Food for thought, food for all - Nichol Ng's remarkable journey

Nichol Ng's extraordinary journey embodies the essence of resilience in leadership and life. Raised watching her father build a successful business empire through sheer determination, Nichol's world shattered when his bankruptcy in 1999 forced her to juggle multiple jobs at age 21 while shouldering family financial responsibilities. Rather than walking away, she chose to step back into the family business in 2002, beginning a remarkable story of rebuilding and purpose.

Just as success seemed secure with a new facility investment in 2019, COVID-19 threatened to repeat history. Facing crushing pressure as the responsible leader for hundreds of employees and her own family, Nicole reached a breaking point that led her to seek professional help. In 2022, she made the heart-wrenching decision to sell her family home to save the business, mirroring what her father had done decades earlier.

What makes Nichol's story truly exceptional is that throughout these personal financial battles, she co-founded and grew The Food Bank Singapore, an organisation now feeding over 300,000 people annually. During COVID-19, when recipients often saw no one else for months, Nichol's team focused on "nourishing souls" alongside bodies, adding moments of joy to their deliveries.

Today, at 47, Nichol stands at a powerful inflection point. After decades of putting everyone else first, she's discovering self-prioritisation. "In the last 12 months, amazingly, I have found my own voice," she reveals. "Having that self-love actually empowered me to do a lot more." Looking ahead, she envisions expanding to Food Bank Asia while exploring opportunities in education as her family business approaches its 100-year milestone in 2034.

Her advice resonates powerfully: think of difficult periods as being in a cocoon, not failing, but preparing for metamorphosis. For women specifically, she emphasises, "You are the decision maker in your life," encouraging them to make choices based on their own values rather than external judgments. Through her remarkable journey, Nichol demonstrates how purpose can transform personal hardship into meaningful leadership and lasting social impact.

Tune in for an inspiring conversation that will leave you equipped with the tools to lead with confidence, overcome obstacles and unlock The Power Within

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Transcript

Nicole Ng's Journey of Resilience

Keith 0:00

Welcome to the Power Within, the podcast where we explore leadership, personal growth and the dynamics that shape success. I'm Keith Power, and each week, I sit down with inspiring individuals who share insights on leading with impact, building resilience and unlocking potential. On leading with impact, building resilience and unlocking potential. Through their experiences, we'll uncover the mindset and strategies that drive meaningful growth. Whether you're looking to evolve as a leader or gain new perspectives, this podcast is here to guide you. Today's guest on the Power Within is someone whose story is as much about grit as it is about giving, as we explore more stories of resilience, growth and the power of determination.

Keith 0:56

Nichol Ng grew up in the comfort of a successful family business until 1999, when her father's bankruptcy turned life upside down. At just 21, Nichol juggled multiple part-time jobs to help her family to stay afloat, while quietly carrying the emotional weight of watching everything change overnight. She continued to clear her father's personal debts for nearly two decades, right up until 2018, two years after his passing. In 2019, the business she ran with her brother was finally taken off and they invested in a new building to match their growth. But when COVID-19 hit, history threatened to repeat itself. Facing a second financial crisis, Nichol made the heart-wrenching decision to sell her family home in 2022, once again putting everything on the line to keep the business alive. Through it all, nicole has redefined leadership running a successful food distribution company, co-founding the Food Bank Singapore and feeding hundreds of thousands of people while raising four children, her journey is one of resilience, reinvention and relentless belief in doing what's right, no matter the cost.

Keith 2:29

Nichol, welcome to the Power Within. Let's start with the early years before the storm hits. What was life like growing up in a family business at its peak, and what did you learn at that time from watching your father lead?

Nichol 2:47

I think the most important thing that I've learned from my dad really early on is when I was three years old, you know we went to pick him up from the shop house.

Nichol 2:56

So those were the days where he was still working in the food distribution business. Right, they work seven days a week, yeah, and you know, on weekends the brothers would actually take turns to mend the shop. So I remembered my mom picking him up with me in the car, with my brother. You know, there was no helpers back then. So we had a very simple upbringing, I must say. We actually lived in my parents' matrimonial home all the way, you know, till the bank seized it right In the early 90s, right so, but for us was I saw that part of my father, you know working in a humble little shop house and then later on he found opportunities, yeah, so he was really a hunter of sorts you know, despite mummy very suave, you know, in my mind my dad was like this gangster style, very stylish, kind of like Marlon Brando kind of thing. Thing. And I've looked up to him in that way. He's always, you know, with his cologne and all that. You know daddy can always do any business. You know he can close the deal and I've witnessed it myself because my dad has actually brought us for business dinners before, at a very tender age, right. So when you sit across the table you may not fully understand. You know what they're talking about.

Keith 4:02

you're absorbing.

