After establishing several creative businesses in Singapore, Neal Moore describes himself as a creative entrepreneur. Creative content is what gets him out of bed every morning.
What’s your story?
My name is Neal Moore and I describe myself as a creative entrepreneur because I have started a number of creative businesses in Singapore including award-winning content marketing agency Click2View (www.click2view.asia) and TV production company Can Did Productions (www.can-did.tv), both with my business partner Simon Kearney. I also recently started a blog and podcast series about the business of content and creativity called Moore’s Lore (www.mooreslore.com) and in my limited spare time I produce independent films.
What excites you most about your industry?
Creativity is the most exciting thing to me. The chance to work with artists to create and distribute compelling content that moves audiences is what gets me out of bed in the morning.
What’s your connection to Asia?
My wife. I met her at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in 2007, she’s Singaporean-Chinese and we dated long distance for two years. Eventually one of us had to make the move and she had already lived in London and didn’t like the weather. She also looks after her mother so I came to Singapore to be with her (my wife, not her mother!). I was sceptical at first, Londoners tend to think they live in the centre of the universe, but I have no regrets. Singapore is an incredible city whose creativity is just starting to flourish.
Favourite city in Asia for business and why?
I ike Singapore for practical reasons, it’s very pro-business and acts as a hub concentrating a lot of power and money in one small place. However, nothing beats the buzz of making your way through the Hong Kong crowds for a morning meeting.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
From my dad when I was about 11, he said, “the only bad decision is no decision at all.” I try to convince my clients of the same.
Who inspires you?
My wife who also runs her own business, My Private Chef, creating gourmet hospitality and events for banks and luxury brands. She is so tenacious and an outstanding salesperson. But really anybody who has the courage and conviction to follow their dreams – particularly creative people for whom the risks are often higher and the rewards lower, like my brother, who against all odds is making his living as a professional guitarist.
What have you just learnt recently that blew you away?
That the US banking system isn’t just dysfunctional but criminal and it’s coming this way. I saw The Big Short recently and was blown away by the negligence and hubris on display. Asian cultures aren’t generally comfortable with the concept of personal debt but the banks and credit card companies are trying hard to change that so I’m sure we can look forward to an Asian instigated GFC in about twenty years time!
If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
I would never have studied acting at university, the level of pretentiousness was off the scale! I would have done journalism or sociology instead. As it turned out, I got a journalism diploma in my mid-twenties anyway.
How do you unwind?
I shouldn’t say this but I love to veg out in front of American sitcoms – everyone is so beautiful and witty and they don’t have any real problems. Apart from that I write and record music, cycle along Singapore’s East Coast listening to podcasts, go swimming with my daughter and treat myself to a weekly cigar…sometimes two!
Favourite Asian destination for relaxation? Why?
Er…it’s not Asian but being in Singapore we’re just four hours from Perth so I like to jump on a red-eye then into a car and drive south to the wineries of Margaret River.
Everyone in business should read this book:
How To Get Rich by Felix Dennis because it’s a compelling memoir by someone who did it rather than a boring instruction manual by someone who didn’t. Also, On Writing by Stephen King. We communicate more through the written word than not these days and, whether you have a novel in you or not, this is an indispensable guide to concise, compelling writing.
Shameless plug for your business:
No one ever bought a cinema ticket to watch the trailers. No one ever bought a magazine to read the ads. And no one has ever visited a website for the banners. Last year 200 million ad-blockers were deployed by internet users worldwide. The people have spoken, they don’t want to see advertising so stop forcing them to and create great content instead…preferably with Click2View!
Twitter handle?
@moores_lore
—
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/>
Connect with Callum here:
twitter.com/laingcallum
linkedin.com/in/callumlaing
Get his free ‘Asia Snapshot’ report from www.callumlaing.com
