Her determination to succeed didn’t go unnoticed. Two decades on, Mercury Integrated has grown into an award-winning agency known for its innovative PR strategies, exceptional events and unique social campaigns. Over the years, the company has also landed various prestigious clients including Burberry, Cartier, Changi Airport Group and the L’Oreal Group.

Gusto Collective’s acquisition of Mercury Integrated recently took place in June 2023. While Lee is still getting used to her new role, she shares that although it is a dream come true, letting go of Mercury Integrated was a bittersweet decision.

She shares: “Taking the core team that has followed me for 12 to 15 years to date, to a good place, upon the acquisition of my 23-year-old company [is one of my greatest accomplishments].”

Beyond entrepreneurship

On top of leading Gusto Collective’s business developments in Singapore and Malaysia, the entrepreneur is also a busy mum of two boys, Tyler and Jake.

The mum-trepreneur shares that it’s important to prioritise well when it comes to balancing work and life. For Lee, work and life form a circle, rather than operating on opposing scales. She explains that there are times when her personal life needs to be prioritised—like during the school holidays. Other times, Lee will need to put “family or friends on hold” while powering through work commitments.

When prioritising tasks, she advises: “Complete the ones that take up the most headspace first. Sometimes, the burning tasks are the ones your instincts tell you to finish, not the ones common sense dictates.”

Setting boundaries between both work and home is something important for Lee. Over the years, she has learnt to “walk away” from toxic situations that make her feel underappreciated or disrespected.

“You can walk away from negative and toxic people and situations as easily as you can ‘block’ people on Instagram,” she says.

Read more: Stop the “She-cession”: Holding the Line on Gender Equality in the Workplace

If being a mum-trepreneur wasn’t enough, Lee also enjoys giving back to society. Lee shares that her not-for-profit social enterprise, Crib, allows her to help empower women to become successful entrepreneurs through the organisation’s mentorship programmes. “I’ve always remembered how much I would have valued the kindness of a helping hand or an experienced mentor in those early, hungry days,” the entrepreneur reminisces.

As busy as she is, Lee understands the importance of free time. She explains that these days, many of us “glorify busy-ness or associate it with being productive”. However, not being busy doesn’t mean we aren’t doing enough. She shares how we need to have a mindset shift to see that the happiest and most successful people aren’t the ones working around the clock. When she has time, she enjoys creating content for social media, saving memories and moments with her family and loved ones.

With her passion for the industry, it’s no wonder she was able to turn her company into an award-winning agency. She advises the next generation to “stay hungry and stay curious”. Even with her years of experience, Lee is constantly learning and embracing a lifelong learning mindset.

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