Sure. I am Canadian Chinese and came to Hong Kong for my first job out of school, initially for 3-5 years, but then met my now husband and had 2 kids and am still here!
 
 
How was born the idea of Petit Tippi? Did you ever thought you would launch a baby/kids related business? 
Never, I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur. I was pregnant with my son and was really just envious of all the beautiful brands that I didn’t have access to here in Hong Kong, many of which were so much more eco-conscious and innovative too. I also really wanted to cloth diaper, it was becoming big in North America and when I read about it, I was very concerned about the chemicals in disposable diapers, but there was very little choice in HK at the time. I did zero market research and had zero ecommerce experience! I just really wanted parents in HK to have access to some of the great things I had found, so I started small and grew slowly from there. 
 
 
What was the first brand/product you decided to sell on Petit Tippi and why? 
It was AppleCheeks, if I remember correctly. They are Canadian, their products are made in Canada and they were really easy to work with. Cloth diapering was one of the big things I really wanted to do and they had the softest, cutest swim diapers I had ever felt or seen. Even now my customers come back and tell me it’s the best swim diaper they’ve ever bought. 
 
 
What are today some of your favourite brands on your website?

That’s hard, there are so many! ErgoPouch is hands-down my favourite sleeping bag. Malabar Baby is my favourite receiving/stroller blanket and swaddle. Naked Lab, which is brand new, has an amazingly soft but not slippery Bamboo Silk bedding for babies up to adults. Folpetto has beautiful swimwear and a rash guard that zips all the way down the front and is made of fully recycled plastics reclaimed from the sea. My daughter loved the Bibs pacifiers when she was a baby, and they are so beautiful in photos. The Youha The One breast pump made pumping so fast, and I hated it so that made it so much more bearable. My kids at this age (2 and 5yo) love the Zazu collection of night lights and sleep trainers (thank goodness for them!). I could go on…! We love a brand with a story. 
 
 
And what are the most popular brands/products among your clients? 

The brands I mentioned above customers have definitely discovered the merits of. Silverettes (editor’s note: healing cups to protect nipples while breastfeeding) are definitely a top seller too, for good reason! Avanchy (editor’s note: sustainable baby dishes) is another good one, they are beautiful, and they actually suction well to the table. Little Linen Co. is a relatively new one but is also selling very well, they make simple yet beautiful bedding and lovies, as well as the mesh Airwrap bumpers which are just genius. 
 
 
What would you say have been, so far, the biggest challenge as an entrepreneur in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong offers a world of opportunities, it’s so easy to start a small business. I think the challenge comes when you want to scale and grow beyond a certain point – space is expensive, talent is difficult to source, and the consumer market is small, so you inevitably have to look elsewhere. That said, I am content serving our tight-knit community of parents for the time being. 
 
 
And the greatest reward? 
Helping someone. Recently someone emailed me to tell me that she attended my cloth diaper workshop while pregnant and a few months later she is full-time cloth diapering and her whole family prefers cloth over disposables. Another thanked me for rushing Silverettes to her and how it saved her nipples. Even a message about her husband now exclusively using a reusable mask that we found and stock because it’s the most comfortable one, made my day. Helping families be their best selves and sharing all the parenting wisdom I’ve gathered over the years is our reason for existence.
 
 
What's next for Petit Tippi? Any exciting projects coming-up?
We are working on designing some of our own products. In some cases, it’s partly to help reduce the carbon footprint and partly to put our spin on things, and in other cases we are working on some more long-term design projects for products we wish we had, including a cloth diaper. Hopefully they come to life one day! 
 
 
What does a typical day in your life look like those days?
There’s nothing typical about these days! I am normally used to having more structure in my day, but these days I am mostly trying to keep the kids busy and find time in between to do work and help my team. I’m sure most parents can relate, but I will be devastated if school doesn’t recommence in the fall term! My youngest goes to bed at 7pm, then my eldest at 8pm, and then my husband and I have peace and quiet to have dinner, work, watch something, or perhaps go out. 
 
