Join Dr. Ramesh as she chats with dynamic mother and daughter duo, Ms. Susan Lay and Ms. Cartin Ong, who make for really interesting listening due to their diverse viewpoints from seasoned business executive to ambitious young Changemaker.
Susan and Cartin demonstrate the type of easy mother-daughter relationship where you can just sense the deep mutual respect and support underlying their friendly banter.
They talk about the entrepreneurial mindset, overcoming challenges and having the courage to take action, and give you an intimate glimpse into their lives and their drive to thrive, living a life of infinite possibilities.
To learn more about the entrepreneurial mindset with Dr. Ramesh, get your copy of The Big Jump into Entrepreneurship 2.0 on Amazon.com or www.Dr-Ramesh.com.
Host: Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra, Author, Podcast Host and Founder of Talent Leadership Crucible
Guest Speakers:
Ms. Susan Lay, Chair and Non-Executive Director of QTG Limited; Board Advisor to Arvensys Group (AGL)
Ms. Cartin Ong, Founder of TeenMeets; Delegate at UN Youth Australia; High School Student
#EntrepreneurialMindset #Sydney #Australia #Technopreneur #SusanLay #CartinOng #Dr.RameshRamachandra #TheBigJumpintoEntrepreneurship2.0 #CrisisReadyMindset #TalentLeadershipCrucible #Thriving #AgeofDisruption #QTG #Arvensys #TeenMeets #UNYouth #HighSchool #Queenwood
Join Dr. Ramesh as she chats with dynamic mother and daughter duo, Ms. Susan Lay and Ms. Cartin Ong, who make for really interesting listening due to their diverse viewpoints from seasoned business executive to ambitious young Changemaker.
Susan and Cartin demonstrate the type of easy mother-daughter relationship where you can just sense the deep mutual respect and support underlying their friendly banter.
They talk about the entrepreneurial mindset, overcoming challenges and having the courage to take action, and give you an intimate glimpse into their lives and their drive to thrive, living a life of infinite possibilities.
To learn more about the entrepreneurial mindset with Dr. Ramesh, get your copy of The Big Jump into Entrepreneurship 2.0 on Amazon.com or www.Dr-Ramesh.com.
Host: Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra, Author, Podcast Host and Founder of Talent Leadership Crucible
Guest Speakers:
Ms. Susan Lay, Chair and Non-Executive Director of QTG Limited; Board Advisor to Arvensys Group (AGL)
Ms. Cartin Ong, Founder of TeenMeets; Delegate at UN Youth Australia; High School Student
#EntrepreneurialMindset #Sydney #Australia #Technopreneur #SusanLay #CartinOng #Dr.RameshRamachandra #TheBigJumpintoEntrepreneurship2.0 #CrisisReadyMindset #TalentLeadershipCrucible #Thriving #AgeofDisruption #QTG #Arvensys #TeenMeets #UNYouth #HighSchool #Queenwood
To learn more about the entrepreneurial mindset with Dr. Ramesh, get your copy of The Big Jump into Entrepreneurship 2.0 on Amazon.com or www.Dr-Ramesh.com.
Host: Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra, Author, Podcast Host and Founder of Talent Leadership Crucible
Guest Speakers:
Ms. Susan Lay, Chair and Non-Executive Director of QTG Limited; Board Advisor to Arvensys Group (AGL)
Ms. Cartin Ong, Founder of TeenMeets; Delegate at UN Youth Australia; High School Student
#EntrepreneurialMindset #Sydney #Australia #Technopreneur #SusanLay #CartinOng #Dr.RameshRamachandra #TheBigJumpintoEntrepreneurship2.0 #CrisisReadyMindset #TalentLeadershipCrucible #Thriving #AgeofDisruption #QTG #Arvensys #TeenMeets #UNYouth #HighSchool #Queenwood
Ho Lai Yun 00:00
Hello and welcome to Thriving in the Age of Disruption. In today's podcast episode, Dr. Ramesh meets with dynamic mother and daughter duo, Ms. Susan Lay and Ms. Cartin Ong, who are based in Sydney, Australia. Susan is Chair and Non-Executive Director of QTG Limited and Board Advisor to Arvensys Group (AGL). Susan has spearheaded 7 successful startups and is an advisor to blue-chip companies in Australia, Southeast Asia, and the US. Cartin is a Year 12 high school student and Founder of TeenMeets. Susan and Cartin demonstrate the type of easy mother-daughter relationship where you can just sense the deep mutual respect and support underlying their friendly banter. They talk about the entrepreneurial mindset, overcoming challenges, and having the courage to take action, which makes for really interesting and diverse viewpoints from seasoned business executive to ambitious young Changemaker.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 00:58
Hello and warm welcome to the Thriving in the Age of Disruption Podcast Series to our mother and daughter guests, Susan and Cartin. It's interesting always to have intergenerational conversations. And I thought I'll ask each of you to introduce the other person. So who would like to go first?
