Sonia Wong, who just set up two companies last year, works in the field of event and exhibition planning. This newbie boss works really hard. Having rushed for exhibition proposal for client the night before attending the interview, and had slept for only two hours, Sonia still looked full of beans instead of tiredness.
Establish Network and Set Direction for Life
As an old saying goes, “Personal network worth much more than knowledge”. Sonia noticed the importance of personal network since schooling, and would always seek advice from friends when facing crossroads in life. She humbly advised, “I am not smart. I just follow the right people.” “The right people” that she referred to are actually her good friends and business partners.
Having established the IVE Handball Club and hold up the Chairman post for the Club during studies, Sonia got to know some kindred spirits, which she thought was a major reward for her. Through organising inter-school competitions, O’camp and tour, Sonia successfully led the Club in promoting the then new and developing sport and fought for setting up handball field lines on the basketball court. She was fully capable in dealing with the Club matters in addition to study and part-time job, which indeed ignited her interest and capability in organising and decision making as well as manpower planning and time management, and were greatly useful for her career later.
Devote Wholeheartedly and Strive for Perfection
Having completed the top-up degree programme in SHAPE after graduating from the Higher Diploma in Business Promotion and Event Management, Sonia joined the event and exhibition planning industry as expected. While details are important and requirements are meticulous in the industry, high adaptability to cope with changes is essential and overnight works are common. Yet Sonia’s demand was even higher for herself and she always devoted wholeheartedly on clients’ work. Sonia would ensure adequate information search for preparing every proposal, with her own working style, what she called the “Sonia Style” applied. That was why clients were fully convinced with Sonia’s works and delegated their event jobs to her with full confidence. Judging from her strong commitment to work, a client even thought she was the company owner. “I do have my own standard at work,” said Sonia. No wonder Sonia has already accumulated a batch of long-term clients.
Understanding and Considering Others
The heavy and stressful work of event planning, adding up to her intensive involvements in every single detail, had made Sonia to rethink her life after working for over a year. She then decided to join her friend for a working holiday in Australia. Life in Australia was simple. Sonia was able to fulfil her dream of studying abroad and upgrading herself by taking a short-term certificate course, while working after school. She recalled once when she cried dejectedly for the delayed work progress caused by colleague’s indolence. “Not everyone can be like Sonia. Peoples have different capabilities and there is a lot to learn about accommodation,” her boss comforted her. “To get easier cooperating with others, one should be more empathetic and not enforce his or her own standard on others.” This understanding, which benefits Sonia a lot, has pointed her a right direction for her later career.
Start a Business on Your Own
Being employed for so many years, Sonia understood a company’s limitations that hindered her work; and she often felt sorry for affecting clients’ events when she would switch from one company to another. Therefore, she launched her own startup. A business partner that she cooperated with for years, knowing her decision, immediately delegated a corner at his office for her startup. “Though I often approach them for business cooperation, I would never raise myself by belittling others. On the contrary, we often dine-out, chit-chat and play ball games together after work, and that makes us friends.” Sonia’s wholehearted devotion and her attitude of not minding to go an extra mile have won her trust from clients and partners. Some of them have even become her personal friends and powered up her entrepreneur journey.
Sonia set up another company with a friend in organising music concerts earlier this year and arranged the first concert for a singer-songwriter in July. All planning, organisation, execution, ticketing, making-up and even funding were responsible by Sonia. Though it was very busy, Sonia enjoyed much to organise a concert for a singer-songwriter she supported. We hereby wish Sonia every success in achieving more of her great plans and dreams in the future, same as her company name “Sogno” (Italian word of ‘dream’) which connotes dream.