What are your fav places in Hong Kong for:

a day off with the kids: Disneyland or the beach

a family brunch: Limewood or W’s Kitchen

a date night without the kids: For something more casual, we like all the Black Sheep Restaurants. Frantzen’s Kitchen for something more special and if going all out then L’Envol (REDISCOVER OUR INTERVIEW OF CHEF OLIVIER ELZER FROM L’ENVOL)

drinks with friends: J Borowski, Envoy

shopping for your kids (when not shopping on Petit Tippi, of course): These days for clothes I shop a lot on Retykle (REDISCOVER OUR INTERVIEW OF SARAH, FOUNDER OF RETYKLE) and Janie & Jack in the US. When we go to France (editor’s note: Vicky’s husband is French) I stock up on Jacadi and a Spanish brand called Lola Palacios. I also really like Jamie Kay from Australia. 

 

I’m 27 and have been living in Asia for 5 years now. My heart fall for Asia back in 2014 when I was studying in Shanghai and I decided to move to Hong Kong right after finishing my master. I spent 5 years in Hong Kong then moved to Singapore last year, in 2019. 
 
My first job in Hong Kong was in the food delivery industry which was booming at the time. I loved it: the customer relationship, the partner relationship, the business development part … I also quickly noticed that there was a gap in the market and no-company to fill that gap: nobody was delivering breakfast back at that time. I had always wanted to launch my own company one day and decided to take this opportunity and launch Le Petit Croissant. 
 
Basically, we are a French breakfast delivery company. Buttery pastries, fresh bread, fresh fruits, fresh pressed juices, coffee, muffins … name it, we have it. 
 
 
Is the French identity of your brand something important for you?

Yes, it is. Most of the ingredients we use are from France. I am French myself and it is important for me to infuse my brand with my own identity and also be an ambassador of French gastronomy. I also feel that most people think of French gastronomy as one of the best in the world in terms of products and service and it fits what I’m trying to achieve with Le Petit Croissant: always delivering the best. 
 
 
Is there an item that is not yet on your menu but you’d like to offer at some point?
A Cruffin! It’s basically a mix between a croissant and a muffin. It’s absolutely not recommended if you are on a diet but god it’s so good.
 
 
Who are your clients?
We have both private and corporate clients. Corporate clients represent the most significant percentage of the clients base and are ordering Le Petit Croissant for their meetings, birthday gatherings … We serve most of the big financial corporations but also more and more companies from the tech industry and coworking spaces. Our private clients mainly order on weekends when they want to enjoy a nice brunch at home with their family. 
 
 
What would you say has been your biggest challenge being an entrepreneur so far?

Being the one, and the only one, to take all the major decisions in terms of recruitments, investments strategy … It’s actually still a challenge but I receive great support from my family and I have also gained a lot of business experience over the past 5 years. Today, I’m not as stressed as I used to be and I’m definitely better at putting things into perspective and also delegate to my team. 
 
 
And the greatest reward?
I absolutely love it when I find out someone have heard about Le Petit Croissant in another country. Getting the name of my brand out there is so rewarding. 

Something I’m also very proud of is to have built a team of 9 people and have passed my desire to do our best onto them.
 
 
You first launched Le Petit Croissant in Hong Kong then moved to Singapore last year. Are there any major differences between the two markets?
Not really. I would say the main difference is that Singapore’s market today is way more competitive than the Hong Kong’s one was three years ago but it’s because the food delivery industry has changed a lot over the past few years. Back in 2017, Le Petit Croissant was the only company offering breakfast delivery that early in the morning in Hong Kong. One big difference though, when working in the FnB industry, is that many people require halal food in Singapore when practically nobody does in Hong Kong.
 
 
Are you thinking of expanding to more countries?
I’ve been thinking about opening in Kuala Lumpur for a few months now. It’s just an hour flight from Singapore so that would be quite easy for me to run the business from here. I also have other cities in mind but not Asian ones. 
 
