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Not your average writer

Birthday 2022: Where to next?

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My job contract is ending soon.

This has nothing to do with my work performance, or something I did. I’m not leaving on a bad note. The company is good in many ways and it would have been nice to become a full-timer. Some things weren’t meant to be, I guess.

That said, I’m not too sad. Two years there is long enough. It’s about time to move on to a new adventure.

What would that new adventure look like, I wonder?

Where I have been

I’ve been doing a lot of self-discovery and introspection throughout the pandemic.

What do I want? What’s meaningful to me? How do I get what I want? Who should I speak to? Etc.

All that musing is partly why I have not written for this blog for months. I didn’t know where to go with the blog. More specifically, I was trying to figure out various aspects of life and didn’t know what was worth writing about.

I don’t want to miss writing a birthday post though, which is why I have resurfaced.

Normalcy returns, opportunities beckon

I got laid off in March 2020.  A few weeks later, Singapore, like many other parts of the world, went into lockdown. So much uncertainty, fear, and stress.

I joined this company in Jun 2020. Everything about my job has happened online. From the interviews to onboarding to the day-to-day work. I have never once stepped into the office as there is no strong reason for me to do so. I don’t even have a staff pass. The only times I have met my colleagues are at a couple of team lunches.

Now my job is coming to an end, just as the pandemic is winding down. It is heartening to see businesses bustling again and people enjoying the outdoors without having to wear masks.

Singapore is opening up. I look forward to the opportunities (not just job opportunities) this opening up will bring.

Doing things differently

I’ve started living on my own more often. It’s freeing to have a whole home to myself, so that I can do whatever I want at the times that suit me. I now split my time between my family home and my other home.

I’ve been volunteering more. My company is big on volunteering and presents its staff with many opportunities to give back. I’ve done mentoring, food preparation at a soup kitchen, and more. On my birthday this year, I joined some sales colleagues in packing groceries at a food bank. It feels nice to be of service to people who need help.

Drawing is a constant in my life now. I balance both drawing digitally and drawing on paper. There’s so much to learn on both fronts, and it helps to remind myself of how far my skills have grown. I have big drawing goals to hit this year.

Now, I have a chance to do things differently with my career.

Answering the call to adventure

I’m in no hurry to get a new job.

I feel like this end of contract is a chance to make a radical change. Have a new start at new things, learn new skills, and meet new people. Having done content marketing for about seven years already, I’m interested in exploring other fields. So, I’ve been talking to people, learning about their jobs, motivations, and passions.

This is not my first time doing a career change. I trust that I have the skills and resourcefulness to pull this off again.

Forward I go. No concrete destination in mind yet, just trusting that forward is the right direction and precession will bring opportunities. I hope I never lose my curiosity about the world, my sense of adventure, and above all, hope in the future.

Happy birthday.

So you want to work in content marketing

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Visiting the Isle of Wight in 2019

 

Who am I to tell you about content marketing?

I am no veteran in the field.

No impressive track record of running successful campaigns for famous brands. No team under me. Not a single publication under my belt (save for my blog posts?) or industry accolade.

I got my first content marketing job at a small digital agency in 2016. I had zero marketing experiences or marketing qualifications. In fact, I was lost in life, had no idea what career I wanted, and didn’t even know what content marketing was. I got the job on the basis of strong writing skills.

It was a bloody struggle to build a content marketing career. I cut my teeth in the agency world. Long hours, fast pace, many demands to meet, and worst of all, the office politics. Since I left agency land, I’ve worked in a scrappy little start-up and now, a global corporation.

I’m no “thought leader”. But I am a hard-boiled practitioner who worked my way up.

 

Why am I writing about content marketing?

Thank you, people of Reddit Singapore, for the inspiration.

There have been some recurring themes that got my attention. People talking about how miserable they are in their current jobs and wanting out. People feeling scared about the ongoing pandemic and worried about their futures. People asking about jobs that are in demand and how to get in.

I can relate to these themes.

This year, I was fortunate to find a content marketing job at a global tech company, amidst the pandemic. Content marketing and other digital marketing roles are definitely still in demand. Over the years, I’ve advised folks on how to get started in content marketing. Now, I am consolidating my knowledge and experiences into a blog post. This is my way of giving back to the content marketing field.

