LadyB SS JAN/FEB 2016
Maddy Barber DJ, Mum, Entrepreneur
BESPOKE FINE JEWELLERY for LadyBosses
The One Thing You Need to Know as a Leader
6
Things you will experience as an entrepreneur
Women taking the TechWorld by Storm
EDITOR'S LETTER After a mad rush towards the end of the year, the LadyBoss magazine is
finally ready to launch. The LadyBoss team would like to take the chance
to thank all the contributors and those who have helped us make this possible.
In a time when the web and mobile devices are taking over our lives,
people have asked us why do we want to launch a magazine? The reason
is simple, while the web is convenient for quick consumption, it misses the elegance and design which a magazine can bring to our stories.
This month we have cover girl Maddy Barber from Kiss92 FM who runs
her own bespoke jewellery business, Madly Gems. Do check out her beautiful gemstone pieces in our jewellery section and visit our website to watch the behind the scenes video of the photoshoot.
We are also looking forward to the launch event, which will hosted at the
Music Salon in early January. It will be LadyBoss’s first event and we are
all extremely excited to meet all the wonderful women entrepreneurs and business leaders who will be participating in the event.
o e Y e i k c a J If you have any suggestions, feel free to email me at jackie@ladyboss.asia
CONNECT WITH US! www.ladyboss.asia
4 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
ladybossmedia
@ladyboss.asia
CONTRIBUTORS
Qin Yunquan, CEO of self
Nina Sabrina is the co-
Donna Lim is a freelance
Annette Lang is a fabulous
Academy
a provider of enrichment
in beautifying others led me
ative and entertaining. She
other government organiza-
that everyone is BEAUTIFUL
cation skills, public speaking
more, than they already are.
defense
school is
a
Kapap
Certified
Behavioural Consultant and a national athlete. She also co- founded an Executive
Safety training centre in Malaysia,
Modern
founder of Speak! Ventures,
makeup artist. Her passion
programmes to schools and
to this path. She believes
tions in the area of communi-
and aims to make them even
Street and presentation skills.
cook, entrepreneurial, crecreated Expat Kitchen cooking school in July 2007 to
give everyone the opportunity to excel in culinary capabilities and prepare meals for their respective families.
Combatives Sdn Bhd.
Mark Stuart is a Leadership
Bryan Hooi has 6 years of
and a mother of two ador-
Coach.
including but not limited to
Psychologist,
Nutrition
and communications com-
(certified NLP Practitioner,
to Anagram, Mark was in
neurial women succeed in
Hypnotherapist), with spe-
15 years in the UK, Australia,
by their true passions and
problems.
Anh Thu Nguyen, a Certified
YY
founder
Low,
of
trainer, Coach and co-Author
Healtology, is a vivacious lady
Trainer
of Life” is the founder of
able children. She is a Health
Anagram Group, a training
vides personal development
Consultant and Life Coach
pany in Singapore. Prior
packages to help entrepre-
TimeLine
investment banking for over
launching a business inspired
cialisation in health-related
of the book “Master the Art ThreeSixtySkills, which procourses and life coaching
Therapist
and
and Asia.
and
He
Executive
co-founded
experience in photography, portraiture, fine art, street journalism
and
wedding
photography. His passion is
to capture people and the moment so that it can shared with others.
talents.
JAN/FEB 2016 LADYBOSS 5
BEAUTY 10 GET THE LOOK
EVENTS
19
12 SG50 WOMEN FOR WOMEN LAUNCH 14 SHE OWNS IT 15 CONVERSATION WITH VENTURE CAPITALISTS
16
COVER STORY 16 MADDY BARBER: DJ, MUM ENTREPRENEUR
TECHNOLOGY 20 WOMEN TAKING THE TECH WORLD BY STORM
ENTREPRENEUR 28 6 THINGS YOU WILL EXPERIENCE AS AN ENTREPRENEUR
20
LEADERSHIP 30 THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO KNOW AS A LEADER
30 6 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
COMMUNICATION
34
34 3 WORDS TO STOP USING IN A CONFLICT 36 HOW TO SPOT DISHONESTY IN A NEGOTIATION
JEWELLERY AND TIME PIECES
43
40 A GUIDE TO JEWELLERY STYLES THROUGH MODERN HISTORY 43 BESPOKE FINE JEWELLERY FOR LADYBOSSES
44
44 TIMEPIECES FOR LADYBOSSES
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT 46 THREE DECISIONS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER 50 CAN YOUR PERSONALITY AFFECT YOUR HEALTH?
FOOD & WINE 53 CAN WINE BE GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH? 54 POWER BREAKFAST
19 46 JAN/FEB 2016 LADYBOSS 7
JACKIE YEO
MANAGING EDITOR
LIYANA STUART DEPUTY EDITOR
YANNI TAN
JEWELLERY/LIFESTYLE EDITOR
DEVON TING
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
BERNADINE REDDY SALES
BRYAN HOOI
PHOTOGRAPHER
DONNA LIM
MAKEUP ARTIST
ALICE LEE
STAFF WRITER CONTRIBUTORS DONNA LIM, YY LOW, MARK STUART, NINA SABRINA, QIN YUNQUAN, ANH THU NGUYEN, ANNETTE LANG
For advertising/maketing enquiries, email Bernadine at sales@ladyboss.asia
8 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
BEAUTY
GET THE LOOK
1. Prep complexion with Makeup Forever HD Foundation
2. Conceal using MAC
Concealer Palette in Light
“A soft warm and glowy complexion is all Maddy needs to complement those cool tone gemstones on her!” - Donna
3. Prime with Too Faced Primed and Poreless Powder
4. Contour cheekbones
using AC on Tour Contour Palette
10 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
5. Highlight cheekbones with MAC Blush in Peaches
7. Eye-opener with STILA In The Know palette
Lash line - Ebony (Matte Black), Upper & Lower Lid 6. Add shimmer with MAC Mineralize Powder in
Earth (Deep Matte Chocolate Brown), All over crease - Fire (Matte Brick), Highlight - Air
Lightscapade
(Matte Beige)
8. Shape the eyebrows with
ShuUemura Eyebrow Liner Hard Formula in Sound Black
9. Line the eyes with
STILA Stay All Day Liquid Waterproof Eyeliner
10. Juice up the lips with Makeup Forever Rouge Artist Lip Palette in Brown
Donna Lim
Makeup Artist
JAN/FEB 2016 LADYBOSS 11
LI MEI CHEE, MARILYN LUM, GRACE FU, LILY NEO, ELAINE KIM, TJIN LEE
GRACE ANG, ELAINE KIM
SG50 Women For Women Launch Igniting Dreams
How far will you go to chase your dreams? Many women feel afraid
to take that first step, or lack the
courage or the self-confidence to start
their own businesses. With “Igniting Dreams,” CRIB highlights Singapore women role models to show that it
can be done and women have done it
through an online and offline exhibition. The roving CRIB Women For Women:
Igniting Dreams exhibition will be
displayed at Singapore Management University underpass from December 7 to 31, 2015. of
Notable names include Elim Chew 77th
Street,
designer
Priscilla
Shunmugam and Claire Chiang of Banyan Tree.
12 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
GRACE FU
PRISCILLA SHUNMUGAM, TJIN LEE
EVENTS
SABRINA TAN, PRISCILLA SHUNMUGAM, VELDA TAN, RACHEL LIM
TJIN LEE
SEAH BEE LENG, LI MEI CHEE
RACHEL LIM, GRACE FU
JAN/FEB 2016 LADYBOSS 13
EVENTS
SHER-LI TORREY, SU LING ZAGORODNOVA, RACHEL LIM, SHAO-NING HUANG, CHRISTINE ANGCO
SHER-LI TORREY
RACHEL LIM, SHAO-NING HUANG
SHER-LI TORREY, SIM ANN, KAREEN LAI, BETTY ASHMAN
She Owns It She Owns It was held on November 7, and was a conference about the journey of entrepreneurship as women juggle
their roles as wife, mother and daughter. The event was organised by Mums@ work.
Panellists
included
Ling, Founder of Pupsik
Tan
Su
Studio, and
Rachel Lim, Founder of Love Bonito. The conference included networking sessions,
mini-workshops,
and
opportunities to meet business experts one-to-one.
