WOWA (Women of Wealth & Abundance) – Featured Speaker & Founder Brenda Tan!

How this event came about?
Excited to take to the stage to represent Singapore and do my best to make local women proud. I was a young child living with mild dyslexia growing up inTiong Bahru. Having chased away 7 tuition teachers, flunked English and went to Institute of Technical Education, no one believed that I could amount to anything.

As studying was not something that I enjoyed and further more I came from a low income family, I started selling Christmas cards and books at age 12. Being seconded to Malaysia, a call centre that I helped to establish for Citibank, had 80 employees under my leadership by the time I was 26. I wish to share my story in Singapore to help more local women achieve what’s in their hearts.”

And so I saw how many other people fulfilling great missions like Sir Richard Branson doing things differently and creating non stop, I believe that anything is possible. My hope is that having such a famous woman as Randi Zuckerberg speak to other women in the audience here in Singapore will inspire more women to start their own businesses, learn more about mentorship and support groups.

I also met my other co-producer who had an idea for a great event done differently. So we married the idea, and through his help this event gave birth!

(a) What was the AHA moment that changed your life to what you are today?
I had to say my being a terrible money manager of my own bank account, almost going into bankruptcy and having a bank loan spiraled many things that came along the way when I started my journey being an entrepreneur. I went into depression and broke up with my ex boy friend at the same time.

I experienced the high life as an employee with prestigious Citibank as a young manager overseeing 80 people at just 26, and fell back to the bottom after I left corporate world.

Giving up all my indulgences, the old habits of spending money, taking cabs daily, spending a lot of money on my hobbies.. I was no longer able to do it. I learnt what sacrifice means.

It is with this, that made me looked at who I really am in the mirror, that showed me my own strength and courage and discovered my own personal power of healing on what has worked well for me, to get myself out of the depression and rut I was in.

Several amazing miracles came through this period.

I also recalled during this darkest tunnel of my life, after attending a workshop for the 3rd repeated time about money, I broke down and forgive myself for being a terrible money manager and all that I had done. Strangely, 1 week later, a land investment that should only be due some 6 – 10 years later, was suddenly acquired, and I had a sum of money coming in way years earlier to help clear my debts! I just could not believe it.

A coach who transited between Singapore and New Zealand, stopped by and we met, and he became my coach. He started to coach me on business and life for FREE. Today I’m always ever grateful for this miracle help.

Many life lessons such as ‘being grateful’, new profound level of love, what I did to raise my own positive vibrations, and suddenly having more friends than I ever had back in school and work. Being embraced by many amazing people around me, is quite unbelievable as I was labeled as an ‘ice queen’ back in secondary school.

So looking back 6 years ago, I was able to experience the feeling of ‘self actualization’ , a very fullfilling time of my life doing what I enjoy – able to share my experience and coach other people to unleash their own potential, get clarity in life and relationships and find inner freedom within them. I’m glad I found happiness and purpose at this age, and not only when I hit my 50s.

(b) What 3 mottos do they live by when faced with challenges?

1) Be GRATEFUL:
Every night before I sleep lying in bed, I will do my gratitude list, being grateful for what I had for the day.

I did not understand the power of being thankful until I left corporate world.

My life crumbled once more and went into depression when I had little money in the bank, almost close to bankruptcy trying to float above water when I started entrepreneurship, and at the same time I broke up with my ex-boyfriend then.

When I experienced how amazing friends who came up to support me through that very difficult phrase, how my friend Darius gave me $30 dollars just out of his the blue, it was during such down time I experienced a new profound level of love.

My journey could have been worst off, so I learnt to stop complain and be grateful and thankful for what has come my way. Wonderful mentors appeared and coached me out of the rut, and some propelled me to where I am today. A wonderful mentor offered to sponsor the printing of my first book, and he said ‘I can’t help everyone, but if I can help one person, it makes a difference.’. He did not ask for anything in return and that brought tears to me.

It felt like time again and again miracles happened in my life during my greatest down times and fears hovering around me. I remind myself that I could have been in worse off situation whenever I face certain challenges. Be grateful with what I’ve been gifted to learn, gifted this experience and that I’m better off probably.

Gratefulness goes a long way and we will be amazed by all the beautiful things that come our way when we exercise gratitude.

2) Don’t know, DON’T STOP THERE
There are many things that we do not know “how to” do, or not sure. The difference is there are 3 types of people. One who stops there and give up; and another who ask the ‘how to’. After they know the “how to”, they sit on it and do no do anything about it.

The last type of person is the one who ask ‘how to’ do, starts figuring out or taking steps addressing the ‘how to’ of a problem or road block. Such as ‘where can I find the answer to this question on google, watch a utube video for guidance, ask a mentor FOR HELP,. For eg, often have clients telling me during consultation that they hesitate taking up a new role or job function, because it is not their strength.

I ask what is not their strength. They say eg. “Communication or sales”.

Best part is they do nothing about it for years knowing that that is an area they want to do better at.

So do not stop at “How to”. Ask the next question, what can I do or how can I find more information about it, such as attend a course on communications to improve my speech.

3) Don’t give up
Do not give up easily, as the moment we plan to quit, we potentially are just a step away from succeeding. It is just that we are not able to see it yet though it is so close.

Many times in my younger days, I often give up easily, due to lack of confidence and did not know the ‘how to’. Today with google, network of friends, mentors, just ask for it, and help will come your way. It is a lot easier now with the help of internet, facebook where you can just shut out for help!

(c) An inspirational quote to motivate the ladies out there!

The feeling of achievement weights for greater than the feelings of fears you can imagine, yet many people prefer to spend time focusing on fears – Brenda Tan

Ever walked across hot coal, or played an obstacle course or won a race? Either way you got to the end? Remember that amazing feeling of winning, of succeeding that huge obstacle somehow you did not think you can make it or not knowing you you are going to do it, but you did? That amazing feel weighs far greater than all the fears we first had. We also realized at times “Hey that was really simple! Not that difficult or scary after all.”

So why keep focusing on fears and the past?

I spent really long time scaring myself silly about walking on hot coal, and also putting a fire ball in my mouth as part of Anthony Robbins program. When I finally got through it, ghez it wasn’t so scary afterall, and it felt like I was champion on top of the world!