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Passion-driven David Soong is a man of multiple visions who is willing to bring together a team of talented people to accomplish dreams together. Maina Harjani writes

David Soong talks about success and passion in the workplace

You are now involved in a multitude of businesses. What’s next in the pipeline for you? The thing about me is I enjoy doing the things I love—food, photography, and travel. Life is too short to do the things you don’t enjoy, so I think that’s key and I aim to be consistent in doing the things I really have a passion for. This year, my focus will be on growing Sweet Escape even further on the global stage. You must have learned many lessons that might be brand new to early entrepreneurs. What are some key tips you could share? One of my main tips would be start early and start small because 70 per cent of the learning experience is obtained while one is on the job. In terms of being a leader, do it wholly from your heart, with passion and genuine sincerity. Do not fake it. The end goal of a majority of businesses is to be profitable, but how can you build a team of people without putting your heart into it? These days, a top-down approach doesn’t work well because people have a voice and they want to be heard. What are your habits in helping to maintain and sustain the different areas of businesses you’ve created? I trust my people, and that is what has got me here. There are only 24 hours a day and seven days in a week, and with all these ideas in my head, I couldn’t possibly do it alone. My main role is spotting talent and believing that they are able to perform better than me— and then accomplishing the dreams together as a team.

Where do you see yourself in the next 20 years? I hope I’m not too old to create because that’s one thing I will not stop doing: creating.