Budding Entrepreneurs At Work

Budding Entrepreneurs At Work

Tuesday 4 December 2012

JLPC's Innovation & Entrepreneurship Camp, Nov 2012 - Super Spies

Our Innovation & Entrepreneurship camp titled Super Spies was held last week (26th to 30th Nov) and what an amazing time we had!

Kids were tasked with a variety of challenges from Days 1 to 3 and for very good reasons too!











Apart from teambuilding, collaboration, thinking out of the box and problem solving, which are part of the key skills of 21st Century Learning, they also learnt how to use materials in different ways and in so doing, they were prepared to take on the business challenge we set for them on the last two days of camp.

Creativity was seen everywhere, from the innovations the kids made throughout the camp, which we displayed prominently in the room to keep them inspired throughout the camp duration, to the posters lining the walls of the camp venue.

What was also important was them understanding how to take on a leadership role and delegating tasks and sharing work among the team members, which is not an easy thing for them to do at their age. Many of them wanted to do their own thing and found it hard to accept that others had ideas too.


In the end, we were very impressed with the achievements of our 4 teams: Team Silent Killers; Team Lightning Bolt; Team Unicorn Buddies and Team AAX. They put in a lot of effort into the development of their respective products which was showcased during the Investors Fair on the last day of camp and their efforts certainly paid off.



The kids gave presentations and demonstrations on how their products worked to their parents, aka investors, who then were given some time to take an active role in this fair by 'investing' in the toy that they felt had the most potential as well as the best business plan.


Also, here's a BIG shout out to the wonderful team of facilitators that made the camp such a success: Leslie, Wee Pin, Zeke, Linn and Noble. With additional support from Tony, Julian and San. You guys were great! Thank you so much!

Here's to the fantastic kids of Camp Super Spies Nov 2012, congratulations to you all for a fantastic job done throughout the week! See you at our next JLPC event!

Pictures from all 5 days of camp have been uploaded on to our facebook page: www.facebook.com/kidsinventJLPC







Tuesday 13 November 2012

Spy vs Spy - 2 Day Workshop 11 & 12 Dec 2012

Hot off the press! I am so excited to announce that Kids Invent!will once again be working in collaboration with the Science Centre Singapore. This time, to present to you our next event called Spy vs Spy, which is a 2 Day creative workshop held at the Science Centre itself on 11th and 12th of Dec!
 
The trainer for this workshop will be none other than yours truly, so join me there for 2 days of great fun!
 
Kids don't miss out on this event! Workshop fees include entry into the Science Centre as well! Contact lorraine.paul@kidsinventasia.org to register!
 



Monday 12 November 2012

Cheers to a successful Innovation Symposium on 21st Century Learning!


9th November was an eventful day for me. Though mentally exhausted from a full day of training the day before, I was totally invigorated listening to speakers such as Dr Bonnie Cramond and Mr Bernie Trilling (The Bonnie and Bernie Show as they humourously call themselves), who gave insightful presentations on the importance of creativity in education, and learning the 21st Century way.

Dr Timothy Stearns, Co-Founder Kids Invent!

The other speakers were: Dr Timothy Stearns (Co-Founder of Kids Invent! and Executive Director of the Lyles Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship); Dr Lyndon Jones (Founder Chairman of The Association of Business Executives); Mr Bernard Lim, a facilitator of Focus-On-The-Family's "Parenting with Confidence", an active advocate of the fathering movement in Singapore, and father to 3 gifted children; and Mr Teh Chong Mien, Vice President for Sales at StarHub's Enterprise Business Group.



Joining us as our official media partner was Asian Geographic Junior and The Read, who graciously gave away hundreds of their magazines to the very lucky kids who came to the Science Centre that day.

The key message from all speakers was clear... creativity in the new age is an essential tool in surviving whatever the future throws at us. Be it in education or in business.

We need to empower our children, and ourselves, with the right tools and mindset right now through learning 21st Century Life Skills.

