Crafting Her Way to Success

I interviewed Jo many years back and I still keep in touch with her. She has moved house (and therefore, location of business) but fear not, she is still around the Tanjung Bungah area. She sells once in a while at the Little Penang Street market (last Sunday of each month, Upper Penang Road in front of the E&O Hotel). I even took one of her teddy bear making classes with 2 friends and we really loved the class. I managed to make one-of-a-kind teddy bears for friends and families as personalised gifts! She also sells American cotton (which one can hardly find in Penang).

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"I used to dislike Home Science!"

Josephine Yeoh-Khoo declares with an impish grin on her face.

"Really! I didn't even know the proper way to do cross-stitch."

She has definitely come a long way from not knowing much or liking home science to running her own craft shop today.

Her friendliness makes you feel at ease immediately and the way she describes crafting urges you to give the various craft classes a try. It was a balmy morning, just after a light drizzle when I stepped into Josephine's home. Her home, in Tanjung Bungah, Penang is also her business shop front, First Steps. Josephine or simply known as Jo is also a full-time mum to three young children, with ages ranging from four to nine.

First Steps is her craft shop cum workshop and carries imported sewing materials such as silk ribbons, laces, American cotton, glass paints besides offering a selection of imported sewing kits for cross-stitch, long-stitch and needlepoint from the US and Germany.

Jo says that she also has an array of ready made and imported gifts for special occasions like baby showers, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries; in short, gifts that are personalised and one of a kind.

First Steps also takes orders for making gifts, handsewn quilted patchwork, embroidered curtains, baby quilts and blankets.

"I also conduct workshops on patchwork, quilting, paper clay modelling, embroidery, applique, glass painting and candle making," she adds.

Folk art and furniture painting classes are also offered.

Taking the first step

Her business began last year in June when she decided to turn her interest and hobby for crafting into something more.

Jo noted that more and more people were interested in crafting, and not just any crafting, mind you. Crochet and knitting were hobbies you could pick up at your neighbourhood haberdashery but somehow, for those who yearned to learn crafts like candle-making, glass painting and paper-clay modelling, where would one go, especially in Penang? These crafts, Jo says, are popular in Kuala Lumpur but in Penang, she knew of no one who conducted these workshops. Her shop in Tanjung Bungah (just a stone's throw away from the Tunku Abdul Rahman College in Vale of Tempe) is open from 9.30am to 3pm from Mondays to Fridays, and she runs the shop herself, with the exception of a part-time helper who holds the fort whenever Jo needs to dash out to pick up her children from school and run small errands. (For working women who would like to join her classes, Jo does open up special Saturday classes.) Her place also doubles up as a club house of sorts for many women, many of whom first step into her shop as customers but later become fast friends. "Women are really helpful...they'll come in as customers and in five minutes we'll be chatting away like old friends, offering help and all that," Jo says. Our interview was interrupted a few times by calls from well-meaning friends who had ideas or recommendations for Jo. "I conduct small classes for women, usually in the mornings and I ensure at least they come here to relax and chat while they learn crafts like quilting," Jo explains. Learn to make these bears at Jo's workshops! She tries to arrange her craft sessions in a way that women would be able to finish them in one sitting at her shop. She strongly believes that crafting should be pleasurable and stress-free so while she hopes her students (comprising mainly of homemakers) would be able to take home and complete their craft, she also makes it a point to tell them that it's okay if they don't. "Many women would take it home (to complete) but with all the chores to do, they simply don't have time. If they cannot finish it in one sitting, they are welcome to come back here to complete them," Jo smiles. Must I know the basics? Besides getting worried looks from customers, Jo often hears embarrassed confessions that they do not know how to sew! "They tell me in all earnestness. In quilting for example, they admit they don't know how to thread a needle, much less sew!" Jo allays their fears - her classes teach one the very basics about sewing. Even those who have never held a needle in their life would be able to hold up a piece of commendable work in no time! With a twinkle in her eye, Jo says, "The reason you come to my classes is to relax and get all your stress out." Being stressed about sewing isn't going to help at all. She keeps her classes easy, fun and completely stress-free. "The main thing is that, when you complete say a quilt or a cross-stitch design by yourself, you feel this sense of accomplishment that's really hard to define. You're so proud of yourself." Jo calls her classes sharing sessions as she maintains that she is always learning and sharing with her customers. Take quilting for instance. One of her customers discovered that one could draw proper squares on cloth without any more slipping or sliding simply by placing the cloth on sandpaper! Her classes are usually small and personal, and you may just find yourself sitting at her craft table, downing pots of strawberry tea, and chatting away as you learn the finer points of crafting! Pricing, Jo says, is kept to a minimum and range from RM50 to RM130. Those who sign up for her classes are usually supplied with all the materials needed so students just need to turn up on the day of the class. Prices, however, vary according to the type of crafts. "Quilting is slightly more expensive as I use American cotton," she says. Ever willing to share, Jo also helps her friends sell some of their wares - such as little girls' frocks, educational toys, and handicrafts. First Steps Tel: 04 890 5000 Fax: 04 890 6980 Email: firststepsmy@yahoo.com by krista 8th May 2002

