I am what people call an ‘influencer’. I try so hard to
shake that term off because it’s clouded with a lot of negative connotations
and perceptions. It’s ridiculed and looked down upon. I don’t know what about
it makes it quite possibly one of the most hated words in the past few years.
People say it with such disgust that even ‘influencers’ have stopped calling
themselves that and switched it out with social media content creator or some
other disguise.
Let me be real and say, I am embarrassed to be one because
I’ve always been the type to care about what people think. But even so, I never
stopped being one because (a) I actually quite enjoy it and (b) I make money
out of it and people who hate what I do, do not pay my damn bills. I’ve decided
to just live on, for now at least, and let people hate. But, I will always try
to be kind to them because it really just makes them look bad and says more
about them than me really.
 |
| Hahaha that time I came to an event twinning with Vivy! Still so funny. |
Back to what I do—LMN—there’s two sides to my business. Obviously, there’s the apparel RTW business that has probably been on a small break due to COVID. COVID definitely shook my entire supply chain and new business models would need to be thought of at this point. Hopefully LMN the label will survive this and make its way back for Eid 2021. I’ll let you in on a secret, it has started production.
The other side of LMN is the social media side. I mostly enjoy it because of the marketing aspect. I think that’s where I’d like to head in the future—marketing. I know it’s a vast subject and social media marketing is just a small dot, but it’s such a fun and exciting expertise to be in. So far I’ve only done a lot of stills, but in 2021, I hope my creativity will take me further (hah, if my MBA permits).
How I earn from it is mostly by producing content for
brands. Back in 2015 when I was still building the brand, I mostly took things
for free to keep churning out content for my platform and blog but now I mostly
take on paid projects. Not because I’m a sellout. People don’t seem to
understand that creating content takes (a) time and (b) money to purchase
whatever it is you need to create content. I get frustrated when brands ask to
do this and that and set a deadline without giving me monetary compensation. I
feel a little disrespected, not because I feel I deserve to be paid, but more
because I’m taking my time out to create something for you and I know it
translates into profits for your business, but you think giving me something
for free is enough. Gladly, a lot of companies are starting to understand that.
Anyway, that aside, I also earn money from sales commissions
so I’m quite grateful every time you use any of my codes. I think those are
important because it also shows the impact of my content to the businesses I’m
working with. Like a report card, I suppose. So to those of you who have used
my code in the past or will use them in the future, thank you from the bottom
of heart. It keeps LMN going. In some countries, it’s a more viable and
sustainable career, but it isn’t where we live. I’m going to ride it out, until
I can’t anymore.
In Part 2, I’ll write about what actually happens when I
create content and walk you through the process in my head. I’ll also talk
about the challenges that I face.
Hope you enjoyed Part 1! Speak soon!
Digital Side Hustle: Part 1
Tuesday 8 December 2020
I am what people call an ‘influencer’. I try so hard to
shake that term off because it’s clouded with a lot of negative connotations
and perceptions. It’s ridiculed and looked down upon. I don’t know what about
it makes it quite possibly one of the most hated words in the past few years.
People say it with such disgust that even ‘influencers’ have stopped calling
themselves that and switched it out with social media content creator or some
other disguise.
Let me be real and say, I am embarrassed to be one because
I’ve always been the type to care about what people think. But even so, I never
stopped being one because (a) I actually quite enjoy it and (b) I make money
out of it and people who hate what I do, do not pay my damn bills. I’ve decided
to just live on, for now at least, and let people hate. But, I will always try
to be kind to them because it really just makes them look bad and says more
about them than me really.
|
| Hahaha that time I came to an event twinning with Vivy! Still so funny. |
Back to what I do—LMN—there’s two sides to my business. Obviously, there’s the apparel RTW business that has probably been on a small break due to COVID. COVID definitely shook my entire supply chain and new business models would need to be thought of at this point. Hopefully LMN the label will survive this and make its way back for Eid 2021. I’ll let you in on a secret, it has started production.
The other side of LMN is the social media side. I mostly enjoy it because of the marketing aspect. I think that’s where I’d like to head in the future—marketing. I know it’s a vast subject and social media marketing is just a small dot, but it’s such a fun and exciting expertise to be in. So far I’ve only done a lot of stills, but in 2021, I hope my creativity will take me further (hah, if my MBA permits).
