Episode 151. Quit Story: Tips for Becoming a Full-Time Entrepreneur: Having High Standards, Consistency, and Personal Branding (Janice Tee)

When I first met Janice online in late 2020, I was instantly impressed with how she carries herself with confidence and poise. At the same time, I also admired the way she thinks about entrepreneurship as a young millennial. 

I knew very quickly that I wanted to invite Janice to my podcast.

So, Janice was actually one of our first guests on the show (Previously known as The Side Hustle Club). 

Some highlights from Episode 25 of the podcast include:

  • Janice’s decision to dive straight into full-time entrepreneurship  
  • How to deal with people’s assumptions and judgment about you and your success
  • What it means to fully take ownership of your business success 

Now, a few years later, I’m so excited to have Janice back onto the show (now known as The Thought Leader Club) to unpack her journey since we last spoke on the podcast 🙂 

In This Episode:

What has changed for Janice since Episode 25, which was 2 years ago

Cheryl:

Janice, could you start by just sharing a bit about who you are and what you do?

Janice:

Awesome. Thanks for having me on the podcast. I’m so excited to be here.

I am a business coach and strategist. Basically I work with service-based entrepreneurs, either on a one-on-one basis for private coaching. I also run The Audacity, which is a year long VIP membership collective, where we talk about really everything from business strategy, marketing, sales, all of that, to even like the mindset and inner identity work so people can really step up and level up not just in strategy, but also in who they are as a business owner.

Cheryl:

Awesome. Those of you who are OGs of the podcast, you might remember Janice from Episode 25 of The Side Hustle Club Podcast back when we were still called The Side Hustle Club.

Janice was actually one of the very early guests. This episode will probably either be Episode 151, or 152, I think. So that’s like 120-ish episodes ago.

Janice:

It’s basically a lot of episodes ago.

Cheryl:

And I’m sure a lot has happened for you, Janice.

We talked a lot more about Janice’s Quit Story regarding her decision to quit her corporate job to become an entrepreneur. So if you really want to get a deeper dive into that story, definitely do check out Taking Ownership of Your Business Success & Mindset with Janice Tee, before or after this episode. 

I want to start off with just asking you Janice. It’s been two-ish years since you were last on this podcast. What has changed in two years? 

Janice:

Well, I don’t even know where to start with this. I would say actually, not a lot when it comes to work. Not a lot in the sense that I feel like I’m still doing the same thing. But it’s just a lot deeper, a lot more refined. And with a lot more nuance.

I think fundamentally it is not like things change every year. Of course, there are moving parts. But I feel that the vision of where I want to take things has just gotten clearer. I’ve gotten a lot better at what I’m doing. So I would say in that sense, not a lot.

But obviously, and we might dive more into this later as well, as you keep something going, especially upwards, obviously there are things in life, in business, in just things that happen, because we’re not only business owners, we’re also human beings, that come along the way.

And I think those things, some smaller, some bigger, are what shapes our mindset, our identity and who we actually are, as business owners and leaders. I think that would be what changed in terms of how you grow as a person and as a business owner as well. I would say that’s the biggest thing.

How Janice holds herself to such impeccable standards and operates with so much grace, even when tough things in life happen

Cheryl:

As for the audience who is watching this on video, you can see that we’re in person. So we’ve been like in-person friends for the past few years since I moved to Singapore.

As a friend, as a follower of you on Instagram, I have seen a lot happen for you personal life wise. One thing that I’ve just seen throughout the years is how you always carry yourself with so much resilience, grace and strength.

And I think that really ties in with what you just said about even though business wise, maybe things haven’t changed that much, but the vision has changed. I feel like you’re just like your strength and grace. How you really embody that was so evident for me as your friend, as I just continue to watch your journey.

So I wanted to maybe dive a little bit deeper there.

First of all, life wasn’t easy for you in the past few years whatsoever. For lack of a better word, when shit hits the fan for you in your personal life, how do you still have the mental strength and capacity to keep growing your business? Because that’s something that I really admire about you.

Janice:

Well, first of all, thank you. It means a lot to me because I do agree with a lot of what you said. That’s how I describe myself as well.

But I feel like the misconception is that it comes naturally for me. It looks like it comes naturally. I think as with everything else, being able to still do what’s best for you, despite things in life making it hard, that’s something that comes along with practice. Like with a lot of practice. That’s the short answer to that.

But also whether in business or in personal life, people generally would describe me as a really consistent person. I don’t know if you agree.

Cheryl:

Yup. No questions there.

Janice:

So I think why I have such high standards is simply because I just refuse to accept anything less of myself. That’s who I am. I don’t want to accept sub-standards in my personal life, my friendships, my work. I don’t want any mediocrity there. That is just a standard for myself.

How that pertains to my identity is I see myself as someone who does difficult stuff. I see myself as someone who doesn’t give up. This is going to be interesting, because I think we might talk more about this. Because what does giving up mean? How does it relate to quitting? We might get more into that.

Fundamentally, I just refuse to settle. And that really ties into my identity, where I feel like we really are put in this world as human beings to do big things. I really believe that. This has been since day one of my business and even before, like me, as a person.

I just refuse to believe that we are here just to be normal, and to be mediocre, and to just do things and just exist. To me, if we are put here, I want to do something that lights me up. I want to do something that is exciting. And I think everyone can do that too. I refuse to believe that you have to feel like crap about yourself, while creating all these things.

Because of that, my brain is just like, well, since that’s impossible, how can I then do what’s best for me, move towards my goal and navigate all of this? My brain starts looking for solutions of how rather than, “Oh, now this has happened. Let me just settle.”

I’m not settling.

Cheryl:

Could you give us an example of something maybe from the past two years? Because I actually recall that you did share examples of how you made decisions. We focused a lot more on your story of quitting corporate on Episode 25.

But I’m curious to know, do you have an example from maybe the past two-ish years since we last had you on the show? When other people would give up and quit, and you didn’t? Do you have an example of something?

