Mixing it up with Zac Yeow

Hindsight is 2020 (#HI2020) is a ground up initiative founded and led by a class of 2020 graduate - Jessica Lee Yi Ling  from Singapore Management University (SMU). In this series, she uncovers personal stories of resilience, courage and love amidst this crazy year we call 2020. Through the reflections and learnings shared in #HI2020, she hopes to empower internship and job seekers to improve their status quos and encourage aspiring entrepreneurs and volunteers to pursue their passions in 2021.

Mixing it up with Zac

Striving to make cooking easier, healthier, and never boring - that's "Zac's" for you. Founded by a fellow class of 2020 graduate, Zac's vision is to invest and develop a new food sensory landscape, celebrating the tastes of multiculturalism, through fusion food, made in Singapore. Let's dive into his previous working experiences and see how they have shaped him and his fusion food business today!

Here’s 3 key things you will learn:

1)     Grit/Resilience – no matter how tough the things you need to do, any difficulties that come your way, you will have to face it, at no point can you give up because that means it is the end of the business, and your values.

2)     Empathy to self – failing one time is not the end, there are definitely days when you want to give up, wish you took the easier path, but your hard work will pay off. Don’t let imposter syndrome get to you, you can do it.

3)     Creativity – Entrepreneurs are really out there to solve a problem, no matter how small the problem is. Create a movement from your solution/product, tell a story, and think out of the box. If problems were that easy to solve, we would have no need for creative people.

Hi Zac! Tell us a bit about your university experience as a Bachelor of Arts student with a Major in Environmental Studies and Minor in Urban Studies.

My 4 years in Yale-NUS College (YNC) was nothing short of amazing. Like all university experience, it definitely isn’t all just ups, there are its down periods too.

As an engineering polytechnic graduate, the learning curve for the first couple of years in a Liberal Arts College is really steep.

I had to learn how to write proper essays, talk about deep philosophical stuff, code a little, and even inquire about science (not doing actual science), things that were nowhere close to what an engineering student had learnt. I also had to be happy that I won’t be having the best grades when compared to my peers. There were plenty of time I was stressed over readings, classes, and deadlines as well. I even almost took a Leave of Absence halfway through a semester, until my Rector convinced me not to.

What were some things you wanted to achieve before you graduated.

Having a final year spent being happy with my close friends. (Probably didn’t happen the way I wanted it because of the job search and capstone stress).

Leaving the school with a big bang (Covid-19 changed the method I did it).

Finding what I wanted to do after graduation (which I probably didn’t know till recently).

Describe to me your ideal graduation and share what the actual experience was like.

One with a physical graduation ceremony, and a period of celebration before moving out of campus, a graduation trip with my closest friends.

Reality? A 3 days’ notice to move out of campus, an extension to capstone, and just spending time at home, watching the virtual graduation on YouTube, in my pajamas (T-shirt and shorts).

Give us the deets on your job search experience.

In my case, I only applied to companies of my interest. I created my own excel sheet, listing companies I would like to work in, which industry they are in, and what I would expect from the industry and well as the roles offered. I applied to around 40 companies, varying from big companies, to startups. Some outcomes were a little bit disappointing, especially the applications to more established companies, but it was expected. Global companies had different job application assessment that take at least 1 hour to complete. Some they place heavy emphasis on grades and these are the ones I did not receive a single reply from. On the other hand, smaller companies do reply, and even give feedback when asked, which was more comforting.

Do you have any working experience? If yes, share with us about it.

Yes, mostly adhoc based work. I have been working as a sound and lighting engineer since young, a professional photographer since 18, an internship with PUB in poly and another internship with a finance company in university.

In terms of the school activities I have done, I got to create student organisations from scratch, and got to manage our student-run café. I co-founded the DJ club in school called “Urban Culture Society” and hosted plenty of parties on campus every semester. The biggest parties were for 300 people, 1/3 of the school’s population, held in our own BlackBox Theatre. The club then expanded to have a bartending vertical (Mixology), and also the gourmet food vertical (Epicure) over the years.

As for the student-run café, I manage one out of the three “butteries” on campus called “The Shiok Shack” and it was the only halal one. I was there as a team member before taking the role as manager in my later years, and was there for almost the full 4 years of my time (excluding study abroad). It was my happy place because being there made me forget all the stress built up from the readings and deadlines.

What led you to choose to start your own company instead?

The right opportunity came at the right time. An angel investor was finding someone to lead a premium sauce company. My brother, well aware of my love for food and keenness to be in the industry, connected me with him.

What is the name of your business and what’s the dream?

Zac’s is a fusion food company that strives to make cooking easier, healthier, and never boring. Our vision is to invest and develop a new food sensory landscape, celebrating the tastes of multiculturalism, through fusion food, made in Singapore.

What are 3 obstacles you’ve faced since the start of this journey?

1)     Getting the 50k grant is not an easy task, many things need to be done, and conditions to be fulfilled.

2)     Starting a company from scratch is also not easy, I basically have to be a one man army knowing everything, from finance, to operations, to R&D, to market validation, to making decks. The things that I do not know, I have to find ways to learn it.

3)     Procrastination / bad planning.

Being an entrepreneur means you are the master of your own time.

There were time that I was so focus on R&D for an entire week, I did not plan anything on the operations side, when some things can run hand in hand or take time to process.

In those challenging times, what kept you going?

Motivation and purpose.

I know that I will hate a corporate job, especially if it is a boring 9am to 5pm job. Creating my own business/enterprise, is the option I find it most suited for me, and I can say it definitely isn’t for everyone. What kept me going is the motivation to not fail without trying, and the purpose that I want my brand and food to be out there, not just in Singapore, but the world.

Do you have any mentors/are you attending any trainings in preparation to launch your business?

I have my elder brother who is 4 years older than me as a mentor, he is harsh, but also the best. I also am in the NUS Venture Builder Program, in preparation to get the 50k SG Startup Founders Grant. I also have a mentor from the program, who is from Israel, and we have a meeting every week for an hour during the program.

What does the image of success for this business look like to you?

Seeing my friends from all over the world enjoying my food, being able to export it around the world.

My significant other is currently in China, and may be in Canada/USA in the future. I want her to be able to eat my cooking, easily through my sauces. Seeing Zac’s hawker/shacks/café/restaurants coming up as well.

Well Zac, I definitely can’t wait for the day your business is officially launched and I get to see it on the shelves when I do my weekly grocery shopping! Any final words of encouragement for 2021 graduates?

Finding job in 2021 will also be tough, especially with 2020 grads still hunting with their 1 year of experience in traineeships.

Here’s a nugget of wisdom I recently picked up from a Singapore leader in a recent event I attended : Throughout history, Singapore didn’t have options, with our small piece of land, zero natural resources, we had no options, but we created options for ourselves.

So friends, don’t lose hope and don’t give up, keep applying for them, and if you can’t find opportunities, create them for yourselves.