Brand Story

From humble beginnings, as a 5 foot Asian female entrepreneur in a male-dominated tech world, I have been a fortunate, busy leader for the past 13 years working with incredible people around the world.

My startup journey did not kick-off smoothly though. I was cautiously aware of how others perceive me. Once, someone asked “how’s the air around you?”, which made me feel miserable.

Despite success with my first 2011 startup, a chart-topping flash deals app, I had challenges being seen as a competent leader because of my petite frame, especially in the tech world. In many industry events, I was often one of the handful of women among hundreds of participants.

I put in the effort to invest in my outfits. I mindfully dressed up at events to gain an impression. It worked! People complimented on how elegant I looked, and remembered me years later because of what I wore. But in my subconscious mind, I rejected others’ compliments. Deep down, I wished people worked with me for my competence, not because of how I looked.

Feeling washed out and conflicted with my low perceived values, I explored different self-help routes. In 2012, I stumbled on mindfulness practice, listening to guided meditations and exploring different mindfulness teachers. The more I meditated, the more I realized: true confidence comes from within.

I decided to take time off my business and travelled to Myanmar for intensive meditation. For 12 months, meditation was my only activity. I dressed in the same white top and brown pants every day. I used no cosmetics, and I fasted after noon. I am deeply grateful toward my teacher, who taught me self-compassion. I started to become wiser, and let go of more. That discomfort of low self-esteem and confidence disappeared as I started to accept myself for who I was.

I returned to the “real world” in 2020 and launched right back into my start-up life, this time, as a minimalist. After two years and 4,000 hours of meditation, I was shocked to find that this world cares about how you look, more than ever. Yet, the more people focus on external appearances, the emptier they feel inside.

After spending time in the forest with only 5 tops and 3 pants, I understood how important minimalism is to well-being. The less I own, the less attachment I have, and the less decisions I have to make.

As a busy entrepreneur with a packed schedule and a full wardrobe of designer clothes, I always wondered: can I make an impression without spending time on getting dressed? How do I quickly dress to impress, so I can free mental space for important entrepreneurial decisions?

And is it possible to buy less, and still leave a positive impression on others? Can we buy only things we love and cherish?

Today, I dress better and buy less. I feel great everyday: confident, a leader and decision-maker. For me, internal well-being goes hand-in-hand with looking polished. Looking good fuels me with mental strength to focus on the meaningful things in life.

My mission is to bring this to busy and accomplished women everywhere through inteligance, which distills elegance into a science. By leveraging my natural talent and intuition on colors and clothes with my Big Data background, and an extensive image consulting education from New York and London, I’ve created a platform that helps busy women like you to instantly compile the best outfits and accessories that work with your face, body shape and proportions.

Brand Story

Look good, feel better: inteligance offers beauty and radiance from the inside out.