In our first interview with Paradigm Consulting’s team members, we sit down with Reed to hear about what has kept her in Hong Kong all these years and how mindfulness through meditation plays an important role in her daily routine.

You are originally from Kunming, Yunnan province. What was it like moving to Hong Kong and what has kept you here?

I moved to Hong Kong in mid-2000 to attend university. I found settling in and adapting to the Hong Kong way of life to be quite challenging at first, but once I graduated from university and began working for a few years everything fell into place.

Work is a significant part of Hong Kong’s fabric. Once I started my career, I felt as though I was finally part of society, something I had not sensed as strongly as a student.

What I love about Hong Kong and what has kept me here all this time is its people. I admire the hardworking spirit and professionalism that Hong Kongers from all walks of life apply to their jobs. From street sweepers to the C-Suite – everyone seems to be trying their best.   

The transient nature of the city brings with it a unique mix of people from all around the world. Personally, I have enjoyed meeting so many different people I otherwise would not have meet had I not moved here. From a professional perspective, it has enabled me to experience working with a diverse client base as Hong Kong is still a premier business hub in Asia as well as a bridge for our Chinese and Western clients. 

Meditation plays an important role in your daily routine. Please tell us how you got started and how it benefits your life. 

I started doing yoga about eight years ago to stay active. I was never into working out, so this was a good compromise – slow, methodical movements and nothing too strenuous! Then a few years ago, I went on a yoga retreat in Laos and it was there that I learnt more about the philosophy behind the practice and where I was introduced to meditation.

Both yoga and meditation focus on being present with yourself and your emotions in that moment. It begins with a focus on your breath to connect you with your body and block out the distractions of the world. Once you learn how to meditate, you are not worried about the past or the future. You are simply present in the moment without judgment.

Do you think the benefits of meditation can be applied to the work environment?

Certainly. Meditation helps me to discover clarity through the clutter.

Most professionals these days are reading and trying to absorb an enormous quantity of information, about their clients, about the market and about the world, to the point where it becomes overwhelming. For me, this level of consumption leads to a brain fog and this in turn impacts my decision making. I am sure others can relate to this.

Meditation helps me to organise my thoughts, observe facts with greater clarity and ultimately make more informed decisions. This has particularly helped me working with colleagues over the past year, where there has been a lot of change and uncertainty and as a result a need to be bold in our decisions for our clients and ourselves.

What do you find motivating about working in communications?

The essence of communications is the art of storytelling and as an avid reader, this is what first attracted me to the industry.

Storytelling is natural to the way humans communicate with each other. It is a fulfilling exercise to successfully bring a brand story to life – by considering the audience and their interests as well as understanding the client and their capabilities. Communications and storytelling is a strategic intersection that is a lot of fun, especially in the current context where we are telling stories across borders and having to consider the additional cultural elements this brings.

But it is also challenging. The diversity of channels and tools, evolving characteristics of audiences, and oftentimes lack of complete information about a given context can make telling the right story, in the right way, difficult. But never impossible!

To me, being a good communications consultant is all about helping clients navigate these conditions by acting as the bridge between their aspirations and the means for making them a reality.

What do you think are the most important qualities of a communications professional?

Two qualities immediately come to mind. The first is curiosity, or the eagerness to learn new things about different sectors and regions both within the scope of your target clientele and beyond. There is little room for becoming intellectually complacent in communications. I have been very lucky at Paradigm to have a portfolio that covers both sectors in which I have deep experience as well as areas that are new to me. This has put the onus on myself and the team to keep on our toes and ensure that we never stop learning. Often the best knowledge comes by listening to our clients – after all, they know their industry better than any outsider.

Another is working to stay ahead of the curve. It is risky for brands – regardless of industry – to fall behind in the awareness of what is going on at a global level or in the markets in which they work. This makes it necessary for communications professionals to remain sharp in their knowledge of world events and market developments, for it is how we add value. We have recently expanded the research area of our firm and this is really helping us to deliver more value in this important area.

Finally, as a keen reader can you recommend one book people should read in 2021?

A History of the World in 100 Objects, by Neil MacGregor. It is quite an extraordinary book if you are interested in understanding the development of mankind, which may sound intense but is a leisurely read that is informative at the same time.