Janice:

I feel like this could go multiple ways. I’m trying to think of what would be the best example of this.

I would say actually in terms of business direction. Because in the coaching industry, and in even just service-based industry. And as I’ve gone to grow my business, literally when I started it was like zero expectations. So it was like yay! 5k months, 10k months, 6 figure years.

And then as I had all these multiple 6 figure years, a great side effect of that is my network expanded. I got to meet a lot more successful people. But it also can be almost another hamster wheel where people are like, “Oh, this is how you should scale your business.”

And there were a lot of things that I saw and heard from more successful entrepreneurs or more established entrepreneurs that I didn’t necessarily agree with. And it could be great for them. But it wasn’t great for me based on what I wanted for my business.

A really easy thing to do would be to give up on your own direction, and just be like, “Okay, this is how I make more money. This is how I scaled a business.” But I wanted to do it without giving up fundamentally what I was most excited about.

So I would say that’s where a lot of people might like, put things aside and be like, oh, it’s scary to push through with the direction you want. Because you don’t know if it’s gonna work or not. Like maybe it’s never been done before, maybe you don’t know. And that’s kind of scary.

It’s easy to kind of give up on that and take the route that everyone says you should in business and like, expand a team or start selling digital courses. And by the way, there’s like nothing wrong with all of this, right?

But then it’s whether or not it’s right for me, and I just didn’t feel like it was right for me.

Something I’m really proud about is sticking through 100% With what feels the most aligned for me. For me, that’s always been working in close proximity with people.

Sure, I could do paid marketing and sell digital courses. And I’m not saying I never will. But I’m saying, during that time, it just wasn’t right for me.

I’m proud of myself for sticking true to the core essence of who I am and what I want to do in my business. I think it’s quite easy to get sidetracked sometimes.

Cheryl:

Hmm. Now, I’m really curious, because we touched on a business example.

Is there a personal life example where, because you mentioned that you are someone who doesn’t settle for mediocrity, you have a lot of high standards…

Janice:

Yeah.

Cheryl:

Tell us about a personal, offline example of you just having your own set of values and standards.

Janice:

I mean, I have to talk about this now. Because it’s just like what is real for me.

If any of the listeners or viewers follow me, I’m generally quite private when it comes to my personal life. That’s just how I am.

But I think a really big thing that happened for me would probably be ending my relationship of more than five years with someone that I thought I was potentially going to marry and obviously build a future with.

Because I’m so selective about the quality of people that I let into my inner world. Obviously, they are very important to me, and letting go of things like that, it’s not easy.

But at the same time, I think my thought process and this can relate to many other things in life as well. I fundamentally believe that if something is not aligned for you at this stage, you should not be afraid to let go of it, whether it’s a business direction, whether it’s a person, whether it’s a friendship, whatever it might be. Because I really truly believe that something better is about to happen.

It’s so scary when you want to change business directions, or when you want to let go of someone who’s been in your life, or anything that’s just comfortable and it’s good. It wasn’t even bad, right?

And things have been working in a relationship, in business. I think that’s why it’s so scary, because you just don’t know if you can find something good enough. Or a lot of people are scared of letting go and holding on to what they know is right for them and staying true to that. Because you’re scared. “What if this is the best that I can ever get?” Right? “What if I can’t find better than this?”

But I don’t believe in that.

If I know that this is not 100% right for me to go for in the future, whatever it might be. Then only by letting go of this can I then open the doors for all the great things that are going to happen to me after.

But then it just requires this scary leap of faith into the unknown. And we all hate change and the unknown instinctively as human beings. I feel like the scary part is that our physiological reaction with our bodies, like when it comes to change, we’re scared, we want to run away.

What hit me was actually our instinct is against us doing great things. Because to do great things, we need to constantly step up. We need to constantly get out of our comfort zone. We need to constantly try new things. And all these things are things that make our body go like, “Oh my God, no, that’s strange. This is weird. I want to run away.” or “Oh my God, that’s scary. I don’t want that.”

So our natural instinct is actually counterproductive to us growing and us ascending to that next level. Being aware of this, you have to fight what you naturally feel like doing, in order to actually do the things that you’re meant to do. That are huge, that are big things and opens you up to a world of possibility.

That awareness, whether it’s in personal life, or whether that’s in business, that’s something that I’m very aware of. It helps me make decisions that are right for my future, and not my present and my past.

Cheryl:

What you just shared reminds me of what you shared on Episode 25. I just love how consistent your values have been. Because when you came onto the show two-ish years ago, you shared basically the same exact values. But in terms of how you quit corporate and how you know that there were just bigger things that you were meant for, besides just continuing to stay in a job where you didn’t really see yourself being in.

I remember you mentioned how you looked at your boss’ boss’ job, I think. And that just wasn’t the position that you wanted. You knew that you were meant for something even greater. And that’s why you took the leap of faith.

I think it was three years ago when you quit your job?

Janice:

I think like maybe almost four now.

Cheryl:

Okay, almost four.

Yeah. It’s just incredible that you still continue to operate out of this mindset, this set of values, even years later. That just goes to show consistency, which you mentioned earlier.

So now, I think it would be a really interesting segue…

Because by the way, thank you for sharing that personal life example. I did not expect you to share that. I thought you were gonna share about how you were really committed to working out these days.

Janice:

I mean, I guess another trait that’s been really consistent about me is that I’m very straightforward. So I will not put myself in situations where I feel uncomfortable.

But if I am put in a situation where I’m asked a question, I would just be really direct and honest. And that’s just how I am everywhere I think.

Building a brand online: Action, creativity and consistency

Cheryl:

I really appreciate you for sharing quite a personal example from your life.

Speaking of personal boundaries, I think you did mention it so far in this conversation. You are able to really compartmentalize or have boundaries for what you share and what you don’t share. And you’re really mindful of your own privacy, your own personal life. You’re really good at separating to where you feel where you feel called to do so.

