If you can't submit the form by tomorrow but would still like to join, please email me.
I'll need the numbers to start preparing materials and that takes time!
P/S: The photo is a sneak peek of the location! We will have the chairs/tables removed so that there is plenty of space to mingle and make new friends. ๐
Personal Reflections
It's been a week of intense conversations.
On one hand, I've had friends sharing their major highs: Landing 8-figure contracts with major enterprises, making big hires, quitting their jobs to follow their passions, and expanding their businesses because of high demand.
Then I've met people who tell me, "I've just been retrenched. Can you give me some advice?"
It's always heartbreaking to receive these messages โน๏ธ
But it makes me think of how important building a personal brand is.
At the start of my career, I didn't understand how important it would be to not just do good work but ensure that people know that you're doing good work.
Yet assuming that you do the latter, the people who are aware of your achievements tend to be confined only to those within your company.
People outside your company don't know what you've achieved.
And if the people outside don't know...
Why would headhunters or future employers approach you?
Where would those brand partnership offers come from?
You're stuck when you get hit with a retrenchment notice.
You only have 4-8 weeks to scramble for the next gig.
Contrast that with someone who's actively building a presence online and leveraging on platforms like LinkedIn.
Example: Chloe Shihโ
Several weeks ago, Chloe publicly announced that she'd be let go from her position as Product Manager at Discord.
She recorded her entire reaction, what she did in the weeks after etc. and while this very public display of what she's going through might prove too much for most, my main takeaway is this:
Yes, she loved her job in tech.
Yes, she had no intention of leaving.
BUT because she'd spent so much time building an online presence, she wasn't left entirely in a lurch.
She already had sponsorship deals and side incomes being generated from her online work. She now has the freedom to choose to take her first-ever gap year and explore as many creative side quests as possible.
Retrenchment wasn't the end of the world for her.
But the potential start of a new adventure.
And I get it.
I was able to make my own career pivot because I started building things online and sharing my journey.
That sharing naturally attracted people interested in the same things (aka my tribe). And since I was talking about what I was interested in, I'd get friends/strangers messaging me going:
- Hey Ling Yah, you mentioned wanting to do this. Maybe consider approaching this person? I can make an introduction!
- I love what you're doing and would love to collaborate. Shall we chat?
Not every request/potential collaboration worked out.
Most didn't.
But over time, enough doors opened that allowed me to quit law to build my own business. And I've seen doors open for other people leading to...
- An invitation to become a board member of a prestigious organisation;
- An opportunity to collaborate with their favourite brands; and
- Make friends with people who are equally 'crazy' about the things that they love, e.g. Figma, cooking, travelling etc.
The sky's the limit once you start putting yourself out there.
So why aren't you?
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