Nichol 4:03

Yeah, and deals were back in those days really just done across the table, you know a handshake and things like that. So in the 80s my dad was never around, early 90s as well he was extensively building the business and I saw him move from that Rochelle Road shop house to Orchard Road, right and right smack in town where our head office used to be, with a putting green and a koi pond, you know, and it's like, okay, you know, are we somewhere right now? And the biggest impact that I remember was because he did Hong Kong movies. Right, we were producing Hong Kong films. All the stars came to the office for meetings. So all the staff was like, oh, how, you know, like taking photos with these glamorous stars. Then I said, what is daddy actually doing, you know?

Nichol 4:45

So when I kind of realised that, you know he built this interesting empire of a mixture of knickknacks of businesses, right, I started to think like how did he do it? Right? So? But I saw him hustle really, really badly, like all the time he was flying in and out. He would fly to the UK, you know, be there for 24 hours and come back, and those days you had no mobile phones, right, so he would just make that IDD call to my mom. Okay, I've landed, you know, I'm coming back in two hours, you know, and things like that. And so my mom was the one that was really just present in my life for all the important events in school, gradu vestiges and things like that. So I'm actually quite glad that my mom was a housewife, because I, if she was also a hustler, you know, I don't know how both of us will be.

Keith 5:28

And yet today you and your husband run in your crazy home. When you're you're hustling, you're working. But interesting how you said that your mother was the constant presence, and yet you spoke with great warmth and love then about your dad and even remembering his cologne. So how did that feel then, that he was not quite as present, perhaps, as you'd like him to be?

Growing Up in Family Business

Nichol 5:53

I think I only felt that I lost out a little bit when I really went back to the family business to work, family business to work. I really appreciated the moments from 2002 to 2016, before he passed, that I had the opportunity to sit down across the table with my dad, you know, like really debating and talking. It's as if we missed out on the puberty years and I'm making it up, you know, during my early 20s and the amazing thing is that, although he never seems to be around, he's always around for that Sunday dim sum, like you know, lunch that he's there and I believe my mom updates him on certain things, right? No, but my dad being my dad, you know he puts food on the table and that's how he thinks of it. We were close psychologically.

Nichol 6:39

And so to be fair, my dad always felt that I was the leader in the house which came with responsibilities. So, you know, my dad always felt that I was the leader in the house which came with responsibilities. So, you know, my brother and I were just one year apart and different, you know. But being leaders, you know, maybe in the mindset, and things like that. So from a very young age, my dad was the one who instilled in me like okay, you're the older one, you know you have to look after, you know, and so he always mentioned that to me. And the other thing is that I think I take after him in certain ways and I see that.

Keith 7:09

Would that be this responsibility thing that you feel for other people?

Nichol 7:13

My parents did charity work quite a lot a lot, you know, whether it's Lions Club, you know, or helping in the old folks home, you know, like giving to the school building fund. And then the other thing which was interesting is that as a family sometimes we would go to the school building fund and then the other thing which was interesting is that as a family sometimes we would go to the old folks' home, you know, on those very special occasions, you know, like my mom would bring us to cut toenails for the elderly. So I had a very rooted childhood. You know, it's nothing glamorous. We got to travel the world. I went to Maldives in 1988, you know, when my dad first opened his duty-free shop. I mean, those were the days that you know you don't go to Maldives, like, this my dad would bring us on all these trips South Africa, cape Town. We were there, you know, when they hosted Miss World there, and then we went there because we were hosting Miss Singapore. So it was a very interesting experience. You know, we went to the safari and my dad was sleeping because he was so tired, because we traveled so little together these were the highlights of the trips that you know.

Keith 8:13

I forever remember in my heart. So this sounds like it's privileged, but grounded. Yes, Would that make sense?

Nichol 8:17

Yes, yes, which is a bit of a strange mixture.

Keith 8:19

Usually, you see, privileged as you know, just get what you want, do what you want, but the privilege was travelling and experiencing and meeting stars, etc. But the grounding was the family values, the getting together, the traditional values of that and all that goes with that.

Nichol 8:39

Yeah, and perhaps because I saw how hard my father worked. You kind of know that it doesn't come you. You know easy right.

Keith 8:46

Yeah, it's not free.

Nichol 8:48

There's a give and take. So you kind of like realise from young I've never like hated my dad or something. Hey, you know how come you were never around right.

Nichol 8:56

I think, importantly, one event changed, you know so, when the Asian currency crisis really happened In 96, I remember in year two of junior college, you know, my dad told me after my A-levels that he really sat me down with tears in his eyes that I know your A-level results aren't as fabulous as you want them to be and you can't make it to business school. But daddy can't finance you to study overseas. You've got to study in Singapore. And I remember him tearing because he kind of felt that his daughter had to sacrifice her dreams and my brother was already in Australia, you know boarding school and stuff like that.

