The making of my career

For those who know me, they'll know that I was lucky enough to work for an international French luxury brand for 8 years. I started off working in the fashion boutique for 8 months in KLCC, after which I started feeling like a fish in an aquarium with people looking in though we can't really see what's happening outside the boutique with the reflection of glass and all that.

The pay was good. Really good. Despite our basic pay being low, the commission was excellent and I felt comfortable enough to pay for my own expenses. I'm hardly the type to shop so I managed to have a bit of savings then. What made me leave was really the long hours standing. I developed a tiny foot injury (which I still have when I stand for too long). I took a short break before receiving a call from the HQ thanks to the Executive Director who saw the potential in me. I'll always be grateful.

I was made assistant to an ultra chic Communications Manager who had a reputation of being a real challenging person to work with. Yes, it's true, but who can blame her since all she really wants is a job well done at the end of the day? As we grew closer over the years (with me making boo boos and having small successes here and there), we developed this special bond which I don't think I can find with any other boss I work for. We speak in French to each other when the need arises (especially when dealing with annoying people!) and in the office just for fun (when we're not too overloaded by work). I learned that she's a perfectionist with a good heart and a great fashion sense.

I enjoyed my work there dealing with journalists, organizing extra chic fashion shows and classy press launches. I loved the fact that I could travel for business when my boss was pregnant twice and when she gave birth (I was hoping she would have more kids! Heheh!). I attended our Paris fashion shows, got to meet my French counterparts and enjoyed the beautiful scenery (no time for tours but got to see a little bit of Paris in between meetings) and short shopping sprees (H&M was a fave of mine). And I just love their shop windows being so quaint and inviting. The people there are also helpful and polite.

I guess it was easy being with the company for so long thanks to the people I worked with. We hardly had time to talk (the office is really quiet most of the time you can hear a pin drop) but when we had fun, we really had fun. It helped that the MD is also an ultra chic and extra fun person who has a meticulous eye for detail and a caring nature to boot.

Then this year I felt that I needed a change. A drastic one. I decided that I had my fair share of luxury and needed to be a little grounded so I joined a company specializing in kids science camps. The idea of getting grubby excited me! I must say that their programmes are really good and interesting but the planning done in the company is simply anxiety-giving. They had good programmes but didn't know how to market it. They were calculative to the point that they lose out on long-term benefits. They're so secretive about their projects even with their own staff to the point that staff felt like outsiders. The trust was simply not there and so I decided that I would be my own boss. Besides, who can take the place of my previous ultra-chic bosses?

And so the adventure begins...