Charlotte Chen, Spottly app co-founder
"I was brought up in a 'fashion-infested' family - my mother was a designer, my father was in the garment business and my sister was a marketer at a luxury fashion house.
We would attend fashion shows, see my mother build collections from scratch and meet uncles and aunties in the business.
My sister and I were fortunate to see the inner workings of the industry at an early age. It really shaped how I view fashion and my interpretation of style.
I worked at an investment bank for about four years, but became disillusioned and decided to test out my creative streak. I took courses in fashion and design at Central Saint Martins in London. But I was passionate about the business side of fashion and lifestyle.
I moved to Beijing and got a job as a business development/brand strategist for a mainland fine jewellery company. I really enjoyed it, and started looking into opportunities that would allow me to use my finance and my 'style' background.
I helped a friend start a sunglasses label in Hong Kong for a while, then my co-founder approached me to start Spottly.
I've been to more than 35 countries and lived in Florence, New York, Beijing and had stints in London, Sydney and even Rabat (Morocco). People keep asking me where to eat, shop, stay and play in the places I've been to.
I usually keep a massive email with all my recommendations and share it with friends, but I thought, it's the 21st century, why is there no way I can keep track of all of my favourite finds in one place? Edwyn, my co-founder, approached me and showed me a food app that had all the features I'd been asking for. I said, why not do this for travel rather than for food?
That began in January 2013. Spottly is a social travel app, a visual travel guide for you to discover places near and far, handpicked by people like you. It's been 18 months now, and we launched in May.
We've been featured as a best new app on iTunes in 15 countries and have travel reviews from 17,000 places, 1,100 cities and 110 countries. It's been a crazy ride.
Trying to create a brand voice that can resonate with both globetrotters and local influencers can be a challenge. We can't just market to the 'affluent' community. There is a growing local user base in Hong Kong, the mainland, Taiwan and Thailand, and getting to know these new markets and figuring out what makes them tick has been challenging but rewarding.
What I was truly passionate about was the business side of fashion and lifestyle
My travel essentials include my giant mobile charger to keep my phone running, pocket Wi-fi to get internet access everywhere, a few pairs of sunglasses, a good tube of hand cream, and a big fat blanket/scarf hybrid thing that I take everywhere. I also bring my big DSLR camera wherever I go.
I pack relatively lightly. I dress more ostentatiously in Hong Kong; when I travel, I try to tone it down and keep a chilled vibe, although I always put in an element of colour and pattern in my outfits.
I always take a few pairs of patterned trousers and mix them up with a basic T-shirt . A good biker jacket never fails to impress in the winter, but a crazy bright/coloured coat can make a boring look pop. I'm quite conservative when it comes to bags.
I recently returned from a big trip to Berlin, Copenhagen and Stockholm, Copenhagen's food was mind-blowing, but accommodation was a bit sub-par. My favourite luxury destination is South Africa; my husband is from there and it has everything you need for a kick-ass holiday in one country.
There are game drives and safari sunsets, some amazing wine and food in Stellenbosch, diving and beaches down the Western Cape, as well as one of the most underrated cities in the world: Cape Town. They have the friendliest people, a budding creative community with shops to die for, too."
