No resolutions for the New Year this time

Disclaimer: The purpose of this article is to document my professional experiences, serve as a personal follow-up reminder and potentially provide value to readers. Real names of individuals and companies may be mentioned. However, all opinions expressed are my own, and the content is based on my personal perspective and experiences.

Most people set New Year’s resolutions but I haven’t given it much thought this year. I’m still in holiday mode, enjoying the slower pace. At 54, I’ve started noticing the effects of aging so my priority now is to stay fit and healthy to avoid becoming a burden on my family. I’ve been working out regularly for over a year and it has made a significant difference—I feel much better. I no longer have big business ambitions; instead I seek a better work-life balance and enjoy what I do.

These days, I’m more focused on sticking with what works: Chinese digital marketing, helping companies enter new markets and running workshops. It’s rewarding to see how everything has come together and I’m keen to build on that foundation.

On the second day of the new year, I caught up with an old friend over brunch. We’ve known each other for years—he first attended my WeChat marketing class when he just started his own M&A business. Back then, he was an early adopter of livestreaming, just as TikTok was gaining momentum, he even traveled to China to learn from industry experts. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. About 5 years ago, he decided to join the corporate world, and today, he’s thriving as a sales professional in the IT industry.

During brunch, he shared his New Year’s plans: developing an AI sales tool to assist salespeople. He asked for my advice on how to move forward and whom to collaborate with. I shared some of my key business activities from last year, including a business mission trip from China.

Last year, I collaborated with Guangzhou counterpart to bring a group of technopreneurs from Chengdu to Singapore. My Guangzhou contact is a driven businesswoman who has been doing well despite China’s economic downturn. Recently, she reached out, mentioning that she felt drained from handling everything alone and suggested forming a joint venture with me to share the workload.

I proposed taking things slow. “Let’s work on a few more projects together to understand each other’s better—it’s like dating before getting married,” I said.

From that Chengdu trip, I connected with several technopreneurs interested in expanding their businesses to Singapore. Since my friend is in IT sales, I saw a good opportunity for collaboration. I advised him to maintain his current role for stability—after all, he has family commitments—but to use his spare time for side projects. He agreed, we both see potential in working together, especially with my Guangzhou contact and the Chengdu leads.

Later, I facilitated a visit for a group of Guanxi vocational school teachers who had attended my AI workshops. They toured Blk 71 NUS Enterprise and Pollinate. In the afternoon, I met another contact from my WeChat marketing class—Derick Tan, an investment expert who frequently conducts investment workshops. He even appeared on the cover of the Chinese version of Time magazine!

I had received an inquiry from Shanghai to arrange an investment talk for Chinese CFOs about Singapore’s investment options and practices. When I flipped through my contacts, Derrick appeared to be the right person to work with. We met because of this inquiry. Derick proposed reaching out to his contact at SGX to host the session, which I thought was a brilliant idea. We also discussed expanding this into a series of workshops, potentially covering the Malaysia market as well.

Looking back, I realize how valuable the connections I’ve made through my WeChat marketing courses have been. These are people who share common interests and trust me. Even though we don’t stay in constant touch, I know whom to reach out to when opportunities arise, and they’re always willing to help.

I’m grateful for these simple, authentic relationships. They’re not about endless networking but about trust, mutual respect and helping each other succeed when the timing is right. It’s a reminder that, at its core, business is really about people.

I treasure these connections and look forward to seeing where they take me this year.