 
One last question, how is the coronavirus outbreak impacting your business?
It’s impacting it quite badly. The situation now is way worse than it was during the protests in Hong Kong. The thing is most people now work from home, so companies do not organize meetings and gatherings anymore and therefore do not order Le Petit Croissant anymore. But was I found the scariest is having no visibility at all on if and when the crisis will end. 
 
 


 

by Aude Camus 
 
Flexibility … that’s both the best and the worst part of being an entrepreneur. The worst because it often ends-up that being flexible means 1. Never really disconnecting (I honestly can’t remember the last time I went on a holiday and didn’t check my mails) and 2. Working from dawn till dusk. But flexibility also means that if you need to take a two-hour break in the middle of the day you can because you are the one to decide how you organize your schedule. Oh and of course, the best part of it, is that you can basically work from wherever you want in the world (as long as the internet isn’t too bad). This last thing is probably one of the things I love the most about my job, being able to do it while satisfying my appetite for travel! 
 
Speaking of one’s appetite for travel, I recently sat down for coffee with Camille Gayraud who decided, few years ago, to make a living out of her passion and launched Voyagez Futé. 

Hi Camille, thanks so much for having coffee with me today. Let’s start with a bit more info about yourself. Who are you? When and how did you first arrived in Hong Kong? How and why did you launched Voyagez Futé? 
I was born and raised in the North of France where I also got my Bachelor of Business. Following this Bachelor, I was supposed to go for a Master degree until I got drunk one night and decided to book flight tickets and go on a one year adventure in Australia with two of my friends. They have been planning this trip for months and I just decided to join on a sudden impulse. I don’t think I can ever forget the look on my parents’ faces when I told them I wasn’t going back to university but instead will be spending a year traveling Australia in a van with two male friends. Priceless I would say. But that gives you an idea on what a travel addict I am, and already was. 
 
So back in 2011, I was lucky enough to spend few epic months between Australia and Asia. As expected, this year turned out to be the best year ever. I was hooked with the travel virus. And once back in France, people were asking me for my traveling tips. I did start to help friends organizing their trips and it quickly grows with people I didn’t know contacting me for traveling tips. 
 
Not to mention this year abroad also had me grow a lot as a person. I always have had in mind that I will launch my own business somedays, but this experience made me realize somedays would be sooner than what I thought. Sorry Mum and Dad but no Master Degree for me. Instead, I applied for an Entrepreneurship Program at Pole Emploi (editor’s note: French governmental agency which registers unemployed people, helps them find jobs and provides them with financial aid) and spent several months working on my ideas – I wanted to turn my passion for travel into a job - and business plan together with professionals, who were all 100% sure my business was going to fail. Et voilà: Voyagez Futé was born. 
 
So here I am, in 2012 living in France, longing to go on my next adventure but broke and saving all my money to launch my business. And bam, love at first sight! It wasn’t part of the plan at all but I followed him to Sweden and Norway, where he was studying, and then to Hong Kong where he was only supposed to stay for 6 months. 6 years later here we are, still in Hong Kong and celebrating 3 years of being happily married. The only things that haven’t changed is that I am still a backpacker at heart and always have tons of projects in sight. 
 
 
Can you better explain what is Voyagez Futé? 
Voyagez Futé is both a platform for me to share travel inspo and tips and a service to help you plan your holidays. 

Some people just don’t like organizing holidays, other simply don’t have time for it. I am here to help you save time, and money, by curating the best possible trip based on your budget, personal tastes and expectations. I am basically handling all the researches for you and providing you with a complete itinerary (including transportations and accommodations) maximizing (and as much as possible lowering) your budget. It is then up to you to decide, or not, to book activities, transportations, accommodations I found for you (I am of course also providing all the booking links).  I am basically your travel best friend! 
 
