If there’s one regret that I have for my Taiwan trip, it would be not having spend enough time hanging around the 24 hour Eslite bookstore which was only 10 minutes walk from my hotel. 

I did, however, spend a couple of hours there with Siena and Alannah on the first day of our arrival, and made it a point to return again early in the morning to pick up some books before I left Taipei. I can easily imagine myself spending the entire week in the bookstore sifting through books, observing people from all walks of life hanging around to my heart’s content. 

Eslite reminds me of both Borders and Kinokuniya in Singapore. Back in the days when they would have comfortable seats at the aisle for people to read for as long as they want. Eventually, idealism had to give way to economic logic. Kinokuniya removed the seats altogether soon after Borders closed it’s door more than a decade ago. Til today, I mourn the fond memories of Borders whenever I pass at Wheelock place, but I digress.

Back to Eslite, on my final visit to the bookstore, the atmosphere was very different from the regular hours I came a week ago. It was solemn and peaceful as it was virtually empty at 6.30 in the morning. There wasn’t a single soul except for one or two people quietly seated at the corner dozing off, left to their own devices. On second look, it became quite obvious to me that they were the homeless people taking shelter from the cold outside. They were however, clean, dignified and appeared very respectful towards the premise, seating quietly by themselves without calling any attention.

I couldn’t help but wonder what is the rationale behind Eslite opening 24 hours. Clearly from my limited observations, there’s not much money to be made from the extra hours and while having to maintain a level of operating cost and manpower to keep the lights on.

Then, I saw this article on their about page and the reason became quite apparent to me:

In 1989, eslite opened its first store on the Ren’Ai Roundabout in Taipei in pursuit of ” Charity, Love and Aesthetics ” and the business philosophy of “Humanities, Art, and Creativity into Life”. Over the years, with the unique ability of book selection and experience in multi-channel integration and management, eslite has gradually developed into a comprehensive cultural space full of humanistic care focusing on cultural creativity, committed to promoting reading and cultural exchanges.

In 1999, the most representative eslite Dunnan bookstore in the Chinese community became a 24-hour bookstore for innovation, where people could read books any time. In 2004, it was selected as Asia’s Best by TIME Magazine’s Asian Edition. From 2014 to 2015, it was praised by CNN as one of the “coolest bookstores in the world” for two consecutive years.

Most businesses operate simply to make a profit, as they should so that they can sustain for the long term. Occasionally, we get to witness some rare businesses that operate with a higher purpose to serve. When that happens, we ought to treasure them and preserve their existence with our patronage and support, so that they could continue to do the good work that they do.

Thank you, Eslite for setting the example. 

This is a speech I delivered at Girl for Girls network on women leadership recently. I hope my two daughters will read it someday.

Introduction

My name is Shaun Hoon. I am the founder of Curious Mind. I am also the person many would recognize as the previous publisher of Inspire magazine. While the name of my company and my job title have changed, what I do is largely no different. I pride myself as the distributor of inspirational stories. It used to be through publications, but now I bring together people in person through meetings and conferences to share their stories, especially to the youth.

50 Most Influential Women in Brunei

7 years ago, when I started Inspire magazine. On the very second issue, we published 50 Most Influential Women (download here) in Brunei. We published this at the backdrop of the month after the implementation of Syariah law in Brunei. I wanted to proof to the world that women discrimination in Brunei is a total misconception, I wanted to use our magazine as a vehicle to show that the women in our country are diverse, capable and are actively contributing to the society. Above all, I wanted the world to know that they are proudly celebrated.

On a personal level, I wanted the issue to be the future blueprint for my two daughters when they grow up, that Siena and Alannah can be anything that they want to be, just by drawing reference from those 50 women that daddy once wrote about.