  1. You don’t need a marketing degree to work in content marketing
  2. There are no formal certifications to become a content marketer
  3. Content marketing is not just about writing (part 1)
  4. Content marketing is not just about writing (part 2)
  5. How do you get started in content marketing when you have zero experience?
  6. What other non-writing skills do you need to be a good content marketer?
  7. There are several ways you can progress in your content marketing career
  8. What are some useful content marketing resources and groups?

One more thing: advice is autobiographical. Take what I say not as The Truth, but as a point of reference.

 

1. You don’t need a marketing degree to work in content marketing

This also applies to many other digital marketing roles.

My degree has nothing to do with marketing. My ex-colleague, who ran marketing campaigns, did have a marketing degree. But he said that most of the things he learnt were not useful and different from marketing in practice.

Digital marketing is a dynamic field. New technologies come and go, and techniques can get outdated fast. Most of the things you learn in a classroom will probably be outdated by the time you graduate a few years later.

In a way, digital marketing is like web development and software development. You get into the field by doing things, proving your skills, and constant learning.

 

2. There are no formal certifications to become a content marketer

In project management, there’s the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. In accountancy, there’s the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification.

But there is no formal certification recognised by the “content marketing industry” and demanded by organisations worldwide.

If you are new to content marketing, you can do some content marketing courses. Understand what content marketing is all about, how it fits into the digital marketing ecosystem, and see if it interests you. Most courses issue certificates at the end.

But these certifications are usually not job requirements. Almost anyone can take a content marketing course and pass it. It is not enough to claim that you know about content marketing, you need to demonstrate content marketing skills. I discuss more about proving skills in point five.

 

3. Content marketing is not just about writing (part 1)

Content marketing job ads often call for strong writing skills. In fact, many people who are new to content marketing start as content writers.

But it’s not enough to write impeccably.

I once spoke to a bloke who was curious about content marketing. He had taught English and participated in poetry competitions. I had to emphasise that good content in content marketing is not about literary value. Nope, content needs to be relevant and helpful to the people you want to reach.

Let’s say you’re an insurance company. You know that there are people who want to find out more about insurance or have a problem that insurance can solve. Here’s how you can engage these folks via content marketing:

Write a series of blog posts on insurance for beginners. What is insurance, the main types, how to choose, things to look out for when buying etc. You can also publish an eBook on “what (target group) needs to know about insurance”. Perhaps launch an email newsletter that features the stories of people who use your insurance products.

The aim of the blog posts, eBook, and email newsletter isn’t to hard-sell. Instead, you want to educate people on insurance and how they can benefit from it.

Content marketing is about putting out consistent, useful, and reliable information on your subject of expertise. Over time, people are more likely to trust your brand and consider you when they have to make a purchase.

It’s crucial to understand your target audience well. What are their problems, needs, and desires? Why are you in the best position to help? Then you can craft effective content that resonates with people.

I’d go as far to say: when it comes to content marketing, it’s more important to be a good marketer than a good writer.

 

4. Content marketing is not just about writing (part 2)

I focus a lot on written content in this blog post as this is the type that I am most familiar with. Also, some of the most common types of content are text-based. Think eBooks, blog posts, email newsletters, and more.

But to be clear, content marketing isn’t limited to written content. Some ideas are best explained or reinforced via other media, like images, audio, or videos.

You don’t have to produce multimedia content by yourself. If you are a content writer, learn to work with video creators, podcast producers, and designers to communicate ideas. At the more senior levels, you’ll need to know how to manage the production of a variety of content deliverables.

You’ll also want to become familiar with one or more distribution channels. It’s not enough to produce awesome content. No, you’ve got to distribute it to the people who would be interested in it. So, get familiar with channels like social media and email.

 

5. How do you get started in content marketing when you have zero experience?

I got my first content marketing job by demonstrating that I had strong writing skills. I think I wrote a strong cover letter that got the hiring manager’s attention. My “portfolio” then was a bunch of random stuff that I had written. Like, a media pitch and an article I wrote for a public relations newsletter.

Some people join freelance gig sites like Upwork and take up content writing jobs. I hear that these sites are very competitive nowadays though. Several writers have said that Upwork is even rejecting writer applications, because there are too many.