14 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
KAREEN LAI
GWENDOLYN REGINA
PHALGUN RAJU, ORI COHEN, CARMEN YUAN, AMIT ANAND
Conversation with Venture Capitalists Singapore Female Founders organised a panel with prominent investors on how
entrepreneurs can engage with venture
capitalists. Among the panel: Carmen Yuen from Vertex Ventures, Phalgun
Raju from Morph Ventures, Ori Cohen
from CIIF Capital and Amit from Jungle Ventures, hosted by Gwendolyn Regina from Mashable Asia.
WAKI YONEOKA, ROSHNI MATAHNI, SUPRITI BEZBARUAH, GWENDOLYN REGINA
JAN/FEB 2016 LADYBOSS 15
COVER STORY
MADDY BARBER: DJ, MUM ENTREPRENEUR Maddy talks about how she juggle her time between DJ career and her business words JACKIE YEO photography BRYAN HOOI makeup DONNA LIM
S
ince young, Maddy has always
involved in marketing beautiful homes,
tomising one of a kind jewellery piece.
and a can do attitude. She
abode.
that gives customers confidence to
had the go getter mentality started off at 98.7FM, starred in movie Forever Fever with
Pierre Png, Adrian Pang and even worked in Mumbai and Bangkok.
Maddy is one of the most sought
helping many clients find their perfect Her strong perseverance attitude
could be seen in her deal making of
“My husband and I engaged Maddy
in custom made pieces. While Maddy
son, charismatic and driven.
launches to corporate showcases. She
the outcome as she found the perfect
assistant programme director there. Her cheerful, bubbly voice and playful
personality is one of the reasons why many people are keeping their radio on in the morning.
She is a true LadyBoss, managing a
successful career as a DJ and Emcee
but also running her own fine jewellery business Madly Gems. Madly Gems however isn’t her first business, she
has business experience even before Madly.
Real Estate Business
Maddy was always interested in busi-
ness, especially in pretty things. When
Bangkok. We were very pleased with place for us, the babies and our dog.
The landlady initially didn’t want to rent it to us, but Maddy persevered. Landlady finally gave in!” one of her clients mentioned.
All Things Rare and Sparkling
Like all women, Maddy loves her jewels and following her entrepreneurial
strong business acumen. Together,
“My husband complains a lot but he is very patient and supportive. All the men in my life ask me to slow down”
skills and public visibility of Maddy’s
her partner Emily Tan that she found the perfect marriage of her love for
bining technical expertise, business personal brand.
Maddy is certainly the voice of
beautiful gemstones and her interest
Madly as she often jokes about how
“Often I’d walk into a jewellery store
bags and shoes, “why go out and
in business.
make slight tweaks to it just to call it
16 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
passionate in the business and has a
she co founded Madly Gems with
which provided residential Real Estate lessors and lessees. There she was
did not have the expertise, she was
they make excellent partners, com-
ellery boxes. However it wasn’t until
and see something nice but not totally
solutions for property buyers, sellers,
fine jeweller in Singapore specialising
bug, Maddy considered making jew-
she was in Bangkok, she was the co-
founder of Infinity Holdings Co Ltd,
Maddy first met Emily when Emily
was still working as a designer with a
to find a place for us while we were in
is not only a DJ at Kiss92 but also the
pay a premium for their services.
properties. Maddy is natural salesper-
after emcees and regularly speaks
at all kinds of events, from product
No two pieces are ever the same and
‘me,’ then walk away wishing I could my own.” Madly Gems does just that, taking precious gemstones and cus-
Singaporeans spend way too much
buy a luxury handbag which can only
be used for sometime before it gets worn out when you can get precious
gems that can last several lifetimes and increase in value over time?”
CROSSED THE LINE DRESS IN NAVY by KEEPSAKE
SHOPTHEMAG.COM
However, public perception of gem-
The key to making a business part-
daughters, Alicia 10 and Elizabeth 19.
and responsibilities. Maddy focuses
tough as she hardly gets time to rest.
stones still need quite a lot education
nership work is to be clear on roles
people are still used to
on accounts, marketing, business
as they are not as prevalent. Most diamonds as engagement rings, but
precious gemstones can also be used as well in engagement rings. In her
own words, “There’s something very
savvy businessman and owns a web
tions, sales and design.
company in Australia. Being focused
while Emily takes care of daily operaWhen it comes to differences of
opinion, there is really no point for
millions of years until it finally finds a
designs while Emily will generally dif-
place on your hand”.
While both Maddy and Emily are
quite easy going, there are always
Maddy to second guess Emily on fer to Maddy with regards to all marketing and PR matters.
times when disagreements will come
Challenges
and there will be times when we don’t
Apart from Madly, DJ career and
up. “We are both creative and volatile see eye to eye.”
18 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
Maddy’s husband Wez Barber is a
development and public relations
poetic about wearing a rock that has
been sitting around in the earth for
Juggling family, business and career is
Commitment
of
Balancing
Every
emcee, Maddy is also a mum with 2
franchise in UK as well as marketing
on operations and numbers, he often
helps Maddy in developing business plans.
“My husband complains a lot but he
is very patient and supportive. All the men in my life ask me to slow down”,
she says referring to her co-hosts Jason and Arnold. Sometimes we all need a gentle reminder to slow down to reduce the risk of burning out.
With the wild success of Kiss92 FM’s
COVER
“There’s something very poetic about wearing a rock that has been sitting around in the earth for millions of years until it finally finds a place on your hand” morning breakfast show, she is land-
ing more gigs than she can handle and may have to look at reducing that to
a beautiful bespoke unique jewellery piece?
helps them to keep overheads low,
have been better than projected.”
higher quality products at fair prices.
nate, we are doing well and results
Early Success For Madly Gems
The workload is keeping them busy
wide reach both in her personal net-
work and social media. She was able to leapfrog Madly’s business through
majority social media and word of mouth.
The women who have attained rea-
already so they are looking to hire
full time staff to grow the business.
range to include ready made as well.
steady pace so they can maintain or
Maddy’s advice for women looking to
attain even higher quality of work.
When asked if they will consider
quality items and Madly’s product
more of a private jeweller. There are
better way to reward yourself than
However, they are expanding their
Advice For Women Looking to Start
overexpand and instead grow at a
opening a store, Maddy replied that
range are perfect for them. What
allowing them to focus on producing
However, they are mindful to not
sonable success often are curious and
start developing interest in higher
It is certainly a right decision as it
“Madly Gems has been very fortu-
focus more on Madly instead.
Being a celebrity, Maddy has a natural
achieve sales volume.
their business model is not retail, but a lot of costs in retail and they don’t
want to compromise quality just to
Their Own Business
run their business is not to leave your full time job and take your time to
find a suitable partner. Ideally, he or she will be able to complement your
skills. “Being an entrepreneur is very lonely, it is far more fun if you can find somebody to do it together.” - LB
JAN/FEB 2016 LADYBOSS 19
TECHNOLOGY
WOMEN TAKING THE TECHWORLD BY STORM Jackie Yeo interviews 2 women taking the techworld by storm – TechStorm.TV founder Debbie Lee and Perx CEO Anna Gong words JACKIE YEO
T
he technology world is
ed Kezaar, a marketplace for classes
inventions
founders have since parted ways but
fascinating with countless and
innova-
tions. However, other than
consumer retail technology brands such as Apple and Samsung, most
exciting technology does not get seen by the mass consumers.
Debbie Lee intends to change that by
bringing the world of technology to
mass consumers through TechStorm. She believes that technology should not be limited to only the tech savvy
people. Since some of new technology especially the terms used can
and workshops in 2012. The original it gave valuable insights into building a sustainable and scalable platform.
Debbie’s media and advertising
experience include advertising con-
glomerates TBWA, Mediacorp, Head
of APAC at English & Pockett Asia, VP sales & marketing at Asian Food
Channel (AFC). She also founded
years’ in-depth experience launching and growing international media businesses across Asia. She worked
for DoubleClick and also co-found-
20 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
Market
Initially, TechStorm started off as a concept, but Debbie wanted to validate the idea first before jumping in.
In fact, she did market research for a whole year before starting TechStorm. “TechStorm is a global project which
has commercial value.” Armed with
TV5MONDE and DW-TV Asia.
every year and a lot of talented start-
nology space. In fact, she has 15
Research
Pre-launch
media brands like Li, Life Inspired,
media companies which included
eral public.
Debbie is no stranger to the tech-
Intensive
will require lots of resources, so we
A Voice For Asian Start-Ups
Technology and Media Expertise
their potential customers.
