Nanz Inc.com : Do Life Better

Superwoman Tips: How To Have Fun At Work

nanzthreez — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:29 +0000

Do your Monday blues drag on till Friday? Ever wondered how to bring those elusive positive vibes to your workplace? Keep reading and we’ll show you how to have fun in the office and speed your way to the next weekend!

By: Ng Linli

Having fun at work doesn’t mean that you spend the day shooting crumpled paper balls into the bin or playing solitaire on the computer. Rather, it means getting things done in a productive and fulfilling manner, and making work engaging and rewarding.

Fun and laughter at the workplace has many advantages- it can help employees relieve stress, spark creativity, learn efficiently, get along better, and even make your company more attractive to customers and partners.

Here are some ways to create a more positive environment at work.

1) Turn tasks into games
Famous chef Gordon Ramsey motivates his restaurant servers to sell every single item on the menu by turning it into a game. Each server has a board with their name and the menu items on it, and every time they sell an item it is crossed out — the first to cross out all the items gets a prize.

Work becomes more fun when you can make tasks challenging and different, and inject some humor while you are at it. Get together with colleagues and award five gummy bears to the person who completes their data entry tasks the fastest and most accurately.

2) Set aside some time to play
Fun at work is about taking yourself lightly, but taking your work seriously. Make a conscious choice to make your workplace a positive one, especially if you are in a leadership position. Start fun competitions that are entirely voluntary and get creative. Have a “Bad Hair Day” Award, or design an office obstacle course for a quick game of mini golf at break time (e.g. compete to get the ball around the staplers and into a container). This allows you and your colleagues to laugh and play together in small, regular sessions, stimulating creativity and productivity. Some offices play the “Secret Angel” game with prizes for the last person to be found out.

One example where play is part of the job is at Southwest Airlines, where Flight Crews are given leeway in flight announcements (“Welcome aboard the Starship Enterprise. From the bridge, this is Captain Kirk along with my First Officer Spock. We will be traveling at warp factor 9 to your destination!”). They also sing, rap and joke with passengers, resulting in great reviews by staff who enjoy their jobs tremendously and passengers who enjoy the positive and professional service.

3) Make tasks achievable and rewarding
Break tasks up into smaller steps and reward yourself or your colleagues at each progression. The reward doesn’t have to be big or pricey, it can be small and funny (like a silly toy or the newspaper comic page), to add smiles and make things interesting. It is the totality of small elements of fun and humor in the day that adds up to a happier workplace. Set yourself a doable task and a reward (it can even be getting a cup of good coffee afterwards). One boss gives out foot massage vouchers to staff that meet particular deadlines, giving them something fun and quirky to work towards.

4) Develop a work-life balance
It is very hard to have fun at work or be productive when the other aspects of your life are suffering, or if you are already burnt out. It is no coincidence that many companies on Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies To Work For” place a high priority on achieving this balance. It helps, of course, if your boss is on board, like the director of an award-winning design agency that encourages staff to leave work on time, recognising that it is key to employees’ creativity, quality of work and temperament.

Do Life Better: Watch Your Mouth

nanzthreez — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:00:07 +0000

Some of us are unaware of how much impact our words have on others, and we may end up with our foot in our mouth, or worse still, deeply hurting others or ruining relationships. As the wise Benjamin Franklin once said, “Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.”

By: Melanie Lee

We’ve all been there before — saying the wrong things at the wrong time. An awkward silence, a sense of unease, a look away, and you suddenly wish that the floor could just swallow you up so you don’t have to deal with the consequences of that highly inappropriate remark you just made. “But I’m not a bad person,” you might say, but why is it you seem to rub people the wrong way? If this sounds like you, here are some pointers to keep your mouth in check:

Think before you speak.
You’ve definitely read this before, but there’s no harm drumming this through again, especially since verbal diarrhea seems to be quite a common condition amongst women! This is especially so when we stop watching what we say with our loved ones and close friends because we’ve become so familiar with them. However, remember that once the words leave your mouth, you can never get them back again.

Agree to disagree.
Hurtful words tend to be spewed while expressing differences in opinions. This is usually because you get defensive about making your own viewpoint “win”, and in turn become dismissive. Ultimately, this leads to some nasty judgment calls made out in the open. However, it’s all about the mindset, if you see these differences as an exchange of ideas, and you respect the opinions of others, then you don’t have to unleash your artillery of rude, presumptuous words.