I’m really curious to know, first of all, how would you describe the brand that you’ve built so far online for your business as an entrepreneur?

Also number two, how do you decide what to separate? Because for a lot of people, it’s more on brand for them to share more personally. But for others, that’s not their style or approach. So I’m curious to know, how do you separate the two?

Janice:

How would I describe my brand? I think the word brand is thrown around a lot. So I’ll just talk about how I view the word “brand”.

To me, my brand is like my reputation, that’s just who I am. Usually, that should be really concurrent offline and online. When you see me in person, it shouldn’t be very different from when you see me online.

How I would describe my brand is that I’m a doer. I’m very action-based, very growth oriented. That’s the first thing.

The second thing is I always find my own way of doing things. If I want to make a launch that is a cross between a fashion magazine and a business thing. I will do it, because why not? I like finding creative angles for things and there’s no script, there’s no one way of, “This is how you do it.” You get to define how you want to do it. So I would say creative.

The third thing is consistent. You wouldn’t see me jumping from one niche to the other. I wouldn’t, in four years, be doing business coaching and then fitness coaching and then self-love coaching. I like depth and substance to things. I like high quality things. And in order to get something that is of high quality, you need to really work on it. There’s a constant process of refinement.

So let’s say consistent, consistent refinement and consistency. Action based creativity, like there’s no one way of doing things. And then just consistently going at it.

This last one has been such a big thing for me just throughout life. Because I actually think consistency is the number one thing that makes people successful. It always blows my mind how it’s not even about how smart you are, how much natural resources you start out with, whether it’s financial resources, or educational resources.

It’s really people who keep going at it, and do not give up. You will inevitably grow, you will inevitably learn, you will inevitably evolve your network, your skill set, everything to the point where success is inevitable for you.

That’s why I think consistency is so important as well. That’s a very big part of my brand and who I am offline and online.

Cheryl:

I’m gonna jump in here and ask. Speaking of consistency and how you really need to put in the years and time and hard work and practice over and over and over again, to get good at something. 

This could be a business or non-business example. What was something that you used to, for lack of a better word, sucked at, but now you’re a lot better at.

Janice:

The most obvious one to me would be working out. I’m not naturally great. I talk about this all the time. I am not someone who likes to go to the gym. Now I am someone who goes to gym every 24 to 48 hours. But still, I do not like it.

I do it because it’s good for me, it clears my mind. It’s in line with my identity of, I’m someone who can do difficult things. I’m someone who does not give up. I’m someone who can do things that are good for me and my future.

Even though I don’t feel like it at the moment. Although I do not like it. Still, it does get easier just because now my body is used to it, now there’s less resistance. So things do get easier. And it seems easier for you from the outside, when you put in more work into it.

That would be the most obvious one of me really not being good at it, right? Till now, I would say that I’m not the worst person in the gym. So that’s really good.

Building a brand online: Separating your personal life from business

Cheryl:

Looping back to the second part of the earlier question, which was separating business brands or just brands? How do you separate personal life from your work online? How do you set the boundaries for what to share and what not to share?

Janice:

Okay, so I think, and let me know if I’m not answering your question. But my personal view towards how personal should I go? And how business should I go? Should I share anything about my private life at all?

I actually think the answer is the same for everyone. Because everyone is different in a way.

So the way that I view this is, it should be authentic to who you are offline. Because your brand and your reputation should be an accurate reflection of who you are offline, right?

So I go offline, if I meet a group of people that I don’t really know, would I tell them about my, you know, a conversation that I had with my dad last night? I wouldn’t. So would I do that online? I won’t.

But maybe there are people who go for a networking event, and they meet someone for the first time and talking about your family is something that they’re totally cool with. So then what would they then share that online? Probably.

The most important thing is staying true to who you are, and not feeling pressured to be like, Oh, everyone’s building a personal brand. We have to story tell. We have to be really raw and emotional and vulnerable, in order for stories to sell. But that’s not who I am. But I’m going to do that. Because it seems like what’s going to work.

I don’t think that’s going to work. That’s going to come across as really fake and people can feel it. Even if you’re not speaking it. Even if you’re writing it, people can feel when something feels forced. So I wouldn’t do that.

Also on the flip side, if I’m someone who naturally goes out there and really loves sharing my life with people, like random people on the street, I wouldn’t hold myself back and be like, oh, I need to be more professional. Because that’s not who you are.

Authenticity is the number one thing that people love, and whether you’re super businessy, or whether you’re super like candid and casual, people can tell when it’s real or not. People can tell when you’re trying to be too professional or too friendly when that’s not who you are.

Staying true to who you are, and not being afraid to go all out on that. I think that’s the most important thing.

Cheryl:

I really like that. An example that came into my head as you were sharing is.. So Janice and I both have a cat. Janice’s cat, her name is Bailey. My cat’s name is Nugget.

For those of you who might follow me on Instagram, in particular, you might know that I post a lot of cat related pictures and content in Instagram stories.

And Janice might occasionally post about her cat Bailey.

But if we were to flip the script, and I kind of barely post about cats, and Janice posts 24/7 or every day, it would be out of integrity for both of us.

Janice:

Yes, that would be really weird.

Cheryl:

That’s just an example of how you just know what is enough in integrity with you and what you would normally share. As you said, if you would share it normally as you would, maybe it’s worthwhile to share it on your business related profile as well.

Janice:

I actually do want to say something here. A really important piece of this, especially when it ties into your work, your business, is that when you’re not in integrity with who you are, and you’re trying to be more of something or less of something and just doesn’t really feel right. It doesn’t really feel like yourself, you will struggle with consistency, which will then impact your business.

