New year motivation: 8 inspiring profile stories to kick off 2022
Want to start the year off on an inspiring note? Take a leaf from the playbooks of these successful entrepreneurs.
Former radio DJ Maddy Barber, Astons founder Aston Soon, Birds Of Paradise founder Edwin Lim. (Photos: Aik Chen, Alvin Teo, Kelvin Chia)
With a new year comes new possibilities to dream bigger, work harder and achieve more. If you need a dose of motivation to kick things into gear as you work towards achieving your goals, read these inspirational stories capturing the growth and journeys of successful business owners in Singapore.
THE THREE SIBLINGS BUILDING SINGAPORE’S OWN FITNESS EMPIRE
The Ding siblings Calvin, Valerie and Bebe rode to success when they launched their CRU fitness brand with a range of studios in Singapore that provide spinning, boxing, yoga and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) classes. Their ever growing fitness empire now also includes CRU TV, their own virtual fitness platform, and their own CRU TV bike. How did they do it?
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THE TENDERFRESH FRIED CHICKEN STORY
You’ve sunk your teeth into Tenderfresh’s well-loved fried chicken, but did you know that the chain started off in 1979 as a small hawker stall in Whitley Road Hawker Centre? Tenderfresh founder Jimmy Soh and chief operating officer Kelvin Chua chronicle the company’s evolution from a humble coffeeshop stall to a thriving F&B empire.
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HOW CELEBRITY AND HEALTH COACH JACELYN TAY OVERCAME THE TOUGHEST MOMENTS IN LIFE
Former actress Jacelyn Tay has gone through turbulent times, from battling an autoimmune condition, to going through bankruptcy and divorce. Still, she got back up on her feet every time. How does she stay positive? And what’s her advice for others going through similar situations?
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HOW TWO LAW STUDENTS TURNED A CAROUSELL HOBBY INTO A WATCH DEALERSHIP
Brothers Jarod and Joses Ng started off by trading high-end timepieces on Carousell. That hobby soon turned into a full-fledged business when the brothers opened a physical retail boutique at 111 Somerset. They share their story with us.
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MADDY BARBER ON WHY SHE LEFT RADIO TO FOCUS ON HER JEWELLERY BUSINESS
It’s never an easy decision to leave one passion in order to pursue another. In the case of local DJ Maddy Barber, she made the difficult choice to leave a career in radio that she had built for years in order to put in her all for her jewellery business, Madly Gems. She shares what’s in store for her future.
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ASTONS’ FOUNDER ON ESTABLISHING A HOUSEHOLD NAME
When Aston Soon, founder of homegrown steakhouse Astons, opened his first hawker stall, he had no idea that it would grow into the household name it is today. He shares his journey and insights into how the company is navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.
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THE FOUNDER OF BIRDS OF PARADISE WANTS TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE
Birds Of Paradise founder left his engineering job to pursue his dream of making ice-cream. Today, the brand is well-known for its botanical gelato, but founder Edwin Lim sees the business as a vehicle to give back to the community. He chats about the company’s CSR efforts and if expansion is on the cards for the business.
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AT 18, HE DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL TO JOIN HIS FAMILY’S DURIAN CONFECTIONERY BUSINESS
Local durian confectionery business Four Seasons Durians started off as a fruit stall on Thomson Road. It has since evolved into selling durian-infused desserts after baking instructor Victor Chan took over the company in 2002. At the helm of the business now is Chan’s youngest son Marcus, who dropped out of school at 18 in order to help transform the business. What’s next for the young entrepreneur and the Four Seasons business?
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