PRESTIGE ONLINE 40 UNDER 40 2020 HONOUREE

What roles can an entrepreneur play in the technopreneurship ecosystem?

We are in a new age where digitalisation is the way for business to evolve. An entrepreneur needs to be open to technology, upskill and upgrade the business. The technopreneurship journey is full of uncertainties, and the entrepreneur needs to take the lead and encourage the team members to have this “technopreneurship mindset” and help them to upskill to stay relevant and be ready to harness new technologies as they come.

What skills do the entrepreneurs require to play such roles effectively?

I think entrepreneurs should develop Adversity Quotient and Emotional Quotient skills to effectively handle their emotions in face of adversities, crisis and uncertainty. Adversity Quotient measures the ability to adapt and think fast in ever-changing environments, as well as having the emotional intelligence to remain calm in difficult situations and deal with people efficiently. Meanwhile, Emotional Quotient enables entrepreneurs to motivate their team while keeping a positive-resilient mindset, creating a healthy environment for the team and increasing productivity.

I also believe that the ability to love failure is essential to thriving. The notion of failure is not very well accepted in East Asia and Southeast Asia, but as an entrepreneur, it is important to learn how to love failures, as they teach you to lose your pride and be humble enough to accept that things will not always happen as you planned. Without failure, life will be boring because you won’t have the opportunity to evolve and become the best version of yourself. By embracing failure, entrepreneurs can transform themselves and their businesses.

How do you leverage or employ technologies in the company?

I am employing a new fragrance technology developed by top fragrance company Givaudan to enhance the aromatic experience of my customers. SIX ingredients are sourced from Givaudan’s latest innovation VivaScentz, a scent technology that guides consumers in achieving a holistic sense of well-being by uplifting moods and helping them fall asleep naturally.

We are also looking to digitalise our business further through artificial intelligence (AI), by building a scent robot. Currently, with the COVID-19 situation, companies in the health and beauty industries cannot have in-store testers and sales transactions must be contactless. The AI scent robot would help collect data, consumer habits, lifestyles and identify future trends. It is essential for entrepreneurs to have the courage to try and leverage new technologies.

What’s the biggest challenge for an entrepreneur to stay relevant and competitive in the face of ever-changing technologies and continuously evolving business environments?

To stay competitive in face of ever-changing technologies and business environments, entrepreneurs must lead with courage and motivate their team to stay relevant to the trends. In recent times, my greatest challenge was motivating my team to keep going and embrace the uncertain circumstances. The pandemic has forced us to change the way we used to do things and we had to flip our mindset and accept that change is needed to evolve.

If you were to create a new scent and capture memories of COVID-19, what would the scent smell like?

Awakening, hope and rejuvenation. We have already such a scent inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic as a sign of encouragement to Singapore, named Awakening. A portion of earnings from this product was donated to The Courage Fund to help our country recover from turbulent times. Additionally, we created Hikaru, a scent collection to raise awareness of mental health issues such as depression and the importance of taking care of one’s mental wellness. Similar to Awakening, a portion of earnings from Hikaru went to a charitable cause, which in this case was the Singapore Association for Mental Health. This pandemic has reminded us that we are all in this together and we must help each other see the brighter side of life.

Finally, what words of encouragement do you have for technopreneurs embracing digitalisation to sustain business growth?

I would say, “keep exploring technology, but be mindful of your needs and those of the people around you.” Being open to new technology is important to leveraging this digitalisation revolution but one must also stay grounded and connected with yourself during challenging times. While we are trying to survive and trying to keep businesses afloat, please put your mental health first and do not be afraid to ask for help.