Another way is to pitch to agencies. Write a damn good email pitch that sells your writing services. Having worked in agencies, I know many of them outsource writing jobs that they can’t handle in-house to freelancers (who sometimes outsource these jobs to other writers…)

Finally, set up a blog. Blogging has been incredibly useful for me. In a way, my blog is like a portfolio that demonstrates my ideas, personality, and writing skills. I always include my blog in my job applications. Hiring managers do check it out and tell me what they think of it.

 

6.  What other skills do you need to be a content marketer, besides writing?

Content marketing is part of the wider digital marketing ecosystem. Some useful digital skills that you can learn are:

  • Search engine optimisation a.k.a SEO (so that your content will rank high on Google)
  • Google Analytics (so that you know how well your content performs)
  • Social media (so that you can distribute your content to existing followers and attract new followers)
  • Email marketing (so that you can deliver content straight into your subscribers’ inboxes)
  • HTML (so that when you upload content to content management systems, and it looks weird in visual mode, you can always go to the HTML editor to fix it)

People skills are important too. A content marketer never works in silos. So, be a reliable team player, deliver good work on time, and don’t be an asshole.

Finally, as you level up in your content marketing career, you will need strong project management skills.

 

7. There are several ways you can progress in your content marketing career

You can choose the specialist route, or the manager route.

Specialists are content writers who have niches. Your niche can be industry-focused, such as finance, health, or technology. You can also specialise in a type of content. I know of a guy who specialises in writing case studies.

The manager route is the one that I am currently on. I am in charge of the company blog. I plan the editorial calendar, manage writers, edit their work, and publish blog posts. I don’t write blog posts, but I do write email newsletter content.

Content strategist is probably most high-level content marketing role. Content strategists have a broad range of digital marketing skills. They plan and execute content marketing campaigns end-to-end, as well as measure and report the results. Content strategists often have to manage teams as well as various stakeholders.

8. What are some useful content marketing resources and groups?

When it comes to honing my writing skills, I recommend this Facebook group called The Cult of Copy. Colin Theriot, a veteran copywriter, is the guy behind The Cult of Copy. Colin and the group members discuss persuasion techniques, writing effective copy, the business of copywriting, and more. The best thing that I gained from The Cult of Copy is Colin’s “Viking Velociraptor” formula for copywriting. I have used this super versatile formula to write landing pages, blog posts, emails, ad copy, and more. Best US$13 that I have ever spent 🙂

Side note: If you’re wondering about the difference between content writing and copywriting, this blog post explains it well. Content writing aims to educate and raise awareness about a topic. Copywriting aims to get the reader to take a specific action. I focus a lot on content marketing in this blog post, but copywriting is important too, especially if you write a lot of direct-response mailers and web pages.

Another Facebook group that I recommend is The Copywriting Club. Contrary to the name, this group is not for copywriters only. Content marketers of all levels and anyone who is interested in marketing are welcome. This group is a little more beginner friendly than The Cult of Copy. The folks in The Copywriting Club are super helpful and willing to share their knowledge, so don’t be shy about seeking feedback in there.

Finally, when it comes to websites:

  • Copyblogger: explains concepts in an easy to understand way. Also, good resources on writing headlines
  • Yoast: excellent resources on SEO and how to incorporate SEO into your writing effectively
  • AHREFS: their blogging for business course is free and super comprehensive

Concluding thoughts

It’s funny to think that a few years ago, I hadn’t even heard of content marketing. Somehow, I got into the field, stuck with it despite various crap that happened, and built a content marketing career

One thing that kept me going as a content marketer is that I work with words every day. I genuinely like writing and editing. In a way, I am paid to do something that I enjoy.

If you’ve read this far, I hope this blog post has helped you understand how to get started in content marketing. One final tip:

No matter what your job is, know your strengths and passions, and keep building on them.

Feel free to leave a comment or question if you’d like to learn more about working in content marketing! 🙂

I got laid off amidst a pandemic (Birthday 2020)

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My 2020 birthday

Note: My birthday isn’t today. It’s this month.

All names have been changed. The stories are (mostly) told in order.

Kenneth

Late March. A Monday morning.

Kenneth, my manager, was the one who dropped the bomb on me.

“There’s no other way to put this. I’m sorry,” he said.

