Christine left her comfort zone and set up ‘Women on a Mission.’ She is fascinated by the power of women who are passionate about something! When they come together, “extraordinary things can happen.”
What’s your story?
My passion for sports, adventure and love of languages pushed me to study abroad, travel the world and work for Nike across four continents. This in turn took me to Singapore where I eventually joined forces with a group of avid female mountaineers and co-founded Women on a Mission. An organisation that combines challenging expeditions to majestic locations around the world, with inspirational events and workshops in Singapore and Nepal, as a means to raise awareness and funds for women survivors of war and abuse.
At the core of our culture is a passion for adventure and a deep respect and love of nature. We seek to travel, make new discoveries, flourish as individuals, but most important, contribute to society.
What excites you most about your industry?
I’m energised by the chance to make a difference and inspire more women to leave their comfort zone by committing to a mentally and physically challenging voyage to support the less fortunate. My goal is to encourage society to sit up and realise that when many women come together and are passionate about a cause, extraordinary things can happen.
What’s your connection to Asia?
I was born in Manila and derive some of the happiest memories of my childhood from growing up in this region. My mother is from the Philippines and my father was a Frenchman who considered Asia his home. I’ve lived most of my life in Asia and feel completely at ease in this part of the world. 
Favourite city in Asia for business and why?
I’ve been working in Singapore since 2005 and love living in this vibrant and beautiful island state. Not only is it clean and well organised, but as a woman walking down the streets here, I feel very safe. This is something I never take for granted having lived in many other cities around the world, where this is not always the case.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Have the courage to follow your own heart and intuition because they already know what you truly want to do with your life. Everything else is secondary.
Who inspires you?
I am inspired by a multitude of people.
Winston Churchill for his vision, leadership and eloquence.
Nelson Mandela for his courage to forgive.
My mother for her dignity and culture.
My father for his work ethic and charm.
My husband for his business savvy and generous heart.
Queen Rania and Angelina Jolie not just because they embody beauty and grace, but also because their humanitarian efforts are truly admirable and changing the world.
What have you just learnt recently that blew you away?
As I was researching for our next Women on a Mission trek to Siberia, I found out that the Nenets, the nomadic reindeer herders of Siberia who we will be travelling with next November 2015, actually eat raw reindeer meat and even drink the animal’s raw blood. Additionally, the temperatures we should expect in the Yamal Peninsula of Siberia at that time of the year, could be anywhere between -40 and -50 degrees celsius, and could also be accompanied by howling arctic winds! It’s going to be quite the adventure and certainly outside our comfort zone.
If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
I would have founded my non-profit organisation earlier. Since its inception, many doors of opportunity have opened for me and it has changed and enriched my life in countless ways.
How do you unwind?
I read voraciously, love a good run and enjoy movies. But I have to say, that a delicious home-cooked meal accompanied by a great wine does the trick every time.
Favourite Asian destination for relaxation? Why?
I love the Maldives. They‘re just a short flight away from Singapore and have some of the best beaches in the world.
Everyone in business should read this book:
Never Eat Alone, And other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time
By Keith Ferazz
Shameless plug for your business:
I have a few projects coming up, that I’m very excited about:
The first is our next Women on a Mission event on October 8, 2015 in support of the Singapore Committee of UN Women. It’s for a very good cause, to stop human trafficking in this region and we have a wonderful speaker, Anousheh Ansari, the first self-funded woman to fly into space. The event will be held at a delicious restaurant with stunning views of the city at Me@OUE and you can find out more here.
The second project is actually completely different and unrelated to my non-profit organisation. It’s a partnership with a group of Singaporean trainers and coaches, and together we’ve created a dynamic six week ‘Get Fulfilled with Mummylicious Programme,’ which will be accessible from anywhere around the world using Fulfilled’s mobile app. The programme uses content and insights from my book, The Smart Girl’s Handbook to Being Mummylicous, to help mums get into shape, become healthier and of course more Mummylicious! You can find out more here.
How can people connect with you?
www.womenmission.com
Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
Twitter handle?
https://twitter.com/WOAMSingapore
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This interview was part of the Callum Connect’s column found on The Asian Entrepreneur:
Callum Laing invests and buys small businesses in a range of industries around Asia. He has previously started, built and sold half a dozen businesses and is the founder & owner of Fitness-Buffet a company delivering employee wellness solutions in 12 countries. He is a Director of, amongst others, Key Person of Influence. A 40 week training program for business owners and executives.
Take the ‘Key Person of Influence’ scorecard <http://www.keypersonofinfluence.com/scorecard/>
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