Saturday, November 14, 2009

Social Business Management - Thought 1.

From the experience which I gather from conversation with colleagues and the entrepreneur so far, this is one conclusion which I am making in the management of a small (social) business:


1. Never undermine the importance of taking the right people on board.

It´s way harder to remove old people off the board than to take new people on board with you


Some problems of the business thus far - of mixing up its social/charity vision with the business vision. Getting possibly unfit people on board and by the time you notice it, it´s too late/difficult to get people truly on board.

For example, take one instance when you have hired someone who may not have received much formal education to handle the finances of (social) business and many others to assume various other positions. At the time when you realise that it is time to grow your (stagnanted) business, to make things more efficient and to move much faster, you then realise you simply do not have the team and resources to do so - the resources to train your people would be way too tedious and time-consuming that it nearly is impossible.

The whole team dynamics itself (when new people come on board) may turn very complicated as well, even when the office may only be comprising of 6-8 full time employees.

Fixing a problem is definitely more difficult than avoiding one, especially not when you need to grow your business.

And right after I have published this post - I bumped into this:

Small businesses also need to focus on People Management

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Nov Holiday


Early November


Ihla Grande!
Custo: R$ 250- R$ 300


and
mid-November..

Santos!
Custo: R$ 70- R$ 100

:):):)


Friday, October 23, 2009

Eliane Elias - Running

my new love!!




I’m not afraid
All is forgiven
Cause after all
What’s done is done
Move on with grace
Slip into space
And when I’m ready
I’ll sing my song


Chorus:
Follow the silence
Far from the sadness
Leave all the madness behind
I’ll keep on moving
I’ll keep on running
Passing through hallways
Of who I’ve become
I’ll keep on driving
Into the darkness
Not scared of loving
Turn my lights on
Cause where I’m from
We carry on
And keep on living
And keep on running
Running towards
What I’ve been running from

I will not hide
Fade to submission
You were so wrong
Cause I am still here
Drive through the night
Into the light
Off the horizon
Away from the fear

Chorus

quero ver voce – ja nao quero ser – ja nao quero ter – so quero saber – so quero sentir –
so quero rever – revelei

Yes I still believe in love 3x

Although I’ve been damaged

Yes I still believe in love 3x

It’s true

I’ll keep on moving
I’ll keep on running
Passing through hallways
Of who I’ve become
I’ll keep on driving
Into the darkness
Not scared of loving
Turn my lights on
Cause where I’m from
We carry on
And keep on living
And keep on running
Running towards
What I’ve been running from

Yes I still believe in love 3x

What I’ve been running from

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Speak

Everything has a solution if you speak it out. (Unless there are any hidden agenda)

So, I managed to sort our some problems at work by talking to people and of course by lending my ears and listening to what others have to say on the other end as well.

Conclusion, I feel much better and much more motivated. I hope this will last long though.

So what am I doing/ will I do to aid in the growth of the company?
- Financial projection.
- Ficha Tecnica.
- Business Plan.
- Get more involved in starting up the incubator project.

Hopefully, there will be more coming my way. ;)

Saturday, October 17, 2009

What's next?

Me llamo Cathy.


Meu nome e Cathy.


I graduated with a degree in Economics, groomed from a Pure Science background and worked in various industries, various sectors - banking, technology, Project management, risk, non-profit movement and management of an international student organization, nationally.


What’s next?


I didn’t know.


I simply lay my hands on myaiesec.net and applied for an internship, any internship abroad. And Artemisia crosses my sight and hence there I applied and now I am in Brazil doing financial planning for a gastronomy-related social business. Truly. What is all of these crazily random encounters about?

I just came back from an amazing sharing session with Artemisia trainees and coordinators. We shared a lot, all the way from why we are where we are today to our vision and plans for the future. I admit that my times at my workplace is not fantastic and may not have turned out to be as warm as I expected but these all so-called challenges just left a space for me – a space for me to really think and reflect on the same question.


What’s next?


I still do not know.


