Linda Yau decided to walk away from the safety of the corporate world last year to start her own business.
It was a risky move for Ms Yau, 50, who had notched up impressive careers with PCCW, Warner Bros and Walt Disney. She'd never run her own business, and although her experience as licensing manager for the large American film studios and later a dotcom seemed a natural fit, her vision of a brand consulting agency was untested.
Like many new entrepreneurs, crossing the boundary from employed to self-employed there was only a short honeymoon period.
'Initially, I bid for big jobs and failed,' Ms Yau says. 'So I decided to build my brand step by step and according to available cash flow, which has been more successful and less stressful as well. You can't walk before you crawl, but I initially wanted to run and learned some valuable lessons as a result.'
Born in Hong Kong and educated in Canada, she opted to build her business in Asia instead of in Montreal or Toronto, in part, because she wanted to catch businesses headed in to and out of China.
Her company Face Forward helps foreign companies navigate not only the consumer markets but also the cultural aspects of China. She does the same for mainland firms heading for international markets.
In a sense she's a bit like the boys from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, helping companies who need a little image brush up and a few tips on how to behave in front of their guests.