• Food
  • Family
  • Beauty & Health
  • Style
  • Great Women
  • Events/Win
  • Domestic Diva Awards 2022
  • Food
    • Eating Out
    • Cooking Tips
    • Festive Food
    • Asian Recipes
    • Food
    • Celebrity Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Recipes
    • Western Recipes
  • Family
    • Family
    • Save Money
    • Parenting
    • Sex & Marriage
    • Travel
  • Beauty & Health
    • Beauty & Health
    • Skincare
    • Makeup
    • Hair
    • Awards
    • Diet & Nutrition
    • Fitness
    • Wellness
  • Style
  • Great Women
    • Career
    • Great Women of Our Time
    • Real Life
  • Entertainment
  • EVENTS/WIN
  • #SchoolForLife
  • Hair Awards
  • Great Escape
  • Explore Singapore
  • Also available at:
Privacy Menu
SPH Media

Copyright © 2023 SPH Media Limited. Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. All rights reserved.

  • Food
  • Family
  • Beauty & Health
  • Style
  • Great Women
  • Events/Win

Career

Side Hustlers: Meet 3 Women Who Have More Than One Job

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Career

Side Hustlers: Meet 3 Women Who Have More Than One Job

As if getting to the top of the game in one business isn’t enough, these women are making money from their side interests, too, and proving that two businesses are twice as nice.

by Natalya Molok  /   November 19, 2019

As if getting to the top of the game in one business isn’t enough, these women are making money from their side interests, too, and proving that when it comes to their careers, two businesses are twice as nice:

WATCH THIS VIDEO:

Highlights From The Great Women Of Our Time Awards 2019

 

READ MORE:
10 Female Authors Like Amanda Lee Koe Who Are Changing The Way We Read
“I Was Retrenched At 27 And Ended Up With Less Than $100 In My Bank Account”
Tired Of The View From Your Desk? Here Are The Best Co-working Spaces in Singapore

https://www.womensweekly.com.sg/gallery/great-women/women-with-multiple-jobs/
Side Hustlers: Meet 3 Women Who Have More Than One Job
Wedding Planner + Florist: Lelian Chew, 37, Founder & CEO, The Atelier & Co
image

Lelian got her start as a private banker with Goldman Sachs before turning her beautifully-manicured hands to wedding planning for tycoons mainly from China, Hong Kong and Indonesia with The Wedding Atelier in 2013. Two years later, she branched out into flowers and set up The Floral Atelier in Singapore to curate bespoke floral arrangements for her ultra-rich clients. Today, she’s converged two brands under one roof with her parent company – The Atelier & Co, which launched its global headquarters at Delta House in July.

What was the inspiration behind The Floral Atelier?
“It was a logical move because my team was already doing all the styling and conceptualising of our weddings but we were outsourcing the flowers, which were costing us as much as $1 million at times. This is an industry that has very low barriers to entry so we wanted to differentiate ourselves from the get-go, by raising the quality and standards of what was already on offer. To stand out, we hired people who worked for luxury brands, and most importantly, we don’t follow trends.”

If you had to choose, which of your two businesses is your favourite?
“You might play favourites at certain times of your life but they’re both very dear to me. The Wedding Atelier was my firstborn and we fought really hard to create something out of nothing. It was a very difficult industry to break into because nobody really knew what a wedding planner was, neither did anyone think to create a career out of it. The Floral Atelier had a bit of an easier path because it could lean on the reputation of its older sibling. It’s special in the sense that we started it in Singapore, which is where I’m from, whereas The Wedding Atelier started in Hong Kong.”

Has your side business now been absorbed into your main business with the creation of parent company, The Atelier & Co?
“You know, even when we started six years ago with The Wedding Atelier, we bought the domain for The Floral Atelier and for The Atelier & Co. There was always this sort of vision to bring several companies under one global brand, we were just waiting for an opportune time to launch each business. In my head, there isn’t a side business and a main business because it’s all one. Each has been meticulously planned from the start, even though to outsiders, it seems to be a whirlwind fairy tale.”

Photo: Darren Chang/SPH
Executive Producer + Pet Food Maker: Jasmine Tham, 35, Executive Producer, Verb Represents
image

A pet lover who owns three dogs and two chinchillas, Jasmine searched for years for food that wouldn’t set off her fur kids’ allergies. An in-depth look into pet nutrition spurred her to start her own brand, Pet Delights, which omits known ingredients that trigger skin or digestive issues in animals. She keeps her day job as an Executive Producer for a creative agency intact though and works on her second job on the side.

