When I was young, we lived in a wooden house. One of the fondest memories I have was when my sister and I keep getting in trouble playing in the house and climbing the Rambutan trees. Since we were little, we could do anything we wanted, enjoying the simple pleasures of life. A few other memories from my childhood include my mom insisting that we go on holiday trips to spend quality time together. I try to do the same with my children, too, to get them outdoors and surround themselves with nature.

Afternoon naps were compulsory as my father read to us stories, mostly belonging to Shakespeare. This was how I got attached to literature. My father majorly influenced our upbringing. He began as a teacher, moving on to become a lecturer, finally retiring as the school's headmaster. We were not allowed to borrow or abuse things, always do the right thing, and respect our elders. We were encouraged to debate and discuss our thoughts. Furthermore, we had many conversations about our ideas and perspectives that shaped me into the person I am today. Now we all keep in touch with each other through WhatsApp due to Covid-19 and the MCO.

Dinner time is usually when we sit and talk about each other's day. There is nothing like bonding during mealtimes, and the use of tech is strictly prohibited on the table. My happiest moments are with my three children, who are my biggest achievements. I enjoy going on trips with them as they treat me as their friend. They confide in me, which makes me very happy. Professionally, I have worked in 9 different companies. The marketing director at Caltex Oil Ltd saw potential in me and wanted me to become the brand manager. He pushed me beyond my capabilities and saw me at a place that I did not.

Following this, I worked for a young, dynamic entrepreneur who almost pushed me to a point where I was exhausted. I then worked for Malaysia Airlines, and my boss there opened my mindset. He showed me that it was important to put forward empathy when dealing with people. He was detailed when it came to working and showed me that we need to be comprehensive with our thinking and thorough work. Initially, it was tough managing time between my personal and professional life which turned me into a workaholic. We should work and rest at times when we need a break.

Now I come home by 7:00 pm, spend time with my children, and go back to work by 10:00 pm when necessary and all have gone to rooms and doing their own stuff. This gives me enough time to finish any outstanding work. Throughout my career, I've been retrenched twice from my job. I even went through a difficult divorce. All of these have affected me a lot. I guess, in all three situations, whatever actions I took, it was based on my principles. When we stick to them, we might get into trouble at times. My biggest takeaway from it was that I know that I did the right thing so I could sleep peacefully at night and that God has His plans for me, which kept me going.

I then helped my friend in marketing, even though I knew nothing about sales. In two weeks, I had made a sale of over RM. 26000. If we put our mind to it, we can achieve anything, even if we aren't good at it. All of this helped me focus on the positive side of the problems I faced.

From my experience, few women were given the power to lead. There is a lack of female leaders, in some areas and although there are many female leadership mentors, it's tough to see them in several areas of subject matter experts.

I look at my daughter, and I see that she is very confident in the environment she grew up in. There are times I've looked up to her and wished that it was me. If I had a superpower, I would want to give every woman the confidence they need, tempered with humility. Women leaders who have a lot of humility and care for people without letting ego get in the way are the ones who succeeds.

I have tried my best to provide knowledge to the women around me. I have tried to do two things mainly. First, analyzing women in what they lack and what they do, identifying their potential, and grooming them for their goals. Second, putting them in the best position for them to excel. Nobody can do what we do. For me, multitasking does not work, especially when engaging with people. We should put our focus on one thing that we do, and only when we have made it a success with it do we move onto the next one.

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