What Has Broccoli Got to Do with Career and Life

Many people are curious about my brand name ‘Broccolise’ and what it’s got to do with career and career coaching. Let me share the backstory.

Spontaneous Dinner

It was approaching noon when my colleague came over and asked if I had any dinner plans.

“We’ve been talking about 3 of us getting together for dinner. Why not tonight?”

I gladly took up the offer.

He promptly rounded up the other colleague and recommended this Cze Char (Singapore dining term, dishes whipped up on order and more wallet friendly than restaurants,?https://guide.michelin.com/sg/en/article/dining-out/what-is-cze-char) place near our office in Tanjong Pagar, which had never been on my radar.

We called it a day on the dot, excited about the much-awaited catchup.

Coffeeshop on a Slope

The coffeeshop was near the top of a sloping road off the main, a rather unique and charming location. My colleague took care of the order efficiently, having dined there more than once. Black pepper beef, cereal prawns, hotplate tofu, sambal squid, beer.

Hey, we lack a vegetable dish. I noticed the gap in greens.

“Shall we have a stir-fried broccoli with ginger slices?” He suggested.

Honestly, not a dish I enjoyed, due to its tough stalk and prickly crown. I had two leafy vegetable options in mind. But the other colleague was very happy to have it, so I agreed.

We happily chatted, laughed and tucked in to the spread. Every dish that arrived was scrumptious. All of us were having a great time and had forgotten that one more dish.

Arrival of the Broccoli

And at this moment it came – the broccoli. With no expectations, I looked at it solely for balance.

It stunned us. The stalk was delightfully crisp and crunchy, the crown springy and subtly bathed in the umami gravy. Washed down with beer, the combination was sublime. We stopped our conversation to fully take in this experience.

The least expected item became the star of the night. It would change my view of the broccoli forever.

The next day, I coined the phrase “Life is a broccoli on the slope” (the coffeeshop serving the broccoli is on a slope) to encapsulate my reflection – that life is filled with serendipitous encounters you don’t plan for, some of which could be life changing. The crux lies in how you see and respond to them.

I saw it as an opportunity to have another go at a vegetable I didn’t like. Perhaps, they prepare it differently here?

If I had raised a strong objection to the broccoli, the dinner would not have turned out to be such a mind-blowing affair.

I even wrote an ebook in 2016, using the phrase as the title.

From Broccoli to Broccolise ?

The year was 2015. Fast forward to 2022, I decided to start career coaching on my own and was brainstorming for a brand name.?

Broccolise?came up, drawing inspiration from that unforgettable night. A self-made verb that means to?Realise?the?Broccoli?(opportunity) in your career and life.

Broccolise = Broccoli + Realise        

What Broccolise Stands For

1.?Embracing the Unplanned????????

In career theory this is called “Happenstance”, an event that happens by chance. Broccolise fully embraces?such occurrences as?opportunities,?and empowers you to explore and uncover the hidden possibilities.?In the case of that dinner, my saying Yes to give the broccoli a chance.

2.?Planting the Seeds

Things happen by chance, or do they? Broccolise inspires you to create the conditions that are favourable for the Broccoli (opportunity) to appear in the first place.?

Take that memorable dinner. It wasn’t just a random event. It happened because the three of us had built a certain bond over time. This connection was possible because we sat near one another in the office and were curious enough to strike up conversations.

The cultural dynamic added an extra layer —two of them are British, while I’m local. This mix of perspectives not only made our conversations interesting, but have led to the broccoli dish being suggested that night.

3.?Revitalizing Career Health?

One of the best sources of nutrition, the Broccoli is the soul of Broccolise, boosting you for a healthy, fulfilling and?sustainable?career life.?

4.?Building Career Resilience????????????????

When?change?or?transition?is called for, the sturdy and resilient stalk of the Broccoli enables you to face the challenge head on, adapt and pivot.?

5.?The Personal Touch?

The Broccoli’s springy crown symbolizes the human, personal touch that is so pivotal in everything Broccolise stands for.

Stories have a way of shaping us, don’t they??

Looking back, what were the Broccolising moments in your journey—those unexpected opportunities that left a lasting impact?

Looking ahead, how can you create the conditions for new Broccolising encounters to unfold?

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