Au Lang Syne 2010, it's been great knowing you!!

Link to my favourite article on Star Biz and NST, on the things I did in 2010. So thankful 🙂

`Fun integral part of success in business’
New Straits Times, Jul 31, 2010 | by Rozanna Latiff

KUALA LUMPUR: Christopher Tock has this to say to young entrepreneurs: Don’t be afraid to have fun.

The Petaling Jaya-born social media activist, who values hard work and success, believes fun is an integral part of success in the business world.

His fun side is most evident through his regularly-updated blog, Spinzer (www.spinzer.us), where he writes on anything ranging from business and social media projects to sports, food and travel.

His online moniker – Spinzer – in fact, is derived from “topspin”, his favourite table-tennis technique.

“Some people called me Spinz, and I myself used the name, Spinzerus, on online game sites. The nickname stuck,” he said.

Tock plays a vital part as a writer, web designer and event organiser for two web organisations with very different agendas.

Youth Corporate Malaysia (YCM) is a network for young entrepreneurs that is known for hosting the “CEO series” talks with local business icons such as Microsoft Malaysia managing director Yasmin Mahamood and Bursa chief executive officer Datuk Yusli Yusoff. The other is RandomAlphabets.com, the social unity and development organisation behind the famous KL Freeze in 2008 and the Glee Flashdance Mob which captured headlines earlier this year.

Tock said he has always wanted to combine the different sides of his personality which he believed was a product of his upbringing.

“My father, a finance consultant, is an incredibly social and street-wise person, while my mother, a banker, is a very ambitious and hard-working woman,” he said, adding that he also liked meeting different kinds of people.

An avid sports fan, he played hockey and soccer in his secondary school days at Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar where he also emerged as a star student as the recipient of the KTJ Scholarship award.

Later in London, where he studied joint mathematics and computer science at Imperial College, he met Wan Mohd Firdaus Wan Mohd Fuaad, another student leader with whom he has worked on multiple projects.

Together, they revived the United Kingdom Executive Council for Malaysian students (UKEC) and launched events such as the UKEC Careers’ Fair, Projek Amanat Negara IV and the 1st Malaysian Student Leaders’ Summit 2007 before returning to help set up YCM in 2008.

Tock said many of his activities came from a desire to prove himself, saying too many young Malaysians placed unnecessary limits on themselves.

“Don’t wait for others to help. Create opportunities for yourself and others will be naturally willing to help you,” he said.

Despite his achievements, Tock does not see himself as a youth leader.

“I’ve always been the person who supports others in their endeavours whether in helping to set up websites or running operations,” he said.

He believes everyone has a role to play in the growth of a developing nation.

“Not everyone can be leaders, but that doesn’t mean you can’t contribute in a meaningful way.

“Good leaders need good supporters too,” he said.

The most important thing, Tock said, was to remain honest and sincere in every endeavour.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re starting a business or helping someone else start one as long as you’re doing it for the right reasons,” he said.

Christopher Tock can be reached on Twitter at http:// www.twitter.com/spinzer, or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ christock.