How do you juggle two jobs at once?
“My schedule as a producer is extremely hectic and prone to last-minute requests and changes from clients so it’s tough to juggle two jobs for sure. My pet food is all made-to-order so I have to plan my production timeline to a tee and ensure I can meet my customers’ demands. It motivates me to hear people appreciate the dog food and tell me that I’ve improved their pets’ quality of life.”

What advice do you have for others looking to supplement their income with a side business?
“If you want to start your own small business, don’t quit your day job, as it will take some time to earn a steady income through your hobby. It’s always better to gradually transit from being an employee to becoming an full-blown entrepreneur.”

Do you think your side business will become your main mode of income one day?
“I hope so as I love taking care of animals. With Pet Delights, it really just started out as a way for me to give gifts to family and friends but with their help and word-of-mouth, it’s become a fully-fledged business. I also plan to go into boarding small pets soon because there’s a gap in the market for boarding facilities for guinea pigs, rabbits, chinchillas and the like at the moment. To be perfectly honest though, a start-up takes time to mature so I can’t make the jump into full-time entrepreneurship just yet.”

Photo: Vee Chin/SPH
Vet + Real Estate Agent: Laura Lee, 31, Veterinary Doctor
image

It took six years of study to prepare Laura for a career in veterinary medicine but the go-getter wanted more than to just become a vet. Soon after securing a full-time job and buying her own place, the 31-year-old decided to pursue a secondary career in real estate after spotting some deficiencies in the housing system that she could capitalise on. While she is mainly involved in veterinary work, Laura also conducts polytechnic lectures and sells houses in her spare time.

Why did you decide to pursue multiple careers?
“You know, I really enjoy helping people find their homes and I like being a vet, so I think at this point, I don’t see having a few jobs as a chore. Obviously, there’s always a financial motivation behind my decision. I do have my own mortgage to pay and that spurs me on a little bit more but ultimately, being successful motivates me to work even harder.”

Do you think your side business will become your main mode of income one day?
“I don’t think I’ll ever let go of being a vet. I went to school for far too long to let it go [laughs]. I love being able to help animals, that’s really fulfilling. The employers at the clinic I’m working with are really very nice in that they give me the flexibility to pursue my other interests, so it is a possibility that I could leave it all behind to do real estate but I’m not ready to let that part of myself go yet.”

Would you encourage or discourage people from having a few jobs at once?
“Encourage, definitely. I think if you want to lead a good life in Singapore, it’s not something that is easily attainable. To really reach your goals in life you have to have some sort of forward planning. For me, that means working multiple jobs because I don’t want to have to rely on my parents. I think it’s important that young people recognise this and do what they can to elevate themselves.”

Photo: Vee Chin/SPH
  • TAGS:
  • career
  • creative
  • florist
  • Inspire
  • Jasmine Tham
  • Laura Lee
  • Lelian Chew
  • multiple jobs
  • real estate agent
  • real life
  • vet
  • wedding planner
  • Women
  • work
SHARE THIS ON

What’s Hot

Career

This Woman Went From A Job In Accounting...

Career

How To Explain Your Career Gap To Employers

Career

What To Tell Your Company If You Want To...

Career

What It Was Like To Work Remotely From B...

Career

Nurul Aini On Her 20-Year Showbiz Career...

Career

Can Your Relationship With Your Manager ...

Career

She Uses Her Corporate Skills To Power H...

Career

The Fastest Growing Jobs In Singapore Ac...

Career

How This Eco-Friendly Local Brand Became...

Career

A Female Founder And A Funder Discuss Lo...

Career

How To Stay Out Of Trouble At Work When ...

Don’t Miss These
  • Beauty & Health SWW x Chloé: An Afternoon Of Layering And Setting Intenti...
Editor’s Picks
  • Parenting 5 Companies Great For Mums To Work At In Singapore
  • Fashion 5 Female Leaders On What Power Dressing Means To Them
  • Career This Woman Went From A Job In Accounting To Running Uncle Ringo
  • Real Life She Wants To Help Build A Community Of Resilient Women   
  • Real Life He Wants To Build More Empathy For Underprivileged Women
  • Real Life Her Work Helps To Shape & Scale Programmes For Low-Income Women  
Don't Miss Out Ever Again!
Tips & tricks to stay sane + win invites to our events!

By signing up, you indicate that you have read and agreed with our Privacy Statement
Footer Menu
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Conditions of Access
  • PDPA
  • Privacy Policy
?>">
SPH Magazine

Copyright © 2023 SPH Media Limited. Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. All rights reserved.