From the monthly archives: June 2012
“This seminar was able to bring out the essence of my story so as to be impactful and personal to the audience,” said Junaina Binte Leman a SIM member who volunteered to help me demonstrate live how a digital story is created.
Junaina was one of about 40 marketplace business people who attended a 90-minute workshop I presented on Friday, 8 June 2012. The talk was organised by the Singapore Institute of Management. Some people came forward to encourage me. They said I have a worthy cause. One man said I believe you will succeed. You have a very good business. He asked me not to give up.
Arthur a student from the business school asked me how I am able to turn “Storytelling” into a business. He asked the organiser who was there with us to invite me back again to talk about my journey as a social entrepreneur. He said he was so inspired by my passion to want to make a difference. I told him that besides successes, I’ve also had one failure after another. He said, “all the more we need to listen to you.”
One of my secret dreams is to help the less privileged become entrepreneurs. I’ve learned the painful way that doling out money does not empower them. I want to show those who are lacking that they can help themselves and that they have it in them to make valuable contributions to their communities.
I am a reluctant and accidental entrepreneur. I know my craft well but it takes more than being an artist to succeed in business. Arthur’s request for me to share my entrepreneurship journey is very special to me. I have a REAL business student who said he wants to learn from me. And he wants his fellow students to learn from me.
In August 2011, I was invited by a government department to discuss a potential collaboration with them. When they asked me, “How many staff do you have?” I said, “Two.”
One civil servant gasped, “That will take forever!” The project was too big for little DSA to bite into regardless of how strategic our plans might be. There was a long silence following that meeting. Then two months ago, they contacted me again. This time I was able to tell them that my team of two had grown to 12.
During those long months of silence, we continued marketing efforts. I also put strokes into training a team of facilitators in anticipation projects I aim to clinch. Mum’s word to me yesterday, “Feed my sheep” is timely. King Solomon said, “Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds.” I want my team to feel they have a “home” in DSA.
Investor / Author Milton Chang said, “The job of the CEO is not to invent things but to manage people and resources. The starting team is critical…” God has blessed me with a good team.
Creating and innovating is where I thrive. Necessity has pushed me into the role of CEO — that’s like using a fork to drink soup — not necessarily the best job fit. I welcome the opportunity to grow. I can learn from mentors how to steward DSA. Some mistakes are painful but nothing is ever fatal if I remain humble.
Looking after the welfare of my team will always be one of the cornerstones of DSA.
28 May journal entry.
Mum said, “Jesus said to feed my sheep. He didn’t say to count my sheep. God doesn’t asks us to be successful. He asks us to be faithful.”
Charities depend on donations to sustain its cause. A social enterprise on the other hand is a business that exist to address social issues and needs. Income generation plays an important role in making its mission self-funding and sustainable. Surpluses are plowed back to the enterprise to enlarge its engagement and impact in society.
My social enterprise is still not where I want it to be. It take time for a start up to become financially viable. Some say up to five years. The companies that remain are the ones that can hold out through the challenging beginning years.
Mum reminded me not to measure success by the amount of money I make. She reminded me how my invitation to speak in Wales and Prime Minister Lee’s reference to what I wrote in the papers are also ways to measure God’s blessings. She said that these are things that could never be earned. They have been given to me. She said that this is also success.
I am really thankful that my almost 81-year-old mother is on board with me in my journey.
