The football academy in Canada shares its mission to provide quality training for every kid with a dream.
“Maybe one day, the same kids we train will grow up and represent the country in major tournaments overseas. I’m doing this to help give as many kids in Canada – whether they come from privileged backgrounds or not – a chance.”
“What keeps me motivated is purpose. I cannot imagine doing anything else. When I get feedback from my team that the girls are motivated to continue with our courses, it’s such a motivator for everyone.”
“I’ve learnt that when you gamble, you don’t only hurt yourself, but you hurt the people closest to you as well. So now, it’s not just about not wanting to fail myself, but also not wanting to fail the people I love.”
“Developing cybersecurity habits over a period of time is like knowing that you should wash your hands after you use the washroom, or wearing a mask in public if you are not feeling well. We cannot stop the digital revolution, but everyone has a part to play in cybersecurity.”
“I despised my hair when I was a kid because I was bullied excessively for having curly hair. In primary school, kids would throw staple bullets and pour eraser shavings into my hair. At that age when you’re so young and just want to be accepted, it was so hard to fit in.”
“Every year on her birthday, I make sure that my daughter says a prayer for her biological mother. For most, birthdays are about others holding celebrations and buying you gifts; but, birthdays are actually not about you. They’re about your mum, the one who gave you life.”
“The biggest thing I’ve learnt on this journey is that self-care is crucial, especially in parenting. As the saying goes, ‘You can’t pour from an empty cup.’ Anything can happen with the kids, but when I become dysregulated with my emotions, that’s when things go down the drain…”
“When you meet someone for the first time, you always get asked what you do for work. You might reply saying you’re a consultant or an accountant, and by doing so, you automatically put yourself in a box. That’s just very limiting to me, and it took me a while to break out of it…”
“The worst thing I feared came true when I left the company. I was accused of stealing clients’ money. Debt collectors started chasing me and I started receiving death threats from the company’s clients…”
“During those two years, he was sober for only six months. Yet everyday, being sober was a mental battle for him, and I wasn’t aware of it. Whenever he was on edge and I triggered him, it took everything within him to restrain himself from drinking his problems away.”
Humans of Sentosa | “My passion’s always been water, whether it’s fishing, diving, sailing. I travelled a lot at the time and was looking for a yacht anyway. And in my searches, I came across a ship in Chicago, and I thought, ‘Wow, she looks magnificent!'”
“Radio gave me my calling, that I should spread joy and laughter wherever I go, and to make a difference, one life a day. And that’s exactly our philosophy at MADLY Gems – to spread joy and beauty and make a difference in a person’s life, one bespoke piece at a time.”
“I knew that if I had shut down the business, there would be nothing left except to look back in regret. I would forever link the business to the death of my son. That cannot be the case. That cannot be the way I remember my son.”
“So if you have the option of pursuing your true passion instead of ‘taking the easy way out’, I highly recommend you do so. It may be scary, and it may not be the thing that pays your bills initially, but believe me, when you follow something you’re passionate about, the money arrives in one way or another.”
“So to all the aspiring dreamers out there, just believe in yourself. There will be external forces saying you’re no good or that you’re lousy, but if you don’t believe in yourself, nobody else will. And if you want to achieve anything in life, you have to fight for it.”
“I’ve been a workaholic my whole life. For someone who’s been working the way I have for the past 16 years, it’s a bit hard to adjust, right? I just love working. But I also realise there is more to life. I should enjoy myself more and take care of the people around me.”
“I started in sports therapy earning less than $50 a month. I was exploited and went through depression and faced so many challenges…but I have a successful career now and I go to work happy to see my clients and loving what I do.”
“Find a business with a mission for the future that you can get behind. In a small business there are going to be lots of challenges and having a guiding star is key to keeping motivated and hungry.”
Inspiring Creatives of Workbuddy | “In these past two years, I’ve had days where I genuinely thought ‘this is the end’. But what I’ve learnt is that being an entrepreneur requires persistence, resilience and never giving up. You learn to cope. You have to.”