Float On

Working in a tech startup means that Cassy is able to dress for however she feels that day. “I don’t like it when people abandon their natural style completely for the purpose of work,” she says. “Even if you have to dress really corporately, there’s definitely ways of showing your style or personality in the things you wear.” For Cassy, this includes rings from India, Nepal, and Bali that never leave her fingers. This fascination with treasures from all over the world contributes to Cassy’s dream of owning her very own eCommerce business someday, selling such curated pieces, helping local artists and furniture designers and giving back to their countries. Cassy’s international outlook — she was born in Hawaii, grew up in the UK, but spent her summers in Norway — continues at her workplace, which she says is made up of 22 nationalities and gives her the chance to work with people who have different personalities, working styles, views, and perspectives. “I also love that creativity and autonomy is encouraged — the startup culture is amazing and you’re encouraged to test and try new things all the time,” she says. “I’m constantly learning and failures are viewed as learning points which you can take into your next project.” This has taught her that it’s important to speak her mind if she doesn’t completely agree with something, even if it’s concerning someone more senior. “They’ll respect you for having a point of view, strong beliefs, and courage,” she says. “Everyone makes mistakes; there’s no need to call people up on them publicly because at the end of the day, you’re all working for the same cause.” Cassy’s learnt in life, however, that friendships can be temporal and what’s meant to be will be. “Some people come into and out of your life because they are meant to be there at a certain time, to share hard times or great times, because you need them or they need you. If people leave your life and they’re meant to be in it, they’ll naturally gravitate back when the time is right.”