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Cool hipster place at one|half & awesome canteen in Taman Paramount PJ

Thanks to our hipster 16 year old daughter, we found these stores in Taman Paramount, Petaling Jaya – called “one|half” and “awesome canteen”. Both places were run by the same friends and creates a very hip ambience. 

What I found interesting was more to do with the marketing of low volume, hand made, local products – as you can see in the photos. Given these are low volume and very niche products – the pricing is not what you would call cheap. However, I believe by creating an experience and a social cause association with local producers – such products can be positioned and differentiated from merely low cost products.

What is additionally interesting is this experience can be used to increase appreciation for locally produced, low volume and hand made goods. I have seen these forms of experiences in US, Europe and Japan, places that are not afraid to create fresh experiences (and sometimes promote social causes) with niche products would thus create demand for such local goods. Some chain stores like “Lush” even take an activist approach to enhancing such social benefits to the eco system. No doubt this social activist approach helps draw and create demand from customers who share these ideals.

This should be something we should explore and fund to stimulate demand for local cottage businesses.

one|half and awesome canteen can be found at Jalan 20/13 Taman Paramount PJ. You can probably locate them on google maps.

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Goals – keep you moving forward. Purpose – helps you get up when you’re down.

I was asked the question today on how do I keep myself motivated, even when things are so stacked against you.

We often have goals, aspirations – whatever you want to call it. Often life finds a way to deal you cards that knock you off the path to your goals. And you wonder how you are going to ever achieve these aspirations. Over time, you start to scale your goals down. And finally you just settle. 

Nothing wrong with just settling. In fact, it is good to be happy with what you have.

However sometimes, for some people – this may not be enough. And that is ok too. It is good that a few people in this world choose to have big aspirations. This is important so that we can look up to them and they can lead the way. And often big aspirations have a bad habit of not coming true or getting derailed. 

I believe that if you have a clear purpose – you will find the energy to pick yourself up and move forward. A purpose is slightly different to a goal or aspiration. A purpose is something larger than oneself – whereas to me, a goal tends to be about oneself. A purpose is about how you can make an impact (positive, preferably) to other people. This is meaningful and brings reason and purpose to one’s existence.

Identifying your own purpose is not very obvious. And no one can tell you what your purpose is. Only you know it. Or will know it, if you keep searching. Some have described purpose is the overlap between finding your gift – and – sharing your gift with others. To some people, this purpose may come from a particular event in one’s life. To others it may be readily apparent. 

Once you’ve found your purpose, you’ve found something bigger than a few mere setbacks. That is what will help you.

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The environment shapes culture. Change the environment, culture will follow.

Culture eats strategy for breakfast.

You can have a great strategy, but if the culture is not right then the strategy will fail. What is culture? In simple terms, my view of culture relates to how people act and behave, their habits and norms, their priorities and focuses.

But changing or reshaping culture is not an easy thing. You cannot change how people conduct themselves. You can’t effectively force people who love to spend to suddenly save. You can tell them to do so, remind and cajole them even. But they will not willingly or naturally do so.

However, if you create a hypothetical situation where prices increases sharply, then people will start to save. This can be clearly seen with regards to natural resources such as water. If water is cheap, people will use it with very little thought and often waste it. When water is precious and expensive then people will start to save it.

The same applies in management. If you want a culture of obedience, you create detailed rules and processes (bureaucracy!), you emphasise punishment and fear. If you want a culture of innovation, you allow more freedom especially for people to think different and try new things. You create the space and encourage minds to open.

Don’t spend time trying to get people to behave differently. Work on the systems and processes, not the people.

Don’t bother trying to change people behaviours. Just change your management processes. Identify what kind of culture you want. What behaviours you would like to see. Be very clear on this. Then identify what are the current systems and processes that inhibit these behaviours and those the encourage these behaviours. Start changing those systems and processes.

Work on the systems. The culture will follow.

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The long journey to success is a journey of personal growth and change

Many things we do that is meaningful, is never easy.

Often we will face significant challenges, make mistakes and create enemies. But at the same time we become better, we learn new things and we make new friends – as long as we have a clear purpose and aim to do what is right with humility, sincerity and integrity. It is so important to find your purpose and values.

Inspire people towards their purpose, build up and not take down. Help them see the future. Spend time with them creating the future. Allow them to be creative, don’t kill dreams, don’t kill diversity. Accept them as people with big dreams.

Hold firm to your values. Your values will guide you in your actions and decisions, especially when you are faced with difficult choices.

Keep your beliefs strong – yet, open to other beliefs. Because beliefs are just that: beliefs. These are not truths. Always ensure that we keep our minds open; open to learning new things. Be a good listener, and seek first to understand others in order to be understood. Resist the temptation to jump and react in the first instance, stay calm and contemplate your situation properly.

Empower others. Empower them with knowledge, information and the ability to make decisions. 

Forgive. People who are sincere, should be forgiven. 

If you’re on a journey that is meaningful – you will need all these and more because the journey is tough, but the journey is the reward, even if you do not reach the end.