You Can’t Be What You Don’t see

When Shan-Lyn Ma, the founder of Zola.com (the world’s leading platform for “everything-wedding”) was asked about how to inspire girls to be leaders, she said something very simple but yet profound. She responded: You Can’t be What You Don’t See. I guess she brilliantly summed up the voice in my head in that one sentence; that I wanted my daughters to dare to dream, looking at women that have come before them. I wanted them to summon the courage like Dk Najibah – the first Brunei woman to have successfully completed an expedition to the South Pole. In this instance, perhaps they can try the North Pole. I wanted my daughters to aspire to be like Datin Adina, the first female Deputy Minister in Brunei. In this instance, why not the Minister.

Changing the minds of the Young Boys

3 years ago, I attended the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation award ceremony in Manila where they recognized the most outstanding leaders that made significant societal change in the community across Asia. An articulate young woman asked the panel for advice for young women aspiring to reach their full potential one day. The RMAF awardee, Ms Vo Thi Hoang Yen from Vietnam responded with an out of the box answer that I have never considered of before. She cited; “It’s hard to change discrimination against women equality. Men (would) always refuse to change. If you really want to promote the rise of young women, you have to start by working with the young boys, so that they can change their mindset. For if they are open and are able to change their mindset, it will be easier.” I guess this explains the wisdom of why I am invited here to speak by Ms Zubaidah today, even though I clearly don’t fit the mound.

Needless to say, it is absolutely critical for both genders to work hand in hand to advocate for women’s equal opportunity in the future. For the parents out there, you must do your part in educating your boys at home since young!

Belief

So if you ask me, after hundreds of interviews through my years with some of the most outstanding figures locally and abroad, what have I personally learned from the Women leaders that I have spoken to, which I can share with you today?

Perhaps what I observed is more pertinent than what I have heard through the interviews – it struck me that the most outstanding women leaders ubiquitously share a belief that they are no less capable than their male counterparts. Nor do they feel any less deserving of their leadership position.

This Self-Belief is critical because as a woman, your biggest enemy is never the opposite gender or the societal norm. But your own internal dialogue with yourself.

I once interviewed a female doctor who was determined to breaking the family mould to becoming one of the most spectacular doctors in Brunei simply because her aunt told her that her future belongs to the kitchen floor at home. If she had not reached into her internal belief that evening, if she had listened to the shallow world view of her aunt, we would not have Dr Noor Affizan inspiring so many would-be female doctors in our midst today.

As a male species, we have never thought of our own gender as a limitation because we had never been brought up to think that we are any less than the opposite gender when we were young.

Why should it be any different for you?  

One of the most important legacies that COVID-19 will leave to humankind, in my humble opinion, is how women can be, and will be a better world leader than their male counter parts. As a father of two daughters, I am feeling optimistic about the possibilities that my daughters will grow up in an era where the pendulum is swung the other way, that it’s finally their turn to shine for a change.

Conclusion

Today is a very special day for me, for if my Grandmother had been alive, she would have been celebrating her 93^rd birthday. I want to conclude by paying a special tribute to my grandmother, for she had been the pillar of our family and a prime example of women leadership for me on so many levels, way before I could articulate all these. I want to take this opportunity send my advance thanks to all the women at present today, for you will be the source of inspiration for my two girls, because of your decision to be their role models today.

In his passing, Johnny has reconnected me with our old group of friends once again. Just like how he always did it with the many friends I met in the past, I met through him.

Everyone was in shock and deeply devastated when I shared with them the news of Johnny’s passing. There had been nothing but praises for my brother character, kindness and generosity. Of course, I would do my usual duty to mess it up- by highlighting his flaws and trolled about him in the spirit of brotherly love.

There were stories after stories of joy that flashed back to my mind as I meditated on this precious relationship this few days. Plenty of laughters and occasional tears – only when no body was watching. Especially when I was driving alone.

I recall being a housemate of Johnny in uni, it was always a tense moment going to the toilet, as he loved to bang on the door incase you get too comfortable.

He had no shortage of pet peeves. And I know exactly which button to press to get onto his nerves in retaliation.

For example, he liked to arrange everything in painfully organized orders and ironed all his clothes and stacked them up in military precision. He will always wear his polos with the shirt tucked in, the old school kinda way. As for me – I would wear whatever I needed the next day the night before, and had it naturally pressed overnight. And like every normal kid that age, unless absolutely necessary, never tucked in. It drove him crazy.