How I earn from it is mostly by producing content for
brands. Back in 2015 when I was still building the brand, I mostly took things
for free to keep churning out content for my platform and blog but now I mostly
take on paid projects. Not because I’m a sellout. People don’t seem to
understand that creating content takes (a) time and (b) money to purchase
whatever it is you need to create content. I get frustrated when brands ask to
do this and that and set a deadline without giving me monetary compensation. I
feel a little disrespected, not because I feel I deserve to be paid, but more
because I’m taking my time out to create something for you and I know it
translates into profits for your business, but you think giving me something
for free is enough. Gladly, a lot of companies are starting to understand that.
Anyway, that aside, I also earn money from sales commissions
so I’m quite grateful every time you use any of my codes. I think those are
important because it also shows the impact of my content to the businesses I’m
working with. Like a report card, I suppose. So to those of you who have used
my code in the past or will use them in the future, thank you from the bottom
of heart. It keeps LMN going. In some countries, it’s a more viable and
sustainable career, but it isn’t where we live. I’m going to ride it out, until
I can’t anymore.
In Part 2, I’ll write about what actually happens when I
create content and walk you through the process in my head. I’ll also talk
about the challenges that I face.
Hope you enjoyed Part 1! Speak soon!
According to Wiki, the lipstick effect is the theory that when facing an economic crisis consumers will be more willing to buy less costly luxury goods... like lipsticks.
That's what I tell myself to justify my spending as a student many years ago. I felt so much joy every time I bought a new lipstick. I was also very
much obsessed so I had tons. Every time MAC launched a new collection, I would
buy all of the lipsticks. Sigh, if you remember the Venomous Villains collection
(omg… aced the packaging) and the nudes that came out during the Mickey
Contractor collection (Yash is now permanent, thank goodness). I always
gravitated towards the nudes and reds. If I was daring, muted cool-toned pinks.
Never fuchsia or coral because it never went well on my skin. My first
favourite lipstick (and I always make sure I have one in my collection) was
MAC’s Honey Love. I love their matte formula but I think right now their Powder
Kiss formula has topped it. I might swatch that next because I impulsively bought
a box of 5 of those from the Holiday collection. Whoops.
Ever since then, I have tried lipsticks from… I
would say almost every brand. I was hooked on the Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy
Sculpting Lipsticks in Insatiable Ivory and Desirable… I loved (and still do)
Pat McGrath’s Omi and Realness. I love Duck Cosmetics’s colors and formula from
The Love Duck collection. I was once obsessed with Chanel’s Rouge Allure Velvet
Luminous Matte lipstick in #34 (available on @shoppaintedbykashf if I’m not mistaken)… and how could I ever forget NARS’s Velvet Matte Lip Pencils in Red
Square and Dolce Vita! But guys, I think I found the best lipstick formula
ever.
Lisa Eldridge is an international make-up artist who makes Youtube videos that really make you conscious of the way you apply skincare and make up (she does it so softly and gently that makes me question whether I’m tugging on my skin a bit too much). When she came out with lipsticks, I knew I had to try them. I love matte lipsticks so when she called them velvet, I knew that was a battle I was going to lose. The first one I bought was Velvet Muse. It’s my favourite lipstick this year and even after buying 5 more shades, Muse is still my favourite. So enough talking, here are the swatches on me.
Also, I've used some photos from Temptalia because her swatches and photos are ace. I'm not competing with that. So if you want to read what she says... click here and navigate away.
 |
| Velvet Fawn |
You can get them here. Which one's your favourite?
x,
N
Lisa Eldridge Velvet Lipsticks
Wednesday 4 November 2020
According to Wiki, the lipstick effect is the theory that when facing an economic crisis consumers will be more willing to buy less costly luxury goods... like lipsticks.
That's what I tell myself to justify my spending as a student many years ago. I felt so much joy every time I bought a new lipstick. I was also very
much obsessed so I had tons. Every time MAC launched a new collection, I would
buy all of the lipsticks. Sigh, if you remember the Venomous Villains collection
(omg… aced the packaging) and the nudes that came out during the Mickey
Contractor collection (Yash is now permanent, thank goodness). I always
gravitated towards the nudes and reds. If I was daring, muted cool-toned pinks.