It is no longer the era of rote learning. Literacy and numeracy, while still important in education, is starting to take a back seat as creativity and innovativeness slowly takes centrestage to cope with the stresses of the new information age.

Powerful thoughts to lead us as we face head-on the rapidly transforming landscape of the future.
 
Bernie Trilling interacting with the audience during the Q&A session.





Sunday 11 November 2012

Interested in being an Entrepreneur?

It's been a while since I've been asked to speak to kids at schools. The last time was when I was still a lecturer at Ngee Ann Poly's School of Film and Media Studies (FMS). I was part of the outreach committee and used to go to secondary schools to talk to students about their career path and why FMS was the way to go.

So it was with great honour that I accepted this opportunity to speak with the P6 kids at Fuchun Primary early this month during their Career Fair.


It was an opportunity for me to share my experience as a mom-preneur and why I decided to take this route instead of a regular 9 to 5 job.

As each batch of kids came round to talk with me, I asked how many of them wanted to be their own boss. Interestingly enough I only got 2 positives, a few maybes but mostly blank stares.

But as I talked with them, some had interesting view points to share about being an entrepreneur either because they had a parent or parents who owned businesses, or because they had interests in being their own boss.

It was heartwarming to know that we had budding entrepreneurs in our midst.

My message to them was a simple one: Find your passion and if you can turn it into a business, you'll never have to work a single day in your life.

A big thank you to Mrs Yap Dai Jee, Principal of Fuchun Primary School, as well as Ms Chin Yee, the teacher in charge of the Career Fair, in allowing me the privilege of meeting these young towkays (businessmen) and having such a wonderful experience to remember.










Wednesday 31 October 2012

Christmas is in the air...

Been into town recently? Wow, xmas decorations are already up on the Orchard Road stretch and we haven't even celebrated Deepavali yet! In fact, I just got a taste of it too... literally! That's because I had a lovely cup of toffee nut latte from Starbucks earlier this evening and only when I walked in that I realised their menu and decor have also gone all Xmassy... this IS the most wonderful time of the year!

Anyway, came across this picture of a very interesting piece of xmas origami art and thought I'd share with you. Since the exams are over and the kids will be driving you up the wall soon, in a good way I hope (haha...), perhaps you'd like to get them started on creating some Xmas decorations from recycled materials such as magazine paper or craft sticks!

How about a paper angel topper for your tree (as shown here), or your own aluminium xmas ball decorations? Use craft sticks and hard piece of cardboard from cereal boxes to make unique photo frames that you can give away as pressies! I'm planning to try some of these ideas for my own tree this year and yes, it'll be up pretty soon. I just love to get into the festive mood as early as possible without being too fanatical!

Powering The Innovation Generation

I'm really looking forward to next week because we've got a couple of very special people coming into town for Singapore's first Innovation Symposium on 21st Century Learning. Organised by American Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (http://aiie.co/), it is supported by the Singapore Science Centre and media partners, Asian Geographic Junior (http://www.asiangeo.com/index.php?current-issue-agj) and The READ (http://www.asiangeo.com/index.php?current-issue-agr)


Why you should think about attending... (Click here to register for the symposium)

bonnie cramondFirstly we've got Dr Bonnie Cramond.

She's a professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology at the University of Georgia. She has been a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association for Gifted Children, the editor of the Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, and the Director of the Torrance Center for Creative Studies and Talent Development.

An international and national speaker, she has published numerous articles and teaches classes on giftedness and creativity. She is particularly interested in the identification and nurturance of creativity, especially among students considered at risk for an alternative diagnosis (ADHD) or dropping out. She is a former elementary and middle school teacher and the survivor of parenting two gifted and creative children.

She will be speaking at our Symposium on Creativity – supporting the success and growth in the 21st Century.

bernie trillingSecondly, we have Bernie Trilling.