Johnny couldn’t stand how tardy I was and I couldn’t comprehend what kind of a straight man would behave like him. I guessed either God must have a good sense of humor putting us together, or was He trying to teach me patience with this impossible housemate.

Funny how things changed. Being diligent and organized turns out to be two of the top qualities I look out for in a hire nowadays. I would have chosen Johnny in a heartbeat over the 18 year old me. But that’s another story.

As I didn’t have a car, I would often rely on Johnny’s goodwill to send me to school, especially when the weather was bad. For some strange reason, he hated it when the front passenger flips down his sun visor. Me on the other hand, have the funny habit of flipping it down whenever I get on the passenger seat.

There must have been one too many times that I ignored his warning and he finally snapped at me while giving me a ride to uni. I protested by not talking to him and boycotting his free ride for an extended period of time until one day he pleaded for me to return (this is definitely the version of my own story). I can’t remember if after that I stopped flipping or he stopped scolding me for flipping, we never fought over the sun visor ever again after that incident.

As little as I cared to admit it, this man is special with a tremendous heart. Johnny’s greatest superpower is his magnificent ability to connect with people. His circle of friends are as wide as it can get; there’s the car group, the study group, the tennis group, the small group for supper, the Malaysian group, the other for clubs and parties and on and on it goes. He seemed to be able to find a place to fit right in, everywhere he went. I gave him the nick name Pat Poh (busy-body) exactly because he genuinely cared about everyone’s business.

He reciprocated by calling me back Pat Poh and Chicken Wing man (that’s also for another story) we have been calling each other that for the next 20 years.

Johnny has a nickname for almost everyone it seems. Adam- the Pastor, Lina – ah Ling, the list goes on. The lack of social distancing practice with everyone he met was perhaps the reason why he’s friend with everybody. And the opposite was true for me, as I was simply comfortable minding my own business hiding in my own foxhole.

Another thing I couldn’t stand about Johnny was how difficult he was to impress. I hated it when I told him something was good, be it a song or a movie or something that I accomplished, he would at best, commented “ok-lah”, and you will have to accept that as a compliment.

As I reminisced through our past What’s App conversations lately and noticed something that I had never paid attention to before; the change in tone in the years after we graduated. As I progressed in my journalism career, I would occasionally send him the articles I wrote and the magazine copies that I published. In hindsight, he seemed to be looking forward to them with anticipation and was often thoughtful with his comments.

When Johnny was first diagnosed with ALS, there was another prevailing change of demeanor towards me. He became even more gentler and openly expressed love verbally that frankly, as a bloke, I didn’t know how to react to.

Looking back at this unlikely friendship, I don’t know what I have done to deserve this. He has taken me under his wings as a big brother from day one, a kind of kinship that as the eldest boy at home, I had never experienced. He’s the fairytale kind of big brother that you could only wish for your kids to have one day, one who is always a few steps ahead to shield you from trouble, give you directions and one who is always putting your interest before his.

As I watched him in pain and deteriorations in the few times I visited him in KL in the last 2 years, I secretly prayed for his early release from pain and suffering. No one should have to suffer the way he did. Not especially for a man with such kind spirit. I thought I would be ready for it, but boy did it hit me like a hammer when Jean delivered the sad news to me.

This few days, I have recounted many memories with many many more unaccounted for. With all our differences, one thing we could agree on, was our common pleasure in talking about the mischiefs of our younger years and laughed over really good food whenever we caught up.

I have no doubt that we will continue the conversation someday, somewhere far far away. But for now, it is good bye. Thank you my brother for the friendship and memories. So long and sleep tight.

I love you back,
Shaun

Links to Johnny’s memorial and tribute video

What is a Curious Mind Project?

A Curious Mind project is a series of stories and interviews from interesting people I met across Asia, recorded and shared through videos on YouTube.

