--- Transcript: Anna Gong: [00:00:00] I was bullied when I was in Florida growing up because it's a very white environment. Stephen Cummins: So you looked different. Anna Gong: Yeah, I looked different. Stephen Cummins: And you sounded different at the beginning, right? Anna Gong: I knew not a word of English when I landed in the US. And then walking home and you get picked on by these boys and they punch you in the gut. And then and I was telling the story to a bunch of people on stage one day. My dad didn't even know about it, because back then you can't complain! You know, I'm proud of what I've gotten here, you know. And how that transpired. You know, my parents took me from China to the US. Now I'm back in the Far East. Singapore's more neutral. It's the Switzerland of Asia. We don't have Big Brother breathing down your throat like Hong Kong. Stephen Cummins: That’s true. Yeah. Anna Gong: Singapore is definitely a very good hub. And Southeast Asia is one of those unknown fragmented markets that people are not sure about. And yet everybody's trying to get in. Just do it! Stephen Cummins: [00:01:07] I'm Stephen Cummins, and this is part three of an interview with Anna Gong, CEO and a board member of Perx. Anna reflects on a lot of personal aspects of her life, including challenges she'd had to overcome, including bullying, what keeps her motivated, and the people that influenced her in life. She also talks about challenges for women in Asia. And like all of our guests, she’ll give advice to all the entrepreneurs and future entrepreneurs listening. Welcome to 14 minutes of SaaS. The show where you can listen to the stories and opinions of founders of the world's most remarkable SaaS scale-ups. Have you got kids? Anna Gong: [00:01:56] No, I'm. I'm divorced. No kids. Stephen Cummins: [00:02:00] Ok. So that makes it a little bit easier as somebody with a high-pressure job. But how do you keep healthy? How do you find that work life balance? Anna Gong: [00:02:10] Oh, I'm a big believer in balancing … exercise … and mind, body and soul. Right. And then meditate. I try to meditate three, four times a week. And on the weekends, I meditate a little longer. But on the weekdays, you know, 5, 10 minutes or even 15 minutes is normal for me. I really just believe in pausing for a little bit, you know. I've learned in my younger years … I overreacted to everything. And now I actually just sit back. The fire is burning. There's so many fires burning. Which fire do I catch first? Or do I put out first? So you tend to just step back a little and not act on emotions. And so I'm a lot calmer now than ever before. Stephen Cummins: [00:02:53] So you give things time, and respond thoughtfully, rather than react emotionally. Anna Gong: Right. Stephen Cummins: And it usually leads to a better outcome. Anna Gong: Exactly. Stephen Cummins: If you were to name somebody in your life Anna who's had a deep influence on your career … whether close to you or whether a professional … who might you think of? Anna Gong: [00:03:14] I think fundamentally it was my Dad pushing me. I mean, my Mom and Dad, they sacrificed so much, right. So whatever I want to do, I have to do my best. You know. No complaints. And this whole gender diversity thing. Male or female. I always thought, why even consider male or female? Just pick the best candidates based on merits. Stephen Cummins: Absolutely.  Anna Gong: And so I was just taught to work your ass off. But I didn't have the ecosystem, the help or mentorship. Everything that we've done as a child growing up, we did it on our own - because our parents were trying to put food on the table.