Entrepreneur Life Journey

This writing journey begin on July 1st 2006

This time round my return to Singapore, my conscious mind telling me; I'm home again. Deep inside me, I have a feeling of foreign and strange in the centre of my heart.

Am I home again? Or I'm I away from home?

I've been away for too long.......may be.

Having a few adventure of turning in to the wrong direction of the road and driving on the wrong side of the road, scary to see big car head lights coming towards me really wakes me up like a lemon juice. Getting into the passenger seat than realized I couldn't find the steering wheel, so embarrassed knowing someone in the car next to me was wondering what she is doing. All this experience does help to remind me I am in Singapore. I am home.

The place I was born and grow with all the entrepreneurer life learning experiences.

Recalling back to the first day I traveled all the way and all by myself to California, LAX, and transit to San Diego, held with a goal of being there to network with the successful people, like Jack Canfield or Mark Victor Hanson, Author of the book 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' in the Money & You business excellerated program anniversary event, 16th March 2004 was the day.


Without knowing what will I see or meet when I arrive at the airport...was a challenging feeling but at the same time, fun.
I did make my way fine to San Diego airport, in a cool and drizzling spring night.

Me, Jack Canfield and Melvin, my fellow M&Y graduate mate.

Since then, South California and I have begun a strange relationship, attached and not attached. Sub-consciously, I always feel there are something there are waiting for me and are meant for me to see it.

Beautiful Pacific Ocean. I took this picture during a coast drive. I name this picture "Far Away From Home" This picture is currently archive in the International Photography Association.

I love the climate. I love the local fresh fruits. And I love the spaciousness of the place.

So, why do I have the spur to begin this journey of writing? A good friend just told me: share your story.

I thought: why not?

I have been through high and low time. I have been through running and owning business. I have been to different countries over the years, and been through many experiences in the business and personal life.

Looking back, how I wish there were someone then to tell me her life experiences and I would have learned from it and save so much time to find out myself. But than, if you ask me if I can start all over again would I choose to do so, I guess my answer is no. Through the journey, I know I had touched many people life. I may have faced some emotional upset which is inevitable during the journey, at least I know that those who have encounter with me both in business or personal level, have benefited somehow or someway.

Most importantly is the value of who I become.

The journey of in the entrepreneur business world has been a very interesting and fruitful one for me, as well as adding on the personal life part of it. Learning through repeating experiences over and over again, but didn't recognize it. I guess many of us do not realized some of our life story is repeating episode after episode with different people until some point some thing suddenly wake us up. But sad to say some people didn't have the chance to wake up.

Too young to realized may be a reason to some, but now that I am outside the box, it is all about listening and awareness. Nothing much to do with age.

I grow passed through the pain and agony, joy and laughter. Like the Chinese said: "Been there and done that, bruises and swell on the forehead." I guess my forhead skin is thicken and seasoned.

Now I have confident more than I ever did.

Many times I get same questions from people, especially men. They wonder why I am in California. What do I do? Why do I always appear to enjoy my life so much and not need going to work every morning? How do I make my living? And how do I sustain my lifestyle and not working? Most people think that I'm mysterious, interesting and fun. I get comments like: You make my day just to see your smile, you bring joy to people where ever you go, you are such an angel, you make me laugh....etc. ...I guess they like my companion. I am happy to know that I can made someone's day.

Isn't life supposed to be that way?? I imagine life is that way, so I create it that way.
Hmmm........ This is really interesting.

Are we talking about thoughts bring to action and create reality? In my experience, yes it is.

THE POWER OF THE MIND

Let's talk about this a little.

Begin with an end in mind.

I tried that. It works many times. And the more I do it the more powerful it gets.

My first experience was; I know the parking space at Suntec City basement one is always full. I do not like to go to Suntec City because of the problems of getting a parking lot.
One time I have to meet someone at Suntec City. As I got into my car and started driving I have an end in mind. I think to myself I'm going to arrive at the basement one parking space, at the particular parking corner that is close to the elevator, I'm going to have a parking space right there available while I arrive. Having that end result in my mind, I actually can see it so clearly that a car will pull out for me to park my car.

As I enter the basement one parking space, I turn left to towards the corner I have in mind to park. As I drove very slowly towards the corner and stop, no lots available. Just as I look into the rear mirror someone came and got into his car and left.

Some may say is a coincident. It happened for a reason.

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So, the truth behind the curtain, how is my lifestyle now?