Susan Lay 01:16
Okay, so this is Cartin Ong. She is 17 years old. She is in her final year of high school in Australia. Cartin is energetic, intelligent young lady who has developed her own website and internet platform called TeenMeets-dot-com. Through that she interviews various people from all different walks of life, ranging from politicians, authors, to sports stars, and she also has a forum for teenagers to talk about the latest social and environmental issues that affect them as teenagers. Cartin is also a black belt in Taekwondo, and she enjoys cooking and fashion.
Cartin Ong 02:02
My mom's Susan Lay. She has had already an incredible career throughout her entire life. She has been not only an incredible mother and partner as well. She's built herself an amazing life here in Sydney, but also in a bunch of other countries across the world. She's lived in Singapore and the US, studying a variety of degrees relating to business and finance, which are beyond my comprehension. And now she sits on multiple Boards as Managing Director and Chairwoman for technological startup companies here in Australia. And yeah, she's on to more incredible things in the future.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 02:43
So then Cartin, are you proud of your mom?
Cartin Ong 02:45
Absolutely. I don't think there's anyone else I would be more proud of.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 02:49
Yeah.
Susan Lay 02:50
She's obligated to say that, by the way, I'm paying her.
Cartin Ong 02:53
It's true. Don't believe your daughter, heartbroken.
Susan Lay 02:58
She knows she's getting cash after this.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 03:02
Whatever the thing is, she said it with all sincerity.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 03:10
Most people look at entrepreneurship as starting and running a business. But I'm actually interested in the entrepreneurial mindset. And it's all about someone who looks at a problem, who is resourceful and is able to solve problems, manage risks, as well as to create value. And to me, both of you demonstrate those qualities at a very young age. And that is entrepreneurial, even if you don't monetise it, because it is. What are your own thoughts because Cartin, you started a website and a platform, bringing into existence something new and making that successful. And of course, as you introduced your mother earlier on, she's an accomplished entrepreneur, who is now passing it on in her capacity as a board member to other companies.
Susan Lay 03:56
Well, first of all, let's approach entrepreneurship. A lot of people have had this discussion about whether it was you're born with it, or do you actually learn it? I think it's a combination of both. I think it really depends on how you're exposed to it. And if I had to pick one or the other, I think it's actually more environmental, rather than genetics, if you want to call it. Environmental in the sense of how the individual throws themselves into the deep end and into the uncomfortable end when it comes to making risks, assessing risks, and then of course, how you solve problems when you're confronted with them. So, I think the best entrepreneurs are the ones that have failed the most. I have worked for the last 30 years, and I've made so many mistakes and through each mistake, it gets easier and easier. So yeah, I think entrepreneurial mindset - It's a work in progress and it's a training how you expose yourself to various different things that you haven't been confronted with before, learning from each of those obstacles, and becoming more successful every time you face something new.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 05:11
Great. So, I like what you're talking about, Susan, here because you're pointing to the fact that you don't have to be born with those so-called DNA or the genes. But actually, it's something that you can develop, and the right environment is important. The more important point was actually failure being the pillars of success because an entrepreneur typically is someone who knows that things are not going to go according to plan, and they need to pivot, they need to adapt, they need to do whatever it takes to be able to survive the next month or the next year. Cartin, I want to take a slightly different chat with you. You've got two accomplish parents who are both entrepreneurs running their own business, do you find that there is a pressure for you to be entrepreneurial?
