Writing this to mark the end of the first half of 2024 (30 June 2024).
A month ago on May 23rd, I spoke to Year 11 students about finding their purpose. Last Friday, on June 28th, I had the privilege of speaking again to our secondary school students, about 30 of them from Stellar’s Environmental Club.
The Environmental Club has a clear and meaningful mission: to purchase a compost machine to convert food waste into compost. This initiative was started by their club advisor, Dr. Mahsa (who will soon be a researcher), who is very passionate about sustainability. This is perhaps the main reason why I could connect with her.
Click here to read on why we are so passionate about sustainability.
Knowing clearly that I needed to speak their language, on things that mattered most to them, I started off by telling them about the goal of school. The first level, which should happen almost by default, is to get the students into university. The second level is to ensure our students are relevant to the future and at the same time have the right values and lifelong learning skills that will benefit them for the rest of their lives in this ever-changing world. The third level, which is the ultimate goal of school, is to help our students find ways to discover their life purpose.
My career started at the age of 21 as an accounting lecturer. I further pursued my Master’s degree in Melbourne and completed CPA Australia with the intention of equipping myself to be a better educator to help my students achieve their academic goals. I wanted to make Accounting, a relatively boring and dull subject, easy and interesting for the students.
Sixteen years later today, what I am doing now has totally evolved from a subject lecturer to a school operator, from an educator to an edupreneur. But my purpose of inspiring the dream of a better world through innovative education has remained the same. I strongly believe what I go through will add even more value to our students, helping them navigate society better.
Being an entrepreneur requires a totally different skillset compared to being an educator, or even an educational leader. With the situation I’m in right now, unfortunately, I still don’t have the luxury to focus on just one yet. But I do need to thank God for such a strong and dedicated team who are willing to stand in the gap and persevere through the ups and downs with me on this roller coaster journey of rapid growth in a VUCA world (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous).
As for myself, I’m constantly throwing myself out there to learn new things and challenge my own perspectives and beliefs. This journey began in 2016 with a mentoring journey with Dato Peter from UCSI Group, and it’s gotten even more intense ever since the pandemic. It’s been both tough and challenging, but I’ve enjoyed every single moment of growth.
So, on May 28th 2024, I joined a workshop organized by 10X Valley in KL, together with other entrepreneurs interested in taking their companies public (IPO). The entrepreneurs came from all walks of life: AI tech companies, champion F&B businesses, eyewear brands, even fish ball vendors. And me, from the education sector. They paid RM3,000 for a one-day workshop, learning in detail about storytelling with the goal of pitching their company’s story to take their company public (IPO).
My Motivation?
As a graduate from Monash University, we’ve been trained to develop a love for lifelong learning, hence the motto “Ancora Imparo” (Latin for “I’m still learning”). Plus, the learning isn’t just about me, but for the whole Stellar Education Group. More importantly, what excites me the most is bringing this back to impact our students and make education relevant, closing the gap between merely learning theoretical academics and real-life experiences.
Same Impact, Lower Effort
At this age, entering the second half of my life, knowing that I don’t have forever, I want to pursue work with “same impact, lower effort,” then “low effort, high impact” work. The definition of “low effort” doesn’t mean less effort leading to an easier life, but rather the appreciation of the same effort with a higher impact outcome.
Here’s an example of “same impact, lower effort“. Why do I pursue it? During the MCO (Movement Control Order) lockdown, no gyms were allowed to open, so I started running stairs for a workout. I remember the first time walking up the 35 floors; it took me the whole evening. I stopped so many times, grasping for air. The next day, I could barely walk. Six months later, I could do 2 x 35 floors within 14 minutes, followed by weight lifting. So taking stairs for 70 floors became just a warmup for me. That’s the same impact with lower effort. 70 floors became a walk in the park.
Last year, I switched to swimming after I suffered from a slipped disc. Similarly, initially, I couldn’t even complete swimming half the pool. So, I set myself a target of 500 meters daily. Finally, I was able to complete it in 30 minutes. A year later now, I could complete 500 meters in 12 minutes. The stairs are still the same; the pool length is also the same. I’m learning to find the sweet spot: “same impact, lower effort.” My goal? Continuously improve on my wellness journey. Why do I pursue it? Simple. I could complete it even faster, so it wouldn’t disrupt my routine, and I can do it consistently five times a week. No excuses.