I burst into tears. “But why…me?”

Kenneth signed. “This has nothing to do with your job performance. But you heard the announcement from the CEO just now. The startup took a heavy hit from this COVID-19 situation. The leadership team had to review everything about the business. That includes everyone’s jobs. Unfortunately, your job is now redundant.”

Victor

“I got laid off. I wanted to say goodbye,” I murmured.

“Oh no, so you were one of…!”

I told him the news I received. “I’m sorry,” he said.

We talked. I said that I’d miss the team a lot. The people at this startup were the warmest and most helpful folks I had ever worked with. They were a big reason why I stayed this long, despite the wild ups and downs the startup has undergone.

I spoke fondly of my team mates. Kenneth, from whom I learnt a lot from. My other team mate who had grown so much since joining as a fresh graduate. The people from other teams who I enjoyed working with or just hanging around with.

Victor hugged me. It was a surprisingly long embrace. I rubbed the back of his shoulder and lay my head against the crook of his neck. I knew the next few months would be tough on him and everyone who was spared from the layoff. Everyone who remained had to accept a pay cut and work harder. “You’ll be all right,” I whispered.

We held hands briefly and said we’d meet again.

The CEO

He said he wanted to speak to me.

Before the call, I wondered if I would end up yelling at him. I was still angry at having been one of the few who got laid off. This was his decision.

The CEO explained that there was nothing personal about the layoff. Had the startup not been hit so hard by COVID-19, I would have kept my job.

He realised that many people were not buying. Therefore, he decided to trim down the commercial teams. During the months of low or even negative growth ahead, he’d focus on building a robust product. So that when the economy picks up, and people buy again, the startup would have a compelling offering.

“Was there anything I could’ve done to save my job?” I asked.

“No.”

“Maybe if I had decided to upskill early last year instead of this year…”

“Look. Don’t blame yourself.”

To my shock, he teared up.

He said he enjoyed working with me. “When you’re ready to resume job hunting again, reach out to me. I am happy to help you out.”

I smiled. “Thank you. Thank you especially for building a great workplace culture. I’ve never seen anything like it in my previous companies. This is a rare and precious thing that you’ve built.”

I didn’t yell at the CEO in the end.

My Mum

“I think this is a blessing in disguise,” said my mum.

I said I didn’t feel very blessed right now.

“Imagine if you had been spared the layoff. For the next few months, you’d have to work harder for less money. Under uncertain business conditions. You’ll be stressed about performing well and keeping your job. Your CEO didn’t promise that this will be the only layoff, right?”

“No, he didn’t.”

“So, there’s a possibility that this new business strategy doesn’t work. Then there could be a second round of layoffs. How horrible it would be to work so hard to keep your job, only to still lose it further down the line. What I’m saying is, if the business is so bad that they have to start laying off people, it’s better for you to go early.”

She had a point. I felt a bit better. But still, it sucked so much to be laid off.

“Fucking COVID-19,” I snapped. “Fuck that virus so hard that it becomes extinct.”

Leo

“It has been a week of emotional ups and downs. Anger, sadness, hope, and fear. But today, I feel more emotionally stable.”

“That’s good,” said Leo. Leo was one of many ex-colleagues who reached out to me after the layoff.

We were talking over a WhatsApp call after Leo finished work. Since I got laid off, the Singapore government had implemented stricter virus control measures. Most workplaces were shut. The recommendation was to hold virtual meetings or take calls as much as possible.

“It’s hard enough to get laid off. It’s even harder when my movements are restricted so much. I can’t go on a solo trip. I can’t meet friends over a meal.”

Leo and I agreed that the mental health impact of the pandemic needs more attention. There was already lots of news on the death toll, number of cases, pandemic control measures, and the economic fallout. But not much on the impact on mental health.

I thought about other people like me, dealing with the pain of job loss. People dealing with the stress from the largely negative news coverage. People grappling with the anxiety of forced social isolation.

“I am glad that there are people who care about me and reached out to me. I am grateful for all these conversations I have had. Without them, I would have been even more depressed.”

Anna

“You mentioned that you were laid off a couple of times. What happened?”, I asked.

Anna said, “The first time it happened, I was working in Hong Kong. I was part of the first wave of layoffs. After I left, everyone else got laid off.”

