Just earlier today, a well-mannered Grab driver picked up some documents from me for delivery to a partner. He looked tired, probably had been on the road the entire day but he was polite, focused, and professional. As he drove off, it brought back a memory from more than 30 years ago.
While waiting for my Form 5 results, I took on my first job as a waiter at a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, just across the road from Hard Rock Café. The job regularly stretched past midnight. It was not tiring and surprisingly, it was a lot of fun. Long hours, fast pace, and a crash course in human behavior before I even knew what that meant.
That restaurant has since shut down and the surrounding area has changed beyond recognition, though Hard Rock still stands, apparently more resilient than most investment theses.
Later, while pursuing my studies in Western Michigan in the US, I worked weekdays as a general and kitchen helper at the campus café. On Sundays, I switched roles and became a pianist for three hours each morning, mostly new age music.
I still remember the generosity of the guests, the tips they left were never taken for granted. Each one felt like appreciation rather than entitlement, a quiet acknowledgment that value had been created, even in something as simple as music.
Money was earned, not assumed. Those early years taught me an enduring lesson that money represents time, effort, and discipline. When you earn it the hard way, you respect it differently. You do not waste it and you think twice before risking it.
That lesson connects directly to my role today. Whether advising investors or managing capital, I approach money the same way I did back then, carefully earned, thoughtfully allocated, and responsibly protected. Hard work shaped my temperament early on, and temperament, more than intelligence, is what sustains good decisions over the long run.