My journey
I had always wanted to be a banker. And so I embarked on my dream career right out of school, first in Singapore, then in the US. It seemed like I would just spend the rest of my working life climbing up the corporate ladder. Then my life was rocked by the death of my sister in 2000. Her death hit me hard in my core, and I started to ponder my life purpose more intensely. Do I want to spend the rest of my life working my way up in the bank? What can I do with my life, which is truly temporal in the light of what had happened to my family? I felt I needed to do something more rewarding. Like giving back to the community, touching lives and focusing less on financial rewards.
After years of soul searching, I decided to leave the banking industry to open up a cafe, with the vision of building community together. I made so many meaningful connections with the community. My sense of purpose was very strong. With the cafe, I was able to provide a safe space for people to share their life stories with me. Everyone has a story. They just need to be seen and heard by someone.
In June 2017, duty called, and my husband and I relocated back to Singapore to be closer to family. Back in Singapore, I felt really lost. I had absolutely no clear idea as to what I wanted to do next, career-wise. It felt like I was wandering in the desert, with nothing in front of me except miles of sand. No destination in sight. No roads to lead me anywhere. After much prayer, I felt a strong calling to be a coach. That was an aha! moment for me. It felt like an extension of the work I had done at my cafe. There, I was impacting people’s lives through informal conversations and community service. As a coach, I would be impacting through a more logical framework. With that vision in mind, I started my journey by enrolling myself in the world-recognised Coaches Training Institute. After 104 hours of intense training, I am now living out my life purpose of sparking a fire in the life of others. Life is too short. I am done sleepwalking through life. And I want to live it with a strong purpose.
Now, are you ready to live yours out with your own life purpose?
My Credentials
Certified Professional Co-Active Coach
Career Coach, Centre for Career Excellence
Owner, Bitter+Sweet Cafe (Cupertino, CA, USA)
Board Member, Cupertino Chamber of Commerce
Board Member, CA Small Business Association
Coach, Silicon Valley Start-Up Cup
Division Manager, Silicon Valley Bank (US)
Bachelor of Social Sciences, Economics & Statistics (Second Class Upper Honours)
“One thing people are never good at, is seeing themselves as others see them. A coach really, really helps.”