Just before Christmas, Shirley picked up her entire life in the UK and moved over to Singapore with her family to lead the new Paprika Asia branch. We've spoken to her about the move and her hopes and aspirations for her new life.
The move to Singapore is definitely one of the most stressful and exciting things that I have ever done in my life! Having lived in London for more than 30 years, moving my whole family to a place I’ve only visited once for a holiday a few years ago is quite scary. I have a mixture of feelings, both professionally and personally and this is a huge thing. Personally; we miss all our friends and families in the UK, the memories we have with the house that we lived in for over 20 years and the worries that my daughter won’t fit into her new school and not make friends. I'm lucky that I have a super supportive husband who allows us to do what we, as a family, need to do.
Professionally; I am unbelievably excited by this move. I can’t wait to meet all the existing clients in Asia. I am a big fan of Paprika, I'm not just saying that, and I believe with the right approach and the right setting it can help and improve the way our clients run their businesses. More efficient, making better future decisions and more time to be more creative.
Now that I'm here in Singapore, the hardest thing so far is trying to get over the heat. I find myself running into any building that has air con whenever I can. I got a cold the second week in, as my body wasn't used to the hot, cold, hot, cold. And the a/c can get really, really cold.
I am not a shy person... but the first ever time I met with a client here, I was worried and was making myself anxious. Luckily, my first meeting was with Abigail at Newgate Communications. She made it so easy for me and she was lovely and easy going. It was a great way to settle into my new role in Singapore. Since then, all the people I have met have been so nice and down to earth. I am excited to meet more!
I am missing some great colleagues that I have back in the UK and I miss working in an office where we laugh and have banter. Working from home can be a bit lonely at times but I am trying to get a routine in. I normally get up around 6:30 and prepare some breakfast for my daughter before school. I sometimes walk with her and my husband to the station where I can get some stuff from the local food market and a very much needed coffee before returning home and logging into Skype to say hello to our Australia team, ready to start the day.
I love our Australia team, the knowledge Anne-Marie has within Paprika is unbelievable, Kyle with his magic touch on all the IT support and then there's our new business manager, Dante, who has helped me with some demos and market advice. They make it so much easier for me to work “alone” in Singapore.
There is a lot that we could do in Paprika Asia, first I want to ensure all of our existing clients are happy with our product. Once I know our current clients are satisfied, I intend to reach out to the creatives in the industry, to try to get to know them and in return get them to know what Paprika can offer!
Shirley (left) at the PRCA SE Asia Awards
If you would like to keep up to date with Shirley and Paprika Asia you can find them on Twitter @AsiaPaprika