What I know is this. Wherever you are, whatever you do, you’ve got to enjoy and make the full out of every single moment and opportunities you have at the moment. That includes partying hard, meeting enough people, building enough networks, leaving enough impact and good impressions, paving a secure enough path for whatever that is ahead of you (whatever that is). It’s ok if it is not clear but so long that you fight a good fight, things will slowly emerge onto the surface and then you will know that you fought a worthy fight.


Right now I have tons of opportunity to network and to know so much about (social) entrepreneurship, of meeting amazing people with amazing vision about their lives, their works and the world – just like how Muhammad Yunus managed to shake the entire world with his selflessly noblest vision of making poverty history.

"The only place where poverty should be is in museums."

The personal dilemma for me is this. Two contradictory expectations (or maybe they aren't that much of a contradiction after all). One is the realistic expectation of securing a well-paying job which usually is the norm and another is to really utilize all these experience and opportunities that I, again, randomly grasped and to really go all out against the norm and start my own social business venture.


Unsure, but I have no choice but to continue my journey and fight a good fight to continue to bump around, searching and enjoying every single bit of the little time I have.


p/s: Why is it simply too much to be someone I am not? So I don't look back and regret for not having reacted in the way I would have had reacted or said things which I would have had said and above all, to have not forgone doing something which I know by my very nature would have done. You can only be young once. You can only be yourself once. They're compromisingly parallel.

And here, cheers to a greatly amazing journey ahead.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Ubatuba this weekend

Bikini

+

Sunblock

+

loadsa warm clothing cos of the crazily cold & rainy weather.

=

Ubatuba!!




The weather forecast:


Not too good weather but it´s ok!! :DD woo hoo!

Friday, September 18, 2009

Hangover

Things are got crazy, getting crazier but I am getting back on track.

It´s either I am really that hot or guys here just love Asian girls with petite figure. (but Brazilian girls have some really hot ass! I just don´t get it). Some guys are obvious with what they want, which is obvious for most guys what that could be. And I just need to find a way to reject them and some are really sweet and nice which makes me very confused. Now I understand why there are so many gays and bisexuals in Sao Paulo. People are so open and sometimes confused that they just be with the same gender who respect and love them for who they are more than giving in to what their flesh cries out for.

Anyway, I finish a bottle of champagne with an acquantaince yesterday and I was still sober. I am amazed! But my head does feel slightly heavy now. And man! people here drinks tons of beer. Was at a house party in the weekend, and they have been drinking from 1pm till 10pm.. no.. we took a break for dinner outside.. and we came back and just drank till 3/4am... we stopped? no.
people woke up the next morning and started drinking more! haha.. the best part??

none of us were drunk. ALL SOBER. impressed.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

São Paulo


If you would have noticed, the pictures on top and at the bottom of this blog are what I snapped at
São Paulo August last year. And my profile picture is from Amsterdam.

Just strange how this all just led me back to the same place (São Paulo) via the same route (Amsterdam).
I'm loving this place pretty much and the openness of friendship here. An open expression of love, amigo i guess? It's good.

Will update more with pictures and details when I get internet connection at my apartment.

Stay tuned!


Saturday, August 1, 2009

Peace!

Ok so I managed to squeeze in a little bit of time to update my blog.

It just doesn't feel quite right to leave my latest post to be sth not so positive sounding.

So here it is..

I had a really really hectic summer vacation! Enjoyed it though. Weekends are great. I met, hung out and got closer to a couple of friends. Really is great. Makes me miss Singapore even more when I leave I know.

I always wonder how can Ibankers survive with onely 4 hours of sleep a day. I realised it really is workable man. I have been sleeping for around 5 hours for the past few months, sometimes coming back at 7am - not work of course! more of like the after school/ vacation excitement with friends.. Strange but I really like staying out late with friends. Peacefully or laughing all the way through the night, its nice.. exactly the kinda things you need when you're so tired from work and stuff. (not that I don't enjoy my internship, its just that when you are in a corporate environment, there are some corporate unspoken rules and lingo to adhere to and that's really tiring for some brainless straight-forward and idealistic kid like me). Anyways, yeps I feel very peaceful.

I am loved and blessed. It's time I start giving with what I have received. I'm ready for an amazing 6 months ahead.

loving and trusting You.