IWD 2023: Conversations with 4 Hong Kong Female Sustainable Entrepreneurs On How They #EmbraceEquity
by Central HULA on Mar 08, 2023
This year’s theme of International Women’s Day is #EmbraceEquity. While equality refers to providing the same opportunities to everyone, equity acknowledges that individuals do not all begin at the same starting point and may require adjustments to balance out existing disparities.
Sarah Fung, our Founder & CEO chats to a few of her sustainable entrepreneur friends - Denise Ho, Adah Chan, Lois Tien and Laurie Mias in Hong Kong about some of their challenges and experiences of being an entrepreneur, the women that inspired them and what embracing equity means to them.
Sarah:
Since birth, I have been surrounded by strong female figures in my family including my mother, who had a hard life, wasn't educated and had my older sister when she was still a teenager. After two failed marriages, she acted and provided very much like a single mom and she had to be fierce. She was constantly telling me and my sister to get educated, live our lives, not to settle down too early and be independent - her words were ingrained in us, she gave us the courage to become who we are today.
Who are the female figures in your life that inspire you?
Denise:
This would also be my mother, who is a dedicated Buddhist practitioner and she always reminds me that nothing is permanent. I should never stress myself out because no matter how bad the situation is, it will change.
Adah:
I also have to say it’s my mother. My mother gave me tons of freedom growing up and never steered me in a fixed direction, I got to make my own choices - but some values are deeply ingrained. She always believed in quality, never shopped frivolously. When I set out to create Baea, I wanted to combine my mother’s eye for good design and her commitment to quality to create something that also looks to the future and is mindful of its impact.
Laurie:
Growing up, I was surrounded by my aunties and my mother's close friends. These brave, beautiful, and independent women taught me that anything is possible if we dream it strongly enough. I remember a Lancome sales representative named Laurence. She would visit perfume shops in the south of France and travel the world to build her career within the L'Oreal group. One day, she told me, "If you want to travel, just do it. Book a ticket, pack your suitcase, and off you go." Looking at her, I thought, "If she can do it, so can I." I booked a ticket to Asia, and here I am, 13 years later.
Denise Ho, a fashion stylist for 18 years, created Kitdo,
a beautiful accessory that replaces safety pins on sets
and gives consumers confidence in restyling.
Sarah:
One of my challenges was overcoming Imposter Syndrome. I speak to female founders who have also experienced it and it seems like men rarely do. This is due to pre-conceptions which creates self-doubt. We have been told from early-on that a leader should be more assertive, direct, aggressive even, less empathetic and often male. I really believe we need to change this narrative and embrace different leadership styles.
As a woman at work, what preconceived notions did you face,
and how did you overcome them?
Denise:
An investor once told me that he was worried I might have kids and forget about the business. At that time, I was a bit offended. Now that I am a mother, I believe that it all boils down to whether it is a business you are passionate about. If you are, you would make it work no matter what, with or without kids. I think women are much stronger than men when it comes to multi-tasking so finding what makes you tick is the key.
Laurie:
To be completely transparent, being a woman has affected my ability to “raise funds”. Some investors seemed to prefer investing in a business owned by a “man” (without directly telling me), and they questioned my ability to handle all aspects of the business on my own. I had a feeling they would be more confident if I had a male partner. However, I sought impact investors and investors who specifically invest in female-owned businesses, and that's how I overcame this challenge.
and spent her 20s sourcing products for leading home brands.
In 2020, she started Baea, a sustainable brand that only uses
organic, natural materials.
Sarah:
Balancing your work life and free time can be quite challenging, especially if you are a mother. My mother owned a small Beauty salon in ChinaTown and I witnessed then what being a business owner with responsibilities was like and it wasn’t easy. I would often see her looking stressed and up working late at night. I also personally chose to be child-free, and I truly commend you all for being able to do both!
How did becoming a mother change the ways you lead your company?
Denise:
Being a mother has taught me the value of patience. I feel that most companies are in a rush to see revenue return and stress out staff. It is important to use the time to perfect your brand image and company culture to deepen the resilience and determination needed to get through what will be a marathon of challenges.
Laurie:
Becoming a mother helps you take some breaks, actually. You are forced to take some time off here and there, share some play time/ dinner/ lunch times with your kids, and breathe/ pause. It helps to put business problems and day-to-day emergencies into perspective, to prioritise and make your business more sustainable in the end.
Adah:
For me, one of the biggest changes is how I spend my time. Being both a founder and a mother at the same time - both are very important investments. I make very clear choices to spend time and energy on what matters most. I also am always inspired by my children, and how they see the natural world. As we spend part of our time near our family farm (in Canada) and also hike all around Hong Kong, they see the natural wonders of the world, and it brings the simplicity of making things better and more sustainability - to protect the natural world - front and centre every day.
Lois:
I also draw parallels between being a mother and leading my company - it's a lot of nurturing both ways. It's about constantly recalibrating and finding that balance of discipline that is backed by a creative, free spirit that allows your business to innovate and explore. I've also become more intentional about what I want to do with the brand and how I see it helping mothers going forward - they're one of the demographics of people I want to help nurture when it comes to self-care and sleep health.
Lois Tien launched SoL the label in 2020, a brand promoting self-care through quality loungewear, raising awareness for climate action, and showcasing how products can be both beautiful and sustainable.
Sarah:
I believe women have unique superpowers in the workforce and as entrepreneurs. It is important to celebrate female leaders for mostly being more empathetic, better listeners and more collaborative. I personally think mothers also make incredible members to the workforce for their resilience, their efficiency (due to their lack of time!) and their awesome multitasking skills. In fact statistics show (First Round Capital, 2015) companies founded by female-founded out-performed by 63% than the all-male founding teams!
How do you view women in your workplace?
Lois:
We are a small team and I value what each member brings to the table. We are a business that caters to women (for now!) - so be it team members or customers - I respect what each and every one of them have to say as they are the audience we are trying to speak to, representing a different lifestyle with different issues I think SoL can be a part of. I want people to feel like they can really make a difference in the brand.
Adah:
I think that equity is centred around giving people a voice and the space to express their opinions and shape their journeys. Practically speaking, as a business, each person oversees their key areas, and we give space, regularly, for everyone to get feedback. This comes with the tolerance of letting people make mistakes and learning from that, which takes courage and means I have to let go a bit. While this can often be hard, I’ve learned that over time, this pays off as people feel real ownership over what they do.
Laurie Mias is an entrepreneur and mother of two boys.
In 2020 she founded MONO Skincare with the idea of extracting water from skincare products to reduce single-use plastic by not shipping water worldwide.
https://monoskincare.com/en-hk
Sarah:
Raising funds as a female entrepreneur is a challenge. Men prefer to “bet on somebody that looks like them.” Female investors are more likely to invest in female entrepreneurs, even though female VC’s are only at 5% compared to men and that women-founded startups raise only 2% of VC funds.
As a final thought, what advice would you give to aspiring female entrepreneurs?
Denise:
Don’t be afraid of being told no. Just go ask for something and if that person said no, don’t be offended because you never know who is going to say yes.
