Chapters

Summary

Simon started the episode by asking Ming about the origins of her nickname, ‘Mother of Unicorns’. Ming answered that it came about when she got a unicorn plushie as a gift. After her first unicorn, other people also started giving her unicorn gifts. Ming enjoyed them. She tied the aspect of owning many unicorn goods and helping many startup businesses grow through marketing. It resulted in her naming herself the Mother of Unicorns.

The topic moved to the common challenges of ecommerce startups that Ming tends to see. She answered that she sees a lot of startups coming up with very similar ideas. The problem is that they think that their ideas are unique and original. But usually, it is not. She finds it is a challenge to help them realise this fact.

Ming then continued to talk about modern Internet habits. She claimed that we tend to try and find information that is meaningful and purposeful to ourselves. Simon then guided this topic into marketing. Ming agreed that as a byproduct of social media, people tend to search for meaningful stories behind products.

She has also mentioned the importance of personal branding and how it connects to the brand of your ecommerce company. People will be able to relate to that person’s story or vision, and it can eventually lead to them buying their product.

The next topic was about R U Ok, an organisation that strives to educate people on how to have conversations about people’s difficulties. Ming herself had gone through a “catastrophic event” in the past and had shared her story with the public before. Therefore, the organisation reached out to her to become an ambassador. She shared four steps on how to have such conversations.

1. Ask the question, ‘Are you okay?’
2. Just listen without judgement, without trying to fix it and without trying to interrupt.
3. Encourage action – seek help, reflect with somebody, etc.
4. Hold regular checkups.

She continued and talked about mental health from a business standpoint. Ming said she doesn’t know many business owners that aren’t stressed. She continued to share her thoughts about working hours and how hustling may not be the best approach to working.

That is where the topic of work-life balance comes in. Ming said this term is a misnomer. The reason why is because old habits die hard. People like to keep their routines. It will be challenging to change your lifestyle. Therefore, Ming claimed that it is crucial to have a self-care structure from the early stage of your business.

Lastly, Ming talked about technology. Simon asked what kind of technology she recommends for ecommerce businesses. She answered bots. Bots provide optimisation of communication between the customer. Ming gave an example of Melbourne Airport’s messenger bots. It gave a quick update about a flight delay, so Ming was able to decide what to do with her time. Once you get the template and wiring in place, the bots will communicate information such as updates and recommendations on their own. Make sure to utilise this for your benefit!