Nichol 9:31

I had that connection with my father and I remembered at 17, 16, I told my father, nothing else matters as long as the family's intact. All the four of us were united in one. Whatever that you decide, no, we're here to back you up and that's important.

Keith 9:52

You saw that impact on your dad. Hustling Health suffers when you travel. As much as that, of course, and yet you ended up being as driven, if not more so, than him.

Nichol 9:58

I witnessed my dad put a pacer in his heart. You know no money to pay SGH. You know, and things like that. Those days you know no insurance coveragegh. You know, and things like that. Those days you know no insurance coverage. Right, I'm in the same position. So what can I say?

Keith 10:08

you know, history repeats itself you talked about 96 and then onwards to that chat with your dad. So that's, I presume, 1999, the turning point, correct? I hate to mention it, but your father's bankruptcy then forced you into multiple part-time jobs, while studying and carrying the financial responsibility for decades after. How did those years shape your resilience and your view of success?

Nichol 10:37

I was grateful enough that I could study in the us right, so that was already a privilege for me, and I've been someone who likes to juggle like a lot of tasks.

Keith 10:47

Oh, I know that.

Nichol 10:49

So it was evident since I was in kindergarten, I think you know. So juggling multiple jobs on weekends or working in cafes, you know, whatever, it doesn't scare me at all. In fact, I loved it so much and I had the opportunity right, instead of being ferried around in a Mercedes right like I took MRT right. So it's like public transport or something. I just wanted to do something, you know, and I was so happy when you get your first salaries, you know and.

Nichol 11:13

I truly enjoyed it. And, over and above the juggling of the work, I was also an active student leader in university, you know in this. So I was the vice president of the Students' Union when I graduated. People are asking like so how do you do it? So I guess that was when I actually developed the lifestyle that I have today, which is like sleep four hours, eat once a day, you know. But I'm always that energizer bunny right that goes hopping around.

Keith 11:44

But at some point that stops and I recognize that I lived for probably 20 years on four and a half hours sleep and if I went past that I had a headache and then I retired from corporate life.

Financial Crisis and Personal Sacrifice

Keith 11:58

And it was like falling off a building. So you either have to keep going like that until you die or you have to have another plan, but we'll come back to that later. If that's okay, let's be honest, many people would have walked away from the family business forever. So what made you decide to step back in and eventually take the helm with your brother?

Nichol 12:24

Again, another tearful episode with my father. I've never seen him so vulnerable. He's always that strong hero, but my dad somehow with me has that, you know he maybe I allow him to break down where he needs to be right. So in 2002, when I was working my first job, you know he said I really need some help to put computers right. You know we don't have computers in the company, so can you come back, you know? And and I hate tech, keith, I really hate tech. I mean as digital and savvy as.

Nichol 12:57

I look right. So I said, sure, I'll come back. You know, and the moment that I said yes to my father, there was no turning back. I know how deep the hole is, I know how complicated the family sometimes can be because there were uncles, but I said yes to my dad not yes.

Keith 13:15

Do you find it hard to say no?

Nichol 13:17

till today. Honestly, um, I've learned a little bit better, I think, over the last two years, but I always find it quite tough, yeah, which means that I don't really place myself first. So sometimes, even if I feel uncomfortable, and being a leader, I think saying yes, all the time you, you are burnt out. Yeah, that's for sure.

Keith 13:36

And as an executive coach myself, that's the first thing I would be addressing, with you learning how to say no, and to say no in a polite way, but to focus on other things, basically to focus on what matters to you. 2019, really fast forward. Now. The business was flying along again. You and your brother invested in a new building, ready for this great growth, only to have the dreaded covid19 hit. Yeah, brings everything to a standstill. When did you realize that this was going to be your full circle moment financially?

Nichol 14:19

so I think we were really on a high in 2019, yeah, even coming into early parts of 2020, right because I was there when sars hit. So I said okay, how long can this be? Right yeah. So we're like, okay, six months, nine months, you know, but then, um, when you get those scary calls from your clients to say that, hey, you know what's going to happen, right, we're going to delay payment by and then, yet we are in this empty building 250 000 square foot, the emptiness of the space the hollowness sets in and crowds in on you and time.

Nichol 14:53

The difference is.

Nichol 14:54

When we went through SARS, the team was very small because we just emerged from a bankruptcy right so it's really really tight, like 20 odd people, 30 people, and there I was with 230 employees, a lot of blue-collared workers. You know that was looking up. You know to me and six, seven. You know to me and six, seven. You know family members to look after. The exponential headcount that we were looking after probably was in like what? 400, 500 people. You know a few times the family. You start to feel the weight on your shoulders right and it got really quite scary. I think it was one and a half years into covid um, when there doesn't seem to be any end and and the worst thing with technology these days is that you read stories all the time.

Nichol 15:37

There's something negative, that's, oh, you know, emerging cases. There's always that counting numbers, you know, and I think it adds more depression on you. Right, there was one particular night and I love to work till very late I just sat in my office with a level four balcony, right, I said, should I jump down? And it was a dark moment, right, and I start reflecting. You know, I didn't tell my brother about it. I mean, after that, I told him I don't know how to solve it, there was no end to this pandemic. I didn't quite know how to solve all these things. And when the bank started tightening up everything, chopping everything off, you know, and then, like, the clientele was like not paying, you know, two and a half years in, I think, after COVID, it was really, really stressful, you know, and I felt like ending it all at some point.

Keith 16:25

Very dark time.

Nichol 16:26

And the thing is that I had four kids and that time my youngest was like three plus four. I had my mom, who's staying with me, know. I said, if I I had to carry this whole thing and if I ended it now like everybody else was going to suffer, right so, even in your darkest moment, your thoughts still went to those that you cared for and you were responsible.

Keith 16:48

Yeah, what to do?

Nichol 16:49

with the food bank right like so it's like, and do I want to leave this burden to my brother alone? For?

Keith 16:54

him to run it, but I was thinking about that did you seek some help at that time, though, like therapy or counselling?

Nichol 17:03

I went to see a psychologist and because I had an eating disorder since I was 11 and I think that also deep roots certain the way I carried myself. In a lot of ways I drive myself very, very hard and I've stopped seeing a doctor, you know, since the early 2000s, right, yeah, because I I thought I was out of it. But when crisis hits you, sometimes you know the old demons just comes back, it kicks in. And so that's when I started messaging my best friend. I said I think I need to see someone, you know, because, because I'm alone in this.

Keith 17:35

Before that you were like Wonder Woman. Right yeah, with impervious impregnable. Correct. But none of us are. So the fact that you reached out, that's the most positive thing.

Nichol 17:47

Yes.

Keith 17:47

Of course, for those who are listening and watching, it's always better to reach out than to talk.

Nichol 17:53

Yep, and when I watching, it's always better to reach out and to talk yep and um. When I went to see the doctor, they said okay, I can prescribe you something very light. You know, it's just to help you with your mood so that you can stabilize. And they prescribed me food, right, because if I don't eat enough, yeah, I mean which is? Logical to everybody, right? If you don't eat enough, you know your, your brain cells and everything your mood starts getting wonky right so.

COVID's Impact and Darkest Moments

Nichol 18:13

So I had to learn to cope with my own coping mechanisms, you know. But because I've lived with eating disorder for such an extended period of my life, till today, my staff knows that Nicole doesn't eat.

Keith 18:25

So that's the label, Despite what your logical brain tells you. Your psychological responses are very different to to that. Right, that's the thing. I don't want to get deeply into that. But you in your lucid moments go yeah, I know I need to eat, I need to do this and I need to get the all of the things to make my brain, my body work that's your logical sin? Yeah, but it's not your logical self that drives all your behaviors right.

Keith 18:53

It's your subconscious, psychological self. I hope that you're in a better, stronger place now. The only advice I give to anyone listening is we're never out of it. It's only a question of where you are in your cycle. On that, more power to your elbow. I think that for all of the things you did before, all of the wonder woman stuff, your real wonder woman moment was that realization that, um, there was a way out, there's always a way out and it's not the bad way out. Yeah, so I'm thankful for that moment and we actually connected. I'm trying to think three and a half years ago, and at the time I was really interested in doing some pro bono work with Foodbank and I couldn't see how I would fit so well being the angmo, the foreigner, etc. But I'm glad that we connected and I'm glad that we've stayed in touch. Anyway, you're then selling the family home.

Keith 19:55

That's your next step in 2022. You've gone this two and a half difficult years. See no way out. Now you see, oh, the one way out of this, the financial way out, is to sell the family home, save the company. That's an extraordinary step to take, though. How did you make that decision and what did it take emotionally to follow that decision through?

Nichol 20:20

It was emotionally a little bit more stressful, because now I have my husband and my family with me, it's not mine alone right. But I think my spouse partner, who's been with me since 97, has gone through the ups and downs with me and therefore the moment I said something then he said okay, I know it's time, right, like you know. So, in a heartbeat, yeah, sure, I mean, if it's a good deal that we can close, let's just do it right, as long as the family is intact it doesn't really matter, and so, with his agreement, you know, um, I sold, but it was a silly move.

Nichol 20:52

I would say I shouldn't have done that, because that was what my dad did right yeah.

Nichol 20:56

So it's like he sold his other bungalows and all that to finance the business, right? So now bitten twice. You know if, on reflection, if anything at all, we have to find ways to look after ourselves first. It's not about whether you want to run away from your responsibilities, but there I ploughed back all the profits into the company, and we're still not quite out of the woods yet, but at least, you know, we showed everybody that hey, we're putting in effort, right, like this is what we did. If you ask me, we're going to do it again. I'm not very sure, but it was a courageous step.