Never fuchsia or coral because it never went well on my skin. My first
favourite lipstick (and I always make sure I have one in my collection) was
MAC’s Honey Love. I love their matte formula but I think right now their Powder
Kiss formula has topped it. I might swatch that next because I impulsively bought
a box of 5 of those from the Holiday collection. Whoops.
Ever since then, I have tried lipsticks from… I
would say almost every brand. I was hooked on the Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy
Sculpting Lipsticks in Insatiable Ivory and Desirable… I loved (and still do)
Pat McGrath’s Omi and Realness. I love Duck Cosmetics’s colors and formula from
The Love Duck collection. I was once obsessed with Chanel’s Rouge Allure Velvet
Luminous Matte lipstick in #34 (available on @shoppaintedbykashf if I’m not mistaken)… and how could I ever forget NARS’s Velvet Matte Lip Pencils in Red
Square and Dolce Vita! But guys, I think I found the best lipstick formula
ever.
Lisa Eldridge is an international make-up artist who makes Youtube videos that really make you conscious of the way you apply skincare and make up (she does it so softly and gently that makes me question whether I’m tugging on my skin a bit too much). When she came out with lipsticks, I knew I had to try them. I love matte lipsticks so when she called them velvet, I knew that was a battle I was going to lose. The first one I bought was Velvet Muse. It’s my favourite lipstick this year and even after buying 5 more shades, Muse is still my favourite. So enough talking, here are the swatches on me.
Also, I've used some photos from Temptalia because her swatches and photos are ace. I'm not competing with that. So if you want to read what she says... click here and navigate away.
|
| Velvet Fawn |
You can get them here. Which one's your favourite?
x,
N
Hi all,
I've met plenty people on this journey and we will be forever bonded by the similarities in our stories. I've always wanted this one person to be a special guest on my blog. I was over the moon when she agreed. If you relate to the post at all, know that you are not alone... and we are here for you.
x,
N
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I’ve been meaning to put this all down. I told
myself I would, because I wanted to remember what we went through to become
parents; all the ups and downs, the insides and outs of it all. Lo and behold,
out of the blue – I get the opportunity to share my story here as a guest
blogger. Thank you dear, FN <3 I dedicate this on the most part to you,
because your kind heart shared valuable information that would change the
course of the path I would walk on in this life.
The year was 2017. We had been married for
over three years and of course, as many married couples know, that ONE question
would play like a broken record – “alum kamu
beranak?” The alternatives would be, “alum
ada kah?” / “alum kau berisi?” with judging looks or smirks; comparing us
to other couples that have been married a few months and were already pregnant.
Some would go as far as, “inda kamu mau anak kah?”. Trust me,
there were much worse questions I’ve been asked, but that’s a whole new topic
to write about. Yes, it hurts to be asked those questions. To the point where
you just want to avoid going to functions or skip Hari Raya completely and fly
off on vacation, because there’s a 100% chance you’ll be asked that. It doesn’t
help to see that somehow everyone around you were having babies or they could
just trip and get pregnant. Sorry, I really was that bitter and sad back then. I gained a lot of weight as well and
was at my heaviest maybe 1-2 years after getting married, from emotional eating
and feeling depressed.
Truth of the matter is, I always wanted to
be a mom. Even as a teenager - I knew that I always wanted to have children one
day, and have them as soon as possible after getting married! Scratch the
honeymoon phase! We tried and prayed to be blessed with our own children. All
the prayers, the doas to be blessed with your own offspring – I can recite them
all by heart. Things didn’t go as we planned. We even took fertility tests around
a year after getting married (yes, I was that
desperate!), but it was taking a toll on us financially and with work and
everything else going on, we just decided to take a break from it all and focus
on ourselves and our health.
