Alicent Wong
Founder & Confidence Coach at The Women of Colour Founder's Network
Ali Wong is a highly experienced digital marketing specialist with a career encompassing 20+ years in integrated marketing communications. Ali migrated from Singapore in 2004 and has since worked with brands such as CBA, Tourism Queensland, Microsoft, Apple and Johnson & Johnson’s. Ali and her husband then co-founded a boutique digital marketing agency in Sydney working with clients like ING Direct, Tropfest and Pizza Hut. After 6 successful years in business, they sold their share of the agency to consult with companies and spend more time with their children. Ali is now a part time Account Director with Excite Media whilst building her businesses as a confidence coach and the founder of The Women of Colour Founders Network.
Career & Background
What inspired you to do what you are doing now?
I love supporting women to step fully back into their confidence as it was never lost. Our level of confidence gets diluted as we move through different seasons life; pressures from society, work, family expectations and what we were taught as ‘definitions of success’. There’s no better time than now to lift those curtains and get reconnected with who we truly are. Having been in marketing for 20+ years, I’ve seen very little change in our industry when it comes to gender discrimination and I want to be a part of making sure that we support and champion the women who are currently in and are coming into the industry.
What was your journey and where are you headed in your career right now?
I started in working at one of the world’s top global advertising agencies straight out of uni, and will always been very grateful for those opportunities. There aren’t many people who can say that they’ve worked on campaigns for brands such as Levis, American Express, DHL, Nestle, Apple and Microsoft! My husband and I then co-founded a 7 figure digital marketing agency in Sydney together with our business partner with brands like Tropfest, ING Direct and Pizza Hut under our roof. Those years of building the agency has taught me so many valuable lessons about how to run a successful business, learning to accept failure as opportunities to grow and how to manage a great team.
Your favourite food for thought
Books
- Becoming by Michelle Obama
- Moonshots by Naveen Jain
- We should all be millionaires by Rachel Rodgers
Podcasts / Thought Leaders
- Currently into Human Design so The Beginners Guide to Human Design.
- The Mind your Business Podcast by James Wedmore
- Women of Impact
What drives and inspires you
What are your core values?
- Authenticity
- Self-respect
- Wisdom
Who is your biggest inspiration and why?
Much as it sounds cliche, my daughters are my biggest inspiration. I always believe that much as we’re here to guide our children through life, we too, have so much to learn from them.
I often look at my children with so much awe; the endless curiosity, the ‘no-fear’ attitude, the willingness to try new things (well, maybe not so much when it comes to spicy food!), the ability to say that they’ll do something and then actually do it, that sponge of a brain that soaks up virtually every piece of information, and most importantly, the unconditional love that I receive from them daily.
Sadly, we lose so much of this connection to our personal power as we grow up and turn into ‘responsible adults’. One would think that the reverse happens but as we become older, we become none the wiser.
My children are a constant reminder of the great things that I’m capable of once I put away all of my made-up perception of self and keep my adult reptilian brain in check. They remind me that I too, was once a child and if I was once armed with all of these great tools, all I need to do is to climb back onto that bike and start peddling again. It may be a little wobbly at first, but I’ll soon be riding as far as my legs can carry me!
You as a Mentor
Why have you decided to become a mentor?
This is my second return as a mentor in the Assisterhood program. I had so much fun with my first mentee, Wendy, and seeing how much she has grown in her confidence and the clarity she has gotten from our time together was extremely gratifying. I’m not one to gatekeep my lived expertise, so being able to share this with the next generation of marketers to set them up for success is a privilege.
What are the top 5 skills or qualities you bring to mentoring?
- Confident
- Intuitive
- Highly knowledgeable
- Sees potential in others
- Non-judgemental
Ready to apply?
The best time is right now. Take a chance – you never know where an Assisterhood mentor can take you.