"I believe that everything happens for a reason. There is a time and place for everything. I always adopt the attitude that with clarity, there is power. When things happen, they are not mistakes. They are lessons. If I don't learn, the universe will position itself to repeat [the lesson] again. Better to learn the lesson and go to the next level!"
Genecia Alloura is the founder of Soul Rich Woman, a platform that connects women entrepreneurs in several countries in Asia. Genecia went from being a two-time Miss Singapore to an entrepreneur with several of her own ventures, as well as role model for other women in Asia to step out of traditional gender roles. She shares lessons learned on her journey, how she defines success, and how she chooses to live her life by design rather than by fate.
"What if you grow old one day? What would your value and worth be? There will always be new beauty queens every single year. What, then, will make you different from the rest? It's the path that you choose and the position that you make as a woman of influence."
We discuss the power of expectations, taking back control, how the female culture in Asia differs from that in the US, transitioning from being Miss Singapore to an entrepreneur, her advice for other women in their careers, why she wouldn't change anything in her journey, and being rich in all aspects of life.
"It's not one or the other. It's a jigsaw puzzle, forming the bigger picture of destiny. I choose my life by design and don't live my life by fate."
What you'll learn:
- Genecia is the co-founder of Soul Rich Woman, a business platform to connect woman entrepreneurs in Asia.
- It’s a facilitator that allows women to reach each other and connect with the ambitions they had before they started a family.
- The platform offers diverse business help and mentoring from branding to family organization.
- Genecia has a background in business and was also a medical graduate.
- She currently runs several small businesses; skin care distribution, coffee retail franchising and business coaching online.
- Genecia says that on average women in Asia less vocal than women in US but are currently overcoming a more traditional upbringing.
- Singapore and Asian markets are really growing and allowing more women to pitch and become founders or CEO’s.
- Genecia was a beauty queen and won Miss Singapore twice.
- Before she met her mentor James Wee she had no business knowledge and traded her time for money.
- Miss Singapore allowed her to see the world and meet people she would never have met.
- She used her beauty queen experience as a building block to greater things.
- It’s getting easier for a woman to be an entrepreneur in Singapore because the country is set up for childcare; there is childcare in co-working spaces and some companies are welcoming kids into the workplace.
- The government has also changed the law so that men now have paternity leave.
- Passion is important but success isn’t about glorious wins so don’t be defined by the numbers.
Advice:
Learn from your mistakes; Genecia needed the time in debt and the struggle to earn money for education to learn the value of money.
We can all learn something from millennials; get up and start the business rather than worrying – take that drive and follow your passion.
Beauty fades so don’t base your worth on your beauty.
Define success on your own terms.
When bad things happen these are not mistakes but lessons to learn from; if you don’t learn your lesson then you’ll be tested again.
Learn more:
- www.soulrichwoman.com