Interview with Audrey Quek, Image Consultant

Audrey Quek

Image Consultant

1)      Why did you choose to become an image/fashion consultant and what do you love most about the work you do?

It was after winning Miss Singapore World in 1999 that I had several opportunities opened for me such as grooming aspiring beauty contestants in image and deportment. Immediately, that led me to think of a career switch from Real Estate which I graduated in to becoming an image consultant after my training from First Impressions U.K.

The best part of my work is being able to empower and equip those who wish to enhance their personal or professional image, creating a positive transformation on their image and seeing that change bring about better job prospects, more dates, increased confidence and an overall well-being.

2)      How do you think Singaporeans should work on their image to become the obvious choice for employers?

For fresh graduates, they need to learn to transit from a tertiary student to a working adult especially after being so ‘casual’ in school. They are advised to learn the professional do’s and don’ts in interview dressing (tips can be found in my book) and learn to always ‘dress for the position you want and not the job’. In addition, image is not only about how you dress to look the part, but also how you carry yourself with confidence and speak with eloquence. In order to be differentiated, one has to be consistent in their ABC (Appearance, Behaviour & Communication) and this creates a positive personal branding for one to become memorable.

 3) You’ve won a number of beauty pageants. Please share what the experience was like and what were your secrets to success?

Every experience is always so challenging and keeps the adrenaline flowing! Most people think that joining such contests is easy when they watch it on TV, however lots of hard work is required the moment one is in the contest – from having to keep their appearance in pristine condition (from keeping fit to having flawless skin even with little sleep sometimes with long hours of rehearsals) and at the same time picking up skills from deportment, confidence building, stage presence, presentation skills and learning to handle the media. All these require lots of stamina, courage and a positive mindset! Be willing to learn from others and have a winning attitude!

4) How can jobseekers dress well or look good without breaking the bank/overspending? 

 They need to learn the ‘Art of Capsule Wardrobe’ and the formula of ‘Cost per Wear’ and hence a one-time investment in an image consultant may bring about a lifetime of returns and rewards for the jobseekers.

5) A lot of women tend to neglect their looks after having children. What would your advice be to busy mothers?

As a busy mother myself, I always quote this phrase in Mandarin to all women ‘没有丑的人(there is no ugly women，只有懒惰的人 (only lazy women)。

Mothers must learn to balance between work, family, friends  and children. This can be really exhausting hence they need to keep a positive mindset and attitude and continue to still give themselves quality time to go for facials, mani&pedi, massages or even take time to go for their favourite sports or pastime to keep relaxed [and also keep sane]

As I am also a fashion designer and personal shopper, understanding the new fashion trends is highly important to me, and styling is part of my job thus I will often mix old with new to give a new updated look. It’s also important to always dress to flatter one’s body type and learn to update through reading magazines, websites and blogs.

As to looking good, besides one’s attitude to life, it’s also important to stay healthy through exercising (I swim at least 3 times a week); eating well (I avoid fried and oily food) and having a mother from Hong Kong helps since I always get home cooked herbal soups that keeps the skin and body well; drinking well from water, chicken essence to birds nest; for the last 2 years, I have been a local ambassador of SKII thus I have a good and diligent skincare regime. I stay motivated and driven all because I do not feel that I have a job but rather a passion that keeps me alive…I enjoy my work (which is
also my interest) and hence it becomes part of me. I believe in quality rather than quantity hence when it’s time for family, we should be dedicated and focused, similar to our work, this way, we will also achieve greater satisfaction and success!

Grace says: I got to know about Audrey after purchasing a copy of her book ‘ABC To Your Dream Job’ from a bookstore. It was the very last copy. And after reading it, I found out why. It was seriously worth every dollar, packed with useful tips, and full-color pictures. Friends, if you can’t find the book, feel free to borrow mine.

I’m gonna put what Audrey has shared in this interview into practice. The fried food bit is gonna be tough. The smell of fried chicken is usually irresistible.

Come back again soon for a special surprise

Interview with Violet Lim, CEO lunchactually.com & Review of ‘Lessons From 15,000 First Dates’

Violet Lim (with her husband Jamie & their children)

CEO, LUNCH Actually 

1) Why did you choose your current profession as a matchmaker and entrepreneur and what do you love most about the work you do?