Bernie is a 21st century learning expert, advisor, author, and the former global director of the Oracle Education Foundation, where he directed the development of education strategies, partnerships, and services for the Foundation and its ThinkQuest programs. He has served as Board Member of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and co-chaired the committee that developed the highly regarded “rainbow” learning framework.

Bernie has worked on a number of pioneering educational products and services and is an active member of a variety of organizations dedicated to bringing 21st century learning methods to students and teachers across the globe.

Bernie co-authored the widely acclaimed book, 21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in Our Times, published by Wiley. He has also written dozens of articles for educational journals and magazines and is a featured speaker at numerous educational conferences.

Recently, Bernie has been researching the common practices of over 400 schools that are models for 21st century learning as part of the Hewlett Foundation’s Deeper Learning initiative.
Bernie is a lifelong, self-propelled learner. He has devoted much of his career to furthering the kinds of learning experiences he has found most engaging, collaborative, relevant, and powerful, working to make these experiences available to learners of all ages.


Kids Invent! Co-Founder Prof Timothy Stearns will also be present to give us invaluable insights on being an entrepreneur and fostering the entrepreneurial spirit among our young.

Prof Dr Timothy Stearns is the holder of the Coleman Foundation Chair in Entrepreneurial Studies and Executive Director of the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at California State University







Last but certainly not least, we have Dr Lyndon Jones, who is the Founder and Chairman of The Association of Business Executives (ABE).

Dr Lyndon Jones has always been proactive and driven within the education sector, actively embracing change and development. He has served on many global committees in order to help lead the sector forward in the most professional and creative way.

He was editor of the monthly publication Education and Training and more recently of the Journal the Free Trader. He is also the author of a number of books and innumerable articles. His most recent book Time Well Spent is a guide to organising life and work.


Programme Flyer:


 
Our Media Partners:
 

Wednesday 3 October 2012

SUPER SPIES - Your Mission Should You Choose To Accept It...

"Super Spies" is the theme for our 5 Day Entrepreneur Camp in Nov 2012. Kids will get to take on alternate personas as they go on a mission to rescue the prisoners held at evil Dr Tentacles' lair. But it will not be easy and the challenges will be tough to overcome. ARE YOU READY FOR THIS MISSION?

Days 1 to 3 will be focused on fostering 21st Century Life Skills such as creativity, innovation, collaboration and teamwork, critical thinking and problem solving

Days 4 and 5 will teach kids how to become financially literate so as to become not only good inventors but entrepreneurs as well. Kids will be brought to a shopping centre where they'll see how companies market their goods and services, they then work in teams to brainstorm, design and create their own unique toy invention. An Inventors' Fair will be held at the tail end of our camp to showcase all the inventions from our creative teams. Teams will have to impress the investors (aka parents) to invest in their product and the one with the most votes wins!

Registration is now open. Click here to request for a registration form or for more details: lorraine.paul@kidsinventasia.org.



 Programme Details:

Day 1 - The Mission Gets On The Way
We have just been alerted that a large group of engineers and scientists have been captured by the evil Dr Tentacles on Octopus Island. Dr T has devised an evil plan to wipe out all inventors in the world so that he will be only one left. What he doesn't know is that the only inventors left in the world are from Singapore. We need your help to establish a new location for our spy headquarters and build new transport vehicles because the ones that we have are all broken down. We need to get to Octopus Island before it is too late!

0930 - 1000: Drop off & registration
1000 - 1015: Camp Briefing
1015 - 1100: Establish Spy Headquarters (Paper Fort)
1100 - 1115: Break
1115 - 1230: Creating New Spy Outfits (Project Spy Runway)
1230 - 1330: LUNCH
1330 - 1600: Spy Vehicles (Horizontal & Diagonal Balloon Sliders)
1600: End of Day 1

Day 2 - Always Be On The Defense
Now that our base is established, we need to build up our defense systems. Dr Tentacles' minions have reported to him that we are now harbouring the only inventors left in the world, and he may launch an attack on us at any moment. Our spies need to be armed as they leave for Octopus Island on their stealth fighters. We're so impressed with what you've built for us yesterday that we know you'll be able to assist us once again.