The Objectives

• To share the stories and lessons of the people I interviewed to inspire action, better lifestyle and make a difference.
• To help create / enhance the video profile of the people I interviewed. More importantly, to help further their cause / messages by connecting them with my network and beyond.
• To feed the insatiable curiosity I have to learn from people’s success and failures.

Interviewees’ Criteria (not mutually inclusive)

1. They must be interesting and be able to communicate well.
2. They must have a spirit of generosity* in sharing their ideas, experiences and stories; both success and failure accounts of their lives with equal enthusiasm and honesty.
3. There must be lessons to draw from, from their life stories that will enrich and inspire others.
4. Their work must be meaningful and is making a difference to the community.
5. They must be masterful in their craft.

The Topics

I have an extensive range of interests in the kind of people / area I hope to cover. Below are some of them:

• Young Leaders
  • I have been privileged to meet some of the brightest young minds in the region doing extraordinary work to make changes thanks to my my affiliation with the Global Shapers. I will continue to explore this area for content, because I strongly believe that age should not be a hindrance for people to take leadership. In fact, young people are more connected and empowered to make changes today than never before. My goal is to use their stories to inspire other young people to step up and be the change.

• Social Enterprise
  • I am constantly inspired by businesses with a cause beyond just profit. Who says you can’t make money while making social impact I need more stories like this to support my thesis.

• Business / Start Up
  • I am a sucker for stories about resilience and innovation.
  • I am keen to learn about how to build company culture, provide world’s best customer service, sales and leadership.

• Growth / Personal Development
  •  I am on a quest to understand:
    • What it means to live a good life?
    • How to be a more effective writer / communicator / public speaker?
    • How master one’s mindset?
    • How to have a better EQ?
  • I am interested to talk to people in the area of Art and Creativity, Spiritual, Health and Lifestyle Design Practice.

• Parenting
  • I am endlessly curious about how to be a better parent? How to turn my daughters into the next Serena Williams? How to cure them of their phone addiction (without disrupting my own)
  • Above all, I am keen to learn how to produce children of good character. Those who are compassionate, kind, resilient and respectful.
  • I do this by often asking my successful interviewees – how their parents raised them? And those who are married with older children- their parenting joy and challenges? (I have yet to find any identical answers from all the people I have spoken to).

My Promise

• No part of the content will be published without the prior consent of the interviewee.
• This forum is committed to spreading positive and inspiring messages with no ill intention attached. In doing so, I hope to stimulate an open and honest interview in exploring the widest range of conversation possible with no discussion that the interviewee would feel as off limit.

Why Generosity*?

Because this project may not yield any short term or long-term reward. It is not likely to go viral or make you famous. It may not even draw a large viewership (at least in the early stage of it’s life cycle).

One of the reasons why you are doing this is purely to support a friend or a stranger, who is passionate about learning and sharing your stories to his network of influence and pay forward the spirit of generosity.

Why Participate?

• The interview will be an opportunity for you to reflect on your life by simply allowing the interviewer to ask you questions .
• The interviewer is interested and committed to learn about what you have contributed in your life and draw lessons from your experience to share with a wider audience through YouTube and social media.
• For nothing else, this project will enrich your profile with an intimate video interview about your life story.

About the Interviewer:

• Shaun Hoon was the founder of Inspire & Inspire magazine
  • He has interviewed hundreds of people through his publishing career in the last decade. The prominent people he has interviewed include: Marshall Goldsmith, Fan Bingbing, Guy Kawasaki, Robert Kiyosaki, Wu Chun and more. However, the most interesting stories remain from the unsung heroes such as the Uber drivers and vendors on the street.
• He is a Director at Asia Inc Forum. He recently helped organise The Future Re-Imagined Conference in Manila.
• He provides training on writing, publishing, entrepreneurship, creativity, sales, customer service. You can read his profile and his training info here.

Photo: Left- Carlo Delantar, Forbes 30 Under 30 and Founder of Wave for Water

Since the ceasing of Inspire Magazine, I have been trying to figure out how best to continue the passion to feed my curious mind by putting myself in front of interesting people and ask them questions in a more engaging and effective manner to reach out to a wider audience.