Cartin Ong 05:57
That's actually really interesting that you brought that up. For me, I definitely agree with my mom in thinking that entrepreneurship is a mindset or an ambition that you have when you kind of grow up and you come into the world. It's sort of a decision that you make, it doesn't necessarily have to be like, "Oh, some person is born to innovate and discover and create new things." Although, sure, that can definitely be a factor that you could consider. But for me, I feel like it was a little bit of both where I had obviously grown up with these very highly successful parents who were always pushing me to strive to do my best and to sort of think outside the box and be creative. I was very much encouraged all throughout my life, even when I was really young. But to me, I never felt pressured to sort of create a business or create a platform. But I had the comfort of knowing that if that's what I wanted to do, then I would be wholeheartedly supported by both of my parents who had always taught me to play into my creative side and not be afraid to try and fail multiple times, especially when I'm building something from scratch like I was with my website, and just like I was when I was five years old when I was designing jewelry on the playground.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 07:08
Wow. So that's really great. You're 17 years old, you had this whole lifetime of encouragement and empowerment from your parents. That's amazing that from that experience as a five-year-old where you had designed jewelry, you have now progressed to thinking about having your own website at 15.
Cartin Ong 07:28
Yeah, I think I had the idea when I was around 15 years of age, but it kind of only recently came into fruition when I was being able to make and publish videos. So that's been great.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 07:37
So, the two things that I got from you was play into your creative side and have the permission to fail.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 07:48
Alongside entrepreneurship is that whole element of risk-taking. And often, when we take those risks, we may find ourselves in a position where we experience setbacks or even a crisis. What I would like to know is what sort of crisis that you've experienced either at work, in business, or in life itself as a student, and how you've been able to pick yourself up? And what did you learn from that whole experience? Cartin, you're much younger, so your experience is going to be from that world being a teenager. And Susan, you've got so much more experience to share.
Cartin Ong 08:23
Yeah, sure, there's been a lot of different types of setbacks or crises that I've faced even in my very short lifespan, obviously, like you mentioned, most of those are not really career-wise, mostly being academic or panel to me. But the way in which I've been able to pick myself back up after a setback is sort of keeping things in perspective that most of the time when I'm worrying about if that's some friendship drama that seems like the end of the world, or whether that's a grade that I didn't quite want to get on a test, to know that this is not going to be something that defines me forever. It's okay to place value and importance on these events and these arbitrary ways that I place importance on my academics. But it doesn't have to mean that that is going to be my mark on the world forever and that's going to be something that makes up my entire personality forever. It can be something that is important to me, but it's never going to make up my entire identity. My identity is going to be made up of a bunch of different things that I get to pick for myself. And just because I fail one time or I have a setback or a disagreement with someone or something, then that doesn't mean that I can't grow from that, and that doesn't mean that I can't make that a learning experience in the future, even if it seems quite terrible at the time.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 09:46
That's right. So, keeping it in perspective at times when those events happen. We may find that we experience some discomfort or anxiety or upset, we need to remind ourselves as in keeping things into perspective that this doesn't define us, this is not our entire identity or personality. And the most important thing I took away from what you had shared was to learn and grow from it, because that's what it is all about, right, experience building.
Susan Lay 10:15
That was an excellent answer. And she actually didn't take it from me. The one thing that I have learned and kind of matured over the ages about setbacks and making mistakes is you just have to dust yourself off and just keep going. Just like what Cartin rightly said, one mistake or your last mistake doesn't define you forever. We are always changing. A lot of people like to say, "Oh, I'm still the same person," or they want to keep that image that they're still the same person as they were 20 years ago or even 5 years ago. To me, that statement is flawed in the sense that no one is ever the same. Every day is different. And when you go to sleep, the next day you wake up, you're wearing different clothes, you're eating different foods, you're meeting different people, and you're doing various different things. Even though you may think that it is a routine, it's not. So, you are no longer the person that you were yesterday, or 10 years ago. Like what Cartin said, "It doesn't define you as a person." And no one likes setbacks. But I think the ones that are most resilient are the ones that actually have what I call 'short-term memory' and a 'forgiving nature' in the sense that you forgive yourself for making that mistake or causing that setback so then you're able to then say, okay, you accept it, and then you move on. And that's how we evolve in making better decisions and being better leaders and better entrepreneurs because of that.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 11:55
In December 2022, my new book “The Big Jump into Crisis Ready Mindset” will be launched. And in this book, I develop a 4-step process for people to able to develop a crisis ready mindset.
The first step is about “awareness” and it’s about awareness of you being in a crisis or a setback. Usually it starts off by just being able to observe our emotions, our feelings, even our reactions because that is the first way in which we become present that we are in a crisis or setback.