0930 - 1000: Drop off & registration
1000 - 1100: Spy Packs
1100 - 1115: Break
1115 - 1230: Stealth Fighters (Aeroplanes, Gliders, Plane Launchers and Skimmers)
1230 - 1330: LUNCH
1330 - 1600: Rockets (Pneumatic Blast & Pom Pom Launchers)
1600 - 1615: Debrief & End of Day 2

Day 3 - Spies To The Rescue
Excellent job done on our defense system. The spy teams have made much progress but their fuel has run out! Octopus Island sits in the middle of Slime Lake. How are they able to make it across to rescue the prisoners? We need your help once again!

0930 - 1000: Drop off & registration
1000 - 1030: Blow darts
1100 - 1115: Break
1115 - 1230: A-maze-ing race 
1230 - 1330: LUNCH
1330 - 1600: Building Bridges, Handocopters/ Cone-copters/ Parachute Men
1600 - 1615: Debrief & End of Day 3

Days 4 & 5: Toy Invention
Hurray! All the inventors have been rescued from Dr Tentacles, who is now locked away in a maximum security prison. To celebrate their successful rescue mission, the inventors would like to build unique toys that the spies can sell to make some money for the upkeep of their new headquarters.

Day 4 - Entrepreneurship Track Part 1: Understanding the marketplace
0930 - 1000: Drop off & registration
1000 - 1200: Briefing & Site Visit to Bishan Junction 8 - NTUC Fairprice. (We will travel by chartered bus.)
1200 - 1300: LUNCH
1300 - 1400: Learning about the 4Ps, SCAMPER Process, brainstorming & ideas generation
1400 - 1600: Team Invention Time
1600 - 1615: Debrief & End of Day 4


Day 5 - Entrepreneurship Track Part 2: Marketing Their Inventions
0930 - 1000: Drop off & registration
1000 - 1230: Team Invention Time
1230 - 1300: LUNCH
1300 - 1400: Team Invention Time
1400 - 1600: Preparing For Presentation At The Inventors' Fair
1600 - 1800: Invention demonstrations by Teams at the Inventors' Fair, followed by tea reception for participants & parents, and certificate presentation.
1800: End of Day 5

*Activities for each day may vary according to the weather or the dexterity of the participants and is at the discretion of the camp organiser. On days that there will be water play, children are advised to bring a spare change of clothing, as well as a hand towel. Lunch as well as refreshments will be provided daily, and parents are advised to inform the organiser if there are any dietary restrictions and allergies upon submission of the registration form.

Monday 1 October 2012

'You is kind. You is smart. You is important.'


This quote was taken from Kathryn Stockett's The Help. Just saw the movie yesterday (yes I know it's been out for a while already but better late than never right?) and was really touched by it. For those who are not familiar with the story, it is about African American maids working in white households in Jackson, Mississippi, during the early 1960s. It takes a first person perspective of how maids were treated back in those days, and of three ladies in particular - Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter.

What drew me in was the similarities to our current lifestyle. No not in the hoity toity Southern way, but in that we depend so much on maids to look after our kids and our households. And that whether we like it or not we still do see some families ill-treating their maids as though they weren't human.

This line was taken from the scene where Aibileen would tell Baby Girl (aka the little girl she looks after) to repeat this line every time she feels hurt or feels sad.

It was about empowering the little girl to always think good things about herself just by repeating these few words.

Words are so powerful,  so potent and has such great impact on us. How many of us say this to our own kids?