Work 'n Play

Updated news - 24 Sept 2007: Jo has successfully grown her business into a full-fledge shop and no longer operates out of her home. She now offers more toys and learning items at her shop on 56, Lorong Selamat, Penang. Learn more about Jo and Precious Ones via her website, www.preciousones.com



A serendipitous turn of events.

A desire to give her boys more than just the run-of-the-mill toy guns and trucks.

A business born out of a sheer passion to help other parents educate their children. Josephine Yoong is a young mother of two active boys, three year old Micheal and two year old John. Josephine or fondly known as Jo, runs her home-based educational toys business from her home in tranquil Pulau Tikus, Penang.

How she jumped into this business was something even she did not anticipate.

"I was eight months pregnant with my first child and I was looking for flash cards for him. Flash cards were found everywhere in Kuala Lumpur but I could find nothing over here in Penang."

She began her arduous search, and got down to discussing with her Penang friends about getting these educational materials (which she had seen in many places back in her hometown, Kuala Lumpur).

Many directed her to Nurture Craft, where she was delighted with many of her finds there. "When the owner started a division on baby flash cards, I worked together with him on it. When he eventually decided to close it, he asked me if I wanted to take over but I declined," says Jo. Yet Jo knew the market was ripe for such a business and she felt she could share this passion with other parents. With her husband's support, Jo began selling the educational toys right from her spacious apartment. Precious Ones had begun!

Stimulating Young Minds

She believes that toys are an indispensable part of childhood and many an indulgent aunt or uncle or parent would be ever generous to buy toys for Junior.

She adds that many well-educated middle-income parents these days were on the search for toys that combined creative play with education, and toys that were long-lasting and produced with children in mind.

Says Jo, "The right toys at the right time will enrich any child's play experience and provide the foundation for learning."

With the right toy, coupled with a child's natural curiosity and interest in the world around them, would transform them into eager learners. Well-planned toys can develop children's thinking skills and sense of logic.

She usually sells to friends and those who hear of her through word of mouth. Since Jo attends playgroups and baby groups with her sons, her friends become potential customers! "They usually get in touch with me whenever they want something more educational and stimulating for their children or their friends' newborn."

Over the four and a half years that she has been in Penang, Jo, has seen her clientele of parents and excited children extend beyond those that she knows.

She's one enterprising lady as she directly contacts the local suppliers of the toys and she's always on the look out for newer and better toys. She recalled her excitement at finding a Vietnamese woman who could supply her with toys made of good quality wood. She was equally amazed no one had heard of the Vietnamese toys!

Her boys usually get to "test" out the products and that's one of the perks her boys love, Jo says, of mummy selling toys.

Jo also picks days to set up her 'open day' home shop so that she can invite interested parents and show them her toys and educational materials. Last December, Jo was super pleased that her one-day home shop drew the crowds of parents like no other. In one morning, she had sold almost all of her stock.

Sharing with Other Mums

Friends too get to share in Jo's enthusiasm for the business. She smiles as she tells the tale of how one mother, after buying her toys, decided to take some down to Melaka during Chinese New Year to introduce them to her relatives. As her relatives and their friends oohed and aahed over the ingenuity of the toys, she managed to sell them her 'samples' and made a tidy profit. Now this friend is thinking of getting supplies from Jo to begin her own home-based business in Sungai Petani, Kedah.

Jo believes that a good toy is safe, durable, fun to use, interesting to the child, encourages inquisitiveness and resourcefulness and involves parent-child interaction.

Her products teach young ones about sounds, as the soft books (made of cloth and other material) emit sounds that usually captivate children and encourage them to explore. Others are tactile, encouraging the toddler to touch them and feel their texture.

