Jack Of All Trades

Brett says that Friday is the only day he doesn’t need to wear a suit to work, so today was all about being relaxed. “We usually have a strict dress code to maintain the professionalism and image of the company, so we have little room for personalisation,” he says. “But I finished a meeting late last night and went to bed at 2:30 am. When I got up, I thought: “Oh my God, I am so tired”. So I just wanted to dress casually to release my stress.” But there’s a clear difference between smart casual and sloppy, and perhaps it’s because Brett believes in investing in quality. “Buy a dozen quality shirts and a few pairs of good trousers and shoes. Don’t save on those things. These will be the only things you wear for most years of your life in the financial industry.” Brett wasn’t always working in finance, however; he holds a PhD and was previously a quantum mechanical material scientist before he co-founded CAT SOCRATES, a store selling quirky odds and ends, with his wife, and only switched to the financial industry three years ago. Brett’s not done with his explorations, however. “I hope that one day I can be a farmer owning a piece of land in Thailand, and make a living from simple work by my own hands.” It seems that Brett is all about living an all-rounded life, and is constantly open to new experiences and avenues. He’s also all about balance, seeking an active lifestyle as well as a restful one: “I have to balance my work with an active lifestyle. So I try to rest my brain and use my body so much as I can, since I am sitting on a chair for about 10 hours per workday. I do 9 KM jogs twice a week,” he says. And a nice little way of finding some peace and calm? “I do gardening in my garden, every Saturday morning.”