My daughter had a couple of run ins with some school bullies in the past. Ever since she was in Primary 3, she had to deal with fair weather friends who liked her one day ("You're my BFF!") and ignores her on another. The worst was one occasion when she was told to her face "I hate you" during recess time, by not one girl but by the whole 'gang'. She came home in tears of course, sometimes not willing to tell my husband and I what had happened in school. Slowly we managed to get her to share with us what had happened in school and I remember telling her to always say to herself "I am special. I am unique." whenever she was in that situation.

And when she felt disappointed or sad whenever she couldn't get her grades up, especially in MT, I'd tell her to tell herself "I Can Do It" and every improvement, no matter how small, is celebrated with high-fives, hugs and kisses. I strongly believe in empowering children. They have so much potential in them and all they need is a good support system. As a parent, I can only hope to think that what I've done with my girl has made her a much more confident person. Not a person who is only focused on getting good grades but someone who will be able to survive whatever life throws at her.

 

 
Watching the movie and listening to Aibileen saying something similar to her Baby Girl, just hit home for me. It brought back those memories of me and my baby girl.

I had also recalled that in my past two workshops, I have had the most wonderful opportunity to work with kids who had mild autism, dyslexia and ADHD. I could see the hesitation in their parents eyes when the kids were dropped off at the workshop, worrying about whether their kids would fit in with the others, ie the 'normal' ones. I'm not going to say that it was easy, because it wasn't, especially since I'm not a trained counsellor to deal with such disorders. But I did what I thought was best... which was absolutely nothing.

It was game on as usual. I was the only one in the room that knew which child had what. None of my facilitators knew about these kids as they weren't privy to the registration details and they didn't care to ask either. And they had almost the same feedback during our debrief sessions, ie all the kids behaved, well... like kids. We had the naughty ones, the ones that talked back, the bossy ones, the quiet ones... you get the picture. And we had to work with them the best that we could so that they could get the best out of each and every challenge posed to them.

Some were tougher than others to help integrate into their teams, some took to leadership rather readily but they all had their moments of brilliance. From contributing very creative and innovative ideas to figuring out how to work circuits in a flash, they all brought a bit of themselves to the table and shared it openly with the others.

It warms my heart seeing the moment the light switches on in their eyes when the kids engage in the activities. Especially when they succeed in the challenges after going through many tests and modifications. They are all unique and all special, important in their own way. And this movie is a timely reminder not to keep these thoughts to myself but to tell them that.
 

Sunday 30 September 2012

Matt's First Birthday... Family Before PSLE

My brother and his wife held a celebration for their son's first birthday today. Happy birthday Matthew!! It was my nephew's first rock and roll party, complete with KISS (first outfit) and Rolling Stones (second outfit) t-shirts. It was so good seeing all the family gathered under one roof again. In this case, it was the 4th floor of Hotel V on Jelicoe Road, at 12-inch Pizzas & Records.

The pizzas there were fabulous. So unique too. Well, it was my first time having pizzas with toppings like black pepper crab, garlic prawns, and duck with hoisin sauce. Also on the menu were buffalo wings, and meatballs, which were nice and moist, served with a chunky tomato sauce that was good enough to have on its own. I wished they had served bread rolls or some pasta along with it but since there weren't any, I just slathered the crusts from the pizza with the sauce instead. Worked just as well.

I'd definitely want to come back to see what are the other types of pizzas on the menu.

Considering that there were so many people wanting to carry Mat (he is super adorable, but then again I am biased), as well as to hug and kiss him. It wasn't before long that he started getting a little grumps from getting all that attention. But to give him credit, he only let out a wail just when he was about to cut the cake.

Well imagine being in his shoes. All of a sudden so many people were standing in front of him, taking pictures of him, clapping their hands and singing the birthday song, which probably startled him as well. It was a bit overwhelming to say the least. But mommy and daddy were there to save the day and Matt became Mr Congeniality once again after a few minutes of time out from the crowd.