She continued, “The second occasion was when I worked at a startup. I was only two months into my job when it happened. About 10 months later, that startup went bankrupt. The startup didn’t even have money to pay its remaining staff their salaries for the previous month! With hindsight, I was lucky to have made it out of there early.”

A blessing in disguise, I thought. Just like what my Mum told me.

“When you were laid off, did you feel betrayed?” I asked. “Sometimes, I feel like this. I was the fourteenth employee and first content marketer. I laid the foundations for various processes and projects. Despite contributing so much, I got laid off.”

“Oh yeah, I felt like that. But remember, even good and capable people get laid off, for reasons that are out of their control. It’s so hard not to take things personally. I know too well. But try.”

She added, “Try to let go of emotions that don’t serve you. Don’t be too harsh on yourself, and give yourself space to heal.”

Charlie

I told Charlie, “I’m not job hunting for now. We’re pretty much in a recession anyway, so it’s not like there are loads of job opportunities out there.”

Charlie said, “We’re certainly in a recession. This is my first experience dealing with a recession, as a business owner. The last recession I experienced, the 2008 financial crisis, was when I was with the army. Back then, I got a 10% pay cut. A recession is much harder on a business owner.”

He told me that he lost a lot of business opportunities and had to implement pay cuts. He’s worried, but not in dire straits. Unlike many of the people he knows.

Charlie recounted, “A friend of mine got laid off, around the same time as you. His company was also not doing well because of COVID-19. He’s a sole breadwinner. Unfortunately, he has no concrete skills that are in demand, so it will be hard for him to find a job. He even considered being a private hire car driver. But demand for ride-sharing is low at the moment, because there’s a nationwide lockdown. He’s probably going to be a deliveryman.”

I couldn’t imagine being in such a tough position.

“Speaking of skills, what skills do you believe are important to have, moving forward? I have more free time to learn now,” I asked.

“I can’t speak for employees. It’s been so long since I was an employee. I know more about being an entrepreneur.”

“OK, what are the important skills to learn, from an entrepreneur perspective?”

“Sales,” Charlie said without hesitation. “I used to think that marketing is most important. But what’s the point of a strong brand, or even lots of leads, if you aren’t getting customers? So many people shy away from selling, yet sales skills are so important. Sales is not just about pitching and closing deals. There’s also client relations and getting referrals.”

Yasuko

“My plan, moving forward, is to take a sabbatical of at least one month. During my break, I will focus on honing my manga drawing skills. I’ll also develop a few key skills that are useful for my career. I want to be stronger in search engine optimisation, for instance,” I said.

“Sounds like a plan. What else have you been doing in your free time?” asked Yasuko.

“I cook more often these days! Now that I have more time, I can cook my favourite dishes and experiment with new recipes. I’m also nearly done with this video-a-day challenge that I signed up for a couple of years ago. It’s a daily practice that I do to get used to speaking in front of the camera. The goal is to publish 365 videos on any topic. I haven’t always been consistent about it, but now I have about 20 more videos to go.”

“Wow! I’m glad you are moving on with such a positive attitude.”

I beamed. Those were encouraging words, coming from the go getter friend who I look up to.

“Well, the good thing about being unemployed, is that I have loads of free time!”

We laughed.

“Honestly, it hasn’t always been this easy,” I admitted. “The first two weeks after I got laid off were the hardest. I was emotionally unstable. I am happy to say that I am calmer this week. It’s all thanks to people who care enough to have conversations with me, like you. You’ve no idea how much a conversation in these difficult times means to me.”

Hope, I thought, long after our conversation ended. That’s what these conversations represent to me. No one knows for certain what will happen in the next few months. But the support and encouragement we tell each other gives me the strength to move forward.

***

This wasn’t the birthday I wanted, in many ways.

I didn’t expect to become unemployed and spend the entire April mostly cooped up at home. Outside, there is a pandemic happening worldwide. At this point of writing, Singapore has more than 13,000 COVID-19 cases. Our lockdown, which was initially supposed to end on May 4, will now last until June 1.

I feel so bitter and frustrated at times. Like I’ve lost control over parts of my life.

But this crisis has also made me realise how fortunate I am, in many ways. I have family and friends who care about me. A roof over my head. No debts to clear or large expenses that I must make. Good health. Valuable skills and experiences that are in demand. Etc.