Like most people out there, my childhood dream is NOT to be a matchmaker. Far from it really. I wanted to be either a doctor or a lawyer.

I took a step closer to fulfilling my childhood dream by reading Law at university. Subsequently, I did my Masters in Personnel Management as well. However, during my summer attachments at a law firm, I discovered that as much as I love law, it was not my calling.

I wasn’t sure what I really wanted to do, hence when I was offered the position of Management Associate at Citigroup, I promptly took it up. It was there I realised a need which I never noticed before. I was quite surprised to see that many of my colleagues were single and not dating. It wasn’t because they were not attractive or not eligible. They were simply too busy, or ‘married to the bank’.

Hence, when I chanced upon the concept of lunch dating which was then very popular overseas, but never heard of in Singapore, I immediately saw that it could address the need that I saw among my colleagues!

Honestly, my husband Jamie is the more entrepreneurial of us both, as he had very early on knew that he wanted to become an entrepreneur, and he left his job even before knowing what business he was going to do. On the other hand, I was someone who was quite happy with my corporate career until we decided to start Lunch Actually.

What attracted me to this particular industry is knowing that not only is it a good business, it is a business that can do good, a business that can actually make a difference in people’s lives. That’s what I love most about what I do.

2) What is your mission in Life?

My mission in life is to make a difference and to touch as many lives as I can.

3) How do you create a work-life balance for yourself?

A one-word answer would be – Priority.

I travel a lot for business. I make it a point not to travel on weekends unless absolutely necessary. Weekends are reserved for my family. If I absolutely have to travel on weekends, I will spend time with my family on one of the week days. We will just go for a family outing either at the Zoo, Bird Park, or Botanical Gardens. My husband and I also focus on both quantity and quality time. Quantity time during the weekends, and quality time during the weekdays.

I am also extremely grateful to have very supportive parents and parents-in-law. My helper is also amazing. Many people I know have some challenges dealing with their helpers. Hence, many have asked me, why is it I don’t seem to have too many issues. Again it’s priority. I am very clear with my helper where the priority lies – the kids. Hence, I am ok if my clothes are not ironed as straight as they can be, or the house is not as tidy as it can be. By cultivating a support system, I have less stress and can focus on quality time with the family.

My husband and I make it a point to go on at least one date night a week, without the kids.

And very importantly, we can only give when we ourselves are ‘complete’. Thus, I always have ‘me’ time where I can recharge, reflect and rejuvenate.

4) What are some of Life’s lessons that you would want to share with your children as they are growing up?

There are so many… If I have to choose a few, I would say they are:

1)      Always be respectful be it to people who are older or younger than you. When you respect others, others will respect you too.

2)      Create your own culture. You do not need to be a follower, you can be a leader. Just because something is cool does not mean that it’s cool (or right) for you.

3)      Never stop learning. The day you stop learning, is the day you stop growing.

4)      Always give back to society. We have been extremely blessed. Do not forget others who might not have been as blessed.

 5) Which are your top 3 tips for singles who want to find Mr/Ms. Right? 

1)      Like everything in life, it’s all about mind set. Are you open to meeting the right one, are you telling yourself every day that all the good men or good women are taken? If you do not believe that you can actually meet him or her, chances are you won’t.

2)      As much as we would love for him or her to ‘drop from the sky’ and just appear right in front of us, we know that it’s unlikely to happen. Create opportunities and platforms to meet new people. Dating is a numbers game. If you are not even meeting 10 single men or women a year, what are the chances you will actually meet the one?

3)      Love at first sight usually happens at the movies. After the first date, if you did not experience fireworks and instant chemistry, know that most married couples did not experience that when they first met their soul mate. Go on a second and a third date to get to know each other better. Give your date a chance, give yourself a chance. Give love a chance.

Grace says: Persistence pays off, whether in getting a date, finding your soul mate or getting an interview for this blog. I waited 10 months(!) for this interview. So, if your Mr/Ms Right isn’t falling from the sky into your lap, like Violet mentioned, you have gotta start putting in some work!

To help you along, Violet has written a book ‘Lessons From 15,000 First Dates’.

To purchase this book, click here, or read this first…

The book is promising right from the start, with a foreword by Ms Claire Chiang from Banyan Tree Holdings. Claire had me nodding when she wrote “The biggest pitfall in any relationship is to always compare and diminish the person you are dating now”. Guilty as charged, I am. It’s good to have someone point out all the common dating blindspots. And Violet does just that in her book.