Green Worldwide, a consultancy for
be quite difficult to comprehend, the
idea is to simplify them for the gen-
entrepreneurs to get connected to
“There are 50 million start-ups founded ups are in Asia, we should let the world know about them” on what sparked
the idea for TechStorm. Therefore, she
have to be absolutely certain that it a prototype and mockup of content, Debbie went around to potential
investors, advertisers and audience. She wanted to know if the content
would be appealing to her target
audience group and if it would be commercially viable.
It was a year well spent as before
combined her technology and media
TechStorm even started, Debbie had
Technology. Since launch, TechStorm
including Singapore Press Holdings
expertise to start a media platform for
has show cased more than 400 start-
up companies. It is a great way for
investors and 6 syndication partners
(SPH), Yahoo! and Dailymotion lined up.
Watch Debbie talk about how she did her pre-business market research
“There are 50 million start-ups founded every year and a lot of talented startups are in Asia, we should let the world know about them�
“The success of a media platform now lies in curating content which they know will be suitable and interesting to the audience” women to be treated any differently.
with is immense. “The success of a
“Across my experience, out of every
Challenges in Building and Running
content which they know will be suit-
founders. It’s not a great statistic, but
One of the key challenges Debbie
Female
Representation
TechWorld
in
the
10 start-ups, 3 are started by female
women representation in technology
is definitely increasing.” The notion that men are more technologically inclined is just a myth, women who
are interested in technology should challenge the traditional mindsets and just go for it.
Debbie feels that even though
women are under-represented in
a Team
stantly communicate with her team
award winning TV series from US,
cute her plans. She also has to con-
and guide them towards the vision.
She has a big ambition to be executed
through a small team, so it is essential that everybody performs up to expectations.
you are a woman you should have any
model with premium content. With
and work hard, there is no reason for
22 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
TechStorm subscribers will also be
able to watch professionally created
Unique Premium Platform
special privileges. If you are smart
able and interesting to the audience.”
faces is to find the team that can exe-
technology, there should not be any
sense of entitlement that just because
media platform now lies in curating
TechStorm will have a subscription the web and social media, the amount of information you are bombarded
international content that includes Europe and more. While the audience
is global, core content will be based on Asia and Singapore, making it a unique channel and platform.
American TV host Erin Lim and
Singaporean singer Benjamin Kheng
from Sam Willows have been appointed as TechStorm’s hosts. TechStorm
is moving ahead full steam and will go live in 2016 across South East Asia and India. - LB
JAN/FEB 2016 LADYBOSS 23
TECHNOLOGY
WOMEN TAKING THE TECHWORLD BY STORM Perx CEO Anna Gong to Redefine the Future of Loyalty Platforms and Customer Engagement Analytics. words JACKIE YEO
F
resh from a Series A fund
world of start-ups.”
Ventures, Perx is set to
role of Global Business Development
raising led by Golden Gate become more than just a
mobile loyalty app. The single-digit
million dollar investment is joined by
other investors including Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin and Perx CEO Anna Gong herself.
Anna Gong may not have been the founder of Perx, but her results as
At Wily Technology, , she took on the
Director and established their Asia Pacific sales channel.
Wily Technology was later acquired by CA Technologies, where she was
promoted to VP of Solution Sales for
the Service Automation and Cloud business units in Asia Pacific.
Perx CEO has been nothing short of
Headhunted by Perx
doubled the number of registered
Perx, initially as the head of sales, and
astonishing. Since joining, she has
users from 200,000 to 400,000 in just
one year with 5 million app impressions.
Roots in Technology
Anna started in Price WaterHouse as as a management consultant but very
quickly moved into the start-up scene.
“I felt a calling in sales & marketing and that took me through 4 start-ups.
The learning process was akin to trial
by fire, as I had little experience and knowledge before jumping into the
24 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
Anna was later headhunted to run a year later, as CEO of the company.
For Anna, it was the perfect opportunity to bridge both her startup and
Asia experience. She was ready to venture back to the startup scene,
with the mobile space being very hot, it would be exciting and challenging to foster a relatively young app.
The mobile loyalty app space was
very competitive with similar apps in the market, but there was also a need to educate consumers. Anna enjoyed rolling up her sleeves again, taking on
most of the roles from product management, HR to marketing and sales. Growing the Merchant Base
A key goal to success would be to substantially grow the merchant base
so it becomes a more comprehensive experience for the user. Throughout
Anna’s career, she has always been
involved in enterprise IT solutions so selling to the merchants came
naturally. Perx has worked with over 500 merchants such as Saladstop, Koi
Café, Resorts World Sentosa, Yoguru, Tigerair, Watsons, Zalora and Lazada.
“We focus firstly on the mechanics of the customer acquisition to drive more sales for our merchants. Then
we apply continuous mobile customer
engagement followed by retention
TECHNOLOGY
“I knew I was the right person for the job. I didn’t take no for an answer so I persevered. After receiving some great advice from a mentor, I changed my presentation to my then boss and eventually got the job.” campaigns. The outcome is very posi-
tive and the ROI proves itself.”, Anna says.
to reference we are experts at mobile customer engagement and loyalty.”
With the increasing strictness of
What’s Your Biggest Challenge at
phone penetration in Singapore, app
“My biggest challenge, like most start-
privacy policies as well as high smart
push notifications become ever more important as an advertisement channel for customer engagement.
How did you manage to convince a
Perx?
ups, is talent acquisition. Moreover, I had to transform the culture to repre-
a business at the same time was no
providers and Perx demonstrated
Moving Beyond Mobile Loyalty App
capabilities to deliver. We also had a
mobile loyalty and engagement, Perx
merchant and app user engagement
but will be looking to expand into
other parts of Asia in the coming months.
“I see few females in leadership
small task.”
few years of mobile loyalty solutions,
Perx is currently only in Singapore,
“Fund raising is a full time job in itself
“Large enterprises want to partner
we had the solutions, resources, and
management.
What’s your observation of females
tion of the company.”
but fund raising and trying to build
with innovative and reliable solution
customer engagement and rewards
sent new leadership and new direc-
huge entity such as EZ-Link to work with Perx, a startup?
as a solution so they can integrate
With the success of Perx in driving is now making the platform behind it
scalable and available to enterprises
in technology?
positions in tech. However, it has
improved over the last 5 years, but
more is needed, especially in Asia. A few years back, when I was aiming for
the VP of Asia Pacific for the cloud technology business, I was turned down twice.
“I knew I was the right person for the
job. I didn’t take no for an answer so I
JAN/FEB 2016 LADYBOSS 25
“Embrace the adventure and have fun no matter how difficult it is, it helps you to keep going.”
persevered. After receiving some great advice from a mentor, I changed my presentation to my then boss and eventually got the job. I really believe in preservering. If you don’t ask and challenge what you believe in, then you are leaving opportunities on the table.
“For me, my role at Perx gives me immense satisfaction, being female and Asian to be able to run a tech driven company.”
Lessons on Entrepreneurship
“Don’t be afraid of taking risks and never give up. You will think about giving up many times,
but eventually you will get through those difficulties and the gratification is immense seeing the results. Find an advisor or mentor. Having an unbiased and seasoned individual as my sounding
board helped tremendously. Embrace the adventure and have fun no matter how difficult it is”, advises Anna.
“I think running a start-up is really based on a certain leadership style, not afraid to fail and lean
into risks, the ability to roll up your sleeves and lead by example. Also, many entrepreneurs and
leaders are shy about asking for help. Don’t be afraid of reaching out to the community. Many people will be more than willing to help.” - LB
26 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
Because Conversions Matter
At Amber Creative, we believe that marketing needs to be measured and optimised to maximise conversions. The result? Improved top and bottom lines.
WordPress Development We specialise in WordPress development and have developed best practices to supercharge your website
Digital Marketing
Creative Design
Copywriting
We cover social media management, search engine optimisation, email marketing as well as optimising conversions
Creative design is in our blood, we create not only beautiful designs but also optimal user experiences
Well crafted messages distributed in the right places will increase brand awareness and we can help with content creation
Email: ivy@ambercreative.sg Website: www.ambercreative.sg
6 THINGS YOU
WILL EXPERIENCE AS AN ENTREPRENEUR
Liyana Stuart discusses the trials and tribulations of entrepreneurship
words LIYANA STUART photography AMBER CREATIVE
A
recent
study
by
the
that
63%
of
University showed
of
Phoenix
20-somethings in the US
want to run their own business. But is it as wonderful as people say it is?
