She knew exactly what she wanted, to pursue marketing and PR and climb the ladder to corporate success. Alas, it was not what ShuQi Liu thought it would be, nor did it allow her to truly dive into her innate creativity. She decided it was time to build her own business which would better cater to her needs and those of new businesses who require branding and PR assistance.

She aims for “quality execution” through her very own solo-founded business, Q Communications. Today we get to share a little more of her story, and a lot of her wisdom with you!

Making The Jump

Tell us about you and your business/career, and what you were doing before you started? Did you ‘always dream’ to do what you are doing now?

Hi there, my name is ShuQi and I founded Q Communications in May 2014. Having worked in different agencies before starting my own, it wasn’t “always a dream” to be an entrepreneur. I knew exactly what I wanted in my career – to pursue marketing and public relations (PR). But I always thought I would join a well-known agency and progressively climb up the corporate ladder, just like everyone else. But changing three jobs in three years was a clear sign this was not the way I wanted my career to be. So starting my own company was the last resort. Either I took the plunge or died trying to fit into a corporate environment!

My family played the most important role in my entrepreneurial journey. Mom and Dad had no qualms extending an interest-free loan to start Q Communications. All I did was come up with a fairly logical budget that got their instant approval. More importantly, they were very supportive of my practical pursuit. Despite taking the risk to plunge solo into the business world, I could always rely on my parents to support me as a young, Asian female entrepreneur right from the start.

For those struggling to make that jump into a new career or position, I say go after what gives you goosebumps and think less, do more! People tend to overanalyze and think crazy, negative thoughts. Know what you are passionate about and just go for it. As long as you can support yourself financially for half a year without a job, make that jump! Of course, entrepreneurship is not as glamorous as it sounds. Be prepared to make major lifestyle changes, like living on a shoestring budget, staying home on weekends and cooking at home instead of eating out.

Passion That Moves

What keeps you awake at night and gets you out of bed in the morning?

The ability to learn new things, hone my passions and create a positive impact on the people around me are reasons that keep me awake at night and get me out of bed the next morning. Though being an entrepreneur is hard work, I learn a lot by running the entire business, setting my own rules, seizing opportunities, anticipating problems and providing my clients with quality execution. Safe to say, I enjoy marketing and PR a lot more now!

For fellow professionals who are tired, burnt out and ready to call it quits, think back to the time when you got really excited about starting your career. Why did you do what you did? What went wrong along the way that started burning you out?

If there is a problem, solve it instead of letting it get to you. Personally, PR was always my passion but the way to success was not the right one for me. The working culture burnt me out, so I solved this problem by creating an environment that is conducive for me to focus more on my strengths.

Business Woes

What is your biggest challenge/frustration as an entrepreneur or professional?

As with everyone else, the biggest challenge is sustaining the business. To do so, it is important to hire the right people. As a young business owner, it is very challenging to hire someone older and more experienced to join Q Communications. On the other hand, hiring younger, less experienced team members require lots of time and energy in training and development. Either way, business sustainability boils down to making good decisions and ensuring the best outcomes for clients.

In addition, I am constantly thinking about how to expand in the best possible way. Things like investing in the right office space and equipment are crucial decisions for the company’s future.

To deal with these challenges, a lot of tenacity is required. This means celebrating the small victories and learning from the minor defeats. Understanding that the journey to success is full of ups and downs, we just have to chug along and not give up!

Life Is Not A Linear Process

What is your biggest failure/lesson in life? How has that shaped how you work, and what you do in your business/career?

My biggest failure was not realizing that life is never a linear process. It took me a while to accept that I can never work my way up the corporate ladder in a well-known PR agency. I never thought that being hired was not for everyone, and resisted the fact that a rigid office environment kills creativity, especially when it comes to a highly demanding profession like PR.

Then, I became more flexible and adaptable, appreciating that everyone will have their own unique way of achieving career success. This is why I decided to start my business and create a working environment that favours creativity. Q Communications’ team of freelancers are never desk-bound in an office. They are free to work from any location in the world, as long as they are disciplined enough to produce quality work in a timely manner. Personally, I take frequent walks and exercise regularly to generate new ideas that solve client problems, which result in more valuable suggestions and meaningful client interactions in the long run.

Seeking A Mentor

If you could do it all again – what would you do differently?

If I could do it all again, I wished there was a career mentor to open doors for Q Communications. However, finding the right person is difficult. Thankfully, Singapore has a growing network of angel investors and venture capitalists who are constantly on a look out for start-ups to get in touch with. It is only a matter of time before we get a career mentor!

ShuQi Liu’s One Line

Q Communications is an independent branding and public relations outfit committed to helping companies achieve open communications through quality execution.

Visit the Q Communications page to find out more about ShuQi’s work.
 

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