Because when you’re not feeling 100% who you are, it doesn’t energize you, you are dragging your feet. Tell me in the comments or tell Cheryl, but have you guys ever had that moment where you just take out your phone, and you just know you’re supposed to film that IG story, right? But then you just stare at your phone. And 45 minutes later, you’re still staring at your phone. You just can’t bring yourself to say anything, because, I don’t want to say it, I’m not excited to talk about it.

And if that’s how you feel on one day, and you keep feeling that you need to be someone else, your business is literally going to die. At least your marketing and your branding is not going to be there.

Because you’re just not going to feel like showing up. Everything is gonna feel forced. You’re gonna stare at your Word document wondering for the tenth time what your caption should be. And then you look at it after you post it, and you still hate it, which makes it worse tomorrow.

So how you can be consistent, is really to stay true to who you are and what you want to do. Because then you’re excited to do it. Then you’re excited to show up. It’s like, “I can’t wait to tell you guys about this. This is like the best thing ever!”

And it’s not fake. You can hear my excitement because now I’m thinking about The Audacity. But it’s like, I can’t do something that I’m not excited about, that’s not true to who I am. Honestly, I feel like no one can for a long period of time. Even if you can stay consistent, the impact is not going to be there, or you’re probably going to burn out internally.

That is why you see people, I’m so sorry, but that is why you see people disappear off the Internet because things are just out of alignment. They don’t check themselves before it’s too late. And sometimes that’s why people just leave. They’re just like, “This is not for me, I can’t do it anymore.”

Janice’s thought process on creating The Audacity, her new flagship program

Cheryl:

You know, one thing that I think this is a great segue into is The Audacity. Again, for those who might not know, this is Janice’s new flagship program essentially.

And I remember telling Janice a week or two ago, when we met up, I was telling you how when I first saw you announced The Audacity. I just felt like it just made sense.

Like it just makes sense that like this is something that Janice is creating, that she’s offering that, she’s inviting people into. It just made sense.

We could have a conversation about your thought process behind creating The Audacity.

Because we’ve talked so much about how we should be making decisions in our lives and businesses that’s in integrity, that’s not fake. We’re not faking it. We’re not doing it just because other people are doing it.

Maybe it will be worthwhile to have a conversation about what was your thought process behind creating The Audacity?

Janice:

The Audacity is a VIP membership. It’s going to be close proximity and highly filtered.

But I would say it’s not something that I thought about like, “Okay, I want to create a group collective, a VIP membership.” And then like, “How am I going to create it?” It was more so from the perspective of, when I really enjoy deep work, I enjoy high quality work with great people. So I was looking at how I can work with more people who are aligned and what do they really need?

I realized this thing, because previously, I was like, anyone can hit six figures with the right strategies with the right action. A lot of what I do is teaching action-based strategies, practical things, your marketing, your sales, how are you going to handle objections, how are you going to put your messaging in a way that hits people. All of this I still 1,000% stand by it.

But then The Audacity came about when I was thinking about it. Yes, it’s possible for people to hit 6 figures. But why is it that much harder for people to hit 6 figures consistently? Or is it possible for people to hit 5 figure months? Why is it so hard for people to hit 5 figure months, 36 months in a row?

It’s clearly not the strategy because you know how to get there already. So what else is missing? Clearly, there’s something that’s not being talked about.

That’s when I realized it’s about everything that happens when you’re not doing. It’s about everything that happens when you’re not showing up online, when you’re not talking to clients, when you’re not doing your marketing. Who are you when you’re not doing? Who are you when things are not working? I feel like that piece determines so much of the success or lack of success that you’re going to do.

The Audacity also talks about your leadership, how you lead yourself, not just when things are working, but when things are not working. Who you are and what is your vision? How are you going to present yourself in this world? What kind of standards do you hold yourself to?

A lot of that is not just about inner identity, but also who you are as a leader. How do you lead yourself? So the combination of that inner peace, and the practical strategies in a space where I think it’s so important to also not feel like you’re the only one. Because entrepreneurship is such a lonely journey. 

I’ve been relatively able to navigate this alone, as a solo entrepreneur, but I realized that something people find quite difficult. Because human beings are social creatures, right? When you feel like you’re the only one doing it, it’s very hard to hold on.

You know that feeling where you don’t feel like going to this event? But then your friends are like, let’s go. Then once you get there, you feel so much better. Because your friends are with you. Or even like a simple night out, you just don’t feel like going out. But then you meet your friends, and they’re also going out. Then you just get over it. And when you’re there, you’re actually feeling 10,000 times better. You’re like, I’m so glad I went out. 

I think that just knowing that you’re not in this alone, that you can have the practical strategies plus the inner work, and you want to reach for something more. And you’re not crazy for thinking that you can have it all, because look at all these other amazing people who are also working towards the same things.

And yes, it’s tough. But you’re not the only one. Don’t lie to yourself, or let yourself buy into the lie that it’s not possible or that no one else is doing it. Because it is possible.

When we see this as something that’s super far away, like entrepreneurs halfway around the world who are making eight, nine figures, are doing. We start to think, “Oh, we’re not like them, so we can’t do it.”

So I wanted to create a space where, no, it’s not just for people halfway across the world, or 10 steps ahead of you. It’s like, it’s here. It’s now. The future is now. Your future is literally what you do today.

Who are you being today? What are you doing? And who are you around? I think it is also really important. You don’t want to be around people who tell you that you’re crazy or that things are not possible.

You want to be around people who are like actively fighting for and working for their dreams, things that are meaningful to them. People who are high on life, people who push through difficult things, because that is who you become. The people that you are around, it’s who you eventually become.

That’s why I’m so passionate about creating this space.

Cheryl:

You know, let the last point you mentioned about community, essentially, and being surrounded by people who not just get it, but they’re also essentially fighting for their own dreams and creating something big for themselves.

I’m curious to know, have you, especially in terms of your entrepreneur journey, have there ever been people who, whether they talk shit about you or they weren’t supportive? Basically it just wasn’t pleasant? Have you had that kind of encounter?