August 2017. My mother heard someone wanted to give away
their newborn baby boy and introduced me to the idea of adoption. I had never
really thought about it. My plan all along was: Get married, get pregnant and
give birth to our babies. Work was busy at the time, so I kind of shrugged it
off and didn’t process it all properly… but I asked my husband what he thought,
his reply was, “If you want to, then I’m
with you.” I know how badly my
mother wanted grandchildren, feeling the pressure, I told her, “Bah, mana saja, Ma…”. I was feeling
50/50 about it all, but began to prepare myself mentally. I was going to be a
mom. Not the ‘conventional’ way and definitely not the way I planned. I was
starting to feel excited and found myself smiling like a fool, driving alone in
my car lost in my own thoughts that this could finally be happening for
us. I even started looking up male baby
names, possible names for our son.
A week later, my mom called me. The birth
mother changed her mind. I was speechless. I felt like a ton of bricks were
dropped on top of me; crushing me instantly. I guess I just realized how badly
I wanted this child. I remember crying in my car on the way home and the rain
was pouring (yes, sounds dramatic, but
it’s true!). Maybe so that people driving passed couldn’t see me ugly cry
that hard in my car. A song was playing, with these lyrics blasting so
appropriately:
They say there’s one chance you get
They say there’s one life you live, but there’s only one you…
Don’t want to think about it right now
I’ll put this love in a bottle and I’ll go to the beach,
Lose this pain and sorrow as it flows out to sea,
And if it’s you, if it’s you, if it’s you…you’ll come back to me
But for now I’ll be right here with the memories
All my emotions in this pre-chorus. The
thought that my husband and I would become parents was only lent to us. Then, just like that, it was taken away from
us. I told myself, I guess it’s not our rezeki, maybe it just wasn’t meant for
us. To cope with my grieving, I kept myself occupied and busy. With that news,
I cried it all out then dove into my work, went to as many spinning classes I
could go to, to just forget about it all. Don’t even get me started on my
mother - she was just so upset, she just deleted the photos she received of
that newborn baby boy from her phone and she would go on and on about how
upsetting it all was.
I can’t recall exactly, but maybe a week
later, whilst in a meeting, my phone rang. I excused myself to answer this
call; there was news that the birth mother changed her mind again – she was
quite young with financial difficulties and wouldn’t be able to support her
son. They asked, “Can you pick him up
this afternoon when you’re off from work?” Another moment of being
speechless, but I asked them to give me a few minutes while I called my
husband. My husband, again replying, “If
you want to go for it, then I’m with you.”
I was shaking. This was it. Just like that
song, if it was meant to be him, he would come back to us. This was really
going to happen. Over the phone, they told me that they had some essential baby
items to last the next few days, so we didn’t need to rush or shop for
everything immediately. I got off work as soon as it was 4.30pm and hurried to
meet my husband. We drove to the address where our future awaited us.
When we entered the house, they asked us to
sit down while they prepared his items and were going to bring him out. I felt
like I was holding my breath waiting for him, I just kept fidgeting and tapping
my right foot. The birth mother brought him out and I could see from her face
that this wasn’t easy for her. Without a word, she placed a 12-day old baby boy
in my arms with a sad, yet relieved expression. I could feel that she was
entrusting me to raise this boy as my own. As I awkwardly adjusted my arms to
cradle him, she looked at me with earnest eyes and said, “Thank you for doing
this.” She smiled at me, wiping away her tears...but I was the thankful one! I
was receiving a priceless gift; a child, a human being! I told her that my husband
and I would do everything in our power to take the best care of him and raise
him; that she wouldn’t have to worry. She nodded and smiled at me again. I felt
like she was reassured that she was doing the right thing, even though it could
very well be the hardest decision she would ever have to make.
I observed that he was bundled in a thin,
ragged and discoloured towel which broke my heart. In that moment, I made my
heart speak to this baby and tell him that I would be his mommy and I would
give him everything that he needs and more. I still keep this towel that we
received him in from that very day, to serve as a constant reminder that I
would always do my best to give him everything he needs and deserves.
So, there he was in my arms. Is this what it
feels like to be a mom? You look at them and you just know they’re yours, that
they’re the most beautiful thing you have ever laid your eyes on. Is this what
women feel after they give birth, to see and hold their babies for the very
first time? I really do hope that I got to feel even just an ounce of that,
with this boy in my arms that I just couldn’t take my eyes off and never wanted
to let go of.
