Freeform's Blog

Happy 2011!

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 02:09:00 +0800

Happy New Year everyone! We’ve had the last week of 2010 off but personally, I’m raring to head back into the office this coming Monday. We’ve got some interesting developments shaping up over the coming months, some familiar and some in new areas. Am really looking forward to it!

Here’s to an enjoyable last weekend before the first workday of 2011 starts!

Adrian

And I'm back

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:27:00 +0800

Signed off for 10 days and just got back to work today. With the exception of some calls and emails, I pretty much disappeared from the face of the earth. It felt great! And the best part is, the world just kept on turning and Freeform kept on humming. As you might have guessed, I’ve always had issues letting go but over the years, have gotten better at it. Not entirely there yet, but yes, better.

But the point of this post is not about my worry wart tendencies but the importance of taking extended breaks. To recharge, to think, to not have the pressure of returning emails or calls within seconds. In our hyper-connected world, we might feel in the centre of everything but it also doesn’t mean things will fall apart if we are not there to connect the dots.

Nothing new here. Nothing you’ve not heard of before. Probably only bears repeating because I just got back and am raring to go and brimming with a little bit more energy.

But I do know that I’m going to look into making it mandatory for everyone in Freeform to take week-long breaks.

Adrian

Saying Goodbye

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 23:49:00 +0800

Today the office felt a little different. A little more quiet, a little bit more subdued, fewer screams and shouts. I guess in a way, testament to the outsize personalities of some individual who moved on from Freeform yesterday.

While people coming and going within an organisation is a pretty normal occurrence, I still get a little emotional whenever there is a departure. I know it is essential to experience regular doses of renewal (be it for individuals or organisations), but it is still some thing I doubt I will ever get used to, and that’s fine. I strongly believe it is important to build deep connections with the people you work with. I’m very proud of the fact that many ex-colleagues continue to be friends.

Freeform will always be grateful to the great individuals who have pushed KLue and Junk forward over the last few years, and the many individuals prior to that. It is now time for the rest of us (and some new faces) to continue building on the great stuff we’ve been left with.

All the best Wai Kit, Sarah, Myra, Zedeck and Yang Ching, as you head into the next stage of your bright careers. The process of constant renewal continues afoot for all of us.

Adrian

There I go again

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 23:29:00 +0800

I did say I’m terrible when it comes to maintaining a blog, didn’t I? And as predicted, it didn’t take me more than two posts to fail at keeping to a weekly schedule. My only excuse is that I’ve been knee-deep in tons of stuff going on here at Freeform. Not many I can talk about at this time (will definitely do so in due time) but one that I can share for now, and am very happy to, is our new venture into the F&B line, The Bee.

A coffee house serving fuss-free, affordable food and great coffee, The Bee is located at Jaya One, where our office is. We hope to grow The Bee into a comfortable space for the community in our neighbourhood. You can expect to see lots of activities by our media brands here, so if you are ever in the area, do drop by.

Oh, we have a site too at www.thebee.com.my

Adrian

Changes

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 22:58:00 +0800

Change is never ever easy to deal with. Even more so in a professional context, where changes affect more than just yourself. But resisting change (and failing to act decisively as a result) is one of the most detrimental things you could do to your organisation (and your personal performance too).

I would know.

Over the years, while I like to claim that we’ve always embraced change and were nimble where it mattered, reality tells a different story. Changes we’ve made, tons of them, but most times, they were cosmetic ones in hindsight. They weren’t the kind of changes that kept you us up at night. The ones that made us very uncomfortable because it forced us to reexamine every thing we’ve ever done. The ones that really shakes one way, way out of our comfort zones.

Running a company is never easy, I know that, but it still doesn’t get any easier after all these years when faced with tough decisions.

But tough decisions and changes are on the agenda. Face it or be damned to indecisive mediocrity (hmmm, sounds like governments I know).

Will keep you posted.

Adrian

Urbanscapes

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:11:00 +0800

It has been more than a week since but the sweet memories linger. While I agree with some of you that there were lots of room for improvement, we were handicapped with the lack of sponsorship (the bane of most events in Malaysia). And without funds, there’s only so much we can do.

But this shall not be a whiny post about how tough things were to put together.

Instead, this will be a post about how wonderful it was to see so many people coming together and chipping in at the last minute without expecting anything in return. It will be about all those of you who supported the festival by buying a ticket, a drink, a meal, a dress. It will be about how great it was to see everyone having a great time devoid of any negativity.

It will be about how putting together Urbanscapes reassures us that what we do at Freeform matters to many, and that in our own little way, we’re contributing positively towards KL’s cultural and social development.

Adrian

First Post

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:30:00 +0800

We passed our 10th year as a company a few months back. While as a company we’re all social media-savvy, and on all the right platforms to share and communicate with our communities, personally, I’ve been rather rubbish in doing the same.

So here’s my 101th attempt at keeping a blog. One that will focus on the going-ons at Freeform, along with sharing my thoughts, experiences and things that keep me up late at night. I hope you will find it insightful and of value.

Now let’s hope there will be another post within a week.

Adrian