Joke discerningly.
Often, we use humour to break the ice and to make our conversations with each other more interesting and personable. However, this can backfire if you crack jokes too obviously at the expense of other peoples’ plight and that could just come across as mean. Also do be aware of other peoples’ “PC” (political correctness) markers — there are some topics that may seem fine to you but a big no-no to others. Try to be aware of these boundaries before trying to generate some laughter. Otherwise, the joke will just fall flat on your face. If you really have to make a joke, in general, avoid touchy topics like weight, religion and money. And making a joke about yourself is usually the safest way to go.

Don’t try too hard to impress.
Ever notice how most of the faux pas you make usually occur when you are trying to get someone to think what a great person you are? One lady was bragging about how her blog was going to be the next big thing, when the person she was talking to turned out to be a published author who had won awards. Call it Murphy’s Law, but maybe there’s this tendency because you are not comfortable with being yourself and all this unease makes you less aware of what you are saying. When you get such moments when you feel like you have no idea what you are talking about or the other party is drifting off, hush and be silent. Spend a few minutes listening to what the other person is saying and try to pick up from there. More likely, people will be impressed that you listened attentively, rather than if you monopolized a conversation with inane babble.

Go For Gold: Make Up For Ever’s Spring Look

nanzthreez — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:00:20 +0000

Create a new look this spring with products from Make Up For Ever’s Spring 2010 collection, Gold Icone.

By Lianne Ong

This Spring, Make Up For Ever’s founder, Dany Sanz, was inspired by the sensual art of Austrian artist, Gustav Klimt. Klimt’s subjects were mostly women, and his work is often distinguished by the use of gold.

In transposing the Klimt woman onto the makeup canvas, Dany’s interpretation of the woman was “proud and sensual”. With a fair complexion, “deep, frank eyes” are outlined in black and gold while the lips are kept shiny and slightly pink to give a finishing note of “softness and lightness”.

The looks created rely on Make Up For Ever’s latest products from the Gold Icone Collection.

New Products from the Gold Icone Collection:

1. Metal powder
Metal powders used to be in the domain of professional makeup artists and thespians, in particular for creating special effects or for the catwalk. But now you can use these powders to create dramatic looks of your own.

The powder, which is a 100% mineral powder pigment, is so versatile that it opens a whole new world of options. It can be applied dry or wet to create different effects. When applied with water or with Make Up For Ever’s Eye Seal, a more intense, ‘liquid lava’ look is created. Apply wet with an angled eyeliner brush, and you’ve got yourself a metallic liner. It can also be mixed with other products such as foundation, gloss, lipstick or other powders to create other effects.

For the Spring Look 2010, Metal Powder in #01 Sunflower Gold was used to create an intense block of colour on the eyelids. But a myriad of different looks can be created if you pair them with other colours like turquoise, green or copper.

Metal Powder is available in four shades of gold: #01 Sunflower, #02 Maize, #03 Honey and #04 Olive.

2. Gold Diamond Powder #16
Diamond Powders are made of borosilicate crystals, which reflect light subtly, giving even, dazzling colour. In the Spring 2010 looks, it adds the finishing touch to the dramatic eyes, and complements the Metal Powders perfectly.

3. Kohl Pencils in Metal Gold #07 and Black with Metal Highlights #6
Exchange your traditional black and brown coloured kohl pencils for these dramatic, metallic ones.

So how can Asian women wear gold with plenty of pizzazz?

For fair skin tones:
Metal powders can be used with a light or transparent application. Pair gold coloured powders with coral or peach toned blush and lipstick or gloss.

For darker skin tones:
Metal powders can be applied lightly or more intensely. For cheeks, use caramel, rusty, golden copper blush, and for lips, try a mandarin or orange lipstick.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY MAKE UP FOR EVER

Why What Happened To Jack Neo Is A Good Thing

nanzthreez — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:00:22 +0000

It’s been nearly two weeks and Jack Neo’s affair has dominated the headlines. It may seem a horrible thing to have happened to Jack and his wife, but Nanzinc.Com feels it is a good thing. Here’s why.

By: Theresa Tan & Nanz Chong-Komo

Nanz and I, having come from the fashion, entertainment and media industries, may be predisposed to understanding Jack Neo’s awkward situation the last two weeks.

Did anyone else feel it was hypocritical of the press to blow up Jack’s infidelity into so many sensational pages, when infidelity is so rife among media personalities that they could have written the book on it?

Through this entire episode, we are amazed not so much at Jack’s affair, but the behaviour of Singaporeans in reaction to the news. Nanz couldn’t believe how fast most people jumped to conclusions.

