In this special column called the “TLC x Fempreneurs Series”, we will be featuring inspiring Female Entrepreneurs (Fempreneurs) in short. You will be able to have a sneak peek at their mindsets and their daily habits.
Believe in the power of community. On some days when you feel big goals are impossible, or when you feel like giving up, you need to lean on your like-minded community. You can even “borrow” motivation, and in turn “return” with your own inspiring stories to pay it forward.
Meet Ellie Lim (Sarangly)
TLC x Fempreneurs Series: Ellie Lim
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Ellie and I’m the founder of Sarangly, an online shop specializing in personalized gifts.
As a product designer, I feel a sense of accomplishment when I’m able to create new products that put a smile on people’s faces. Since young, I particularly enjoyed giving gifts that are handcrafted and customized to my loved ones. It warms my heart knowing that they feel loved and appreciated when receiving a gift specially made for them.
From there, I realized how much I loved creating personalized gift ideas, and wanted to turn this into an opportunity for others to also give and receive gifts specially made for them.
Together with the rest of my team, we decided to create Sarangly, a brand that believes in spreading love and appreciation through the art of personalized gifting.
What got you started on your business?
I started Sarangly hoping to earn enough money to fund myself for my university fees. My parents wanted me to find a stable job, but it has always been my dream as a designer to have my own brand and become an entrepreneur. As such, I decided to take a leap of faith to launch Sarangly just before starting university.
Before you started on your business, what did you do on a full-time basis?
After graduating with a product design diploma, I joined a creative agency as a full-time creative designer, working with brands mainly across the FMCG industry. One of my career highlights was designing the packaging for a feminine hygiene product that was sold across health and beauty retailers across Singapore!
This achievement gave me more confidence in my design skills and made me eager to deepen my knowledge and skills related to design. After working at the agency for over a year, I decided to further pursue my studies at LASALLE College of the Arts while launching my own brand Sarangly.
What were some difficulties you faced in your life and how did you overcome them?
Having dealt with financial issues in my family since young, my parents wanted me to get a stable job after graduating from polytechnic rather than becoming an entrepreneur or further pursuing my studies.
However, I’ve always wanted to start a business on my own and pursue a university degree. Not going through with my parents’ advice made it difficult to garner support from them, especially since I was planning to start a business in the midst of the pandemic.
When I first started Sarangly, we faced challenges such as logistical issues resulting in the delayed launch and getting support from those around me. While these issues gradually got better when Sarangly grew and sales started to pick up, it was difficult to juggle between my full-time studies and Sarangly, and I found myself feeling overwhelmed and stressed often.
However, seeing how my products have put a smile on my customers’ and their giftees’ faces, reminded me of why I started this business – to spread love and appreciation through gifting. This gave me the strength to persevere and try my best to overcome the challenges faced.
Since starting Sarangly, I’ve learned to do better business planning and patience when seeing results. Personally, I’ve also learned to better my time and emotions through prioritizing my to-do list.
Who inspires you?
My mum is one of my greatest inspirations. Since young, she taught me to be an independent and strong woman who is self-reliant and not just rely on others.
Fempreneuer Ellie with her mother
What excites you most about your industry?
What excites me most about my industry is that I get to help people do something special for someone they love. I believe in spreading joy and hope through gifting and I feel like I’m putting some good into the world through my products.
What is your vision / personal motto?
Many people feel that we need to have lots of knowledge or resources to start something on our own. This often ends up with them giving up their dreams because they are scared of failure, and opt for the safer, stable option. However, in my point of view, I am a firm believer that anyone can pursue their dreams, as long as they put in the hard work and persevere.
Do you have any word of advice for other ladies who are starting their business/ starting to pursue their dream?
I hope my story can inspire other women to start something that they’ve always wanted to try – as long as do it with passion and don’t give up.
How do you think you can help ladies to feel confident and empowered?
Being in the female-dominated industry, I hope to be able to inspire & empower those around me & also other aspiring female business owners to have the confidence to follow their dreams.
I still distinctly remember one of my most memorable and heart-warming moments was when some of my female friends shared with me that seeing me start Sarangly gave them the courage to start a business of their own.
I strive to continue to be a positive influence and role model to my female peers and other business owners to pursue their dreams.
What have you learned recently that you hope the other ladies can take back?
I have learned to be more confident in myself and my body image. Recently, I took up pole dancing as a way to exercise and destress, and I feel empowered when doing it. The women there are all of different body shapes and sizes. I believe women should be confident in their own skin and not feel ashamed to do what they love.
What is one thing you are grateful for?
I’m thankful for my family. Even though it took some time to understand my dream, they are now very supportive of my business and actively trying to help me whenever they can. My parents are even planning on how we can work together for future products.
What do you do in your free time as self-care? How do you unwind?
In my free time, I take up pole dancing classes with my best friend. I find that exercising helps me to relax and gives me a goal to aim towards whenever I’m working on a new move. I also enjoy spending quality time with my friends and playing with my dog.
Sarangly Brand Logo
Let us know more about what you do!
Sarangly offers personalized gifts with a touch of technology to create the perfect gift to show your love and appreciation to your loved ones. Since 2020, we have put a smile on over 1000+ customers and their giftees’ faces through personalized gifts. Find the perfect gift at www.sarangly.com today.
Connect with Sarangly!
Website: www.sarangly.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/sarangly.ig
Giveaway Alert
1 winner stands a chance to win a set of Tsum Tsum Frame (customizable) worth $39.90!
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲:
Like the Instagram post.
Follow @sarangly.ig and @theladiescue on Instagram.
Tag a friend and comment why you’d love to win this!
Good luck!
Are you a Fempreneur too?
Connect with us – we’d love to feature you! Say hi to us at [email protected] or reach out to us via our social media.
Read TLC x Fempreneur Series:
- Margaret Wu, For Beloved One
- Nerissa Low, Liht Organics
- Pearline Foo, Spring Breeze Marketing
- Anna Milani, Sparkd
- Maddy Barber, Madly Gems
- Ezza Yusof, 2morrow Official (Malaysia)
- Julie Yim, Lilin+Co (Malaysia)
- Nadia, HelloBello (Malaysia)
- Zairin Azman, UMMA (Malaysia)
The rest of the Fempreneur interviews can be found here.