5th Sept 2013 . . . An Unforgettable Night

The Promising SME 500 Campaign was spearheaded to recognize the exceptional achievements of business men and women in Singapore, highlighting their commercial success and also recognizing their contributions to the economy and the community at large. This campaign also serves as a platform to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs to likewise pursue their dreams and ultimately to create a sustainable entrepreneurial culture in our nation . . .

Ok, that was the official statement.

But the night truly belonged to every entrepreneur in the room.

We felt invincible that moment.

In fact as I sat there listening to all their success and pains . . . I felt comforted. I was not alone.

The journey had been tough. But most importantly the entrepreneurial lessons will last forever.

To be successful, one has to think big, start small, and then adapt fast.

Then I saw someone familiar.

Jack Neo!

I had to stop myself from grabbing him, and the cast from ‘Ah Boys to Men’. I mean, Come on! I watched his comedy night since I was a child!’ And now I’ve got the chance to share the stage with his JTeam Productions! Surely I could afford to go crazy right? 🙂

But seriously, I was humbled to share the stage with a fellow Business Mentor, Mr Alvin Tan from Sure Clean Pte Ltd. Over the past months, I have learned so much from him and his team. It is truly an honor to serve him as a supporting business partner and client.

He taught me that a business must always seek towards ‘Stickiness and Sustainability.’ With this mentality, the business would find itself flush with cash. And a good cash flow would enable the business to expand and grow!

Of course, all these wouldn’t be possible without my soul mate, Glenda. Being a partner in her own auditing and accounting firm, she is instrumental in being the backbone of the family. She doubles up as being the disciplinarian as well. Our babies can only seek refuge from their loving grandparents. 🙂

I remember when I was away for my month long reservist, attending BTC, our elder girl, Alyssa, came down with H1N1, and spread it to her younger sister, Chloe. I don’t think my wife slept during that month. And to top it off, during that period, she managed to score a victory in her business by merging another established firm successfully with hers!

If I could present the award of CEO of My Life Award to her . . . she wins it!

It was truly an amazing night, and it was amazing to have my wife spending this moment with me.

Just when I thought this moment could last forever, my phone rang . . .

I picked up the phone to hear our nanny frantically screaming, “Chloe got fever . . . how? Are you all coming home soon?”

Snapped back to reality . . .

As I passed the message on to my wife, she looked at me, gripped my hand, smiled and said, “Time to go back to our sick little bird”.

Our raison_d’être?

Our family 🙂