THE GIRL WHO RUNS A START-UP CONDOM BRAND | Genie

Hi, my name is Genie. I currently run a start-up condom brand with my husband called Aoni Condoms. I was born and raised in Vancouver, graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Commerce, and accredited my CPA after practicing in Deloitte.

“WE WANT TO ADD ON SOMETHING THAT REPRESENT US
FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIMILAR VALUES.”

I would say it’s a joint decision to start our own brand when we realized the family business was not sustainable given the emerging young generation and different purchasing behaviours of condoms.

When we came back to Asia, we didn’t realize that our target audience of our existing business model was very different from ourselves as expats. As a result, besides extending the family business, we wanted to add on something that represented us for people who have similar values.

I would say my experience as a CPA in Canada had allowed me to apply my knowledge in areas like Finance, Internal Controls, dealing with clients etc., but the management in Hong Kong & China where we are based – is a completely different story.

Through the experience that I have gained, I would say education definitely helps you practice logic in different environments, however, EQ becomes more important when it comes to motivating and setting the tone for your team.

I am a Daughter, Daughter-in-Law and Wife.
I live with my in-laws which makes being on top of family matters very important.
I enjoy setting time for family and friends because I believe this is an integral part of keeping us sane. We work long hours and sometimes, it’s important for us to get out of the environment to be able to think clearly for our business.

I achieve work life balance by setting specific times for non-work activities and commit to it. In the first 5 years that I started working as an entrepreneur, I was constantly drowned by work. I didn’t make time for anything else and the work was never ending.

These days, I try to limit reading emails past 11PM and found that it has helped me improve the quality of my sleep. I also run a crossfit group where our group commit to exercise activities at least one to two times per week and hosting it forces me to get out of the office and help me be both socially and physically active.

“... PRECISION AND CONCENTRATION …”

I generally enjoy sports and workouts.

From crossfit, badminton, aerobics, yoga, and golf – I think every sport has a different function and angle. For example, I enjoy golf because it helps me become more self-aware and tests me on patience. This game has taught me that just because I force the ball hard, it doesn’t mean the ball will go farther. It tests me on precision and concentration which is something that helps me practice my inner self.

Simultaneously, I am a big fan of badminton and crossfit activities because they force me to push hard and bringing team spirit for my team. No matter how tough the day was – I’ll forget it at least during the workout so that I can get it out of my system. I get a great sense of accomplishment from exercising!

My definition of a beautiful woman is someone with a great heart and personality. Someone who cares more about giving than taking and is not limited to age.

“I WOULD DEFINE MY MOTHER AS A BEAUTIFUL WOMEN.”