Ever got hurt in a relationship and wondering how you can get rid of the emotional baggage? Violet shares her own story of heartbreak and how we can let go of the past too, in chapter 2 of the book. I know many ladies need to read this, and possibly, guys too.

Chapter 8 caught me by surprise – “Why Beautiful And Successful Women Finish Last In Dating”. Want to know how you can identify those who are mere time-wasters, and will not end up as the life partner you so desire? This chapter is a must-read.

I loved the personal sharing, the Quizzes to ensure readers are on the same page (pun intended) as the author, the Learning Points for reinforcement, and the Q&As throughout the book, which often echo the reader’s own questions.

This book has a wealth of dating wisdom from Asia’s leading matchmaker, and from the looks of it, has been eagerly snatched up by many.

Hesitate no more and banish your dating woes now by getting a copy of Violet’s book here.

Happy Dating!

p/s: Look out for a special interview coming up in a couple of days’ time: a former beauty queen & image consultant will share tips on how we can look our best.

Interview with Ms Sunaina Gill from Candylicious

Credit: David Liem for the video

Ms Sunaina Gill

Director, Gill Capital (S) Pte Ltd

Candylicious is the brainchild of Ms Sunaina Gill. The store in Takashimaya caught my attention because it was so colorful and welcoming. After the interview, I also couldn’t resist taking a photo with this sign:

It was an awesome experience to be hosted at the Takashimaya outlet before opening hours with no kids running about. But customers WERE almost beating on the shutters and demanding to be let in as the interview took a little longer than expected.

You absolutely have to take a bite out of this giant chocolate bar when you visit! Ok, I’m kidding – it’s not real.

Kids absolutely lurvve the Pucker Powder machine. I came by on a weekend once, and kids (and their parents) were having a really good time getting their candy fix here. Where else can you find such machines?

And…

If you’re feeling lucky, there’s the Jackpot machine. You can’t actually win anything, but you can bring home lotsa chocolate coins and feel like a winner

I know why I was attracted to this candy store! It’s just so bright and cheery:

Lollipops coming out of the walls. How awesome is that?!

By the way, I hope you saw the merchandise on sale in the store. I was quite taken with the Candylicious caps and tees. But I couldn’t resist the chocolates so I bought the latter instead.

Here’s a quick quiz: Do you know what these words mean?

1) Absotoodleutely

2) Yippideehda

3) Freaky Deaky

4) Hiccaburp

Find out the answers and more at http://www.candyliciousshop.com/

Also, there are giveaways at http://www.facebook.com/candylicious Like them and get your free candy during the giveaways!

People who know me say that I have a sweet tooth. I usually have to correct them – I have many sweet TEETH! So come back soon for more potentially addictive yummy candy interviews.

*Remember to enter your email address in the Subscription field on your right, just under my photo. I’ll send you all updates for FREE, and send all the giveaways your way too. Enjoy the awesomeness!

Interview with James Ong from Frolick

James Ong (pictured with food blogger Charlene and Grace)

One of four founders of Frolick

http://www.facebook.com/www.frolick.com.sg 15,689 Likes and counting!

1) Frolick has 4 founders so whose idea was Frolick? How many names did you guys come up with before settling on this one?

I would have to credit Ken for coming up with the idea after coming back from California.  We came up with names like ‘Afroyo’ and ‘Nanabanana’. Our design house, Asylum, helped encapsulate the characters of the 4 founders – fun, loud individuals who liked partying more than studying then. We wanted something bright and youthful.

2) Frolick has many cheeky slogans in the store as well as on your website. Who came up with those?

Again, I’d have to credit Asylum for that. We were Chinese High boys and not very creative. But we wanted a dessert brand which would be bigger than itself. Our target audience are those aged between 15 and 24. Our yoghurt also has a stronger taste.

[So how did you guys learn to make frozen yoghurt? And when did you know you're ready to start a business?]

Google was a good teacher! We had 8 months of R&D with our friends being the guinea pigs. When they were one day so busy eating rather than commenting, we knew we were ready!

3) Frolick is now in Myanmar. Why Myanmar?