Keith 21:32

I'd be more blunt, I'd say you should never do that again. Right Twice is enough. I think. But Twice is enough, I think. But while all this is going on, you're fighting to save the business. You also grew the food bank Singapore. What kept you committed to giving back, even in the middle of your own personal crisis?

Nichol 21:55

In 2012,. Me and my crazy brother, who's like, we see each other every day at work, right, and it's as if, like the first question that people ask, are you guys mad? Or something Like siblings going to business was mad enough.

Nichol 22:06

And then, over and above, opening like four companies together, and then, like, you know, why don't we just start a charity together? Because, like, we don't get sick of each other, let's just do something great. I think that shows how close-knitted we really are, you know, and we just felt that Singapore needs something. Right, we're seeing so many of our peers the supermarkets and everything else just dumping food away, and this was in 2012. And the cost of food has been escalating, you know, because we see it firsthand, right, we are the guard dogs of whatever comes in, right? So we see the import prices and it scares us, yeah. And so we say, hey, let's do something.

Nichol 22:40

So, in 2012, which is really a passion project, you know, a hobby between me and my brother, I always share this little nugget of a story. We wanted to register the name the Food Bank Singapore, and Accra rejected it. They said that, you know, there's no more banking license in Singapore. So shame to, you know, the Singapore civil service. But that was how backward we are in 2012, right, in terms of the social settings. You know, they don't really, it's we've not quite opened up yet, right? And so I gathered information from the UK, australia and the US. And this is what food bank does, and we pushed it across, yeah, and so two of us were very proud of that.

Nichol 23:14

Um, and from little container loads, little pallet loads of close to expired items, um, we gathered the interest, we gathered the trust of our peers to say that this pair of siblings is off to something. And so we grew bits by bits by bits, but COVID really pushed us like over the ledge. The sad thing was, you know, nobody really gave us money before COVID. It's like I only give you all the food that I want to throw away, right, but nobody really quite thinks that a charity needs. Yeah, of course you need operating funds.

Nichol 23:45

Yeah, so it's like okay so, but we did that and I'm so glad for Foodbank during COVID time because it kept us mentally sane. And you know to any of the corporates or business leaders out there if you think that CSR pays off.

Keith 23:56

Yeah, hang on. It kept you mentally sane. It kept you mentally sane. The other thing. It kept tens of thousands of people away from literally starving or failing with their funds, etc. So don't forget that. Yes, please. Yeah, you were probably a real lifeline during covid more than ever, for for those people, you've done fabulous work, which is why I contacted you. My background after corporate life.

Keith 24:24

I was chair of a homeless charity and I came to Singapore with this wild idea that there's no homelessness in Singapore, and that's just not true. Now I don't want to be negative because I love Singapore and I think the government over decades has done a fabulous job, but it's not without its problems. It's not, and there are homeless people. There are people around here who have to gather around charities to get a roof over their head and to eat. Most people listening to this or watching outside of Singapore would be, absolutely aghast because they don't like to share that.

Keith 25:01

It's a bit like you know the Chinese way you don't like to share that. It's a bit like you know the chinese way. You don't share the family concerns with anybody else.

Keith 25:06

Singapore is a bit like that yeah and it was interesting when you said then about 2012 and the food bank. You know their misunderstanding of that term. I have a similar experience with a friend, cassandra chua name is. She was the second person in singapore to have a guide dog and I've been to lunch a couple of times with her and they won't let the guide dog in now in australia, uk, every other place it's just normal. So I remember having this conversation. I was probably a little ruder than I should be. We were pushed outside and then I asked the server you know why can't you let the dog in? She had a certificate from the government saying that you should. She said oh, I don't know, it could defecate or something. I said I'm sorry, that dog is better trained than you and I know it was a bit cruel and cutting but that's how I felt.

The Food Bank Singapore

Keith 26:00

But I do feel that in the last decade singapore has changed. It's moved on, it's opened up yeah it's accepting that it's not perfect and trying to get better. Yeah, let's just leave that there before we get in any trouble, right? So the food bank now reaches over 300000 people a year. How does it actually work, from collection to distribution, and how do you ensure dignity as well as food for the recipients?

Nichol 26:33

So, first and foremost, the Food Bank is a very small organisation. There's about, I think, 11 people, full-time staff. Right now we have a larger board. Right now I just handed the chairmanship over to a new chairman for governance. As a founder, as a co-founder, my brother and I decided that it was time to professionalise. So, but like all food banks, we're like a pro bono distribution hub or redistribution hub. So you just think of us going around to collect and champion all the excess foods, and then we collect everything, we put them in our warehouse and the volunteers comes to sort it out in a proper inventory ERP system.