Janice:

Um, honestly, no. I don’t know if I have. I’m pretty sure you know, not the whole world has only nice things to say about anyone and everyone. But I feel like I’ve never explicitly faced that.

The thought that people don’t agree with what I’m doing. To me. It’s just like, Oh, cool. You prefer apples. I prefer pears. So I don’t get affected by that.

I think I’ve been lucky enough not to have someone explicitly come to me and be like, you are terrible. Your work is terrible. So, no.

But I think it’s also because of how I am. I know that if you come up to me and tell me in real life that my work is terrible, I would really ask you why.

And so if you’re hating for the sake of hating, then it’s just gonna make you look silly. I think that’s maybe why people don’t come to me. I don’t know. But, yeah.

Being friends with other entrepreneurs: A chat on “competition”

Cheryl:

Let’s flip the conversation. I’m curious to know, what’s your experience with having entrepreneur friends or maybe even non-entrepreneur friends. Because I think we all have both.

What role do friends play in your entrepreneurial journey? How important is it to you that you have friends who are maybe doing the same thing as you, or even friends who are not doing the same things as you?

Just tell us about friendships, basically.

Janice:

I do have a lot of entrepreneurial friends, they are not always doing the same thing. Some of them are running brick and mortar kind of businesses, some of them are not even based in the same country.

I also have friends who are non-entrepreneurs that I hold very close to heart. In short, I think a big role, because I think if you look at any successful business, it’s not just the creative person, or the CEO, or the visionary. They’re always really well supported by either a team or they’re usually very well supported by a spouse, also in a lot of situations. And it doesn’t have to be a spouse, it can be friends as well. Right.

Maybe I’ll split this into two parts, which is business and entrepreneur, friends, and then also non-entrepreneurial friends.

When I have the privilege to meet people who are really 10 steps ahead, like now, I have clients who run seven figure businesses. Or maybe non-clients that I’ve just gotten to know who run like eight figure businesses. I think it’s just so great. Like, I’ve never seen entrepreneurs as competing.

I think entrepreneurs are people who make things happen, like, why do we have this mic? Because someone invented it? Why do we have our phones? Why do we have the platforms that we have? These are all like creative people who are like this thing that didn’t exist before I let me create it. And I think it’s great.

So when I see people succeed around me, entrepreneurs, like I get so happy, and I like, I’ve never seen it as like a competition thing. I’m more like, wow, like, this is so cool. This is what’s possible. And I’m so happy that I know you, that I get to call you my friend, and that I get to see you create all these things in the world.

It actually leaves me very motivated and inspired to know that there are people who are not dragging their feet and existing. There are people who are out there, like we’re creating things in this world. And we’re making things happen. Like how exciting is that? So I’ve never understood the competition thing. 

For me, it’s more like what’s possible, as opposed to like, oh, like, now you’ve made this? Now that means I can’t because you’re taking away my market share or whatever. I think that’s so silly.

Cheryl:

Yeah and like mathematically, it just doesn’t make sense that just because someone is successful, that means you’re not as good, or you won’t have the same success. Mathematically, it just doesn’t make sense. 

Anyways.

Janice:

Yeah, even if someone is in the same niche, or in industry as you, you can learn so much from each other. And I think this is actually a really important point. If you care about your work and your impact, and you’re not in it just to make the next dollar, then it should be so great. Because you can’t serve all the clients in the world. You can’t serve all the customers in the world. And you will actually be really happy that there are other people, because then this work gets to be carried forward.

For me, this idea of dreaming of something bigger and taking the action to make it happen. I can’t serve millions of people. And there are billions of people in this world. So if I was the only one doing it, then the impact of people knowing like, “I can do more. I can create more”, would be so much less and that’s why I think it’s great.

But if you’re in it just for the next dollar, then it would be very easy to fall into that scarcity mindset of like, “Oh, you took one client. Now I can’t have that client.” If you view it more from an impact perspective, where you can actually have it all. You can actually go for holiday and take time off completely if that’s what you want.

This way of living and this way of creating life as you want it, can be done in so many different ways, thought in so many different ways.

I think that’s just amazing because that’s what I think people are meant to experience a big fulfilling life, in work and in life, and not just like, exist.

How Janice and Cheryl became friends!

Cheryl:

Hmm, I think this will be a really great point for me to insert a throwback story here. Since we’re talking about friendships I want to share about how we first connected. I think it was late 2020. 

Janice:

It was definitely COVID. Yeah, it was peak COVID times.

Cheryl:

I think it was late 2020. Because your episode came out in 25 episodes. Episode 25 was maybe around March 2021. So it has to be late 2020.

Anyway, I think it will be really apt to share this story. I’m pretty sure I first found Janice on Instagram. I saw that you were an Asian female coach in Singapore and I got so excited. My then-boyfriend, now husband, we were long distance. I was in Hong Kong, and he’s in Singapore. So I knew that one day, I will be in Singapore.

Just the fact that there was a female Asian coach in Singapore, I was like, I have to be friends with her right now. So that when I go to Singapore, we’ll be friends! Like real friends. Also since I first followed you, and started to look at your posts and content, I saw how you carried yourself.

You have a certain presence, especially when you speak. The choice of words you say. I think you just have such a great presence. And you have a lot of very thoughtful things to say. That was my first impression.

What was really meaningful for me was that when I eventually came to Singapore, and my husband and I got married, basically no one except my parents could make it to the wedding, not even friends or our family. 

So I invited you and a few other coach friends that I made. The fact that you guys came to my wedding meant so much to me. Like it really meant so much to me. And now we’re much, much closer as time has gone on. And we hung out and got to know each other even more.

But honestly, it meant so much to me that we were able to have enough of a connection that you would come to my wedding, which was an important thing for me.

Janice:

Of course! It’s a wedding!

Cheryl:

I wanted to share that having entrepreneur friends, or making friends through not just through school, for example, just because your family knew each other. Actually making friends outside of your circle, and maybe they’re doing the same thing as you, has really changed my life.

