Tiff Ng is the Founder and Chief Storyteller at The Social Story. She is passionate about empowering people to tell their stories effectively on social media and embrace social impact within their lives and businesses. Since 2018, The Social Story has worked with purpose-driven brands to share their impact on social media.
As a socially-led communications agency, they help clients connect in meaningful ways with their audience and communicate their commitment to making their customers’ lives and the world at large better.
To find out more, head to thesocialstory.co
Today we sit down with Tiff to hear a bit more about her journey as an entrepreneur.
Q. How did you get started as an entrepreneur? What inspired you?
Tiff: Being an entrepreneur was never meant to be my journey. I followed a typical, linear career progression in corporate advertising. But after feeling burnt out and disillusioned in agency life, I started travelling. It was there that I started reconnecting with my passions and the values I held dear.
I longed for a way to create a greater impact in the world and return to my activism roots that I had grown through my school years. Starting The Social Story was a way of bringing all these things together, experimenting with ways to create a business that could put social good at the core of everything that we do. I wanted to fashion a business that could allow me to continue travelling, that could make me feel fulfilled with a greater purpose and that could reimagine how advertising was done.
I registered the business name in 2018 and it’s been a rollercoaster since then. But what has always guided me through is creating a business I always wanted to work for but never thought would be out there.
Q. What entrepreneurial tricks have you discovered to keep you focused and productive?
Tiff: Self-awareness of your strengths and your weaknesses is key to staying focused and productive. We all have our zones of genius in which we can operate in the most creative and productive ways. When we prioritise work in these zones, we can be the most effective leaders.
That means finding the right support to be able to fill the gaps in our knowledge. It also means protecting that space to do that work by structuring your day, your team and your processes to operate in that space. The more we work on ourselves and set ourselves up for success, the better the outcomes for your business and your team.
Q. How do you stay organized with such a busy schedule?
Tiff: One of the most crucial hires I ever made in my business was a virtual assistant. They’re able to manage my competing commitments and keep me on track with the business. They’re able to pick up on my weaknesses in admin and process and give me the space to imagine and grow what the business has become.
From the moment I started the business, the role of the VA has continued to evolve with the challenges of where our business is. But the adaptability of the role has allowed us to continue leaning on their support as we grow.
Q. What is the most memorable thing you’ve done since you started your business?
Tiff: The Social Story is undeniably a manifestation of the impact that I wanted to create. So when I think about the things that I would change in the world, I look at the Global Goals that our business is striving towards – gender equality, peace and justice and partnership.
As an Asian Australian woman in the world of advertising, I personally understand the need for the empowerment of individuals to create change for all. We can do that by focusing on the capacity-building of women, building stronger institutions (including our business) that can support peace and justice around the world and working in partnership with other like-minded people.
I truly believe that keeping these goals in our foresight helps us make better business decisions that can make the world a better place. I’m most proud of the way we’ve been able to share this work through our own socials, through partnerships with other like-minded businesses and in publications like this where we can share our story.
Q. If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you name it?
Tiff: I would name it “Rewriting the Story”. Storytelling has always played a large role in my life, as is obvious from the name of my business. From as early as I could remember, I was writing out crazy stories in little books that my mum made by stapling scrap paper together.
And you probably could’ve drawn a linear line from that little storyteller into the corporate advertiser that I became and would’ve continued to be if I hadn’t made a crazy decision to rewrite my direction. But you can just as easily draw a line between that storyteller into my business now as well.
A person’s personal story is never just one narrative structure that follows the hero’s journey as easily as a novel. Each time I’ve reached a new milestone, I have been able to rewrite my story and realise how my previous experiences have continued to reinforce my mission and the way that I have landed in this new place.
Furthermore, I have worked hard to rewrite the rules and stereotypes that I grew up with as an Asian Australian and daughter of immigrants. These are all things that I would explore in that book.
Q. What motivates you?
Tiff: I am motivated by the possibilities to create a real difference. My guiding principles drive me constantly every day, knowing that every small action is working towards the change I want to see. But it’s the unexpected outcomes that have excited me most, knowing that by staying true to myself, I’ve also been able to inspire others to go forward in their journeys toward social good.
Q. What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you’ve ever made?
Tiff: I will never regret my investment in travel. Travelling has always made me feel most alive. The ability to immerse yourself in new cultures opens your mind up to different ways of thinking that have helped me personally and in my business. It reminds me that there is no one way of doing things and has helped me build global networks of changemakers that have inspired me to keep going.
It also catalysed the way that we run our business as a fully remote, flexible workplace so that we can put mental health, creativity and yes, even travel as a priority in how we achieve our best work.
Q. What key activities would you recommend entrepreneurs invest their time in?
Tiff: Entrepreneurs need to make time for play. That may look like sports, socialising, travelling or getting creative. When you embrace play as a crucial part of your business, you can better find creative solutions for the endless problems that pop up and solve them for the future. It can also help you stay grounded and balanced in what can feel like an insanely gruelling journey of being an entrepreneur.
Q. What is your ‘one-sentence’ piece of advice you’d like to give to someone who wants to become an entrepreneur, coach, or business owner?
Tiff: Be grounded in your personal mission and use it as a guiding principle for all the decisions you make.
To keep up to date with Tiff and her journey, connect with her on Instagram.
