Hailing from Singapore but finding her home here in Canada, Gwen Lim is on a mission to help create impactful marketing and social media content on scale for brands and businesses. As the Owner of Motion and Still Inc, you can often find her behind the camera, thinking of a new production concept, or deep in the editing zone. Motion and Still Inc. strives to help their community of creative professionals increase their online digital sales, an initiative that is currently in beta testing.
What does Asian Heritage Month mean to you?
“It is an important reminder that Toronto and Canada remains welcoming to its diaspora, and that it is a place where there is space to celebrate my identity. Our difference is appreciated.”
Why did you start your business?
“I began my business because I wanted people in the creative industry to be paid fairly for their work. Starting a company meant that invoices wouldn’t just go unfilled once work was complete. It was a way to also provide accountability to our clients.”
What role does your heritage play as an entrepreneur?
“My Peranakan (Southeast Asian – Straits Chinese) heritage influences my work continuously. As a visual creator, my influences are broad and include styles and elements with an Asian aesthetic while incorporating European and North American influences. It also is the way I do business; a direct, no nonsense style with clear objectives to fulfill.”
What’s one of your most proudest moments as an entrepreneur?
“When I was able to get my first office. It was a big step that opened new doors and a diversified stream of income. Getting an office was a move that signalled that I was willing to invest and bet on myself and my success, that I was willing to take that risk, and that I understood no gain comes without trying.”
What is one of the biggest and/or most difficult lesson you’ve had to learn as an entrepreneur?
“To move on when something wasn’t working. We’ve had eight different offices, all with their benefits and downsides, where we tried different configurations to run the business efficiently. It only took one office to learn this, thankfully. Since then, I now have better foresight on what has a chance of working, and what doesn’t.”
What’s one piece of advice that you would give to yourself when you were first starting your business?
“This piece of advice still rings true to me now. The only way is forward, the past can’t be changed but you can do something everyday that makes your tomorrow better.”
This piece is part of Startup Canada’s wider campaign to celebrate and honour Asian Heritage Month. Find more entrepreneur stories such as Gwen’s in our full list of Asian entrepreneurs who are shaking up Canada.