It was almost 6 o’clock – you know what
that means – Maghrib was approaching, and with a baby in tow, we needed to go
home. I was anticipating bringing our baby boy to my mother, I hadn’t told her
the news and wanted to surprise her. Unplanned, we walked into the house and
found my mother in the kitchen standing with her phone in her hands as it was
plugged into the wall. “Hi Ma,” I
said casually, waiting for her to notice. It took a few seconds for her to
yell, “ANAK SIAPA KAU AMBIL ANI?!?!”
I told her, that this was him; the baby we were going to be given all along.
She cried, taking him from my arms, “Ya
Allah, lai… anak ani yang inda besalah inda bedusa…panggil dorang adi beradimu,
suruh tia turun!” – my sisters came downstairs and so to cut the story short;
it was a crying fest in the kitchen.
After our crying ended, it was the baby’s
turn to cry. Almost two hours had passed and he was hungry. Earlier on, we were
given a blue basket with his items, containing some clothes, towels, a bag of
diapers, two baby bottles and his formula milk. Since we had no experience and didn’t
have a clue what to do, my mother quickly went into action to make his milk and
started verbally listing out things we needed to buy. With not much time to
think and digest that we welcomed a baby home; we rushed out to buy what we
could because we only had less than two hours before shops closed for the
night.
Exhausted from the shopping and setting up
the cot and other essentials, we finally lay our baby down in his bed for the
night. I gave in early and lied down with the baby’s cot right next to my side
of the bed. I would jolt up every now and then just to check on him, but my
husband was already there, leaning on the side of the cot, just smiling and
watching our son sleeping peacefully. Babies are truly breathtaking; they
really are such a blessing and we were definitely feeling this even during our
first night with him.
Being totally new to this experience, we
came to find out how frequently babies need to be fed and what any parent mean
about ‘sleepless nights’ within the first few months of a baby’s life. Bear in
mind, all of this was unplanned and unexpected, so I didn’t apply for leave
beforehand and still had to work the next day even though I was sleep-deprived.
As tired as we felt, we knew evermore so how blessed we were, Alhamdulillah. We
adjusted to this new routine and lives with our baby boy the next few months.
[End of Part 1]
Maktub Series: I'll Put This Love in a Bottle
Saturday 18 April 2020
Hi all,
I've met plenty people on this journey and we will be forever bonded by the similarities in our stories. I've always wanted this one person to be a special guest on my blog. I was over the moon when she agreed. If you relate to the post at all, know that you are not alone... and we are here for you.
x,
N
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I’ve been meaning to put this all down. I told
myself I would, because I wanted to remember what we went through to become
parents; all the ups and downs, the insides and outs of it all. Lo and behold,
out of the blue – I get the opportunity to share my story here as a guest
blogger. Thank you dear, FN <3 I dedicate this on the most part to you,
because your kind heart shared valuable information that would change the
course of the path I would walk on in this life.
The year was 2017. We had been married for
over three years and of course, as many married couples know, that ONE question
would play like a broken record – “alum kamu
beranak?” The alternatives would be, “alum
ada kah?” / “alum kau berisi?” with judging looks or smirks; comparing us
to other couples that have been married a few months and were already pregnant.
Some would go as far as, “inda kamu mau anak kah?”. Trust me,
there were much worse questions I’ve been asked, but that’s a whole new topic
to write about. Yes, it hurts to be asked those questions. To the point where
you just want to avoid going to functions or skip Hari Raya completely and fly
off on vacation, because there’s a 100% chance you’ll be asked that. It doesn’t
help to see that somehow everyone around you were having babies or they could
just trip and get pregnant. Sorry, I really was that bitter and sad back then. I gained a lot of weight as well and
was at my heaviest maybe 1-2 years after getting married, from emotional eating
and feeling depressed.
Truth of the matter is, I always wanted to
be a mom. Even as a teenager - I knew that I always wanted to have children one
day, and have them as soon as possible after getting married! Scratch the
honeymoon phase! We tried and prayed to be blessed with our own children. All
the prayers, the doas to be blessed with your own offspring – I can recite them
all by heart. Things didn’t go as we planned. We even took fertility tests around
a year after getting married (yes, I was that
desperate!), but it was taking a toll on us financially and with work and
everything else going on, we just decided to take a break from it all and focus
on ourselves and our health.
