If you venture along the old quiet Telok Ayer Street, you may still catch a glimpse of one of Singapore’s oldest food establishments, the 90 years old Tan Hock Seng bakery. In November 2021, this old shop will close for good, serving the locals for the past 90 years and passing through 3 generations. It is an iconic brand no less, and one that took decades and nearly a century to hone. And it will be gone. Brands, need time to build, and good brands that last, need LOVE to build. What then, is the power of heritage in a brand?
Have you seen how many “bricks-and-mortar” businesses were bricked in various nations due to rather draconian crisis measures in these two years? Are these decisions even smart or wise in relation to preserving the economy moving forward post-crisis? I think not. And there are reasons.
My late grandparents and late mum were prudent, never indulged in luxury, and only accumulated wealth made by their bare hands through labor. They had no rich or powerful parents to siphon from or depend on. My mum came here to struggle with my dad in an extremely difficult landscape against various odds too painful to detail.
Gaslighting. It is a word that seems new, but is not quite new. It is an emotional abuse where abusers slowly and steadily strip the confidence of victims, by conditioning the victims to doubt their own thoughts, memories, timelines, events, and even sanity.
All too often, we slip into communication, in writing or in speaking, that do not communicate as directly a meaning we intend. In a world where attention span is short and hearing is bad (figuratively especially), speaking and writing directly certainly has merits, if we want our audiences to actually respond.
I saw a post online by an executive, advising career upstarts NOT to only apply for jobs that they qualify for fully. I concur. I am adding a couple more tips for young graduates, upstarts, and even middle-level executives hunting for jobs in this crisis.