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HOME PROFILES THE JOURNEY VOTE NOW PRIZES

Never underestimate the power of inspiration.

Galvanised by a course he attended in 2005, Malacca born entrepreneur Alvin Quah resolved to pursue a lifelong passion – books.

“I was in Indonesia when I chanced upon a very modernlooking, red batik shirt,” he recalls. “That image lingered in my mind.” So when he was 20 and arrived in Singapore to pursue an accountancy degree at the Nanyang Technological University, Alvin armed himself with contacts on both sides of the border and published his first book – the international edition of Batik Inspirations – when the batik industry in Malaysia was at its peak in November 2005.

Since then, he has published three books. Still, he admits chasing your dreams isn’t an easy task.

“Any entrepreneur, big or small, at whatever stage of their corporate lifespan will face uncertainty,” he says. He advocates adopting the right mindset: State your personal vision and stick to it.

“Hurdles will come your way, but if you hold on to your vision, you’ll pull through,” he says. Alvin took up to one year of intense marketing before he saw a breakthrough with his first book. “If you’re going to start something, make it something great.”

Though he leads a life somewhat off-the-beaten path – having never worked in a regular nine-to-five job – he still balances work and exercise (he hits the gym and swims regularly) despite his unfixed schedule.

“A regular job’s just not my cup of tea,” he laughs. “But sometimes I do wish I get a fixed salary. There’s less to worry about!”



 

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