Great heights

Sometimes, being stubborn is not a bad thing. That trait turned Jaelle Ang into a successful entrepreneur and supermom.

The Singaporean, who is behind The Great Room coworking concept, discovered her stubbornness when she was a child.

Nothing could change her mind once she set her mind on the goal of becoming an architect when she was 12 years old. "I always drew a lot, especially buildings and architecture, and entered a lot of art competitions," recalled Ang. "It was satisfying to create something visual and tangible."

Too impatient to wait for opportunities to come her way, she made her own luck. "My parents worked as entrepreneurs abroad, so my brother and I were in boarding schools in Singapore since I was 12. When I was 16, I asked to go to a boarding school in England."

Her goal was to study architecture in Europe. With that in mind, she started studying German at 12. "There is so much history in Europe. There are all kinds of buildings from different eras," she said.

The move widened her horizons. "Singapore is young, and the architecture reflects that. London is the center of great architecture. The experience of learning and exploration is very different."

She studied architecture in London, but things did not go to plan. Just as the fresh graduate was about to start working as an architect in New York, the September 11 attacks happened. "It was definitely not a good time to go to New York,"

Ang postponed her plans, going back to Singapore to start an art school instead. But once she started, she went all in.

"I like to do things well, not halfway," she said. "I started with teaching, and the school gradually grew into 40 schools."

Perhaps due to the knack for entrepreneurship she inherited from her parents, she realized that it could be interesting and pursued an MBA in 2004 to perfect her business skills.

But this did not mean she had forgotten her long-time dream. After gaining experience in banks and a development project in Bangkok, Ang started The Great Room.

The business combined her two passions: architecture and entrepreneurship. "It brought together my love for art and design, building teams and structures and building teams."

Said Ang, who once helped develop a fish market into a hotel: "I saw how great brands, people and design can be pulled together to develop a great hotel I saw an opportunity to build something that is truly well designed, has an element of hotel hospitality and really brings people together."

Coworking spaces usually target startups, but Ang's is aimed at established companies. "I believe grown-ups want to connect with like-minded people, and many large companies with headquarters somewhere else need coworking spaces for their employees."

Despite having a clear concept, as well as experience in start-ups and architecture, the path was not easy. Many friends and family members had their doubts.

"Before we opened, everyone thought it was a foolish idea," she recalled. "Coworking spaces are generally thought of as being cheap and casual. Who would want an A-level, high-performing coworking space?"

While others might have taken a step back and reassessed the idea, Ang's stubbornness pushed her forward.

"I could see the dots connecting, and that gave me the courage to jump in with a little bit of foolishness."

The challenges did not end there. The same month she opened the first The Great Room in 2016, she gave birth to twin boys. "It was unplanned, and I did not go back to the office for three months."

Even now, work takes up a large portion of her time. "When we're busy, there is no clear start and end time," she said. But the mother of four draws a clear line for her family. "Family time is 5.30pm to 8.30pm. I also wake up at 6.30am to work out and take care of my kids before getting to work." It is always quality time over quantity time. "No tech is allowed at home. No iPads, no TVs."

Ang considers herself lucky she was never alone. As well as her supportive husband, she also has a team that takes over in her absence and gives her confidence. "My courage also comes from convincing five smarter people to join me," she said. "I managed to persuade my cofounders, my CFO [who is also her husband] and the first employee who joined."

The first Great Room opened in Singapore in 2016, followed by three more in Singapore, one in Bangkok and one in Hong Kong within four years, proving stubbornness is not always a bad quality.

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