Step 2 is where we start to accept the situation we’re in. We accept the fact that there’s something that we did, or that we didn’t do that resulted in this crisis. And it’s also the beginning of learning to let go and forgive ourselves.
Step 3, now that we’ve taken on personal responsibility, is all about taking action because it’s about taking actions to get back into the game and pivoting and adapting to get the crisis sorted out so that we’re back on track.
And in Step 4, it’s what I call as the actualisation of the new future because we’ve now taken all these new actions and we have a new reality. And that’s a new future. I think it’s a simple way for people to learn how to be ready for a crisis.
I love what you've shared about, forgive yourself, maybe practice even short-term memory, so that you can actually move on. Embrace the fact that, as human beings, we are here, learning, and we're changing every day whether it's a setback that had us change, or whether it was just life itself, we've got to embrace change.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 12:29
We are interested to get wisdom from people are experienced in management, leadership, and decision-making, especially women. Susan, what would be your advice to someone who is just entering the workforce? What can they do to develop their leadership qualities and be successful in life?
Susan Lay 12:47
I'm sure I sound like a broken record. First rule is don't overthink about what it is that you want to do and what you're passionate about. I think, just jump in and just do it. So don't overthink it. Just go in and do it, and then as you're doing it, you're learning along the way, and then you can refine it. Nothing's going to be perfect. There is no perfection in anything, whether it's a startup or it's an idea that you like or a book that you want to write, and just go ahead and just do it. And as you learn along the way, you ask people, you have good mentors, or good people that you can tap into. And through those advice and guidance, then you evolve through that. I think that's the best advice I could give to anybody, especially young people. Don't be afraid to go ahead and do what it is that you want to do and just go for it.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 13:52
So Cartin, does that sound like something that you would do and embrace?
Cartin Ong 13:57
Yeah, absolutely. In the past, going headfirst into something was always extremely daunting for me. Even with my own website, I was very hesitant to start putting out content, to start approaching people like for interviews or asking for their opinion, or even changing things that had always been set. In the past, I was very hesitant in making my own decisions for my website, but my mom's advice resonates with me because I've always been slightly a little bit of an impulsive person, so it is within my nature to kind of like jump into things headfirst. But I think it's really important to make a start in something because I'm a big believer in that something is better than nothing. And a first draft doesn't have to be perfect because the whole point of a first draft or a first go at something is to be that you just did it. It's already perfect in itself because you've already just had a go for it, and it's never going to be perfect like my mom said, and you learning along the way is one of the most important things that you can help to kind of keep things in perspective. And that, like my mom said earlier, you're constantly evolving and growing and becoming a better version of yourself each day. So as long as you keep consistently trying, every attempt that you make no matter what it is, like a startup company or goal that you want to achieve, will be better than the last time because you have that new experience. And you build up courage as you go, you sort of get used to putting yourself out there in whatever form or platform that ends up being. So, I'll need to remind myself of that next time I'm scared to do something, but I think it's been pretty good so far in trying to bolster some courage and get out into the world.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 15:39
Great. I have a question for you. I mean, you talked about it being daunting in the beginning. So, what was the tipping point?
Cartin Ong 15:47
For me, the tipping point was probably that, in the context of my website, I had had this idea for a while- deep passion for things like social justice and engaging with the young audience about global news. But I was too scared to kind of do anything involving myself, because I was, "Oh, my gosh. Oh, the teenagers will think this is so cringy." And that was a mindset that stuck with me for a long time because of peer pressure and other things. But the tipping point was probably when I saw other people make strides in doing what they were passionate about. It was very inspiring, not only just young people but like my own parents, I know, obviously, both of them come from entrepreneurial backgrounds, where they would have had to sort of take a leap into the deep end and just see how things go. The tipping point was probably when I started asking my mom for people that I could talk to about topics I was interested in. So, I think the first interview I ever did that was published was with the psychologist, Clement, who was one of my mom's friends. And we talked about mental health in our discussion. And I initially had the safety net of thinking like, "If this goes really badly, then I just never have to publish it." But part of that tipping point was being like, "Even if it's bad, I'm just going to put it out there because I know that I'm going to refine along the way." Small things that I over-critique myself, most people are not going to even notice or care about that. So, I shouldn't be so insecure about every little part of myself, my speech, mannerisms, or things. It's just a part of myself, and it's a part of this project that I'm sharing with people. So, yeah.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 17:28
Thank you for decoding that whole process because I think that's important for people to understand. Often, we will hear from someone who's experienced about how we can do it. And then there is that moment when we are challenged to apply it because in our minds, we haven't had that experience. And it does take time, so in your case it might have taken a few weeks or a few months. But the moment we try it, then we know we can do it. And that's really the tipping point, that first experience that we took that advice, and we tried it. So thank you for sharing that with our listeners.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 18:07
How do you look at spirituality, and where are you in that journey?