To think that we almost didn't make it there too. Afterall, my daughter was in the thick of PSLE preparations and the Chinese exam is tomorrow. Our initial plan was to drop by with the pressies, give hugs and kisses then head home to allow her to continue her studying. But family is family and we need to stand by each other through thick and thin right (no pizza pun intended here)? Plus she's been working really hard the whole weekend so it was good to let her take a break.

And besides, birthdays are important celebrations. It's a time to get together with friends and family members and catch up with what we've been doing since the last time we met. In this case, for me it meant sharing with them what I've done so far with Kids Invent! It's nice knowing that I've got them rooting for me, like my own cheerleading squad, wishing me success for this programme.

So anyway, cheers to Matthew on blowing out the candle on his first birthday cake, and that there may be many more of such wonderful celebrations in the years to come. May God bless him abundantly with a lifetime of good health and happiness.

Rock and party on little guy!!

Saturday 29 September 2012

Sometimes, All You Need Is a Little Push In The Right Direction

Last night, a couple of girlfriends and I went to Saveur on Purvis St for a fabulous dinner. It was to celebrate a good friend turning four decades old. I almost thought we had to wait another 40 years to get in the door. I arrived at 6.30pm assuming that we had reservations only to find out that they don't take reservations. Oh boy... not a good start. Secondly, I was told that we had to wait for one and a half hours to get a table since we were such a big group.

Looking around, I saw that the crowd of people milling about outside the restaurant consisted mainly of small groups of 2 to 4 people and based on the layout of tables in the establishment it was highly likely that they would be seated before us. So I sucked back the sigh that was dying to escape my throat and quickly put my name on the waiting list. "Lorrin, 7 pax" the lovely but stressed out staff put down on her list next to my contact number. She looked so frazzled by the dinner crowd that I didn't have the heart to correct the spelling of my name.

It was so tempting to whatsapp my girlfriends, who weren't there yet, to suggest an alternative location but I thought better of it. We had already made the decision to eat there and come what may, we would. Apparently the food was good there. Awesome in fact, some people say. And from the looks of the eager faces around me, I suspected that it was true. Just then... I kid you not, a group of passersby talked about the place in loud voices as they went pass me, as though planted there by the chefs to promote the menu. From my expert skills in eavesdropping, I found out that the Foie Gras and apple infused with port wine was to die for, and so was the angel hair pasta served with tiger prawns and lumpfish caviar, as well as the duck confit. My stomach growled in anticipation.

A couple of aging newspaper cuttings pasted on the glass walls next to the entrance gives an indication to the beginnings of what is now considered as the epitome of affordable French fine dining experience in Singapore.

It started out with two young local chefs who were trained in a number of fine dining establishments including Guy Savoy and Tetsuya's in Sydney. I was told by my friends that these guys used to operate their business from a corner coffee shop opposite 112 Katong on East Coast Road before moving into their current premises. The same place where I used to buy stuffed tau kwa when I was growing up in that area. I guess they just wanted more people to cultivate an appetite for and enjoy French cuisine without the super high prices you'd expect to pay at fine dining establishments.

Having to wait for one and a half hours for our table and anticipating another 45 minutes for the food to arrive, we decided unanimously to order every single item on the menu so that we could try them all, except the bread rolls. After all, we did have a pregnant woman in our midst, and you never keep a pregnant woman waiting for food... well... except in this case. I was expecting raised eyebrows from our waiter but he seemed non-plussed by our greed.

The offerings were distinctly French in size... if you know what I mean, such as their starter of Duck Rillette which was served in a small jar with a side of teensy bits of toast and a few leaves of romaine lettuce on a huge plate. We were so on the mark to order more than 1 portion of the starters and soup of the day. Phew...

That all being said, it was well worth the wait I must say. The food was... to... die... for...

From starter to dessert, every dish came beautifully presented and tasted impeccable. I'm not a foie gras nor duck person but by the end of the evening, I was a convert. And the damage to my credit card wasn't too bad either. Mind you, we did order the ENTIRE MENU!! We each coughed up about $36 for the meal. Very reasonable. The only minus point of the whole experience was the service. Sad...