I was at the ill-fated 3-minute press conference. When Irene lost it and buckled onto the floor, the photographers leaped over one another to grab the shots like Paris Hilton had forgotten to wear panties again! It was shocking. Worse still, I stayed back after Jack and Irene had left, and listened to what the reporters were talking about. Most were wondering how they were going to fill 8 pages with a 3-minute press con. Others were cursing people who were “in my shot, @#$%^&”. Somebody said it was a “good show”. As if Irene had put on a show to elicit sympathy. She may be married to a film director, but if you have even spoken to her before, you would know, she is one of the sweetest and most publicity-shy people in Singapore. To “wayang” is beyond her.

When I left the theatrette at Scorpio East, many of the journalists were eating from the buffet that they later made fun of. Excuse me, if it was in bad taste to cater food during a press conference like this, then why were you eating and drinking? Yes, that kopi counts too, Miss.

What if Jack and Irene really did cry out from their hearts? What if Irene really did collapse from the weight of her grief? What if Jack is sincerely remorseful and repentant?

Then we owe them an apology from our hearts.

“I am just amazed how hard our hearts have gone hardened so fast, so soon…just by reading reports from the press,” says Nanz. “We have forgotten he is a human after all, a person who have done significantly in our lives for many years in our homes when he played Liang Po Po and other characters. We have quickly wiped out all his good deeds of the past.”

Was Jack’s buaya behaviour unacceptable? For a film director to ask for numbers of potential stars and starlets is par for the course. For them to have a fling or two—as long as they don’t get caught—had always seemed to be acceptable among peers (no judgment call here).

So it seems to me that the great sin was not that Jack did have an affair, or that he came on to young girls. But, from what the papers did to him last week, what Jack was guilty of was for a) being caught, and b) not being able to make his problems go away like other men who keep a girl or two on the side.

Nanz recently met them at a Dr Ron Sim’s celebration of OSIM’s 30th anniversary. “Jack was with Irene, we chatted briefly.” Jack has been very supportive of Nanz — he made an effort to show support when we were about to launch Nanz Inc.

As Nanz says, “We have all failed at some point, whether it’s business, or work, or parenting. I’m proud that Jack and Irene have chosen to face their problem and I know they will work this through.”

Absolutely. Had Wendy Chong not been so fed up that she decided to confront Jack’s wife Irene, this secret love affair might still be secret. For that reason alone, we feel this could be the best thing that ever happened to Jack and Irene.

The alternative is that Jack could have continued to live a lie, Wendy could have got pregnant—really, it could have been much, much worse.

Instead, by bringing the matter to light, Wendy had done Jack a favour. Now, he had to face the truth, and now, he had the opportunity to make things right. The truth has set him free.

All the time the affair was going on, “I felt like a stone was hung round my neck,” he told one press member. That is the horrible weight of guilt, and of hopelessness that this was never going to go away. He said he had tried to end the relationship some months ago, but Wendy got emotional. When one is stuck in a mess one has created, and trying to get out only causes more problems, that’s when some feel it’s too hopeless and maybe it’s just easier to take one’s own life.

We are glad that it did not spiral to that point for Jack or Wendy. We are grateful.

Is it fair for Irene? No. Was he exceptionally cruel? Yes—he probably didn’t even think about the impact this would have on his wife. Was he selfish? Definitely. Cheating spouses think about their own needs above anybody else’s—even the person they are cheating with.

Irene has been incredibly stalwart through all of this, thank God for this woman. How many of us can really stand there and say, after all that has been revealed, that we will honour our promise to have and to hold, in good times and in bad, for richer or poorer?

Why give her a hard time about it? That she has chosen to forgive is clearly a sign that she is a person of high integrity, who really knows how to love, not selfishly like many of us. She loves unconditionally, and that moves Nanz and me.

Is she a pushover? Is she a doormat? No. It takes much more strength to stay and fight, than to pack up and run. How many wronged spouses have the courage to stay and defend their marriage, to value what they have to the extent that they are willing to lay down their pride and face public humiliation to keep that promise? It takes an extraordinary person to do that. Thank God Irene is one such extraordinary person.

Jack appears remorseful, and we want to give him the benefit of the doubt. We want to believe that deep inside his heart, he really does believe in the morals and lessons that he preaches in his movies, or he wouldn’t bother to preach them (who else does morality movies like Jack Neo?).

As long as he is sincerely sorry, and makes a promise to turn from his old habits, why not forgive? Why not turn a bad situation into a really good one? Nobody wins in a divorce.

