When businesses feel stuck
What we are hearing is - they want a change, and they do not know how to do it. And that is what gets us excited. We love looking at something and taking it apart from different angles and find a way to make small changes to make a business thrive again.
On IWD 2021, we want to celebrate with the women who are journeying with us and all the women embracing an equal future.
Changes are a part of life and they are something we can embrace.
The COVID-19 pandemic has sent the world spinning and as everyone is trying their best to keep going forward and recover, we are seeing women and young girls step up to participate and be involved in decision-making. Many women are standing at the front lines of this COVID-19 crisis as healthcare workers, caregivers, community organisers, leaders. Their efforts and contributions have not gone unnoticed.
What is significant during this COVID-19 pandemic is how the majority of the countries that have had more success in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic are led by women. We are talking about the Heads of Government in New Zealand, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, Germany, Iceland and Slovakia. It was just not about containing the spread of the virus. These women leaders stood out in the way they responded to the crisis. They responded efficiently and were decisive, and they had also the touch of empathy that is so needed during tough times. They were able to take in the whole picture and respond not just to the immediate health risks but also consider the broader socio-economic impacts. Leading a country in normal times is a challenge in itself. During a pandemic requires even more grit, steel and a very cool head on steady shoulders. The X-factor that made these women leaders stand out was their compassionate communication of information to the public that was fact-based, clear and transparent.
The uncomfortable reality today is, many Heads of State and Government around the world are still not led by women because of social and systemic barriers to women participating in leadership roles.
COVID-19 has plunged the dire situation of many women around the world deeper into an abyss. Lockdowns and restrictions mean that women are even more trapped in families that experience domestic violence. Many have unpaid care duties handed to them while others have to cope with unemployment while still finding a way to feed their families.
We need to change the perspectives of what women and girls can achieve and this starts at the very root, in our daily lives as we all work towards equal opportunities and empowering women and young girls in our communities.
Wonder Women who Choose to Challenge
We are so proud of our team of amazing women at Vermilion Pinstripes who come from all cultures, backgrounds and each bringing their own unique experiences and skills to the team. We are all working towards the same objective - to help businesses sell without selling, and build happy and confident businesses across the world.
Come meet our women marketing enthusiasts - Veronica Lind, Koh Joh Ju, Charlene Tan, Mehreen Hasan, Sabina Sundaramoorthy, Selena Hata and Kooi Yann Tyng!
We are proud as women to be involved in this Modern Marketing world in the Experience Economy of today. A more gender-balanced world is being built every single day by women and young girls from all over the world. Women can enjoy a sense of purpose, fulfilment and balance in their personal and professional lives to live a full and happy life.
And that is what the women on Vermilion Pinstripes are doing - striving for the opportunity to share their skills with businesses while also dedicating to their personal growth.
Veronica Lind - the Steady Anchor
As the Business and Marketing Strategist of Vermilion Pinstripes, Veronica Lind is our solid anchor who steers the steady ship of Modern Marketing.
Her background as an entrepreneur, technologist and international marketer gives her a 360 degree vision in Modern Marketing. She fully understands the challenges and difficulties of what businesses go through as they start up, find the stamina to keep going and find ways to get past obstacles. For mature businesses, the focus is different, and Veronica guides them to seed new businesses and grow exponentially. She has owned several small businesses and growing them, so she is one to walk the talk and able to offer solutions that get to the root of the issue and which are realistic and effective. Listening to and helping businesses to understand themselves and improve their branding is her skill. Most importantly, whether a business is a young seedling or a mature one with many years under its belt, she knows how to listen and engage with business owners to get them to be enthusiastic about their business potential. Her gift is inspiring business owners to get excited about taking on new skills or pushing what they currently have to new heights.
She is highly comfortable in the areas of technology, business development, sales and marketing. Veronica thrives on challenges - that is her adrenalin to keep pushing forward. She built a significant part of her career in IBM at Asia Pacific and Global levels. Veronica was also the first woman in Asia to be certified for structured cabling design, leading the successful design and installation of many large scale network cabling projects and building data centres across industries.
Challenge to Change: Veronica started selling at the age of seven, which explains why marketing for her is very much a familiar territory. Her family faced financial challenges but that did not become Veronica's setback. If anything, it propelled her to learn how to sell. She became the richest poor kid because she realised there was no harm in asking people to buy. Regardless of the answer, she had a 50-50 chance of closing the deal, which is a pretty good figure! An even bigger challenge was not to grow up being consumed by money or fear a lack of it. If anything, her past experiences led her to empathise with others and be aware of what others need. She is giving back now by mentoring, which enriches both her and the others. Veronica credits her husband for bringing her down to earth when she gets too carried away with ideas, but she knows when she chooses to embark on a new project, she will give it her all. And a nugget of wisdom from Veronica - ¨if someone tells you it can't be done, don't believe them!¨
For Veronica, running a business is not about hearing the cash registers ring and having one's head full of numbers. In our modern marketing age, businesses need an open mindset and be ready to embrace new technology with curiosity and confidence. Resistance to technology is futile in the modern marketing age. And even more important than that, Veronica always advocates putting in the Human Touch in business strategies. Going the extra mile for clients and adding the personal touch can be the vital difference in making a business stand out and stick in the minds of customers. A powerful human engagement can give any business a strong competitive edge.