It’s not the first crisis I’ve ever been through. Like all the others, this, too, shall pass.

Happy birthday.

Show myself

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Up the mountains in Qingjing, Taiwan

I know that “Into the unknown” is the theme song of Frozen 2. But I prefer “Show yourself”.

In the “Show yourself” sequence of the movie, Elsa enters an ice cave with trepidation and excitement. The source of The Voice, which has been calling out to her, lies deep inside. Elsa has no idea who The Voice is or what else is in the ice cave. She goes in anyway.

*Spoilers ahead*

The deeper Elsa travels, the more she learns about her true nature. Elsa is the Fifth Spirit. Her icy powers are a gift from nature because of her mother’s heroism many years ago. The Voice belongs to her late mother. Once Elsa embraces her real self, she transforms into a lovelier, almost celestial version of herself.

*Spoilers end*

I love that scene. It resonated with me so much that I teared up when I first saw it.

“Here I am, I’ve come so far”

Over the past few years, I have made slow but steady progress in my life.

I forged a career in content marketing from scratch. I’ve made efforts to connect with people. I rediscovered my love for manga drawing. My biggest achievement was probably acknowledging my mild depression and getting help for it.

I’m proud of how far I’ve come.

I want to go further, starting this year. Much further.

Maybe it’s a start of a new decade thing.

But I don’t want to make incremental changes.

I want to level up.

Transform.

Release all that potential I have. Maybe even discover potential I didn’t know I have.

“Step into your power”

For the kind of Elsa-level transformation that I want, I have to do things very differently.

I have several ideas for how to change the way I do things. This is probably the most significant one:

Don’t optimise for perfection. I am good enough.

I tend to wait for the optimal moment to take action. Oh, the timing’s got to be right. They might not have the budget. I am not skilled enough to do that yet. Etc.

A small amount of caution is OK. But not too much. Otherwise, I make too many assumptions, overly-complicate things, and falter. Then I might miss out on opportunities.

I want to show the world my art.

I want to ask people for things that I desire.

I want to kickstart a new career direction.

It’s a little scary to think about what I have to do. But I’m also excited about how far I can grow. I just have to take bold action.

There is no perfect moment. The “perfect” moment is what I make of it.

“You are the one you’ve been waiting for…all of your life”

Ah, my favourite line from “Show yourself”.

I’ve wondered about what my transformed self would look like.

I imagine that she’ll be glowing, like Elsa by the end of the movie. Radiating confidence and happiness. With lots of interesting stories to tell, from her adventures into the unknown (pun intended, yea…).

At the very least, I want to say that I have lived with courage.

Would you rather be in the arena or up in the stands?

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Can I hire you to make money for me

My friend Sam received this message a few years ago. Sam’s a veteran Internet marketer, who’s been at it for over 10 years. I got to know him from joining the 3000+ strong Singapore Internet Marketers community he runs.

He shared a screenshot of this inquiry with us community members. We had a good laugh at the person’s audacity.

What, did they think they could shortcut the road to riches by hiring someone to do all the money-making legwork and brain-work?!

What were they going to do in the meantime, sit back, relax, and enjoy life?!

Sam said it is not uncommon to run into folks like that. Folks who are too passive about learning, who want “passive income” without investing the tremendous effort needed to build and sustain it.

***

But I somewhat understand why someone might be averse to learning.

Learning is hard. Very hard.

You need so many things to succeed. Discipline, consistency, hard work, perseverance, drive, no fear of failure, resourcefulness, etc. Have ALL of that going for as long as it takes to reach the level of proficiency you want. Which may take a longer time than anticipated.

Then there is always The Resistance. A kind of fear that tends to get stronger the deeper and longer you work on something. If you are not careful, it could drag you down into the pits of depression, stress, isolation, and more.

No wonder so many people barely go beyond the basics. When you dive deep, things can get intense.

***

“It’s better to be in the arena, getting stomped by the bull, than to be up in the stands or out in the parking lot.” ~ Steven Pressfield

Ugh.

I’ve been there before, many times. Face in the dirt and tears streaming out of my eyes. A bull stomping on my back. FAILURE!!!

Each time, I pick myself up, lick my wounds, and live to fight another day. Somehow.