Lest you think Nanz and I are being very naïve and Pollyanna about this situation, we agree that in order for this to have happened in the first place, something was amiss about the marriage already.

Jack has admitted that for years, the only time he spent with his kids was on weekends. That freed him up during the week to do his work and, unfortunately, find distractions. Now he is determined to come home during the week to have dinner with his children—a proactive move that will surely yield positive results.

Irene’s quiet acceptance of Jack’s travels and schedules may also have been something that Jack read as “don’t ask, don’t tell”. A married couple is one—they should have no secrets between them, they should discuss all major decisions (eg traveling without one another, working in another country), they should be fully accountable to one another.

While most of the world would probably baulk and call this “imprisonment”, our stand is that spouses must do whatever it takes to keep the trust and connection between one another. Marriages are under attack daily. MCYS has already declared that the Singapore family is in crisis. If you have found the one you love, and spent so much time and money convincing her of your sincerity, then why not keep up the ardour, and make sure you finish what you started, and finish strong?

And no matter how bad things get, tell your spouse. You agreed on the day you got married that you are both in this together. What changed after your wedding day?

If you have a gambling problem, tell your spouse. Seek help. If you’re attracted to someone else at your workplace, tell your spouse, and seek counseling, or if it’s really bad, quit your job.

Stay close, keep no secrets from one another. Jack had kept this huge secret from his wife, and when it was finally brought out into the open, though his regret was public, he also admitted that he was relieved that finally, this problem could end.

Now that he and Irene are committed to working it out together, things can only improve. They have a second chance at making their marriage work. They’ve made the right decision not to separate, which would have hurt their children greatly. They’ve gone counter to what the many Singaporeans would have done—you hurt me, I walk out. Our rising divorce rates stand as proof that most Singapore couples take what they think is the “easier way out”.

We are proud of Jack and Irene for their wise decision, to stick by their marriage and refuse to make a mess a total disaster by going for a divorce.

Our prayers are with them. We’re confident they’re going to make it.

As for the rest of us who stood by and watched, Nanz has this to say: “After this, I am reflecting and remembering to remain ‘un-herded’. I refuse to think like the rest of the world, I don’t want to be cruel, or quick to judge. It saddened me that people can be unforgiving in words and behaviour. Frankly, don’t we know of loved ones (family, friends, relatives) who have had secret affairs? Would we condemn these loved ones so openly?”

We can all become better people from this saga.

Are You A Mean Girl?

nanzthreez — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:00:01 +0000

Relationships between women are often complex affairs. We love our intimate bonding sessions with our girlfriends, but we also have the tendency to gossip, backstab, or exclude the very same close friends sometimes. While many may say that this mean streak is just the natural behaviour of most women, this is certainly no excuse to behave in a way that so deliberately sets out to destroy valuable female friendships. Nanz Inc takes a closer look at where this cattiness comes from and how you can stop yourself from being a meanie.

By: Melanie Lee

Why So Mean?

Self-Preservation
Just as with men, there usually is more competition within the same gender. It’s about the survival of the fittest in this world of scarce resources – and there are plenty of things females often pit themselves against each other with: looks, jobs, husbands, children, clothes, houses, hair, weight, fitness etc. Because women are more relational, there is a tendency to make countless comparisons and this can sometimes result in sabotaging a good girlfriend from feelings of being “lousier” or “left out”.

Jealousy
Related to comparison and competition is the idea that women tend to adopt a selectively rosier perspective on their girlfriends’ lives – it always seems as if everyone else seems to have it “so much easier” and this just ain’t fair. The homemakers envy the exciting lives of their working friends. The career women pine after the flexibility of their homemaker friends. Both sides start muttering about how some people are too free or some people are too materialistic and the cycle of badmouthing begins.

Unrealistic Expectations
Sometimes, we can be overly judgmental with our own gender and this can unwittingly lead to excessive pettiness. If a guy cancels having coffee with you, he is just a jerk; if your girlfriend does the same, it is an outright betrayal of the sisterhood. Ironically, because one clings a little too fiercely onto this whole idea of female bonding, spiteful disputes such as “Why did you tell X but not tell me?” ensue.

How To Un-Mean Yourself

Do Unto Others As You Want Others To Do To You
Look back on the times you have grumbled about your girlfriends. I’m sure you have your strong views about how a true friend is supposed to treat you. Likewise, try to do the same with your own friends. Sincerity and generosity is often reciprocal and can significantly cut down your meanness quotient.