In Myanmar, the culture for eating dessert isn’t strong. The most premium dessert is Walls ice cream. Hence, we easily serve the best dessert.

Our partner in Myanmar is a young chap of 26. He has passion and youthfulness. He also came to us prepared and with a location in mind. Myanmar is attractive as it is an unexplored market.

Take Taiwan for example. The street eats are so competitive. Rent is also not cheap. Myanmar therefore has more potential. There is no fight.

4) Why do you think Frolick has been so successful in spite of the stiff competition?

The nature of the product – the sphere of sales catchment area is small. We can have 10 different yoghurt brands in Orchard, for example. We did pretty well being noisy, attracted some attention with our branding and we also gave out free yoghurt.

5) What exciting new developments can fans of Frolick expect from the brand?

We’ll have a new dessert concept come the 4th quarter. We envision it’ll be more than frozen yoghurt and we are prepared to take on a bigger challenge. It will not be too conventional.

What did Charlene have to say about the yoghurt we ate?

Charlene: “The texture of Frolick’s yogurt is light, smooth and tastes very refreshing . The green apple flavoured yoghurt is minimally sourer and would taste even better with a nice sweet topping!”

Grace says: You can tell from the picture that my Frolick cup was empty when I took the photo. That tells you how much I loved the yoghurt. *Yumz* By the way, this is no advertisement. I had a Frolick loyalty card way before I interviewed James.

*Frolick Voucher GIVEAWAY!*

James was so kind as to offer me and Charlene 10 Frolick vouchers EACH to give away to our readers. How cool is that?!

On my side, I’m pleased to say that all vouchers have either been given out or ‘chope-d’ in true Singaporean fashion. You have to be on my blog subscription list (submit your email address in the box on your right) to get the latest updates!

The lucky people who got free Frolick yoghurt: Luan Eng, Clarence, Angela, Chris, Lorraine, David, Samy & students. *YAY*

Here’s Clarence with the original flavoured Yoghurt & strawberries:

And here’s mine: Orig with Lychee *Double Yumz*

Come back soon for the next exciting interview!

*Enter your email address in the blog subscription box on your right – you get all the latest updates and GIVEAWAYS!!  Get the news before everyone else!

Interview with Chua Enlai from The Noose

Chua Enlai

FLY Entertainment Artiste

Enlai has an unofficial NDP video which I enjoyed watching. *I love how it pokes fun at TPL! LOL*

1) Why did you choose to go into acting and hosting?

It was always something I wanted to do. Fortunately, I had parents and teachers who believed in the craft and that it wasn’t some frivolous dream, and let me plunge into it. The mentality that it is simply a back-up plan is what makes the industry suffer.

2) How do you and the rest of the cast on The Noose manage to keep a straight face when spouting those hilarious lines? 

We don’t! It’s TV. We simply do another take! But seriously, a lot of work goes into making things funny. We are always improvising.

3) What do you do when it’s a day you’re feeling down but still have to act in a funnyman’s role?

Comedy is the hardest thing on earth. That’s why having a role to play sometimes feels better than trying to be funny in my own right.

We all play roles in our lives anyway. We play the husband, colleague etc. Just depends on how much you enjoy it.

4) What keeps you going in the tough entertainment world?

The money. HAHAHAHA. No lah! I keep on going because I actually enjoy doing it and wouldn’t have it any other way!

5) If you’re not an actor or a host, what would you be?

An architect. It’s what I studied. I’m still fascinated by it. I’m a geek!

 

Grace says: It’s hard to tell that Enlai’s a geek! He’s talented at comedy though - Jacques Ooi & BB See on The Noose are hilarious.

I hope you caught his dance moves in the vid above.

I’ll be interviewing another person from The Noose – the President of the SPGs club! Catch that interview later this year.

Quick Shoutout :)

Hi guys,

I’ve added a new tab to this blog called ‘Sneaks & Giveaways’. Have you clicked on it yet?

You get the sneak previews of my upcoming interviewees. There’s Jaime Teo & Daniel Ong, Chua Enlai from The Noose(!), Gurmit Singh, the bosses from Frolick, Candylicious, etc, award-winning food blogger Dr Leslie Tay, multi-millionaire Dennis Ng, among others! How cool is that lineup, huh?

Alright, stay tuned and I’ll chat with you soon!

Grace