Keep on improving yourself
Luarbiasa Eksklusif eUsahawan), a joint initiative by MyBazar Malaysia and the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation. Blee is the first-of-its-kind world initiative aimed at giving all eUsahawan micro and small merchants access to new markets as well as providing cost-free marketing and productivity tools.
As a part of a wider initiative to “digitalise” Malaysia, Blee strictly focuses on boosting local entrepreneurs, especially those in the rural areas, to promote “Made in Malaysia” products. Now, as a Blee merchant, you are able to move and grow your business across Malaysia and internationally at no cost. Great benefits available only for Blee merchants include no commission, shipping fees or handling fees, personal support and training on how to sell and grow a business online, nationwide, merchant-focused marketing and promotion support throughout their online business journey and most importantly, the opportunity to export products to international markets.
This is the essence of MyBazar, which I am highly proud of.
How do you maintain work/life balance? Setting high aspirations is never easy. It requires strong determination, investments in terms of time and effort, willingness to fail and fail again, willingness to never give up and most of all, a supportive environment that encourages and recognises your strive for excellence. I am privileged to have an unconditionally supporting family, friends and colleagues whom I look up to, who are keen to help me become a better leader, better human being and to develop myself, continuously. If you choose your work carefully, it becomes your life, and living your life on your own terms is the highest form of success in today’s materialistic world. Continuously improving yourself, reading books on successful leaders, innovation, creativity and positivity – and most importantly, surrounding yourself with positive people, allows you not only to realise your highest potential, but to live a more balanced, happy and prosperous life. As a good friend of mine said, “No one ever said it would be easy, but it’s your life and you should be in charge of it”. That makes all the difference.
How has mentorship made a difference in your professional and personal life? Growing up and working in Sweden, I learned to deploy trial and error, to never be afraid, to make mistakes an embrace change. I also changed job many times and was never afraid to work hard, with very low or no payment, asking questions and being honest about myself.
Over the course of the last 20 over years, I had the chance to meet many interesting people from many different fields – who became my mentors without me asking them. A mentor is not someone who you meet on a regular basis and ask a set of predefined questions. Rather, a mentor is someone who gives you advice when you need it the most, who supports your cause and not your career only, someone who’s judgment you can trust. My wife is my most important mentor, she knows all my ups and downs, my inner feelings and my reasons to succeed.
My management team are my amazing mentors, giving me advice to execute my work in a better, more efficient and most importantly, righteous way. It is easy to be a successful leader who cares only about results and does not care about his ways to success. To become fair, strong and brave leader, one must find equally fair, strong, brave and inspiring mentors.
What do you want to accomplish in the next five years? Professionally, I look forward to deliver Blee, as a first initiative to revolutionise the Malaysian e-commerce industry. We are now onboarding merchants in Malaysia to enable sales and delivery across the country and in near future allow successful merchants from Malaysia to sell directly to Middle East and other emerging markets.
By using the latest information technology within next five years, MyBazar is building the appropriate infrastructure that will allow Malaysian merchants to firmly embrace the new digital economy and to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, to become global players.
Personally, I would be very proud to leverage digital economy that serves the purpose and makes a difference in everyday life. In 5 years, I would like to be part of a group of people who put others before themselves, for the greater good.