What Exactly is “Storytelling” for Entrepreneurs?
This is different from the kind of storytelling we know. It’s not about creating a story out of nothing; it’s more of a discovery process and learning how to communicate to different stakeholders. I wanted to discover more about the kind of education we offer, learning to speak to different stakeholders. With so many international schools and preschools available out there, why should parents choose us over the others?
First of all, we need to identify who the stakeholders are. As an entrepreneur, we need to have three types of stories:
- Brand Story: This is for customers to understand who we are, what we offer, and how we are different from others.It basically justifies why a customer should choose us over others.
- Growth Story: This is for talents to decide why they would join our team. It explains our milestones, expansion plans, business model, and future growth plans.
- Equity Story: This is for investors to decide whether to support us financially on our expansion plans. It details why we need funding, how we will allocate the funding, and our competitive positioning. These factors determine if investors are willing to fund us.
All of these are very real, and the entrepreneurs were also learning how to write stories about their companies who are going IPO. It’s a real world, real entrepreneurs, writing brand stories, growth stories, and equity stories for real stakeholders.
So the question is, why not bring such real case studies and expose them to our students? Our students are a smart generation, well-exposed at their age to lots of information on the internet or social media. So, while our students are in the journey of discovering their purpose, I guided them on just one aspect of it—brand story. I showed them how to write a story to help them stand out in whatever products they are promoting to raise funds for a compost machine, something very meaningful. This skill will be very useful for the students to understand how to write brand stories for their products in the future.
I shared with them the story of Tesla’s brand story and how they communicate their brand value consistently with their stakeholders. During the Story Hackathon workshop, I was practicing myself on the brand story of Stellar. So, I wrote the first version of our brand story:
Stellar was founded on the principles of love and wisdom, guided by influential figures like Dato Peter Ng, the founder and Group Chairman of UCSI Group in Malaysia. Our mission is to nurture not only students but also empower educators to unlock the potential of every child. At Stellar, passionate educators drive our success, shaping the future through the achievements of our students.
With an impressive retention rate of over 80%, our impact on students’ lives is evident. We believe in making education relevant and impactful. By partnering with like-minded international schools, engaging in leadership training, and collaborating across industries and governments, we bring the best experiences to education. Stellar is where education meets empowerment, and where every student’s success story begins.
Then, I also shared simpler examples of brand stories for products like hand soap and even selling Kuih (Malaysian snack), comparing and contrasting generic products with no story to those with a story, legacy, and social or environmental impact. It’s simple yet powerful.
Finally, I got the students to share their ideas on what they could do to leverage brand storytelling to support their fundraising efforts. To my surprise, the students had very clear ideas about what to promote, when to sell, and their target audience. Kudos to the teacher advisors who guide the students. This is indeed a very smart generation.
Moving on to “Low Effort, High Impact”
As I mentioned before, first we need to define what kind of impact we want to achieve in life, then only can we know if our efforts are moving us towards the impact that we want. Impacting the next generation is one key impact I wish to achieve. My goal is to impact 100,000 lives in this lifetime. So …
The Future of Education: Empowering Young Minds
How can we bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application in education? The answer lies in providing students with experiences that are relevant to their future aspirations.
Traditionally, education has focused on imparting knowledge through textbooks and lectures. While this foundation is important, it doesn’t always equip students with the practical skills they need to succeed in the ever-evolving world.
This is where workshops like the one I attended on “storytelling” become game-changers. Imagine the impact if our students, at the high school level, were exposed to the same kind of knowledge that seasoned entrepreneurs pay thousands for?
By incorporating elements like brand storytelling, fundraising strategies, and business plan development into the curriculum, we can empower students with the tools they need to not only excel academically, but also translate that knowledge into tangible results, one step at a time.
Empowering Future Leaders
Who knows? Maybe some of these students will become the next generation of entrepreneurs, armed with the knowledge and skills gained from practical workshops. Perhaps they’ll be the ones who create innovative businesses that solve real-world problems and inspire future generations.
This is the true goal of education: to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and mindset to become not just learners, but doers and change makers. By embracing practical learning experiences, we can empower them to shape a brighter future, not just for themselves, but for the world around them.
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