I think I have found the answer!

This is the first of many series of “A Curious-Mind” project, where I have my conversations with people I am excited about, respect and admire across Asia recorded through my iPhone (Message? There’s no excuse not to start a video / publishing project, if you have a phone!) and have them uploaded on the internet.

Check out my interview with David O’Hogan – a Lego Serious Play expert in Manila during my recent trip.

I hope you’d be equally inspired by the friends I encountered. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Shaun Hoon

 

 

 

Disclaimer: The following article is based on the recollection of a conversation; citations are paraphrased – not the exact quotes from the interviewee.

I have not personally met Warren Buffett. However, I had the privilege of meeting Dr Jeff Towson (the #1 followed professor in China on Linked-In and the previous head of Direct Investments for APAC / MENA for Prince Alwaleed of Saudi Arabia) prior to him speaking at our conference, who incidentally had close encounters with Warren Buffett.

My fascination with one of Jeff’s photo taken with Warren Buffett triggered a 2 hour-long conversation about his experience. This is an account of my 2 degrees of separation from one of the world’s greatest philanthropist / investor (and it has nothing to do with investing).

Below is our conversation written in abstract memory 3 weeks after our breakfast meeting in Manila.

SH: Tell me something about Warren Buffett that I don’t read from the media.

JT:

Intelligence 

We all know that Warren Buffett is the smartest mind in the world when it comes to investment. One would naturally assume that he has an above average intelligence. But you would not be able to comprehend how incredibly smart he is until you have actually interacted with him. His mind operates like a super computer. For example, if you ask him about Coca Cola, he would have no hesitation reaching out into his memory from a series of his past interactions with Coke; the figures from the annual reports he read, or the name of the people whom he met at the Coke headquarter along with the date and time, down to the specific content of the meetings from few decades ago. He seems to be able to remember everything! I have dealt with plenty of people who are highly intelligent; Warren Buffett is on a whole other level. He is a genius.

Self-awareness

What makes Warren Buffett wise beyond comparison is his astounding level of self-awareness. Given his age and responsibilities, this awareness is crucial. And he keeps track of his mental scorecard on a weekly basis with discipline. The media may pick up on how this 87-year-old enjoys a good game of bridge to unwind after work. Given how mindful and deliberate he is with everything he does, it would not be possible that he only plays bridge once a week simply to “unwind”. I believe it is a mechanism he adopts to keep track of his mental capacity and his memory; to use the scores from his bridge game to measure how well his mind is still functioning. I really believe that’s what he is doing.

Intentions

There’s a famous Warren Buffett quote that “you are the average of the 5 people you spend your time with.” What struck me is how much attention he puts into practicing this quote. Warren Buffett is extremely intentional with whom he chooses to spend time with. Basically, the answer is “No” with most of the people trying to get an appointment with him. Obviously, he has a long list of people wanting to see him, and time is his most valuable commodity that he needs to safeguard.

Warren Buffett is known to surround himself with the best in the world to spend his time with. For example, he has a regular get together with Bill Gates and others who contribute to his passion in advancing humanity. He also allocates a portion of his time dedicated to giving back to the society in educating young people by giving lectures. No time ever goes to waste with Warren Buffett.

People Skills

This is perhaps one of the most overlooked elements of Warren Buffett’s success. When he was young, he spent the early part of his career working solo from home. Even though he was already successful at a young age, he came to the realization that if he wanted to achieve anything of significance, he could not do it all by himself. He needs to get people involved. I don’t think he started off as a great people person. He was conscious in developing his people and leadership skills, to be well liked, and becoming effective in getting people to help him to succeed.

Kindness

SH: Are you a friend of Warren Buffett?

JT:

I have met him a couple of times, but I wouldn’t regard what we have as friendship. Friends are people whom you mutually keep in touch with, think of and care about. It is just impossible to become friends with Warren Buffett in this context.

