From Employee to Employer

OneClubNet is a solution for the private clubs and their members to stay engaged with each other at any point of time. This easily available connection creates value for all parties.

To find out more, we spoke to their director, Gabrielle. She let us in on her journey and also the prospects of OneClubNet.

Tell us more about your story

First off, I would like to say that not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur, otherwise there wouldn’t be anyone working for the entrepreneurs. I think as Singaporeans we have to travel more, because it is when you travel that you meet different people and realised that there are different ways of living. Most Singaporeans tend to think that the right way to succeed in life is to go to school get a Diploma or Degree and get a good job, but nobody said that, there are actually many other ways to succeed.

I believe that we are all different, my first job was in the armed forces, I took on an overseas scholarship in order to further my studies. I had to do this as I was the eldest in a middle-income family and I had a brother which was 2 years younger than me and if my family could afford the university expenses the money should go to my brother first. For me, my first career in the armed forces was very interesting, I held my Officer Commanding appointment in 23SA, this was the highlight in my armed forces career as I got to lead over a hundred men and test out new weapon systems. My take away here was, if you don’t know something, just ask. The best way to learn is to put yourself in situation that are difficult, if you don’t push yourself out of your comfort zone, you will never learn. Always try to push yourself further out from your comfort zone, most of us are too comfortable and not willing to take the first step to do anything because we are too comfortable.

So, at a point in time I thought of starting my own business because I wanted to do something different. At the end of the day in the armed forces, you are training people to kill with the minimum amount of ammunition and this is not what I wanted to do, I don’t want to teach people how to destroy or kill. I left the force is 2009 and started my own social enterprise without any knowledge about starting a business. I had a background in psychology so I went on to find partners and dealt with sensitive issues in the armed forces. We went to help the commanders and whenever they had issues they would call me. Overall I think the experience in the armed forces is very much related to running a business when we look at the culture, recruitment process and even succession planning. However, this venture did not work out so I went back to the public sector and eventually left after a year, it made me realised that I am not suited to work in the government sector.

I worked in a non-profit sector, government sector and private sector before I finally discovered the tech start-up sector which I felt was the best. In a tech start-up, you get to learn everything from scratch which includes sales, talking to random people on the street, providing services for people, interacting with investors which I would have never gotten a chance to do so if I was not in a tech start-up. So, if you really want to start a business, join a tech start-up and learn everything. While all these was happening, I also started an affiliate marketing platform and I am still running it now as I believe that there has to be a way to earn money from the internet. I think it is always good to have multiple income streams so that if one of it doesn’t provide enough income or no income at all you still have others to rely upon. This is essential to me as I am the sole bread winner of my family.

How did you join One Club Net?

I was in Hawaii when OneClubNet called me via LinkedIn. LinkedIn is very important as many people are hired via this platform. So, my current COO called me and requested for a chat via Skype. I believe that we should always be opened to new opportunities, so I had a Skype meeting with him and the next thing I knew was that this company has quite a lot of opportunities.

What sort of gap does your company seek to fulfil?

We are addressing a gap in the industry, right now most of the private clubs are only kept for the wealthy and let’s face it, the shopping mall around the neighbourhood are more interesting for youths nowadays as you don’t play golf. Knowing this problem, the clubs still wanted to engage the millennials and also continue to engage with their current club members actively. We also help to bring in events to the clubs so let’s say I want to do a Chanel show, I can just target the females and if I want to do a whiskey events then I can focus on targeting the males. This is a multiple-wins situation where the members can know the events better and bring their friends along, the clubs can have more events held at their location which can be handled by us and the brands also can have access to an exclusive database which they did not have a chance to get before.

What is your company culture like?

We are based in Texas, Bangalore and Singapore, we also have a partner in Indonesia. We depend a lot on remote work to interact with my colleagues from overseas. We don’t necessary have face to face meetings and I need to get used to working with them via Whatsapp, you have to be very discipline when you get this kind of autonomy. In tech start-ups, we get a lot of autonomy and not everyone is suited to work in this kind of environment. We have a very young working group ranging from 24 years old all the way up to 50 years old. We need young people for creativity and energy and the older ones for their experience and their network.

What do you look for when you hire?

Actually, I am hiring right now, I need someone that is good. A very important factor to me is the attitude. Attitude ranks first followed by high EQ and ability to communicate well, written and verbal. This candidate doesn’t need to be a degree holder, a few people in our team are not degree holders and ultimately a degree does not guarantee success. In fact, many successful people are not college degree holders.