Learning is a big part of my life. Particularly after I graduated from university, entered “the real world”, and flunked more times than I dare to admit. All that naivete got stomped out of me pretty quick.

Often, I get thrown into the thick of the action and left to navigate my way around the arena. There’d be no one to advise me (or worse, people tried to trip me up). Nothing to rely on but my wits and resourcefulness.

But the arena was also where I forged a voracious learning spirit. You can’t thrive in the arena if you are not nimble and eager to learn. Over time, I embraced learning as something necessary yet fun and fulfilling. I now spend a lot of free time on activities that keep my mind sharp, like daily drawing and writing.

As hard as life in the arena can be, I wouldn’t trade it for life up in the stands or parking lot, ever.

The arena is where growth happens. I want to grow. All kinds of amazing opportunities bloom around me as I grow.

***

Confession: I still get scared almost every time I face a new challenge and have to learn from scratch.

What if I’m not good enough? What if I embarrass myself? What if I fail?

Yep, as hard-boiled as I like to believe I am, I still get bouts of Imposter Syndrome.

But that’s OK. One of my senseis, Colin Theriot, said that Imposter Syndrome doesn’t ever go away and can in fact increase the more successful you get. The trick is to push past it and get things done.

So, I take a deep breath, muster all the courage I can get, and plunge into things. Do my best to see them to the end. I tell myself that whether I succeed or fail, I would have learnt lessons. Therefore, the experience is never a waste.

Two things have always helped me learn faster and better:

Consistency. Working on something regularly (preferably daily) lessens the scary-ness. I also inevitably get better over time.

Have a clear purpose before starting any new endeavour. Why do I want to learn this thing, and what do I hope to achieve? For example, when I learnt video marketing, I just wanted to pick up the basics and get comfortable speaking in front of the camera. Whereas for manga drawing, I want to dive deep beyond basics and be as good as the professional artists I follow on Instagram.

***

I wonder what happened to that person who wanted to outsource the money-making hard stuff to Sam.

Possibly still figuring out how to have “passive income” without all that pesky learning. After all, if they succeeded in making money without effort, I’d have heard of them by now. The Internet marketing and entrepreneur communities in Singapore are not big.

I hope they’d come around and embrace learning. Sure, it can be hard, painful, and it never truly ends. But there are no growth or riches without learning.

The Maverick

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The maverick and I

He’s not handsome by conventional standards. Not tall, rugged, muscular, or anything like that. He’s short for a guy, just a few centimetres taller than me. Skinny, with high cheekbones, and a sharp face. His large and intense brown eyes are framed by long eyelashes. He doesn’t smile much, but when he does, dimples bloom on his cheeks.

I didn’t notice him much when I first joined the company, but he noticed me.

I was fresh out of a crappy previous company, still reeling from pain and humiliation. I was not quite sure what I wanted to achieve in life either. All I wanted was to keep my head down, focus on my work, and minimise interaction with others. Peace and quiet.

But he started talking to me. He’d catch up with me during breaks, or encourage me to join him and the others at lunch.

It was bewildering at first. This strange guy, with his rough way of speaking and sardonic sense of humour, was talking to me. Why would someone who seemed so different from me have any interest in me?

Over time, he grew on me, and we spent more time together. We talked a lot. About our lives, our cultures, accomplishments, hopes, dreams, and more.

We don’t talk now, but I remember him with fondness and respect. He is one of the most fiercely independent, accomplished, and bold persons I’ve ever known.

I hope with all my heart that we’d meet again someday and catch up. I’ll never forget him, and the things I learned from him …

He read widely and wrote his own books

When he was about three, he started learning how to read. He was a voracious reader and soon devoured all the books at home. He read local literature, as well as old and modern classics from around the world (“my favourite is Les Misérables”). He even read children’s books in English and improved his language skills that way.

When he was 24, he wrote his first book. I think it was about his growing up years in his country. I’d love to read it, but he said it was hard to translate without losing lots of nuances.

He wrote two more books. I heard his works were well-received in his country. He even has his own Wikipedia page (local language only).

“Don’t just write a blog. Anyone can set up a blog these days. Try writing a book, as that’s more challenging” he advised. “In my country, if you are an author, it’s like, you’ve ‘made it’”

Key lesson: Before, I don’t think I seriously considered being an author. I was contented enough reading for knowledge and leisure, and writing my blog.

