An Entrepreneur's Story "From Networking to Business Alliances" Workshop

By: Clarie Kwa & Filda Yusgiantoro (Nanyang MBA intake 2011)

On the 10^th of December 2011, the Nanyang MBA Women in Business club conducted a workshop “An Entrepreneur’s Story”. We had the honor of welcoming Mllie Stephanie, founder and CEO of Mobiliari Media Group, a company that counts Indonesia Tatler and Forbes Indonesia among its many publications, to share her experiences with us.

Millie is a veteran in the publications industry in Indonesia and has a MBA from which she graduated cum de laude. However, she has had her fair share of trials and tribulations in the early days of her entrepreneurial career. Sharing how her first and unpaid publication project flopped, she said, “Nothing will ever prepare you for life.” Her message to the members was clear and crisp. “Unlearn what you’ve learnt”, she laughed and continued to point out how humans have a need for structure and predictability. Yet, the entrepreneurial path is nothing but predictable. To overcome the fear and doubt that can plague every new idea, Millie encouraged everyone to recognize that every moment is new. It is thus only sensible to be always present and savor one moment at a time.  To do that, we need to be relaxed and go with the flow. Millie continued to emphasize that this does not conflict with the need to strategize and plan. The key to go with the flow is to never be attached to the outcome but to instead focus on the process itself to achieve what we want in life. She cited David Foster, a multiple Grammy Award winner and current Chairman of Verve Music Group whom she had the pleasure of meeting some time back, “Whenever I enter my studio wanting to produce a song, the minute I want to control, I no longer produce anything.”

Millie shared how her role model was her mother whom she described as hardworking and humble. Having many friends from different background and nationalities, Millie finds her mother the perfect example of a good networker. Sharing how she used to be a shy person and would hide behind her mother’s for comfort in various networking events, she soon realized the importance of networking and that she needed to step up to establish her own networking. This helped her to be independent and gain respect from people, thus supporting her business and alliances.

Another engaging point of the workshop was the sharing of viewpoints from both gender representatives. The general consensus was that women entrepreneurs can earn the respect of their male counterparts by being hands-on in the business. Support groups protected by confidentiality, such as Young Presidents’ Organizations (YPO), are safe havens for entrepreneurs and managers, helping them to maintain clarity and emotional balance. After all, entrepreneurship is about living one’s dreams and while tough, it should be an enjoyable journey.

It was an honor to have Millie share with WIB. She also generously gave each attendee a copy of the latest Forbes Indonesia magazine that listed the top 40 richest people in Indonesia and who were incidentally entrepreneurs.

A WIB event is never complete without partying. The club closed the year with a mini Christmas feast, birthday celebrations and laughter.

We look forward to a meaningful 2012 and for WIB to scale greater heights.

WIB Inauguration

By Clarie Kwa (Nanyang MBA intake 2011)


On the 28th of September, the Nanyang (MBA) Women in Business club held its inauguration at the school's One-North campus. The inauguration's theme centered around "Carpe Diem", translated as to seize the day. 

This theme was chosen for its relevance to us at this stage of our lives. MBA is nothing short of demanding. Other than studying and playing hard, many of us are learning to balance work and family with studies, projects, club activities and even competitions. Quoting Steve Jobs,  “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something." Consciously or unconsciously, we all know we want to change something and thus are in this MBA program.  The challenge is, as modern women, we hold multiple roles and are almost obliged to meet expectations as dictated by the society. This inspires a critical question - how do we stay true to ourselves? How do we seize the day? 

Being the pioneer batch, we were extremely privileged to have the support of not just the school, but also our networks. Dr Siri Chutikamoltham, Senior Teaching Fellow and Director for Banking and Finance from Nanyang Business School gave us the honour of making the welcome speech. Our two keynote speakers were Ms Cheong Pik May, Group Director for Integrated Healthcare Information Systems and Mr Soon Loo, CEO and President for Elevation Group and Director for IPIT.

The audience was presented with a question – If you have just 100 days to live, what would you do?

We were privy to our speakers’ sharing and wisdom that stretched our minds. A participant commented that she would like to be with her loved ones. This was countered with a proposition that perhaps our loved ones would want us to be doing something great for ourselves instead.  Dr Siri suggested that she would want to be at peace with herself and thus she would want to seek closure and tie up loose ends. Soon wanted to leave a legacy to impact as many people as possible while Pik May preferred to make a difference to her circle of influence.  The audience was given the chance to interact with one another to share. Someone even wanted to make use of the 100 days to grow her money so that her parents’ future would be secure. While amusing, the question got everyone reflecting on their values in life.

Soon shared a video of Susan Boyle’s first audition. Susan Boyle was a contestant in the reality TV programme “Britain’s Got Talent”. All odds were against her at first glance, given her age and looks but she proceeded to silence her critics with her rendition of “I dreamed a dream”. Soon drove home the message of the importance to stay true to self, have the courage to dream big and live it.

The speakers also made it clear that a support system would be vital. As Dr Siri put it very aptly, the WIB club is a forum for sharing and support. Girlfriends can always be relied on. Pik May recommended having a good team throughout one’s career. She continued to propose the importance of family and marriage. In fact, marriage can be a source of stability for one working in a competitive environment.  She made a clear distinction between equal balancing and juggling of roles and responsibilities. Many mistook a work-life balance as an equilibrium in which both aspects are in equal proportions. However, it is really a juggling act where neither aspect should be allowed to fall through.

It was a very fruitful evening for everyone. The event ended with a toast in the splendour of “Yum Seng” (a Chinese tradition of toasting). New friendships were formed. Contacts were exchanged. Most importantly, everyone went home, with something close to their heart to muse.