What motivates you daily?

This is something very personal, and for me, I believe that my faith is very important. I believe that I am in this job because god has placed me here and ultimately my god is like my CEO and I have to be accountable to him. Having this faith motivates me and every day I will read my bible and say my prayers, so what I feel is that this is my motivation. I don’t think that we can rely on material motivations as it is not going to last.

What do you do to maintain your work life balance?

I don’t really have a work life balance because my mission right now is to quickly grow the company. In the beginning when you are growing a company, you have to make sacrifices. For example, last Sunday I flew to Hong Kong and stayed there for 3 days for a conference, immediately after that I flew back into Singapore for Tech in Asia and I have to send my updates by Saturday. I fell sick halfway thru but I had to manage my time well in order to meet deadlines and also to take good care of my health.

Where do you see your company in the future?

At the end of this year, we should have successfully penetrated the South-East Asia market, a thousand clubs and about a hundred brands should be in our portfolio.

If you could go back in time, what would you like to do differently?

I don’t think I have any regrets in my decisions concerning business. But for personal life wise, I think should have put in more effort to date. It has never been a concern for me but thinking back now, I do feel regretful but if I could do it differently, I would have spent more time going on dates. I meet a lot of people while working but there was always a clear line drawn between business and personal.

Any advice for our readers?

The world is your oyster. 

Go and explore as many sectors as you can and you don’t have to be afraid because of your age and youth, you will have plenty of opportunities and you have nothing to lose. The only thing you will get to lose is living a life that is average because average is boring. I would recommend that you read this book, “Start With Why” by Simon Sinek it is an excellent book. You will have to find your purpose in life and then everything will align for you.

More about OneClubNet:

Facebook: @oneclubnet1

Website: www.oneclubnet.com

Featured Image Credit: @oneclubnet1

A Hardworking Dreamer

We have seen The Stressed Stop from the eyes of the chef here, now we will take a look at Alvin’s journey as the founder of The Stressed Stop.

How it all began?

When I was younger, I used to have huge dreams of doing big things and living a life that is not bound to a single country. But my bubble popped when some of my friends which I proclaimed my dreams to told me: “It is ok to dream, but don’t go too far.”. I got used to this kind of comments from others and I am perfectly fine with disbelievers but even my closest friend came up to me and told me straight in the face: “Can you stop dreaming? There is a reason why others are successful and you aren’t.”. This was a turning point in my life, it was then that I decided to really ignore everyone’s comments and kept on working hard and belief in my own dreams.

Fast forward to today, here we are now, and I have taken the first step towards my dreams. I just want to say that no matter what, don’t let anybody talk down to your dreams.

What sort of gap do you wish to fill with The Stressed Stop?

To answer this question, I guess I have to first tell you more about myself. I am a food lover and I love to eat. For me, I feel that no matter what type of cuisine it is, from Italian to Asian, at the end of the meal, there is always one thing that doesn’t change, Desserts! I realized that most of the products that are sold in The Stressed Stop are pretty pricey in other cafés and restaurants, that is the reason why not many people have tried it. What we can do is to lower the price to a more affordable “neighborhood rate” and let more people have the chance to try it. This is how we share and spread the love.

What inspired you to do this?

To be really honest with you, there is no sudden eureka moment nor any epic story behind my startup. I just did not like to work with unappreciative superiors or bosses and I have always wanted to have my own business. I am not someone who like to take the usual path of following others and be contented with the rest of my life, I want to create something, something that will live beyond myself and be remembered even when I am ultimately forgotten.

How was the hustle like in the early days of your company?

I feel that we are still pretty much in the early stages of the company. Like all food and beverages business, there is no shortcut to reach success, we will just have to keep on working hard in this sowing phase of our business which is usually around 6 month to a year. There is no excuse or any way out of this and it is especially so for us as our crowd is relatively small and relationship with our customers really play a major role in converting them into regular customers. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for supporting and believing in us, it was these little bouts of belief and support that has sustained us till today.

Apart from building relationships, we were often questioned why we chose to setup business at Hougang Green. But to those people my answer is always: “Why not?”.

Any advice for our readers?

The advice that I have may be simple and often repeated thru seasoned and greenhorn entrepreneurs, but that is just because it is true.

