Hello, it’s Shao Jie here! Thank you for taking the time to read through my story. You might know me from Carousell days, selling everything from curated sneakers to tech gadgets, or from my ornamental plant business (@therainforest_sg). Let me share with you my three why’s for adding Financial Services to the mix.

Having started multiple businesses and ventures since I was 16, the value of money and time was clear to me from a young age. We only have 24 hours a day to truly make our life count, and what I realised from the years of hustling hard is that the things that make life worth living are the memories and time spent with our loved ones, not the time spent slogging away at work. There is nothing more important than making our money work for us to preserve the most precious commodity in our lives — time. I strongly believe in my expertise and education to make this a reality for myself, and by extension my clients.

Being a student Financial Advisor a few years back, I had the opportunity to look through my family’s insurance portfolio. I noticed a glaring gap in my parents’ critical illness coverage — one that could not be mitigated with both having pre-existing conditions. All I could do for them was to put aside a sum for any potential illnesses and cross our fingers. All I thought was — what could go wrong?

In late 2023, my mom was diagnosed with early-stage Parkinson’s disease. The costs associated with hiring a caregiver, medication, and hospital visits were higher than we imagined. I saw how her condition stretched our family’s finances thin, but what ate more at me was the pressure placed on my dad, who had to set aside his income and eat into his savings to provide for my mom, at the expense of his own retirement plans.

Insurance is a privilege. Our ability to purchase insurance hinges on our health, which is something we take for granted until it’s too late. I would never wish for anyone, let alone my friends and clients, to go through the same experience as my family did. Health is wealth, and making sure that my clients are shielded from unforeseen circumstances is a deeply personal mission for me that underpins my motivations to rejoin this industry.

My last why is tied to something I’m deeply passionate about and core to myself. I enjoy conversations with people from of walks of life and building deeper and more personal connections with those around me. To me, there is nothing more satisfying than being a strong beacon of support and guidance for my social circle. I aspire to be someone able to educate, connect, and elevate people I cross paths with.

I am Shao Jie and these are my three why’s for rejoining the financial services industry. If my story resonates with you, share with me your why’s and leave the how’s to me.