The idea for Wanderlust + Co came about, when Jenn Low was still studying accounting and communications in Melbourne, Australia. Little did she know back then that 10 years into the business venture, her idea of a jewellery label for the dreamers and lovers would grow to become Malaysia’s first high-street jewellery brand to have made a name for itself around the globe.
Like the second star to the right that guided Peter Pan back to Neverland, Jenn set course on the market for mid-priced, luxe designer-style jewellery pieces that reflect the brand’s ethos in “the desire to continuously seek and to have a growth mindset”, serving as a positive daily reminder for her customers. Straight on ‘til morning, she has never looked back since.
#IWD2020: How the Co-founder of Happy Bunch is Giving Klang Valley Reasons to Smile
WOULD YOU SAY THAT THERE ARE ANY DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THE GENDERS IN THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SCENE?
In the last 10 years since Wanderlust + Co started, after working with different individuals of both genders, I have noticed that with the male colleagues, before they are even ready, their hands are already in the air, asking you to pick them.
Whereas with the female colleagues, they tend to be more hesitant; they have to be quite certain that they are 150% ready before they’d have you pick them. If there’s anything I would share with the younger, aspiring women, is to overcome what is in your head that’s holding you back, so that you don’t waste another second to be bolder and take more risks.
WHEN FACED WITH ANY OBSTACLES IN BUSINESS OR IN LIFE, HOW DO YOU GET THE INNER DRIVE IN YOU TO WORK THROUGH THE HURDLE?
Most of the time, you have to get really good at being your own cheerleader, because you have to motivate yourself . No one will want to be in your team or build whatever you want to build with you, if you are not even able to encourage yourself to do those things on your own.
Besides that, allow yourself time to recharge. It’s like your phone when it goes flat; you’d know that’s when you need to recharge it. As a founder and an entrepreneur, you’d need to garner that self-awareness of when you are running low, what makes you run low, and when and how to recharge yourself to peak form again. And on top of that, be unapologetic about those things because they are what makes you, you.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER WOMEN OUT THERE LOOKING TO VENTURE INTO THEIR OWN BUSINESS?
Read. Be constantly curious beyond what’s most obvious to you. Look beyond the world you know, and ask a lot of questions, albeit asking them at the right time. Keep the right attitude: know when to apologise, even though you are the boss, and when to use the magic words, like “please” and “thank you”.
YOU’RE A WORKING MUM ON TOP OF AN ENTREPRENEUR. HOW DO YOU JUGGLE BETWEEN THESE TWO FULL-TIME JOBS?
You know, I feel that I am a better mum doing what I do with Wanderlust + Co, because I know I’m setting a real life example for my daughter. Besides that, I’ve learned to say yes or no very firmly without the need to explain myself; as long as my reason is founded on what I believe is the best for the business, or my daughter.
WHAT ABOUT PEARLS OF WISDOM FOR THESE WOMEN?
Never lose your sense of purpose. There is always a reason why you are pushing for any purpose, whether it’s solely to give your child a better education, or it’s to go after your own dreams and ambitions. Whatever it is, never forget the purpose that drives you in the first place.
Photography by Nadirah Zakariya
Art direction by Joyce Lim
Assisted by Sofiyan Isaac
Makeup by Joey Yap
Hair by Angeline Low
Location by Four Points by Sheraton Kuala Lumpur, Chinatown
This article was first published in the August Man Malaysia March 2020 print issue
#IWD2020: How KL Pooch Resort and Rescue’s Shannon Lam Runs a Non-Profit Business