Watch Your Words
Because gossiping has become such a habit for many of us, sometimes, we say mean things about our friends just to make things “juicy” and entertaining. However, this really is not being respectful to your friends, even if they will never know about it. If you call them your friends, the things you say about them should show that you treat them like friends.

Confront Rather Than Backstab
If you feel that there are things you need to thrash out with your girlfriend, it’s better to get the issues out in the open rather than bitching about it behind her back. While confrontation can get uncomfortable and is a lot harder than ranting to others, it keeps things honest, and could pave the way for an even deeper and more meaningful friendship.

Have interesting “secret Meanie” stories to share? Leave a comment!

Superwoman Tips: Bad Mood Busters

nanzthreez — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:00:31 +0000

So you’ve got as much to do as you always have — but you’re finding instead of feeling fuelled by the challenge, you’re listless and moody of late? Get a little boost as Nanz Inc shows you how to cheer up the natural way.

By: Ng Lin-Li

Nobody ever said Superwoman had to be in a good mood all the time. But with busy schedules and different commitments competing for our attention, it’s easy to start feeling tired and moody. Throw in a few difficult colleagues or family members, and the day gets even gloomier.

The best way to combat this is to develop an arsenal of your favourite things that can help lift your mood. Some people recover their spark by taking a long shower with their favourite scented soaps, others find it in showering their pets with love (and vice versa). Whatever your modus operandi, recognize it’s important to get out of a blue funk, so that you can go back to being productive. These activities Nanz Inc suggests can help lighten things up.

Exercise in moderation
It may be the last thing on your mind, but it really helps. While it isn’t clear exactly how exercises decreases anxiety and moodiness, research shows that brain chemicals that make you feel good (endorphin and neurotransmitters) are released during exercise. If you don’t have time to hit the gym, even half an hour of Pilates at home or climbing the stairs instead of taking the lift, three to five times a week, can help. Join a fun sport or group exercise if that motivates you more.

Increase your Vitamin B intake
Symptoms of a Vitamin B deficiency are moodiness and anemia, which could leave you feeling tired and grumpy. Besides having regular, nutritious meals, supplement your diet with a multivitamin containing a B complex with the essential range of B vitamins. Alternatively, take more foods that are high in vitamin B12 like fish, dairy products, eggs and liver, and foods high in vitamin B6 like bell peppers, bananas, tuna, garlic and cauliflower.

Laugh and smile
Watch a comedy, read a humorous book or find anything else that tickles your funny bone and laugh away. A variety of physiological changes occur as we laugh heartily, with endorphins and muscle tension being released with each guffaw. Humor can also remind us to take a more positive and light-hearted look at life and people.

Connect with positive people
Call up your most encouraging and upbeat friends, and spend a little time with them. Share your feelings instead of trying to keep it all in. Being with people who care about and love you, even if you are moody and not at your best, can give you the boost that you need. What you need is to feel supported, and maybe you could get a change in perspective as well. (Friends that make you laugh are a bonus!)

Get enough sleep
Time spent in La-la-land is nature’s way of giving us a break from stress and immediate concerns, restoring the body and mind to give us energy to get through the next day. Conversely, insufficient sleep can make us feel negative and lethargic about everything. Each person needs a different amount of sleep, so find out what is your optimum quantity because getting enough shut-eye is imperative to feeling and living better.

Have some fish oil
Remember those mouthfuls of cod liver oil you had to take as a child? It might be a good time to revisit that (go for capsules if you still shudder at its fishy taste). Besides providing a host of other health benefits, omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil, namely EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), has been shown to have positive effects on moodiness.

Important: If you are feeling chronically depressed (ie no matter what you do to get out of feeling hopeless, you cannot seem to overcome it), or if you find you are unable to regulate your mood, be sure to seek counseling or medical help as soon as possible.

Superwoman Profile: Chow Keat Yeng

nanzthreez — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:00:02 +0000

Chow Keat Yeng, or Keat for short, is a two-timer. By day, she works hard at her marketing job. By night (and weekends), this energetic 30-year-old hangs up her power suit and slips into the role of Principal of Artistic Expressions, a speech-and-drama school, of which she is the owner Nanz Inc gets in on the act with this superwoman.

By: Audra Lim

Most people either run a business, or are employed in a full-time job. You do both. You either have great time management skills, or have 48 hours a day. Which is it?
I guess it’s the former as I would probably end up working more if the day was longer and that would be suicide! It’s all about time management and prioritizing.
List the things you need to do in order of priority before the start of each day and stick to the list. Focus wholeheartedly on completing each task, one by one. There is always a tendency to want to do everything all at once, in the shortest possible time.