He got me thinking about how far I could go with my own love for writing and reading. Could I make an impact with words, like him? Dare I step up, and enchant the world with my stories, too? What’s stopping me from building my own influence?

He was not afraid to venture out of his comfort zone to find better growth opportunities

He had humble beginnings. He spoke of mountains, growing up in a large family, and a rustic lifestyle in the rural South.

From his little home town, he moved to the city to do his university studies. Dropped out of it (“I admit, I was just lazy”).

He started a career in web development instead. Web development was, and still is, his main profession. Not writing.

He rose through the web development ranks fast. One day, he got an offer from our boss to work in Singapore. The richest country in the ASEAN region. He moved over and became the company’s Technical Director. All before his 30th birthday.

I met him in his third year with the company. The next year, we left. I got a new job in Singapore. He got a job in another rich country in another continent and moved over.

Key lesson: Growth happens outside comfort zones. It’s not easy uprooting and moving to vastly different places to work and live. But he’s done it, again and again, and with each move he’s progressed to bigger and better things.

He had an aura of self-assurance and cool collected calm

I was (and in some ways, still am) a wimp. At times, I didn’t feel confident about my work, or felt overwhelmed with stress, and it showed.

Not him. He was talented and skilled, and he knew it. He spoke his mind with confidence and could be counted upon to get things done. He may be a short, skinny guy with a sharp tongue. But he could command respect among subordinates, peers, and seniors.

One time, I was stressing out about something at work. He said, “Try this to put things into perspective: ask yourself, will this still matter so much one week down the road? How about a month from now? Or a year?” I smiled. Indeed, I was caring too much about something that was no big deal in the grand scheme of things.

Much later, I found out that he, too, was stressed about many things that were happening at work. I wouldn’t have known, from the way he carried himself.

Key lesson: How I communicate, no matter how I feel inside, is how people will remember me and respond accordingly.

He chose himself

He’s a successful writer.

He has gone far in his web development career.

He’s started various personal and community projects.

He has led and managed teams, and even co-founded a company at one point.

He’s gritty, adaptable, self-assured, and unafraid of challenges.

He has a voracious appetite for learning and knowledge.

I don’t know what drives him to be such a go-getter. Many other people I know are content to just settle with a secure job and a comfortable life. Where is he heading to, and what does he hope to achieve? I never got to ask him those big questions.

But how empowering it must feel, to forge his own path in life!

Key lesson: I see that the world around me is changing fast, with “disruptions” happening left, right, and centre. I see that amidst the chaos, there are a lot of new opportunities popping up too.

I don’t want to wait for the future to happen to me. Like him, I want to grab the future by my hands.

******

As we talked, my mind expanded and I saw things I never noticed before.

I also realised that there had always been a maverick in me, too. A small spark, not full-fledged fire like his. But I never did much to nurture that side of me, until our paths crossed.

There was no bitterness or anger on either side when we went our separate ways. Things just didn’t work out somehow, and that was that. But he left me better than I was before: more fearlessness, ambition, and independence. Traits that burn bright within me today.

*******

The last time we met was on an April evening, on the train. Both of us had left the company by then. To my utter surprise, I spotted him near the carriage door, staring at his mobile phone. For a moment, I hesitated. Then I realised that this may be the last time we’d see each other.

I walked over and said, “You haven’t left the country yet, have you?” A colleague had told me that he would soon move overseas to start a new job.

He looked up after a few seconds and his eyes went wide. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, just returning home after an afternoon out and about on my own” I replied.

We caught up a bit on what we had been up to since we left the company. I told him about my new job, he said he’d leave Singapore in a week. For a moment, it felt like old times.

The train was approaching his stop. A knot of feelings welled up in my throat. So many things I wanted to say …

You’ve inspired me more than you know.

I’m so glad we met, even if it was for a short time.

Just you wait, I’ll be as accomplished as you someday.

I know you’ll do well out there; you’re tough as nails.

I’ll miss hanging around with you.

I love you.

Instead, I said “all the best, wherever you are.” There was no need to say everything else. We understood in our hearts.

He smiled, wished me well, and walked out.