Starting A Revolution of Love

April 19, 2010

“Patrick, you better fly back right away. People are carrying things out of the office.”

 This was the call I received on 21 March 2003 and it started a series of events which changed my life forever.

Prior to that call, I had scaled down my personal involvement in HSR and left the daily operations of it to a management team.

At the trough of the SARS outbreak, sales had dipped to their lowest point. Operational expenses were at an all time high. Our competitors took the opportunity to head-hunt my management staff and several of our key people literally left me overnight.

Subsequently, my colleagues, clients and suppliers began to leave me in droves. Vicious rumors circulated in the market and they were growing stronger by the day.

During that time, I lost an enormous amount of money. I was also carrying personal liabilities to the tune of millions of dollars.

I went through the darkest period of my life.

At night, I slept with tears in my eyes, curled up like a little baby. I lived in constant fear. I was worried about what would happen to my family and I.

It was a daily torture to wake up, drag myself to the office and face another day of pain and sorrow. I walked around like a zombie, not knowing what to do, say or believe.

I was totally helpless. I could not run away. No matter which way I turned, I would feel another huge wall collapsing on me.

That was when I searched my soul. I seeked wise counsel. I looked up and asked our Creator for help. I needed a modern day miracle to turn the tide.

I sensed a divine calling to rebuild My HSR into more than a business, a company or an organization. I was to go beyond personal profits and gain.

The initial instruction I received was to ‘Touch Lives’.

Our company would be devoted to inspiring, motivating and helping our people to be the best they could be. Through them, we would touch lives, bless families, improve communities, and enhance society.

When I decided to take up this challenge, I felt our Creator saying that this step was only Part One – the easy part.
The most important and also the most difficult part of the message was I had to tell my people three simple words, ‘I love you.’
I knew that love is the most powerful force in business and in life. Sadly, I had barely scratched the surface to tap this awesome force.
I did not learn how to live and work with love from any guru, school or book. (I suspect most people do not even dare to talk about love in the workplace).
I had to learn how to rebuild My HSR on love and to live out the power of love. I had to chart a new course. I had to pioneer a different way of running the company.

I decided to make My HSR the extended family of our people – and our office, their second home. I endeavoured to build my organization into a warm, dynamic and caring family.

Out of that major crisis, I was also forced to recreate myself, my philosophy, my business, and my aspirations. It became one of the key turning points of my life.

Since then, the magical, mystical and miraculous began showing up. Out of nowhere, doors were opened to us. Businesses rolled in from the strangest places. The company began to transform in so many wonderful ways that cannot be described in this short love note.

Think about it. In March 2003, My HSR was in debt and completely destroyed. Within three months, we had a positive cashflow. Sales picked up. Our showflats had crowds streaming in despite fear of the SARS virus.

Many of the advisors who left us started to come back to us. They brought with them other advisors who like our love-based culture.

My HSR attracted many top leaders, many of whom have initially indicated they would not join us. Many of them were compelled to do it by some special reasons.

My HSR won The #1 Real Estate Company and The Largest Real Estate Agency Awards. We also became the Fastest Growing Real Estate Company and the Number One In Productivity as measured by ROE.

Our company has won more than 20 awards for almost every major area of business. We look forward to being the first and only real estate agency to be listed on a stock exchange in South-east Asia. The miracles
continue…

Without realizing it, we were starting a business revolution of love. My HSR was used to pave the way for a new business model for what I called Enlightened Entrepreneurs.
Call me an idealist if you like. I belief if you and I live with love, future generations will point to us and say, “That’s the generation that finally got their act of love together. They eradicated poverty, brought about world peace, and made our world a better home for us.”

Will you be one of the Enlightened Entrepreneurs to join me in the revolution of love?

Will you help me champion consumers’ best interest? Will you help me upgrade image and standards of the real estate industry.

Will you help me make our world a better home?