I am, by and large, a very optimistic person. Being enthusiastic and positive towards everything life throws at you is something my parents instilled into me.
As a kid, I wanted to be a policeman. I ran around wearing a small plastic British policeman’s helmet!
My dad was in the British Army, so I grew up moving from one country to another, never spending more than two years in one. I made friends, lost some and had to adapt to new environments constantly.
I knew my varied experience with different environment and cultures would provide me with a good start in my career outside of England. I found myself thriving in new roles and in different geographic locations.
When people ask me what it feels like to be such a successful entrepreneur, I never fail to mention that it is always lots of fun!
The Singapore property market is extremely dynamic and exciting, but at the same time, it can be quite baffling even to the most experienced of property investors.
Sometimes I see signs of complacency and arrogance creeping into PropertyGuru and it scares me. If we are to continue to succeed we’ll need to constantly improve, learn and innovate.
Chilling out is hard for me, but I am getting better! Weekdays are consumed by work. I read fiction on my Kindle at night to switch off, have dinner and drinks with my wife and friends on Friday or Saturday nights, and devote as much time as I can to my kids on the weekend.
My wife would say that I am collecting grey hairs!
I’ve been living in Singapore for eight years now, the longest I have lived anywhere. I love the weather, the people, the culture, the food and the quality of life.
Poverty and sickness, especially involving kids, is particularly upsetting for me. Having seen kids and families with no fresh water, no electricity, no education and basic food in our travels made me realize how incredibly fortunate we are.
This is why every year, our company focuses on giving back to society.
If I had to choose between love or money, it would be the love of my family, for sure. Money has never been that important to me, but I’m truly grateful that we now have more than we need.
Follow your dreams and do what you are really passionate about. Set out to create something that will change the world. Be prepared to take risks, make lots of mistakes and work without or with a low income for a few years— as I did. You’ll experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, sometimes all within the same day, but it’s all worth it.