Nichol 27:09

And then we actually serve in excess of about 350 different charity organizations, yeah, and then they would actually like supermarket pick, right? Hey, I need this today.

Nichol 27:18

I need that today, but it doesn't quite stop there, because that is just a very rustic way of what food banking does. So the food bank Singapore has always been here to address the gaps in the ecosystem. So, for example, in 2018, we commissioned Singapore's hunger report, which was released in 2020. So we've become an advocate in the space where we want to use data to drive. You know the conviction in people that, hey, we really need to address some of these gaps. We're not saying that we are far behind, you know, in doing certain things we're not good enough, but these are all the facts. You know, collectively, let's do something about it. And so we also launched the first vending machine in 2018 and I remember that.

Nichol 27:57

Yeah, and it was a very cool initiative back then, right. So, but now we're kind of like semi-retiring it because the tech is old, you know, it's so expensive, you know, and other people have started following our suit, right Like say, hey, as long as someone follows it, hey, that means we did something great.

Keith 28:12

We started something.

Nichol 28:13

Yes, so all along, the Food Bank has always been doing interesting innovative projects that are filling the gap. So we're working on something right now and I really hope we can bring that to life which is what we call the feeding directory. So imagine like a google maps, right, but it's all like if you key in your postal code. We already have something quite rustic now on the food bank's website. You key in your postal code, it will tell you the closest feeding location within one kilometer. So we are trying to populate the entire Singapore onto this feeding directory Because, in time to come, if there was one country that can eradicate hunger, it should be Singapore, because we're well-connected, you know, accessible, big-hearted people.

Keith 28:55

And the word hunger. You have to be careful how you use it.

Keith 28:59

We're not talking about people who are suffering from malnutrition in the street, but they're not eating nourishing food because of a poverty. It's really as simple as that, and I come from a very working class background and people there are often overweight, but the reason they're overweight is that they don't eat nourishing food. They eat the cheapest food, yes, the processed food. Yes, the processed food, the easy to eat food. So hunger? I think it's more about nourishment than hunger per se in singapore yes but there are people who are going to bed hungry at night here.

Nichol 29:36

Yes, a fact yes, and if I may just add on to that, I think it's nourishing the souls as well, and we actually experienced that during COVID time, because we were the only humans that they saw when we were distributing the food bundles. Right, so the auntie would like keep us. Can I talk to you for another five more minutes? You know, like my social worker cannot visit me for the next six months, right, like you're the only face that I will see, yeah, and so then we kind of realised that, hey, we should be bringing laughter, we should be bringing happiness, and we started adding funny stuff to the bundles. Then we had chocolates. There was one stage we put funny goggles.

Keith 30:09

You know, like this for the kids.

Nichol 30:11

Because I told my team let's just spread happiness, right? It's not just about nourishing your tummies and filling everything, but making everybody feel good.

Keith 30:18

I would say, previously I had zero experience and just before I joined the homeless charity in Wales in Cardiff. I went out to what's called the breakfast run and ostensibly it's to feed people, but really it's connecting with them. You're often the only person they speak to in the day in a nice way. Yes, correct, Someone who looks at them, sees them, notices them. So I think that's as important as the actual feeding part of it. Right, You've spoken about the emotional weight of leadership not just strategy and profit right.

Keith 30:53

How do you balance being a business leader, social entrepreneur and a mother of four and no help at home?

Balancing Leadership, Motherhood and Self-Care

Nichol 31:04

tell me about that I do have some help at home. My, my mom lives with me. I've got great helpers right, but I'm a very hands-on mother so like before I came here this morning, it was school runs right all the way. I think it's important to prioritize your hour. So at different hours of the day you prioritize different things. So like 8.30 onwards, you know, if I could rush home was really to have that 30 minutes with my kids. So I always have pillow talks with them. Like even you know, and I have to take turns these days because the four of them, including the six-year-old, wants to have pillow talk.

Speaker 2 31:37

You've got to spread yourself. Yes, you've got to spread yourself.

Nichol 31:38

Yes, so sometimes I need to put a timetable right. And you know, sometimes those that don't get their rounds you know they all like get so upset that 30 minutes is just so precious, right, like they will just download every single thing to you. The other thing that's really precious is that 45 minutes that I have with them in the car when I do the morning drive, right, Like they are always having something to update, right. I love that connection because I learned something from them, so they inspire me to start my day and end my day on a different note, and I think that's what keeps me sane. That's really very important.

Nichol 32:11

And then the other thing is finding purpose. I know it's like a very cliche thing like finding purpose, right so, but even at work, just like yesterday, I had this incident with an employee, right so I always take time to speak to them and connect with them. You know, like one of my staff, I think the grandfather was in critical condition, and this afternoon I have a very important event, right so he said hey, boss, I'm really sorry. I said, please, your grandfather comes first because you're the only caregiver, right? Even as a leader in the company, you need to have those small little connections and conversations. It's a knack that I have that if you talk to me for 30 minutes, I would know how much you owe the bank. You know so it's like, and I appreciate that about myself.

