We are all builders: Ben Lim

In Korea, a child’s first birthday is traditionally celebrated with an event called a dol. At the center of the celebration is an elaborate spread of food called a dolsang that’s intended to wish the child a prosperous future. But the main event, in my humble opinion, is the doljabi. A fun custom where a variety of items are laid out in front of the child and whatever they grab first is said to reveal something about their future. Common items you might find are a spool of yarn for longevity, rice or money for prosperity, and objects predicting the child’s future career (e.g., a stethoscope or gavel).

At my daughter’s dol, she was presented with a spaceship, a ball of yarn, a xylophone, a book, a soccer ball, and a paintbrush. When the doljabi began, I was thrilled to see her immediately lunge toward the soccer ball. Visions of World Cup glory immediately raced through my head and then were dashed as she took a sharp left and triumphantly grabbed the paintbrush. In hindsight, it’s clear that she knew better than I did.

Four and a half years later, my daughter happily takes after-school art classes five days a week and churns out arts and crafts projects at home at an astonishing rate. The sheer volume of stuff generated by her in any given week is Marie Kondo’s worst nightmare—almost every piece sparks joy—but it’s inspiring to watch her work. She’s a builder if I’ve ever seen one and, as a five-year-old, the degree of focus she demonstrates when absorbed in a project is a reminder of how satisfying it can be to flex your creative muscles and throw yourself headfirst into your work.

I’ve been fortunate to have a career in which I’ve routinely been able to lose myself in my work the way my daughter does. Whether it’s building products, teams, or the company, one of the reasons that I’ve stayed at Able for over eight years is because I’ve been able to grow while continuing to scratch that itch of wanting to make something new. You don’t have to look hard to find opportunities to make an impact at Able. As fellow builders, I hope that rings true for you too because that’s the sort of environment we’re trying to create.

• Benjamin Lim, Group Director of Product