Kindling

Tell us a bit more about yourself.
Where do I start? (laughs) I’m a mother of two, and last year, I founded this platform called Ladies Please, which focuses on interviewing female entrepreneurs. So I’m the host, and I interview local female business owners to find out why they took the leap of faith to come out and juggle multiple roles as a woman, a mum, a wife, and more.

What inspired you to start this platform?
I turned 30 last year, and asked myself “Okay, I have a good income, I’m in a leadership role, and I already have two babies, so what more do I want to do?”

I think 30 was a milestone for me, and I really wanted to create this community or platform to gather entrepreneurs, or people who want to start a business but don’t know how—ladies, girls, young girls—and to give them some sort of a head start I guess. I don’t know where it will take me, but I’m just starting this out of a passion to empower young women.

What have you learnt since becoming a mother?
So much. It’s taught me to let loose (laughs). You know, life in Singapore is so fast-paced, and I think children really teach us to slow down and appreciate the small moments.

At the very onset, when I had just given birth, I felt a little bit guilty spending time with my daughter because I wasn’t able to perform at work, but that guilt has since long gone. Now, I enjoy every moment with my little ones. I think balance in the equation matters.

What do you like to do as a family?
We love picnics. Especially so because my youngest daughter just started walking, so we love to see her toddle around and fall down and all that (laughs). And of course, pick herself up ah. We stay in the east, so we go to the beach for our picnics. I think Pasir Ris Park is a great space. There’s less of a crowd, and there’s a gallop stable there, where the children can feed the horses.

Aside from that, my husband and I travel a lot. We just came back from Finland, actually.

How was Finland? Was it a family trip?
No (laughs). That was some alone time with just my husband and I. But Finland was amazing. The days are so short, and people there only work half a day.

When you go out there and see the world, and then look back on life in Singapore, you’ll feel like, “Oh my gosh, we really are dedicating a huge amount of time to our work,” which is why it’s so important to love our job and to love what we do. Because in Singapore, you definitely will be spending a lot of time working, so enjoying it matters.