So we ate, reminisced and ate some more, well into the early hours of the morning. I updated my friends about my new business venture in Kids Invent! and spoke to them about the camps that will be coming up in November and December so that they could co-ordinate their vacation dates in order to send their kids to these camps. At one point, the conversation got a tad bit serious. We got to talking about each of us turning 40 and how we knew of a certain so and so who recently passed away or got diagnosed with some life threatening disease. Whether it's because of our diet or because of our sedentary lifestyles, we all agreed that we needed to take better care of ourselves now that we are at this turning point in our lives.

Someone mentioned that she recently got into Zumba to add variety into her exercise routine, and even got her husband to attend class with her as well. I told her that I've been wanting to get into the Zumba scene for a very long time, ever since I read about it and saw a couple of videos online. I even bought a Groupon for 6 Zumba sessions but never did get down to doing it. So she asked me to join her for her Saturday class. I have to admit, by that time it was close to 2am in the morning and I was so tired. The thought of having to wake up in a few hours time to go exercise was not exactly thrilling to me. But with some encouragement from her, I decided that I'd do it.

So later this morning, I woke up groggily from lack of sleep. Put on my exercise gear and got myself to Zumba class. What made me feel better was the fact that my hubby came along too!

Considering that I've not been exercising regularly, I was pleasantly surprised that I managed to follow the class quite well. Thought that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the pace. It was tough for me though, no doubt about that. I was panting and perspiring buckets by the time the session ended. I liked this class. Held at a sports hall, it was attended by overweight aunties, moms with kids (who studied at the back of the room while their moms danced their fats away) and out of shape people like me. It was a comfortable scene and something that I could come back to without fear of being scrutinised. So like all good Singaporeans who know how to get a good deal, we signed up for a package to get our discounts.

It's about time I got serious about losing weight and getting into shape. If I'm to keep pace with the kids attending my programme, I'll need the stamina to get my energy levels up for longer.

This weekend was supposed to be all about spending time with my kid, supporting her as she revises for her PSLE exams, meaning another quiet and sedentary weekend at home. I'm glad that I was nudged to get to that Zumba class. I spoke with my daughter about it, telling her how proud I was that I managed to shimmy and shake my way through the class, and how I was even more proud of her dad who wasn't fazed by being one of the only two men there. She's coming with us next Saturday and I'm so sure that she'll love it too.

In the meantime, I'm anticipating the aches and pains to kick in soon from all that Zumba-ing, reminding me that I'm not a spring chicken anymore.

Thursday 27 September 2012

What's in a name... really?

Having a lot of time on my hands was actually a good thing. (Although I think my daughter would say otherwise about her over eager, hovering and nagging mom. But hey, who else would get her to clean up her room, remind her to stretch and do her ballet exercises, and get in those extra few assessments into her already super packed schedule?) It allowed me to think clearly about what my next steps as an entrepreneur needed to be. And first thing on the agenda was that an important decision had to be made about how my new business venture was to be named. 'A name after all is just a name' you say? Well... not really because it's about giving the business a personality, isn't it? And I really wanted it to be a reflection of me as well.

Obviously not having a strategic planner on my payroll meant that I'd have to come up with a brilliant name myself. It had to speak volumes without being overbearing. It couldn't be too kiddie-ish or too bookish either. My brains were suddenly so overwhelmed that it felt like it would implode. So rather than just screaming my head off over such a small teensy matter, I did the next best thing... consult someone smarter (and calmer) than me. So we talked through the ones I had already come up with, slowly striking them off one by one, when suddenly she turns to me and asks me the most simple of questions- "what does this mean to you?"

