MEET JUNE KOH
ON RECOGNISING OPPORTUNITIES AND TAKING CHARGE
“My crazy is turning pain into strength and believing in passing the light to others.”
There are some people that you meet who just radiate with energy and confidence and you ask yourself, what is it about them that is so endearing. That is June - you can’t help but just feel her warmth. When one does meet and speak with her, you will learn that she has recognised and is honouring her self-worth and just shines from within. Read her story on how she moved towards learning to respect herself and lifted her own feelings.
MY STORY IS …
When I was 8, my mother announced to me that she and my father were getting a divorce, as if I would completely understand what that meant. Despite bawling my eyes out, I chose to stay in Singapore while she moved back to Malaysia. After our house was sold, the years that followed were a series of changing homes, adapting and fitting in with my relatives.
A girl growing up without her parents – it was a sob story, one of which many people have seen and learned not to expect much from me. No one had ever asked what my aspirations were, only that I would be okay as long as I “did my best”. That became the narrative of my life.
Even at a young age, I understood that I had to rely on myself and I got to be 100% responsible for my own life. I wasn’t a bright student and with no money for tuition, the only currency I had to exchange for better results was time. So, I knuckled down and spent countless nights buried in my textbooks and notes. I would say I did live out my typical Asian parents’ dream – I did decently for ‘A’ levels, enrolled into NUS Pharmacy School, and graduated as a pharmacist scholar. As you would have guessed, my parents were over the moon! Being in healthcare, getting an iron-rice-bowl job was as much as they could have hoped for. To many observers, my life already seemed to have surpassed what they had predicted.
So, you can imagine my mother’s horror when I told her I was going to quit to become a financial consultant, at a time when I had just been promoted no less. With no sales background or finance qualifications, that move seemed foolhardy. My mother could not fathom my decision even up to the day I left my job. Nevertheless, I knew deep in my bones that there was more to life than what I’d had, and I knew that it was going to be a worthy fight for myself.
In my first full year, my conviction paid off and I achieved the notable Court of the Table and one of Prudential’s Top Rookies.
Many had questioned my decision to leave comfort and stability for uncertainty and hardship back then. What others had seen as a road less traveled was also one I saw paved with endless dreams and possibilities. It was when I truly felt free to create my own destiny that was not forewritten by everyone else the day my parents split. The resilience that had been forged in my formal education years proved to be useful because I’ve realised that when you start building something to call your own, it really consumes you beyond long working hours. But at the end of the day, knowing that I’m bringing out my best potential and living the most fulfilling life I possibly can, it’s all well worth it. Ever since then, I have made it my personal mission to use my voice to pass on this light of faith and strength to anyone who’s ever only imagined their lives confined by norms and circumstances.
“No amount of security is worth the suffering of a mediocre life, chained to a routine that has killed your dreams.” – Maya Mendoza
You mentioned that people have set their expectations for you and come up with their stories of you — but what’s the narrative that you tell yourself?
Despite the naysayers, I would say that I kept a lot of faith and joy in my heart. What I lacked in aptitude and resources, I made up with hard work and perseverance. A deep conviction now grows in my heart that all I need is belief and courage to fulfill my dreams.
Do you have any advice for people who want to take that career leap but are afraid to do so?
Fear comes when we step out of our comfort zone because we sense uncertainty and risk. But as my mentors in Eminence always told me, uncertainty is not a bad thing because we can find growth and worthy ventures out of uncertainty. I would encourage everyone to always choose growth over comfort, and to believe in yourself to create a future you so deserve.
What is your approach when it comes to self-care and mental health?
In an environment where people’s worth is often tagged to their working hours, burnouts are becoming a real issue and I personally have experienced that once or twice in my life. We should always be mindful of how self-care should be an important aspect of our lives and I would always intentionally set aside time for that. After all, you can only pour into others’ cups when our own are filled.
photography Zahwah Bagharib