Here are some of my experiences along the way.
28 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
#1: It can be terribly lonely.
their own business – so in any group
– but the frustrating thing is, the lone-
with a strange set of problems.
It is lonely having your own business liness is self-inflicted. While others
of 10 people, you are that 1 weirdo
It can be a very alienating experi-
complain about their 9-to-5 jobs, your
ence, and I wouldn’t recommend it
ferent, and, as studies show, less than
acceptance.
set of complaints are completely dif10% of people own or have owned
to anyone who actively needs social
Sometimes running your own busi-
ENTREPRENEUR
ness requires a ‘lone wolf’ type qual-
started with 1 client. We under-
go next door for say, $12.
to say “I will try” when others say
we could win business deals.
a business, and to run one profitably –
ity – you need to have the courage
“you will fail”. You will need to have
the instincts to move away from your pack, and learn to hunt alone.
charged till we got to year 2, just so Starting from zero will dent your ego like nothing else.
As you are building your business –
#3: You will learn to DIY 90% of
when you’re still in the red – there will
Everything you have never had to
and especially in the first few months be days when you will feel crippled by your choices, you will say no to social plans, and you just can’t stop working
on a project because you are too worried of failure.
While other people around you
what you need to do
do before such as: invoicing clients,
sending out letters, buying your own
stamps – all these things I hated because I felt they were too mundane for my time.
And then there were other things I
Now that I know what it takes to run
I gladly support new eateries.
#5: You will learn the true value of money
To be honest, I never appreciated
money until now. When I worked 9 to 5 (okay, to be honest, it was more like
9 to 9), I used to not know where most of my paycheck went because I would
spend impulsively as I knew I would still get paid at the end of the month.
A handbag in a colour I didn’t need
entertain more trivial problems, your
learned which were actually good for
here, another pointless moisturiser
as: “Will we go bust? Will I lose my
advertising. I have never had to do
would wonder where it all went.
problems are a lot more serious, such
savings? Where is my next paycheck coming from?”
#2: It will be a humbling experience
It is incredibly humbling to see your bank account be drained – month
after month, hinging on just your unproven business idea or a hunch.
me to know such as, SEO, and online these tasks before.
But I’m glad I did because I now have
a completely new set of skills – and my clients have also asked me to do
In the first year, we didn’t even pay
from savings and investments.
Big changes had to be made -- rath-
er than ordering food delivery without much thought, I cooked at home;
rather than buying material things at
a whim, I forced myself to buy only when necessary.
Now that I know the effort it takes to earn every dollar, I appreciate what I spend it on.
some of these things for them.
#6: You will learn resilience
habit into skill, skill into expertise, and
your mental resilience.
Unfamiliarity has turned into habit,
expertise into new lines of business.
“Starting from zero will dent your ego like nothing else.” ourselves and we were self-funded
there, and by the end of the month, I
#4: You will have a newfound appreciation for SMEs
I have a greater respect for SMEs, but
even more so F&B owners. Afterall,
Overcoming the risk of failure trains I work with my spouse, and we find
ourselves coaching and encouraging
each other though challenges, psyching ourselves before a big pitch, play-
ing team-player, coach, mentor to each other – all at once.
It takes strength to not fall apart
before a client pitch, to stand up for yourself and your unknown brand.
It takes courage to compete with the
the F&B industry is extremely com-
big boys who have millions injected
rants going out of business, labour
ness experience to contend with.
petitive, with high rates of restauchallenges, and the fickleness of F&B
into their business, and years of busiIt takes resilience to not give up,
customers.
give in, or go back to the safe haven
the corporate ladder, I was just start-
it was rumoured that 50% of F&B out-
which can seem quite attractive.
behind a big brand I was represent-
the first 6 months! That’s brutal.
From seeing friends rise up through
ing again. I could no longer hide
ing. I could no longer cite how much
On a certain F&B street in Singapore,
lets that opened, had closed within Before starting out, I could never
influence or clients or expertise the
fathom buying, say, a main course
We self-funded the business, and
menus in hipster fonts when I could
company I worked for had.
for $19 from a new eatery with fancy
of being a salaried employee again
Especially when you didn’t hate being
a salaried employee, and you were actually quite good at it.
You just wanted entrepreneurship
more and had the resilience to see it through. - LB
JAN/FEB 2016 LADYBOSS 29
LEADERSHIP
Mark Stuart Leadership Trainer
THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO KNOW AS A LEADER Can leadership be simplified to one thing? Leadership trainer Mark Stuart weighs in
I
’m a bit over the ‘5 things you need to know if you want to be cool’, 9 ways to get a life’, or even ‘51
reasons why you’re obsessed with lists’ articles
that dominate my news feeds. Admittedly, I’m
guilty of this myself as I understand the attraction of them, and how they capture the reader’s attention.
However, as a leadership trainer and coach, I regularly advise people and companies on how to simplify leadership, and this can be narrowed down to one thing. One word even. And that word is ‘people’.
Given my choice of career, you might think I’m shooting
myself in the foot by trying to over-simplify a complex topic. However, I truly believe that once you understand people
and human relationships, you can start to understand lead-
ership. Obviously, there are many facets to leading people, and with science helping us to better understand human
30 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
behaviour, our knowledge of the subject continues to grow.
Everywhere you look, you see a multitude of courses focusing on emotional intelligence (EQ), mindfulness, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), and personality profiling. Speeches
them, when the situation calls for it,
on to the fact that replacing and
fact that they help us understand
ing on their well-being and belief in
but they should never hide the simple ‘people’.
Let’s look at the key leadership areas, and how they involve people:
and courses are peppered with words
Create an engaged workforce
neurotransmitters such as dopamine
buzz term amongst HR, and Learning
like neocortex, left vs right brain, and and serotonin.
These all have given us a much more
advanced understanding of human behaviour, and how it can improve our leadership skills, and they deserve
the attention they get. I regularly use
retraining staff is costlier than focusthe company’s direction. Good leaders recognise this, and now spend
time ensuring that their staff wants to come to work and believe in their overall mission and values.
‘Employee engagement’ has been the
Be an inspiring role model
and Development staff, for the past
hero fearlessly leading their troops
few years, and rightly so. For too long,
companies were solely focused on
results at the expense of their staff’s engagement levels. This led to high
turnover, until companies switched
Much is made in war movies of the into battle. It’s not quite the same in the corporate world but the same
principles exist. Employees look for leaders who are willing to do what
they ask of others, and will have their
JAN/FEB 2016 LADYBOSS 31
backs at all times. They need leaders who they can look up to and respect,
as a result of their actions. Without
make you feel? Wouldn’t it be nice if that were a regular occurrence?
this, the employees will be reluctant
Communicate clearly and succinctly
true leader understands this part of
leadership is everything. Leaders at
to follow their leader into battle. A human nature, and that humans – as a
tribe – have always looked for a group leader since prehistoric times. Recognise
and
acknowledge
employee contributions
When I ask those that I’m training,
what motivates them, the first answer is nearly always money. Yet, when I delve deeper, the core reason is usually recognition for their work. Poor
leaders often make the mistake of taking their employees for granted,
assuming that they should do whatev-
er they want, for as long as they want, as they are being paid for it.
This is one of the most demotivating
Good, effective communication in the top of their game are masters at
communicating their message clearly and concisely, and gaining maximum buy-in form their employees. They
understand how to adapt their com-
last time you received genuine praise for a job well done. How good did it
32 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
tive impact that demonstrating empa-
thy can have. It’s no longer good enough to just expect your employ-
ees to work hard for you. You need to understand their needs and be aware of challenges they may be facing.
So, I urge all leaders – if not doing
lems they face, and create a culture of
ple feel as if they are the only ones in the room. When leaders communicate
employees and understand the probopen communication.
Leaders also shouldn’t underesti-
with their teams, they should listen
mate the importance of self-leader-
open, be interested in their audience,
own strengths, motivations, and pas-
intently, remain honest, humble, and speak with clarity, and remain true to their word. It’s not rocket science. It’s human nature.
when it’s your boss or a member of the
don’t believe this, think back to the
Modern leaders understand the posi-
listening skills that ensure those peo-
they both publically and privately, reccontributions on a regular basis. If you
thing, it’s a display of strength.
so already – to start talking to their
different personalities, and possess
Demonstrate humility and empathy
ognise and reward their employees’
be seen as a sign of weakness, if any-
munication style when speaking with
things we can encounter. Successful leaders recognise this and will ensure
others to succeed. Humility shouldn’t
ship; the ability to understand their sion that drives them to achieve their
goals. After all, you need to understand yourself before you can start to understand others.
