TLC x Fempreneurs Series: Germaine Chow (I Quadrant)

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 Germaine Chow (I Quadrant)

Tell us a little about yourself. What is your business/ brand about?

I am a self-made property investor and practitioner who grew from $477,000 (1 HDB property portfolio in 2017) to $ 14.7 million (15 Properties portfolio) in the last 6 years.
I am also a mother of two and an entrepreneur who founded I Quadrant in 2018, with my business partners – Benny Ong, Ivan Cai, and Shawn Lee.

When I bought my 1st property investment in 2017, I had an eureka moment! I felt that more people should know about this knowledge. It was never in my reality box that I would be a property investor at the age of 27! We all came together from different backgrounds in life. Ivan was my property mentor. He comes from a family of multi-generation property investors. Together, we form a Singapore investor class to provide data-driven insights, help people make better investment decisions, and help them build their property portfolios because one right move can change their families’ life trajectories.

What got you started on your business? 

When I first started, I felt clueless. I do not know how to start. Though I walked the ground, I didn’t know what to look out for and what not to look out for. So, I felt that there was a gap in the market. More people should have the knowledge of what to look out for. So, being extremely passionate about real estate and knowing that real estate can have a big impact on my family’s lives, I got started on I Quadrant with my partners in 2017.

Before you started your business, what did you do on a full-time basis?

I was an ex-SIA stewardess. I got to meet and talk to people from all walks of life. They were on holiday and were either looking forward to their trip or coming back from their holiday. So, I love to make their flight journey an enjoyable one. Even the small things can make them happy, like giving them more snacks, praising them for how good their hairstyle is, etc.

What were some difficulties you faced in your life and how did you overcome them?

I lost my business when I was 26, and I had two young children to support then. It was very painful because all of the hard work I put into business was gone, and I had to start from scratch again. Because both my husband and I were in the same company, both of us lost our jobs at the same time overnight. My children were my motivating factor to get out of that incredibly painful situation. I had no time to cry over spilled milk, no time to sulk and blame myself for stupidity or bad decisions that I had made. All I had to do was focus on working hard so that I could provide for my family and give them a better life.

Who inspires you?

Michelle Obama. She is somebody who cares for people in her community. She makes an impact through the words of wisdom that she always shares with her girls, loving others and is a loving wife. She is somebody I look up to because she’s so inspiring, beautiful, and charismatic.

What excites you most about your industry?

Being able to work with people and helping them. Even though I’m doing real estate, people buy real estate, it is not just real estate to them. People can really celebrate and see that they have achieved something, helping their families and propelling them forward in their property journey and wealth management.
What is important to me is celebrating others’ milestones. Funnily enough, I get happier when people buy their property and achieve their first move than when I buy my own.

What is your vision / personal motto?

To live life to the fullest, knowing that I have added value to the world, and knowing that I did my best every day. I want to live a beautiful legacy in terms of work and what I built.

What have you learned recently that you hope the other ladies can take back?

Enjoy the process. Even with obstacles, I’ve learned to turn a complaint into an opportunity to learn about it and build on these skills. The moment I can truly enjoy the process do the best that I can and focus on solving the issue, it’s less hard on myself and a lot happier. When I’m happy, I achieve way more.

How do you think you can help ladies to feel confident and empowered?

By having more real conversations about failures and challenges and that nobody is perfect. Generally, in the world, nobody likes to talk about negative stuff, nobody likes to be a downer, so, a lot of stuff people post on Social Media is usually about success. There is nothing wrong but sometimes it is important that our conversations need to be more real to what we face, insecurities. When ladies feel that this is normal and that it is common, they feel more confident and empowered to work on their strengths.

What is one thing you are grateful for?

I am grateful that I get to do meaningful work that I enjoy, and that my family is happy and healthy. And I am really grateful for all that I have achieved so far in life.

Let us know more about what you do!

If you want to accelerate your journey and get all the answers you cannot get from Google, or YouTube and want to learn from real-world practitioners who own multiple properties in real life, then join us and you will experience investing depth that you have never been exposed to.

You may also find me featured on The Straits Times, CNA938, EdgeProp, The Peak, AsiaOne,  and more!

Connect with I Quadrant

Website: https://iquadrant.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theiquadrant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iquadrantgroup
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/iquadrant

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: