I hope the Ocean Butterflies Success Story and also my own personal life experience, will inspire and encourage others to Pursue your Passion, to find and discover your Own Purpose, and to live and pursue your dreams.
In year 2000, I gave up everything I had in the banking sector, after working 7 years in the Corporate Lending in banks since graduation.
It was back to the starting point, back to square one, as I had to start out from almost nothing again when I gave up the Comfort of a Fixed Salary, in exchange for an undeterminable income, to become a Financial Planner.
But I had prepared for 2 years before I resigned. I have built up enough savings to last me for 2 years of ZERO income, and I've taken up courses and self-study and was studying AFP and on my way to completing my CFP...
So after some hesitation (which I realised was due to fear of going into the unknown), in year 2000, I finally handed in my resignation Letter and began my Journey. I wrote down in a Notebook that I would first learn how to master my own finances and to reach Financial Freedom, and when I reached Financial Freedom, I would then start teaching others how to achieve their Financial Freedom...
I reached Financial Freedom by end of year 2008 and started the 2nd phase of my life since then, re-starting www.MasterYourFinance.com (a FREE Public Financial Education Website) in Apr 2009, publishing my first book "Mastering Your Personal Finance in May 2009" (First Bilingual book on Personal Finance) and conducted the first "How to Save and Accumulate One Million Dollars" Seminar on 23 May 2009.
P.S. Below is the uncut full version of impromptu Testimonials given by some of the seminar graduates of the 2nd session 30 May 2009 "How to Save and Accumulate One Million Dollars" Seminar on 23 May 2009.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYNx6gHl2Dc
The Secrets to Making Money in Stocks and Property Seminar were started upon request by graduates of "Million Dollars" who told me they want to learn from me in details How I invest into Stocks and Property...and the First Secrets to Making Money in Stocks and Property Seminar was conducted on 15, 16 and 22 Aug 2009...and the rest is history.
P.S. below is video taken from this First run of Secrets to Making Money in Stocks and Property Seminar . Some of the seminar graduates are now actively helping me to spread the message (my seminars) to the general public on a weekly basis.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JjLmWYskr0
So I didn't start conducting seminars as a business, but primarily to fulfill my own goal/mission to help educate others so that they can reach Financial Freedom...
Cheers!
Dennis Ng
Dennis Ng wrote:Kit Chan, Stefanie Sun, JJ Lin, A Du, all the biggest names in Music industry in Singapore share one thing in common - Ocean Butterflies, a home grown music company set up by Billy Koh 许环良, Koh Nam Seng 许南盛 , Sunkist Ng 黄元成, Colin Goh 吴剑峰 and Teo Kay Kiong 张家强.
In 1985, 许环良,许南盛 and 黄元成 were invited to Taiwan to sing in the song "Tomorrow will be better" 罗大佑创作的“明天会更好”大合唱. After listening to the inspiring journey of their Taiwan counterparts, who made Taiwan music after starting humbly as "Min Yao", they felt inspired and saw the possibility that they can likewise contribute to Singapore Music like what the Min Yao pioneers in Taiwan did.
This inspired them to pick up their courage, to put their respective Careers aside and the 5 founders set up Ocean Butterflies in 1986 with total S$10,000 in 1984.
At that time, nobody thought Singapore had music, and nobody thought they would have any chance of success.
They started business renting 400 sf office with only 1 staff. The company has little revenues, the 5 founders survive by working on other assignments individually and support the running of the company with Zero salary/income from the company. By 1987, when they can barely survive, 2 of the founders decided to pursue their own careers, Koh Nam Seng 许南盛 and Teo Kay Kiong 张家强 left the company.
Today it occupies 4,679 sf at *scape, with 150 staff and now has offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong . Billy Koh: it was passion that kept us going in the darkest days and we want to continue to do what we love.
I truly admire their pursuit of their Passion, I've pursued mine too.
How am I related to Ocean Butterflies? Nothing.
I'm just a fervant supporter of Singapore music and I've personally kept track of their trials and tribulations over the years.
I still can remember the lyrics of many of the early Xin Yao songs by heart and have booked the best seats for their 25th Anniversary Concert on 25 Jun 2011, as a gesture of support and to thank them for making Asia know there's Music in Singapore.
looking forward to attending "These Are Our Songs" - Ocean Butterflies Music 25th Anniversary Concert tonight.
I admire the founders' Passion and Determination in keeping the flame of Singapore Music burning.
They were among pioneers in the "Xin Yao" movement in early 1980s and have put Singapore on the Asian Musical Scene. Bravo! http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/ ... 76/1/.html
Another Xin Yao Pioneer that I look forward to hearing at the Ocean Butterflies 25th Anniversary Concert "These Are Our Songs" http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/ ... 83/1/.html
You can read more about this Inspiring Singapore Success Story at this article entitled "Butterflies Effect" published in Straits Times Lifestyle section on 24 Jun 2011:
http://blog.omy.sg/jun-jie/2011/06/24/b ... es-effect/
I admire the Xin Yao Pioneers for the Immense Passion in what they do, their courage to pursue their Passion.
Some of them sacrificed lucrative career path to pursue their Love of Music.
You can hear and feel the pureness of their Love for music from the melody and lyrics.
Xin Yao are Not mass produced Pop Songs with Market potential and dollars and cents in mind.
水草三重唱 在1985年受邀到台湾参加罗大佑创作的“明天会更好”大合唱，听了台湾音乐人的奋斗故事，深深感动于“他们的过去（台湾民谣）犹如我们的当下”，而他们的当下，或许是我们的未来“，水草三重唱回来后毅然与张家强与吴剑峰，共5人，各出$2,000 ，在1986 年成立了”海蝶“，开始了这25年的历程。
the Ocean Butteflies 25th Anniversary Concert ended with this song at the concert, 梁文福、劉瑞政、王邦吉 -《細水長流》 sang by 梁文福，林俊杰与陈洁仪, which represents 80s. 90s and 2011... with the hope that Singapore music will go on forever like water flowing...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHDLLG9v ... re=related
A very memorable scene, where the Pioneers of Singapore Xin Yao got together on the same stage to sing of the earliest songs. Here you can see Sunkist Ng 黄元成, one of the 5 founders of Ocean Butterflies, who passed away in year 2006 at the age of 42.
Let us pay our respects and remember 黄元成 for all that he has done for Xin Yao and Singapore Music all these years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkb4D8SQ ... re=related