Above: How cool is that? I get my very own bookmark. Way cool!Quite excited as the Media Launch for the Martell Rising Star Award is coming up on the 8th of Oct, Thursday at Studio 99 (tomorrow!!!) . Will be able to finally see the shots that we did at the profile shoot, video interview and also the work-in-action video done by Baron from Wolfang Productions. They will all be showcased at the media launch and we'll be seeing them for the very first time. Also it'd be my first time meeting most of the contestants. Hopefully we all get along well and that strong camaderies will be fostered ;)
Below are some of the questions that were asked during the video interview and my answers to them with help from dad and fiance. They give insight to Sze's thoughts about the future of Sze Accessories and the journey thus far.
Q1) Tell us about what you are doing now and what are you currently immersed in.
I own and operate an online business that inspires women to express themselves through my creations. Basically, I custom design and personally handmake a range of fashion accessories for women; each a unique creation on its own.
Sze, which is the label for my accessories comes in different collections. Each collection is fashioned through my life experience, people I interact with and they carry a name and story behind it.
For example, one of my collections came to life when I visited a cafe called Cuppacakes by +Wondermilk. The vast variety of cupcakes they carry made me realise that we need to celebrate life’s diversity. The first release from this collection are pendants with cupcake prints in them; each a unique piece meant to remind women of their individuality. Needless to say, Sze’s customers are people who appreciate that each piece is valued by the workmanship behind it from materials sourced around the world to it’s intricate design.
And currently, I am working on how to optimise Sze’s website presence in the virtual world.
Q2) How did you work your way into the industry?
During my schooling days, I used to love dropping by my dad’s advertising company and hung around watching the business in motion. An area in the company that I was particularly drawn to was the creative department. I could sit there for hours watching them bring ideas to life. As I grew up, I realise that I too have a strong passion for creative arts. Combined with every women’s love for fashion, what started off as a hobby, which was to design accessories for myself eventually came to life as SzeAccessories.com.
Trying to climb the corporate ladder and maintaining an online business was definitely not an easy task. After much deliberation I decided to persue my real passion and made Sze Accessories my career. Two years down the road, I can safely say that it has been a rewarding decision. From publisher writeups to newspaper articles, Sze Accessories can be deemed as a reputable online brand amongst modern women who have embraced digital retail.
It wasn’t an easy journey because producing accessories for a demanding market is comparable to the likes of a song composition.
Q3) What are the greatest challenges you face in your career and how do you overcome them?
Actually there’s only one real challenge in my career, which is the fear of being complacent and satisfied with what I have achieved thus far. When handling a business, one can never become too comfortable with any form of success.
I have to motivate myself to constantly meet the demands to keep my brand’s exclusiveness and novelty. My current recipe to overcome this challenge is constant research and a lot of trial and error.
Q4) What’s your life motto?
It’s simple, everything is possible. I know it sounds cliche, but I believe that you can do whatever you set your mind to. Like the time when I was 10 and my ballet teacher told the class that they had one more spot for the junior troupe to represent Malaysia in Korea. When I got home that day, I remembered telling my parents that that spot had to be mine. I took in extra lessons and worked doubly hard to perfect all my moves and a month later, there I was in Seoul performing to a crowd with 20 thousand people. Looking back, it was really mind over matter.
Q5) What does ‘Rise Above’ mean to you?
To me it means setting oneself apart from the conventional and living your life’s passion. It doesn’t mean you have to stand out or be better than the rest. While most of my peers are in the professional or corporate world, I decided to take a calculated risk instead of a stable choice.
Like a game of golf, the battle is really with myself, to dream, daring to be different and deliver more. But never fear failure. And that........ is how I wish to Rise Above.
Q6) Describe yourself in 3 words.
Thrives On Inspirations
Q7) What do you hope to achieve in the next 5 years?
To realise what everybody dreams of in a business world- globalisation. Which is why I choose to embrace the online business as my channel of distribution because it is a borderless market and in 5 years time, I want every women that thinks about accessories to scroll down their bookmarks and click on SzeAccessories.Com
I'll upload the video here when I get a copy of the life interview but for now... I can feel the butterflies in my tummy already :)
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