Because, as you said, it can be a really lonely journey. Not a lot of people that you know personally, are doing the same thing as you. Having entrepreneur friends who are doing similar or the same thing as me has been so helpful for me emotionally.

And who knows, maybe you’ll invite them to your wedding in the future. Like whoever’s listening to this right now.

That’s why I wanted to share that story, since we’re on the topic of friendships. Yeah, very wholesome. 

Janice:

Very wholesome, very on brand.

Janice’s style and why it matters when showing up in her business and in her personal life

Cheryl:

Now, I also want to dive into… I didn’t plan to talk about this, but let’s see where this goes.

One thing I also really like about Janice, is your style. That was one thing that really stood out to me, since the very beginning was whenever I saw you, you’re wearing outfits that are expressive of you. Like it suits you. It looks great. It feels like such a Janice thing to wear.

Could you tell us about your style and how style has played a role in your business?

Janice:

Well, I’m not sure if this is a boring answer. But I’ll tell you something interesting. I’ve been the same height, which is 165 cm, and roughly the same size since I had my growth spurt at 15.

So it’s obviously like way more than a decade later now. I feel like my style is largely similar. I don’t go through phases. My wardrobe has always been black, white, blue, gray and maybe 10% of colorful stuff that I only wear for themed parties or special occasions. So I think it’s been really consistent. That’s one.

I never feel pressured to wear something that I don’t want to wear. I think that’s also why corporate killed me. I jokingly talk about this sometimes. But the idea of wearing something that is the same as everyone else doesn’t feel quite right. It just doesn’t sit well with me. So being an entrepreneur in that sense is great.

I also think another very important aspect is that when people, and this is just my personal view, look at you, you make not just a first impression, but you make an impression every time. And I have nothing against sweatshirts and your hair in a bun or you’re wearing glasses. That’s just sometimes how life is. 

But when you carry yourself to a higher standard, if you really see yourself as a CEO, the owner of a business, would your CEO actually walk into a company with messy hair? And an unbuttoned shirt, like, random plastic bag? I don’t think so.

And why is that? They also have bad hair days. They also might have gotten less than two hours of sleep last night because their baby was crying. But they don’t show up like that at work because they hold themselves to a higher standard, like the world is watching.

I feel like sometimes as entrepreneurs, we trivialize our business. We’re like, well, it’s just me, or it’s just me and a few freelancers that I’m hiring. I don’t care how big or small your business is, whether you’re a solopreneur, or whether you have like a hundred people in your company, right? 

If you see yourself as a leader, then show up as one. I think fundamentally because of that, that’s why I show up the way I do online, on Zoom. If I have one hour of sleep, and my flight gets delayed, and the next day, I have a Zoom call. It’s not that I feel like looking like this, but this is who I am. That’s how I choose to show up in the world.

I think even in personal life, the way that you carry yourself shows the way that you value yourself. The way that you want other people to see you is kind of related to the way you see yourself a little bit.

I honestly work so hard in my business and my personal life to become a better version of me, that I see myself as a very important person in my life. Why shouldn’t I? That’s why I show up the way I do. Because I value myself and I want to always present the best version of myself, whether it’s in work or whether it’s in life. That’s why I guess one aspect of that is personal grooming and fashion.

Cheryl:

I think for those of you who don’t follow Janice on Instagram, one thing that I thought was really cool recently, speaking of fashion style, outer appearance, is your because you recently did a photoshoot. And you’ve been using that as part of your marketing assets for The Audacity.

Just for fun, I’m curious to know, how would you describe the style, the choice of clothing? I’m sure it’s intentional. How would you describe the clothing that you chose for the photoshoot? And how does it represent The Audacity?

Janice:

Oh, that’s interesting, because I chose it because I felt like it. But it wasn’t like I planned it.

The vibe of it would be described as like Mission Impossible vibes, a little bit, but also boss, but not in a traditional way. Now if you guys are confused, you really have to go to my Instagram.

Cheryl:

And scroll to The Audacity marketing posts!

Janice:

Thanks for the plug.

The tagline for The Audacity is, “You can be, do and have it all.” Where you’re being – the inner identity work. Doing as in you’re out there getting shit done. That “inner identity work” and “the doing” creates the results of you having it all.

Why the outfit felt right, it’s really like Mission Impossible vibes. Because it’s not impossible. And I’m on a mission to show people that this is possible.

You can have it however you want, whenever you want. It’s just a matter of when and how. But if you don’t get on the mission and you just give up, you will never get to the stage where you actually find out if it’s possible or not.

And you will be forever wondering “what if”. That’s why I think that outfit felt so right because it’s like we’re out here to do something. Something is about to happen. You can feel it.

And that is how running our business should be like. It shouldn’t be like, I already know what’s gonna happen every single day. Like, I’m so bored of it. Because then why aren’t you in a corporate nine to five, then?

It really sums up like how I feel about business.

Cheryl:

Mm hmm. Yes, I love the outfit. I love the photos.

And I just love seeing you talk about your work, because it’s clear to me that the work that you do, the offers that you sell, the programs that you create, has been very well thought out.

It’s very in line with who you are and your journey and what you’ve done to get to where you are. So that’s why I say that it just makes sense. Visually, the concept of The Audacity, what you do. It just made sense to me as a follower, as your friend. Yeah. So that was really cool for me to observe. 

Speaking of outfits, for those of you who are watching this on video, you might see, I don’t know if you can tell, but my sweater is a little bit, speaking of fashion, my sweater has a little bit of glitter and sparkle in it. I’ve actually just recently got it online.

When I first saw this sweater, I thought it was very on brand for me. Because it has very cozy vibes. But it’s also a bit sparkly, which has a burst of sparkle emoji, wholesome vibes. But warm and cozy and very calming. So I thought this was the perfect sweater for me.