 
I kind of understand that you have always loved traveling. What is the first travel you did and can remember?
My mother was a teacher and she took us all over France when we were kids so that we could explore the cultural wonders of our country. Museums, castles … I’ve visited many of them! But a very memorable trip is the first one I took abroad by myself (well actually with my best friend). I just turned 18 and we embarked on an amazing road trip from Milano to Cinque Terre, Pise, Florence, the Northern Lakes and Verone. 
 
 
What is your most memorable adventure so far?
The year I spent traveling Australia definitely. I can’t really explain but I just felt like I was where I was supposed to be living with my two friends in a van at the other end of the world. I will always cherish this trip because it made me the adult that I am today, both personally and professionally.  
                                     
 
And your worst travel experience so far?
My honeymoon very unfortunately! We were stocked in Kuala Lumpur for 19h, sleeping on the floor and left only with burger coupons but neither hotel rooms nor shower. Such a sexy and romantic escape! It felt like every minute was an hour and I couldn’t see an end to this nightmare. Not to mention I had booked the most magical place ever in Sri Lanka months before and I was so frustrated missing a night and day there. 
 
 
Is there one place on earth you could go back and back and back without ever getting tired of it (except from France)? 

Bali! I just wish I could live in Bali. Landscape, people, food, shopping, culture … I just love absolutely everything on the island of Gods.  
 
 
What would you say is your biggest challenge running your own business?

Staying on top all the time and making sure people always think about me. I am lucky that I was the first one doing what I am doing and, even though many bloggers are now doing it, I’ll always be a step ahead. My community is quite big, but I have to make sure and stay active, be present on social medias every day. My biggest fear definitely is to see a large company launching the same service (with obviously more financial means that I have). 
                  
 
And the greatest reward?

My community. It almost feels like we are family. This support is my greatest reward. 
 
 
Any further developments in mind for Voyagez Futé?
I am currently working on technical improvements. And ideally, I’d love to be able to grow the team in the future. I am currently working with 2 freelancers and I’d love for us to grow together into the Airbnb of travel planning … Dream big they say! 
 
And because I’m a hyperactive and always have new business ideas, I just launched my latest baby: My Wanderlust Box. I’ve always wanted to have a product-oriented company because Voyagez Futé is more on the service side of business. Once again, I’ve been inspired by my passion for travel and have partnered with my best friend here in Hong Kong – Anne Mar Corrion – to create a map of the world on a chalkboard vinyl sticker that people can customize (flags, pins, photos …) to keep their travel memories alive. 
 
 
Last but not list and because you are the travel expert, would you share your fav Asian destinations for:

A foodie trip: Thailand obviously … just because Thai food is amazing 

A short and easy weekend gateway: Hoi An in Vietnam, the flight from Hong Kong to Danang isn’t even two hours

A girls trip: I recently went to Cebu for a bachelorette and it was perfect – beach club, massage, boat trip … everything you expect from such a trip. 

A romantic escape: Bali is my favorite place on earth and it is also the place where my husband proposed 

 

Hi Sheila, lovely meeting you today! Can you tell me a bit more about yourself? Who are you? How did you end up here in Hong Kong? And the whys and hows behind Protelicious.
A little info about me? Sure. Very Canadian, as certified by the eh?? which punctuates my speech! I have a Bachelor in Food Science from McGill University then Masters in Economics and Media Studies from University de Paris II, and despite my lifelong passion for all subjects linking food and health, I NEVER expected to work in the industry. 
 
I was enjoying life as a magazine publisher in Paris when our life transitioned to Hong Kong in 2006. Subsequent health challenges with two of our children motivated me to turn back to my sciences and the pathways between food and health to find solutions. A few years later, the kids were completely back on track, while in the meantime I started to become an informal, then formal, resource on the subject. I have not looked back since.  Momentum took me from lunchtime lecturer on the pathways between food and health to author to TEDX speaker and now co-founder and MD of Protelicious. 
 
