Jamie Choon shares how she became the owner of period underwear brand Mooncheeks and overcame challenges running the biz.
We love entrepreneurs and small business owners at Honeycombers, which is why we’ve created Launchpad, a comprehensive digital networking platform (with IRL benefits, too) that encourages connection, business support and community. It’s a privilege and pleasure to learn from so many talented and inspiring folks, so we’ve decided to share the love by interviewing some of the lovely Launchpad members. Looking for inspiration? Check out how Jamie Choon, the owner of Mooncheeks, gets it done like a boss.
Entrepreneurs we love: Jamie Choon
What is your backstory and why did you decide to launch your business?
Getting your period is something a lot of women dread, myself included. The last thing you want to deal with when grumpy and tired while on your period is uncomfortable period products.
I started developing allergies to sanitary pads and was getting frustrated with how they can sometimes make loud crinkly noises when you move. The moment that kickstarted my inspiration to launch Mooncheeks Period Underwear was me doing star jumps at the gym and, embarrassingly enough, realising I could hear my pad rustling about.
This awkward moment made me laugh. But it also propelled me to start a company that would enable women to go pad free and approach the topic of periods with a sense of humour. Hopefully, it makes getting your period a little less of a pain in the bum.
What has been your biggest challenge so far and how did you overcome it?
My biggest challenge thus far is learning to say “no”. When I started my business, potential opportunities and proposals were always recommended to me. As tempting as it is to chase every opportunity, not every one serves my vision for the brand.
I believe in staying true to my brand’s beliefs and vision and always thinking about my customer’s needs. As well-meaning as they are, not everyone understands this. My rejection can sometimes come across as selfish. I’ve learnt it’s okay to be selfish sometimes. With practice, it’s easier not to take things personally and say no firmly and politely to ensure I’m doing what’s best for the brand.
How do you stay motivated and energised?
What keeps me going is the feedback from customers who tell me how Mooncheeks Period Underwear helped improve their quality of life. I love hearing and sharing stories with others about our experiences with period problems. A lot of women face a multitude of issues while on their period. Many seem to seek comfort in having someone to talk to about a topic that isn’t openly discussed in Singapore. I want my brand to cheer women up while on their periods, so I speak candidly about the period issues I face. Seeing someone laugh and perk up a little after we’ve shared our stories always makes my day.
How do you deal with self-doubt or criticism?
As a first-time business owner, there are still many things I’m unsure of. What’s helped me to deal with all the self-doubt is making a list of challenges I’m afraid or unsure of. I research how to overcome the issue, be it by getting advice from other business owners (thank you, Launchpad!) or simply just getting answers from Google. I believe in always taking a proactive approach to fear. If something scares you, learn why and research how to overcome the problem or the fear. Nothing is as scary as it initially seems!
Favourite places to work?
I split my days between my office and at home, but I mostly love working at home with no distractions. I get distracted easily and if someone strikes up an interesting conversation with me, I can sometimes chat all day!
Can you share a work ‘mantra’ that you use?
A personal mantra that I use is “laugh it off”. It’s easy to get frustrated while running a business and get overwhelmed with emotions. I always try to find some humour in the situation as a laugh helps to lift my mood and keeps the frustration at bay.
One thing you can keep talking about for hours?
Period problems! Some of the situations I land myself in because of my period can be pretty hilarious. From shifting sanitary pads to hormonal crying one moment and then giggling the next, the list goes on forever. Almost every woman can relate!
Your go-to self-care activity?
I like to head to the gym to exercise to relieve stress. It helps me forget about the problems of the day and I must admit, I really look forward to the meal I have after my gym sesh!
One piece of advice to your younger self?
It’s okay to not know what you want in life. Life is an ever-changing journey and sometimes it’s okay to just wander without a destination in sight. You’ll never know what you might learn from wandering and one day you’ll realise you were never really lost at all.
Get in touch with Jamie Choon online.
Launchpad is a comprehensive digital networking platform (with IRL benefits, too) that encourages connection, business support and community. It is designed to make the entrepreneurial journey not only easier, and more successful, but also a whole lot more fun. We offer almost daily activities for members to connect, along with weekly masterclasses, member networking roulette, small-business mentoring and media profiles on Honeycombers. Check it out and join us!
