How To Turn Your Life Around When You Are Retrenched At 56, and How Life Finds A Way
We will find our way when we are willing to. Auntie Sim showed me that.
Auntie Sim is my neighborhood heroine. I am writing this story based on my observation. I believe this is the story we need in volatile times.
Auntie Sim is my neighbor. She stays in the same apartment as I do, at level 19. My unit is at level 10. Our paths do not cross during the pre-2019 pandemic era because she is a full-time administrator with a local supermarket, and I work from home. I knew she existed only during the Singaporean version of a Lockdown has been imposed (we call it a Circuit Breaker).
Actually, I was oblivious to her existence. It started when I saw neighbors in my precinct carrying containers of cookies wherever they go. There are variations to the munchies, though not a lot. I have seen chocolate cookies and pineapple tarts circulating through human carriers.
And then, I got curious.
I remembered thinking that it was a departure from the norm. Since when has the munching-culture taken root at my home base?
I got curious enough to ask a pair of neighbors, chatting with each other at the playground.
Me: Good morning, Aunties!
Auntie 1: Young man, it is you again! Wow, you made it big? It is 10 am, and you are here loitering around.
(I shrugged my shoulders.)
Me: Aunties, this thing smells good. Where did you buy it from?
Auntie # 1: Our apartment, level 19. Auntie Sim makes good snacks!
Me: Auntie Sim? Who?
Auntie # 2: Oh my gosh. Are you a mountain tortoise (local slang for ignorant)? She is on Instagram, and she is hot!
(She took out her phone, tapped on Instagram, show me the posts.)
Me: Oh My!
I said my thanks to the 2 ladies and headed home. I could not help thinking about the recently minted Instagram influencer at level 19.
I decided to pay her a visit under the pretext of buying some cookies. Maybe I can learn something from her.
A Morning Visit.
I felt rather silly to find an apartment unit without knowing which one it is. I will give that a try, I thought. And if I could not identify where Auntie Sim is staying, I will go check out Instagram.
I got too paranoid.
There is a line of people just outside one apartment unit. My spider-sense tells me that is it. I went by and saw an Auntie handing out containers of munchies to those in line. And so, I went to the end of the line to wait for my turn.
Auntie Sim was shocked to see me when it was my turn. She started checking her phone. She scratched her head. And then, she turned to me and said the following.
Auntie Sim: My boy, I did not get your order. I am done for the day. When is your collection time and date?
(Oh. My Goodness. It is a flourishing business! Orders, collection time, and date!)
Me: No, no. I did not place any order, Auntie Sim! I heard about you at the playground. Can I try some of your cookies before placing an order?
(She smiled.)
Auntie Sim: Okay, wait for me. Let me grab a container I kept for myself, and we go to the nearest food-court for a coffee?
Me: My pleasure!
The food-court was empty when we arrived. I ordered 2 cups of coffee and joined Auntie Sim at our table. She would have greeted her cookie fans a thousand times by then.
She was warm and in a happy place. When I got back to the table, she opened her container and was ready to interact with me.
It was an offer I could not refuse. My hands went straight into the container.
Her Story — Retrenched at 56. Started Using Social Media.
We chatted briefly over cookies. It was a point of interest, but I was clearly more interested in Auntie Sim. So, I asked how she started this venture.
As it turns out, Auntie Sim has gone through similar downtimes as many people we know. The company came under extreme revenue pressure and embarked on austerity measures by releasing its workforce. She is not spared.
In the beginning, she was doing what other housewives are doing. She would wake up, get to market, buy groceries, get home, prepare to cook, cook, wash up, housework, laugh at silly television programs.
She did mention more than once in our conversation that it was unfulfilling.
One morning, as she was vacuuming the floor, she caught sight of her daughter playing with her smartphone. She was watching her friend going Live on Instagram.
