“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.