Who are you?
Wendy Wong - An entrepreneur, an Ironman triathlete and a gym addict.
What do you do? Tell us about your typical day.
I'm a co-founder of Harbour Runners and an entrepreneur. I own a fast casual restaurant called Bao Wow, a Lounge & Eatery called Bao Bei, and a gym called TopFit.
5:30am Wake up.
6:00am Run
6:45am Bootcamp (Tues, Fri, Sun)
8:00am Tennis (Mon and Thu)
11:00-1pm Gym
2:00-6:00pm Meetings
8:00pm HR run (Wednesdays)
What does “Living Your Passion” mean to you?
"Living your passion" means doing something you love, that you don't consider a job. It means discovering your purpose and embracing it fully.
Where do you find inspiration?
I always try to challenge myself and step out of my comfort zone. I find trying something new can open my mind to new possibilities.
Going on a long run helps me clear my mind and usually inspiration comes to me naturally. I also find inspiration from meeting other people, hearing their stories and sharing ideas.
Passion or Perseverance? Which is more important in achieving success?
I think it is equally important in achieving success. They go hand in hand.
Typically, entrepreneurs are often told to "follow your dream," "live your passion," "do the work you love," implying that if you do, the money will follow. Being passionate about what you do is important and will help sustain you when times are tough. However, to say that passion is the most important ingredient to fulfilling work would be misleading. Sometimes you find passion by pursuing meaning and find fulfilment when you find a community with a shared purpose. The only way to make this happen is to take responsibility for designing and creating your own work. Passion needs to sit right alongside planning, fulfilling a need in the market, constantly trying out new approaches, taking new risks and understanding the financial aspects of what you do. This is where perseverance comes in. Many people think that perseverance means to never give up, but it's a lot more; it's about understanding that if a certain approach is not working, you need to be able to adapt and change. A lot of people nowadays give up too easily. Treat every success or failure as a learning experience and start recognising the failures as a second chance in finding an alternative solution.
What keeps you grounded?
God.
Whats the most important piece of advice you can give for someone looking to "take the plunge” and live their passion?
Do not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and do not be afraid to fail. If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you.
Anything exciting coming up in your agenda?
I'm looking into relocating Bao Wow, finding a second location for Topfit and developing more f&b concepts.