August 2017. My mother heard someone wanted to give away
their newborn baby boy and introduced me to the idea of adoption. I had never
really thought about it. My plan all along was: Get married, get pregnant and
give birth to our babies. Work was busy at the time, so I kind of shrugged it
off and didn’t process it all properly… but I asked my husband what he thought,
his reply was, “If you want to, then I’m
with you.” I know how badly my
mother wanted grandchildren, feeling the pressure, I told her, “Bah, mana saja, Ma…”. I was feeling
50/50 about it all, but began to prepare myself mentally. I was going to be a
mom. Not the ‘conventional’ way and definitely not the way I planned. I was
starting to feel excited and found myself smiling like a fool, driving alone in
my car lost in my own thoughts that this could finally be happening for
us. I even started looking up male baby
names, possible names for our son.
A week later, my mom called me. The birth
mother changed her mind. I was speechless. I felt like a ton of bricks were
dropped on top of me; crushing me instantly. I guess I just realized how badly
I wanted this child. I remember crying in my car on the way home and the rain
was pouring (yes, sounds dramatic, but
it’s true!). Maybe so that people driving passed couldn’t see me ugly cry
that hard in my car. A song was playing, with these lyrics blasting so
appropriately:
They say there’s one chance you get
They say there’s one life you live, but there’s only one you…
Don’t want to think about it right now
I’ll put this love in a bottle and I’ll go to the beach,
Lose this pain and sorrow as it flows out to sea,
And if it’s you, if it’s you, if it’s you…you’ll come back to me
But for now I’ll be right here with the memories
All my emotions in this pre-chorus. The
thought that my husband and I would become parents was only lent to us. Then, just like that, it was taken away from
us. I told myself, I guess it’s not our rezeki, maybe it just wasn’t meant for
us. To cope with my grieving, I kept myself occupied and busy. With that news,
I cried it all out then dove into my work, went to as many spinning classes I
could go to, to just forget about it all. Don’t even get me started on my
mother - she was just so upset, she just deleted the photos she received of
that newborn baby boy from her phone and she would go on and on about how
upsetting it all was.
I can’t recall exactly, but maybe a week
later, whilst in a meeting, my phone rang. I excused myself to answer this
call; there was news that the birth mother changed her mind again – she was
quite young with financial difficulties and wouldn’t be able to support her
son. They asked, “Can you pick him up
this afternoon when you’re off from work?” Another moment of being
speechless, but I asked them to give me a few minutes while I called my
husband. My husband, again replying, “If
you want to go for it, then I’m with you.”
I was shaking. This was it. Just like that
song, if it was meant to be him, he would come back to us. This was really
going to happen. Over the phone, they told me that they had some essential baby
items to last the next few days, so we didn’t need to rush or shop for
everything immediately. I got off work as soon as it was 4.30pm and hurried to
meet my husband. We drove to the address where our future awaited us.
When we entered the house, they asked us to
sit down while they prepared his items and were going to bring him out. I felt
like I was holding my breath waiting for him, I just kept fidgeting and tapping
my right foot. The birth mother brought him out and I could see from her face
that this wasn’t easy for her. Without a word, she placed a 12-day old baby boy
in my arms with a sad, yet relieved expression. I could feel that she was
entrusting me to raise this boy as my own. As I awkwardly adjusted my arms to
cradle him, she looked at me with earnest eyes and said, “Thank you for doing
this.” She smiled at me, wiping away her tears...but I was the thankful one! I
was receiving a priceless gift; a child, a human being! I told her that my husband
and I would do everything in our power to take the best care of him and raise
him; that she wouldn’t have to worry. She nodded and smiled at me again. I felt
like she was reassured that she was doing the right thing, even though it could
very well be the hardest decision she would ever have to make.
I observed that he was bundled in a thin,
ragged and discoloured towel which broke my heart. In that moment, I made my
heart speak to this baby and tell him that I would be his mommy and I would
give him everything that he needs and more. I still keep this towel that we
received him in from that very day, to serve as a constant reminder that I
would always do my best to give him everything he needs and deserves.