No one likes a show-off, especially
Ok, so I could call this article ‘5 Ways
leadership team. A leader shouldn’t
or something similar. However, in
be looking to take credit for their
team’s actions. They should be talk-
ing in terms of ‘we’ rather ‘I’, and be focussed on providing a platform for
for Leaders to Understand People’, amongst the plethora of leadership
articles out there, most still come down to one thing. One word even. And that word is ‘people’. - LB
Salesgasm
Your Sales, Our Passion
in collaboration with
Presents
Out of the B x Sales Confex Singapore - 18 Feb 2016 Venue: SPGG, 1010 Dover Road, Singapore, 139658 Support Partner
For information regarding speakership and sponsorship at the event, please email at info@salesgasm.com or call at +44-203-808-5539 Scan this QR Code to access the website or enter the following link: http://goo.gl/mv7dwn
3 WORDS TO STOP USING WHEN IN CONFLICT Nina Sabrina
Communications Coach
1
What are the words that may cause more harm than good? Here are three words to avoid in a conflict
ALWAYS
ner used the word on you as above.
of, “I don’t ALWAYS do that!”
is in the following example.
anyone who is going to be accused of
in an argument doesn’t help the situ-
retort with something along the lines
reaction from the recipient. People
The classic use of this word
“You ALWAYS mess up our designs!”
Think about a time when your part-
34 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
What was your reaction? Most likely,
“always” doing this or that is going to
Using specific words like “Always”
ation because it evokes a defensive
COMMUNICATION
2
NEVER
Similarly, this word is quite
often used in some tense
“You NEVER pay attention to details!”
ment or disagreement with or when
cases, using the word ‘so?’ invites
spur-of-the-moment, unfortunately,
is incorrect which is not the point of the argument and certainly not the
arguing over the words used during the argument.
Many times, when arguments or
disagreements sway away from its
purpose, situations tend to worsen
and the arguments and disagreements do not get easily solved. It is
also likely that these situations may
get blown out of proportion as well. Communicating through an argument or a disagreement is a conscious
effort which requires attention. So do pay attention and put in the effort to avoid using the word ‘always’.
That’s when things can get pretty
shared earlier, using the word ‘so’ can
defend himself and prove that ‘never’
and problem solve – to picking and
something worse or undesirable.
them often leave a lasting impression. ‘never’ also invites the recipient to
the argument – which is to analyse
backlash and steers the situation to
heated up and possibly even per-
Just like using the word ‘always’,
these tend to take away the focus of
entire discussion in question. In other
the effects of saying such things and using specific words to aggravate
a solution because using words like
Using words like ‘so?’ does have the
take over. This is normal and happens ing these things may happen at the
help the both of you work towards
the discussion gets heated.
effect of stumping others and also the
to even the best of us. While say-
question “always” occurs. This doesn’t
the people they are having an argu-
extreme things when we are feeling very upset and our emotions start to
that a specific event or subject in
Too many people use this weapon of
choice when they want to shut down
We tend to say some pretty nasty and
selves by dispelling your accusation
the word ‘so?’
situations especially involving business partners or employees such as
tend to feel the need to defend them-
summarized the purposeless use of
sonal. Unlike the other 2 words I
be seen as an evasive move, which
reflects poorly on your ability to logi-
cally argue or defend your ideas and your stand.
Kids often use this tactic often when
point why you raised it in the first
they get into verbal tiffs with their
Using extremities like ‘never’ in argu-
hension, the only outcome they work
place.
ments and conversations limits the space of discussion between those
involved. Another reaction you may get after using the word ‘never’ is,
peers. Due to their lack of compretowards when navigating an argu-
ment or a disagreement is to come out a winner. No matter what.
you risk shutting down the other per-
To remove these 3 words from your
communicating becomes even more
discipline. If you decide to make a
son completely. When this happens,
difficult because the person has chosen to stop responding. Some people
may celebrate this as a “win” but they cannot be more wrong. It is very dan-
vocabulary will require practice and
conscious effort, it is natural for you
to reduce its usage before eventually wiping it out of your dictionary.
Remember: how people respond to
gerous when communication breaks
you is highly dependant on what you
has given up trying altogether.
also be something that you plan to
down to a degree where one of you
3
improve on together with your partner and this discussion can take place
SO
If you’re curious, check out a
say (and how you say it). This could
speaker
called
when both of you are relaxed.
By doing so, you will not be too bur-
Darren
dened with the feeling that you are
speech called Ouch. There’s this part
become tense and there is a need to
LaCroix on YouTube and check out his of his speech which I felt he has aptly
the only one trying when situations verbalize issues at hand. - LB
JAN/FEB 2016 LADYBOSS 35
COMMUNICATION
Qin Yunquan
Behavioral Consultant
HOW TO SPOT DISHONESTY IN A NEGOTIATION Qin Yunquan goes into the science of knowing when somebody is lying to you in a business deal
I
n any negotiations and meet-
perature and conductivity. In other
emotional state experienced during a
it is important to know if the
signs of arousal/ physiological chang-
more closely associated with truth-
ings for potential investments, other party is genuine or they
are lying to you. Fortunately, there
words, polygraphs actually detect es during lying or acts of deception.
are behavioural cues to watch out
Similarly, contrary to commonly
consultant, Qin Yunquan.
appointed ‘experts’ in body lan-
for according to certified behavioural
The Science of Emotions - Lies and Deception
Contrary to popular myths, there is actually no such thing as a lie detecting machine.
All lie detec-
tion machines or polygraphs actu-
ally measure physiological signs of stress experienced by most people
held beliefs perpetuated by self
response. Some of these emotions are fulness (e.g. confidence, certainty, conviction) while others are more associated with deception (e.g. fear, guilt, apprehension, conflict).
guage found within popular litera-
In the hands of a trained observer,
actually no unique and specific behav-
paralinguistic cues paint an inter-
ture or training circuits, there are iors associated with truthfulness or deception. Behavioural observations must be made within contexts, and benchmarked against known existing
nonverbal
and
paralinguistic
these myriads of nonverbal
and
esting picture of what goes behind the seemingly calm and composed
demeanor of an individual attempting to lie or deceive.
Consider this, you are invited to an
behavioural patterns of an individual.
investment deal where the company
responses range from increased heart
tions an investigator makes of a sus-
a sum of capital. While the presenta-
of breathing, to higher skin tem-
truth or deception but reflect internal
while attempting to deceive. These
rate, blood pressure, rate and depth
36 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
In reality, the behavioral observa-
pect does not specifically correlate to
you represent will have to invest in
tion, numbers are sugar coated, what if they intend to deceive you?
Real Life Scenario:
a few more subsequent meetings
crossing etc) that broadly suggest
fledging start-up by an old business
the business model and dynam-
deceptive over certain issues.
Richard was invited to invest in a acquaintance. He would not normally
have bothered if not for the fact that
this business friend of his had an
impeccable previous track record running companies for others.
ics.
However, during the course
of subsequent meetings, Richard felt
some degree of discomfort with what he had observed during the meetings
anxiety over getting caught being
This
‘red flag’ caught Richard by surprise
but prompted him to look for other of such behavioural leakages.
– deception!
As what Richard learned, it is not
a mobile software application that
Signs of Anxiety
information in reading behavior but
host of lifestyle products and ser-
internet business, elaborated on his
business
model
revolves
The
to try to wrap his head around
around
provides real time updates to a vices. Richard decided to go for the meeting to find out more – as afterall, what has he got to lose?
The first meeting was promising –
aggressive growth plans to take the company regional, exciting revenue
numbers, and even a potential list-
ing within 5 years. Richard attended
As Richard’s friend, the founder of this plans, and how the company is going to be the next hottest start up to take
the region by storm, there were clear behavioural signs of deception on the part of the founder.
During the series of meetings, Richard
observed a range of body gestures
such as ‘protective adaptors’ (e.g. hand covering of eyes, mouth, arm
reliable to resort to one source of requires multiple probes for cues.
Richard soon noticed that ‘illustra-
tors’ such as hand gestures that facilitate speech of the founder, reduced
over
the
same
critical
issues that triggered the ‘red flag’.