Why did you set up Artistic Expressions?
In 2002, my alma mater, Holy Child Speech & Drama, closed its doors. My students were stranded and wanted to continue their Speech and Drama lessons. It was then that I decided to open my own school and take them under my wing.

What were some challenges you faced as you built up your business?
I was 23 when I started the school – some were skeptical about whether I had the business acumen, or if I was able to teach their children. I also wanted to stand on my own feet, so loans from family or the bank were out of the question. The lack of funds turned out to be a good thing because it challenged me to think of creative (and cheaper) alternatives to get the word out.

I believe that the school needs to have integrity, and I wanted the school to hire teachers who were experienced and equipped with the right certifications. However, many of these teachers then were engaged in prior teaching engagements. So I decided the school could also be a training academy for those who had the passion and were willing to be trained in this field.

How does Artistic Expressions stand out from other speech-and-drama schools?
Apart from trained and properly certified teachers and offering both LAMDA and Trinity-Guildhall examinations, the school prides itself in focusing more on speech and learning through creative play.

There is always a skill to be developed or honed in every child. That’s the beauty of speech-and-drama. For some, it could be diction, for others it could be overcoming the fear of public speaking. Sometimes, speech-and-drama can just provide an outlet for kids to express themselves in a safe and supportive environment – something that schools and homes may not necessarily provide.

We also conduct speech-and-drama for homeschoolers. Through dramatic play, students explore improvisation, movement, voice and role playing, while the age group mixing encourages social development and empathetic thinking.

The school believes that children and adults must acquire sound vocal techniques – therefore the lessons continually teach students how to tap into the power of their voice in a natural, simple and most importantly, enjoyable way, exploring their voice as a source of personal expression and creativity.

Breathing, resonance, techniques to improve one’s speech and diction are addressed in every lesson to make students aware of their power of communication.
Artistic Expressions is also launching a performing arm to train young potential talents. This is in line with the work I do in directing and writing children’s productions – three of which have been staged at The Esplanade.

What advice would you offer to aspiring women entrepreneurs?
Step 1: Make a decision to succeed now and stay focused.
The road to becoming an entrepreneur is less travelled because it takes constant effort to work on yourself and business. Most people will not do what it takes to succeed because they lack the belief in themselves or their desire is not strong enough. But stick out the course that you have started. This is one of the laws of the universe. The tortoise will always win the race.

Step 2: Choose an industry of interest.
Choose something that has always been very interesting to you. And perhaps more importantly, choose an industry that you are familiar with.
Many people choose careers for the money instead of joy. But the reality is that most successful people have done well because they do not perceive what they do as work but play.

Step 3: Treat it like a job.
Most advisors or entrepreneurial gurus usually advise people to treat their business as a business and not a hobby. The truth of the matter is that you will have to treat your income-producing activities the same as you do your job. In the world of entrepreneurialism, you will not have a boss telling you what to do. You will be liable for your own results. Make a list of income-producing activities each day that will move you towards your goals and make sure that you do them.

Step 4: Think out of the box.
There are always possibilities to extend the reach and positively impact more people with what your business can offer. Strategise first, then do. Know your market well (i.e. business strengths and weaknesses, competitors, size of target audience and type of target audience) and have a strategy in mind – you can then plan your marketing campaign more effectively.
If you challenge yourself to continually think out of the box, you can capitalize on the enormous untapped potential in business.

Step 5: One step at a time.
Problems arise when one becomes greedy for more expansion. What I’ve realized is that there is a time for everything and things will fall into its perfect place somehow. It is important to have a game plan and take one thing at a time. Never be in a hurry.

How To Have A Better Marriage: Manage Your Mother-in-Law

nanzthreez — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:00:24 +0000

It is almost a genetic code written into humankind. That mother-in-law and daughter-in-law never shall coexist harmoniously, for as long as they both shall live. To be a superwife, supermom AND a super daughter-in-law – now that is just pushing it.

Yet surely, there must be a way to ensure that the man caught in the drama of it all – your husband, her son – is spared the trauma of being sandwiched between the two women he loves? Nanz Inc takes a stab at navigating this age-old minefield.

By: Audra Lim

The stories are plentiful. One mother-in-law suggested that her newly-born grandchild cried a lot because he did not like his mother’s milk – this after loudly praising her daughter-in-law immediately after the birth with a “Well done!”.