It takes time to succeed.

Try and try and continue to believe in yourself. If a way does not work, there are many other ways to go about doing it. As long as you are living and breathing, it is too early to talk about giving up. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It takes commitment and dedication to build a city, let alone an empire.

About The Stressed Stop:

A look at the shop

Address: 21 Hougang Street 51 #01-32, Hougang Green Shopping Mall, S (539719)

Facebook: The Stressed Stop

Instagram: @thestressedstopsg

Featured Image credits: The Stressed Stop

WOOFR – The Startup Rock Star

We had an interview session with WOOFR’s CEO, Alfy to find out more about his startup.

Please tell me about your personal background from before you joined WOOFR?

Didn’t go to university and started working since young. Eventually, I went on to become a DJ/Music producer and I have created EDM tracks for Sander van Doorn’s labels and other regional artistes.

What sort of applications and revelations does your platform bring about?

WOOFR is your lifestyle passport. Within a few taps on your smartphones, we bring you instant bookings and exclusive deals to your favourite clubs, bars and music events.

What inspired this business idea?

I’ve travelled regularly as a DJ, and I’ve seen so many pain-points in the nightlife space. It’s such a hassle for tourists to discover the best nightlife spots, and language barrier makes it even harder to book a table or purchase tickets to the venue.

Nightlife venues themselves are still running on traditional methods of reservations (pen and paper), and they are unable to retain data analytics of their consumers such as the name, age, nationality and spending history.

We saw an opportunity, and jumped on it. My other co-founder was fresh out of army, and one was posted here in Singapore with a good, stable job and was just getting married. All of us took a leap of faith and went into creating WOOFR full-time.

Can you share more about your platform’s back story?

We started as a reservations app to clubs and bars, and we have added newer features since then. We have recently rolled out the XCESS Pass, where you are able to jump from bar to bar every day and get free drinks right away!

What motivates you on a day to day basis.

People & Purpose.

Nothing beats seeing how your product helps deliver joy to people. Purpose makes you wake up every day in the morning and tell yourself nothing’s gonna ever stop you, and no obstacle is too tough to manoeuvre. Get shit done, basically.

Since starting the company, can you share some ups and downs you have experienced with our readers?

There’s been some crazy moments. Investors pulling out of the deal, back-end system of the app crashing at an event, angry clients and having no cash in the bank – we’ve been through it all. But that’s the reality  of start-up life, anything that you expect to not go wrong, WILL go wrong. Shit always hit the fan, but when it does, make sure you face it with style, learn from it and emerge as a stronger, tougher person.

What is the best advice that a mentor gave you?

“The shit you go through today is essential, so that you’ll have a good speech to share with the world on the day your company IPO”.

If you could go back in time, what would you like to do differently?

Nothing at all. I embrace my failures because that taught me most about humility and empathy.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

Touring as a DJ/entrepreneur, running an umbrella of game changing companies and discussing about investing in your start-up.

What do you think of the future of the nightlife in Singapore?

Truth is, nightlife in Singapore isn’t at a great stage right now. However, we’ve set our sights on strategic emerging markets, and we will launch in Indonesia and Thailand pretty soon.

What do you do to maintain your work-life balance?

I still make music on the weekends if I do have the time, train Muay Thai rigorously and invest in self-development.

What is the greatest pride you take with regards to your business?

Working with a great team of 17 young, amazing and crazy entrepreneurs from all walks of life and nationalities. Half of the team are ladies, and our average age is 25. We’re creating the next generation of tech rock stars.

Are there any other things you would like to share to our readers?

Don’t give a shit about anything anybody says. Be fearless, be you.

A close knitted family. Photo Credit: WOOFR

Having fun as a team. Photo credit: WOOFR

Team WOOFR. Photo Credit: WOOFR

More about Woofr:

Facebook: @thewoofr

Instagram: @woofr_app

Website: thewoofr.com

Featured Image Credit: thewoofr

Download the app: IOS Android

Promo Code

Enter the promo code to receive a free 1 week XCESS Pass.

WOOFRVENTURED (Valid till 13 Sept 17)

 

 

Leading With Philosophy

We interviewed the CEO of Biomers, Matthias Straub, to find out more about why he left a MNC to embark on a startup journey.

Please tell me about yourself before Biomers.

