When I was in Singapore, I was telling my friends about what I was doing in America. One of my friends asked me why I was helping start up founders in the US become better story tellers, when I can make a bigger impact in Asia? I could build confidence levels in Asians or help them become better communicators through storytelling. But when I came back to Singapore, nobody knew what I was trying to do. People associate stories with fairy tales and mythology. I was looking for a scene or place to tell my stories and I realised there was no scene. A friend suggested that I start my own show and that is how ‘What’s your story slam’ started. I decided to borrow from some of the best shows I had seen in the US and make my own blend for the show. When I did my first show, I asked my friends to share their stories and I coached all of them.
It was a big risk for me as people from my personal and professional life came to watch the show. I was a banker with no experience in this field and it was scary. If I failed, everybody would know. I was not afraid to fail though, I was afraid to succeed. Because if you succeed a few times and then fail, it is a lot harder.
I think my career story draws a lot of people. Ten years ago, I had the life that defined what success should look like. I went to the right school and had a great international job. But then I realised that I was not really living. I tell people that my values changed once I quit banking and I now measure success differently. It is not about how much money I have, but the relationships with my friends and my parents. My parents are proud of me not because of the success from my job but because of my happiness. They reassure me that sometimes my business might be tough, but I’m doing what I love. I meet a lot of people who are unhappy and disengaged from their work. But they are so afraid to leave because it is the devil they know. As an entrepreneur, I feel I was able to mitigate my risks better because I know I can count on myself.