Another regularly inspects her son’s kitchen and tsks tsks her daughter-in-law for not having enough food in the fridge, not doing the laundry properly and then launches into the all-too-familiar “when are you having kids” rant.

Yet another got chased out of the house by a post-partum-depressed daughter-in-law after incessantly nagging her and forcing her to conform to old-school confinement practices.

Ah, family dramas. What will everyone do without them?

In its basest form, the tension between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is often a result of the difficulty a mother faces in realizing that she is no longer the dominant, or sole female influence in her son’s life. She may also think that her daughter-in-law is unable to do as good as job as her in taking care of the man they both love. More often than not, she really just wants the best for her son; her interferences are commited out of good intentions. And this is the key to tolerating, and even getting along with a mother-in-law who might feel like an albatross tied around your neck sometimes.

For the sake of a better marriage, happier family and all-round harmony, keep these in mind the next time you feel ready to lash out at She-Who-Pokes-Her-Nose-In-Everything:

1. Respect thy mother(-in-law).

At the very least, the fact that she gave life to your husband and took care of him all those years should invoke some form of gratitude. Accept that your husband will forever have a special bond with her, simply because she is his mother. You cannot take her place, just as she cannot take yours. Period.

2. Respect thy husband.

The poor man probably feels like sandwich filling. And it’s not a fun place to be. Instead of giving him flak for being a mummy’s boy and not being on your side, tell him that while you may not agree with his mother all the time, you understand the predicament he is in. Just showing that you recognize the strain he is going through would gain you brownie points for being such a gracious wife.

3. Respect thy family.

The effect of family disputes on other family members can be negative. Remember that your children are witnessing the unhappiness, and can pick up on the negative vibes even if you do not verbalise your thoughts. For their sake, try to maintain peace with your mother-in-law. In the grand scheme of things, it does not matter who wins or loses. What matters is a happy family.

Coming up soon: Mother-in-law tips from successful daughters-in-law.

If you have a story about your mother-in-law, share! Leave a comment!

Nanz Inc Celebrates International Women’s Day at OverEasy

nanzthreez — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:17:21 +0000

Today was a really good day for Nanz and I.

We had been hurtling through Jan and Feb like two rockets when suddenly two weeks ago, Nanz said “Hey. What are we doing for International Women’s Day?”

A mad scramble and a half later, my good friend, the beautiful and most lovely Ms Daryl Teo (“Dee” for short), marketing manager of the Lo & Behold Group (they own Loof, White Rabbit, The Shack in Sentosa and OverEasy), offered to host a luncheon for us and 10 of our MVPs (much-valued pals) at the wonderful OverEasy, which is a “diner” serving amazing food and all-day breakfast (yes, truffle egg!).

We gathered at 12 today at One Fullerton. OverEasy overlooks the new IR and the Singapore River/Reservoir. It would have been perfect to be outside had the weather been 15 degrees cooler! OverEasy has a really chilled-out vibe about it– probably why there were quite a number of corporate types blowing off Monday morning steam with a great lunch! A bar divvies up the space into a dining and a lounge area. By night, I imagine the alfresco space fills up with couples and groups of pals hanging out listening to the live band.

As women are wont to do, we sat down and started talking nine to the dozen. Among us were Klessis Lee (a secretary and a mummy blogger), Daphne Ling (a mummy blogger and writer), Sunuja Naidu (editor of Today’s Parents), Cheryl Ng (a web-entrepreneur who used to bring in diaper bags), Novie Tan (an entrepreneur with a training business), Dr Lynda Wee (a training business owner and educator), and Nanz Inc’s wonderful writers Lianne Ong and Melanie Lee.

It was a casual lunch -but oh what a lunch! Dee is not the Hostest with the Mostest for nothing.

Drink of the day: Mint lemonade
Starters: Nacho chips with 2 dips: guacamole & spicy sausage
Soup: Mushroom and cream of tomato
Salad: Duck Confit Salad (baby spinach, peeled mandarins, cashew and tender chunks of duck)
Shares 1: Truffle Shoestring Fries Shares 2: Baby Burgers (cheese-covered steaks!)
Mains: Linguine with Chicken or Prawn
Dessert: Brownie (with chocolate shavings on top!) and the most perfect Apple Crumble ever.

As you can tell, the food was quite nearly the main event (and comes highly recommended by both Nanz and I – you will not regret blowing your calorie-count here).