Don’t get me wrong; he is one of the kindest and most generous people you will ever meet. He has this incredible presence and warmth that he carries with him all the time. Whenever he is in front of you, he’d give you his full attention and make you feel important talking to you. But then, he’d devote the same level of dedication to the next person, and the next person after that. He meets so many people at any given day. It is just not practicable to develop a meaningful friendship with everyone he meets with when he spreads yourself so thin.

SH: What’s the biggest difference between Prince Alwaleed and Buffett?

JT:

Prince Alwaleed can buy any of the best talents he wants to work for him. In fact, Warren Buffett can do that, too. However, Warren Buffett is well liked by everybody because he is such a nice person. If he wants anything done by anyone, all he needs to do is to pick up the phone and make a call and people would bend over backwards to help him. What Warren Buffett has is something that money can’t buy; the loyalty of the people.

Side Note:

Dr Jeff Towson deleted his own Facebook account as a protest to FB’s recent privacy issues; the great professor spent the first 15 minutes of our meeting asking me questions and listened intently to my advice on Podcasting. Finally, he also provided me with free consultation for my chronic shoulder pain (yes, he’s actually a medical doctor). Speaking of humility, generosity and principle, this will be a whole other story saved for another day.

I recently received a request to help put into words my honest opinion about a good friend and how I think she can contribute to the world.

(What a scary question!)

In the process of writing my thoughts, it occurred to me what a profound impact she has had in my life without me realizing it.

Ever wonder how sometimes God send angels into your life purely for your own benefits? I am convinced Isabel is one of those angels.

You’d understand why reading this.

Assignment:

1/ My interpretation of Isabel Valle.

2/ How she can bring value to the world?

I would like to divide my thoughts on Isabel into 3 parts.

The Beginning

My wife and I met Isabel and Peter when they first moved to Brunei on occasional get together at the Australian Embassy, the Radisson Hotel and other social functions.

Our relationships grew to another level one day when my house caught on fire. Isabel and Peter were one of the first people that reached out to us then. We can still remember vividly opening the box of necessities that very evening donated by them. There were toothbrushes, women’s sanitary items for Deon, t-shirts, kids stuff and all the little things that we didn’t know we were missing – packed in a box of well wishes.

I often joked to Isabel that it was as if she was getting ready for our house to burn down with that box waiting for us. On a serious note, that night as we counted our losses, we also counted our blessings in that treasure box which our family will never forget.

I often ask myself, given the same scenario happened in reverse, would I have exhibited the same level of generosity to a casual acquaintance that I have met over social occasions?

Isabel’s good deed has altered our worldview on kindness for strangers. And has also since challenged us to pay it forward, leading with her own example.

So, here’s my first interpretation of Isabel:

Generosity of spirit.

Thoughtful to the nth degree.

 

The Middle

I was recently prompted by a Facebook Memory of a testimonial post that I wrote of Isabel after she was invited to speak to our team about perseverance and work ethic. I wrote about the difference between a good and a great speaker, and that Isabel belonged to the camp of greatness; one who inspires action long after her speech was delivered. What amused me and caught me by surprise reading back on my note was that, one of my staff actually quit her job after listening to Isabel’s talk!

Beyond that speaking session, Isabel also volunteered as our regular columnist at Inspire magazine. I will occasionally stumble into her past contributions and find myself charged up by her unfiltered messages with crystal clarity. When it comes to Isabel’s writing, I’m a self confessed fan. I’d be the first to read her latest blog post and share them on Facebook whenever she has something new to share, because it makes me look that much smarter to be sharing those words of wisdom.

My second interpretation of Isabel:

Annoyingly honest.

And downright dangerous.

 

The End

Of course, I hope this will not be the end of what I would learn from Isabel. Despite our geographical difference ever since she moved to Bangkok, I continue to be on the receiving end of this generous friendship.

I launched a series of Masterclasses towards end of last year to share what I have learned from Inspire magazine, while I was at a low point of my career. I had just ended my publications just months earlier.