Jo recounts a story of a young mum who bought a creative puzzle for her child and ended up staying awake the whole night trying to figure out the puzzle. So it's not necessarily that the children's games or puzzles are easy.

Because she herself is a mother, most of her recommendations are based on what has been tried and tested and from the experiences of other parents who have used these educational toys. She even shares her knowledge on what she comes across especially from her trips overseas and her jaunts back to Kuala Lumpur.

Among the brands she carries are GD flash cards, Ks Kids, Read & Play soft books, Aristoplay award winning board games, USL kindergarten supplies, LASY creative training sets, play puppets, personalised books, parenting books, Vietnamese wooden toys, Plan Toys and others. CDs and cassettes are also available. She also carries the Glendorman system which teaches babies about learning.

This business-savvy mum also takes orders for personalised bibs, baby hats and nappy holders - all which make marvellous gifts for newborns.

Truly a treasure trove of toys for your precious ones!


by Krista
15th April 2002

Calling the Shots

This was a piece I wrote after interviewing Anu, a Malaysian woman, via email one day. She told me she had a story to tell and I was all ears! I believe each of us has a unique story, if only someone would listen. Hers is about her belief in Mary Kay, a famous cosmetic company and the confidence she now has as a result of being a Mary Kay consultant. Plus if you have a dark complexion, you might understand some of the initial problems Anu had with makeup!


Calling the Shots

"As an Asian, I hated going into a departmental store to get my beauty products. I had always found it quite difficult to get a foundation colour to match my skin tone. Not only was it difficult but you can never get the right advice from the sales assistants. They will choose something for you and say that is the right colour, you buy it as that might look the nearest tone with all the lighting around, bring it back home and you are not happy with it. When you have it on natural light I was never happy with what I bought and ended up having hundreds of bottles unused in my drawers. I then decided I was not going to wear any daily foundation but only on special occasions. Even then I was never comfortable as I never looked natural - my face was either too dark or too light," Anu Doraisamy can remember those years with much fondness now.

Desiring to find the perfect make up, Anu found a chance to be independent, earn good money and still have time to be a real mum to her three children.

Anu Doraisamy, 33, is a part-time university administrator at the University of East London. Anu is also a full-time consultant for Mary Kay cosmetics.

"I was born in Penang, Malaysia and left home in 1988 to come (to the UK) and do my nursing," she relates. She qualified as a registered general nurse in 1991 and worked as a staff nurse for a few months.

She couldn't pinpoint it but she felt deep down that she needed a change. So Anu took off her nursing uniform and headed back to school, and graduated a few years later with a Business Administration degree.

"My first job (after graduation) was in a clergy hospital. I was there for a year before I landed this wonderful job as an Administrative Officer for an Examining Board."

While working for the Examining Board for five years, her motherly instincts jumped into high gear and her babies began arriving. In a way, having children spurred her to take a long, hard look at her job. The hows and whys she became involved in Mary Kay cosmetics was partly, Anu says, because she thought it highly unfeasible to nurture three little ones (especially all under five years) and at the same time "pinned to a full time job."

More impetus was added when she knew she was, by hook or by crook, going to mother her children alone, aided only by her husband. No relatives or family members were living anywhere remotely near her. Her turning point came almost serendipitously when she was combing the stores for makeup that suited her Asian complexion.

"In 1998, my friend was telling me about Mary Kay cosmetics and we decided to ring the head office and get more information as I had enough of scouring through stores for the wrong stuff," she says.

Imagine her surprise when the Mary Kay sales director for her area phoned her up within two days and explained how Mary Kay consultants work.

"I was quite taken back to find that a consultant was coming to give me a private consultation in the comfort of my own home free of charge - yet I could not argue with such an offer, could I?"

Skepticism blanketed her. Anu says, "Being me, I was still very dubious about this arrangement so I invited a couple of my friends to this class. All of us had three different skin tones."

They were given explanations on Mary Kay skin care and the consultant addressed their needs individually.

After trying several different colours, Anu finally settled on a shade of foundation which satisfied her thoroughly - quite a feat actually considering she was ready to throw in the towel.

"All three of us decided to buy our skin care that day and nearly four years down the line, we are still satisfied customers," Anu laughs. After the first consultation session, the three excited women made another appointment to taste the glamour again and they were not disappointed - in fact, they were taught how to apply make up correctly as well as coordinate flattering colours.