Other types of cues ‘manipulators’ such as touching of chin, nose etc increased.
These are collaborative
evidence that suggests deceptive behavior on the part of the person
JAN/FEB 2016 LADYBOSS 37
being observed. Disturbed
by
numerous probes
these
behavoural
that
deception,
suggest Richard
resorted to another set
of techniques learned during
the
semi-
nar known as ‘active
interviewing’. Using principles and techniques developed by psychologists for use
in police interrogation
but adapted for civil-
ian contexts (Cognitive Interviewing), skilfully
Richard
probed
and
asked questions like an ‘expert interrogator’.
He was to conclude BODY CUES: ARMS CROSSING
that behind the business proposal laid a web of lies and deceits designed to attract invest-
ments that would eventually spell financial losses for the unsuspecting investors.
The principles and tools of detecting lies
and deception has been the focus of decades of studies by a very small group of psychologists working in the field of cogni-
tive and social psychology. Thanks to the works of Professors Ed Geiselman (U.C.L.A.) and Ron Fisher (NTSB Academy), impor-
tant principles of memory, social dynamics and communication have been identified to
help police investigators detect deception amongst their suspects.
Others like Professor Paul Ekman pioneered
the study of emotions and facial expressions as part of a general study of nonverbal communication. Through his work, professionBODY CUES: TOUCHING NOSE
als working in law enforcement, investigations, and corporate executives can now be
trained to detect truthfulness and deception in their own contexts of work.
38 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
In Singapore, Consulting
Psychologist, Teo Yew Chye and Qin Yunquan,
from Centre of Cognitive Technologies Pte Ltd regularly consult and train corporate and security profes-
sionals in detecting lies and deception.
It is through the such
training that numerous corporate professionals
who often negotiate or make
investments
on
a
regular basis are able to
navigate the dizzy world of corporate wheeling and
dealing without too many heart stopping incidents.
Other corporate profes-
sionals in management BODY CUES: HANDS COVERING MOUTH
and
human
resource
harness
such
scientific knowledge to give themselves valuable insights into situations of
dispute / conflict resolution and mediation at work.
Others regularly deploy such skills
in sales and marketing and even corporate team
building
contexts.
Professionals in the front line customer
service sector on the other hand, benefit
from such knowledge in their day to day dealing with people – learning to read signs of escalating anger or emotions and de-escalating them before things go completely south!
A quote worth pondering by the
late Steve Irwin, otherwise known as ‘crocodile hunter’, “Crocodiles are easy. BODY CUES: HANDS TOUCHING CHIN
They try to kill and eat you. People are harder. Sometimes they pretend to be your friend first.” So ask yourself, do you really want to be ‘fresh kill’, or perhaps not. Think about it. - LB
JAN/FEB 2016 LADYBOSS 39
JEWELLERY & TIMEPIECES
A GUIDE TO JEWELLERY STYLES THROUGH MODERN HISTORY If terms such as Art Deco or Belle Époque stump you, read on for a brief but helpful chronology of key jewellery styles in the past century words YANNI TAN
1890s – 1915: Belle Époque
T
he Belle Époque (“beautiful era” in
also made its debut during this era. All man-
history was named as such because
to pearl were used for their artistic merit
French) period in Western European
ner of materials from horn to moonstone
it was considered the golden age in
over commercial value, with enamelling
terms of regional peace, prosperity and prog-
being a preferred medium. Silver also came
ress on all fronts. The jewellery styles defining
into fashion. Important designers from the
Belle Époque were Art Nouveau, the Arts and
Art Nouveau period include René Lalique,
Crafts Movement, and Edwardian.
Henry Vever, Georges Fouquet, Eugène Gaillard, and Georg Jensen.
The most significant was French Art Nouveau, which was highly decorative, opulent, imagina-
The Arts and Crafts Movement vehemently
tion with femininity was often the main motif or
duced jewels that are all hand-made but
tive, lush and evocative. Nature and its associa-
rejected mechanisation, and therefore pro-
focus. While subjects were often those of the
very expensive – and that rendered this
preceding century’s naturalistic tradition: flow-
style short-lived. The Edwardian style refers
ers, insects, snakes and birds, their depiction
to the light and delicate diamond-dominant
became more fantastical, sinuous, fluid and
jewellery favoured by King Edward and his
asymmetrical. The naked and sensuous female
trend-setting queen, Alexandra.
form, which was previously considered taboo,
A BELLE ÉPOQUE CHERUB CAMEO NECKLACE, CIRCA 1910, FROM REVIVAL JEWELS
AN EDWARDIAN EMERALD AND DIAMOND BAR BROOCH, FROM REVIVAL JEWELS
A PAIR OF BELLE ÉPOQUE PEARL AND DIAMOND EARRINGS BY CHAUMET, FROM REVIVAL JEWELS
40 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
1920s – 1940: Art Deco The short form of Arts Décoratifs, Art Deco took its name from the 1925 Exposition
Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, and developed during a time
of rapid industrialisation, non-conformism, female emancipation, and general joie de vivre. One of the most influential styles of the century, it combines traditional motifs with Machine Age
imagery and materials. Strong colours, bold geometric shapes, symmetry, and lavish ornamentation are its main characteristics. Influences from
Egypt, India, the Far East and Africa were also great sources of inspiration. The ’20s saw linear
and prismatic forms; monochromatic and chromatic combinations of precious and semi-pre-
AN ART DECO DIAMOND AND GEM-SET “JARDINIÈRE” BROOCH, CIRCA 1920S, FROM REVIVAL JEWELS
cious stones; gem-cutters experimenting with new
shapes; and Mikimoto introducing cultured pearls.
The ’30s and ’40s welcomed large, pavé-set diamond jewellery; pieces that were detachable and
convertable; white gold; and bold and sculptural
forms such as volutes, scrolls, spirals, fans, bows, leaves and florals.
AN ART DECO EMERALD
Influential figures of this aesthetic include Georges and Jean Fouquet, Gérard Sandoz,
Jean Desprès, René Boivin, Arnold Ostertag, Suzanne Belperron and Joel Arthur
Rosenthal (JAR). Major maisons such as Cartier, Tiffany & Co., and Van Cleef & Arpels also created some of their most exemplary work during the Art Deco period.
AND DIAMOND JABOT BROOCH BY CARTIER, CIRCA 1920, FROM REVIVAL JEWELS
AN ART DECO DIAMOND AND PLATINUM BAR BROOCH, CIRCA 1925, FROM REVIVAL JEWELS REVIVAL JEWELS
A PAIR OF ART DECO SILVER AND GUILLOCHE ENAMEL CUFFLINKS, FROM REVIVAL JEWELS
JAN/FEB 2016 LADYBOSS 41
1940 – 1960: Retro
A DIAMOND DOUBLE-CLIP BROOCH
A PAIR OF CULTURED PEARL AND
BY JOHN RUBEL, CIRCA 1945, FROM
DIAMOND EAR PENDANTS BY DAVID
REVIVAL JEWELS
WEBB, FROM REVIVAL JEWELS
stones made a triumphant comeback. Creations of this era were bigger,
brighter and bolder than ever before. Some of the most iconic jewels from
eminent jewellers were made dur-
ing this period, such as Cartier’s first three-dimensional panther in 1948, and other “great cats” commissioned by the rich and famous. A RETRO YELLOW GOLD NECKLACE BY FRED, CIRCA 1940S, FROM REVIVAL JEWELS
As the economic boom of the ’50s firmly got underway, and a legion of new rich and Hollywood stars was born, jewellery design became
Wartime Europe faced a scarcity of precious metals and gemstones,
which led to a general decline in quality of jewels. The bold, bulky
geometric pieces produced during
this time matched the more masculine
outfits made for women entering the workforce or war effort. However,
the years following the end of WW2
were characterised by a revival of creativity and femininity in fashion
and jewellery, as peace and prosperA DIAMOND AND CULTURED PEARL BROOCH BY JEAN SCHLUMBERGER FOR TIFFANY & CO., FROM REVIVAL JEWELS
42 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
ity returned.
From the mid-40s onwards, jewellery
pieces maintained their larger size,
but naturalism in form and precious
more imaginative and opulent, and
the styles that were popular were
as varied as the kinds of gemstones
used. From naturalism and exoticism to abstraction to patterns, pieces of
this era demonstrated a new lightness and movement. It was also during this time that there was a differentiation between day jewels and evening ornamentation.
