A global nomad at heart, Florine has chosen Singapore as her home to start her first business, a boutique creative agency for premium and luxury brands.

What’s your story?
I am a Belgian digital entrepreneur but a global nomad at heart. I was born in Africa, grew up in Europe and travelled in more countries than my age in years. I relocated to Singapore with my boyfriend (now hubby) in August 2011.

My professional experience lies in working with both aspiring and iconic luxury brands and supporting premium SMEs in growing their businesses.

I am an accomplished marketing strategist and an entrepreneur on a mission to empower ambitious businesses to realise their full potential through digital innovation. With a passion for the latest technologies and over a decade of international marketing experience, I gained a holistic understanding of the full marketing ecosystem.

I always knew I wanted to do my own thing, but wasn’t sure what that would be. Noticing a gap in the market for a boutique agency offering bespoke and targeted digital strategies for high-end niche brands, I decided to leave my corporate job and launched mOOnshot digital. A boutique creative agency servicing premium and luxury brands. People often refer to me as the chic geek in stilettos.

What excites you most about your industry?
The marketing landscape is constantly changing and digital has quickly evolved into a strategic priority for every business. It is fulfilling to run a business that makes a difference to our clients. We mostly work with premium SMEs to help them successfully transform and sustain in the digital age. We had the privilege to accompany iconic brands on their journey of digital relevance.

I believe digital marketing for luxury brands is just like a gemstone. It is magical by nature but its true potential is realised by human’s touch. It is about leveraging highly skilled processes to release the internal sparkle of brands and create mesmerising experiences for their discerning audience. Digital marketing is not just about technology. It’s the opportunity to connect with people and improve brands and lives at scale. There’s nothing more exciting than that.
Digital marketing is really only in its infancy, and there are still so many opportunities to be uncovered.

What’s your connection to Asia?
I have been travelling around the region for leisure and business for years now. There is something enticing about this part of the world, the vibe, the authenticity, the cultures.

I love Southeast Asia. So much so that I got married in a magnificent cliff-top venue, overlooking the vivid azure water of the Indian ocean in Uluwatu, Bali.

Plus it is here that I embarked on my exhilarating entrepreneurial journey. So Asia will always have a special place in my heart.

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Favourite city in Asia for business and why?
Singapore without any doubt. I first visited the city 10 years ago and loved it. When I relocated here 6 years later, Singapore had transformed into a sophisticated business hub.  

Singapore might be small but I like how easy it is to do business here. It is modern, safe, well positioned in the region, easy to get around and very efficient.

I didn’t know a whole lot about Singapore’s entrepreneurial scene until recently when I launched my business. I was amazed to see how many resources, networking opportunities and support are available. I enjoy being part of that thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.

What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Two bits of advice:
“Happiness is a choice and the rest is a matter of perspective. Always be the best person you can be. Aspire to great things but never take anything for granted. Start from nothing and define your own success.”

“It’s better to fail trying than to live with regrets.”

My father passed away when I was in secondary school but his wise words still resonate with me today. He taught me the value of hard work and that it’s up to us to create our own luck.  

Who inspires you?
I am inspired every day by people around me who push me to work harder and think differently.  Richard Branson, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, all the entrepreneurs who are disrupting the status quo, my husband and all the resilient people I meet around the world.  

What have you just learnt recently that blew you away?
The reactivation of Philae and its communication with Earth: It’s impressive to see such an ambitious project, that initially failed to achieve its mission as planned, overcome all the unexpected challenges to succeed and now provide us with valuable insights into how planets and possibly even life evolved. Philae probe spent 7 months in hibernation after its sporty landing on a comet before slowly recharging its batteries with Solar energy to finally communicate back to Earth earlier in June. When you think of the challenges just to communicate with a satellite that’s so far away, with long delays for the information to travel all that distance, it’s really mind-blowing to see what we can accomplish nowadays.

If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
I don’t believe in regrets. I am actually grateful for the roadblocks I have been confronted with because it forced me to be more resilient and shaped me into the woman I became today. I regard all the mishaps and life challenges as lessons in disguise and opportunities to learn and grow. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right!

I am enjoying the roller coaster ride as a digital entrepreneur, the ups and downs, twists and turns. One of the biggest challenges though of running a niche digital agency in a foreign country is building up a trusted network of connections​. So I could have attended those networking events sooner.

On a more personal note, I’m very much a perfectionist by nature. I am demanding and expect a lot of myself. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but recognising my own achievements would certainly not hurt.

How do you unwind?
Powdery-white beaches. Sparkling-blue ocean. Vivid green palm trees. Salty kisses and sandy toes. Mojitos. Sun. More mojitos. Ok, you get the picture.  Whenever possible, I travel and disconnect to truly connect with my husband.  I turn off data roaming and push notifications on my phone.

I am also a self-confessed foodie so I like to try new restaurants.

Favourite Asian destination for relaxation? Why?
That’s a tough one! There are so many different amazing places to visit. One of the many advantages of living in Singapore is that you can enjoy regular vacations to exotic places across Southeast Asia and beyond, and I’ve been lucky enough to visit many of them.

For a quick and easy getaway, Bali certainly has a lot to offer. From pristine beaches to emerald-green rice fields, delicious food and pampering spa experiences.

Everyone in business should read this book:
“Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions” by Guy Kawasaki.

There is nothing more important for businesses than to provide value for their customers and delight them. This book provides a wealth of insights to do just that; enchant people.

Shameless plug for your business:
mOOnshot digital is a boutique creative and digital marketing agency servicing premium and luxury brands. We have worked with exclusive and high-end brands including Brioni, Stefano Ricci and Billionaire Couture to name but a few. Our advisory board includes former employees of Google, Facebook and YouTube.

Guided by a deep understanding of the latest opportunities in digital, luxury savoir-faire and an intimate knowledge of your business, we strive to meet your unique set of needs with clarity, simplicity and honesty by offering a truly personalised digital experience.

We craft bespoke results-driven digital marketing strategies and move boundaries one pixel at a time.

We are admired for our creative and insight-driven approach to strategy and respected for our efficiency and execution abilities. Our vision is to empower forward-thinking businesses to realise their full potential through digital innovation. We call it Digital Craftsmanship.

Our services include: Bespoke Digital Strategy, Website Development,  Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Social Media Strategy & Management, Content Marketing, Email Marketing, Online Advertising, Branding & Design.

You identify the destination, we plan the journey.

How can people connect with you?
To learn more about our bespoke digital services, visit our website: moonshotdigital.com
Connect with us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/mOOnshotdigitalagency
Drop me an email at [email protected]
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/florinebeauloye
You can also find me on Linkedin.

Twitter handle?
@florinebeauloye

This interview was part of the Callum Connect’s column found on The Asian Entrepreneur:

CallumConnects

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/>

Connect with Callum here:
twitter.com/laingcallum
linkedin.com/in/callumlaing
Get his free ‘Asia Snapshot’ report from www.callumlaing.com

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