Susan Lay 18:11
Well, Ramesh, I love this topic. I think since turning 50. You talked about the tipping point. And when you've reached a certain status or level in your life, and you start, you know, thinking about the bigger questions, "Why am I here for? What's my purpose? And what do I want to leave in this world when I finally depart from it?" I'm still on this journey of answering myself. But if you talk about spirituality in the sense of "Am I a Christian girl or something like that?", I am not. Although I do believe there is a higher power and a higher calling that each and every one of us are given or that we come into this world to do, and I feel that there is a certain level of responsibility and ownership of that. When you reach a certain age group, you start to think what is that? What's the wisdom that I'd like to put my footprint on before I leave? Yeah.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 19:18
Yeah. And what about you, Cartin?
Cartin Ong 19:20
Oh, for me personally, it's always been a little bit more of a complexed journey. I was raised going to Christian affiliated schools and being taken to church every now and then for events, like Christmas or Easter but I never found myself particularly drawn to any one religion, although I do find all beliefs and faiths very beautiful to watch and learn about. In terms of New Age spirituality, I'm still sort of working on my journey in that aspect, just like with other religions that I've never found myself particularly drawn to it at first. But I do think it's something that I'll be interested in continuing to learn about, especially as it's gotten very popular within my age group, or at least the commercial side of it has been very much popularised. So I'm still sort of exploring my relationship with any higher power or any sort of belief system, but I'm just kind of, yes, seeing how I go. I'm still very young, I've my whole life ahead of me to sort of contemplate my existence on this earth and outside of it, so not in any particular rush. But I think it's a very important wonderful part of life for a lot of people.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 20:30
So, Cartin, what is this whole thing called 'New Age Spirituality'?
Cartin Ong 20:34
Oh, yeah, absolutely. Sorry for not clarifying that. When I sort of referred to 'New Age spirituality' in my age demographic, we're talking more like crystals, manifestation techniques. There's a lot about candles, things like scripting, you can create and curate your own destiny and your identity and anything that you wish for in this life, if you sort of do certain techniques, you could bring that in. There's also a dimension of astrology and stuff lying in there. And there's been a very popular uprising that I see an endless amount of talks about it. But in terms of genuine practices, and there are probably more ancient links to other practices, my mum could give you a lot more of a good covering than I ever could, because she's the one who practices it a lot more than I do.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 21:22
You've given me a great overview of the whole question of exploring our existence.
Cartin Ong 21:28
Yeah, there's also been along with the rise of sort of New Age spirituality, which has been commercially associated with Vegan candle or like a pretty rock that you keep in your room, and you put it under the moonlight, it's the very sort of superficial side of it. There's also been a lot of rises in other beliefs, especially I think, Paganism or like Witchcraft, which is a little bit more linked to sort of extra-terrestrial beliefs, and a big part of your identity being your spirituality. A lot of people will identify as pagan or as a witch, which I think is really cool, because it's a part of themselves which we don't really see often. So, I'm glad my generation is bringing that back and creating a space, especially online where people can feel free and happy to express their beliefs and what they do and spread awareness about that, which I think is super cool. In terms of the whole existence thing, I think that just might be my generation kind of going through a crisis, like quarter-life crisis, as we all do at some point.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 22:29
Susan, you remember in 1993 or so this whole aspect of New Age spirituality started with The Celestine Prophecy, with the book coming out, and then there were the series of books about The Secret and a lot of other things. And I remember I was excited about that too and it was very empowering for me because until then we had very straightlaced version of what was spirituality and now there is permission to explore, to create, and be part of the manifestation universe.