"I want it to be the happiest thing that I do and would want to do till the day that I wouldn't be able to do it any more." I hear myself say. "A joyful journey for the rest of my life" I continued dramatically, coupled with waving of hands for added effect, which resulted in much rolling of eyeballs from my smarter and less dramatic friend. Then it came - Joyful Learning Path or JLP for short. It held so much meaning for me. This was going to be a learning journey for me as much as it would be for the people that I encounter through the programmes I'd offer. And it contained my initials too, which gave it a personal touch.

We gave each other high fives and hugs before reaching for the computer to register the name in ACRA, only to find out that the name was already taken. Sigh... but I still wanted it and so added a C for Centre, since it would be a centre for learning, perhaps a centre for like-minded people to network, and undoubtedly it will be the centre of my life... ok I'll stop here otherwise I'll let in on how corny I can get when inspired... and there you go... with a couple of clicks of my mouse button and a credit card payment, JLPC Consultancy was born.

So now my main offering is Kids Invent! but I'm hoping that in due time, the business will extend its programs to reach out to wider audiences, including kids of all ages with special needs and corporate training programs for the young at heart.

Who knows what the future holds for JLPC Consultancy and me? What is certain though, it's going to be an experience of a lifetime.
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To Leave Or Not To Leave...

It has taken me a while to decide what I wanted to do in my life. My comfort zone has always been in advertising. It's my passion and where I feel most comfortable. But after 16 years of being an ad person, including the 5 spent at Ngee Ann Poly teaching advertising, I realised that something was missing in my life and that's why I made the decision to leave my high paying job as a Senior Account Director to start life afresh.

The thing is, my priorities changed and I wanted to spend more time with my daughter, who in a blink of an eye has transformed from a cherubic little baby girl, smiling at me from the comfort of my arms, to a little lady. I also wanted to do something that would give me a great sense of achievement but just didn't know what that was just yet.

I started looking for ways and means to utilise what God given talents I had, while allowing me to still contribute to the household income. It was hard and a lot of soul searching was done. I know that I couldn't have done it without my family's support and for that I am eternally grateful.

I was introduced to some angel investors in 2010 who wanted to set up a wellness centre here in Singapore as well as across Asia, starting with Thailand. It was a fantastic opportunity for me to be a part of a new enterprise and work on it from ground zero. it was such an exciting time for me. I spent almost the whole of 2011 commuting between Singapore and Bangkok working on ad hoc projects, and networking with suppliers and Thai contacts who were in the wellness industry. That was tremendous fun and what an experience too! Working with complete strangers was an unsettling feeling, not knowing if they understood me and what needed to be done. It worked out for a while but I missed home too much. Skype became an integral part of my life and helped me to overcome my feelings of being homesick but even then I knew that this wasn't going to work out in the long run. As fate would have it, the floods came and all my events scheduled for the end of the year was put on hold indefinitely. My contract was terminated at the beginning of 2012 and I found myself in familiar territory once again, searching for a new adventure.

Then came along a good friend who introduced me to Kids Invent!. Initially I was skeptical and didn't know whether this was what I was looking for. It took me a while to review the programme to really understand what the philosophy and pedagogy was about. But the more I looked at it, the more I was convinced that we needed a programme like this in Singapore.

My daughter is taking her PSLE exams this year and having journeyed with her for the past 6 years, I realised that she didn't have a life and that she was part of a huge majority of kids in this country that is experiencing the same thing year in and year out. Her life consisted of school, tuition classes and ballet lessons and very little of anything else. We always strive to ensure that our family is God-centred and that I believe is the reason why she is so down to earth and mature beyond her years. But she didn't enjoy studying, and learning was a chore more than a joy. It was a classic case of the passive, teacher-centred, rote learning environment that Singapore has built its education system on.

I enrolled her in one of the Kids Invent! holiday camps and volunteered to be a facilitator as well. The kids were so alive and engaged in all the activities. It was such a wonderful thing to see their eyes bright with excitement with each new challenge that they were given. And I was thoroughly amazed at what they were able to do. It was there that I was convinced that this was what I wanted to do and what I wanted to get involved in.

So I took the plunge...