Janice:

Interesting! It’s interesting for me to hear the thought process behind your outfit and branding. Fun fact.

Cheryl:

Yeah, so maybe the next time I do new photos for a brand photoshoot, I might be wearing this. Who knows?

Janice’s honest views on “quitting”

Cheryl:

Okay, so now I think I want to just loop back to like the overall concept of the Quit Story.

I’m really curious to know what your thoughts are on the word “quitting”, because quitting can be taken in several different ways. They can be either, oh, they gave up, when they could have tried harder or they really could have gone on longer and made it work.

But quitting can also be viewed as they made the best decision for themselves at the current moment in time.

I just want to hear your thoughts or hear you riff on the concept of the word quitting. 

Janice:

Okay, I’ll be completely honest, I don’t like the word. I’ll explain why. 

But I feel like any choice that you make in life can be seen as you’re choosing the best for yourself, like you said, or you just gave up on something, right?

Here’s the thing. The thing is you know. You could give up on something out of fear, and then present it to the world as, “Oh, it was right for me.” And honestly, no one would know. But you know.

I feel like that’s what is the difference between someone having great character or not. And it ties directly to the level of self-confidence that you have in yourself.

Because if you are someone that always gives up, because it’s hard, it’s tough, you give up because you just don’t feel like it. You give up because you’re scared of what people think. It doesn’t matter how well you present it to the world, you will not respect yourself. You will not have the level of self-confidence to be like, “Guys, you should go for it!” Because you know, deep down inside, you didn’t go for it.

That’s fundamentally what’s more important is your intention behind it. Intentionality is another thing that has always been like a key thing in how I operate. What is your intention behind this choice? I’m not even going to label it as quitting. What is your intention behind this choice?

Are you going from a “I’m giving up on this because I’m scared. Because I’m scared of judgment.” Or are you approaching this choice from, “I’m gonna keep going on. I’m gonna keep going on this thing that I want to create. But now it just has to come in a slightly different form.” Then to me, that’s not quitting.

I feel like the key thing is only you will know and sometimes this choice is a little sneaky, because it can be an easy cop out, right? Let’s be real.

The intention and you just being real with yourself, that’s the key. 

That’s why I say it’s really about who you are and how you carry yourself when nobody is watching. When there’s no online viewers. When there’s no cameras on. When there’s no clients. When things are not working out. When everything just feels so hard. Like how do you carry yourself? Do you move forward, or do you run away? And then how you want to present it. That’s your thing. Fundamentally, that’s what matters the most.

Cheryl:

I think what I really extracted from what you shared was intentionality.

How I will also interpret that… I think intentionality is probably the most accurate way of saying that. But maybe I will even say, what’s the energy? What’s the underlying emotion, as you said, that underlies the decision?

Because you mentioned if you’re making the quitting decision out of fear, that’s completely different from making a quitting decision out of, let’s say, courage. Same decision, but very different energy. Very different intentions.

Maybe intention is the best word here. Anyways.

I really love how you explained your views on the concept of quitting.

Now that we are starting to near the end of today’s conversation.

Before we go to the final fun questions, anything else that you want to share with the audience, that could be a takeaway message for them? Anything that you feel like might be worthwhile to share?

Janice:

I would say, in this season, recently, something that I’ve been feeling a lot is, and this might tie into this concept of quitting a little bit. But I feel especially if you’re an entrepreneur, especially if you’re running your own thing, this is not an easy journey, right?

I don’t know if it’s the world or the pandemic, or whatever. But I feel like, sometimes there’s this message floating on the Internet, that things should be easy, that it should just come to you. And it should feel natural. I don’t disagree with that.

But the thing is, you have to work your ass off for it first and earn it, right? For you to easily run a marathon, you need to first work your ass off and get great at running, build up your strength, build up your endurance. I think the work ethic part is severely missing.

This is just me. But I sometimes feel like people can use this, that it should feel natural. Don’t chase, just attract. Which I don’t disagree with.

But do you deserve for people to be attracted to you first? Why should I be attracted to you? Did you build something that’s so incredible? Is there something about the way that you carry yourself? Are you super consistent? Is that something I respect, that is why I’m attracted to you?

Because you can’t just do nothing and be nothing and be like, oh, people should be attracted to me. So I feel like a big piece is the work ethic piece, that I feel is a very big part of who I am. And how I do things. And actually the best entrepreneurs that I know, they are still on the ground, they’re still working on things.

So I don’t know if it’s directly related to the word quitting, but don’t give yourself an easy excuse not to push yourself when you should. Because the success of your life and literally your business depends on what you do.

So yes, you can choose to be like, Okay, I won’t push myself today. Or I’ll just like, see how I feel about this launch tomorrow. But then just know that it’s gonna take that much longer for things to happen or not happen.

I feel like that easy way out is something that doesn’t resonate with me. It’s not something that I carry in my business. And sometimes I feel like people might give up on things and not push for it, right?

If you know, right now, that there’s something more that you could do in your business, or that there’s something new that you want to carry out in your business. Do it. That’s the best way to move forward. Don’t toy with the idea, quit on the idea, put it aside and come back to it in 2025.

I don’t know, to me the best way is always how do you make things happen? It’s just by doing them. You get more confident, you get actually better at what you do. That’s why I think people feel like why are things always happening for you? Because I’m always doing something even when nothing is working. I’m doing something. I’m like how can I improve it? What can I bring to the table? What else can I add in? So I think that’s how you keep momentum and that energy is always there.

Cheryl:

I really enjoyed your sharing. This was such a great ending to the Quit Story interview that we just did. Because you offered, throughout this interview, an alternative perspective to quitting.

If I were to summarize my favorite takeaway of the entire maybe past hour at this point of this conversation, my favorite takeaway has to be, when it comes to quitting, it always comes down to the intentionality. Is it out of fear? Is it out of courage?