Susan Lay 23:02
Absolutely, and I did read all those books, The Celestine Prophecies, The Secret. And I am a very big fan of science fiction and fantasy, so I love Star Wars, Harry Potter, and you name it - I've watched all of them, so I love all of that. Look, I don't want to be caught in a category when you talk about New Age or spirituality, as "Oh, you're one of these flat-earthers or in some kind of crystal category or whatever." I think spirituality is an individual journey, and I think it's simply linked to a person's wisdom as they grow as an individual. So, I would call spirituality as more like an awakening, just like I think as we move towards now subject of, I remember, like in the 90s, just talking about the possibility of alien life or UFOs were kind of taboo and hidden away. But now all you see are these documentaries, and it's not so weird to actually think, "Oh, look, there could be other life forms besides people on Earth that's out there in the universe." But I mean, to me, that's not spirituality. I think spirituality is finding the person that's inside you and who you are and how you identify yourself as a person. And that could be a combination of what you believe in, whatever that is, whether it's crystals, witchcraft, or aliens or whatever. I'm not saying that's who I am. I'm saying that whoever it is, that's their way of how they express themselves and how they deal with their spiritual growth. I think it's more of a wisdom growth, rather than it's got to do with spirits or things like that.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 24:52
I love what both of you have brought up. And I think that's the important question as we look at spirituality, because there is that understanding that there is a higher power. We're born into it, and we have developed it through our experiences and education. And then I liked the piece where you said, it's also linked to our own wisdom, that means have we internalised the experiences that we have gone through, because if we could have gone through a lot of experiences, and not internalised any of them, it has made no difference to us. It's almost like we were a sleeper in that journey.
Susan Lay 25:27
Exactly.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 25:28
Yeah, I think the crux of this whole discussion is we are all on this journey to discover that emerging self. I don't say even the best self, because it's really an emerging self, moment by moment that that self is emerging. And to find that person continuously, right, is the journey that we take as human beings. I was listening to a podcast that someone was sharing recently, and he mentioned that human beings have got two great assets. And one is to make beautiful memories. Most times, we only look at memories as being good ones, but bad ones are also memories, but they're all from the past. And then the second piece that human beings have is the ability to make vivid dreams about the future or the power of imagination. The challenge is- Are we applying the right aspect? Be it memory or imagination for the situation - because if we are trying to create a new future then we want to use imagination and if we are looking at something in the past then memories are great for that. So, if we're right now in the current and we're trying to create a future, and we look back at the memories of the past, that will hold us back. We have to be willing to go forward into the future to speculate and extrapolate what could happen.
Susan Lay 26:48
Yeah, I think as an extension of that, Ramesh, is when we talk about personal growth in spirituality, and I linked it with the individual's wisdom, it really is an extension of that because as you grow and evolve, like you said, not your best self, but a work in progress of that, then you talk about not looking backwards but looking forward. I am a huge fan of manifesting your desires of what you want. And I tell this to Cartin all the time, "Think positively, what is it that you want? And what is the outcome that you want?" And I don't bring this practice just for my life of what is it that I really want, but also in the way I apply that to my goals of what I want from a corporate sense. So, before each meeting, I'm subconsciously manifesting, "What's the outcome that I want from this meeting?" And then when I'm in that meeting, I'm making it happen. So, I'm forward thinking and forward projecting from that, and that's super important. And that's one of the things that I try to teach Cartin as well is before you go into any exam and offices, "What is it that you want? What's the mark that you want in the exam?" And then you lock that in, and that's also a personal goal and wisdom for yourself as well. And through that you're manifesting it when you're going into that exam and say, "I'm going to get 100%," or whatever it is.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 28:20
Yeah. Do you want to add anything to that, Cartin?
Cartin Ong 28:23
Oh, I suppose from my perspective, obviously, I can't really bring in any testaments of corporate success, using manifestation. Not yet. But for me, sort of similar to what my mom said about how you want to create your best self as not really like an end product, but more sort of like a permanent goal that you always strive to get closer and closer to. And as you get closer to that, I feel that the bar will continue to raise. Like that philosophy where I'm not competing with anyone else, I'm only competing with myself and the best version of myself that I can create. I find it really interesting about the point that you brought up about two of, like, the greatest human capacities can be memory creation and sort of like dreaming into the future. That applies to me in a slightly different way. Because I haven't had the breadth of life experience as the both of you have.
