ey. How did you get into the industry, and what are some of the different roles you’ve held along the way?  Germaine Lye: Growing up, whenever I was asked “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Or, “what kind of job are you most interested in?”, I would always answer “social worker” or “interior designer”. However, the response that followed would always be “are you sure? I don’t think you can earn much with that!” Looking back, I can see how I naturally gravitated towards areas that involved people and creativity.  When I graduated, I worked in the government service helping local entrepreneurs seek out opportunities overseas. As I moved along in my career, I decided that I wanted a role that allowed greater alignment in my passion of enabling the less privileged to access opportunities that they may not necessarily have.  So just before starting Our Barehands, I was running the philanthropic arm of an eyecare MNC, working with all types of stakeholders – from villagers in the hill tribes to CEOs, my job was to bridge the gap between all for a common purpose.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time there, and when the right people came together sometime in 2018 to start Barehands, I just knew that my next step would be merging and harnessing all that I’ve learnt through my seven year journey in the corporate world to invest into what we have now at Barehands.   Chanel Go: Interestingly, we started Our Barehands while I was still in university! I was pursuing a business marketing degree and knew from the beginning that I wanted to use my skills for a good purpose.  I’ve hence always looked out for opportunities where I could combine my passion for humanitarian work with my marketing and design competencies.  While in school, I started out at a global humanitarian aid organisation doing social media marketing and advocacy before being involved in business development for a coffee social enterprise in Myanmar together with Germaine and Mitchell.  Through the various experiences, I saw the power of business in transforming the lives of people and was convinced that it was where I wanted to put my hands into.   IR: What do you love about your job?  CG: Honestly, so many things! The social mission behind Barehands is definitely the main thing that keeps me going; witnessing the growth of both the artisan communities as well as the business is always exciting.  And of course, who could complain about the flexibility and ownership you get to experience while running your own business? You know the saying “Choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life”.  Well, entrepreneurship is definitely a lot of work, but when you find purpose and joy in what you do, it almost becomes a part of your life’s calling and goal to work at and grow it.   GL: I’m definitely a lot more comfortable and better at doing a variety of things across time, rather than sitting behind a desk doing one thing for a long time.  And I think Barehands offers me that space to do just that – I love that I’m able to steer and bring together different stakeholders for a common goal, I love that I’m able to marry my love for working with marginalised groups with my creative side.  I love that no two days are the same, yet every day we are working towards a mission that I fully believe in!  IR: What advice would you give someone who wants to get into your line of work?  GL: All of us have different ideas of what entrepreneurship looks like, and to be honest that may or may not be true, and you won’t know until you actually jump right into it.  To me, entrepreneurship is like being on a roller coaster semi blindfolded 24/7. It sounds scary but there’s also a reward – and it doesn’t have to be in monetary terms) – if we’ve got the right attitude towards what the journey has to offer; all of its successes, failures and everything in between!  So my two cents: if you never try, you will never know. If you’ve an idea and not executed it, it’ll only stay an idea.  CG: It’s so important to ask yourself “why” you want to get into it. This reason and purpose is what’s going to bring you through the ups and downs of the journey. It will give you humility in the midst of success and much-needed perseverance through the failures that will certainly come.  If you can, surround yourself with supportive family and friends! Barehands definitely wouldn’t be where it is today without the many invisible hands that have carried us through.   IR: What does a typical day look like for you?  CG:: To be honest, there is no typical day for us – and that’s the fun part of being entrepreneurs! There are days you find yourself working the retail floors, or behind the computer fighting fires, or planning with the team on next year’s collections or meeting shareholders, and the list goes on.  IR: What’s your approach to work-life balance? GL: In my 20s, I was once told by my boss that there was no such thing as work-life balance. Only thing that exists is work-life integration. Now in my 30s and running my own business, I understand what he actually meant.  I think the complexity of life just makes it difficult to compartmentalise the various facets that life brings. Balance only happens when these different aspects are well integrated. CG: It was honestly difficult when we first started as it was both of our first times running our own business. We found ourselves working many late nights and weekends because work just needed to be done!  As entrepreneurs, no one else is going to do it except you, and the business only moves as much as you do. However, over the years, I’ve learnt that it’s important to set boundaries and  intentionally find time for rest and leisure. No business can run on empty tanks and it’s only wise and sustainable for both you and the business in the long run.  IR:  Do you have any hobbies that help you switch off and stay balanced?  GL: For me, meeting up with family and friends keeps me sane. Talking about anything other than ‘work’ allows me to destress and prevents me from being insular/inward-focused.  Occasionally, I go for strolls in the park or put on my sports shoes to play a game of netball. CG: I have many hobbies and interests; for me it’s more about prioritising and finding time for them! I love travelling, being around nature (which got me into learning diving). Doing these things always reminds me of how vast the world is and puts many things in perspective. I also enjoy learning new art skills like pottery and painting!