Anu then bravely took the leap from being a happy customer to bringing in happy customers. Anu, who was then juggling her children and career, decided to join as a Mary Kay consultant.

A usual day for Anu revolves around speaking to people to schedule appointments. "The bottom line is, you teach skin care and make up techniques. We do not sell and do not look for a quick sell," Anu reiterates.

"We have to remember women like to buy, but not be sold to. The products speak for themselves and customers buy them after a class. You keep in touch with your customers all the time with promotions and new products."

With Mary Kay, one can be either a full time or a part time consultant.

"You need to be consistent with this job - if you work just six hours a week, then you will have to head at least two classes a week. I must admit I have not been doing much at all lately - just a couple of classes a week," Anu smiles.

She adds that Mary Kay Ash, the founder of the cosmetic organisation, always said that faith came first, then family and then, career. She agrees that the founder's philosophy has worked wonders for many women.

"With Mary Kay, you choose the hours that suit you," Anu says.

"Mary Kay clients can look forward to personalised service in the comfort of their own home, and it's 100% satisfaction guaranteed," she adds. Anu claims that Mary Kay's quality is comparable to other brands in the market yet sold at a quarter of the existing market prices. Mary Kay has been the best skin care and colour cosmetics in the UK for the past seven years, she enthuses.

On her personal growth, Anu is truly grateful with the confidence she has gained since joining Mary Kay.

"Not many organisations give you motivation but with Mary Kay there is always someone next to you encouraging and motivating you to do better. It's not a company where you have to do your best to take over somebody else's position. Anyone can be a director and earn diamonds and cars if they are consistent with their classes. Your Unit Director will be with you all the way - you are never alone."

Says Anu, fee-wise, one pays �75 to get a showcase of products worth �350 to start off with. This showcase includes all shades of foundation for three skin types, skin care sets for the three basic skin types, mirrors, lipsticks, eye and cheek colours, brochures and other essential materials.

She also adds that "you put in the hours you want to work - anything from three hours a week to 40 hours." At the moment Anu only works five hours a week but once November is over, she plans to triple that as it will then be Christmas time.

Anu is very much in praise of Mary Kay. She quips, "Mary Kay has kept me financially better off. It has paid for all the holidays we have had for the last two years."

Anu mentions, "I have been working on a very part time basis in the last two years but with the income I received from Mary Kay since August 1998 - I have come home to Malaysia thrice, my parents have come down (to the UK) twice plus my family and mum went to India a few months back for a three-week holiday. I have had gifts from Mary Kay and personal best were the gems I have received, as well as the beautiful friendships cultivated with other fellow consultants."

"If anyone outside the UK wants to be a consultant, please do get in touch with your head office for further information and if it is inconvenient, do get in touch with me and I will try and sort something out. For those in the UK, please email me with your details and I will get back to you will all the relevant information and necessary paperwork," offers Anu.

Parting words? "If you have the motivation, commitment to the company, want to earn money, meet new people, make friends, willing to undergo training and attend Unit meetings and want a new lifestyle, then Mary Kay is for you."


By Krista
10th October 2001


Mary Kay's products range from cosmetics for teens to the more mature skin types. Take a look at the various products at http://www.marykay.co.uk

Anu Doraisamy can be contacted at anu.kam@tesco.net

No Falling Back

I wrote this piece after I spoke to Amita Nandy in 2002. I met her during a yoga class at Ananda Marga once. I have lost touch with her but she is one courageous woman. This piece appeared in i-asianwomen.com's Work@Home section. I spent a whole morning talking to Amita for this story below. It was well worth it. Her advice is spot-on.


No Falling Back

Affable and totally open, she comes across as a contradiction of sorts. You'd never imagine that this is the very same woman who attends four-wheel-drive rallies with much gusto ("We raised our own money for the rallies"), backpacks across India with her boys (her youngest babe was a mere three month old then) and yet, sinks gracefully into yoga and whips up a mean meal in the kitchen whenever she feels like it.

And tag this to her CV: she is also a successful and established work at home mummy, dictating her own time, and enjoying every moment of her work.

Amita Nandy, wife, yoga practitioner and a no-nonsense, highly-organised work at home mummy to three boys (ages ranging from five to 13) has this solid piece of advice for those starting out on their own a.k.a wishing to set up their own business to work from home: "Whatever you do, don't ever think of falling back on your husband!"