So, there he was in my arms. Is this what it
feels like to be a mom? You look at them and you just know they’re yours, that
they’re the most beautiful thing you have ever laid your eyes on. Is this what
women feel after they give birth, to see and hold their babies for the very
first time? I really do hope that I got to feel even just an ounce of that,
with this boy in my arms that I just couldn’t take my eyes off and never wanted
to let go of.
It was almost 6 o’clock – you know what
that means – Maghrib was approaching, and with a baby in tow, we needed to go
home. I was anticipating bringing our baby boy to my mother, I hadn’t told her
the news and wanted to surprise her. Unplanned, we walked into the house and
found my mother in the kitchen standing with her phone in her hands as it was
plugged into the wall. “Hi Ma,” I
said casually, waiting for her to notice. It took a few seconds for her to
yell, “ANAK SIAPA KAU AMBIL ANI?!?!”
I told her, that this was him; the baby we were going to be given all along.
She cried, taking him from my arms, “Ya
Allah, lai… anak ani yang inda besalah inda bedusa…panggil dorang adi beradimu,
suruh tia turun!” – my sisters came downstairs and so to cut the story short;
it was a crying fest in the kitchen.
After our crying ended, it was the baby’s
turn to cry. Almost two hours had passed and he was hungry. Earlier on, we were
given a blue basket with his items, containing some clothes, towels, a bag of
diapers, two baby bottles and his formula milk. Since we had no experience and didn’t
have a clue what to do, my mother quickly went into action to make his milk and
started verbally listing out things we needed to buy. With not much time to
think and digest that we welcomed a baby home; we rushed out to buy what we
could because we only had less than two hours before shops closed for the
night.
Exhausted from the shopping and setting up
the cot and other essentials, we finally lay our baby down in his bed for the
night. I gave in early and lied down with the baby’s cot right next to my side
of the bed. I would jolt up every now and then just to check on him, but my
husband was already there, leaning on the side of the cot, just smiling and
watching our son sleeping peacefully. Babies are truly breathtaking; they
really are such a blessing and we were definitely feeling this even during our
first night with him.
Being totally new to this experience, we
came to find out how frequently babies need to be fed and what any parent mean
about ‘sleepless nights’ within the first few months of a baby’s life. Bear in
mind, all of this was unplanned and unexpected, so I didn’t apply for leave
beforehand and still had to work the next day even though I was sleep-deprived.
As tired as we felt, we knew evermore so how blessed we were, Alhamdulillah. We
adjusted to this new routine and lives with our baby boy the next few months.
[End of Part 1]
I'm currently reading Radical Candor by Kim Scott and it started talking about two different groups of excellent people at the office. One she calls 'superstars' and the other group, 'rockstars'. Superstars are those that are hyper-ambitious and are on a steep growth trajectory. They want to always be challenged. These are the people who always want to explore new positions and new roles. They don't stay put for a very long time and it would drive them completely off the wall if they stayed in the same position doing the same thing next year. These people are the drivers of growth in a company.
The rockstars are those on a more gradual growth trajectory. Don't be mistaken. They still strive for excellence. They are still world-class in what they do but they're not eyeing for their boss's job. They are happy where they are. One of the characteristics that Kim Scott included was that these people, instead of excelling at the office, excelled outside of work. They are the drivers of stability in any organization. Kim Scott's book, and this is also echoed in the book called Loonshots that I read a few months back, that in any organization, there needs to be a balance of both growth and stability. A company will get no where if everyone is busy fighting for promotions.
It made me think about the growth trajectory that I was on. I remember graduating and actively looking for jobs back in 2012. I considered myself lucky. I think the labour market is a lot tougher these days. I landed a job soon after and I'm still here today after 7 years. I remember joining the workforce full of determination and drive. I remember being excited to achieve things. I remember the feeling of being fully motivated and ready to launch. I was a superstar. Well... I wouldn't call myself one but let's just say there were only two buckets where people could fit in. You can either be a superstar or a rockstar. For this purpose, let's say I was a superstar.
Over the years, things happen right? I realize my gears shifted to a more gradual growth trajectory for a couple of reasons. One, there was no point being a superstar and aiming for a steep growth trajectory when you're on a flat road and it doesn't seem like it was gonna change in the near future. Secondly, I found that social media and trying to set up my own business kept me centered, so I wanted to invest time in that and hence the stability at the office was key. Thirdly, I had a baby boy who helped shift my priorities. I wanted to be there for him first and foremost.