And what do I do everyday in California?

Living in California was just a thought to have a break for a year, networking and seek opportunity. Besides that is also my dream of living away from Singapore and experience a different life. It all came together partly because then my last marriage was going no where after some handsome effort of just me, one sided, trying to make it right. We finally separated.

Some day I may share my thoughts and learning experience if anyone would love to learn from it. I would call it "One Marriage, Life Lesson"

My break in California ends up to be a longer break than I expected. The lifestyle there is very pleasant and comfortable. Days can just pass by very quickly relaxing.
Especially when I have my love pet, COOKIE, the shitzu dog I adopted since he was just 2 month old. I flown him to California with me last May. I could just spend my whole day with him and we both are happy and contented. Cookie is a very very cute and intelligent dog. I can't wait to tell you more about Cookie. He was born in Australia, imported to and grown up in Singapore, now enjoying life in California. I would love to write a comic book of Cookie's life.

Cookie, the Shitzu. He is a good looking dog.

Sorry for the distraction of getting excited when talk about Cookie.

Deep inside me I have never stop looking, while enjoying. My networking mode is on 24/7 and 365. Through the years, I have been groomed into a super natural network creator.

Just like it says:

'Successful people build network, and the rest look for work.'

It is very true.

Every morning at Newport beach or Laguna beach, those who goes around for walk and execise or walk the dogs, have breakfast at coffee places with their comfortable casual outfit, and get to know each other at the coffee place, are mostly successful and wealthy. Those who attend charity event are the entrepreneurs, business man, most are wealthyand millionaires. Successful people enjoy what they are doing and non stop networking.
Networking skill is not learning over night. Some may have the natural people loving skill, some may need to learn. No matter where we begin, I realized the key for me is first to love myself. Which means take care of your own being first.

I begin with improving myself spiritually and intellectually. Giving my mind room to rest and feed my mind with good ingredient. Execise for a healthy body, eat healthy and grooming, which also means dress well. Grooming and stay young and beautiful is a whole other subject that gets me excited about. It is all about a cultivated habit that will benefit us life long.

"One Beauty Routine, Life Long Benefit"

With those area taken care of, emotion thoughts balance, confident rises, energy will be positive, you will glow. And think about it this way, who will you want to be around with that will give you positive impact and enjoyable to be with?

Be the one you like to be with.

I read the book: 'How to Win Friends and Influence People' by Dale Carnegie. The chapter 2 has given me a deep impression; it reminds me that I do have a great smile.

There is only ONE first impression!

And I know my smile is going to worth more than a million dollar.

The rest of the book is a bonus.

My activity in the morning could be walking around the beach with Cookie and meet up with friends, have coffee and breakfast, talk about different possible business venture. Sometime meet some people there and get to know what they do. Most people have a nature of a helping heart. Especially when they know that you are new in the area. Learning from other people past experience could save us lots of time to find out ourselves.

I could join a lunch networking meeting if I would.
I could be in the bookstore or in the shopping mall in the afternoon after lunch.
I could be in the gym.
I could be surfing the net the whole day checking out information I want.
Or I could be day dreaming and let my creative mind plan on the next business possibilities. These are the major activities I do.

No matter where I am, I'm always ready to give the best first impression because there is only one chance.

A very successful business man that I met told me that he noticed me because of my smile. I was smiling even the service person at the billing counter of a phone service company was not providing very good service. He offered to help and we network.

And now I represent his company to expand the business to Asia Pacific region.
That leads me to my million dollars business.

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In 1992, while I was running my interior design company in Singapore, totally sold my many years of life to the business for more than 10 years.

Being a entrepreneur all my life, i learned thru the real life critical decisions making, facing the joy and pain altogether.

My first business was a very successful and profitalbe business but major partnership problems. I call it "One Business, Life Lesson" in my next chapter to share about how I started a business from Zero Capital to more than a million dollar revenue annually after 2 years.

And finally why I quit.

After that experience, how did I start all over again from just $35.

Since then, I always imagine and wanted to have a business that will take me around the world, meeting lots of quality people. Get to travel to different places and create business at the same time.

What did I imagine my life would be? Or my business would be?

First I started with a vision that is:
To seek out and leverage with companies that have unique products and services that would improve live for all humanity. Through unique creative and strategic approach, bridging them to the rapidly expanding market and expand their business many more times from where it begins.

That is another 'Begin with an end in mind' process.

That was another entrepreneur journey started in the far away land.....