Over the past few months, our core team has been working closely with business consultant Alleena Abdullah to fine tune our marketing strategies. She helped us look honestly at our strengths, and also the blind spots we tend to gloss over. When you’re so close to your own business, it’s easy to miss the obvious, and her clarifying questions made me realise something about myself. I’m way too ambitious, which leads me to trying to accomplish too many things and feeling overwhelmed.
As a business owner, I want our sales pipeline to stay strong and the company to remain profitable. Beyond the creative work I do, a lot of my time goes into business development, building relationships, and figuring out how to grow without burning out the team.
The problem isn’t that our goals are impossible. It’s that we sometimes try to chase everything all at once. Add a little FOMO, and we become like kittens running after the next fluffy ball of yarn (I know some of you can relate to this!). As an SME, our time and resources are limited. We have to focus on what actually matters.
Here are the four things that helped me regain that focus:
1. Returning to our vision and mission
Our vision is to inspire change by creating visuals that celebrate authenticity, deepen relationships, and spark positive impact in families, communities, and organizations. We use storytelling through photography and film to help people and brands see their best selves, nurture meaningful connections, and inspire growth.
We care deeply about the human side of storytelling. Our strength lies in capturing people as they are, and partnering with brands who share the same values. We’re not here to be a generic production company. Our focus is people. One highlight this year was producing a documentary video for UNICEF on their Future Skills for All programme, strengthening future-ready learning for every child, including children with disabilities. Projects like this remind us why we do what we do.
2. Identifying what’s already working well
This year, we continued to excel in three core areas: family photography (check out www.stories.my), corporate headshots, and event coverage. We’ve had success in other fields too, but strengthening our core offerings gives us a more sustainable roadmap. We also had the chance to participate in many events, including being part of Options, The Edge’s IWD 2025 Forum. Being out there helped us reconnect with familiar faces and meet new clients. With 2026’s theme being “Deepening Relationships,” I’m grateful to see so many returning clients including Monash University, Delegation of the EU in Malaysia, Asia School of Business, MDEC, Technip, KALSIS, Standard Chartered and Disney.
3. Learning to say no
This one is tough. I had to make some difficult decisions this year about work opportunities and potential collaborators. When something no longer fits, forcing it only drains your time and energy. The question that helped me was this: What do I need to eliminate in order to achieve more in a specific area? Saying no isn’t subtraction. It’s multiplication.
4. Creating space for new ideas
This seems contradictory to everything I have said so far, but making room for new ideas keeps the business fresh. The key is not to pursue too many at once. Think of it as your “wish list.” Decide how much energy you realistically want to give to innovation at any given time. One of my goals for 2025 is to develop authority through speaking engagements. I am thankful for some of the wonderful opportunities I received this year to speak at various events, including the Women in Tech event by AWS.
Turning clarity into daily action
Now that our focus is clearer, we can build a practical game plan. I love this framework shared by my fellow coach and friend Kelvin Chong on LinkedIn.
Here’s his take on staying focused daily:
1️⃣ First & Last — Prime your mind for priority
The first and last thing you think about each day should be the outcome you want and why it matters. What you revisit becomes what your mind treats as priority.
2️⃣ 3–3 Planning — Convert goals into actions (Credit: 10XStrategyCoach)
Break your goals into:
• 3 daily tasks that matter — simple steps that move the needle
• 3 weekly objectives that matter — bigger moves that set your direction
When you know exactly what needs to happen today and this week, your mind stops wandering and starts executing.
3️⃣ Calendar Lock — Schedule your commitment
Nothing becomes real until it’s scheduled. Block the time and hold the space. Distraction usually sneaks in when we have too much free time. Massive action isn’t about doing more. It’s about filling your day with what actually matters.
Thank you Kelvin for this framework, and Alleena for our overall clarity! I’m grateful for everything 2025 has taught us, and I’m excited for the clarity and momentum 2026 will bring.
