The Art of Reinvention to Remain Relevant in An Ever-Changing World
By Jose Raymond, Founder and Managing Director
A dear friend of mine from one of Singapore’s mainstream media giants told me during a phone conversation on 8 September that he was really proud of what I have achieved over the course of my career so far.
Especially in running and steering SW Strategies over the last year and a half.
The people close to me know that in January 2024, I was alone and deciding what to make of the company and how to lead it forward.
Today, we have full-time colleagues in six countries around Southeast Asia, with anchor clients to support us as we continue to scale.
TMSG, PODCASTS – PLAYING IN THE DIGITAL SPACE
In addition, we have also taken a stab at not just developing social media strategies and content for clients, but at owning and creating content in the digital space catering to specific target audiences.
One of these platforms – TMSG – now has a monthly reach of more than 8 million readers and viewers, predominantly in Singapore.
One of my other colleagues – Aimi Ghazemy – also started a podcast called HR Won’t Like This, just so we could experiment with content and create waves online.
CONSTANT REINVENTION
Personally, I have never had time to stop and think about anything, and it has been one constant reinvention of my skills over the course of my career.
When I bumped into the former general secretary of the Football Association of Singapore Winston Lee at a recent media day, he said that my constant career reinvention has been a trait which has served as my guiding norm.
I have never stopped learning, and am not afraid of picking up something new, every single day.
I am also firm with my convictions that no one owes me a living, and I owe it to myself to fend for myself, while looking out for others around me – especially my colleagues who have taken the plunge to work with me, and learn from me.
24A, ANN SIANG ROAD, SINGAPORE 069704
Moving into Ann Siang Road on 15 August 2025 was a new milestone in my professional life.
Never would I have imagined when I started the firm in 2016 that we would have a spot in Ann Siang Road, in a conservation area, right in the heart of the city.
It has been hard work, and a journey. It has been painful, and yet rewarding.
To the people who have helped lift us up along the way, we truly appreciate the support and the trust.
To my team-mates – past and present, you are the true stars in this chapter of my life.
So if there is one message I could share today which others could take inspiration from, it would be this.
DO NOT FEAR THE UNKNOWN
Do not be afraid of stepping into the unknown because sometimes, it is just irrational fear.
What is critical is that you must believe in yourself, believe in ability, and stay true to what your gut is telling you.
There will be times when others will tell you that whatever you are trying to do would get you nowhere.
My advice is – shut your ears and just follow your heart.
Case in point. When I first started TMSG in 2017, I was harassed online, kept getting very rude pingbacks from readers who disagreed with how I was using the platform to get my messages across.
The platform was also publicly ignored by the various agencies but the reality was that in private, there were eyes fixated on what we were doing, including putting the platform under the media monitoring list.
Today, TMSG is a force to be reckoned with and in the words of Badri Ghent, the new general secretary of the Football Association of Singapore, ignore it at your own peril.
The coach of Geylang International Mohd Noor Ali adds that there is a fear in the football circles about making mistakes because the last thing anyone wants is to land up on TMSG.
It is a hilarious way of stating how formidable the platform has become – all because I stayed the course and kept it going – as a passion project.
So when things do not turn out well at the start, stay the course and have the conviction to believe that what you are doing is the right thing to do.
If it does not work out – just start all over again.
It is as simple as that.
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