#13. Tan Shi Hui and her Values, Passion and Purpose

What does it take to pursue a meaningful journey?

Values are your non-negotiable foundation, passion is about what excites and motivates you, and purpose is your deeper reason for existence. - Harvard Business Review

With our mission to create a world where work drives passion, whether you are a founder or creator, a leader or a gig worker, a consultant or a teacher, discovering and aligning your values, passion, and purpose will give you the best chance at having a fulfilling career, and more importantly, life. And when this alignment is in place it leads to something greater - organisations can achieve their mission, and society and beyond will benefit in the long run.

Wantedly's SG60 stories series is about people who have been shaped by Singapore, and had made a difference in Singapore. This series aims to be a platform for individual reflection on what our own values are, and how we discover our passion and strive towards our purpose.

As a nation, when we reflect on our shared values of multiculturalism, boldness, resilience and openness, we can build upon what drove our prosperity. SG60’s theme is a refreshed spirit, and by celebrating Singapore’s journey to date, Wantedly is proud to spotlight some of those who have contributed in their own unique ways.

Introducing Shi Hui

Shi Hui is a multifaceted storyteller, business strategist, and travel content creator on TikTok who blends travel, tech, and lifestyle. As an independent brand storytelling and business consultant, she partners with brands to craft compelling narratives that resonate with global audiences. Beyond her creative pursuits, Shi Hui is a seasoned connector and rainmaker in the tech and innovation space, with nearly a decade of experience fostering cross-border collaboration between ASEAN and China.

In her own words

Fun Fact: When I was around 18 years old, I started developing a skin condition called Dermatographia (‘skin writing’ in layman's terms), where raised lines would appear on my skin wherever I scratched. These marks tend to disappear in less than 15 minutes. It is generally harmless, and I actually found it pretty unique that I could now write and draw on my skin. It’s like making art!

1. What are your top 3 values?

Love this question! I actually did this exercise with my therapist a couple of years ago and identified my top 6 values. Now the challenge is to narrow it down to the top 3, but here they are: Challenge, Freedom, and Integrity. Looking back, I’ve noticed that the key decisions in my life were always based on these 3 values, even if they didn’t seem like wise decisions in the eyes of others.

Challenge: to keep challenging myself to grow, learn, improve.

Freedom: to live freely, to choose how I live and behave, or help others do likewise.

Integrity: to act honestly, sincerely, and authentically.

2. What keeps you up at night?

Ideas and to-do items always build up at bedtime, and I start having a million thoughts about how I should approach this project or that project, when I should start creating content about this or that topic, and whether a life decision from years ago was the right one. And I know one thing for sure: never trust your feelings and thoughts late at night. It’s one of the negative times of the day.

3. What fills your cup?

As cliché as it might sound, when I get involved in things that align with the three values mentioned above, that’s when I feel the most fulfillment. And most of the time, what gives me the most fulfillment isn’t what translates to monetary value. They could be things that don’t even bring in any money yet are time-consuming; however, I don’t feel suffocated doing them.

Take, for example, spending hours editing a travel guide/itinerary that I’m not paid for and offering it as a free resource online. I find joy in doing it, and my sense of fulfillment peaks when I see how strangers on the internet actually benefit from my sharing. Or, it could be advising an early-stage startup founder on business strategy. This gives me fulfillment, knowing that my small contribution can make an impact on someone else.

Shi Hui with a group of strangers in Dali, China.
"This was the night I attempted street vending on my own. However, I had no merchandise to sell, so instead, I ended up “selling” casual conversation, chatting with anyone who passed by. My booth drew quite a crowd, which ended up blocking the walkway. To avoid causing an obstruction, we relocated to a different spot and continued our conversation for another hour or so."

4. Coming from SIM, did you feel back then that you were disadvantaged in terms of career opportunities compared to local university graduates?

I’d be lying if I said no. Graduating from a non-local university definitely felt like a disadvantage, especially in the early years of my career. This feeling was more pronounced at first, but over time, people stopped asking about your alma mater, and you’re recognized more for the work you’ve done in the industry. 

By “disadvantage,” I don’t mean in terms of salary, because, to be completely honest, I never had a clear comparison of someone in the same position earning more just because they graduated from a local university. Maybe that happened, but I wasn’t exposed to salary information, so I can’t be sure.

Occasionally, though quite rarely, I’ll still get questions like, “Are you from NUS?” halfway through a conversation that has nothing to do with academia. I usually reply with something like, “Oh no, I’m from a private university.” Sometimes, I wonder what motivates people to ask if you're from a particular school. Could it be a harmless question, wanting to see if there’s a mutual connection or to bond over being alumni?

In the earlier days, I would make a point of explaining that I turned down an offer from a local university to study at a private institution because the course at NTU wasn’t aligned with my interests. Over time, I stopped sharing that story.

Given the tough job market today, I suppose where you graduate from still holds some weight, but ultimately, your work, experience, and the value you bring to the table are what matter most.

5. Why did you pursue content creation, and what does success look like for you?

My content creation journey was purely accidental. I left my full-time job in October 2023 without the next one lined up and started solo traveling around China in November 2023 for a year (making visa runs back to Singapore). My first China travel video blew up on TikTok, and that’s when I began making more travel itineraries and guides. The stars seemed to align, as my plan to explore China coincided with the interests of TikTok users. Also, now that my time isn’t occupied with work, I get to dive into content creation and refine my skills. I’m still learning, but I definitely feel I’m much better at editing videos now compared to my early days.

Shi Hui's ethnic-style photoshoot in Lijiang China

I don’t rely on content creation to sustain my lifestyle. It’s nice to have some paid collaborations every now and then, but I see them as a bonus rather than a stable revenue stream. To me, success is creating content I’m excited to share and having a platform to reach many more people whom I might not have had the chance to connect with otherwise. If any of my content has benefited someone, that’s success for me.

I count myself lucky that this accidental path has opened up new doors for me. I ventured into livestreaming with the help of TikTok’s team and started offering content strategy consulting services to my clients. Each of these clients came through warm referrals, even though I never actively publicized my consulting services.

6. Please leave us with your advice for content creators/innovation consultants.

Interestingly, I believe there’s a lot of overlap between content creators and innovation consultants. Both require a mix of personal resilience, the ability to inspire and rally others around a vision, and strategic thinking. The journeys in both fields take time to see meaningful results, they’re not about overnight success.

It’s crucial not to be discouraged by setbacks or slow days. Instead, see them as opportunities to learn, grow, and adapt. Additionally, I believe the people most suited for this path are those with intrinsic motivation and a genuine passion for content creation or innovation. This passion is what drives them to persevere when others might give up.

For content creation, I always remind myself through notes to never get affected by low engagement. I create content to document my life, not for public validation. My goal is to have a platform I can look back on, reminding myself of the beautiful memories I've created along the way.

Check out my travel channel on TikTok, connect with me on LinkedIn, or shoot me an email at shihui@greatcatchup.com!

Once again, in celebration of SG60, let us strive to be bolder and kinder to one another, wherever our travels take us.

This series was brought to you by Wantedly Hire - an application tracking system optimised for modern hiring practices. Experience seamless hiring with tailored workflows designed to align with your recruitment structure, automated interview scheduling, and actionable insights to optimise hiring performance!