I have no regrets for shifting gears. I believe at the moment, I was meant to be on that path. I was meant to earn a little bit more through social media. I was meant to give LMN a chance. I was meant to meet all these amazing inspiring people. But it's been 5 years and with the bleak future of influencer marketing... I have no clue what lies ahead. I have and will always love creating content for brands. It always feels like such an honor to be acknowledged by them. I'm not saying I'm leaving that life. I'm just saying... I don't know where it's going.
But in terms of my career? I think I'm ready to switch gears again.
x,
N
I have no regrets for shifting gears. I believe at the moment, I was meant to be on that path. I was meant to earn a little bit more through social media. I was meant to give LMN a chance. I was meant to meet all these amazing inspiring people. But it's been 5 years and with the bleak future of influencer marketing... I have no clue what lies ahead. I have and will always love creating content for brands. It always feels like such an honor to be acknowledged by them. I'm not saying I'm leaving that life. I'm just saying... I don't know where it's going.
But in terms of my career? I think I'm ready to switch gears again.
x,
N
Man, I Feel Just Like A Rockstar
Thursday 9 April 2020
I'm currently reading Radical Candor by Kim Scott and it started talking about two different groups of excellent people at the office. One she calls 'superstars' and the other group, 'rockstars'. Superstars are those that are hyper-ambitious and are on a steep growth trajectory. They want to always be challenged. These are the people who always want to explore new positions and new roles. They don't stay put for a very long time and it would drive them completely off the wall if they stayed in the same position doing the same thing next year. These people are the drivers of growth in a company.
The rockstars are those on a more gradual growth trajectory. Don't be mistaken. They still strive for excellence. They are still world-class in what they do but they're not eyeing for their boss's job. They are happy where they are. One of the characteristics that Kim Scott included was that these people, instead of excelling at the office, excelled outside of work. They are the drivers of stability in any organization. Kim Scott's book, and this is also echoed in the book called Loonshots that I read a few months back, that in any organization, there needs to be a balance of both growth and stability. A company will get no where if everyone is busy fighting for promotions.
It made me think about the growth trajectory that I was on. I remember graduating and actively looking for jobs back in 2012. I considered myself lucky. I think the labour market is a lot tougher these days. I landed a job soon after and I'm still here today after 7 years. I remember joining the workforce full of determination and drive. I remember being excited to achieve things. I remember the feeling of being fully motivated and ready to launch. I was a superstar. Well... I wouldn't call myself one but let's just say there were only two buckets where people could fit in. You can either be a superstar or a rockstar. For this purpose, let's say I was a superstar.
Over the years, things happen right? I realize my gears shifted to a more gradual growth trajectory for a couple of reasons. One, there was no point being a superstar and aiming for a steep growth trajectory when you're on a flat road and it doesn't seem like it was gonna change in the near future. Secondly, I found that social media and trying to set up my own business kept me centered, so I wanted to invest time in that and hence the stability at the office was key. Thirdly, I had a baby boy who helped shift my priorities. I wanted to be there for him first and foremost.
I have no regrets for shifting gears. I believe at the moment, I was meant to be on that path. I was meant to earn a little bit more through social media. I was meant to give LMN a chance. I was meant to meet all these amazing inspiring people. But it's been 5 years and with the bleak future of influencer marketing... I have no clue what lies ahead. I have and will always love creating content for brands. It always feels like such an honor to be acknowledged by them. I'm not saying I'm leaving that life. I'm just saying... I don't know where it's going.
But in terms of my career? I think I'm ready to switch gears again.
x,
N
I have no regrets for shifting gears. I believe at the moment, I was meant to be on that path. I was meant to earn a little bit more through social media. I was meant to give LMN a chance. I was meant to meet all these amazing inspiring people. But it's been 5 years and with the bleak future of influencer marketing... I have no clue what lies ahead. I have and will always love creating content for brands. It always feels like such an honor to be acknowledged by them. I'm not saying I'm leaving that life. I'm just saying... I don't know where it's going.
But in terms of my career? I think I'm ready to switch gears again.
x,
N
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