Keith 32:49

So you're capo in a nice way.

Nichol 32:51

Yes, how many boyfriends you've had right. So, but that allows me to evaluate sometimes someone or you know the situation more 360. I enjoy those moments and that's what helps me to balance everything right. I think importantly is that I love being that capo or that busybody, right? So I'm still in a couple of boards. I'm the Shane.

Nichol 33:10

That keeps me driven. If you ask me one more thing, I have a philosophy. I always clear my inbox at the end of the day. I still have a written piece of paper to-do list, and whatever that I can do today, I finish it today. Whatever that I can do this hour, I complete it. This hour includes my WhatsApp messages, so if I miss out anybody, I'll always apologize because it's not in my prototype of operations, right? I have to complete it by today. It's stress, right?

Keith 33:39

I can't be like that, for sure I'm going to follow up after this meeting with you. It may well be efficient but, it's definitely not good for your psychological well-being to put yourself under such stress to please everybody, someone who's like stepped away from their role they're in the food industry.

Keith 34:04

I thought of you and you didn't say, oh, I'm busy. You said, yeah, sure, always interested, I can catch up. And you took time out to catch up for coffee, energized her, motivated her, wonderful. So I know the type of person you are, but I think sometimes perhaps you need protecting from yourself. Nicole yes, having lived through now two major financial crises, and I don't mean that the Asian financial crisis- I mean your own, your personal, your family crises. Uh, what's your advice to leaders facing make or break moments right now?

Nichol 34:44

I think, in the darker moments, always think of yourself being a cocoon. You know, in every business, in every career path, right, there are moments that you need to put yourself into that cocoon. Right, you're just anticipating the next metamorphosis to come. Yeah, so it's not that you are failing. You know your numbers are dropping, you're not meeting your KPIs, but maybe it's just that you are failing. You know your numbers are dropping, you're not meeting your KPIs, but maybe it's just a moment in time that you need to pull yourself back, rethink your next steps.

Nichol 35:11

I used to see everything as a failure, as a downside. You know how will people view and how will people think. Right, in the last 12 months, amazingly, I have found my own voice. I don't know whether it's this female empowerment, like I love Nicole first, but having that self-love actually empowered me to do a lot more. So that's why, like in the next 12 months or so, like there's so many exciting projects that I'm going to be embarking on, because I started looking at myself first as a leader, not just of the business, you know, but as a person. Yeah, what do I want to do for myself? Because when one chapter closes, another chapter opens, and so I really just have that self-awakening in the last 12 months and it's empowering. I've never had that in the 46 years of my life. You know in the earlier parts, but now as I turned 47 this year, I say, hey, let's put myself first. What's in it for me, right?

Nichol 36:04

finally finally and I took that with my husband as well for the first time I talked back to him. I say, hey, let's put myself first. What's in it for me, right? Finally and I took that with my husband as well For the first time I talked back to him. So it's like, and the best thing is that my husband said hey, you know, I finally can have a decent fight or conversation with you. And so sometimes we never know, right? Because?

Nichol 36:22

we always say, oh, I need to be the humble person, but maybe good stuff comes out of it.

Keith 36:24

you know, when you love yourself first yeah, and I I'm a firm believer now that you cannot give to anyone else until you've nourished yourself nourished your heart, nourished your mind, etc.

Legacy, Future Plans and Final Advice

Keith 36:37

And I was a little like you, full on and you think you're doing a fantastic job, right. But you know you're missing things on the way, and what you're usually missing are the things that matter to you personally and you are someone who tries to make everyone else happy as our relationship progresses. I'm going to nudge you further into the looking after yourself a little more right, and I don't like your time management. We definitely need to talk about that.

Keith 37:05

You squash everything in and the difference is to most people. You have 20 hours to work, not the usual 16 or 18 that everyone else does All right. Final thought, nicole what's next for you? You've alluded to having lots of things coming ahead. Are you thinking about the next evolution of your legacy?

Nichol 37:27

If I'm going to flip the page to my life, you know, I probably at midpoint now somewhere. You know we're all going to live to 90, 100, right, with technology and AI cells in our body, at some point I am really thinking of pivoting my paths altogether. So my next chapter will include a lot more in education. It's a big piece of me right now because I worry for the next generation, like what's there for them, you know, and it all starts from how do we actually educate them or bring them up? It's not about the curriculum, but the value system and things like that. So that's one big piece that I want to look at. I still have deep passion for food banking, but instead of just looking at Singapore, we are going to establish the food bank Asia, yeah, and you know, you know, and just for the food distribution business, the family business, right? So we're thinking of the next 10 years. Where do we want to be when we hit that 100 years milestone, right? If we do get to that point, and I think we will.