It’s always operating out of values that matter to you. Whether it’s work ethic or creativity, which you mentioned at the beginning of the episode. Are you choosing to create a life that is in integrity with you? Is it going to help set you up for the life that you actually want to create?

That’s kind of what I extracted from our conversation for today.

Cats, travels and why Janice doesn’t pay for Spotify

Cheryl:

Before we wrap up, I’d like to wrap up with maybe three very random, very fun questions, which I did not prep you for, and I did not prep myself for either. So I’m literally going to make them up on the spot right now.

First question, do you plan to have more cats?

Janice:

No. One is enough for me.

Cheryl:

Tell us about the personality of your cat. That’s part two of the first question.

Janice:

Well, Bailey is very herself. Like, I think she has a mind of her own. And she’s like, I’m not gonna let you tell me. What is right for me or not? Or how a cat should or should not be? I don’t know, maybe she got it from her mom. Nurture versus nature. Right.

Cheryl:

That’s funny. Okay. Okay. Second question. I know you travel pretty often. You travel like, basically everywhere. 

I’m curious to know, what has been your favorite? Like, what’s a place that you would revisit? Like, over and over again?

Janice:

Hmm, interesting. The place that I would revisit. It’s weird that you asked this question because it’s so left field. But I think somewhere that I would visit over and over again and see myself living in, is actually London.

Cheryl:

Oh…

Janice:

I feel like London is a bit like Singapore where it’s very cosmopolitan. The weather I actually like…

Cheryl:

Colder, colder, rainier.

Janice:

Yeah. I actually, fun fact, listen to the sound of rain when I work sometimes. I love you! If there are any London listeners out there. It’s a city that feels most like me. Like people are usually dressed not too crazy. Quite monochrome, quite classic. I think that traditional aspect of the UK, something I really appreciate.

But also like they’re constantly innovating, because it’s obviously a modern city. But there’s a lot of tradition and culture in it that I really like. Yeah.

Cheryl:

You know what, speaking of music, here’s going to be our third. Here’s our final question. So I know a fun fact about Janice is that she does not pay for Spotify. I don’t know, you still don’t pay for Spotify. Tell the people why.

Janice:

It’s just not… Really there’s no real profound reason behind it. But I’m like, I could deal with that. It doesn’t annoy me as much. And I’m like, Why should I pay for this?

You know, so it’s very interesting, because it obviously costs less than a cup of coffee. I would treat Cheryl to coffee and cake without blinking. But I still won’t pay for Spotify. I guess we all have our own weird quirks. And that is one of mine.

Cheryl:

Okay, so that being said, the final, final question is, did you just get your Spotify wrapped for the year?

Janice:

No, I did not.

Cheryl:

Maybe if you don’t pay for it, you won’t get it. Anyway!

So what is your favorite song or music? Because I know it’s like classical music, I think.

Janice:

Yeah. I listen, depending on my mood. In the gym, I listen to hits, like things that make me feel pumped up. I think also, I know this is a casual question, but I feel like your environment really shapes the things that you do. So if I’m in the gym, and I don’t feel like working out, I might not be on my best form of energy. Then I will listen to something really pumped up, where it makes me feel like moving, right?

And if I’m starting out my day, I always like to listen to something positive, something slower, not something like super high beat and stressful because I like to ease into my day, have a clear mind.

But if I was just on holiday, with nothing to do, the type of music that I enjoyed the most, yes, it’s classical music specific. Basically, I think I like pieces from the Romantic period if there are any music nerds out there, Tchaikovsky, Chopin.

I don’t know, I’m just a grandma at heart. People always think that I’m some crazy party person. But I would really describe myself as a grandma with a cat, wine, sounds of rain or classical music. Yeah, that’s what I really enjoy. So I do enjoy traditional pieces.

Cheryl:

Hmm, okay, well, to the listeners out there. If you can relate to Janice on any of the fun things that she just shared, please let her know.

So with that, Janice, where can people find you? And how can people work with you?

Janice:

Well, people can find me, really, I think on most social media platforms, but I am most active on Instagram at @janice.tee. That’s where I put most of my content. That’s where I show up the most. That’s where you can get the best sense of who I am and how I work.

And how can you work with me? Well, I would say go to Instagram first and see we’re a good fit. If you feel the vibe or not. And then you can always drop me a private message.

Cheryl:

Awesome. Alrighty.

Well with that, Janice, thank you so much for being here for being a guest on this show again. And thank you to the audience for tuning in yet again.

I will see you all in the next episode. Thank you so much. Bye, everyone.

Janice:

Bye!

P.S. And if you loved this episode, you can 1️) Leave a 5-star rating and an awesome review, and 2️) Share the episode on your social media.

About Janice

Janice has always embraced unconventional approaches. With no formal schooling for the first 18 years of her life, she entered the National University of Singapore and graduated with first class honors, highest distinction. At the peak of her corporate career at an MNC, she quit her job to pursue her passion. Today, she is a digital business coach and social media strategist, and the founder of her own coaching consultancy. 

Janice’s core business coaching helps business owners, founders and entrepreneurs ditch lack of focus, get ultra strategic, and build a profitable business utilizing social media as a strategic tool… without burning out, getting to innovate and be creative, and having fun along the way. Janice’s clients are based internationally, including a collaborator with Netflix, digital entrepreneurs, and clients from top global financial institutions. Clients often work with Janice privately via 1:1 consulting, or in her signature yearly VIP membership, The Audacity, where clients often experience next level results and breakthroughs in a short amount of time.

Working with Janice, you will have a results based business partner with a high personal touchpoint, and learn the exact step-by-step method and digital framework she used to go from earning low $4-figures a month, to creating a $6-figure business for multiple years consecutively. She believes that business can be simple, fun, and profitable… and with the right strategies, you can be, do and have it ALL.

If you resonate with her background and working style, you can connect with her at Instagram @janice.tee, where she is most active. 

Connect with Janice

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janice.tee/

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