I was expecting kind compliments and encouraging remarks when I sent her the first draft of my brochure. However, Isabel unreservedly tore it apart. While her brutal honesty hurt, it was a much needed advise that made a world of difference to my messages. My texts came across as weak and lacking in confidence. As a reader, she could sense I was holding back, fighting my own demons with fears and struggle.

Without hesitation, Isabel helped change the whole outlook of my Masterclass by simply tweaking the tone of my writing. She is one of those rare craftsmen who understands how little details can make a huge difference and knows exactly which button to press.

More than editing, it was Isabel’s believe in me that gave me the confidence to share a piece of myself through my Masterclasses.

I had one of the most enjoyable moments catching up with Isabel over breakfast during my recent visit to Thailand. I could feel that Isabel was living in her element. She sounded as though she was taking full control of her life and is thriving with her new found purpose with a world-class personal development program that she was involved in. As always, Isabel also took a special interest in the work I’m doing and the well being of my family.

At the end of the meeting, she made me feel so good by believing in myself more than I do. I remember thinking to myself; I only wish everyone would be lucky enough to have a friend just like Isabel.

Undeniably, there are obvious differences between the Isabel I knew in Brunei a couple of years ago and the Isabel now. She is more polished, more purposeful, guided with more weaponries to make changes.

However, to me, it doesn’t matter how much more polished Isabel gets, it is her greatness of spirit that is long ingrained in her that makes her truly remarkable. The rest of the accolades are simply just a bonus, no matter which ivy league institution she associates herself with.

My third and final interpretation of Isabel?

A Super Smart Person / a Superb Editor / an Amazing Marketeer.

Above all, a Great Teacher.

One whose talent would always be superseded by her kindness and her wholeheartedness in rooting for your success, often time, more so than your own.

The kind of friend that you can only wish for, and brag about because you know it is God favor that he planted an angel into your midst.

I delivered a nervous but passionate speech this morning to the new Minister at the launch of our new venture. One that  holds great conviction that all partners deeply believe in. I hope it transpires.

Opening Speech for an “Integrated Kids Development Centre”

by Shaun Hoon

Our Guest of Honour Yang Berhormat, Retired Major General Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin.

Mr Wu Chun, Managing Director of Fitness Zone

Our Fellow Partners

Pengiran Pengiran, Pehin Pehin, Dato Dato, Tuan Tuan, Puan Puan, Ladies and Gentlemen.

My name is Shaun Hoon. I am the founding partner of Tomato Kidz Furniture Shop and Nori Dori kids lifestyle store in Brunei. And, I am also married to the founder of Yippy Tune Music School, Deon.

As a result, I received the most number of votes from the partners to speak on their behalf this morning.

Today is a celebration of 4 different businesses coming together to serve the community of Brunei through Arts, Music, Home & Lifestyle, Fashion and wonderfully Delicious and Healthy food.

On behalf of Energy Kitchen, Yippy Tune Music School, Yippy Juice Boutique, Jo Art, Tomato Kidz and Nori Dori, I would like to thank all of you for attending our opening ceremony.

9 months ago, Wu Chun came to me with an idea of converting the ground floor of Fitness Zone into a kid development centre. I thought it was an interesting idea, but didn’t take it too seriously because I couldn’t envisage how it could work.

Having 4 different businesses under one roof in a completely open concept posses way too many practical challenges, I thought to myself.

However, Chun was able to convince us as parents of the simple, yet practical idea of being able to drop off our kids to art or music classes, while going to the gym. A win-win situation for all, especially for an era when no body have time for anything anymore.

From business point of view, while the parents are waiting for their kids, they can buy some furniture or have some healthy food.   Which is not a bad business proposition at all.

So, despite our fears and concerns, the opportunities seem to out weigh the costs. But we’d never know how it would turn out until we go ahead and do it, so we decided to take the plunge on this adventure together.

After all, doing business is all about taking calculated risks.

Fast forward 9 months later, we are here together as a team to start the first ever integrated kids centre in Brunei, thanks to the vision of one man, and the common passion of 4 different business partners.

What is our Passion?

