I nearly quit back then, and now I thank myself everyday that I didn’t.

Back in 2017, I was a year 2 Mechanical Engineering student in NUS. Like my peers, I was determined to study hard and transit into an engineering career upon graduation. 

However, I chanced upon the financial services industry when a close friend of mine introduced me to it. I wasn’t sure if I’d be a good fit for it, but I was sold the idea that there was little opportunity cost other than time, and I figured that if things didn’t work out then I’d just go back to what I was doing previously.

To be honest, I used to shun insurance agents and like most people, I had a negative perception of the industry.

However, it wasn’t till a close family member got diagnosed with cancer did I experience the significance of insurances for the first time. It was a trying time for my family, and if not for the layer of financial security our insurances gave us, it would’ve been magnitudes worse.

Eventually, I worked and studied at the same time, and while I had my fair share of friends and family supporting my decision, I also had many who weren’t as encouraging. 

Since my adolescent days, I’ve always been blessed with the gift to connect meaningfully with others. That certainly helped me at the start of my career, as they certainly there was always an unspoken trust between us.

Fast forward to 2 years later, I was doing well, but yet dissatisfied. Dissatisfied not at my results, but at the environment I was stuck in. While there was a semblance of structure and mentorship, there were still many missing gaps which I needed filled in order to be a better advisor for those who counted on me.

And while I was still able to excel, I kept thinking: what if I could truly have those gaps filled? Would I then be able to transcend whatever I was doing?

Then, Odyssey found me. I had always been aware of Odyssey, a top tier District within AIA, and was actually surprised when I was approached by one of their board members to join the District.

Odyssey has everything that I had always been looking for, and my mentor, Don, said that it’d be a complete waste of my potential if I was never given the proper tools at my disposal, which they could provide.

Whether it was mentorship, structure, environment, integrity, or ethics, they possess every ounce of what synergises a team well in order to achieve peak performance.

Long story short, I took a leap of faith and the rest is history. Fast forward to today, Odyssey has shaped me into being a better individual, helped me regain my desire to excel, and reignited my initial purpose of joining the financial services industry.

My business motto has always been this: “Trust is a two-way street”. If you expect your clients to trust you, you must first be able to trust them in making the right decision for themselves.

Hence, my clients needs and priorities have always been my own priority, and I choose to focus on “heart-selling”, rather than hard selling.

With every life protected, it gives a sense of fulfillment and reminds me of the responsibility towards my clients, knowing that they have entrusted me with their financial planning.

In return, I will walk this long journey ahead with them, and guide them through life’s adventure.