Mr. David Low is the CEO and chairman of Futuristic Store Fixtures. In an interview with 938LIVE, he explained that the biggest obstacle faced by Singapore companies is their own pride, which can lead to a lack of relevance. The CEO also described his own struggles with depression and how he overcome those debilitating feelings and achieved success.
An Educational Failure
David Low was a Secondary 2 dropout. He attributes his failure in school partly to his surroundings; he spent half a day in school and then had to go to work immediately at his father’s workshop. He wasn’t able to study much, since his father required him to work on the weekends as well.
After dropping out of school and working with his father for a while, Low decided to branch out and start his own business as a contractor. For many years, he did all kinds of jobs, from driving to painting to carpentry. In 2005, Low decided to join Futuristic Store Fixtures, a company that his uncle owned. He saw flaws in the business model, but wasn’t sure how to address them.
A Struggle with Depression
Low says that during his first years with his uncle’s business, the company did poorly. As a result of the pressure and stress, he went into serious depression. He was barely eating or sleeping. Only when he recognised the depression and took action to improve his mental health was he able to refocus and achieve success in his career.
The Turning Point
After investing in his own mental healing, Low was inspired to change Futuristic Store Fixtures from a renovation contractor to a store fixtures supplier. When global brands decided to expand to Singapore or other parts of Asia, Low’s company could provide the fixtures necessary to get the new stores up and running. It was a brilliant move, though risky. The transformation paid off, and Futuristic Store Fixtures currently serves top international brands in over 50 nations.
A Love of Crazy Ideas
Low says, “I love crazy ideas. I don’t like conventional ideas.” This point of view has been a mainstay of his management style, encouraging breakthroughs, creativity, and outside-the-box thinking. ” I do see a lot businesses suffering,” says Low. “I think business owners have to come with a very open mindset. There is nothing we can change about the way the world develops and evolves. The only thing we can change is ourselves. Singapore businessmen have to stop being negative. Sometimes, the biggest obstacle we face is ourselves. Let’s be positive. I know it took a lot of tears and blood to achieve what they have today. But what helped you succeed before will not be able to carry you to the next 5-10 years.”
The Potential Future
Do you feel weighed down by depression? Do you know someone who is sinking deeper into depression every day, struggling with a lack of hope and motivation? Mr. Low’s story is an encouragement to anyone mired in depression. With the help of a psychiatrist in Singapore, like those available at Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic, you can face your depression and overcome it, just as Mr. Low did. If you get treatment now, you may be able to look forward to a much brighter future than you ever dreamed of.
Written by the Adelphi Psych Blog Team