Auntie Sim finds that weird, so she asked her daughter what that is. Her daughter taught her to download the application and use it. The young one also showed her mum IG Live, which proved to be pivotal to Auntie Sim’s resounding business success in weeks to come.
Auntie Sim started fiddling around the social media application without knowing what to expect. She told me that she was just posting random photos at the beginning when she got bored with the daily routine.
That moment of epiphany came when she realized that posts featuring her home-baked cookies had many likes and comments.
She saw that many people left the same commentary along the following lines: -
- Looks delicious!
- Where to buy them?
- Where to buy them?
- The photos make them look so yummy!
- Can you teach me how to bake?
And she told me that maybe she has another shot in life. It made her happy even before she started.
Going on Live-Stream.
She has no issues baking cookies. She needed customers. Where can she find them? She turned her attention to her fans on Instagram.
She went to her daughter one random morning and asked this question.
“How to use the Ai-Gee (IG) Live? I want to show people how to bake.”
I gathered that her daughter was surprised by her comment. She showed Auntie Sim anyway. Auntie Sim went straight to her kitchen and went-live that very morning, showing people how to bake cookies. She totally enjoyed it. She received many comments too.
- Where to buy the ingredients?
- Where to find you?
- How to buy the cookies from you?
- How to buy the cookies from you?
- How to buy the cookies from you?
After performing multiple live-streams and receiving a ton of purchase intent comments, she decided to respond one afternoon.
“How many containers do you want? I can make them for $5.00 per container. You have to come and collect them.”
A business is born right in the middle of our Circuit Breaker.
A Humble Beginning. A Subsequent Business Expansion.
Auntie Sim did not expect many orders at the beginning. She had 8, 10, 11, 14 orders daily, and she was happy to work during the morning and take the afternoon off to watch Korean dramas.
She did not expect to see a line of strangers appearing at her doorstep attracted attention from her direct neighbors. At first, they were curious. After sampling, they became customers.
Her order book took off. It went from 8, 10, 11, 14 to 20, 22, 25, 26 orders. Mind you, these are orders. Some of her loyal customers started ordering more containers per order. Auntie Sim has bigger problems to solve.
So, she went around her direct neighborhood and started speaking to people. She wanted to check if there are passionate bakers with baking facilities that can produce more cookies per bake.
She found one business partner at level 21 of our apartment. That friendly lady allowed Auntie Sim to use her kitchen in the morning in exchange for a stipend. They shook hands.
Of course, that lady from level 21 became Auntie Sim’s customer too. She would pinch away some units of fresh bake off the oven when they are ready for packing.
One particular morning, Auntie Sim’s daughter followed her to level 21 to pack the cookies into the containers. She made a random comment that caught Auntie Sim’s attention.
“Mother, this is a nice place for baking lessons.”
Next Stop — A Pitstop For the Community.
The lady from level 21 caught that, and she approved almost immediately. Auntie Sim’s mental gear started cranking.
Today, she runs occasional baking lessons at level 21 subjected to gathering restrictions allowable under pandemic control measures.
She also offers a free-flow cookie buffet for 2 hours in the morning, 2 days a week, for a fixed fee. Neighbors would pay, come in for chit-chat, and eat her cookies.
Auntie Sim has boosted the Gross Domestic Product of my apartment by 100% at least.
My Take.
Life is not over when we are retrenched.
It is not over when we are in our 40s, 50s, 60s. It is over when we think it is.
Life finds a way. It always does.
Auntie Sim was able to forge a comeback during the tough times by providing products and services that people appreciate and willing to buy.
I am impressed by her story.
And I believe it is a matter of time that her cookies will conquer the entire apartment and my neighborhood. Good things take time.
Auntie Sim understands that. She has faith in her cookies.
Aldric
P.S.: This story is written with permission. Fictitious names have been used while preserving the authenticity of the real-life story.
About the Author:
As a content contributor, I write my observations from daily life and my business exposure.
Because our life experience is the bedrock of our unique perspectives.