Keith 38:26

When is that going to be? 100 years?

Nichol 38:28

That's 2034.

Keith 38:30

Oh, it's not so far away, it's not so far away.

Nichol 38:32

It's nine years down the road.

Nichol 38:34

I told my brother very candidly you know, let's just do a reflection on what we didn't do as well in the last, you know, couple of years, but let's look forward as well to rebuild. So we're now at the phase of. We're really like a startup. Right now we're rebuilding so many different business pillars and silos, and I guess the most important thing is to know that there's a time and place for everything and to give up on a project when you know that, hey, that doesn't work anymore. It's time to walk away, and this includes letting go of the business that my grandfather started in the sense that trading doesn't quite work for us anymore if it doesn't look after you.

Nichol 39:08

We need to pivot because the entrepreneurship legacy still exists in us but you have to emotionally disconnect to do that right.

Keith 39:16

Yes, that's probably the more challenging part than the decision is the emotional disconnection you need to make correct to pivot and to say that no, those days are gone, let's move to something else.

Nichol 39:30

But if you look at all the great family businesses that really have existed for 100, 200 years, right, everyone has moved on. Yes, of course, everyone has evolved right, reinvented themselves, they had to Correct and maybe the next phase will be more successful and even more successful, and even if it doesn't work out the way that we want, being the hustlers with a heart that we are, we're going to do something about it because we are purposeful people oh, you're definitely a purposeful person.

Keith 39:51

I've not met your brother yet. I need to meet him. I want to see if this is a yin yang thing or if the two of you are like energizer bunnies together. That would be an interesting view if you were to leave one parting thought for women who are at this point now where the children are growing and they're looking to hey, what's my legacy going to be? What am I going to focus on me? What advice would you give females in particular facing this point on how to pivot, which is what you're going through right now? So it's very relevant. You don't have all the answers, but what's the direction or the steps that you'd advise someone to take?

Nichol 40:32

I think, for women, we always tend to take judgment very personally, yeah, and I think it's important for us to leave that judgment at the door. So I think for all the females out there, it's important to know that you are the decision maker in your life. So, whatever you choose whether you want to quit your job to be a stay-at-home mom, for example, and take that career break nobody else has the right to say that. Whether that was right or wrong, of course. Because all of us will make those decisions for ourselves.

Keith 41:01

It's not a career break, that's a career direction. Exactly. That's the difference, and I think words are important yeah if you say career direction, that's your career direction.

Keith 41:11

Your career direction is to be the homemaker. That can, these days, be the man or the woman. Yes, doesn't matter, correct? But we just had at the last uh episode it was episode one of the second series Suheila Keffer. She is an expert in negotiation on salary etc. But I'd advise you to have a look at that on how women perceive themselves, and this really shocked me. From research that when you made an offer, 57% of men will negotiate. Only 7% of women will even negotiate. That's like wow. And it's back to this judgment thing that you talk about and all of that. So anyone watching, ladies particularly, don't worry about judgment. Leave that at the door. The only one who judges you is you ultimately.

Nichol 42:07

Now to make it fair men.

Keith 42:09

What should we do?

Nichol 42:10

I think, regardless whether you're a gentleman or a lady, my advice to everybody is why don't you find your own style? I think a lot of times especially maybe some Asians right we fail to stand out in the crowd.

Nichol 42:24

I mean, I've got dual coloured nails, you know, and stuff like that. A lot of times people say that, wow, she's so loud. You know there's a perceived notion on how she is. But I think being able to dress up, you know, or the style that you want to be, you carry yourself right, you find your own voice and that's important right. And sometimes it just starts by looking after yourself, grooming or whatever it may be, you know, in whatever colours, in whatever things, and I think finding your style. It's very important, you know, because that will make you stand out in any interviews or in any business situation. People remember you and I think that is key both for men and women.

Keith 43:00

Brilliant. Be yourself. That's the very best advice you can give, nicole. It's been wonderful seeing you in this setting. You're the same whether we're sitting in a coffee shop chatting or we're in here. Nicole is Nicole. You have your own style. Everyone can see that. I wish you success in the pivot for the business, most importantly for yourself and the one advice to leave you get more focused on yourself, as you're doing already. Thank you very much for joining us on the Power Within.

Nichol 43:29

Thank you so much for having me.

Keith 43:31

Thanks for listening to the Power Within. I hope today's episode inspired you to grow, lead and create the success you deserve. If you enjoyed the podcast, share it with someone who might find it valuable, and don't forget to subscribe and leave a review. Join us next time as we explore more stories of leadership and personal growth, and remember that setbacks are just stepping stones to something greater. Until then, stay strong, stay positive and keep believing in the power within.