Back to the link with Protelicious, as I didn't want to continue with the lunch lectures, along with two other educators, I decided to write a guide book for parents and young adults, called Keys to Independence, Leaving Home to Study. My part is on the pathways between food and health.  While fact-checking with my good friend, and now Protelicious Chief Science Officer Dr. Jean-François Lesgards, a well-published postdoc in Biochemistry who had experience with clean cold processed whey in clinical applications like cancer and cardio-vascular… I understood two things clearly: This quality whey protein is second to none when it comes to maintaining and protecting global health. Getting your hands on it was very hard. As luck or fate would have it, just after discovering this through Jean-François, I bumped into an old friend in HK, who had imported ½ ton of this quality whey and mixed it with gourmet flavorings (in a cupboard in his father's office!). Trying and tasting is believing. I know food, however nothing but nothing had had this positive impact on my global health and wellbeing.  Equally as important, it was delicious and simplified my life tremendously. As my friend had to leave HK, I acquired the embryonic company in 2016, and the rest is history.   
 
Where in Hong Kong can we find Protelicious so far? 

Most of our business is with the F&B sector which uses Protelicious as an ingredient in delicious & health building smoothies or chilled coffees. Nood Food by Pure is a great place to sample our signature whey protein in the All The Whey line. Or Classified restaurants, where all the smoothies are made with Protelicious. 
  
What are the next developments/steps for Protelicious? 
I am very proud to say that, because we are now sourcing directly from the #4 in the world in Dairy, based in NZ and blend and pack at their pharmaceutical grade, an award-winning manufacturer, we are able to scale and expand. This was THE hardest part - to secure this quality sourcing and believe me, it was “no small feet” as a startup to be able to blend and package there. With this, we have access to the best quality cold processed whey protein from grass-fed cows and are certified to get into China, SE Asia, and North America. By the end of the summer, we will be available on Amazon in the US. We are also working on one more really exciting extension of the product line in 2019, Stay tuned!
 
What would you say has been the major challenge launching your business here in Hong Kong?
There have been two big challenges.
 
I am not interested in compromising on the quality of our primary ingredient: grass-fed cold processed whey protein, so supply has been a big challenge! Think about it. It is a powerful antioxidant, & detoxifier, builds immunity, beauty and health. It’s also delicious. Additionally, the research is quite recent. As a result, large volumes have started to go to big players while smaller startups like ours got squeezed. Last year we got lucky as the number 4 worldwide in Dairy approached us for a Joint Venture. They were interested in our approach - bringing clean protein out of fitness onto breakfast and snack tables of the urbanite. Although we were too small to consider for a JV, they eased the supply and production issues, thus the transfer of our manufacturing to NZ I mentioned above. 
 
Education has also been a big challenge. Protein is one of the most misunderstood macronutrients - yet we are big piles of protein. When selected correctly it’s a powerful antioxidant and detoxifier. Much of my time is spent on educating about protein through various supports such as our ebook which you can download here, for free.  
 
And what is the most rewarding thing having your own business? 
Customers feedbacks are a great reward.  Emails, notes, and testimonials that come in from our clients: “It's so delicious, it has simplified my life, now I don't worry about my kids getting sick, my skin is prettier (it boosts the collagen), my son/daughter concentrate better at school, or our household is more peaceful now because is stabilizes moods (great for household with teens!), etc..”
 
I am also proud to be able to Introduce Protelicious to the F&B industry, so they think outside the smoothie box. We are coming out with a signature Detox & Rejuvenate menu at a luxury hotel soon... stay tuned.  
 
 
What does a typical day in your life look like these days?

It starts at 6 am on my yoga mat.  I am a dedicated Kundalini teacher and practitioner with over 5000 hours “under my belt”. Running my company without the benefit of my daily practice and meditation would be a vastly different experience. By 8:30 the active day begins. I am blessed with a smart, dedicated and values-driven team. We work quite a bit remotely as two are in France, 1 in the UK and the rest here. It’s a “family first company” - we all have kids and work our life around those primary responsibilities, but the goalposts don't change. Client facing work is often as much about educating as expanding our penetration into the market. I also give talks from time to time, which is always a great way to stay in touch with the needs and concerns of individuals, If we don't solve the problem’s or add value to our clients, then we need to close shop! 