Seated in her spacious home where "each piece of furniture has a story to tell," Amita was quite nonchalant to the point where she seemed quite carefree about her business. But passion cannot be bridled and it simply flows from her words. It all began quite simply as a need to be a mother to her boys and a wife to hubby, B.K.Sinha.

Originally from Selangor, and from a Bengoli background, Amita had followed her Penangite husband and made her home in the Pearl of the Orient some 15 years ago. Her late father, by the way, is the famous Milon Nandy, teacher and English grammar expert, whose books are still used by many as references to the Queen's English.

With a job as an assistant principal of a local college in the heart of Georgetown, Amita had to put in long hours, usually going home after everyone had left the college.

"I was putting in a lot of hours, and after sometime, I just felt that I had to move on," she recollects of her early days.

While being pregnant with her first child, Amita decided that she had to get a regular nine-to-five job, one that offered more time to spend with her baby. It was then that she chanced upon an opening in one of the local factories, which was at that time, looking for someone to train the factory staff, from teaching production operators basic English to making sense of the SOPs (standard operating procedures) and breaking it down into everyday language for the everyone in the factory, especially for the human resources department.

Her grasp of the language, accompanied by her experience in education, and a Masters in Literature made her the perfect candidate to head the new department. She took to the job rather well, and enjoyed her four years tremendously.

Until a nudge from an ex-colleague made her rethink her options in life. Here she was, egging her to take on a new challenge at another factory. Amita shrugs, "I admired her from the time I began working at the factory. After she left, we still maintained contact and we'd see each other at functions and she was pivotal in getting me to go over to her new workplace."

With the new switch, Amita still felt that she could do so much more, and soon, grew weary of the regular nine-to-five which she coveted so much in the earlier days. It wasn't hunky-dory anymore, plus her third pregnancy made her sit down and ask herself, what did she really, truly need from her career and family?

"There is a marked difference with Baptu (her nickname for her youngest son) and the older two," she says. Her youngest is more of a confidante, and seems much more mature for all of his five years; he is more active, extremely confident and able to relate much more to her.

This, Amita feels, is the direct outcome of her being together with her child when he was in his formative years - when she was spending time with him while working from home - and she compares it to her two older sons, who were always with one babysitter or another when she was working.

Seven years ago, she decided to put all her skills that she'd learnt while training others and her close network of friends, colleagues and business associates to good use. Coupled with her HR expertise and the desire to educate and train, she began her training and consulting business right from her home.

It was stressful, as Amita remembers being a one-woman-show in the beginning. Everything happened from her home - contacting clients, meeting them, interviewing them to understand their corporate needs ("on what aspect did they need me to train their staff?") and coming home, and sitting down to formulate a training programme to address those needs within a set period of time. Juggling everything from photostating to driving all the way to Kulim to meet clients, those were the days when she was coming from nowhere but deciding from the very start to make it work.

"There was no option of falling back on the husband so I had to give my 110 percent!" She laughs easily now, as her portfolio of clients have grown to a considerable size, and training to her, after seven years, she has got it down pat, with each and every detail right in their place.

These days, her days run on a more leisurely course, affording her the pleasure of yoga though she still travels all across Malaysia to conduct her training. Training has even taken on a fun note as she currently includes outdoor teambuilding programmes which fits her active lifestyle to a T.

To get in touch with Amita Nandy, please write to: tactful@tm.net.my


by Krista
21st February 2002

Why Another Blog?

I didn't want to start another blog but a quick dig-around in www.archive.org made me realise that my old articles and features were still in cyberspace.

I used to be the editor for a women's web portal back in 2001. I quit that job (although I enjoyed it terribly) in March 2004 because it was time for me to join Nic in his business - Redbox Studio. Plus I wasn't just an editor at i-asianwomen.com - I was also the corporate communications manager for the mother company. At that time, I was also studying for my Masters degree on a part-time basis so everything took bits of me!

When I was an editor at i-asianwomen.com, I didn't just edit writing or stories or contributions by our pool of contributors (whom we paid rather well too). I was also tasked to contribute my own writing, be it articles, interviews or stories. Since I have a background in journalism, I often went out of the office, hunting for quality stories (but centered on women and women's issues, of course).

Once I left i-asianwomen.com, the company deteriorated to a point where the website disappeared. I was rather sad as I had put in a lot of effort (there were 3 of us permanent staff) and my writings disappeared too.

But I have since found them and will be putting them up in this blog - not only to remind myself of those days where I used to write (a lot) but also as a tribute to the wonderful women I met along the way.

Enjoy my work!