Veronica takes her personal life as seriously as she does her professional. She is an avid cook and loves pottering about in the kitchen whipping up gastronomical delights for her loved ones at home. She is carrying on what she has learnt from her mother and also adding her own personal touch to her cooking. And a fun fact for you: Veronica actually owned her very own specialty café and restaurant! A prime example of how it is possible to combine passion and business and thrive!
Koh Joh Ju - the Smart Strategist
As our Communications Strategist at Vermilion Pinstripes, Koh Joh Ju specialises in seeing the strategic big picture, pinpointing what they need to focus on, and deftly guiding clients to achieve their business goals.
Joh Ju has more than 20 years of experience in sales and communications, so she has her magic bag of neverending ideas for businesses to accelerate their business and thrive with confidence.
Joh Ju has previously worked with technology and corporate clients such as Agilent, Oracle and Temasek Holdings. She was also Regional Communications Manager for IBM covering the Southeast Asia and India region for seven years.
Challenge to Change: The working world can be a jungle if one does not know how to survive and it was where Joh Ju learnt she had to stand up for herself and stand her own ground. Oppression and aggression may be ways to control people but it is far from being the most effective. To initiate a change of behaviour in people, one has to find a way to engage with another so that both can be heard. Respect is a magic ingredient that can work wonders. For Joh Ju, the right way to engage and empower is to be respectful and inclusive. In both her professional sphere at Vermilion Pinstripes and her personal arena with the animal welfare volunteer group, she hopes she is doing it right.
Joh Ju received the title of Certified Sustainability Reporting Specialist conferred by The Institute of Certified Sustainability Practitioners. In the arena of Modern Marketing, one can never really sit back and use old tools. Keeping well ahead with the latest trends and demands is a vital part of our strategy to make sure we stay fresh, alert and equipped with the necessary knowledge and skill sets to help businesses push ahead.
Joh Ju dedicates her personal time with equal passion to cat rescues (every paw and every meow is unique and special to her!) and she is also committed to serving the vulnerable members of society to enable them to live a full and dignified life.
Charlene Tan - the Marketing Magician
Our Modern Marketing Director, Charlene Tan, firmly believes in the power of human motivation. She knows how to engage with businesses to help fine tune their messaging and identity, identify gaps in their markets.
Her background is in global corporations and she has been in the field for the past 18 years working with brands such as Ogilvy, Cisco Systems, IBM and Oracle.
Charlene has amassed a rich store of experience with different clients across industries - she is convinced that modern marketing techniques are absolutely accessible to every company.
She has been swimming in marketing waters since her university days, starting with a Bachelor degree in Marketing and the Media (Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia) as well as a Certificate in Public Relations (Institute of Public Relations, Singapore).
Challenge to Change: Charlene used to do wakeboarding - it's not the "typical sports women do" but she is one feisty spirit and there was no way she could live in Perth and Melbourne and pass up the chance to challenge the waves there. This is one woman who is not afraid to ride the waves, get wet and be fearless at sea! That same attitude is applied to what she does at work. There are no rules to say the capricious waves are only for "surfer dudes". So, who's afraid of a little water?
Charlene has since hung up her adventurous board and is moving on to a different way to enjoy life - running with her also equally feisty pet Maltese who may be blind but is always ready to soak up life and all its smells, textures and tastes! Who says it's a dog's life? We would be quite happy to be Charlene's canine running companion!
Mehreen Hasan - the Digital Master
What do you get when you combine the best of marketing and technology? Mehreen Hasan! She is our Marketing Technologist who switched from Communications after 10 years to being Vermilion Pinstripes' Marketing Technologist. Her strong technology background stood her in good stead and gave her an edge over others with only marketing knowledge.
Challenge to Change: Mehreen now heads Vermilion Pinstripes' North American office in Canada, Mississauga, bringing the team's unique Modern Marketing expertise to clients on the other side of the globe, helping even more happy businesses thrive with confidence.
Sabina Sundaramoorthy - the Visual Wizard
Sabina Sundaramoorthy is our Graphic and Visual Communication Designer for Vermilion Pinstripes' newly launched Brilliant-Online Magazine.
Selena Hata - Mentee on a Mission
Anyone meeting Selena Hata for the first time is most struck by her bright enthusiasm and sunny smile, and that energy is what she brings to Modern Marketing at Vermilion Pinstripes. This is what Modern Marketing feels like - it is exciting, creative, bright, fun and always bubbling with ideas.
Challenge to Change: Moving to a new place and starting a new job in a new industry is a lot on one's plate. Selena is facing her own personal series of challenges sunny side up. Better to press on with an open and receptive attitude and that is bringing her a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction each time she faces a new challenge and conquers it. As they say, when the student is ready, the teacher appears. Selena is celebrating all her milestones at Vermilion Pinstripes and is finding Modern Marketing a really exciting place to be in and grow!
Kooi Yann Tyng - the Story Weaver
Challenge to Change: Establishing a new life for herself in Spain learning the language, finding a job and a place to live and putting herself out there to make new human connections as herself, without the safety net of familiarity. And realising in the end, we are all beautifully human in the same way - we are all wired for connection.
Lifting others around us
