Father’s Day is right around the corner, which means many of us are reflecting on how our dads influenced our lives. Let’s be real: It isn’t just another day for us to get our dads more striped ties or Go Dad! mugs.

Ahead of Father’s Day, we caught up with one of the amazing dads at Studio Five Corp. Meet Rayden Yuzz, an Executive Producer by day, diaper-changer by night and Dad by default.

From racing through the career jungle gym, finding his passion to building a production company from scratch, we got up close and personal as Rayden dishes out on his journey as a successful entrepreneur and being a loving father.

Here are a couple of golden nuggets of wisdom from a Dad and a Boss you won’t want to miss:

Dream Big, Work Hard

Many of us fail to understand that any goal is achievable by only working hard. ‘Dare to dream and work hard’ is the mantra to achieve success. It does not matter how big or small your dreams are; what’s more important is that you believe in them enough to work hard to achieve them.

Take Studio Five Corp for instance. According to Ray, this production company was never a long term plan to begin with. It was purely accidental: An innocent idea in the shower room.

“If you want to start something small, make sure it gets big. I love reading a story, telling a story, and creating a story. Instead of doing only video production, I believe and aim to be the only media group in Singapore that will help companies relook into their branding,” Rayden shared.

He continued to explain how there is no other platform in the world that can help companies achieve that level of awareness except for the power of media.

“The five main media channels that all brands and companies rely on are namely Photography, Video/Cinematography, Commercial Printing, Graphic Design, Web Development.”

Hence, the name and birth of Studio Five Corp.

Breaking the Mold

Of all the prevailing stereotypes about Singapore’s culture, one of the most cited is our definition and perspective on establishing a good career. Don’t you agree?

We were all brought up by a standard system/structure which entails a very simple and straightforward formula: Study hard, get a good job, work for promotions, earn a huge salary so that you can support your parents and finally retire with a huge fat CPF account that you can be proud of.

On the other hand, some of us like Rayden, are compelled to challenge the status quo.

“Growing up, you’ll always hear people commenting on what you should do and what you shouldn’t do when it comes to your life. And, if at some level you’ve defied and failed, you will definitely hear an ‘I told you so’,” shrugged Rayden.

With such doubts, it made Rayden unsure of what he wanted to do in his life back in the day. From telemarketing, door-to-door sales, and even working as a Night Safari presenter, Rayden took up various jobs roles to try and make sense of things.

Finally, he was bestowed with an opportunity of a lifetime: To become a manager and work alongside the Director of a well-known fast food chain. Sure enough, the pieces fell into place but not for long.

Years into the business, he was subsequently head-hunted by several MNCs to spearhead various marketing and branding projects. At a mere age of 24, Rayden was at the top of the world. However, he wasn’t happy.

“It struck me that in order for me to be happy, I’d need to do something that can provide me with a sense of fulfilment. All I know is I’m a goal-getter and a hustler. And, I always want to be the best in what I do.”

Turning Mistakes into Learning Opportunities

Truth be told, you can read thousands of books about photography, learn the different parts of a camera, know the right functions of each mode, watch hundreds of video tutorials on photography, but you cannot learn to shoot with a camera if you never try to do it with your own hands.

After all, everything you get to learn in life, you learn by doing.

Rayden confessed he was once a spendthrift individual and that lavish lifestyle almost cost him his business. Studio Five Corp got caught up with all the drama but fortunately, it braved through the storm.

“When Studio Five suffered a downturn for a year, business got clawed. I had to cut my own salary and fees, just to save my employees from being out of job. Not to mention, I had to sell off my shares and cars and was eventually forced to declare bankruptcy,” Rayden shared.

Hitting rock bottom was no easy feat but Rayden refused to give up. Bouncing back from the ground, the team began reviewing business plans, strategies and even got help from a close friend to keep Studio Five Corp up and running again.

“That life-changing experience shaped who I am today. Firstly, it taught me to respect money just like how you’d respect a person you love. And, never to mix business with pleasure!”

Despite multiple hurdles, Rayden wouldn’t have it any other way. He reasoned be it good or bad decisions, you learn from each experience and that ultimately allows you to grow exponentially.

#Keepitreal Career Advice From a Boss and a (Super!)Dad

We can’t help but think back on all our dads have done for us over the years. Whether it was teaching us to cycle, solving a math problem or chasing the monsters under the bed, our dads have been there to help us overcome numerous hurdles — and no doubt provide valuable life lessons along the way.

Chances are a bunch of those lessons shaped who we are today.

With that in mind, we posed a question to Rayden, “What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received and would like to pass on to your children?”

For starters, Rayden confided that you never tell them that you’re (parents) always right.

“Never control your kid’s dreams. Never limit their imagination. And most importantly, never tell them things that they cannot do. Instead, encourage them! Even if they say they want to be a dinosaur or lion when they grow up.”

For the “kids”, Rayden advises to be whatever you want to be and go wherever you want to go. Just keep three simple things in check:

1. Be grateful everyday.
2. Never forget your loved ones especially your parents.
3. NEVER EVER BE LAZY.

And of course, always have a positive mindset towards every occurrence in your life.

“All in all, I want to be the Dad that my kids will run to for advice. I want to be the Dad that my little princess will hug whenever she is heartbroken. I want to be the Dad that my little boy still plays computer games with no matter how young or old he gets. I want to be the Dad that both my kids will respect, model and look up to. Not Superman, Ironman or Spiderman. I want to be my kids’ Superhero.”

Thanks, Dad

You can tell all the advice came from the heart, whether the sentiment was funny, serious or somewhere in between.

Alright, we may not spoil our dads as often as we indulge our moms. I guess it’s high time we show some love for the most important man of our lives this Father’s Day.

We did one for the queen of the family, so it’s only right that we do one for our dads. No excuses for not pampering Dad this year: After all, every dad deserves to be celebrated too!

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