At the heart of Accomplish lies the dream of a coming together of workplace leaders who desire to use their skills, experience, and resources to make a meaningful impact within their spheres of influence and shape their workplace landscape by integrating faith with work.
Since its founding in 2018 as a project and seeing the needs of professionals and business owners in these challenging times – the Accomplish community has become known for its safe space where like-minded leaders from diverse backgrounds and industries can grow in truth, competence and care.
Aileen Goh, one of the co-founders of Accomplish, reflects on her journey as part of the group of friends who started it and the dream they had for the Accomplish community. She also shares what inspires her in her work and how she navigates challenges as part of her journey as a steward of the roles that God has given her.
Every organisation has its story, where the founders saw a pain point to be addressed. What did you see?
I was a professional for most part of my career. Today, as a retail consultant on my own and having co-founded Accomplish, I guess that makes me a business owner. Being an entrepreneur or professional is just a hat we wear, a role we play in our working life. We can possibly change hats throughout our careers, as I have.
Regardless, we all have a journey to get “from here to there”. “Here” being our current state – the younger we are, technically we have a longer runway. “There” being where we want to get to – a professional CEO, an owner of a public listed company, the chairman of a Board. This journey “from here to there” is not linear, peppered with ups and downs as can be testified by everyone. And the higher you get, the lonelier it is, as they say. I think that’s true for many of us in the workplace – I would have appreciated to have a group of people who would walk alongside me as I navigated my journey in the office that is intertwined with personal and family matters.
Together with some friends, we dreamt of creating an ecosystem where business leaders – entrepreneurs and professionals – feel safe to share these ups and downs, highs and lows as we call them. Amazing things happen in a safe space where like-minded leaders are able to share experiences and are empowered to make their decisions – be it at work, at home, with the family or even with matters that are very close to our hearts.
What was the inspiration that you had, leading up to the dream of Accomplish and what it could become?
For the past 25 years, being a professional in the MNCs in the corporate world, I always thought that I could not be much of an influence because I don’t make policies and strategic life-changing decisions. It was very myopic I now know.
Seeing what Kingdom Business Community (KBC) did in Indonesia and Tony Meloto in Gawad Kalinga Philippines, and journeying with Dato’ Dr Kim Tan for a while, my eyes were open to how businesses and professionals can impact people around us through our work – beyond doing CSR programs or charitable acts. We can do this because of the wealth of resources that a business has – finances, expertise, processes, knowledge and reach. By adding social KPIs to financial KPIs, businesses can influence and change lives, impact and grow economies.
Tell us more about the dream of creating an ecosystem of business leaders. What was tugging in your heart, and what made you and your friends say yes to starting this organisation?
Our dream was that if we could bring together like-minded business owners and professionals from different seasons of their lives – at different points in the journey “from here to there” – each one contributing from the resources of their respective seasons, regardless of race and religion, we can influence and impact our respective spheres of influence and together build the nation in our respective positions. I am realizing today, that with the world becoming borderless, we can even impact beyond the nation. It is about the journey and the process, where influence and impact take place, and where the purpose that God has for each individual can be accomplished. No prizes for why we are called “Accomplish”.
Our lives are more intertwined than we think, and hence there is power when we take this journey together. It is more than a network, it’s an ecosystem. Believing that such an ecosystem can bring God’s kingdom into the marketplace where He can be so real in our daily lives – a whole life, integrating faith and work, I said yes, let’s do it!
Comparing that to your other ventures, how was the journey to Accomplish different?
Honestly, it has been the most fulfilling venture as we’ve seen lives transformed, and how they have, in turn, impacted the lives of those around them. Our journey in Accomplish has not been easy, as every startup will tell you. So we have our own Accomplish journey of “from here to there” which has been achievable thus far because of the coming together of like-minded leaders to build this community together – our founding and leadership teams, and our facilitators.
You and your friends birthed an organisation right smack in the early stages of the pandemic. What were you thinking?
The pandemic indeed changed our lives. We started off as a project slightly more than a year before the lockdowns, and decided to pivot during the pandemic. We took the giant leap of faith to put more permanency to the structure of our mission, moving from a project mooted by a handful of like-minded friends to a more structured organisation. The timing was right for us because it allowed us to bring together leaders for a common cause – how we as leaders can influence and impact the people around us, especially during the unprecedented season of our lives.
With so much unknown at the door and time on our hands, as leaders, we took time to reassess our priorities, and one priority was investing in oneself to learn and grow. We took that opportunity to launch the True Success Conference (“TSC”) in a blended learning style with KBC, our strategic partner from Indonesia on the most amazing digital platform called Gnowbe. Together, we were able to deliver our program in a very effective approach that transcended borders. Who would’ve heard of a month-long conference? The unlocking of the understanding of what “true success” is was in itself transformational for more than the 450 leaders who attended TSC, allowing us to be better and more well-rounded leaders who continue their leadership journey at work in truth, competence and care.
As a business leader, wife and mother, what were some of the challenges you faced juggling multiple responsibilities in the workplace and family? How did you overcome them?
Truth be told, it’s a roller coaster ride. It’s exhilarating, exhausting at times, but definitely worth every curve and bend that life brings. I was working in the corporate world for more than 25 years, working up from rank and file in multi-nationals, and finished that era of my life leading a subsidiary of a public listed company. In that season of my life, the toughest of times was probably juggling the demands of work with young children, a young marriage and the gazillion hats that a working mother wears. Every role felt like a glass ball that I was juggling, the thought of dropping any felt disastrous.
During those times, I longed for people who would come alongside me on this journey of life where I would feel safe and not feel like I would be judged, and yet who would help me grow and improve to be a better leader. Today, being in a different season of life, I realise that the need for such a group of people is still relevant. I’ve found this in my Circle in Accomplish. I’ve known them for about a year, but they have been my safe space where I am able to be me, and also grow as a leader to impact my spheres of influence.
In putting God as the owner and CEO of your organisation, how has that impacted your leadership over the last 3 years?
One of the fundamentals in Accomplish is that as leaders, what we have in our hands are for stewarding. Everything belongs to God, we are stewards. Embodying this truth drives our decision making. We often think it’s about surrender and giving up control, something that is difficult for leaders. However, I’ve seen that putting God in the driver’s seat also takes a whole load of pressure from me, my own expectations of me and that of everyone else. It’s freeing. My a-ha moment was that working with God is not giving up control. My Accomplish Circle mate sums it well, “God is not a sleeping partner in my business, He is a working partner.”
What are your hopes for the next 3 years, both personally and professionally?
My work is very much a part of me. I hope to grow into being a leader who is relevant and equipped in the days ahead where uncertainty seems to be definite. And I hope to have this community – my safe space, who will be with me and have my back – as I continue in this journey of life, getting “from here to there” and surfing the big and small waves that life brings, and have my Master say, “well done, my good and faithful servant.”
This article was written with the help of Accomplish Asia. Christianity Malaysia would like to thank Aileen and Accomplish for their great hospitality and help throughout its production. All photos kindly contributed by Aileen and Accomplish.
Accomplish Asia is organising and hosting a True Success conference on 19th-20th August this year at Doubletree by Hilton Shah Alam I-City. Find out more about it here. There is an early bird discount until the end of this month. Sign up to unlock your influence and make an impact!
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