As we munched our way to dessert, the conversations around the table were a wonderful mixture of work, family, children, husbands, weight loss (yes, that’s us, eating lunch and talking about lymphatic drainage) and exercise (or lack thereof). This was exactly what we imagined a cosy Nanz Inc gathering should be like.

“It’s fun that it’s just a small group of us,” noted Melanie. True, we could have real conversations in a group like this.

Our photographer Jeff Tan started off being the fly on the wall but pretty soon caved in to the wonderful company and awesome food. He did however work very hard (thanks Jeff) and we made every guest say a line or two about what International Women’s Day means to them, and what they feel are the best things about being a woman. (Of course, some talked about the lunch!) You’ll get to watch those clips soon!

At 1.15pm, SURPRISE! Elim Chew and her manager Ruth Quek and rapper Chitabee showed up! I had invited Elim but Nanz and I decided we should try and keep it a secret (in case the very busy Ms Chew had to bail — she came from a Barclays speech that ended at 12.45!).

Yes you read right — Elim brought her rapper. The woman has her own rapper.

“Other people tells jokes to get the crowd to pay attention, I bring a rapper lah,” she explained. Chitabee is a 22-year-old rap champ who, under the mentorship of Elim, has gone from what others saw as unremarkable, to a young man with his own business. He runs a studio that cuts albums for local acts. Chitabee is hired by Elim to warm her crowds before a speech.

Now, that’s what I call style. (Maybe I should consider a posse of Chippendales dancers to open for Nanz’s next speaking engagement…)

Elim brought the topic of social entrepreneurship to the table. We’re such busy women doing so much — why not think of a way to make our work or business do good while we’re working at it?

Too soon, sadly, the luncheon had to end and the various ladies had to go back to work, back to meetings, back home to the babies.

Thank you all for being there today! Your presence, warmth and comments touched us — do keep telling us how to make Nanz Inc better, and how we can help more women in greater ways.

A big thank you and kiss-kiss to the fantastic staff at OverEasy for giving such amazing service! We’ll be back!

Superwoman Tips: How To Create Space In Your Life

nanzthreez — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 04:00:44 +0000

Happy Women’s Day! In honour of this wonderful celebration of every female in the world, Nanz Inc launches our Superwoman series, starting with how to give yourself the best present ever: Space!

Busy, busy, busy – that’s what the life of a modern Asian woman seems to be about. “Give me my space!” you feel like yelling out to the world as countless to-dos stream in, clamouring for your time. Here’s the news: it’s really up to you to create some room in your life to just Be.

By: Melanie Lee

Your to-do list is never-ending and full of unchecked items, your mobile is ringing off the hook, your e-mail inbox perpetually seems to be flooded and you are starting to feel increasingly stifled and overwhelmed.

However, the fact of the matter is, this is the way that life is going to be most of the time – and the only way to deal with this situation in the long-term is to create some sanity-restoring space in your own life.

Here are some suggestions:

Go slow. Deliberately.
Life is dynamic and unpredictable and there will always be events happening and tasks to do. Realise that most of the time, it is perfectly ok not to complete everything – after all, there will always be new things coming in, and it’s a good thing, because it means that your time is in demand. Don’t rush to complete things just because “you have to” as it will only compromise the standard of work as well as your enjoyment in doing the task.

Live in the present.
The problem with us women is that sometimes, we tend to mope on past mistakes and fret over things that may go wrong in the future. These anxieties really clutter our lives unnecessarily and make us a lot less unaware and productive in the present. By living in the now, we can fully engage with the people and our surroundings and in turn make the best out of our present actions.

Do something different.
Many of us love holidays because it is such a refreshing shift from our hectic lives. We walk around taking in new sights for hours, we spend time talking and sharing new experiences with our loved ones, we make friends with strangers, we rest a lot more. Why not introduce these little changes that you liked so much from your overseas breaks to your daily life? Go for a concert. Try a new sport. Take a new route to work. Chat with someone next to you on the train. These little breaks from our routines give us the space to explore the fun and interesting things this world has to offer.

Have some me-time.
Last but not least, the most obvious way to find that space for yourself is by being alone. This enforced loneliness might seem a little scary and empty, but it’s important, as you need to connect with yourself first before you can find the capacity to let other people and things into your life. It could be something as simple as having a 10-minute catnap, going for a solo work lunch or taking a short walk by yourself after dinner – these brief, liberating moments give you precious legroom to clear your head and feel recharged once more.

Start today and enjoy your Space on International Women’s Day!

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