu, enjoyed a good laugh and long chats over family reunion meals, explored caves, trek forests and streams, hunted orang-utans (with the camera)  and visited markets. We had so much fun and that was definitely a meaningful trip, particularly when I got better insights into my family history.   More on that trip here:  http://thecrazyangmoandhisangrywife.blogspot.com/2016/01/a-road-trip-with-mom-to-rediscover-my.html

 A Peace Of Pairadise

2 weeks ago, Mom and I embarked on yet another roadtrip.  We decided to change the game abit and travel to parts unknown.  So Pai, about 3 hours up north from Chiangmai was the choice of our mother-daughter roadtrip. 

Pai, known for its wide expanse of rice fields, scenic mountains, fresh air, backpackers and backpackers with bandaged legs and arms from bike accidents was definitely a piece of paradise found.

Before the trip, the control-freak in me planned everything from booking a 5-star hotel because I was not keen on slumming it in a bug-infested hut with no air conditioner, right down to the private driver that I hired to transport us from Chiangmai airport through the 762 dangerous twist and turns up the mountain into Pai.  Yes I am a princess like that.  I did not want to start my vacation with bed bugs or a helicopter extricating my body from the depths of the ravine along the way to Pai.

I even had an itinerary drawn up with places in Pai to visit, like the Pai Canyon where we could view the exquisite sunset, the refreshing waterfalls where we could cool off from the summer weather, and the picturesque rice fields where I could practise my photography skills with the new camera bought for me by the hubby from Toys R Us.

The Importance Of Doing Nothing

That week of pre-trip research would have been better spent getting my motorbike licence because apart from the hotel and my driver, we did nothing touristy that I had planned in my itinerary.  In fact, because we did nothing, Mom cooed, ” This is my favourite vacation.  I had the most fun in my entire life.”

It made me think about the importance of doing nothing.

My routine back home, on work days, had always been an endless cycle of work before 8am, gym at lunchtime, or lunch meetings sometimes, back to back meetings, conference calls, gym again after work, consultation sessions with my clients and back home late at night to wolf down a light dinner.  This routine is set on repeat again the next day.  On weekends, apart from a yoga session, I focus my time on the family, juggling commitments between joining Joel at the gym, helping David with his photography work, visiting Mom and taking the dogs out for a run. 

I had absolutely no time for me.  My me times were specifically spent with my boxing, strength and conditioning and yoga coaches.  And when I viewed that from a different perspective, I realized I was truly exhausted.  I needed recovery.  I did not know how to recover.  Sleep was not recovery when I had troubled sleep spent thinking about my schedule and plans for the next day.  

Desperately, my body, mind and spirit were crying out for rest and recovery.  Mom had always told me to take a break but my usual response was, “I rest when I am dead.”

It was rainy season in Pai.  This trip was planned at a good time believe it or not.    It rained every day without fail. From the patio at our hotel room where we hung out most each day, we could see that the rain cast a mysterious mist across the mountains in the horizon and formed ripples in our pool. It was therapeutic to watch.  Time actually slowed down for us in Pai as we sat and watched the rain.

We did not rush to go to a tourist spot, whether it was the canyon, waterfalls or the famous memorial bridge.  We figured that we could see them from the web, so why bother right? We just went with the flow.  We spent a lot of time at the Pai Walking Street, lounging at cafes, people watching, sampling street food, watching impromptu street performances by the students from the Pai Circus School, striking conversations with backpackers, some who had been there a day but stayed on for 2 years, and taking photos of everything that were not really touristy, but I found interesting.

We signed up for a lesson at the Pai Cookery School, cooking red curry, Pad Thai and Chicken with Cashew Nuts, and had a great time laughing over my lack of kitchen skills.  What I would usually render as inedible when it was cooked by myself, was actually made edible by Gaew, my cookery teacher.  Mom was useless.  She did not help me at all, because she was busy trying to buy Gaew’s entire kitchen, from the pots and pans to the Tamarind-wood chopping board to the set of knives!

So apart from perspiring during the wee stint at the cookery school and that walk up and down the walking street, we really got to enjoy the art of doing nothing.

Here are some other ways we did nothing:

·     Yoga – Sat and watched the sunrise, then stretched for abit before breakfast.

·     Culinary Adventures – Hopping from pushcart to pushcart along walking street to sample streetfood.

·     Trek through the mountains – Took photos of the 762 twists and turns on the way up the mountain from our mini van.

·     Cookery School – Feigned ignorance and made the cookery teacher cook most of my dishes.

·     Enjoy cultural activities – Booked a masseuse auditioning for WWE for a Thai massage and foot reflexology.

·     Tucked into indigenous Thai food – Took photos of  bamboo worms, skewered scorpions, crocodile, ostrich and deer meat from afar.

·     Experienced Thai unique architecture – Sent Mom whose afraid of heights, across the Pai Bamboo Bridge so I could take videos for a laugh.

There must be some science to the art of doing nothing because this was the only vacation I had taken where I felt fully recharged and ready to go back to work to reactivate my mind.  I felt refreshed and my body was ready to hit the gym for an intense workout to burn off my 2 weeks worth of Som Tam and Pad Thai. I felt completely ready to be present for the rest of my family when I headed back to Singapore.

About The Writer

The writer of this blog post is a Marketing and PR professional for over 20 years.  She is a passionate observer of life bent on inspiring others to live life positively through her writing by combing through moments worth celebrating every day.   Due to her ardent love for sports especially boxing and MMA, she is also a freelance sports writer on the side, contributing articles to several sports media when time permits.  She works in partnership with her husband, David Ash, who is an avid sports photographer from www.singaporemaven.com.  She enjoys Boxing and nurtures a dream to fight competitively one day when her coach stops making fun of her.  She is also a psychic intuitive by birth and runs a consultancy that does tarot and numerology readings under her brand, Sun Goddess Tarot.  This blog is affectionately called "The Crazy AngMo" as she is married to one, although she has not yet explained to THE Ang Mo that when translated, he has been labeled  “the bloke with ginger hair”.