Knowing that you are very much aware of your health and your lifestyle, can you share with me the places you like to go to treat your body (yoga, massage, yummy break ...)? 
I am a big believer in empowerment, so try to limit the reliance on externals for upkeep and go to them for the pleasure part. For yoga - I am my own best client!! It’s a huge part of my life. I don't miss a day, particularly meditation. We produce over 1000 thoughts a second, so distraction is the rule, but your mind follows your breath. Manage your breath to influence your mind.  
 

On the enjoyment front, I am a big foodie and enjoy my food! For a casual eatery I go to Classified. I have worked with the Classified team for a few years and know the stock they put into quality foods.  Of course, I love their range of Protelicious smoothies but also simple basics like their quinoa salad.DiVino has the best fresh burrata cheese in town. The owner is Italian and flies in fresh Burratta regularly. La Fromagerie on Elgin has a fantastic line of cheeses from France with excellent quality yet affordably priced wine to pair. I love their selection so much that I often order from him privately for home. A decadent treat? Sweet Fashion House (flagship store in the lobby of The Ritz Carlton) is my got to place. They make pastries look like art and taste like a unique experience. For the health part, beyond Protelicious every single day, I also do intermittent fasting, it brings fantastic health benefits. I you are interested into fasting, you should check out the bookThe Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended Fasting by Dr Jason Fung. 





 

by Aude
 
Do I have any sneaker addicts in the room? My boyfriend and I are! Together we are stocking-up something like 40 pairs in our teeny tiny Hong Kong flat. And one thing we are definitely crazy about is keeping our sneakers clean. God, I hate it when my Stan Smith aren’t white anymore. Actually, have a confession to make: I always have a brand-new pair in a box ready for when I can’t stand the old pair anymore because I’ve been wearing them too much (which is something like every 10 months but in my defense, I wear my Stan Smith a lot, like a lot). Well, long story short, when an old acquaintance of mine told me about this sneakers laundry business  he was starting with a few partners, I decided I wanted to know more. So he connected me with Tomi Ho, the founder. 

 

Hey Tomi, lovely to meet you! Can you tell me a bit more about yourself? Who are you and how did you ended up launching your own company here in Hong Kong? 
Hi! Am a business and branding consultant so I basically help people opening their businesses, mostly restaurants and bars. On top of that, I am a sneakerhead. 
 
Have you ever noticed how many people are getting their shoes polished on the streets out of Central MTR? It’s something that have stroke me along with the fact that if you can easily get your leather shoes polished there was no service to get your sneakers clean in Hong Kong. This how The Polishing Lounge was born. A place in Central for people to come get their leather shoes polished/shine as well as dropping off their sneakers for cleaning. So far, we only have our Central location, I want to focus on this place first and do things right before maybe expand to other districts. 

 

What do you find the most challenging running your own business in Hong Kong?
Get people to come with the right type of outreach to the targeted market clients
 
And the most rewarding? 
People hearing about us and coming to try our services.
 
What does a typical day in your life look life those days?
It usually starts before 10 am with breakfast, then email checking and I’m off to my consulting office. I sometimes also have to cope with my partners at The Polishing Lounge if anything special. I’m usually visiting the lounge in the afternoon after lunch, helping out if it’s busy or giving tips on how to clean the shoes. And I’m off again, to visit my different consulting outlets and working in one or the other. On weekdays my day will end around midnight – later on weekends - and I’ll go out for dinner before heading home, feeding my bunny, showering and chilling with a movie before I finally get to go to sleep. 
 
What are your fav places for: 
A lunch with friends: Café Seasons in Central
A fancy dinner: TokyoLima
A weekend brunch: Classified 
Drinks: The Old Man
A weekend getaway: Singapore 
A long holiday: Melbourne 
 


The Polishing Lounge
Unit 502, 5/f, Yip Fung Building, 2-18 D’Aguilar Street – Central