Celebrated designers of the Retro period include Jean Schlumberger (of Tiffany & Co.), David Webb, John
Rubel, Jeanne Toussaint (of Cartier), and the LaCloche brothers. -LB
JEWELLERY & TIMEPIECES
BESPOKE FINE JEWELLERY FOR LADYBOSSES Madly Gems pieces are handmade beautiful limited designs using the most fine grade gemstones
GREEN GARNET RING, BY MADLY GEMS HEX BERYL STUDS, BY MADLY GEMS
WHITE ZIRCON & TAZANITE EARRINGS, BY MADLY GEMS
MANDARIN GARNETS, TSARVORITE AND DIAMOND “FESTIVE WREATH” EARRINGS, BY MADLY GEMS
About The Designer
Madly Gems Co-Founder Emily Tan is a
GIA certified gemologist and New York trained designer with over a decade of
experience as a bespoke jewellery-maker. She spent many years abroad working
for major brands, such as Jimmy Choo
Couture in London, Marni in Milan and Kara Ross NY. She handpicks the gem-
stones personally, often going through a lot of hundreds just to find the most
NO HEAT RUBIES & DIAMOND STACK RING, BY MADLY GEMS
saturated, clear and radiant few.
JAN/FEB 2016 LADYBOSS 43
JEWELLERY & TIMEPIECES
TIMEPIECES FOR LADYBOSSES The LadyBoss team handpicks their favourite luxury timepieces.
GIRAD-PERREGAUX CAT'S EYE SMALL SECOND
The Girard-Perregaux Cat’s Eye
collection features a horizontal oval
dial shape marrying feminine curves with an intelligent self-winding
mechanism. The dial is in mother-of-
pearl with 9 diamond indices, framed by 62 diamonds on the bezel (about 0.85 carats).
The date window is surrounded by a
eclipse covered by gold rays from the
eclipse surrounding the small seconds. The watch is mounted on a black
alligator strap or a pink gold bracelet, with folding buckle in pink gold.
This timepiece is serious enough for
the boardroom and glitzy enough for the ballroom.
44 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
BLANCPAIN DAY NIGHT RETROGRADE
Blancpain’s Day Night retrograde is
a stunning and complex piece with
intricate mother-of-pearl crafting and
an unusual mechanical movement fea-
turing two retrograde functions and a day-night indicator. The seconds hand is retrograde, jumping back
to zero after 60 seconds. The hour
hand is also retrograde, moving back to the far left position after reaching 6 o’clock on the far right posi-
tion. At the same time, the day/night disc rotates between night and day.
It’s a showstopper that will satisfy
women’s desire for complex watches,
presenting very feminine watches
with mechanical movements, visible through the sapphire caseback.
ULYSSE NARDIN JADE
The Ulysse Nardin Jade is specifically designed such that the crown doesn’t have to be pulled out to set
the date and time, something which many women have long complained about. This versatile watch combines
a nautical theme with luxury – with its diamonds, mother-of-pearl and rose
gold. It has lots of feminine whimsy, with incomplete numerals both for
the hours and the seconds at the base of the dial. In total, there are 78 diamonds, 1.176 carats. It is beauti-
fully crafted, our current favourite among the Ulysse Nardin women’s watches.
JAN/FEB 2016 LADYBOSS 45
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Anh Thu Nguyen Life Coach
THREE DECISIONS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER Anh Thu Nguyen shares 3 decisions that can have a huge positive impact on your future
E
very day we make hun-
stand that before things can change,
it that way in the future. In reality, our
of decisions. Everything
things can get better, you have to be
we’ve been up to now – is NOT our
dreds, if not thousands
in our daily life is a con-
sequence of our choices, big or
small: what we are going to do when we wake up in the morning,
what we are going to eat for break-
fast, how we are going to start the
day, what we are going to say to
you yourself have to change. Before better.
In other words, complaining and blam-
ing other people for what happens in our own lives has never helped anyone, and certainly won’t help you change the course of events.
Yet, more often than not, what do
“It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” - Anthony Robbins people we meet, how we behave,
we do? Not only do we complain, get
In this article you’ll learn about the
out on people who don’t deserve it,
and so on.
3 most important decisions you can make daily to change your life.
Take respons-‘ability’ for changing
First of all you need to under-
angry or end up taking our frustration we’re also quite certain that what has happened to us in the past will affect both our present and our future.
That is to say, we’re convinced that because we did something a certain way in the past we’ll only be able do
biography – the story of the person destiny.
For the sake of our own comfort, or
perhaps out of habit, far too often we make up stories and excuses, finding reasons why we can’t change. Or we
search for plausible explanations for
why our efforts will never come to fruition.
Our two greatest fears as human beings
Why is it we invent these stories? Why do we come up with these excuses?
The reason is simple: the stories we
tell ourselves and the excuses we adopt are nothing but projections of our fears.
Being afraid is normal – all human beings have fears. These fears are just a survival instinct.
Ignoring your fears is completely use-
JAN/FEB 2016 LADYBOSS 47
less, because they are part of you and
Of course, the number of cars
be managed so that they don’t gain
ged at all. It was just your
will never go away, although they can
control of your mind. You can even decide to turn them into valuable allies.
Think back to the last time you felt stuck, afraid to take another step. Fear of failure, fear of being ridi-
culed, fear of not succeeding, fear of
change, fear of not being equal to a situation.
This doesn’t mean we’re all des-
tined to live in constant dread – far
like yours hadn’t actually chan-
perception that changed. This is a typical example of selective attention.
So where do you tend to focus your attention?
On things you can control or things you CAN’T control?
On things you have or things you DON’T have?
On the past, present or future?
from it! We can decide to MANAGE
If you keep focusing on things
that doesn’t negatively influence our
you’ll feel insecure, unsure and
these fears, and to do so in a way relationships with others, and has no effect on our lives or our happiness. How? By making better decisions.
DECISION 1: What are you choosing to focus on?
you have no influence over,
incapable of controlling events. This feeling will have repercus-
sions in other areas of your life and will affect you generally, causing uncertainty.
If you keep focusing on what
It’s the things we decide to focus
you don’t have, you’ll lose sight
impressions.
already possess – the blessings
on that determine our emotions and Your perception is determined by
where you decide to direct your atten-
tion. When you focus on a particular thing, it’s as though at that moment nothing other than that specific thing
exists for you. Everything else beco-
of what you have, what you
in your life. The glass will always seem half empty and you’ll
always be on the lookout for
something to fill that void, but you’ll never be fulfilled.
If you keep focusing exclusively on
mes a blurred outline.
the past or the future, you’ll lose sight
time you bought a car. Most probably,
able to enjoy the small victories, the
For example, think about the last
before you bought it you did a lot of research. You thought about which
model would be most suitable and
then you looked into prices and shopped around for the best deal.
From then on you started noticing that car everywhere you went. It sud-
denly seemed as though everyone had it, didn’t it?
48 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
of the here and now. You won’t be beauty of everyday events, and you won’t appreciate the gifts given to
you by the present. Instead, choose
to concentrate on the present AND on the future, so that you build your long-term happiness day by day.
Focus on what you want, not on what
you don’t want!
DECISION 2: What does this event mean?
The second decision that determines
your quality of life is the significance you ascribe to the things that happen
to you. Are you aware of what kind of words you’re using when you talk about your life? What do you say to others about your daily existence?
The meaning of each event in your
life is determined by your beliefs, as
well as by the excuses and stories you come up with.
A situation can be seen as a mis-
fortune by some people and a bless-
ing by others. Why? Because events
want to do and how to react to the events around you.
Your choices are not determined by
aren’t meaningful in themselves –
fate or by circumstance. They depend
them. You can change the significance
it’s possible or not possible.
they acquire the meaning you give
of events by changing the beliefs you
The next time you end up feel-
As I explain in the free course
sions. You’ll realise that you’re focus-
DECISION 3: What will you decide
your true potential and break through
life it’s YOU who decides what you
people’s quality of life.
ing low, discouraged or defeated,
‘Release your potential’, you have
In the same way, every second of your
sions that really makes a difference to
on your beliefs and on what you think
hold about them.
to do?
It’s the ability to make better deci-
the choice. You can decide to access the limits you’ve imposed on yourself once and for all.