I have been working for almost 20 years in dental/medical industry and was always responsible for managing innovations in this field, first as a regulatory and quality manager, then as an innovation project manager, and lastly as a subsidiary manager in Research and Development, Manufacturing and Distribution. This latest orthodontic product is just one more opportunity to work out something new. I love green fields where I can build something new.

How did you became a part of Biomers?

After working for very small family owned businesses and Multi-National Companies, I opted for a venture capital driven organisation, with the target for an IPO, which I have never done before and wanted to learn about it.

What motivates you on a day to day basis?

The diversity and the ever changing requirements of a green field job such as building something from scratch, put your personal stamp on, being creative and pushing a team forward to achieve the best performance.

 

Can you share some of the hustle you have experience over the course of this business?

Almost every day there will be good things and bad things, ups and downs. It is about how you are using it to improve yourself. You will learn more from overcoming the downs, and you can see these adversities as opportunities instead.

What is your take on the importance of unity within your team?

Every team requires a common goal. I also believe that the best idea counts no matter who thought of it. And there should not be anything that divides the team, everybody should try to have fun together such as playing tennis, darts or snooker.

What is the best advice that a mentoring entrepreneur gave you? Is there any advice you would give to our readers?

I did not receive much good advice and mentoring in my whole career. But I now can understand better on how to do things after learning from the weak points of my bosses. So, to pack this in an advice: Question and analyse carefully, do not stop improving and discovering a better and your own authentic way of doing things, always treat your colleagues and employees with respect. Focus on yourself, start looking out for mistakes that you have, learn to expect more from yourself and lesser from others. It will allow yourself to constantly improve and not always complaining about others which never helps to improve things anyway. Always be positive and avoid negative people, stay out of negative talks and concentrate on continuous improvement. Complaints and negativity will eventually weigh you down.

If you could go back in time, what would you like to do differently?

I should have sent off the employees who abused my generosity and did not learn their lesson. I saw how they continued their career, destroying teams and even claiming credit when they do not deserve it, I regret I did not fire them when the time was right. These employees must be removed, if you ever identify one, show no mercy!

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

After I finished the intended IPO successfully, I shall retire from business and work as an artist, as I have always wanted to.

What do you do to maintain your work-life balance?

I follow my two boys and play games with them such as soccer and music. I also do photography and paintings. But nothing is more rewarding than a great family where you can always feel love and affection.

What is the greatest pride you take with regards to your business?

You should not show pride in business, but enjoy yourself along the way and be happy about the success and positive energy that comes with it. Always stay humble and grounded, how can you be proud of something, that you cannot influence 100% by yourself, you should understand that other people, lucky circumstances and fate have helped you a lot as well. Just be grateful that everybody played a part in the success and you got a chance to experience it.

What are some key aspects do you look for when hiring an employee?

Well educated, balanced and humble person. This person must also be a good fit for the team and be willing to be consistently learning throughout his or her entire life. Lastly, he or she should also be flexible and open minded with social competence.

Are there any other things you would like to share with our readers?

I’d like to stress a good set of values (honesty, integrity, reliability, etc.), a broad education (engineering, economy, soft skills, certifications) and open mind set with a healthy portion of courage and craziness!

Study more history and other great people to get inspired.

There is a tendency that nowadays we educate too many specialists, deeply specialised in one particular thing only. But the real genius is more diverse, everybody should take some time and study these geniuses such as Leonardo DaVinci, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Galileo Galilei, Humboldt, Aristoteles, Newton, Descartes, Kopernikus and so on. They had never been limited in one discipline and were constantly trying to study as many disciplines as possible, because the best inspiration comes from interdisciplinary knowledge and out of the box thinking.

Today we are still building teams that consist of people with different specializations but this is not effective as these people will lack the ability to understand their counterparts from different disciplines. I believe that the ability to have interdisciplinary knowledge might be a probable job requirement in the future.

History, Philosophy and Psychology are underestimated disciplines that was somehow lost in our everyday business and leadership. Ironically every business book is proposing another or a “new philosophy” to follow that will guarantee your success. But good leaders and bosses know, they have to start from the basics such as “ADAM and EVE”, otherwise they would not be able to understand wrongly proposed guidance, tendencies of today and the need to resist them successfully in order to move forward in their own authentic way. Too much of philosophy? No, it can never be enough.

More about Simpliclear by Biomer: 

Website: simpliclear.com

Facebook: @simpliclearSG