Beyond business, each of us shares a deep sense of mission to develop the next generation of Brunei through Art, Music and Health.

To produce the next Wu Chun. 

And to influence a better lifestyle with inspiring home ideas for kidz.

Yang Berhormat Dato, ladies and gentlemen – today, you will be proud to witness some of the most astounding home-grown young talents produced by our music and art school, orchestrated by the immensely talented art directors, Mardi & Amy, from Relentless.

I promise you, as good as you think these performers are, these are just the tip of the ice berg, as we begin our quest to uncover the potentials of many more outstanding talents here in Brunei in the future.

Today, we come together to pledge our commitment to make a positive impact to the community and to influence the youths of Brunei through art, culture and health.

And we take the opportunity to thank each one of you for all your support.

 

Two of the questions that I reflect on as I wind down 2017:

What are some of the most important lessons in Business I took away from 2017?

For me, 2017 was a time when I doubled down on my effort and investment on books, events, seminars and networking to find new ideas and opportunities – during a time when business is slow. Lessons learned were not only valuable for my business – on a personal level; it did tremendous job in lifting my spirit.

Recommendations: 

Online Courses:

Two of the outstanding courses I invested in this year included: Seth Godin’s The Marketing Seminar, a mind boggling learning experience about marketing and quite simply, connecting to people on a human level. It also gave me a sneak peek on what the future of education looks like.

I also enrolled in Masterclass, to learn from the best in the world on – fictional writing, cooking, acting and performing. My teachers include: James Patterson, Gordon Ramsey, Dustin Hoffman and Usher – 90% of the courses have nothing to do with what I do, but the principles taught by each of the guru were not only universal, but critical and downright applicable.

Events: 

A memorable event I paid a lot for this year was a 2 day intensive talk on the Miracles of Capital by Dr Wong organized by a good friend and mentor, Nicky Wong, where I learned about the importance of a well thought after business model, and the power of group think and collaboration in raising capitals to take your business to the next level. 2018’s  session in Brunei will be from 26-28 January. You can contact Nicky directly  here.

If you are looking for new ways to improve your business or looking to expand beyond Brunei’s border – checkout Property Hunter’s Tradescape event in KK on 17^th & 18^th January 2018. You will learn tips on fund raising, opportunities with Alipay, and insights on running successful retail business against the online market space. I had been in the audience of one of the two speakers  – Mr Chris Tan – a prominent lawyer / celebrity speaker in Malaysia who is extremely lively, funny and yet, substantial.

Question 2

If you’re in business/ working for an organization: Beyond driving a profit, how has your business impacted the community this year? 

When we are on survival mode, this is the question furthest from our mind. However, it does not diminish the validity and importance of reflecting on your businesses’ purpose and contribution to the community.

I have been privileged to be involved with Asia Inc Forum in developing a 2 day regional conference next year in Manila on 17 & 18 April entitled The Future Re-Imagined. We will be looking at the future of different sectors through the lens of Corporate Social Responsibility, Innovation, Governance and Greatness of Spirit.

Throughout this experience, I have been exposed to companies after companies with a great conscience and sense of duty that is beyond profit to affect change in the society throughout Asia. In many ways, it changes my perspective on what it means to be in business. The sense of pride and purpose the employees carry when they walked me through their company’s community projects led me to the epiphany of a far superior level of motivating staff to find meaning and loyalty for their work that money can never buy.

Lesson of the year for me?

Doing Good is undoubtedly and simply, just Good for Business! 

2017 has been a year of change and steep learning for me. I couldn’t have survived without the exposure to the incredible minds that I intentionally and unintentionally surrounded myself with.

I encourage you to do the same, and keep on learning!

Thank you.

Merry X’mas and Happy Holiday!

Here’s the slides for

Student of Life

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Best Lessons from Masterclass

For those who attended this session, I hope you will agree – this was something special.

For those who didn’t, I’m glad you didn’t get to see me tear up and choke.  : )

It’s been a tremendous privilege to have shared 8 sessions of my inner most voices to all of you.

Til the next time.

So long!