What choice do you want to make?
try to think back to these 3 deci-
ing on the wrong things, on what you CAN’T change, what you CAN’T con-
trol, what you DON’T have. You just change your focus and redirect your
attention towards something more useful. - LB
JAN/FEB 2016 LADYBOSS 49
CAN YOUR PERSONALITY AFFECT YOUR HEALTH? Is personality and disease linked? YY Low shares her findings
W
hat you believe inside, will be what will be
shown on the outside. At a fundamental level, personality refers to how and why
an individual responds to his or her envi-
ronment. Thus, personality is inside the
individual, but it mediates his or her responses (“adjust-
ments”) to the environment. This is an important distinction – personality is related to behavior (i.e., responses, adjust-
YY Low
Health Psychologist
50 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
ments), but is not the same as behavior. Rather, it reflects
a higher-order construct that we typically infer from
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
behavior, and especially
heart disease.
exhibited over time.
acts synergistically with other risk factors, such as smoking
between personality and
therapy can significantly reduce the likelihood of cancer or
from patterns of behavior What is the relationship
physical disease?
“Coping” is used to
describe explicitly how individuals stressful
adjust
to
environments.
How one copes is closely
related to personality – individuals high in neu-
roticism often employ less effective coping strategies, responding with self-
Personality type acts as a risk factor for diseases and inter-
and heredity. It has been statistically proven that behaviour coronary heart disease mortality. Studies suggest that both
body and mental disease arise from each other. Mental disorders arise from physical causes, and likewise, physical disorders arise from mental causes.
1.
You Are What You Believe
Reflect on your mind-set about your-
self. The mind-games and worries that are in your mind can stress you more
than a real or actual situation! Learn to identify if you have any belief sys-
blame and hostility, while
tem that is self-defeating and find ways to change them.
more
emotions, facing them might be the first step for overcom-
extraverts often display effective
coping
strategies, such as seeking social support.
Both “personality” and “disease” are complex constructs,
and so, not surprisingly, is their interaction. On the one
hand, diseases are quite variable, with different ones showing different characteristics – time courses (e.g. HIV
disease vs. influenza), type of immune involvement (e.g.,
Though many are not willing to confront their own negative ing the stressful situation in their lives.
2.
Identify the situations that cause stress Do not be like an ostrich and bury
your head in the sand, thinking the
problem will just disappear. Be realistic with your expectations, and iden-
depending on the mechanisms of action of different patho-
tify what is really causing the stress. Then, develop a list of
Personality itself is a complex construct, involving multiple
challenges. Focus on solutions and acquire techniques and
gens), and so on.
dimensions, each of which may be more important in some
situations than in others, and each of which affects the expression of others. For example, consider how someone who is an extravert might behave in general, depending on whether they are high or low on neuroticism. And the situ-
ations of one’s life are equally complex – some are chosen (wisely or unwisely), while some are imposed upon us.
While personality may exert main effects on disease pro-
cesses, much of the role played by personality in disease will be more interactionist, a reflection of personality’s role
in affecting how individuals appraise and cope with situations, and the emotional responses they generate.
the possible coping strategies of how you can handle these new skills (if needed) that will help to alleviate the stressors. Face them.
3.
Keep Open Communication With Those Around You
Social support from friends and family plays a crucial part to help someone cope with challenges in life. Do keep
talking to people you trust. Surround
yourself with positive people who believe in you and can encourage you.
Open up and be willing to talk about your feelings and
Studies have shown that some personality types have a
thoughts. However, make sure they are people who will lift
eases. Personality types have shown strong influences on
judge you easily. If necessary, go to a trained counsellor,
relationship with higher tendency to certain kind of dis-
both cancer-prone patients and those prone to coronary
you up instead of pulling you down and not people who will life coach or professionals, do not give up communication.
JAN/FEB 2016 LADYBOSS 51
4.
Relax
To help you sleep, make sure that your bedroom is condu-
Though it sounds cliché, this is one
cive with no reminders of the things that cause you to feel
have to cope. This can be through any
sive alcohol, as this will lead to disturbed sleep. Try taking
you release your stress and unwind. It
several hours before going to bed, so that you have time
of the most important strategies we
stress. Avoid caffeine during the evening, as well as exces-
forms of activity that is able to help
a warm bath or avoid doing any mentally demanding work
can be physical activities, picking up a new hobby, enjoying
to calm down.
by going to the beach and give a good shout.
Studies have shown that personality types have a relation-
through treatments such as facials, massages or manual
Personality types have shown strong influences on both
body. Feeling healthier, looking good, will also permeate a
disease. Personality type acts as a risk factor for diseases
brain chemicals.
smoking and heredity.
the sunlight or keeping a journal… or simply just letting out More luxurious ways of pampering yourselves, can be
ship with higher tendency to certain kind of diseases.
lymphatic drainage therapy to relieve stress and detox the
cancer-prone patients and those prone to coronary heart
sense of general well-being that will improve emotions and
and interacts synergistically with other risk factors, such as
5.
It has been statistically proven that behaviour therapy can
Get More Sleep
significantly reduce the likelihood of cancer or coronary
of stress. Conversely, stress also inter-
and mental disease arise from each other. Mental disorders
would stop us from relaxing enough
arise from mental causes. - LB
A lack of sleep is a significant cause
heart disease mortality. Studies suggest that both body
rupts our sleep as thoughts or worries
arise from physical causes, and likewise, physical disorders
to fall asleep.
52 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
FOOD & WINE
CAN WINE BE GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH?
Can a glass a day keep the doctor away? Staff writer Alice Lee gives us the scoop
D
id you know that wine
qualities by preventing blood ves-
toxins in the blood, reducing inflam-
this article, we discuss
cholesterol.
This helps protect the lungs.
can be good for you? In how wine can be good
sel damage as well as reducing LDL
Red wine also contains flavonoids,
mation of the airwaves in the process.
for your health. Read on.
another important antioxidant. Red
Sparkling wine
benefits, like reducing the risk of
cholesterol and lower blood pressure.
actually has the same benefits as red
Alcohol, in general, has certain health
heart disease, stroke, and diabetes,
wine has also been found to lower
as well as decreasing the risk of devel-
White wine
Now before you hit the bottle – these
lungs. Research has shown that drink-
oping gallstones.
benefits only work if you are a moderate drinker – in women this means 1 glass a day.
Here are some benefits of various types of wine: Red wine
Red wine contains the most reversterol – the antioxidant found in wine skin
that may up the drink’s heart-healthy
White wine may be beneficial to your ing white wine helps keep lung tissues healthy.
According to a study by the American
Thoracic Society, people who drank
between one and three glasses a day
had overall better lung function than
those who drank red wine, or other alcoholic beverages.
Researchers believe that this may
be because white wine soaks up the
Did you know that sparkling wine wine as bubbly is often made of red and white grapes?
Also, Champagne was found to have
as many of those beneficial polyphenols as a cup of hot chocolate! Another plus point –
a glass of
sparkling contains fewer calories than
red or white — only 80 calories versus around 120.
Serving sizes for sparkling wine
are also generally smaller than other alcoholic beverages too, keeping the calorie count even lower.
Let’s drink to better health! - LB
JAN/FEB 2016 LADYBOSS 53
FOOD & WINE
POWER BREAKFAST Here’s a low fat easy-to-make power breakfast that will pack in a punch of nutrients and flavour
Annette Lang
Chef
4 SERVES Ingredients:
LOW FAT Bircher Muesli
1 cup rolled oats
½ cup apple juice
1 cup low fat natural yoghurt 2 Tablespoons chia seeds 1 cup skim milk
Handful of raisins
Handful of dried apricots, finely chopped (sulphur free is best)
Good dash of ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon To add any or all of these the following morning:
1 grated granny smith apple (grated - skin on)
¼ cup dried fried shredded coconut ¼ cup slithered dried fried almonds
Seasonal berries or banana or peaches
54 LADYBOSS JAN/FEB 2016
Here’s what to do: Combine
the
rolled
oats,
juice,
yoghurt, chia seeds, milk, raisins,
chopped apricots, nutmeg and cinna-
mon in a large bowl and stir together, chill overnight.
Chef’s Notes & Tips
You may need to add extra milk if the mixture seems too thick in the morning. This easy-to-make break-
Add in your favourite toppings the fol-
fast can be made the night
- Stir in the grated green apple
tee to keep you going right
lowing morning and
- Garnish with seasonal berries (or
banana or peaches), sprinkled with almonds and coconut
before this and will guaranthrough to lunch.