Who I am Matters

Describe where you come from

I am from Bangkok, Thailand, a very hot and humid tropical city in Southeast Asia. Much like LA, it has good food but horrible traffic and not so great drivers. I spent my teenage years growing up the city state of Singapore which I consider my second home. 

Tell me where you're going and how you plan to get there

To be very honest, I don’t know where I am going but I am open to new experiences and opportunities. I go with the flow and see where it takes me. In the past I was a lot more concerned about my future but over time, I have learnt to be more spontaneous and not always stick exactly to a plan. 

Me and my parents

My Father - we like the same foods - grilled fish, steamed rice, chocolate, horlicks, the list goes on. However, on the risk sepctrum, my father gets thrilled from taking risks while I shy away from any risk. But at the end of the day, we are absolute home bodies and love anything comfortable. 

My Mother - I like to joke that the only thing I got from my mother was the judgment in our eyes. As I grew older (and have been told by my relatives), my work ethics and values started to align more with her. But I’d argue that I am more relaxed and less uptight than my mother. 

Have you developed your own expectations for yourself, or if you were honest, would you say you're operating under someone else's expectations?

Growing up, it has always been easy for me to follow rules and I rarely felt an urge to be rebellious. This, coupled with the people-pleaser within me, made operating under other people’s expectations very natural and easy. With family and age being heavily emphasised in my culture, the end goal of whatever I do has always been for my parents, to make them proud and ~ validate ~ me. As I grow older, I am trying to set expectations for myself and still figuring out.

Who, other than a relative, serves as a model for you of someone who lives life with great passion and personal responsibility?

Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos, is one of my business role models. He knew the business was the best at selling shoes and strived to provide the best customer service in the industry. He prioritised company culture, he carefully hired and curated his hires to ensure they were a good fit. He fostered a good work environment would lead to a better customer service. 

Connecting with the ANIMAL WORLD: What wild animal do you feel a special connection with, and why?

I have always been mesmerised by elephants but this might be due to the fact that they’re the national animal of Thailand and are found nearly everywhere. There are elephant cartoons at school, in malls, or drawings of elephants in government emblems. But the more I looked into it, the more amazed I became at this animal. Elephants have many human-like qualities - they experience human emotions - they experience joy and grief, they’re compassionate, and intelligent. 

Connecting with the NATURE KINGDOMS: Describe a significant childhood encounter with a tree or plant.

I grew up in cities and my interactions with nature is quite minimal. One vivid memory was when I had to grow a sunflower for my science project but my neighbour’s cat sadly ate it. 

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Moon Sign: Virgo

Ascendant or Rising Sign: Saggitarius