At the start of her entrepreneurial journey, Cheryl Ou was motivated by profit, not purpose. In 2005, she set up her first business in Singapore, a nail salon that allowed Ou to put her skills as a trained nail technician and educator to use.

The business would later evolve into The Nail Social, which uses only non-toxic, cruelty-free nail products. Today, Ou runs the business as a social enterprise, training and employing underprivileged women. Her resolve to help others crystallised in 2011, when she was kicked out of one of her other ventures by an unscrupulous investor.

“I lost a large amount of my savings and realised I didn’t want to be an entrepreneur solely motivated by money,” she says. “That’s when I started dedicating myself to creating meaningful companies that drive social change in our community.”

Ou started another socially conscious business in 2018, The Social Space, which provides job opportunities for a wider group of individuals including ex-offenders. The multi-concept store, which features a nail parlour, cafe as well as a fair trade retail space, also serves as a platform where “the public can realise that they can be socially conscious when going about their day-to-day activities, such as getting a coffee or manicure”.

Here are four life lessons she has learned on her journey so far.