But for me, what that means is that I can appreciate the past and I can think about it and ruminate on it as much as I need to. But ultimately, I know that I'm still going to be here in the present and work towards the future that I want to create for myself. And sometimes you have to sit with the past a little bit, you have to sort of work through maybe some struggles that you had to overcome, fully accept them, and see that as I can't change that now, and just sort of have to accept that that is just what it was meant to be for me in that circumstance. Even if I don't see the importance or see the bigger picture as to why that happened, or I still sort of resent the outcome of that situation. But I know, that's probably what I needed to get to where I am now or to get to where I will be in the future. And try and see the positive in that. And again, to sort of dream in the future of "Who do I want to be?" And I know that I have the capacity to change and continue growing my dreams that either I've had since I was little in the past, or ones that might change all the time. And both of those are okay to sort of keep values and passions that you've had in the past without harping on it or not being able to move on, if the time comes that you need to move past those ambitions that you once had. Even though I'm probably not as connected or haven't reached my wisdom potential yet, as my mom noticed, I think that'll be a part of my journey into the future, and part of my mom's dreams for me as well.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 30:51
I want to just emphasise two key points that both of you are brought up so beautifully. One is if we focus on what's our intention, and we keep manifesting it, that brings an inner focus to create with positivity the outcome that we want. And two is acceptance. And that was really beautiful, how you said it, Cartin, in terms of whatever it meant to be, just accept that because that's done, and then we move on to the next piece.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 31:24
What is a simple life? How would you describe that for yourself today? What does that constitute?
Susan Lay 31:30
For me, a simple life, I think it evolves into the one whole topic of "Are you happy with yourself?" I think it's not got to do with how much or how little a person has, but whether they're happy within themselves. If you are happy in your own skin, then it is a simple life. I mean, it's only difficult if you think it is or if you make it that it is a difficult life. If you're happy with yourself, everything is a lot more simpler. And it comes down to the core thing for me is if you think it's difficult, hard, or complex, then it is. And if you don't think it is, and if you think it's simple, just chew it off bit by bit even though it may be complex, then it's not complicated at all. So, to me, the simple life comes down to the very core of are you happy with who you are. And everything is uncomplicated because you're happy.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 32:28
Nice. So, it's a kind of a perspective or a mindset.
Susan Lay 32:41
Yeah, absolutely.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 32:43
What about you, Cartin?
Cartin Ong 32:45
I am going to have to very scandalously slightly disagree with that. I mean, I understand where my mom is coming from. And I definitely do agree with that to an extent. But at the same time, what she said about, "If you think something is difficult or hard, then it is going to be." Personally, I feel as though that's not always the case. You definitely have people that are very much born into a set of circumstances that are just- you can't word it any other way, they're just hard, difficult to overcome. Whatever form of trauma or setback that could be, I think we have to take that into account. And part of the simple life for me is being content. And with that comes recognising my own privilege as a person who's been able to grow up the way that I have been able to, like always been to quality education, I've been surrounded by supportive parents, supportive friends, I've been lucky to grow up and live in this beautiful country. And even though I don't have the sort of setbacks that a lot of people have to deal with, I can still and everyone else can still live a simple life if they're content, which I kind of differentiate from the notion of happiness is that happiness can't always be a permanent state. Because without ups and downs in your life, I don't think you can truly understand what it means to be happy if it's ever present in your life. To me, content is accepting the condition of your life, no matter what they are- if they're good, if they're bad, you can kind of accept that and know that it's not going to stay this way forever. Even if it is the good stuff, you can know that it won't last forever. But then that doesn't mean that there won't be constant downfall or constant euphoric highs either. And that's really the part of journey of life which I think constitutes itself as simple by just experiencing it and experiencing the flow of it in whatever ways that manifests in your life.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 34:47
I want to thank both of you because you've brought an added dimension to this whole discussion in terms of looking down a little bit further into what constitutes a simple life and this whole discussion about- Is it being content? Or is it being happy? So, what I am hearing today is that acceptance could be a tipping point that allows us to be happy.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 35:14
What is 'Thriving' for you, just two words?
Susan Lay 35:18
'Possibilities' is the first one. And let me extend that 'infinite possibilities'. That's what thriving means to me. So 'infinite possibilities', they're my two words.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 35:31
Okay. Wonderful. Thank you. And what about you, Cartin?
Cartin Ong 35:33
I am going to take a different route from my mom and not have it as like a two-word phrase, but probably like two separate words. And for me, that would be 'support' and 'excitement'.
Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra 35:43
Lovely. And that's great that you both shared with us what's important to you in your own life stage. So, thank you for having this dialogue and discussion with us. The listeners would be very excited to hear the mother-and-daughter dialogue and to notice the differences and yet also to be able to celebrate the common perspectives that you have. Wonderful, thank you.
Ho Lai Yun 36:05
Thank you, Dr. Ramesh, Susan, and Cartin, we hope you've enjoyed listening to this podcast, and that you've gotten a glimpse into the lives of this dynamic mother-and-daughter duo and their drive to thrive, living a life of infinite possibilities. Next up, Dr. Ramesh meets with Prof Inderjit Singh Dhaliwal, who has a rare combination of experiences as multinational company leader, serial entrepreneur, policymaker, educator, and author. Be sure to follow Dr. Ramesh on LinkedIn so you will be alerted every time a new podcast episode comes out. Thank you and have a great day.
Bios
Ms. Susan Lay
Email: susanlay@icloud.com; Tele: +61 432 660 888
Education:
B.Bus - University of technology Sydney (UTS)
Executive Management Program – Strategic Marketing Management Harvard University
Susan is currently the Chair and Non-Executive Director of QTG Limited and Board Advisor to Arvensys Group (AGL). With industry experience spanning over 25 years in management consulting, strategic planning, business re-engineering, private equity and corporate finance experience.
Susan has spearheaded 7 successful start-ups and is an advisor to blue-chip companies in Australia, SE Asia, and the US. Working across supply chain, logistics, eCommerce, IOT, security, data, banking and finance, product development, sales & marketing, and strategic partnerships. In her spare time, she volunteers for charities and community organisations.
Previous positions include:
Managing Director (Singapore and Malaysia) – C-Bridge Internet Solutions Ltd. (Listed on NASDAQ (CBIS) and acquired by eXcelon Corporation NASDAQ EXLN))
Ms. Cartin Ong
Founder of TeenMeets
Email: cartin@teenmeets.com; cartin.ong@icloud.com
Tele: +61 497 966 888
URL: www.teenmeets.com
https://www.instagram.com/teenmeetsint/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cartin-ong-11ba17206/
Cartin is a Year 12 High School Student at Queenwood School for Girls in Sydney, Australia studying the International Baccalaureate (IB).
Accomplishments:
2021 – 2022 School Environmental Captain. Leadership role, spearheading the school’s CleanWood Club and environmental initiatives
2022 Gold Medal Duke of Edinburgh (pending approval)
2021 Silver Medal Duke of Edinburgh
2019 Bronze Medal Duke of Edinburgh
2017 – 2022 Tae Kwon Do, Black Belt (pending grading). Achieved all belts/grades from White to Red 2017-2021
2021 – current Founder of TeenMeets – an internet platform for teenagers, powered by teens from all over the world, highlighting all things teenagers want to talk about. Interviews with Mentors (CEO’s, Politicians, Athletes etc). MasterClasses and teens talking with each other about current trends and issues
2017 – current School Ensemble (guitar, level 6), also plays the piano
2021 AddiRoad – Volunteer Hampers of Hope. Raised $5,000 in sponsorship and gained over $10,000 in advertising and brand awareness for sponsoring company. Was featured on Channel 7 Sunrise (Breakfast TV)
Courses & Extra-Curricular:
2020 – 2021 University of California (UCSC) - Feminism and Social Justice (Certificate of completion)
2021 Competition Essay Medal Finalist – New College of Humanities London (Essay on International Communities and Governments)
2021 UN Youth - Invited Delegate
2021 Evatt Negotiations
2020 – 2021 University of London – Global Diplomacy and Sustainable Cities course
2020 – 2021 ESSEC Business School – Negotiations, Mediation and Conflict Resolution Course
2020 – 2021 School Mock Trials
Work Experience:
2022 AddiRoad – Paid Internship (scheduled in March 2022). To work in the legal, marketing and sponsorship departments and to shadow the CEO to understand the business model and operations
2019 – current Kumon Australia - Part-time tutor and marker (English and Maths)
2021 – current Mosman Youth Council – Volunteer
2019 Kelly Services Ltd (Perso Kelly Group), Singapore. Summer work experience
2022-2023 Pending. Patrick Farmer (former Liberal MP, Ultramarathon runner, Order of Australia), has asked me to assist with his social media coverage and sponsorships for his next marathon covering Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. A film documentary and book will be produced and Suunto Australia is likely to sponsor me with their products.