Email Interview #28: Violet Lim

  Leave a Comment

Hi, my series of email interview is BACK!!!

For this new series, I am interviewing local entrepreneurs. And the questions will be based more on “Mindset of Entrepreneurs”.

From my own experience, striving to be successful for online and offline businesses requires you to have a strong mindset.

* Start of Interview *

1. Please share with my readers who you are and what nature of business you are running.

[Violet:] I am Violet, happily married with two wonderful kids and I am a professional matchmaker.

2. What motivates you to create your business?

[Violet:] Well, I have my ex-colleagues to thank. While working in the bank, I realised that a lot of my colleagues were single and not dating, and I was quite puzzled as they were all eligible and attractive people. Upon further investigation, I realise that it’s because they were all married to the bank. At the same time, I realised that a lot of my friends were either getting engaged or getting married. Most of my friends knew their other halves at school or at university. That’s how I met Jamie, my then boyfriend, now husband as well. It then dawned upon me that when people ‘missed the boat’ of meeting the right one while studying it gets increasingly difficult for them to meet like-minded singles thereafter.

Coincidentally, at the same time, I came across the concept of lunch dating that has been popular in UK, US and Australia but nobody has brought the idea into Singapore or even Asia at that time. Having been active in community service since I was a student, I like the idea of this concept as it combines my passion for business with my passion of helping people. 🙂

3. Were there any challenge you face along the way? Please share one which almost stop you from pursuing your dream

[Violet:] Definitely. When you are a start-up or an entrepreneur, you will be spending most of your time fire-fighting as there is no SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for you to follow. There were many challenges along the way, but with the help of my partner who is also my husband, and the rest of my team, we were able to overcome these challenges one-by-one. I don’t think there wasn’t any challenge that stop me from pursuing my dream as whatever the challenge might be, I would strive to overcome it. We had a scare when the economy collapsed, and we just expanded to Hong Kong then. But with God’s grace and team work, we pulled through and managed to build up our presence in Hong Kong.

4. How did you cope then? What motivates you to push on?

[Violet:] I believe that it is normal to feel down and out. However, just do not dwell in darkness for too long. You have to pull yourself up and face up to the challenge. When Jamie and I set up the company, we set our vision and mission statement which I refer back to if I am ever in doubt of what we are doing. I believe that we are here to help singles, and along the way, we realise that this is probably our calling. I have been blessed with a loving husband, a beautiful family and I believe that I am here to help singles out there find the happiness that I have found.

5. If there is this one tip you can share with anyone who wants to start a business, what is it?

[Violet:] There are many ways to make money. Therefore, do not go into a business just with the intention to make money. Of course it is important for any business to be profitable. But if you do not have the passion for your business, you are better off working for someone else. Keep in mind, 90% of first businesses fail in the first five years. There are many challenges and speed bumps when you start and run a business. If you do not have the passion to fuel you through, you will burn out really quickly.

6. How do you juggle your time between running your business and spending it with your family.

[Violet:] With a lot of help and support! 🙂 Contrary to what some might believe, I am NOT a superwoman. I can only be doing all that I am doing because I have a team of wonderful cheerleaders and supporters – my husband, my parents, my in-laws, my extended family, my helper, my team at work who help me pursue and fulfill my dreams. I make it a point to spend the weekend with the family. Thus, if I have to work on the weekends, I would take a day off during the week to spend time with them. One of the perks of running your own business is that you have time flexibility. If I take time out from work to spend time with them in the day, I can just make it up by working at night after they have gone to bed.

7. Any other final thing you would love to share in this interview.

[Violet:] There are many paths to success and personal fulfillment. The path of entrepreneurship is not for everybody, but if you have the passion to help others through what you do, and the determination and perseverance to take the path less travelled, I strongly encourage you to pursue your dreams and reach for your stars! All the best! 🙂

* End of Interview *

Hope you have fun reading Violet’s replies and learnt something which you can apply to your life or business.

You can read more about Violet at VioletLim.com or LunchActually.com

If you have any question for her, you can submit them in the comment box below.